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Arrogant demon.
Gaksi threw a necklace at me. “Start getting ready!”
I paused. Were siren dates safe for an unpowered mortal? Sirens were inherently manipulative. Then again, Flora only promised she could get me invited back to every House. I never made her promise to give me a bid: the final invite to join after the last round of recruitment. If Fae House didn’t work out, I should protect my backups.
I supposed it would be nice to be liked. Sirens were pretty. Even if all their charm was fake.
And after last night’s debacle, I needed to escape this miserable room before I dissolved into dust with it.
Hmm. What would a siren wannabe wear to a party?
I shoved through the clothes in the laundry basket. Jeans? No, too pedestrian.
Pearls? They were from under the sea, right?
Indecisive, I texted some to Aubrey for approval.
Aubrey:No to the pants. Yes, corset. But tighten it a little more! Sirens aren’t modest! You want to blend in, not stand out.
I compressed my body into a teal corset, tight enough to make my bust shine. It matched with a navy miniskirt cinched like a sarong around my waist. I’d never been the most slender, so I styled my outfits to show off my curves, not hide them.
I jumped into a pair of sneakers last. If I was going to dance, I needed comfort. I’d just hide my feet in pictures if I took any.
“Come out, future siren!” Lukas called from outside my door.
11 P.M. already? Did I sleep for nearly twenty-four hours? No wonder Gaksi had time to compile things.
I swung the door open.
“Wow,” Lukas breathed. His pupils dilated. His gaze swept over me, from the long, curling hair to the revealing outfit. He even grinned at the shoes. I smiled inwardly. My outfit worked. He was bewitched.
I’d chosen it to make him want me. Men were ruled by their emotions, weren’t they? If he wanted me to be his, he’d be more likely to invite me to join Siren House permanently.
Mother always told me that men can only think with one head at a time. And it usually wasn’t the one between their ears.
We held hands as we hiked to the beach. Lukas kept stealing glances at me, lingering on my body for so long that I had to redirect him not to fall.
I elongated my stride a little with every step. My skirt rode up my legs, hugging my wide hips and showing off my long legs, which he nearly tripped over.
“Why haven’t we hung out before?” Lukas questioned wistfully. “Then maybe the oracle would gossip about our love life instead.”
“That’s not a good thing,” I said. “In fact,” I glanced at him, “why aren’t you worried about the rumor I’m dating the Reaper?”
He rolled his eyes. “He’s got nothing on me, fish.”
Hmm. I stared straight ahead. He had confidence going for him, for sure.
I admired him in a new light. He was handsome, especially when the sun backlit his blonde waves. Would we be dating if I had never gotten caught up in my bargain? Would I be this happy-go-lucky?
“Admiring me, gorgeous?”
He flexed his muscled arms in the sky. “Like what you see?”
I freely laughed and said, “I think it would be even better if what I see is permanently attached to my arm. You’re more pleasant than I thought you’d be to date.”
Despite my half-insult, he radiated like the sun itself had risen for him. “I have never agreed more.”
And I meant it. He was so carefree, so in tune with himself, that if even a sliver of that energy reflected off me, I could absorb his endless optimism.
