“How romantic…” Becca crooned.
I reared back.
“Romantic? He tried to kill himself to pull off a lie in the hopes I’d realize I was the lost siren!”
Another woman clutched her heart, fanning her face with her free hand.
“Like she said—romantic.”
“He fought his own desires all those centuries because he was in love with you and didn’t want to end your protection! It’s the most wonderful love story I’ve ever heard!”
I gaped at the young woman who appeared in front of me, my jaw nearly hitting the ground in disbelief.
“That’s not—it isn’t—that’s not how any of it happened!”
Becca laughed, patting my shoulder as everyone around me began telling the tale to the people around them, spreading my story up and down the refugee line.
“Give it up, Wren. It is a fantastical story.”
“And what about the part where my human lives were miserable, and he treated me like utter shit, even after I fought with his people against the attacking demon hordes?”
Her brown eyes lit up with mirth.
“That part isn’t nearly as interesting. Besides, he said he’d burn the world for you.”
I threw my hands in the air in exasperation, almost taking out the older man behind me with my wings.
“I don’t want anyone to burn the world for me!” I cried. “I’m not worth it,” I whispered, my eyes feeling hot with tears. Becca grabbed my shoulders, her face tinged with sympathy.
“Then I am so happy you have men who see your worth. I pray to the gods that one day, you will too.”
A shout was heard up ahead, even as a crack of daylight could be seen. My legs hurt and I was hungry, but we’d made it with no incidents. I pushed my way to the front, meeting Zara who kept everyone in the cave, out of the sunlight
“Are you able to climb up the dunes and look around? It would be ideal if you could provide cover.”
I nodded, and easily scaled the high dunes with my claws and a flap of wings. The harbor was eerily quiet as dawn crept over the horizon, the human slaves who manned the fishing vessels not even yet to their boats to start the day’s work. I dared to fly higher, gazing out over the expanse of the sea. What I saw made my heart freeze in my chest.
I dove down to the earth, nearly crashing face first into the sand as my claws scrabbled for purchase. I ran to Zara, out of breath and panic on my face. Her face tightened when she saw me.
“What is it? What have you seen?”
I looked at her, and then to the hundreds of refugees behind her, crowded into the passageway.
“The demon armada is coming.”
Zara was a true leader. She allowed a few seconds of fear to twist her features, then a moment later smoothed them out, turning to me with fire in her eyes. We had limited time to plan.
“I can fly out—use my voice magicks to try and take some of them down.”
Zara’s lips quirked upwards quickly in a sad smile.
“It wouldn’t be enough. They would kill you quickly.”
“It could buy you time,” I countered, “enough to get the refugees loaded and escape down the coastline. Besides, I’m not as easy to hit as you think.”
I disappeared in a wisp of smoke ten feet to her right, then back again. Her only reaction was to blink, then nod. Without another word, we raced apart. I flew high into the air, my wings straining and stretching as I fought for altitude against dead air. Zara was shouting now, yelling as refugees ran across the sand towards a large ship anchored at the edge of the harbor. She yelled at those on board, screaming obscenities so thick and piercing it made me blush. Gangplanks were lowered and ropes thrown down. Could they all make it on in time?
That was Zara’s problem. Mine was to distract and detain. I tilted my wings, pointing my body directly at the black line that stretched across the entire horizon. Fear filled my veins, but more on behalf of the terrified people below me than for my own safety.
I raced out to meet the oncoming horde, reaching deep within myself to find my inner draken—embracing her instincts. When the ships were a few hundred yards away I shrieked as loudly as I could, the piercing sound tumbling demons and vampyre alike as they clutched their heads in agony. Male and female vampyres and demons alike fell into the ocean, only to be run over by their own ships, dragged and drowned beneath their massive hulls.
I kept it up for as long as I could, pausing only when most of them shoved wax or bits of cloth into their ears. I disappeared, leaving their archers fumbling with nothing to shoot at.
I reappeared in the air of the fleet’s left wing, far enough away that they hadn’t heard or been affected by my voice. I sang again—a low, seductive tone that left everyone on deck freezing, unable to focus on anything but me. The demon at the ship’s helm fell forward, turning the wheel as he slumped forward. The ship careened into its own line, wreaking havoc as ships crashed into each other in a domino effect. Shrieks and screams filled the air. I reached within myself and disappeared again, repeating the procedure on the right flank.
The lines of the armada were breaking from the outside in, but I wondered if it would be enough. I looked to the shore, where Zara’s ship had just drawn up anchor, struggling to move with no breeze. The center ships were ready, archers poised with arrows if I made a reappearance. I had no choice but
