Page 23 of A Siren of Beasts

“When did the queen speak to you?” Hisceas asked. “I don’t see any trace of it in your memories.”

“What the fuck are you doing looking at her memories in the first place?” Imp demanded as he flew into Hisceas’s face.

The larger monster batted him out of the way as gently as he could. “She’d given me permission to filter through her thoughts when I feel there might be a need. I was curious how she knew the clothing style our queen used to wear, so I looked in her mind to see if she knew anything about the past queen. There was nothing.”

Imp brushed himself off as he emerged from the bush he’d been knocked into. Really, he only had himself to blame for going after someone bigger than him. It made me curious to see just how big Hisceas could get.

“It was the same for me when performing the spell. Normally, I can see whatever they are thinking of to aid the magic, most don’t have as clear of a vision as Shiny did. Then again, everything that Shiny does is better than anyone else,” Imp declared.

Crossing my arms, I looked at the two of them as Rhun stood silently by my side watching the others with me. “Did you want me to answer that question or are you just going to talk about it like I’m not here some more?”

Both males looked a little chagrined and fell silent.

“Right after Rhun bit me and I was recovering from the shock of it, my magic surged up at the need to protect me and lashed out at him. Lying there, terrified I was going to bleed out, my magic tried to comfort me like it was alive. When I begged it not to leave me alone, it surged to the forefront and I was sent to this strange dark dream world where the queen spoke to me,” I informed them.

“What did she speak to you about?” Rhun asked, cocking his head inquisitively.

I went to chew on my lower lip as I rehashed what she’d said, but hissed when my own teeth cut into the skin. “Ouch,” I muttered, bringing a hand up to touch my lip.

Rhun caught my wrist and dipped his head for his tongue to swipe across my lower lip. Now if a normal hound had done that, it would have been disgusting, but the feel of the male who claimed to be my mate cleaning my wound had me holding back a moan. Why the hell did that feel like he was licking between my legs instead of my lip?

“We hell-wolves have healing properties when we cleanse a wound with our tongues,” Rhun explained.

Unable to say anything intelligent I just hummed in understanding as my lip tingled. “That must come in handy,” I managed to say.

Rhun gave me a toothy smile that should have been terrifying, but instead had me smiling in return. Especially when I caught sight of his tail wagging slowly behind him.

“Zia,” Rhun prompted as if he’d said something.

“Yes?” I answered, pulling my focus back on the matters at hand. “Oh right, the queen. She told me I was her offspring and that she knew one of us would find our way back here when it was time. Then she said something about drawing those to me that my soul resonated with.” Pausing, I looked at the three of them. “Is that what happened with you three? Do our souls resonate?”

“I found Shiny, and I picked Shiny to stay with me forever, so I would agree with what the queen said,” Imp interjected before he shifted into his raven form and perched on my shoulder.

Rhun let out a warning growl. His eyes narrowed at the raven, but I rested a hand on his arm, cutting off the sound instantly. “Unfortunately, I’m not sure what called me to you Zia, but I know that the second clarity of mind came to me that I was yours and you were mine.”

Hisceas was the only one who didn’t answer, until I fixed my gaze on him. “Little Siren, I don’t know what you cried out when the water came to wake me the day of the shipwreck. What I do know is that I was meant to save you and protect you, so that is what I will do, for as long as you will have me.”

Hearing everything they were saying had my heart swelling with emotions and feelings I’d never experienced before. It made me want to sing, to share with them just how much it meant to me to hear these words. My purpose in life up until this point had been to serve others, to please others, to give up any care for myself and focus on them. Now it was as if the gods were repaying me for the hardships that I’d endured and given me three monsters who treated me like a goddess compared to those bastard humans.

“From what you’ve lived through, I wouldn’t be surprised if there will be more than three of us, Little Siren. There is much that we have to make up for and erase from your memory. To think that was your first experience receiving fulfillment at the hands of a male,” Hisceas said to me with disgust. He was wise to tell me that directly, because I wasn’t sure Rhun or Imp could handle talk of more males coming to my call.

“Come, let us not linger in the forest so far from the nest,” Hisceas urged aloud. “We can discuss what else the queen had to say once we get there. I’m leery of others hearing information not meant for them.”

After all I’d experienced in my short time here in the forest, I agreed. There was no telling who or what could be listening, and everyone was saying I drew all things good and bad like a flame in the darkness.

“It would be good if we could find food, too,” I commented, looking around the forest as we walked. “Imp was amazing and found me some to eat earlier but I have a feeling there isn’t enough for us all.”

“I don’t require real food if I have souls to eat, physical food is more for enjoyment than need,” Imp assured me, rubbing his head against my cheek. “It warms me that you care for me enough to be concerned about my needs, Shiny.”

“Tell me what you like to eat and I will hunt for you, Zia,” Rhun said as he flexed his hands, claws extending as if to prove his ability. “While I do need meat to survive, I don’t need it as often if I recharge my magic from the underworld. Since we have not been guarding against making sure the dead enter and stay there, much of the magic has died out. Now that I am of sound mind and you’re here to reclaim the lands, things will begin to right themselves.”

“What about you, Hisceas?” I asked.

He glanced at me over his shoulder, a gentleness in his gaze when it landed on me. “I am immortal as long as I have access to water of any kind. If there comes a time that I need more than that I must return to the sea from where I was created, plant my feet on the ground of the depths and absorb its essence. That being said, I can provide any nourishment you should require from the water with ease, all you need do is ask.”

All their answers had me scowling. “Does this mean I shouldn’t need to eat the same way I had before my magic awoke?”

“It is possible, but it is better to be safe and have things you might need than to assume the latter and have you go hungry,” Hisceas countered.