Page 18 of A Siren of Beasts

“Now this is so much more fun,” Imp said excitedly as an obsidian blade appeared in his hand.

It was curved like a talon with a handle for him to grip, but it also was attached to a long black chain. I discovered the purpose of it when Imp hurled the blade at the wolf but when it was knocked out of the way he yanked on the chain, flinging the weapon back to his hand. The battle between the two raged on, each a skilled fighter, and they moved so fast it was like watching red and black blurs clashing together.

I was so absorbed in watching them that when something grabbed my ankle and yanked me off the porch I let out a startled scream. Landing on my back with a thump I saw a huge spider-like monster reeling in the string of webbing it used to snatch me. Turning over so I could get to my hands and knees, I tried to scrabble away, but a sharp tug from the web still wrapped around my leg put an end to that. Face down in the dirt, the monster dragged me toward it.

Using my new claws, I dug into the ground fighting against the monster as I shouted, “Imp!”

The tension on my leg was gone as a strange monstrous roar filled the air. Twisting, I looked back to find a new monster had stepped into the clearing, ripping the spider monster in half. Its green blood splattered everywhere as it was tossed to the ground, revealing the new monster before me.

He was massive, almost as tall as the trees surrounding the house. His skin was a blueish gray that seemed shiny, almost like it was wet. His face was unlike anything I’d ever seen before, his eyes were completely black but I could tell he was watching me. The rest of his face had me thinking back to a book I’d read about sea creatures. There was one that lived in the depths that had eight long arms with suction cups on the underside to help it navigate around. Instead of them being like limbs, his tentacles fell from his face almost as if it was a beard. His body was humanoid but for his size, and the rippling muscles that moved as he bent down on one knee before me.

His massive webbed hands spread flat on the ground, showing me the tips of claws that he retracted almost as if he was showing me he meant no harm. The tentacles on his face, of various lengths and thicknesses, seemed to move and twine around like they had a mind of their own. Right now, they seemed to be betraying his agitation.

“My queen, I’ve finally found you. Forgive this guardian for not being there when you needed me,” a deep rumbling voice filtered through my mind as he seemed to shrink in size right before my eyes. Soon, he was closer to human size but still far taller and bulkier than would be considered normal.

Hearing his voice sparked a memory in my mind. “I’ve heard your voice before,” I blurted as I stood.

Before I could take a step forward something landed behind me, and a clawed hand circled my waist pulling me back to their chest. “No, Shiny, he is dangerous. I’m not sure I can save you if he chooses to attack, but I can shield you if you stay right here.”

The hell-wolf came to stand beside Imp, his flames still flickering brightly. “I think together we can take him.”

“Fuck off, butt sniffer, Shiny is my mate, and I’ll make sure she stays safe,” Imp hissed, tightening his grip on me.

A growl rumbled deep and threatening out of the wolf’s chest. “How many times do I have to tell you she can’t be your mate? She’s mine. Look, she bares my mark on her neck and the fact she survived touching me adds to the proof.”

This had me snapping my gaze away from the monster in front of me to look at the hell-wolf. “What did you just say?” I demanded.

The wolf met my gaze, causing something warm and yearning to fill my heart. I wanted more than anything to be held by him, utterly unbothered that he was on fire.

“Can you feel that?” he asked in that rumbling tone. “It’s the mate bond, well half of it at least. When I bit you and tasted your blood, I felt the bond snap into place on my end. It’s not complete until you put your mark on me, but no matter what that talking feather pillow says, you’re my mate.”

Imp twirled me so I was behind him, face pressed into the feathers on his back. “You fucking touch her and I’ll make you into a doormat.”

“No, you won’t,” the wolf announced smugly. “Even with the bond incomplete, it would still hurt her if you killed me and I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t want that.”

In a movement faster than my eyes could track, Imp flew into the wolf, thrust out power that sent the wolf rocketing across the clearing into the trees where I heard him collide with a tree.

“Fucking bird, stop doing that. It fucking hurts,” the wolf yelled from the forest.

“I’m just getting started,” Imp muttered as he darted off in the same direction and the sound of fighting resumed.

With my heart in my throat, I went to follow them but was stopped when a tentacle wrapped itself gently around my wrist. “Let them be.”

Glancing over my shoulder the new monster stood at my back He’d been so silent I hadn’t even noticed he’d moved. The more I heard his voice the stronger the sense of familiarity crept in.

“We’ve met before, haven’t we?” I ventured.

The skin around his eyes crinkled in a smile and his tentacles danced with excitement as a few reached out to caress my cheek. “Yes.”

One of his tentacles tucked a strand of hair behind my ear that fell out of my braid in such a gentle and caring movement. “Did you save me? Is that how I got here?”

He nodded. “You were badly hurt and I didn’t have the magic to heal you. At that point, your magic was still dormant, cutting off your ability to heal yourself, so I brought you to the humans. I checked on you every night, but then I discovered you were gone. I’m sorry it took me so long to find you, Little Siren.”

“Kezia,” I offered.

His tentacle beard parted and I saw his wide smile. “I’m Hisceas, the Guardian of the Datovu Waters, or I was until the humans came and the queen was taken. Now that you are here, it is time I resumed my purpose of keeping our waters safe as you take your place in our world.”

Just as I was going to ask him another question, a blast of crackling energy came flying our way but slammed into an invisible barrier. The black magic crackled and slithered along the shield then dispersed. Hisceas slowly turned his head to look at who’d attacked us while one of his tentacles wrapped comfortingly around my throat.