Greg… Dragofin Clan vehicle, driving with Zia

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“After we get on the Interstate, I’ll point out my exit. It’s about six miles down. You’ll take it and then veer to the left.” Zia pointed a delicate finger as she gave directions to her place.

Relief would’ve been too simple a word to use when she came back inside and asked him to escort her to her apartment. Not one to ever second-guess Gryphon wisdom, Greg was close to making it his first time when she’d left earlier.

She’d been irritated with him and how he hadn’t responded in the way she’d wanted him to. As he’d assumed, she’d tempted, toyed and tried to tease him throughout their tour. Anything he would have done in response would have been the excuse she needed to run away from him—from them.

No, he was a Gryphon who wouldn’t fall for a simple trap from his Siren. Yes, after spending some time with her, it was a high to full probability that she was a Siren. He couldn’t forget that unique sparkle to her aura that was both perplexing and mysterious. It was her ancestry. From how she behaved, it would appear the knowledge of what she was had been long forgotten.

As with a lot of women of Siren lineage, without proper training and ancestral history, Zia had most likely been brought up to use her powers to manipulate to become a Seductress. It was a tragedy to behold.

Instead of realizing how powerful she was by the mere calling of her kind, this world had beat down these beautiful souls to rely on outward appearances. Exotic beauty with an air of sexual attraction was a usual trait for Sirens like her. Instead of learning how to use her gifts properly, she’d used them as a defense mechanism to protect her from this world. No wonder she played the coquette all the time.

Disgusted by the path of ignorance she’d been set to follow, Greg’s beast came close to the surface, forcing a deep-throated growl to rumble in his chest. Instinct, intuition, and love for this woman’s true heart had him convinced that she didn’t behave as a Seductress with malice of intent. Rather, the seduction element came through nurturing. Her truest nature was a Siren. He wouldn’t be upset with her family, though. They most likely had no idea of their true heritage either.

“What’s up? You okay?” Giant, expressive, gray-green eyes were on him. Their heat, generated by the strength of her serious scrutiny, washed over his side closest to her.

“It’s nothing. I’m with you.”

“No, you’re not. How about from here on, you level with me? I can tell you’re holding back a lot.”

Refusing to take his eyes off the road in front of him, he decided to take her up on her request.

“You’re right. I can see you—the real you.”

She didn’t say a word. Greg could hear the intake of breath she took, waiting for him to continue.

“Zia, did anyone ever talk to you about who and what you really are?” He had to tread lightly with this. Do it wrong, and he could tip her into deep denial or worse.

“No, what do you mean? I don’t follow. I’m what some call a Black Rican, but I identify as a black woman. That’s who people see when they look at me. You know how most society wants to put people in clear-cut categories. I took one of those DNA tests from that popular online company to see if I could choose a side.”

Greg’s interest lurched forward fueled by curiosity. “And?”

“And, it confirmed that my mother is Afro-Puerto Rican and my father is African-American. The amount of African in my genes outweighs everything else. Even if they deny me, I’m a proud Black Rican American woman. Plus, my mother and father’s cultures are so much alike, I know I fit more into black culture. Is that what you mean?”

He didn’t stop the soft chuckle that rose up and out. It was time for her to know. This was the time.

“Zia, I can only imagine how many times you’ve been asked what you were.” He saw her nodding her head in agreement out his periphery. “They don’t realize that they see glimpses of what and who you really are. Without a name or understanding, they think its due to your mixed ethnicity. That couldn’t be farther from the truth.” This time he did look over at her. “Zia, you’re what is known as a Siren.”

“A what? Siren, like from mythology? Greg, come on. I know I took things a little far this morning, but I promise I meant no harm. If I offended you, I apologize. I just wanted to—”

“No need to apologize. All I want you to do is listen and give me directions when needed to get us to your place without incident. Can you do that for me?”

