Siren's Serenade (The Wiccan Haus) (9 page)

“You’re smothering me, you damned cat.” She stormed into the cabin, slamming the door.

“Smothering…what…grrrrr…
ffyc…mae hi wedi cachi arna I.”
Rekkus sat down in the chair on the porch—more like threw himself into the chair—and banged the back of his head against the cabin a few times for good measure. Kaleb should have been enjoying his tormentor’s discomfort, but it hit too close to home tonight.

Giving him an inch, Kaleb offered, “She was in the orchard. I ran into her on the path coming back.”

“Apples. Again? I just got her damned apples this morning.” Rekkus stood up and looked in the window of the cabin. “She is going to make me crazy, that one.”

Feeling it was safer to keep his mouth shut, Kaleb applauded that he had at least learned that skill on his visit here. He stayed quiet as Rekkus responded to Cyrus on the walkie-talkie, asking if anyone had found her. And, Kaleb supposed, had Serena gone for a walk in Alaska in the middle of the night, he too might have panicked.

“Thank you for seeing her home safe. I know it’s stupid, but I hate not being able to protect her all time, and yes I know she wants more space, damn it. Thanks again.” Rekkus moved to the door, bracing himself before opening it. Kaleb had to give the man props for quick reflexes as he caught the three apples hurled at him in succession. “Stay single, Kaleb. It’s so much safer,” Rekkus muttered before shutting the door behind him.

“He needs to give her some breathing room,” Serena said from behind Kaleb. “That’s all she wants.”

Filling his lungs with air until it hurt, he steeled himself before turning to look at her. “I don’t think it’s in his nature.”

“You could be right.” She stepped toward him but paused, unsure again. “I’m sorry if I hurt your feeling earlier. It’s not that I don’t want to be with you it’s just…”

“Alaska’s cold?”

She nodded. “Really…”

Kaleb shushed her before pulling her face to his so he could kiss her senseless. “We’ll figure something out.”

“Okay.”

Kaleb smiled against her lips. “Okay.”

Chapter Six

S
WISH
—R
EKKUS’S
F
IST
B
ARELY
M
ISSED
hitting the side of Kaleb’s head. He might not be able to land many on the man, but at least Kaleb had gotten really good at avoiding taking some on his own. But today something was different; Rekkus kept stopping to sniff the air—a strange thing for anyone to do, in Kaleb’s honest opinion. There was just an overall feeling on the island that something wasn’t quite right.

Actually, everyone from Myron to Rekkus was acting off. Serena had been surprised when Yavonka announced at breakfast she didn’t want to swim today. She said she didn’t feel safe. Serena had then excused herself and gone to find Cyrus. When she returned, she said she was going for a quick swim and would see him “after his ass whooping.”

Even though her voice was light, he could tell something wasn’t quite right. Maybe it was the tension still between them since their discussion at the hot springs, but he didn’t think so. Not focused on the man before him, Kaleb was unprepared for the kick to the chest that sent him flying. Expecting the usual reproof he heard when Rekkus gained the upper hand, Kaleb was surprised to be helped to his feet.

“I think we should call it a day.”

“A day? You’ve only made contact with me twice, hardly the
beat the shit out of the guest
you usually go for.”

“It would appear neither of us is focused today.”

“What the hell is going on?”

Rekkus looked as if he was about to say something, then shook his head. “I hope to be able to tell you very soon, but not yet. Do me a favor: can you go check on Dana on your way back to your cabin?”

“Of course.” The hairs on the back of Kaleb’s neck stood on end, and seconds later the alarm on Rekkus’s walkie-talkie went crazy. “But I think the soon just became now.”

“Damn it. Come with me.” Rekkus turned off the alarm and started running as Cemil squawked at Rekkus to get his ass to the lake, immediately. “You, I think, are about to find out the island’s little secret.”

Rekkus ran through the woods with Kaleb fast on his heels, though it took every ounce of energy Kaleb had to keep up. When the woods opened to the forbidden lake, Kaleb stopped and leaned over his knees to catch his breath. Able to finally breathe, he stood. It was then that he saw the handful of beautiful women standing waist-deep in the lake. And they were angry.

Angry at Serena, who was giving back every ounce of anger they were throwing at her. Looking at the most imposing of the women before him, Kaleb saw what he couldn’t believe he had missed at first glance: the similarities in their faces. This had to be Serena’s mother.

Kaleb walked closer and would have taken Serena in his arms, but Cemil placed a staying hand in his path. “I wouldn’t if I were you.”

“I’m not afraid of a little cat fight.”

“Cat fight doesn’t begin to explain it. And here comes Sarka. This is gonna get ugly,” Cyrus said, pulling a set of orange ear plugs out of his pocket and placing one in his ear.

“What are you doing?”

“Earplugs. Should have brought you a set I guess.” He shrugged as he shoved the second bud into his other ear.

“What the hell is going on?” Sarka demanded, stepping within inches of the lake.

“What?” Cyrus asked loudly.

Cemil ignored Cyrus and turned his attention to Sarka who was standing next to Serena.

“You’re not welcome here, Mother.”

“Serena, your year is up.”

“That’s not possible.”

“Your year is up as of sundown tonight.”

Two of the women came forward, and as Kaleb was getting ready to jump in, Sarka put herself between the women in the water and Serena. “I do believe Serena informed you that you aren’t welcome here.”

