Page 27 of The Wars of Monsters

She gritted her teeth. “Come now, my love,” she told Hersondal. “I presume he said that in jest. I think we can excuse our guest this one time. He’s clearly forgotten our ways, and my strength.” As she said the last part, the half-ring of sirens behind me shifted closer. Lifting her chin higher she said, “As the rightful alpha to the House of Saceris, the sirens know I have their best interests at heart.”

I almost coughed when she said the words “rightful alpha,” but I swallowed down the urge. “Is that so?” I countered. “Because I remember when the sirens were both feared and revered in Katakin, and the House of Saceris was one of the most powerful high houses in the city. I never thought it would weaken and ally with an enemy of our kind.”

Anger flashed in Cordelia’s eyes, and she pursed her lips, but she didn’t release Hersondal’s arm. “You speak of allying with the rebels as if it is the answer to all our problems. You are not the alpha of this house, and I cannot expect you to understand my actions. I have no desire to place us on the losing side. It is not my fault if the other houses in Katakin aren’t able to see sense as I can.”

“Hmm…” I hummed thoughtfully. “Or could it be that the other houses aren’t solely focused on self-preservation as you are? They know Warrick won’t settle on destroying the fae. He’ll use this city as his own personal laboratory and you’re the animals willingly walking into his cells. I have seen what he’s capable of, and if you remain oblivious in this house, delusional in your thinking that you’re safe as long as you abide by his rules, you’ll see what happens when he decides you’re no longer helping to fulfill his purpose. This house is no more a haven than a building made of paper would be. It’ll burn just as easily as the rest of the city.”

“Tell that to Losak and his shifters who sided with the rebels,” she hissed.

I sighed, knowing nothing I said was going to get through to her. “That’s the thing about this house,” I mused with a sad smile. “All anyone cares about is themselves, and all you speak is lies and deceit, and yet, you expect harmony.” I stared at the faces around the garden. “When Warrick turns on the House of Saceris, they’ll see you for the pitiful siren that you are. All whispered secrets and empty promises. They’ll understand the truth when they’re bleeding beside you.”

Cordelia’s face paled, her grip loosening on Hersondal’s arm, and her mate roared. “That’s enough! Take him.”

Instantly, the half circle of sirens closed around me, and two burly males grabbed hold of my arms, pulling them tight behind my back.

“If you won’t see sense about Warrick, think of the fae. Is this truly who you want leading you when you’re facing the fae’s army?” I called out. “A siren who needs her mate to speak up for her?”

The sirens held me tight, but I didn’t miss the uncertainty in the gazes around the room. Gasps and murmured whispers erupted, and I smirked.

“The fae haven’t attacked with their full force since those early days,” Cordelia said indignantly, though her face remained a shade paler than usual. “Warrick has assured us that his outliers will be going to the fae realm to neutralize them.”

“No,” I said shaking my head, strands of my silver hair flicking around my eyes. “Wariscoming, Warrick has ensured that, and he has no idea just what the fae will bring. All the vampire is doing is weakening us before the real threat gets here.”

“Shut him up,” Hersondal ordered, and one of the sirens to my right smashed his fist into my jaw. I licked the blood that bloomed on my lip, and Cordelia tracked the movement, her hungry gaze trained on me despite the trace of fear my words had brought to her eyes.

Hersondal glowered as he puffed out his chest and glided through the water toward me. “Giving you to Warrick will be almost as satisfying as it has been to watch you drink yourself to the bottom of the social ladder,” he sneered.

I eyed the sirens around me, no longer interested in conversing with the male who clearly couldn’t even satisfy his own mate. Many of those who were once my friends were unable to meet my eye. “Whether you believe me or not, have a hard think about what side you are on,” I said, projecting my voice so everyone could hear. “Whether it be the fae or Warrick’s outliers, neither care for your politics and lies. Right now, you have a choice, and the rebels need the sirens on their side. With the sirens, we stand a chance at surviving what’s to come. But if you choose to stay on this path, when you’re staring down the Devil of Death, just remember that you’re the ones who made the choice.”

Hersondal growled as he lunged for me, but before he could attack, my song began filling the air, entrancing the entire house. A shudder went through me as power rippled in the air, and I thought of the only other time I’d done this. It had been in the nights after I’d discovered Cordelia and Hersondal. I’d entranced them all to prove to myself and them that I was right to be outraged. That not one of them could match me. Even Hersondal who’d boasted that his power surpassed mine had been entranced by my song, but as I’d stared into their faces, I’d understood that they’d never truly be loyal. So I’d released them and left the house. Now, I did it to remind them that in a world of monsters and at a time of war, it was only magical and physical power that mattered.

Hersondal was the last to fall silent, his hands lifting into the air as if he was about to try and cover his ears like one of the human newbloods, but before he could his eyes glazed over, and all of the sirens turned their mindless attention to me. My notes didn’t falter as I moved away from the males who’d loosened their grips on me in their confusion, and I dived into the water.

The sirens swam after me, clambering to follow in my wake, but they were too slow. By the time I was deep in the river and had lost sight of them, I stopped singing and allowed myself to glide through the water at a leisurely pace.

The last time I had left the House of Saceris I’d been a shell of the siren I once was, ruined by the actions of Cordelia and the other sirens, and the realization that my perfect world and my house was nothing but lies.

But this time as the water slid over my scales and I left the place I’d called home so long ago, I felt peace. I’d tried to get the sirens to do the right thing, but now it was up to them.

When my head burst above the water, my silver strands sticking to my neck, four intense gazes fixed on my face. I lifted myself from the river and padded onto the stony platform beneath the bridge.

“Thank the devils, Dar, we were about to march over there and let Raine incinerate that siren bitch and her friends for tryin’ to imprison you,” Asher said, grinning broadly at me. The demon was holding his axes, and he looked as if he was more intent on getting his weapons bloody than letting our lovely dragon have all the fun.

My lips curved into a smile, and I turned my attention to the others. Locke and Kade watched me calmly, waiting for me to divulge what had happened during my encounter with the sirens, but Raine looked agitated like she really had been close to breaking into my old house.

I raised a brow, amusement making my lips twitch. “I’m guessing Ash wasn’t entirely joking when he spoke about unleashing your beast on the sirens?” I surmised.

She gave me a weak smile, and within two strides she was before me, her arms winding around my neck as she pulled me closer to her and planted her lips on mine. Instinctively, my hands slid behind her back, pressing her hard against my chest as I surrendered to the demand of her touch. No, I had no regrets as I left the House of Saceris behind me. All I needed were my brothers, and my delectable Raine in my arms.

When she finally pulled away, her face flush, and my need making me want to drag her into the water, her words came out breathy. “I needed that,” she panted. “If you monsters keep running off, I might not be able to stop myself next time.”

As the image of Raine’s dragon crashing through the House of Saceris to save me from the sirens appeared in my mind, my cock hardened even more. Oh, I wouldn’t have minded if the little female had remained human, but now that she was a dragon shifter, it was a relief knowing I didn’t have to worry as much about her. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy her new possessive nature. Perhaps I should have stayed long enough with the sirens that the dragon did come after me. Raine had already shown she could break free from my power, so resisting those of my brethren should have been no issue. Seeing that we had her on our side may have helped to persuade them to join the rebels.

Kade tossed my clothes at me unexpectedly, launching the ball of cloth into my chest, and I caught my garments before they could fall to the ground.

“Get that look off your face,” the wolf shifter growled as if he’d understood where my thoughts had just gone, and he wholeheartedly disapproved of the idea of Raine being anywhere near the sirens.

I smiled innocently as I began to dress.