Page 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

One of the attackers had streamed the fight somehow, and it spread like wildfire across the internet and social media.

The response to the videos was varied. Some supported me protecting my family and acknowledging that of course I would fight attackers who trespassed on hybrid lands. Others claimed that the powers I showed proved that I was a threat and should be dealt with. Those comments didn’t stay up long, and I was fairly certain the team that Trey had hired to watch over social media about me were the ones handling those. There had also been a few death threats and those people were arrested quickly and quietly. Threats would not be tolerated.

There was one person making many comments supporting me and telling them that I was no more dangerous now than I was a year ago, it was just that my powers were now common knowledge. Whoever that person was, I was glad that they were on my side and so supportive. It showed that I did have friends out there, even if I also had haters. I kept those supporters in my mind whenever I read or heard something bad.

My fathers were able to get answers from the dragon woman they had captured, confirming Mom’s suspicions that the former members of the group who had been after hybrids was now reformed and their focus was changed to going after demons instead.

An immediate notice went out from the Council announcing the hunt for those that were part of the organization and anyone who was caught as part of it would be punished swiftly. The fact that it came from the Council, and not just my parents, showing we were all unified, even the sirens, helped our cause a lot.

Within two weeks of the notice, a dozen members were outed by the community, but we still didn’t know who was leading it, what they were planning, or where their base of operations was located.

The Council had put together a task force to find this new organization and the portal between our worlds was being heavily guarded and visitors thoroughly vetted before being allowed through.

In the demon world, things were progressing nicely. Since they didn’t have social media or internet yet, they weren’t aware of all of the negativity and the threats. Trade between worlds had opened a lot of doors, though, and we were well underway building the infrastructure necessary for electricity.

I sat in the gardens of Jol’s castle, singing to the plants there were thriving in the newly fertilized soil. Kora and Elrith lay in my eyesight, napping in the midday sun. Mason was perched atop a scarecrow, one Elrith had built, his beak tucked beneath his wing as, he too, took a nap.

It was a peaceful day, the type that I hoped continued happening.

Trey lowered into a squat beside me, gently raising the leaf of the tomatoes I sat before. “They’re really perking up since you started coming here and singing to them.”

Smiling, I said, “I told you, talking and singing helps plants grow. It’s been proven time and time again.”

He sat, cross-legged, next to me and rested his head against my shoulder. “I’m going to rest while you keep singing.”

Patting my thigh, I said, “Put your head on my lap. I’ll pet your hair while I sing.”

His eyes flashed, and I felt his lust through our bond, but he quickly tamped it down, and, despite being in a nice pair of slacks and an expensive, crème, button-up shirt, he lay on the dirt with his head on my thigh a second later.

I resumed singing, a song that Great Nana Kara had taught me when I would stay with them. It was meant as a healing song, one you sang while healing, to help with focus, but it seemed like a good song for the current situation.

Zoman wandered out of the castle, gave me a nod, sat on one of the stone benches that Grandpa Rhys had added to the garden, and leaned his back against the wall of the garden, his eyes closed.

One of the demon generals, Ta’Kur, a seven-foot-tall male with deep red horns that arched over the top of his head and curled up and out behind his head, wearing a leather outfit, walked out next, sat beside the children on the ground, and closed his eyes.

What was happening? Why were they all coming out here? Was my singing … decent? Did they enjoy hearing me sing? Or was this just them placating me as a princess?

I switched songs, singing one I wasn’t sure where I’d heard before, but was pretty sure it was something my biological father had sung when I was little. It was a hauntingly beautiful song that always made me smile when I sang it, though, I couldn’t remember when I had last sung it.

Another demon general, Mita, the shortest general at four foot eleven, with huge biceps and curving horns like a goat, walked out next. He scowled at me, but dipped his head in greeting, sat in the far back corner, farthest from all of us, and wrapped his arms around his legs as he closed his eyes. He didn’t hate me, but it was obvious he wasn’t fully accepting of me just yet. Soon. Perhaps soon he would fully accept me. Still, it made me question even more, why was he out here?

I wasn’t a siren, Dad had confirmed that, so what was going on?

Switching to a different song, I moved on to one from a famous band that toured all around the other world. It was upbeat and definitely out of my vocal range and yet … everyone stayed still and content.

Perhaps it was best not to question it and just to continue.

Over the next hour, I switched between healing songs, ones Mom had sung to me, pop songs, and others I remembered. And over that hour, more demons joined us in the gardens and all of them, within minutes of joining us, fell asleep.

Jol walked out another hour later and smiled at me. “Your voice is very calming, especially in our original tongue. How did you learn it?”

I blinked up at him. “Wh-What? I’m not singing in a demon language. I’m singing in my native language.”

He frowned down at me and shook his head. “No, that was definitely the demon language I heard coming out of your mouth just now.”

“How could I know it if I had never been taught it and don’t know it now?” I asked.

“Maybe it’s something you learned young and forgot because your parents were trying to hide you?” Trey suggested as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. “It definitely felt like you put me under a spell, a good one, but still. It reminded me of the spells Jolie does sometimes with her siren abilities, it at least had that same feeling.”

My brows rose into my hairline and I quickly got to my feet. “Where’s Talrinir?” I demanded from Jol.

His eyes widened at my concerned tone, and he simply pointed at the castle.

Without waiting for words, I ran into the castle and up the stairs to the office that Talrinir had claimed for herself as the King’s Advisor.

We all knew within a few months she would be the queen, but we let it slide without comment.

“Talrinir!” I yelled as I ran up the steps and turned the corner to her office.

She stood outside of it, a smile on her face as I ran up to her. “Done singing already? I quite enjoyed it.”

