Chapter 21 I may have killed a guy
Hazel
Nevaeh leans forward, her fingers playing with the rings she stole from Anxo when he wasn’t paying attention.
“So, Hazel…. I was thinking it would be good to know what we’re up against. You know, for safety reasons.
” She sneaks a glance at me, pretending to be nonchalant, but she’s not fooling anyone.
“That’s a very good idea, Nevaeh. Very smart.” Harvey nods like a bobblehead.
Lucifer, they’re so transparent.
These two have been after me like bloodhounds since they found out I was a siren. They never miss a chance to pry information out of me, but so far, I’ve refused to entertain their curiosity.
If they had asked me two days ago, I would’ve refused. But things have changed in the last twenty-four hours. Before, all I could think about was protecting my secrets, because once they knew everything about my kind, they’d figure out exactly how broken I am.
But I can’t protect myself if it means putting them in danger. If cutting myself open one last time lets me heal better than I did before, then I have to fight through the hesitance and take that chance.
“You’re right. I think it’s time you knew more about sirens.”
Nevaeh squeals, but Harvey quickly covers her mouth with his paw and hisses, “What the fuck are you doing? Be cool.”
Anxo looks at me with a sheepish smile, his eyes apologizing for his nosy mate.
Before I can gather the courage to say anything, Seiji straightens and forms a massive cloud over our heads, the air cooling instantly.
When I turn to him, confused, he just shrugs.
“What? I’m creating an Aesthetic.”
The dark clouds above me thunder, the rumble vibrating through me.
I have to say this is quite fitting for the conversation we’re about to have.
“Let’s start with something simple.” Anxo nods at me, trying to ease the tension. “What’s Tiberius’ last name?”
“He doesn’t have one.” Nevaeh sniffs, already disgusted since I’ve told her this before. “He thinks he’s a god and gods don’t have surnames. I’m sure there’s a record somewhere… unless he destroyed it.”
An uncomfortable silence follows, and I watch as they slowly realize just how unhinged the King of Eldoris truly is. And this is just the surface.
Words refuse to form. When I try to swallow, my throat burns.
Somehow sensing my hesitation, Grace asks, “Do you mind if I take over?”
I quickly nod and let Dean pull me into his side, his arm wrapping around me.
It’s better this way. Tiberius suppressed the siren powers I was meant to grow into until I lost them completely because of him, so Grace knows more about my kind than I do.
The bookkeeper gets comfortable on Harvey’s lap and pulls out her enchanted book. Her eyes close as the book organizes her thoughts, and I watch in awe as words appear on the pages, glittering like liquid gold across smooth white parchment.
“Merfolk are the predators of the sea. All their gifts are designed to lure prey without any struggle.” Grace glances at me, checking to see if I’m okay before continuing.
“Let’s start with Astral projecting or dream walking, since that’s what he’s using to hurt Hazel.
It’s a rare gift that takes a toll on the host’s Divine.
Hazel told me Tiberius feeds on the Divines of his own people to strengthen his own, so I’m not surprised he was able to breach our realm even through protective barriers. ”
“What do you mean he feeds on others’ Divine?” Seiji’s face turns green, and when he gags, I’m glad I’m nowhere near his puking radius.
“Right? The man just got a whole lot creepier.” Nevaeh cringes with her whole body, and I can’t help but laugh.
Grace grabs a few grapes from the bowl Harvey is holding. “Taking over someone’s mind when they have no control is the perfect way to plant false memories or safety markers so the prey comes to them without a chase.”
She turns to me. “I know it might not feel like it when you’re in there, but remember, he can’t kill you in a dream. He can only project half his body at a time. He can hurt just like you can hurt him, but neither of you can kill each other.”
Until recently, I didn’t even know I could hurt him, and the reminder that he can’t kill me in there should feel reassuring. But there are still a hundred ways he can break me. He taught me there are worse things than dying.
Dean holds me closer, and I can tell he’s replaying the night he found me with strangle marks on my neck.
“Then there’s seduction. Their aura and charm pull you into their orbit, and once you’re hooked, it’s game over.
Now, luring people with fulfilled love lives through lust isn’t always effective, so that’s where their ability to mimic voices comes into play.
