To Seduce A Siren

22. In or Out

Kali munched on a fourth apple muffin, taking a swig from Selene's freshly brewed coffee. "Hey, this is actually really good! Since when did you get so good at baking?" Kali asked, her voice muffled by the mounds of muffin in her mouth.

Selene was ashamed to admit she baked. Baking things meant there was someone to bake for. To care for. That was shameful in itself.

At least she didn't cook. That meant you were obliged to care for someone. She was free from that at least, being a monster wrapped up in the form of a woman - a man's worst nightmare.

Selene couldn't force the effort to take some comfort from that.

Last night she had the most absurd dreams.

Ones where she was washing clothes in a wooden tub with another girl and they were laughing, flicking cold water into each other's faces. Her fingers had turned blue and she couldn't feel them yet she was smiling like a buffoon the entire time.

Then the water turned to hot soup and she clutched a whole bowl of it, with the same brown-haired girl. They sat at a table, by fire barely large enough to warm them both and their laughter rang into the empty stone walls of the kitchens.

Selene heard the same haunting sound when she woke today.

She had dreams of her human life occasionally but they were of the same nightmare where she fell into the icy water and no one heard her scream.

Selene preferred the nightmare.

Selene took a tentative sip of her black coffee, almost spilling it on her lap when she heard her doorbell ring.

"The Redeemer?" Kali asked, getting up to answer the door before Selene could even nod. A flash of irritation pricked at her temple. Why was Kali so excited to see him anyway? More disturbingly, why did Selene care?

Raz walked in before Selene could dwell on the thought. He had raced out an hour ago, without a word and now he strolled back as if nothing had occurred. Like he hadn't just kissed her breathless in her own home. Like Selene hadn't kissed him back.

Despite what the Redeemer might believe, Selene hadn't kissed that many people. Only two had she not kissed without an ulterior motive. Kissing someone because you wanted to kiss them was different. It made her feel... New. New and clean and unburdened.

She felt a distinct urge to throw something at his head. Punish him for taking more from her than she had offered and taking it without meaning it, with no real malice. That seemed to her the worst part of it. That he hadn't even known how much she had been touched by it. Instead Selene said icily, "Back so soon?"

He cleared his throat, answering. "I needed to clear my head for a minute. I -"

Kali tossed him a muffin. "Eat up big boy. We've got a lot to unpack in the next few hours."

Raz frowned, taking a bite of his muffin. "Hey!" He exclaimed, chewing the muffin. "You made a blueberry one."

Selene ignored him, staring straight at Kali.

"Do you remember being stabbed?" Kali questioned, tapping her fingers on the table.

Raz nodded.

Kali paused before continuing, "Well the reason you were so... Affected by a stab wound was because the blade was coated in poison."

"Poison?" Raz echoed.

Kali sent a pointed stare at Selene.

"The poison was made to kill you Raziel. You're lucky Kali and Denise came in time to heal you and you survived," Selene said. She waited as she always did whenever she did something people might consider bad - lying for instance - for her conscience to chime in. Her heartbeat raced when she found there was in fact, an odd twinge in her chest. How odd.