LUKA
Lennox didn’t let go of me as Luce and Yemaya rushed toward us. Lennox stiffened, rising to stand and pulling me with her, both of us reaching for our weapons.
“What the fuck happened here?” Luce asked, her eyes scanning the room.
Yemaya held her hands up in surrender as Lennox glared at her. “I’m not a siren,” she said gently.
“She brought me here, Lennox,” Luce said gently. “When we found out you guys were missing, she knew it was Sidna, she led me here to find you.”
“My sister—she’s always been different. Strange. She prefers to be alone. Which is why she has this residence. We’re above ground now, in her secluded cabin. Her preferred mode of fun is using her siren song to manipulate others to her advantage. She’s been doing things like this since she was young.”
“And you don’t do anything to stop her?” Lennox seethed. I could feel the rage radiating off her.
“You think I don’t try? The only person who can control a siren is another siren, and they are few and far between forthis reason exactly. I take a tonic daily to ward myself from being compelled by my own sister. If I could stop her I would.”
“You could kill her,” Lennox offered.
“She’s my sister.” Yemaya’s gaze swung to Lennox. “I’m sure you can understand. Would you kill one of your siblings because they made questionable choices?”
“This is not the time and place to discuss this. Why should I trust you?” Lennox gripped her blade tighter. “Your sister used her siren abilities to force me to stab Luka. So sorry if I don’t blindly trust you.”
“Fuck,” Luce swore, her gaze bouncing around the room. “Are you okay?”
Lennox all but growled. “He is now because I somehow was able to overcome the siren song. But only after I stabbed my mate.”
I flinched. “I don’t know how she managed to overcome it, but she did. Sidna told her to stab me again, but she fought it and turned on her.”
I don’t know how, but she had. What I had told Lennox was partly a joke, that her love overpowered the compulsion, maybe that wasn’t what it was, but something in her was able to snap it. I knew right away she was under some kind of spell. Her eyes were not her own, they lacked their sparkle, and her movements were stiff, not fluid like Lennox’s usually were.
“So, I will not be trusting you blindly,” Lennox reiterated.
“Let me show you,” Yemaya countered before Lennox could argue.
Lennox’s shoulders stiffened as Yemaya took two slow steps toward me, reaching into her pocket and producing a metal mask. “Put this on her.” I took the mask from her hesitantly, turning the form over in my hands. “It’s magically enhanced, once it’s on her it nullifies her siren powers. Theclasp on the back can only be undone with this key.” The silver key in her hand flashed before she threw it to Lennox. “I always keep it on hand, it’s not the first time this has happened.”
I met Yemaya’s gaze. “Put it on her so we can wake her up and ask her what the fuck she was thinking.” There was an edge to Yemaya’s voice now. Lennox tilted her head to look at the mermaid.
Lennox slipped the key into her pocket and reached for the mask.
“You put it on her.” Lennox held out the mask to the female.
Yemaya took the mask from Lennox’s hand and bent over her sister, fastening the mask over Sidna’s face.
“We need to get her back to Thalassa. Once she’s secured, we can question her.”
“No, I want her brought to Salacia,” Lennox countered. “Ceto and Alon will help deal with her accordingly.”
Yemaya said nothing, only dipped her chin as she stood next to her sister’s mangled form.
“Where are the rest of our friends?” Panic pressed against my sternum. They had been with us when Sidna started her siren call, where were they now? What had the siren done with them?
“I made them wait outside, whatever Sidna was up to, it only included the two of you. They were left in the antechamber unconscious.”
Declan appeared at the door, Nol and Nico behind him.
“Lucy won rock, paper, scissors; that’s why she got to come in, and we had to wait outside.”
“What the fuck happened here?” Declan’s voice was stern as he surveyed the room.
