Page 79 of A Reckless Indulgence

Lyx holds her breath to imagine it. The two of them swimming off together, hunting side by side, exploring a new world without any of the anchors that keep Lyx tethered here.

But it isn’t real. Who knows if the world Sinoe describes exists? Either way, Lyx is stuck here. She can’t escape the pull of her song, and she doesn’t want to escape the pull of something else.

Someone else.

The revelation startles her, tightening the muscles in her body. Sinoe senses it. The corners of her mouth turn down, but she masks her disappointment the same way she does everything else. “You have to hide it better, Lyxy.” Her finger winds tighter in Lyx’s hair. “You know a siren’s favorite toy never lasts. We get bored. Someone gets jealous.” She releases Lyx’s curl and lets it spring back into place. “Or someone else wants to share it. To play with it. To tear it apart.” Sinoe lifts her hand toward Lyx’s cheek. Lyx sucks in a breath, but the touch never lands. It hangs in the air like the indiscernible look in Sinoe’s eyes. “And it’s not just other sirens you have to worry about.”

Dread sinks in Lyx’s stomach. No matter what games Sinoe’s playing, she’s right. Any attachment Lyx has to Cav is a danger. Another siren would come after him just for a taste. If Tidus had any idea of her affection, he wouldn’t stop until he drained Cav of life. Until he devoured every bit of joy and hope and spit it back out.

Things are worse than she imagined. Her song has become a beacon out of her control, and without it, she is helpless. She can’t protect Cav. Every moment they spend together draws a larger target on his back, and Sinoe is the first of many headed straight toward it.

Whatever emotion Sinoe shared is gone. When she reaches for Cav, only delighted spite remains. “Word of advice, pirate,” she coos. “Give up your siren fantasies. Find someone nice and boring to settle down with. Someone who wouldn’t trade you in at the first offer. Who can share your fragile affection.”

Her fingers dance dangerously close to the mark she left on him. Cav doesn’t flinch, but Sinoe’s made her point. Her hips sway as she saunters down the alley.

“Otherwise…” She shoots Lyx one last, pointed look over her shoulder. “You’ll only get hurt. Isn’t that right, sister?”

THIRTY-TWO

Cav

While Sinoe disappears, Cav rubs at his neck, still twinging from the indentations left by her fingers. There was no hesitation when she snatched him off the street. It’s haunting how mercurial she was, fluid but unpredictable. His life meant nothing to her; he was barely an obstacle. In the blink of an eye, she controlled him with her song and forced him to walk happily to his doom. He could do nothing while his free will slipped away.

Sinoe is an apex predator on land. What could she have done to him in the water?

His scales lift on end. No wonder Lyx called him a fool. During his time in the grotto, they were surrounded by a horde of sirens. What if the others had found him first? Where would he be now? Dead at the bottom of the sea?

It’s only because of Lyx that he survived. It’s not that he forgets she’s as powerful as Sinoe, but their power feels different. Under Sinoe’s control, his mind sent up emergency flares; with Lyx, he craves the vulnerability. He loves to leave his fate in her hands. It’s been that way since the moment he washed up on her shore. As certain as he was that Sinoe would kill him, he’s always been equally certain that Lyx will not.

When he turns to her, she’s scowling with a far-off look in her eyes. Whatever Sinoe said took a toll on her, riddles that only Lyx can comprehend, but Cav wants to understand.

“What did your other sister take from you? Mollo?” He tries to make sense of it with what he knows. “Did she give it to your ex? Is that why you’ve been meeting with someone?”

That brings Lyx back. Her head whips toward him. “You followed me? Did he see you?”

“Of course not. Cypher —” He shakes the thought away. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is getting back what you lost.”

Lyx gnaws at her lip for a long moment before she starts back down the path.

Cav jogs to keep up. “What is it? What did Sinoe mean?” When Lyx doesn’t respond, Cav swings in front of her to catch her by her arms. “Lyx, please, talk to me. I can help you. Let me help you.”

There is something so distant about her now. Something desperately out of reach, like Sinoe’s appearance put her into a boat and cast her out on her own. When Lyx finally speaks, it’s slow and punctuated, so that Cav grasps every word. “I lied to get on the Indulgence. I lied to you.”

“About looking for your ex?” The ghost of a smile crosses Cav’s face. “I told you I wouldn’t care if you were hiding something. Whatever it is, we can fix it.”

“No, we can’t!” she grits when she pulls free of his grasp, but it almost sounds like she’s pleading with him. “Do you never think about yourself? You toss yourself into danger without any idea what it entails. You risk your life for nothing.”

“It’s not for nothing,” he murmurs. “It’s for you.”

“Why?!”

His face softens. “Something you don’t believe in.”

Her eyes slip shut. She remembers what he confessed in the pool. He’s not afraid of it. He doesn’t regret it, but she keeps her eyes closed, like she’s in pain. Like she can’t look at him. “Sinoe was right.” Her words are heavy. “You should do what she says. You should find someone nice —”

“I don’t want nice.” Cav recoils. “And I don’t care what she says. I want to hear it from you.”

Her head shakes sharply. “Sirens can’t —”