“How do I know demonic?” I demanded.

She laughed and set her hand on my shoulder. “Come inside, friend. Let’s have some tea while we chat.”

I followed her into the office, taking in the additional bookshelves that I knew Jol had built specifically for her. There were several new books from the other world, some nonfiction about business and other boring topics, and some fiction ones that caught my eye, specifically romance novels.

“When did you start reading these?” I asked as I picked up the first book, showing her the cover with a shirtless man showing off his abs.

She shrugged. “They have good storylines most times. Though, there are a couple I gave up on partway through. I’ll try them at a later date.”

I returned her shrug. “Some books aren’t for everyone. I remember a really popular series that was going around at my high school and I tried to read it, but hated the main character.”

“Sit and I’ll get the tea,” she said and waved at the couch and coffee table on the far side of the room.

The questions that were still unanswered bottled up in my throat, but I knew Talrinir and she would make me wait until she was ready to talk. So, I sat on the couch and waited while she prepared tea for us.

When she set the tea down, she also set down a few cucumber sandwiches and I quickly stuffed two in my mouth. My eyes widened, and she laughed.

“I could hear your stomach grumbling from the door when you ran up here,” she told me. “I’m surprised you didn’t notice it.”

“My surprise at knowing a language I wasn’t taught trumped my hunger, apparently,” I said around the food, hiding my mouth behind my hand.

“About that,” she said and took a sip of her tea before continuing. “Your parents taught you when you were little. I’m surprised you remember it, but I have heard you use some demonic words before. I thought you’d picked them up while you’d been stuck here, but it makes sense that a language you were taught when you were little would stay with you. Especially as a royal. Also, there are strange magical connections that we have as demons and many kids barely have to be taught the language, to later just intuitively knowing it.” She shrugged. “I don’t really have a proper explanation except …” She made wiggling motions with her fingers, smiled wide, and said in a silly, wobbly voice, “… magic.”

“Really? Magic? That’s it?” I gaped at her.

Sipping more tea, she nodded. “Sorry, friend, that’s all I have. We don’t teach the kids in our villages demonic and yet they’ll use it sometimes. I think, perhaps, we were taught it and the Grand Advisor used his spells to teach us your language instead, but …” She shrugged. “That doesn’t always add up completely. Honestly, why worry about it? It’s not like it’s a bad thing for you to know the language.”

“Why did my singing feel like a spell to them? I’m not part siren, Dad would have known if I were.”

She smiled and set her cup down. “Oh, that one is easy! As a royal, you have the ability to change our people’s emotions with your voice. It was an ability only blood royals were able to use. Jol can’t use it, sadly, but you clearly can. I almost fell asleep while you were singing, so I had to close my window.”

“So, it’s like a siren’s ability to alter emotions,” I whispered to myself as I picked up another sandwich.

“I’m not familiar with your sirens, but yes.”

“I feel like I’m always learning new things about myself, finding new abilities.”

“You mean like your ability to summon specific demons and open a portal for them?” she guessed.

“Exactly,” I nodded.

“Well, with some of your abilities gone, it makes sense that you would uncover other abilities. Your unconscious self needs to find ways to protect yourself.”

“Isn’t that what we are for?” Mason asked from the window.

Talrinir gasped and cursed at him. “Mason!”

He smirked and sat on the windowsill. “Sorry, Talrinir.”

“You get used to him popping up in windows randomly,” I muttered.

“I don’t think I ever will,” she said and exhaled harshly. “Just use the door like a normal person.”

“I flew up here,” he explained as he sat beside me, draped an arm around my shoulders, and plucked the sandwich from my fingers to pop it into his mouth and eat it.

“Your mate needs food,” Talrinir instructed as she picked her cup back up. “My snacks aren’t enough for all that growling going on.”

“That’s not you growling at me?” Mason asked her, blinked down at me with wide eyes, and picked me up in a bridal carry. “Why didn’t you tell us you are hungry?”

“She didn’t realize it in her urgency to find out why she could speak demonic,” Talrinir explained. Flipping one of her ears over her shoulder, she added, “I don’t growl at others.”

“You growled at me yesterday,” I reminded her.

Scowling she said, “You were being obstinate.”

Mason laughed and headed towards the door.

I waved at Talrinir over his shoulder. “I’ll come see you tomorrow for the next education meeting. Noon?”

“Yes, noon,” she agreed with a nod. “Druth said to drop the children off after breakfast with her as she has something important to teach them.”

“What is it?”

She shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. Go eat.” She waved at me dismissively just as Mason stepped out of her office and the door closed behind us.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I snuggled close, resting my forehead against his cheek. “You smell good.”

“As do you,” he replied. “But she is right, your stomach is growling a lot. Let’s collect the kids and Trey so we can go home and get food. I’m hungry as well.”

“Food?” Kora shouted from the castle entrance.

“Yes, we’re going home to get food,” Mason answered.

She yipped and the quills in her hair vibrated in her excitement. “Trey! Elrith! We’re going home! Food!”

“Food!” Elrith shouted.

Mason chuckled. “Seems you aren’t the only hungry one amongst us. We’ll have to make a lot if both the kids are that hungry.”

“Kayden’s already started prepping food,” Trey advised as he joined us at the castle’s entrance. Half of his shirt and pants, the side he’d been lying on, was brown from the dirt now.

“I hope it’s tasty,” I said and licked my lips.

Trey wiped something from my chin and said, “I’m certain he’s doing his best to make you and the imps tasty food.”

“Come on, let’s race home!” Mason said, and immediately took off at a sprint.

“Cheater!” Elrith yelled after us, but very quickly caught up, his wings flapping to give him extra push as he ran.