SIRENA

I can’t believe he’s the same person from that motel room so long ago. Colère Zonder has completely transformed before my eyes. Once a selfish demon happy to toy with humans for sport, he has become one of my closest and most trusted friends.

“Time to work, little mermaid.”

“Hey, Cole. Let me just find Lux. I’ll be there in a minute.” He gives me a nod and heads out into the fields. Luxure made me promise him that I would focus on controlling my emotions and therefore my powers. That’s where Cole comes in. Ever since the day in the field with Selma, he has been helping me in earnest working on my speed, my strength, and most importantly, my triggers. Some days he makes me so angry I want to cause a tsunami to wash him away, but I’m slowly learning how to control my ability to manipulate water. I don’t quite have it perfected, but I’m doing much better than I was.

I still have no idea why I can siphon strength from Lux. No one knows the answer to that. I wish my dad was still alive. I have so many unanswered questions. Maybe he could have helped me deal with all of this. I’ve tried taking strength from both Cole and Kade without success, but the moment I touch Lux with both hands and channel an emotion, I can siphon his strength with ease. I don’t like doing it, because I can see the toll it takes on him, and I don’t like the overwhelming feeling I get when I harness that much power. My body is still human even if my soul has embraced the Siren inside.

There is so much of my human life that makes sense now—my attitude to sex, men’s reactions to me. It was as if they were hypnotized—in love with me on the first date. I always found it strange, but now I see it wasn’t my human side they were attracted to. Even when dormant, I was giving off some sort of Siren call that affected every man I ever dated. It also explains why I never felt anything for any man in return… until I met Lux. My world has turned upside down since the moment I met him, but through all of the heartache and loss, I find myself sure that I couldn’t have it any other way. He is a part of my world, and I am a part of his. Nothing can change that, and deep down I know my human life has led me to this moment. I may not have believed in God or the Devil, but my knowledge of every religion in the world and every myth—or what I thought were myths—is more than most of humanity.

I studied Sirens—the stories of fishermen lost at sea guided home by a beautiful enchantress, or men succumbing to the depths of the ocean to follow the spellbinding melodies of mermaids. I always laughed off these stories thinking that men at sea are just starved for female company, and it turns out I am the myth, or at least a part of me is.

There’s a stream in the woods where we’ve been staying. I don’t know if the others know it’s there, but I go almost every day. I sit in the stillness of nature listening to the birds sing and submerge my legs in the water. I watch the shimmer of scales appear on my skin, and sometimes I strip down and bask in the water, swimming with the fish, deriving a seductive pleasure I’ve never experienced before. To be honest, I used to avoid swimming whenever possible, I always hated getting my hair wet. The irony of my previous existence is not lost on me making me laugh on a daily basis these days.

Today will be the same routine—spar with Cole and work on my control, do research with Kade for a few hours, and then spend the evening with Lux. He hates that I spend a lot of time away from him, but it seems to be working, so he’s pretending to be okay with it. He forgets that I can always tell when he feels anxious or annoyed.

I might go for a dip in the stream today before working with Kade. It’s one of my favorite things. I’ve been helping him research the Archangels, and we’ve done some research on Azazel, who I now know is the demon who killed my dad. I want his head on a spike. I enlighten Kade on all things mythology, and, generally, he confirms their existence much to my continued surprise! It grounds me to lose myself in research—in the familiar. I have a completely different outlook on my life’s work now, and I’ve decided to embrace it. I need to arm myself with knowledge, it’s what I’ve always done. But first, I have to go and kick Cole’s ass for a few hours.

I say goodbye to Lux and head out to the fields for some unforgiving training.

* * *

“Don’t hold back… give me your best shot.” I’ve been telling Cole for weeks that he’s going too easy on me. How will I learn to fight the toughest demons and angels that want my blood, if he won’t show me what I’m up against? “The bad guys and the good guys won’t hold back on me, you can’t either.”

He stops, a sly, sexy grin spreading across his face. “You forget who you’re dealing with, little demon. I am Wrath, part of the deadliest brotherhood in existence. If I give you everything I’ve got… let’s just say you can’t handle me.”

His innuendo isn’t lost on me, but I find the best way to deal with him is to ignore it. “Fight, you idiot. I can handle it.”

In a flash, he’s on the other side of the field, a whisper traveling through the air. “You asked for it.” He comes at me, fast and fierce, his eyes glowing a deep purple I haven’t seen in Luxure’s eyes—a darkness. I anticipate his moves, my supernatural senses growing every day. I leap out of the way catching the back of his head with a jab from my elbow as he runs past me.

“Come on, Cole. At least try!” The smile on my face and laughter in my voice doesn’t rile him, but it makes him more determined to catch me out. I follow after him sweeping his leg out from under him before he gets a chance to turn around. He smacks face first to the ground, quickly putting his hands out in front of him to break the fall. It’s all I can do not to burst into a fit of giggles at the sight of the mighty ‘Wrath.’

With a smirk, he springs to his feet. “Low blow, little one. From behind? I didn’t think you were that kind of girl.”

“Always with the innuendo. Even when I’m kicking your ass.”