They don’t have to know anything about you or your loved ones, but to you, their voice will sound like someone you miss most, dead or alive. ”
Harvey turns to me, the usual spark in his eyes when we’re talking about sirens gone. “I’m not that fond of your kind anymore.”
I don’t blame him. I’m not fond of them either.
Dean’s chest shakes with a laugh, the vibrations warming my back.
Neveah grabs my hand. “Good thing you’re one of us now.”
Her words settle somewhere deep, filling my heart… and my eyes.
Silence falls as everyone processes what Grace revealed.
“So… what’s next?” Seiji asks.
Everyone instinctively turns to Anxo.
“I just found out we’re going to war with the most mysterious kingdom not even a minute ago, and you expect me to already have a plan?” And then breaks out into a wide smile. “I’ve got several, actually.”
He pushes off his seat, rushes to his office, and returns with a stack of files. He slams the largest one on the table. “The Gifted Mastermind and His Book of Tricks” is written across the cover in bold capital letters.
I raise my brow at him at the name, and he grins wider.
As Anxo flips through his file, searching for the perfect plan, Harvey opens a link to everyone except Anxo and Nevaeh.
“Let’s make sure Nevaeh is always around him until we’ve dealt with Tiberius.”
Dean’s head tilts in confusion. “Why?”
“The mastermind loses his fucking mind if she’s not around. I love the guy, but he’s useless without her.”
Dean looks to me for confirmation, and I tell him how Anxo did nothing but mope for two weeks straight after Nevaeh left the kingdom with August last year.
I didn’t think someone like him could unravel like that… until I saw it.
It’s been an hour since the “book of destruction” opened, and all we’ve done is argue about timelines and next steps.
Their voices blur together, but the tension keeps tightening around my chest.
Seiji is backing Dean—who wants to try something wildly crazy—solely for the purpose of antagonizing everyone, when the sound of tiny footsteps catches my attention.
August climbs down the stairs, rubbing his eyes with a fist, clutching his favorite dinosaur stuffed toy to his chest. I expect him to toddle over to Nevaeh or Anxo, but my heart lodges in my throat when he stops in front of me, looking up with sleepy eyes.
The little guy has always been too perceptive for his age, and as if he can sense the panic building inside me, he places his toy in my lap, offering me something that brings him comfort.
Fuck, my heart is going to burst out of my chest.
I didn’t think I’d be choking on tears because of a four-year-old tonight.
August turns to leave, probably looking for his parents so he can curl up to them, but the heaviness in my chest won’t let him go.
I want to be one of the people he turns to when he needs something. I don’t want him to hold back because I’m always so rigid. I don’t want to be someone he avoids when he wants comfort.
“August?” I clear my throat when my voice wavers.
He turns back, blue eyes going adorably wide when I pat the space beside me. August has always been the most respectful of my space. He knows how out of character this is. He knows how much this matters.
Before I can blink, he throws himself onto the couch, wiggling on his stomach until his butt isn’t hanging in the air. Then he snatches his toy from my hands, and I stop breathing when the little guy climbs into my lap and nuzzles against my chest.
I don’t move a muscle as he breathes out, melting into my arms before his eyes fall shut and he goes back to sleep within seconds.
This boy is the perfect example of: give someone a finger, and they’ll take the whole damn hand.
August slumps deeper into my lap, and I instinctively wrap an arm around his back, pulling him closer. I don’t know how kids sleep, but I’m not about to let him fall and break something.
Once I’m sure he won’t tumble back, I look up to find seven sets of eyes staring at me like I’ve grown a second head.
“What?” I hiss when they don’t stop staring. When their expressions soften, and I spot tears, I cover August’s head with my palm, pressing his face into my chest so he won’t hear me. “Stop with the fucking looks, or I swear to Lucifer I’ll stab you every single one of you assholes.”
Thankfully, they stop and shift to discussing Nevaeh and Anxo’s wedding in soft whispers. I tune out talks of flowers and fireflies, focusing on the warmth of the little werewolf clinging to me in his sleep, his lips parted, his chubby cheek squished against my chest.
For once, I don’t feel like I’m standing outside looking in.
August lets out a soft snore, and I don’t know why that makes my nose sting. I sniff, trying to hide it, but of course Dean notices.
“I thought mermaids didn’t have tears.”
“I will kill you, Reaper.”