Page 55 of A Siren of Beasts

And at my feet, their claws and powers lay.

I refuse to leave you here to stay,

Lift up your heart to me without delay,

Implore my pardon now for what is past,

Who knows, but I may save your soul at last.

The roar that tore out of this creature was one full of pain and surrender. Whatever spell had been placed on this victim had been strong, anchored in a truth they believed in their soul. A soul that was now mine. One that I had called back from wherever the previous spell caster sent it. Here it lay in my black blood soaked hands, a bright shimmering ball of golden light. The creature had fallen to his knees, the mist faded from him, allowing me to see the desiccation of his body.

Sunken skin hung in shreds as if he’d tried to tear it off his body, while other areas were wrapped in filthy bandages. His breath came in deep heaving pants, a rattle, echoing in his chest. Those green orbs of his watched me as I approached—baring those vicious teeth at me. None of that mattered when I had exactly what I needed to make him whole once more in my hands. Nothing would stop me from this task, not even the shouts of my mates beating on the shield my magic had made to keep them back.

“I believe this belongs to you,” I murmured, holding up the glowing ball. “Is it alright if I put it back?”

When the creature didn’t move, just growled, I decided to take that as a yes. When I was mere inches away from him I hugged the ball to my chest filling it with comfort, peace, and forgiveness. I had no idea what he needed forgiveness from but I was going to give it to him. Because from what I’ve seen, he’d suffered long enough to pay off even the worst of crimes. He was massive and I couldn’t reach his chest so I pressed it to his stomach, knowing it would return to its rightful place.

Bright golden light shot out all around us almost as if it was the middle of the day. It felt like warm sunshine against my skin, trailing gentle caresses over my body. Smiling, I took a step back and as the light faded the creature before me was gone, leaving behind the true monster it was supposed to be.

He had the head of a bull, with horns like his previous appearance. Only one had the tip broken off while the other had a thick copper band around it. In his nose hung a brass ring, adding to the rugged but regal appearance of the monster. His eyes were no longer glowing orbs of green, but warm brown that stared intently at me with intelligence and amazement. His body was covered in a short coat of red-brown hair except for the longer, shaggy, slightly darker brown hair that grew out of his head. It was disheveled and even fell into his eyes, but he refused to do anything about it and break our connection.

Curious to take in the rest of him, I let my gaze drift down his muscular chest and arms. His hands were almost human but for them being larger and thicker than normal. I spotted the flick of a tail behind him like a normal bull would have, and his legs were those of a bull as well. Thick muscular thighs that narrowed down until you came to the hooves instead of feet. He didn’t have any clothes on, leaving his thick, flaccid cock hanging between his legs in plain view. Clearing my throat, I jerked my gaze back up to meet his again. Gone was the amazement in them—now it had been replaced by blatant heat and desire.

“Hello, Cor Meum,” he said.

His voice rolling over my skin felt like being wrapped in velvet. Almost as if his speaking had broken the spell that had been keeping us in that eternal moment, the world came crashing in on me. Pain exploded all over my body as if I was now feeling the wounds I’d inflicted on myself casting the spell. Beyond that, I felt drained, almost as if my whole body had been wrung out in order to use as much power as I had. I felt myself starting to black out as my vision tunneled, so I reached out to him, trusting he would catch me.

He was mine after all.

twenty-five

The goddess standing before me naked, covered in black blood, holding me captive with her silver gaze, had my body humming. It wasn’t just pure lust, even though I’d caught her looking at my cock, it was something deeper than that. Almost as if there was a connection, a bond of sorts that deep in my gut I just knew I belonged to her. Not in the sense of ownership, more like the only purpose I had for living was because she willed it, and there was nothing I wanted more than to do just that—live.

For so long all I’d known was darkness and heartache. Tormented in my own personal hell reliving all the mistakes I’d made, praying for death but never able to achieve it. Every so often I would struggle out of the depths of my despair and realize what I’d done to myself in the madness. I’d try to put myself back together, but all too soon I would be sucked under and lost in the curse that fucking wizard put on me. I didn’t deserve to be standing here whole of mind and body after what atrocities I’d done—madness or not—I deserved the fate forced upon me.