“I do not listen to you, witch.”

“Oh, I think you’ll be listening to me. This island isn’t big enough for more than one bitch, and that bitch is me. Now, I suggest you get off my island before I have my security team throw your scaly asses off.”

Rekkus growled and stepped toward Serena, grabbed her by the arm, and pushed her into Kaleb’s arms. “When your sisters start singing, you need to sing like your life depends on it.”

“But—”

“Make that sing like
his
life depends on it, and you know it does.”

Rekkus started to strip naked, leaving Kaleb gapping. “What’s he going to do, fuck them off the island?”

Cyrus looked confused. “What did you say? What did he say?”

Then everything seemed to fall into place one of the women dove into the water, her
tail
making a loud splash. As he was about to process that information, Kaleb looked toward Sarka. A pale, green-tinted glow of white light surrounded the tall woman, spreading out to the people standing with her. Others, all women from the Haus, had joined the group; Myron, Trixie, Lakshmi. He counted thirteen not including Rekkus, Serena, and himself. And somewhere in his subconscious, Kaleb knew that Sarka had called in her coven.

“Siren, sing!” Rekkus demanded. And then he did the impossible. Where a naked Rekkus had once stood, was now a large, angry black tiger. And the damned tiger seemed to shrug at him before he leaped to the water’s edge. There was no way that had just happened. Kaleb turned to Cemil for answers.

“You did say it was a cat fight.” Cemil shrugged before patting Serena on the shoulder. He dragged Cyrus away before the man could say
what
again.

Kaleb’s head was spinning. Too much coming at him all at once. He looked at Serena, closed his eyes, and prayed that when he opened them he would be in bed with her and all of this was just some sort of weird dream.

Instead, he found her looking at him as if her heart was breaking. “If you believe nothing, believe I love you.”

“Serena?”

“I am so sorry.” Serena pulled him with her, until her feet touched the water. One sad little smile, and Serena opened her lips and the most beautiful voice began to sing to him. She got through one line and everything around him faded to nothing.

“Keep singing,” Cemil said from behind her. She could hear her mother and sisters all singing together, trying to drag the men with them into the depths of the lake, but they hadn’t anticipated that the Rowan siblings were well prepared for nearly any situation.

But her focus remained on Kaleb, the man she loved, the man who would never look at her the same again. She sang like she had never sung before. And she knew she had him, knew she could at that moment drag him into the depths of the ocean and he would put up no fight. He would die just to have her one more time. Right then, she felt her heart break. Kaleb, the man whose only goal in life was to rescue people, would awaken from her spell and wish her dead.

She could hear the frustration in her mother’s voice as it turned from glowing beauty to a shriek of disbelief. “What kind of magic is this?” she demanded with such rage that even her sisters were forced to stop singing.

Serena stepped away from Kaleb, knowing that her spell would last a few more minutes. “Mother, it’s over. Leave, please.”

“Why did our songs have no effect on the men?” her youngest sister demanded in a snit.

Cemil smiled. “Because my dear, what you have to offer doesn’t interested me in the least.”

Her mother started out of the water but stopped as Rekkus reared back on his haunches and gave her a warning swipe. “Be careful, sea witch. Our kitty here has a taste for fish.” Sarka laughed.

“And him.” She pointed to Cyrus. “How did our song not affect him?”

“Huh? What did she say? I can’t hear a dammed thing,” Cyrus yelled.

“You see, Mother? They were ready for you. Please just leave. Let me be.”

“But you are to be queen one day.” Her mother’s face softened.

Serena entered the water and grabbed her mother’s hand. “I can’t be the mermaid you need me to be. I can’t kill a man to create another life. I just can’t be that creature.”

Her mother sighed and nodded. “I would like to force it, but it appears I have been out matched by a team of witches and a cat. You are my daughter and rightful heir to the throne. I can’t change that, and neither can you. But perhaps Poseidon himself has a different path for you. It would be best for now if you didn’t return to the palace. I shall send for you when the time is right.”

Serafina pulled Serena into a hug. “I shall miss you.”

They turned away and headed back into the water, one by one disappearing into the depths of the lake.

“Call if you are ever in need. I will come,” Serafina said before disappearing with a splash of her tail.

Serena walked back to the starry-eyed Kaleb and placed a palm against his cheek. She brushed her lips against his and backed into the water. Letting her despair overcome her, the shallow waters of the lake churned as if a hurricane had blown in.

“Where are you going?” Sage asked, walking ankle deep into the lake, unconcerned as water splashed at her skirt.

“It’s time for me to leave.”

“What?” Cyrus asked before Sarka smacked the back of his head. Smiling with a faint flush he pulled the earplugs out. “How long will the spell last?”

“Not much longer now, I should think. But when he awakens, I cannot bear to see the hatred in his eyes.”

“You can’t know that,” Sage offered, placing a gentle hand on Serena’s arm.

“I can.” She looked at Cemil, somewhat hopeful and praying that he would contradict her, but he just shook his head. “Please, someone tell him I did—do love him. And always will.”

Tears fell freely from her eyes, and Serena was unaware of Sarka standing before her until the woman lifted a handful of sea glass in an array of colors for her to see. “Perfect,” Sarka murmured.

Sage, never one for anger, looked aghast. “Give those back.”