Page 124 of The Throne Seeker (Vallorian #1)

O nyx flew at incredible speed. Rose was convinced they would reach Lord Barron within a mere minute. However, to her shock, he was nowhere in sight when they broke the tree line.

Where’d he go? Onyx asked, jerking his head in irritation. We can’t be far behind.

Rose peered down to find Lord Barron’s footprints, but she did not see nor hear him over the howling wind. How could that be?

Her siren eyes focused in the darkness, aiding her to see better. Finally, she spotted his silhouette in the distance—he wasn’t alone. Another hooded and masked figure on horseback reached down to take something from Lord Barron. She caught a glint of a red ruby.

The talisman.

As soon as the masked man had it in his possession, he took off, disappearing from sight. She had no idea which direction he had gone.

Lord Barron, however, continued on foot in the opposite direction. He was moving fast—too fast.

Realization dawned as her eyes widened.

Lord Barron was a siren.

Her grip tightened. There! she directed Onyx, guiding him to the left through the trees.

They were gaining on him. Even with Lord Barron’s impressive speed, he was no match for Onyx. The magnificent beast drove his eight hooves into the ground with incredible force, driving them forward.

When they were close enough, she let her siren’s instincts take over. She lifted the blood-crusted arrow in her hand, and just like in the Snorri, she hurled it, snapping her wrist to send the arrow soaring.

The arrow struck his shoulder, knocking him to the ground in a small forest clearing.

With his fall, she caught up to him.

Rose jumped down from Onyx and drew her sword, pointing the blade downward at him to pin him to the forest floor, prepared to end him.

Lord Barron turned, leaves sticking to his robes. He grasped the arrow lodged in his back, tearing it out with a grunt.

“You have good aim for such a young siren,” Lord Barron praised. “I can see what’s so special about you.” He eyed her with a lustful smile.

She almost puked.

“How are you a siren?” she asked, keeping the blade at his throat.

He didn’t look the least bit afraid. “I was born that way,” Lord Barron said vaguely.

“You don’t look like a siren.”

He smirked. “Why? Because I’m not as pretty as you?”

She placed the edge of her blade against his throat.

He shifted back a bit, putting his hands up. “You don’t want to do that,” Lord Barron warned.

Rose took a lethal step toward him. “Give me one good reason I shouldn’t.” She glared as she pressed her sword a little harder against his throat.

A wicked smile played on his lips. “Because I am not Lord Barron.”

Like a ripple in the water, Lord Barron’s body began to shift. His skin altered, his face melted, and he grew larger and taller.

Rose was so caught off guard, she stumbled backward. Thankfully, she managed to keep a grip on her sword as her mind attempted to keep up with what was playing out before her eyes.

She barely believed it. She was no longer looking at the middle-aged high council member but a mountain of a man.

A true siren.

He was ethereal, the most perfect creature she’d ever seen. His sandy-golden hair framed a pair of bright, vivid-violet eyes that gleamed like her own. His clothes were tattered, barely clinging to him, as rippling muscles broke through the fabric, revealing his fair skin.

He took advantage of her surprise as he stood up, now towering over her. “Do you prefer this, love?” the siren asked with a gorgeous, transcendent smile.

A chill ran down her spine; his voice flowed like a gentle stream.

Rose glared at him, but her siren was dripping with undeniable attraction, curious to finally meet another of their kind. She squashed the irrational sensation, unable to forget what he’d just done. Her mother could very well be dead because of him, reminding her she didn’t have much time.

She was about to answer when she realized she didn’t need to—he’d read her emotions.

“You don’t need to lie to me,” he said, stalking her like a dangerous predator. “You forget I’m not like them. I can feel it. You’re attracted to me.”

“Then you can also feel I’m going to kill you,” she said through clenched teeth.

He laughed, a beautiful, dark, cocky sound. “By the gods, you really are beautiful, even by a siren’s standards. You can kiss me if you want.” He stepped closer, filling her lungs with the scent of fresh pine. “I’ll kiss back,” he taunted, mocking her.

“Stay away from me,” she hissed, not lowering her sword for a second.

“Why don’t we go somewhere private?” he continued, his violet eyes shining like stars in the heavens, drawing her in. “Then we won’t be interrupted by your three human boyfriends who are sure to try to come save you. But then again, it might be good. I’ll get to kill them, too.”

Rose’s face darkened, her grip on her sword tightening.

