Men like Ilia wouldn’t tolerate anything suggesting he wasn’t the biggest, baddest, and strongest in the realm. This was why Audrey’s existence was enough of a threat to him at this point.
Off to the side, a small orchestra was set up and ready to go. Ilia lifted his sleeve to check the time on his watch, and soon the doors to the court opened. The sun was setting, filling the large marble room with oranges and pinks and warm light. Entering, I assumed, were the soldiers from before.
And alotmore sirens.
Everyone was dressed the same; variations of whites, tans, creams, and linens. Gold, shimmering jewelry. Dresses, floor-length skirts, pants, and capris. Some wore cropped shirts and others wore baggy long-sleeved tops. Everyone wore clothing that they were comfortable in. The only similarity was the bland, monotonous color choice. Sirens of all shapes, sizes, and colors got the same dress code.
Everyone filed in right when Ilia’s staff finished setting up a table on the left side, against all the open pillars that displayed the sunset over the glistening lake, facing the mountains in the not-so-far distance. The table was covered in food and appetizers. Some vegetables and fruits looked familiar; others were unrecognizable to me.
“You good?” Audrey asked me on my right. I glanced at her and nodded, not wanting to look nervous in front of Ilia.
The band started to play, and I struggled to not tap a finger to the beat. No one said a word. There must have been at least three hundred sirens in this large room, and no one was speaking. They were snacking, standing with friends, and…just chilling.
The music shifted after a few minutes of silence; a beat started to thump heavily.
I found myself studying the faces of the blonde women more and more. The blonde women with pale skin tones, specifically.
Movement from the side caught my eye, and when I turned to see if Liam and Caelena returned, instead I locked eyes with the siren prince, and frowned.
“Nice of you to join us.” Ilia sighed in annoyance as his son smirked. Drustan pulled half of his hair away from his face to tie it back as he approached us.
I knew, deep in my soul, that Drustan was doing it to show off the bare muscles in his arms and chest. Because he was wearing even less clothing now. No billowy shirt, only a small cream-colored corset, a size or two too small for his massive torso. His gold navel ring dangled with a green jewel, and because of how small his corset was, I could see another gold hoop through one of his nipples. A gold septum ring adorned his nose, as well as many gold studs and piercings in either of his pointed ears.
His linen pants were loose, but very thin.
One wrong gust of wind, and everyone in the room could see everything the man was packing. I quickly averted my gaze, not wanting to give him the attention he was seeking.
“I wouldn’t miss it,” Drustan purred, bowing quickly to his father as he walked past his throne. “Halfling.” He nodded to my friend before stepping directly in front of me, blocking the rest of the room from my view. “Vanessa.”
Good god.
I leaned to the side, pretending I was focusing on something in the crowd.
“Hey.” I nodded at him as dismissively as possible.
Drustan chuckled as he stepped between his father and me, standing tall and tucking his hands behind his back. I couldn’t tell if I was relieved or annoyed. Relieved, because Ilia couldn’t address me as easily, but the alternative was his son. With Drustan standing so close, I could capture whiffs of his spicy scent. Was it a cologne? Was it just what sirens smelled like? Was their body odor enough to lure humans like me in?
His deep, amber eyes staring at me in the drapes of Fergus’s party flashed in my memory. The thrill of being trapped against a wall by a large body like his. The heat coursing through my veins when his lips skimmed my cheek. The contrast of the cold stone on my back in comparison to his large body pressed against my front.
Theintensityof his eyes.
Next to me, Drustan shifted on his feet.
Get out of my head, siren. I demanded in my thoughts, just like I practiced.
He simply chuckled at me. Perfect. Keep focusing on the helpless, horny human. On his other side, his father turned and made a simple hand gesture toward the musicians, and the music shifted again.
Something calmer, melodic. Soft.
I really liked it. It reminded me of the harmony I would hear in the air whenever I set foot in this realm. But I haven’t focused on it since I stepped foot in Lydhavn, too intent on cautiously taking in my surroundings.
I found myself studying the string instruments the sirens were playing. They looked similar to what I was used to, but different as well. They had artistic, intricate designs and swirlscarved into the wood. They were shaped differently, too. Instead of the classic figure eight, hourglass shape, they were more oval.
Part of me wondered if we could buy one in this realm, so I could take it home and play with it.
Audrey huffed a quiet laugh next to me. I glanced at her, and she nodded gently toward the musicians I was watching. “Classic Van.”
Ilia cleared his throat, and we faced forward again.