“Kicking my ass… really? We’ll see about that.”

“Bring it!” I make a run for it giving myself a head start on him. Within seconds, I see him leap overhead landing in front of me, his movements too quick for me to anticipate. His fist connects with my ribs sending me flying into the air with the wind knocked out of me.

“You didn’t even attempt to block me.” I manage to right myself mid-air aiming my bruised body back down toward him. I feel a surge of energy, not akin to what I’ve felt in the past, but enough to help me fight back. I manage to wrap my legs around his neck before I hit the ground taking him with me. At that speed, it had to hurt, even just a little. I tighten my thighs to disable him and pull his arm up behind his back to the breaking point. “Now this is quite the predicament. I want to throw you off and show you how to make that move with more precision, but I’m enjoying your legs wrapped around my head.”

I pull his arm tighter hearing the snap as it pops from the socket. “Cut it out, Cole. I don’t know what freaky deal you and Lux had with Abi, but that shit doesn’t fly with me. Not now, not ever.” I let him go and fall onto the grass, my body aching from his punch. I stare up at the sky struggling to fill my lungs. I listen with an amused smile and a sick sense of satisfaction as Cole twists his shoulder back into the joint. I know how much that hurts. I dislocated my arm when I was twelve years old. Luckily for him, he heals almost instantaneously, an ability I have yet to gain from my supernatural side. I’m going to have very bruised and possibly broken ribs for the foreseeable future. Maybe Selma or Luxure can supernaturally heal me. I need to find out if there is such a thing. I’ll research that today with Kade.

“That was uncalled for. I was only playing around, little mermaid.”

“Seriously, that’s your nickname of choice for me?” I throw my arm out and slap him in the chest as he lays in the grass a few feet from me.

“I like it. You’re the opposite… hot girl with legs finds out she’s a mermaid. How cool is that?”

“First of all, you don’t get to call me hot. I’m serious. Luxure is already annoyed that you’re helping me with this. If I told him about all your innuendos and failed attempts at flirting, he’d do much worse than dislocate your shoulder.”

“And secondly?”

“Secondly, I’m not a fucking mermaid. I’m a Siren and don’t you forget it. I will kick your ass and drown you if you don’t shape up!” His laughter is infectious. I’m not immune to his charms, and he would be a great friend if he could just get over himself and leave the innuendo to girls who want it. I have zero desire for him, but I can’t help laughing along with him. We fuel each other until I’m crying out in pain from my ribs. “Stop! Stop! It hurts to laugh. You broke my ribs, you asshole.” I try to take a deep breath to stop myself from laughing, but that only makes me hurt more.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you that badly.”

“Sure you did. You were proving a point, and I got it loud and clear. I’m not ready to fight.”

“No, you’re not, but seriously…” He lifts up onto his elbow, leaning over to catch my attention. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“You’re forgiven as long as you cut all the other shit out. I like you Cole, but as a friend or the big brother I never had.”

He fakes being stabbed in the chest. “You wound me. A brother? Remember you’re a Siren. All men fall in love with you.”

“Very funny. You’re not a man, you’re a demon, so get over it. My humanity might be questionable of late, but my loyalty to Luxure is steadfast no matter what. I want to be your friend.”

He holds his hand out to me. “I guess I’ll take it. You are pretty cool to hang out with even if you won’t get naked for me.” I slap him again and try to sit up, but the pain in my ribs is too much for me to bear.

Within seconds Luxure is outside gently lifting me into his arms. “What happened, angel?”

“I dared Cole to hit me hard.”

He turns his ice-cold stare toward his brother. “You fucking hit her full force?”

Cole quickly gets to his feet. “No! Maybe seventy-five percent.”

He has the good sense to look apologetic, but it doesn’t stop Lux from head-butting him in the face before walking away with me cradled in his arms. “Do that again, and I’ll castrate you.”

Cole shouts behind us with a hint of defiance in his voice, “How is she going to take down Aze if you keep her in a glass box? She’s stronger than you think.”

Lux turns to confront him. “You’re supposed to be teaching her technique and how to harness her power for maximum impact. Control, control, control. NOT break her fucking ribs!” He storms back to the cottage holding me close.

When he lays me down on the bed, I get straight back up. “You can’t wrap me in cotton wool. I need to learn, and I need to be able to fight through the pain.”

“I’m not in the mood to debate this. You need to rest, and I need to go and have a chat with Cole.”

“No, you don’t. I spoke to him. I told him to hit me hard because I need to be able to take it. What you didn’t see was that I managed to turn mid-air and aim myself at him. I got him in a headlock with my legs and took him down before pulling his arm out of the socket. That’s the part we should be focusing on.”

“You did what?” The corners of his lips turn up in a wicked smile.

“You heard me. I kicked ass, and that was after I got injured. I channeled my power and was able to create a small surge of energy without taking it from you or the water. That’s progress.”

“You’re fucking right it is! That’s my angel… dislocating a demon’s shoulder. That’s badass. I’m in awe of you, Sirena. Do you know that?”

“Why? I’m a mess. You fell for a dormant Siren, human. Now I’m more of a dormant human, Siren.”