She caught him off guard with a swift kick to the shoulder, knocking him to the ground as she exploited the arrow wound.

She wanted nothing more than to end him, but she had too many unanswered questions and she didn’t know how quickly the Dragonshade would take her mother’s life; time was not on her side.

Thunder cracked through the heavens, clouds threatening to rain as the siren lifted a suggestive eyebrow. “You know, if you wanted me on my back, you could’ve just asked.”

Onyx sank his hooves into the dirt, threatening to charge him, but Rose held up her hand, telling him to stay put. “Who are you? What do you want?”

“I can’t tell you…” He breathed hard. “I’m bound not to.”

She delved into his mind to see if he was telling the truth, but just as before, there was nothing. It was like he was void of any aura or emotion—a black wall of darkness, a blank space. Nothing.

“You can’t see into my mind.” His flawless, sloped, masculine lips spread into a smirk. “But if you come with me, I’ll teach you. If you’re lucky, I may just let you enter… willingly.”

Rose’s eyes narrowed, hating how he had information she so desperately needed. “You killed the king. You tried to kill Roman. I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you. You’ll never leave these woods again.”

“If you think you can beat me, think again. You may have had your human pets teaching you how to fight, but going up against a well-trained siren is well out of your reach,” he declared as his ethereal face hardened. “I can assure you, you will lose.”

“I don’t know about that.” Rose peered at his wound. “That arrowhead is laced with Dragonshade. It may just weaken you enough to let me beat you. If it doesn’t kill you first.”

His enchanted laugh blew with the same wind that tossed his sandy hair. “You think I’d bring a poison I didn’t have the cure to?” He retrieved a vial from his robes.

He’d had the cure this whole time.

“It was you ,” she realized. “ You were the one I saw in the trees during the first challenge and on the balcony. You were the one who tried to kill Roman.”

“Guilty.” He shrugged, indifferent. “I dressed up as one of your precious boyfriends in case anyone saw me hiding in the trees. And I would’ve killed him if you hadn’t interfered.”

“Why? Why would you want to kill him?”

He hesitated as though he was sorting through his words carefully.

“For you,” he said as if it was obvious.

“I tried my best to protect you, to get you on the throne, but these humans were too scared of you. If you stay now—protected by the king or not—they will turn on you, just as they have on every siren in history. You’re meant for so much more than this pathetic human life,” he spat.

“I tried to make you see that when I chained you to the cliffs and wrangled the sea beast. After the third challenge, I thought you’d see you were different, but you were blind to what was right in front of you.

You have no idea who you truly are or where you come from.

Come with me. I can show you, teach you, tell you everything you want to know. ”

Instincts told her his words were true. But even with all that he had to offer, she was against him. Not after all he had done. What he had tried to do.

She lifted her chin. “I don’t want you or anything you have to offer.”

The cunning corners of his mouth lifted. The handsome action alone was enough to make her defenses cave. “I was hoping we could do this the easy way, but…” He looked over her shoulder, and the creases of his grin deepened. “It looks like I’ll have to persuade you.”

Rose glanced behind her.

Roman rode at breakneck speed on horseback. His mangled body clung on despite his grimaces with each jolt. Her siren sensed his turmoil from afar, the stifling panic that would ensue if he lost her.

The siren’s smirk spread wide. “Finally, I can get this over with.” He brought the small vial to his lips. “It’s been awful doing it the stealthy way.” He tipped it back.

Rose lunged for it, but he shifted his shoulder to avoid her blow. He grabbed her wrist and brought her into his chest.

A ravishing smile played on his lips. “We don’t need to play games.

You’ve already won me. If you want me to come closer, I’ll willingly do so.

” His velvety violet eyes roamed her as his sweet breath intoxicated her.

He lifted his hand to stroke her pearl hair.

“Gods, my siren adores you. It’s been an absolute nightmare trying to keep it at bay.

” He leaned forward, about to place his lips on hers.

Rose shoved him back, slashing her sword at him. He dodged her attack with ease and lunged for the arrow on the ground. With his arm raised, he prepared to throw the arrow at Roman, who kept coming closer.

She took advantage of the distraction and shoved her elbow into the wound on his back.

The siren emitted an involuntary grunt as the arrow slipped from his grip to the forest floor. He lashed back around, drawing his sword, and swung. She pivoted, focusing on her footwork as their blades clashed.

Despite her best efforts, his blows were strong—too strong.