“Yeah, but please believe me that I’m not some hoe trying to trip you up with sex. I promise. I don’t know why I’m so… I get excited when I’m around you. Okay?”

He didn’t like the confusion and hurt crowding her words.

“Zia, please, listen.” He paused to let his request sink in. Only when he was convinced she’d settled back down did he continue. “I’m not accusing you of anything. I’m taking a chance that you’ll be able to handle the truth. Can you handle this without giving in to a need to explain or defend yourself?”

Her spice of anger spiked the air between them. He wouldn’t react to it. So he waited. It took a few long minutes of the sound of the car eating up the road before she returned to a baseline emotional level.

“Yes, I can handle it. Tell me what you want to say. I’m listening.” She crossed arms over her chest in an unconscious guarding gesture. “At the third exit up, take it and make a left.”

So far, so good. Her temper was fiery and potent, but her self-control was stronger. A great sign.

“As I said before, you’re a Siren—the real kind—not like the demonized versions from your mythological tales.” She remained quiet, looking out the passenger window. “I don’t expect you to accept this all at once. What I will say is that if you get a chance, please talk with Hildy about what being a Siren is like.”

“Hildy? You think she’s one of these kinds of women too?”

“No, I know she’s one. Hildy’s the real deal from the purest source of Siren. If you don’t want to have this conversation with me, at least talk with her.” Then the thought hit him. “Answer me this. When you met her, did you feel like she was a kindred soul?”

Now it was him who could hear the wheels of her thoughts turning.

“Come to think of it, I did. I instantly liked and trusted her.”

“That’s because she’s like you in a lot of ways. You’re both Siren, with a few differences.”

“Like what?”

He didn’t have the right to divulge more than what he had about Hildy. “How about I let her tell you if she wants to. As for general talk about being a Siren, I’m sure she’d have no problem with that.”

“What about Wren? Is she one too? I love my girl. She’s so sweet and innocent.”

“No, Wren and Quinn are Seers.”

“Oh, Quinn,” her disdain for Quinn heavily peppered her reply.

“And, as for Quinn, your trouble with her is that she senses something in you that, if you allow me to, I’ll help you rectify.”

“Oh, now it’s my fault that bitch doesn’t like me?”

“Hold on there. No need to call names. Quinn is a great person. She’s also a Seer with the ability to see strategy, obstacles, danger and other things that would bring harm to us. When she sees you, she gets protective of me, because of what you represent.”

Her interest was intrigued.

“What do you think she sees in me that so bad?”

He could tell by how she’d sat up and dropped her hands from their crossed position, Zia was opening up to him. She might be receptive to what he had to say. Deciding to chance it, he tapped his Gryphon wisdom to help him convey what he meant.

“How about I tell you a little story of sorts, huh?”

“Yeah, fine. Don’t miss our exit though.”

“I won’t.” Seeing he had a few more miles before the exit, he started. “Siren were never man-haters, killers, or neurotics.”

“Good to know.” She was staring out the passenger window again, beginning to drift away from him.

Needing to up the storyline on his tale to the good part, he said, “Men here could be so crass. They're driven by their base nature to consume beauty like that of the Sirens on their lusts. They did horrible things to capture and keep Siren for their personal pleasure.”

“This story isn’t that helpful.”

“I know, but give me a little slack to get to the best part.”

“Whatever.”

He continued despite her growing consternation.

“In defense against the brute force of these men, some Siren cultivated a way to combat them. They became artisans and experts at seduction. As a Seductress, the Siren would turn predatory male aggression against the man to her advantage. In some cases, the Siren were known to lure men with proclivities for sexual assault, torture, misogyny, and other atrocities towards women to their deaths. The tales turned the Sirens into villains for having that amount of power over these low lives that passed for men.

The truth was that in most ways it was retaliation for the men striking the first blows. Using the power of the Siren to judge the souls of men, the Seductress harnessed the dark energy of the Siren to wreak havoc on these same men. Male objectification and abusive behavior would be rendered feeble after the Seductress exacted her wiles on him.”

