To Seduce A Siren

17. What's your poison?

Selene grunted as she tried to lift Raziel off the ground, who lay limp between her arms.

She slung his arm over her shoulders, using the wall to drag them both up. She made to her feet but just barely.

She knew she couldn't walk with Raziel's weight over her.

Selene cursed, hating once again her weakness. She looked towards the opening of the alleyway and wondered if she could leave Raziel here and force a human to drag him. Serpents uncoiled and hissed in her belly as she thought of the prospect of leaving Raziel alone and bleeding. What if he were dead by the time she got back?

"Need some help?"

Selene whipped her head back, nearly dropping Raziel in the process.

A cloaked woman stood at the end of the alleyway. Behind her emerged another taller woman.

Selene realised distantly that she should say something. Persuade them to do something. But what. Sweat broke against her back, little pinpricks across her skin. Attack them or welcome them? She was paralysed.

The smaller woman walked towards them, taking off her hood in the process.

"Kali," Selene whispered, speaking before the thought had processed.

"Missed me?" Kali grinned, her eyes sparkling.

The smaller woman approached. She had a pinched expression on her face as she took in Selene and Raziel. "Can we save the pleasantries for later," she said.

Kali scowled. "You're no fun. You know that, Denise?"

Kali turned back to Selene, looking expectantly. "Well, come on then."

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Selene said, summoning all her vehemence into her voice.

Kali blinked. "Helping you of course."

"You duped me!"

"What?"

"You gave me a fake magic ring!" Selene yelled. "Redeemers found me right after you gave me the ring."

"Oh, that." Kali drawled. "Not my fault, darling. They must have been tracking you before you entered my store."

"Oh yeah?" Selene shifted Raziel's weight across her body. Her arm was beginning to get tired but she didn't trust the witch. Selene had considered the witch an ally and she had been fooled by her as if she were a child. "How come he found me then?" Selene looked pointedly at Raziel. "He did not have me tracked. That I know for sure."

"Uh..." Kali trailed off, avoiding Selene's eyes. She would have said Kali was embarrassed if it weren't for the tenseness in her shoulders and her eyes darting around. Suddenly, she looked at Selene, right in the eyes, "Look, we got to go. They'll be here soon."

Who did Kali mean? Redeemers or humans?

Selene didn't trust Kali but she sensed no danger from her. Kali's eyes were soft as she had taken in Selene's desperate voice and Raziel's wound was still bleeding, dripping onto the brick walkway.

"Okay, okay. Fine. Let's go."

"Excellent, no time to lose," Kali smiled. She gestured Denise over, "She's my teleporter," Kali whispered to Selene. Kali took, in her hands, Selene's hand and Raziel's.

Denise, glaring as she approached, placed her palms over their hands. She shut her eyes tight, whispering in concentration.

"This might be weird," Kali said.

An abrupt motion made her muscles freeze in fear of the unknown. Selene made out white light around her, freckled with dots of colours. She might have admired it if it weren't for the noise which started off as ocean sounds, growing louder making Selene clench her teeth in pain. Her eyes burned.