Heart of the Siren (Torian Tales #2)

Chapter 1

Elva

His calloused hands roamed along my chest, proving he did not know what breasts were for.

How was my sense of smell so off lately?

For the fifth time, I grabbed his hand and guided him back to my nipple, but he bypassed them and grabbed my hair instead.

What the hell? “You know, for a man who was oozing bravado at the bar, you're acting as inexperienced as a maiden on her wedding night.”

“You feel like heaven,” he slurred, not even listening to me.

I rolled my eyes. In a bar of willing men, how did I end up with this drunk, bumbling idiot? That’s the last time I listen to Leifur. I could've used my song and made him do what I wanted, but I'd vowed never to use that power to get a man into bed. Not after what was done to me.

A sharp hiss escaped me as the oaf pulled my hair.

The last thing I need is for him to notice a flash of color in the dim lighting, see my blue and green streaks, and fall into a drunken panic.

I’m not ashamed of being half-Siren, half-Selkie, but hiding my colored tresses in a braid is just good sense.

While selkies are mysterious, everyone on this side of Torian knows exactly what sirens are capable of.

“Sorry,” he grunted, and went back to failing miserably at his task of doing something to arouse me.

If he didn't figure out how to get my shirt off in the next minute, I'd let my siren take over and deal with him. It has been nearly three weeks, and all I wanted tonight was a quick, rough ride before we head out of town.

Out of patience, I grabbed his hair and brought his mouth back to mine. Taking control, I pulled him off the wall and walked him toward the bed. As he tried to protest, I turned my face from the kiss. “Hold your tongue and take off your pants.”

The man unbuckled his pants so recklessly that he tripped over the corner of the bed I’d been leading him to. Groaning, I rubbed my forehead, just as the door flew open.

“Elva, we have to go. Now!”

I glared at my brother-in-law. “Leifur, get out. I’m busy.”

Leifur's claws extended from his fingertips as he gripped the doorframe. “No, Elva. You have to come. It’s Sindri.”

“Poseidon, help me,” I groaned. “What has my brother done now?”

I left the useless man still sprawled on the floor with his pants around his ankles, grabbed my bag from the table, and chased Leifur down the rickety stairs of the inn and out the back door. Immediately, I heard shouting—a commotion coming from the town square.

“What did he do?”

Liefer's blue-grayish skin glistened with sweat. “He ... uh ... he picked the mayor’s mother.”

“Idiot. How many times have we told him if he’s going to seduce an old widow, it needs to be someone nobody cares about?”

“It doesn't matter right now! We need to help him.”

I quickened my pace with Leifur a step behind me.

At the edge of the alley, I slowed and peeked around the corner of the inn.

Sindri was standing in the open town square holding his hands up in front of his chest in a semblance of surrender.

My brother’s wickedly charismatic smirk was plastered across his face, but when his mismatched blue and green eyes locked on mine, I knew he was in over his head.

I’ve always been the strong one—a warrior siren to my twin’s sultry siren.

He could win over any woman with little more than a smile, but men were another story.

Despite preferring the company of men, his siren abilities only worked on women, so he used his charms to convince the wealthiest widows in each town to lavish us with gifts—everything from jewels and clothes, to food and rooms at the inn, and occasionally something larger, like a horse.

His skills kept us fed and comfortable on our travels.

Leifur elbowed me and nodded toward the stallion standing behind my brother. “Seems we should have taken his threat seriously. But I never expected him to actually find a horse, so he wouldn’t have to walk anymore.”

I rolled my eyes and went back to sizing up the men who had it in for my foolish brother. There were ten of them, just over the limit of what my siren could handle. Warrior sirens were made to fight, and our powers of seduction weakened quickly when more than two or three men were involved.

“I know you don’t like using your siren song, Elva, but—”

“It’s fine. I’ll create a distraction to draw them away. You just get Sindri out.”

Leifur nodded and tugged at the ends of my braid. Once loosened, my hair cascaded around my shoulders. “Distractions work better when they know what they’re dealing with,” he said.

I inhaled sharply and, before I could change my mind, I ran into the square, unleashing my siren.

I felt my eyes shift to black, and my teeth extend into fangs.

Once the mob spotted my green and blue streaks, they turned their rage toward me.

It had gone beyond shouts and threats now.

They had drawn their weapons, and they were aimed in my direction.

Taking in a deep breath, I filled my lungs and let out my song.

The force of it shook my frame as the sound reverberated through the square, and every man facing me dropped their weapons.

By the time I'd emptied my lungs, they stood like statues—blank-eyed and slack-jawed.

Sindri hurried to my side and slapped me on the back. “Thanks, Elva. I was getting a little nervous.”

I shoved my twin hard enough that he stumbled into Leifur. “Get your things. We need to go. Now. It’s been three weeks, and Leifur interrupted me, so I’m not as strong as I should be.”

Sindri kissed Leifur’s cheek before wrapping his arms over his husband's shoulders. “You interrupted my sister getting refreshed, and you lived to tell the tale? Impressive, love.”

“By the looks of that male, I did her a favor. I don’t think he could tell a breast from an ass.”

I growled at my two siren companions. “Get your things or I’m leaving without you.”

“Someone’s in a mood,” Leifur teased, but took my bag and tied it to the saddle of the brown horse behind Sindri.

“She always is when she has to use her song and hasn’t gotten any dick in a while,” Sindri added, earning himself a murderous look from me.