Now, standing before me radiating power and goodness, stood the one person I’d never expected to see smiling at me. No matter how much I wanted to save her from knowing the darkness that still lived inside me and the horrors I’d done to her mother, I couldn’t. Everything down to the marrow of my bones wanted nothing more but to be here, by her side, repaying the debt I owed her. If my new torment was to serve the new queen when I’d betrayed the last then it was a fate I would gladly choose, just to be near this goddess who owned my existence.

“Hello, Cor Meum,” I said, using the old tongue.

For the word heart in common vernacular, didn’t have the same meaning as it once did. When I called her my heart, I wasn’t talking about the organ that beat steadily in my chest. No, she was life, existence, the thing I couldn’t survive without now that I’d found her. Even if she didn’t realize the significance of it, the others of her harem would, and they’d respect it. It hadn’t missed my attention the four other powerful monsters who hadn’t been affected by Cor Meum’s song. She already owned them, just as she now did me.

My words seemed to shatter the spell she’d been holding in place to keep this moment just for us. Her expression became pained, a whimper escaped her mouth as she reached for me. Instantly, I moved forward to catch her in my arms, cradling her limp body against my chest. The feel of her in my arms was staggering and I dropped to my knees at the sheer power that flowed through us both. It was as if I was acting as a conduit for her power. She’d absorbed so much magic into herself casting the spell to save me and the others that to balance, it almost backlashed. Somehow, whatever she’d done to save me turned me into a vessel to hold the magic she couldn’t hold in her body.

How could she be so powerful? She’s beyond what her mother was by tenfold. I don’t think I’d ever come across a monster, or even a wizard, that could control and manipulate the amount of power she just had. Clearly, now she was paying the price for it, but that was the way of things and she was safe in our company. Lowering my head, I pressed my forehead against hers checking to make sure there wasn’t a danger I couldn’t see. Life bubbled in her bright and welcoming as it felt me checking on her. It seemed elated that I was finally here with her and I realized that it was her magic’s emotions I was feeling. Somehow for her, it wasn’t just another muscle to flex like the rest of us. It was sentient, having its own thoughts, yet still wholly a part of her. None of it made sense, but I wasn’t going to argue, since her magic seemed to like me as much as she herself did.

“I will give you two seconds to hand over my Shiny before I rip your soul from your body,” a cold ruthless voice said as death magic crackled around me but I wasn’t afraid. “One… Two… Now you die.”

The pain of the blade stabbing into my back made me grunt, but I didn’t uncurl to reveal what he wanted. Death ravens were assholes in general, but when they mated they became even bigger assholes. Their mates were everything to them and they’d kill without a second thought when it came to protecting them.

“Don’t you know the old laws,” I muttered, gritting my teeth at the burn of the blade in my skin. It might not kill me but, fuck, it still hurt. Slowly lifting my head, I met his red eyes that were mere inches from my face. “Mates can’t kill their fellow brothers, it’s to ensure the female is never harmed in the rivalry of her men. Guess the gods knew there would be an adjustment period when a new mate was added to the harem.”

“What did you just say?” the raven snarled, his talons clacking together as he flexed his hands. “Don’t play with me, rawhide. I leave for a few hours only to come back to my Shiny covered in blood and being held by a stranger. Don’t piss me off any more than I already am, I’ll find a way to kill you, that’s a promise.”

“You can’t kill me, take my soul, or get rid of me like you want because I’m hers just as much as you are,” I answered, spelling it out for him as clearly as I could. “Death ravens used to be smarter the last time I was alive. Hisceas, tell me you haven’t grown soft in the head over these past centuries.”

The guardian had diminished his size to one more compatible to his mate. He regarded me with a speculative look with his arms crossed and tentacles moving with his concealed agitation. The old sea god and I had been good friends once upon a time, before I betrayed everyone and everything for power promised by a lying sack of shit wizard. Keeping my heart cradled close I stood and approached the others who watched me with wary expressions.

So, in addition to a death raven and sea god, she had a hell-wolf as well. I could tell the ent had responded to her call but the bond between them was almost nonexistent. It would also appear that the ent had two forms, which was uncommon, but I remembered the form that had been an aid to the late queen and Mother Tree. Milin, I believe his name was. He wasn’t present at the moment, the dark side of him was, which made sense since what I remember of Milin didn’t make me think he could handle himself in battle.