Page 83 of Of Kings and Thieves

Moredanea dismissed the notion with a wave of her hand. “I found your home, but yes, his report of you gave me a trail to follow, and I put my best people on it. You should have killed him when you had the chance. Then maybe your sister here would still be living in her filthy hole with the rest of your family.”

Moredanea’s cruel words sank deep into me like a dagger. My run-in with the Deviant in Prismvale had led them right to my village, sealing my family’s fate. Overcome by rage and grief, I trembled, barely restraining myself from launching at Moredanea’s throat.

But I had Laney to think of. I took a deep, shaky breath and relaxed my stance, though my hands still clenched into fists.

Before I could speak, a hushed silence filled the chamber as the door creaked open once more.

Two guards entered, dragging a giant of a man between them.

Magnus.

His dirty, tattered clothing hung off his broad frame, which was covered in fresh bruises and wounds that would add to his scars. Heavy chains wrapped around his neck and body, with strong shackles limiting his movements to a shuffle only.

Magnus looked at me with interest, but otherwise didn’t speak. Then his gaze fell on Laney. His eyes flashed with realization before he glared at Moredanea.

My mouth suddenly became dry.

Moredanea practically floated around the room, her black gown whispering across the floor until she was standing in front of him, looking up into his defiant face. The symbols in the walls pulsed faster, casting their eerie glow onto her dress, which seemed to absorb the light. “Your next task, half-breed, is to kill this prisoner using only your siren’s song.”

I stared at her in horror. The very idea of using my gift for such a cruel act on anyone, let alone on a friend, made me feel like the floor had been yanked from under me.

“I can’t do that,” I said, my voice barely audible. “I’ve never killed anyone with my song. I don’t even know how.”

A savage glint lit Moredanea’s eyes. “Figure it out.”

My heart raced, trapped by her command and the fear for my sister’s safety. As much as I wanted to defy Moredanea, the consequences for Laney were far worse than any punishment she could dish out to me.

My heart raced, my throat constricted as I stared at the man before me. Moredanea’s voice cut through the atmosphere like a serrated blade. “If you don’t do it, I’ll simply have to gouge out your sister’s eye.”

A guard grabbed Laney and pulled her away from me while another guard made sure I didn’t follow. I watched in horror as the first guard held a knife over my sister’s eye. Laney screamed and cried, trying to close her eyes and move her face away from the blade.

The threat hung in the air, and I glanced at Moredanea.

“Please,” I whispered.

“Your decision,” Moredanea taunted. “Choose wisely. Either way, you will learn what it means to defy me.”

I swallowed hard and turned to Magnus, meeting his steady gaze. He stood tall and proud despite his injuries. “There is no choice here, Samara,” he said, his deep voice at once sad and gentle. “Do it.”

Laney was sobbing, still trying to move her face away from the guard’s cruel grip. My baby sister who I had failed before. Who I had promised to keep safe.

Magnus was correct—there was no choice here.

Reluctantly, I nodded. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

“Excellent.” Moredanea’s smile made me seethe with fury. “Begin. And remember, I will know if you don’t try hard enough.”

With shaking hands, I turned to face Magnus. He looked back at me, resigned to his fate. My heart ached for him, and I wanted to scream and rage at the heavens for allowing this to happen. Instead, I closed my eyes and tried to recall the techniques Killian had taught me, hoping they would be enough to save my sister.

With a heavy heart, I opened my mouth and began to sing. The notes poured out, laced with magic, slowly ensnaring Magnus. I had knocked him out before, and I could do it again, but this time required something darker. At first, my heart fought against the power blooming inside me and the now familiar darkness that came with it. But slowly, I let it take over, giving my full body and soul to the melody. It started soft and sweet, the notes like a gentle caress, not the notes of ruin and death. Even though I couldn’t save Magnus, I didn’t want him to suffer.

His eyes fluttered closed as the melody washed over him. Guilt and revulsion burned within me, but I pushed them away and kept singing.

As my voice began to rise, a haunting melody filled the air. My siren song wove around the prisoner, drawing him closer to his knees. Each note I sang chipped away at his will, and I felt the growing power within me, a force I had never known before. The power surged, the essence of my siren song blazing like an inferno as it consumed the air around us. Each note I sang pierced the monster hunter’s will, chipping away at his defenses as a sculptor would carve a masterpiece from a single piece of stone. My heart pounded in my chest, the blood roaring in my ears, drowning out the sounds of everything else.

Magnus finally dropped to his knees with a jangle of chains. He wasn’t fighting it but embracing it. Welcoming death as he welcomed life, and tears streamed down my face as his life force began to ebb.

I continued singing, chipping away at his will, draining his energy and clouding his mind.

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