“Thought what?” Xia faced Nyx and didn’t hold back the venom. “That someone who looks like me can't feel pain? Couldn’t possibly suffer like you do?” Xia towered over her, the Siren rising in every lapping wave of the river. “Let me tell you something, Nyx. I didn’t make assumptions about you when I walked through your decaying town. I never judged your strength or struggle based on your appearance, and I never once perceived you as naive because you were a child way in over her head.” Storm clouds gathered in the sky as Xia’s canines elongated. “Instead, I valued the parts you were willing to share and respected the ones you wouldn’t, and you’ve not once given me the same courtesy.”
“Xia, I–”
“No! I’m not finished and you will listen because I willneverexplain myself again.” Lightning flashed overhead as the windpicked up speed. “I am a Siren. In fact, I am theonlySiren since the Devil and his brothers slaughtered my sisters. I am born of the moon and tide. I am the epitome of alluring, Nyx. Do you know why? I’m assuming not, since you don’t care to look any further than the surface,” Xia spat. Her hair whipped in the breeze, stinging her cheeks like the lash of a whip. “My beauty is a mask to hide the serpent inside of me. Do you get that? I look like this so I can pull blood from the skies to satiate her hunger. Men and women alike fall at my feet and die because of it. The only reason the Devil didn’t kill me is because I was a lucrative asset.”
Nyx struggled to stay upright in the maelstrom as the thrashing water fought to pull her under. “I’m sorry!” she screamed over the roaring wind. “Xia, I didn’t know!”
“I lured people to his club and I’m the reason that someone I love and care for was stuck in the most horrifying place imaginable. The Devil stole my chaos, my song, and used it to feed Brooks’ illusion while he kept me locked in my mind, reliving nightmare after nightmare!” The sky opened up and wept with its mistress. “I watched my sisters die a thousand times just to rise from the mutilation and tell me it was my fault. And when he got tired of that, do you know what he did, Nyx?”
“Xia please!”
“Let me tell you so that you don’t have to assume,” Xia spat as she seethed, all of the rage and despair pouring out of her shattered heart along with the Siren raging in her chest. “He got creative with the nightmares he projected into my head. He raped me. Beat me. Killed me. Ripped me apart one layer at a time as I screamed through the agony. All to be left on the floor picking up the pieces of myself alone. Do you know what that’s like?”
Before Xia could finish, Nyx wrapped her arms around Xia’s shaking frame and held her in an embrace so tight she thoughtshe may break. Xia tucked her head into the crook of Nyx’s neck and squeezed back. Nyx didn’t say a single word, just held her through the storm.
Rain pounded down from the sky and sliced like knives against her skin, but Nyx’s hold on Xia never faltered. Gods she’d been so fucking wrong.
Being quick to judge was one of her less attractive personality traits. She’d never hated that side of herself more.
A sliver of warmth hugged her back and curled around her shoulder. Nyx pulled back just enough to see a tendril of shadow wrapping itself around them. The pressure in her chest increased as the shadow pulled them into its embrace and moved to nuzzle Xia’s cheek.
She nearly shit her pants when that hazy tendril formed a hand, and from that hand grew an arm. In a matter of moments a man made of shadows stood before them. His shape was familiar to Brooks, but his eyes were a piercing shade of neon blue and he wore a permanent scowl that softened just a touch ashe watched Xia cry.
Energy emanated around the figure and it was nearly impossible to stand in his presence, but Nyx wouldn’t leave Xia alone with it. He closed the distance and wrapped his arms around them both.
“What is this?” Nyx whispered. The figure turned those menacing eyes and Nyx nearly crumbled under the intensity.
“Brooks?” Xia pulled her face from Nyx’s shoulder, her voice thick and trembling.
“Not quite. He wanted to give you space. I didn’t want you to be alone.”
“Chaos.” Xia’s eyes lit and a small smile graced her lips.
“I’m here for you, Siren. Always.”
Xia pulled back from the group hug. The rain and wind stopped blowing as the clouds cleared and the moon hung bright in the sky once more.
She turned to Nyx and squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen, but I do appreciate you getting me through it.”
“That’s what friends are for.” Nyx’s words were tentative as her hands trembled.
“Do you mean that? That we’re friends?”
“Oh, for sure princess. Before you know it we’ll be braiding each other’s hair and sleeping in the same bed.”
The temperature dipped as Chaos’ eyes narrowed.
“Okay.” Each syllable was elongated as Nyx considered her next steps. Should she run? Or maybe back away slowly and look to the ground? Fuck. She needed to touch up on her ‘escaping dimwitted predators’ knowledge.
She went with the backing up slow option and held her hands out submissively. Nyx thought she heard Xia giggle under her breath, but refused to take her eyes off of the shadow god. “You made your point,” she said.
Xia slammed into Nyx once more in a gripping hug tucking her face into the crook of Nyx’s neck. “I’m so grateful for you, Nyx. Really.”
Nyx chanced a look at the beauty and gave her an awkward pat on the shoulder. “I appreciate you too, princess, but if you don’t let me go your guard dog is going to bite my head off.”
Xia’s eyes narrowed, the pupils splitting vertically before she said, “Fine. I’ll let you go for now. I guess I’ll see you when we come to bed?”
“No need. The house is all yours tonight. I assume that the man and the monster need to have a chat with you, and the last time that happened I had to sleep somewhere else anyway.”
