Siren Song (The Fated #1)

27 | Alone

Iliana wanted to run.

Every cell in her body screamed for her to break ranks and force her way through the crowded gate to the open road beyond. It might've meant circling back around to reach the docks, but it'd also mean freedom.

Reality was a bastard, though, and proved to her yet again that freedom was something she'd rarely experience. The harpy, Semele, had been all too happy to accompany Iliana, Alake, Lykos, and Callias to the city limits. This resulted in the woman being nearly glued to Iliana's side, her hands shoved in the pockets of her pants, and her tense frame just waiting for Iliana to try something.

Fucking harpies.

"Eumelia's late," Lykos mused.

"She said she needed to pick up a few materials before stopping for Abiel," Alake supplied. "She wants to make something stronger for him." He nodded to Callias, and Iliana frowned.

Was Eumelia making Callias a charm? For what? Irritation spun in her mind. It was bad enough that they'd bound her, would they attempt to do the same to him? Could they? She'd heard once that the merfolk were free. That nothing could shackle them after changing. It was Umae's gift to his children.

Did that include magical bindings?

"Right," Lykos replied, glancing behind their group. "I remember that, now. Can't have the fishboy suffocating on the trip."

Confusion flooded over her irritation. Iliana cocked a brow, studying Lykos's expression with a frown. "You're making him a land charm?"

If Callias felt similar confusion over the matter, he didn't show it. Instead, he simply sighed. "My current charm is enough. No need to waste coin on a new one."

"Enough to cross Eol without dying?" Lykos challenged.

Callias looked away, focusing his gaze on the line before them. Iliana took that to mean that Lykos wasn't wrong, but Callias felt no need to share the information with him. Which, of course, made the whole matter obvious.

"I've seen a merfolk pass that way before," Semele mused. "It wasn't pleasant for them. They kept gasping, but couldn't draw in a good breath. Looked painful."

"Was that really necessary?" Iliana snapped.

Semele chuckled. "Sorry. I'll stop talking about your beau."

Iliana crossed her arms over her chest, shooting a glower at the harpy. "Just because I don't think it's needed to go over death by suffocation with him standing right there doesn't mean we're courting. Fuck off, bird bitch."

Lykos burst out laughing, Semele pausing to study Iliana with a slight cock of her head.

"Iliana," Callias sighed.

A chill crept down her spine as she realized she'd just challenged a gods' child who spent her days hunting murderers for sport. But then she remembered the discomfort that seemed to show in the way Callias had tensed in just the slightest degree at Semele's words, and her irritation returned in full force.

So, like any reasonable person, she squared her shoulders, brought her hands to her hips, and raised her chin, preparing to fight if the harpy had truly taken offense.

Which is when Semele started laughing as well.

"Feisty little thing, isn't she?" the harpy asked.

"Isn't it great?" Lykos mused in turn.

Anger bubbled in Iliana's chest. She wasn't threatening, or offensive, apparently, but instead a joke. Every part of her urged her to throw a punch at one of them, anger clenching her fist and encouraging her to step forward, but she paused as a familiar, bubbly voice caught her ears. Abiel.