“Good for her, but I don’t see how this has anything to do with me. I said I’m sorry for my earlier behavior. You don’t have to make me wallow in the embarrassment of how I acted. I get that you’re not into me like that. Can we just drop it now?”

“Zia,” he waited for her to look at him. When she refused, he continued. “Me, not wanting to be with you is the farthest thing from the truth. I’d caution you to take my restraint as the blessing it is.” He looked over at her for his next words. “ When I do come to you, I’m taking no prisoners, promise, but only in due time.” Eyes back on the road and seeing their exit coming into view, he said, “Back to what I was saying. Most of the gruesome tales of Siren from human mythology came from this dark side of the Siren’s history.”

“Let me get this straight. You’re saying I’m some Siren chick with the power to bring men to their knees with some super ninja seduction force. Oh, and that like a far-fetched retelling of Jedi Knights versus Darth Lords, I have a dark side that needs to be quashed.”

“Yes, that pretty much sums it up if I follow your analogy correctly.”

“You gotta be kidding me. If I had that gift, don’t you think I would have used it on Patrick?”

“No, I’m not, and as for Patrick, that’s another story. We can talk about it when and if you want.”

“No, I’m good.” He saw the wave of her hand of dismissal out of his periphery.

Greg put tremendous seriousness into his next words. “Zia, it’s important you do what you can to understand and believe what I’m telling you. Prolonged use of the ways of the Seductress did extreme damage to these Siren. The way of the Seductress has a price, turning the user into the worst form of a hardened, craggy, Harpy devoid of kindness and redemption. While it was a defense against the tyranny of male attention that could destroy the man, the same would eventually happen to the Seductress if she didn’t repent and follow the path of a true Siren.”

“Luke, I am your father,” Zia said, laughing in disbelief.

“You laugh, but I have no reason to lie or make up something like this about you. Have you ever wondered why men act so extreme in your presence? Or, how easy it is to get them to do your bidding at the slightest suggestion?”

She stopped laughing. His words were hitting on something within.

“What if that happens? It happens to a lot of women.”

“No, it doesn’t, and you know it. There are plenty of extraordinarily beautiful women who don’t have the same effect on men as you do. For the rest of this conversation, let’s agree to not sugar coat things.”

“Oh, you want to do that now? I’d say you crossed that line miles back, Greg.”

“True enough, but I know you deserve to know the truth.”

“Like I deserve to know what and who you truly are too?”

He hadn’t seen that one coming but took it in stride.

“I’m open and willing to discuss anything you wish to know about me—later—when we have time. At this moment, the discussion is about you and helping you find your true north, per se. You deserve to have peace and joy all the time. If there is the smallest thing I can do to help you with that, I’m willing to do it. Even if you don’t see it that way.”

She grumbled.

“Sure, whatever. Can we move on from this? You’re wearing me out with all the woo-woo talk.”

He decided to drop it for now, but they would be picking this conversation back up later. He made a mental note to make certain of it.

What Greg wouldn’t divulge right now was that as dark and strong as the Seductress’ power was, Gryphon weren’t affected by it. Only the power of a true mating with a Siren would open a Gryphon’s heart to her.

No, Greg wasn’t deterred by that side of her in the least bit. Seduction was a tool well used by Gryphon as well. They would be well met in that department. Instead, the true issue was what it would do to her soul and essence if she didn’t stop using it that had him on edge.

Eyeing the exit, he took it. “You said take a left at the light?”

“Yeah. Do you know where the warehouse district starts off Boulevard?”

“Ah, yes, got it.” He maneuvered the SUV to the left and drove toward the up and coming area.

“Well, I couldn’t afford to live there. We’re going to go past it, headed a little east. I managed to get a little apartment on the very outskirts of the Beltline.”

“No problem. Let me know when and where to turn, and I’ll get you there.”