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Aidan’s burning eyes softened, and he smiled warmly. “Before I surrounded you with flames, you didn’t seem too afraid of me.”
She shrugged her shoulders and pursed her lips. “Call it false bravado,” she said hesitantly.
His brows rose in surprise. “And? I know there’s something else you want to say. I can feel it.”
Lerissa let out a huff and flung her arms up in exasperation. “Okay, fine. I thought you had sexy eyes before they turned all scary and dragony. I wasn’t afraid of you before that.” She gazed around the elvish kingdom, admiring the lush trees and vibrant flowers. “This place is new to me,” she whispered almost inaudibly. “I’ve been here several times but only for a few minutes. It’s the only place I feel like I belong.”
“How long can you stay on land before you need to return to the water?” I asked.
Lerissa shook her head. “There’s no limit for my family and me. I have friends who can only stay on dry land for about two hours, but after that they have to find water. My mother says it’s because we’re Diawen’s descendants. She’s the most powerful of the sirens.”
“That’s good to know,” I said, ready to get moving. “Can you feel Diawen’s magic at this very moment?”
Lerissa nodded. “I can, but she’s not anywhere close.”
Aidan nodded toward the path that led back to the castle. “Let’s get going then.”
He took the lead and I motioned for Lerissa to walk between us. I didn’t sense that she was going to run, but I wanted to be prepared.
“Are you really taking me to the castle?” Lerissa asked. She glanced at me over her shoulder, and I flourished a hand at her jeans and T-shirt.
“You need to change your clothes. You don’t exactly blend in looking like that.”
We walked most of the way silently, but then Lerissa turned her head, her gaze curious when she looked at me.
“These two men you want to find; do you love one of them?”
My heart clenched in my chest. “I do,” I answered, knowing she could see the truth in my eyes. “I love both of them.”
She smirked and her eyes twinkled. “Who’s the siren now?”
* * *
The elves werecurious about Lerissa when we brought her into the castle, especially since she was dressed in mortal clothes. Aelfric and Rhoswen weren’t too pleased having her within their walls, so we didn’t stay long.
Aidan packed up bags full of food and supplies and got the horses ready while I had Lerissa change into a set of my warrior gear since we had the same build. Once everything was done, we headed out of the elvish kingdom on horseback. Aidan had flown in as his dragon, so he ended up on Bastian’s chocolate-colored stallion while Lerissa was riding Bayleon’s white mare. She’d never ridden before and if I wasn’t wholly concerned about my men and if they were all right, I would have found the situation humorous with her bumbling along and bouncing unsteadily in the saddle. Lerissa was about to see and learn a lot about the land her ancestors had once inhabited. If only she were familiar with the land, I’d have a better understanding where she was leading us. But, unfortunately, all we had to go on was the pull she had inside her.
Right now, it appeared to be leading us toward the Mystical Forest. Luckily, there was a shortcut from the elvish kingdom to the forest which meant we didn’t have to travel through the courts.
Over the day, my thoughts drifted to Bayleon and Bastian, wondering what could be happening to them. They had their strength back, but for how long?
Lerissa and I rode together, with Aidan taking up the back. As soon as we entered the Mystical Forest, Lerissa stared around in astonishment. The sparkle in her eyes seemed genuine, but she was still a siren. I had a feeling there was something more to Lerissa that I could see. Diawen was the strongest of her kind, and that same blood ran through Lerissa’s veins. If Diawen was behind the disappearance of Bayleon and Bastian, then she would be my enemy, and Lerissa was sure to follow suit.
“I never dreamed it would be like this,” Lerissa marveled as she took everything in.
Rays of sunshine streamed through the trees, carrying specks of gold dust along on the wind. Even the natural sounds of chirping birds and trickling streams seemed enchanted. But not every part of the forest was full of fuzzy animals—some held far more menace.
We were headed toward the direction of Redcaps Village, and I was eager to reach our destination. If Diawen had gone through there with Bayleon and Bastian, the Redcaps would surely recognize my men. Unfortunately, our journey took longer than expected because of Lerissa’s lack of experience riding a horse. I was scared that we wouldn’t be able to locate Bayleon and Bastian before the sun went down.
“Where do you live in the mortal world?” I asked, looking over at Lerissa.
Her long, caramel-colored hair glinted in the sunlight, and her porcelain-like skin seemed to glow. She snarled her lip and snorted in disgust.
“Off the coast of Oregon. Don’t get me wrong, there are beautiful places there, but it’s nothing like this.” Her voice was like a song as she looked around, gesturing at the towering trees and wildflowers that filled the forest. “The air here smells so pure and clean, and I can only imagine that your lakes and oceans aren’t full of complete shit and garbage.” She closed her eyes and sighed wistfully. “I remember the first time I stepped through a portal into the elvish kingdom. My heart sank when I saw that Glimmerglass Lake had dried up. Just once in my life, I wanted to see what it was like to swim in magical waters.”
Aidan’s deep, resonating voice floated through the air. “Did you ever contemplate sneaking into the Summer Court oceans?” he asked.
Lerissa turned to face him, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “Since I can’t lie to you, I’ll go ahead and say yes. Sadly, I can’t think about it anymore because you’ll be on the lookout.”