“You’ve been through more than any human should ever have to. You’ve taken the fact that everything you thought was impossible is, in fact, possible, completely in your stride. You’ve faced great loss, and you’re still standing. That is the mark of a true warrior.”

“Maybe.” I stand to grab a towel and head out the door.

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going? You need to rest.”

“I need to go for a swim in the stream before I work with Kade this afternoon. It clears my head.”

“Have a bath.”

“No. I can’t explain it, but it just feels… better.”

“I’m coming with you to make sure you’re okay.”

“Fine.” He follows me, worry etched on his flawless supernatural features.

* * *

The stream is flowing fiercely today, the water crashing off the rocks as it makes its way rapidly downhill. I’m about to start stripping off when Lux takes my hand in his. “I think there’s a lake further downstream if you want to go take a look?”

We walk for about ten minutes before stepping out of the trees and into a wide-open space, the water from the stream rushing down and into a huge lake becoming a part of something so much bigger than itself. I turn to Lux who knew this was here all along. “This is stunning. Why haven’t you brought me here before?”

“I didn’t know you liked swimming outside.”

“I never used to like swimming at all, but since we came here, I love it.” I give him a sly grin and drop my yoga pants to the ground. I attempt to pull my top over my head, but a searing pain in my ribs stops me in my tracks.

“Shit. Let me help you.” As soon as Lux sees my bruised skin, black and blue up my left side, I can feel a wave of anger swell inside him. “That fucking dick. I’m going to kill him.”

“Let it go. He’s trying to help. They all are. Even Selma.”

“Let’s not talk about them while you’re standing naked outside. None of them matter right now. There’s just you…” he strips off his clothes leaving them on the ground, “… and me.” He takes my hand and leads me slowly into the water watching as my legs begin to shimmer, and my tattoos become darker somehow. “You are so fucking beautiful. I hate that you’re in pain.”

When we’re deep enough, I break away from him and submerge myself completely underwater. As I start to swim, my tattoos become iridescent and striking in their beauty. With every move I make, the pain in my ribs begins to subside. At first, I think it’s just my mind playing tricks on me, but I begin to swim faster and harder, my arms moving freely and without pain. I look down to see the bruises on my side disappearing until my skin returns to normal. The second the last of the bruising is gone, my tattoos return to black, and I feel better than I have in a long time. I emerge from the water to see Luxure standing waist deep watching my every move.

“Are you okay? Something weird just happened to my tattoos while you were swimming.”

“Were they iridescent?”

“How did you know?” He has a puzzled look on his face that makes me laugh. “What’s so funny?”

“If you hadn’t guessed by now, we’re connected. What happens to me, happens to you, and vice versa.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m better than okay.” I walk toward him emerging from the water to let him see my side.

“You’re healed? Holy fuck!” He lifts me into his arms twirling me around. “I will never get enough of you. You. Are. Amazing.”

“I didn’t do anything. It’s all just happening to me.”

“You are destined for greatness.”

I suddenly feel a weight in my chest. “I wasn’t destined for greatness, Lux. I was destined to seduce poor unsuspecting men for all eternity. Tell me what about that screams greatness to you?” He lets me go as I make my way to the water’s edge and grab my clothes.

“Sirena, wait…”

“I don’t want to talk about it. I need to get back to the house. Kade is waiting to do some more research into Aze, and I need to find out more about who the hell I am and how I just healed myself.”

He walks out of the water completely unashamed of his nakedness and stunning to look at with water dripping down his herculean body. He takes my hands in his. “Remember that you changed your fate once, Sirena. You can do it again with me by your side.”

“Maybe.” I drop his hands and wait for him to dress.

My mind is all over the place. I feel like I lose a part of myself, my human-self, every time I gain a new supernatural gift, if that’s what it’s called. Almost everything that’s happened to me so far has been bad. My strength caused my mom’s death. I almost killed Selma in a blind rage. But today… today felt like a gift—to be able to heal from such an agonizing injury within seconds of entering the water. That is something to be awed by, and yet I find myself more confused than ever and so conflicted by the emotions that war within me. A small part of me wants to forget any of this ever happened and go back to leading a normal human life, none the wiser about angels and demons and my place in it all. But a larger part of me wants to embrace my supernatural side in its entirety, to give up any weakness that remains from my humanity, and to stand by Luxure’s side without fear, or guilt, or conscience, and exact revenge on those who have taken everything from me.

Angels and demons, good and bad, they all blur together now. Both have taken something from me that cannot be replaced. I can almost forgive the demons their actions as it’s in their nature. But the angels, I feel nothing but contempt for them. They took my mother from me. A sweet, kind-hearted woman who never did anything to hurt another living soul. Is that the actions of a ‘good’ being? Maybe history and mythology got it wrong. Maybe those we see as good are bad. Maybe the bad guys are fighting for what they believe is right. Luxure has been nothing but honest with me, his intentions always selfless and loving. Those are not the actions of an evil being.

Maybe I need to stop fighting the urge to give myself over to my demonic instincts, because maybe, just maybe… I will be fighting for the right side.