Page 101 of A Sanctuary from Shadow
Pete glanced up like he’d forgotten my existence.
“You seemed to know about her.” I blotted a glob of sticky, dried blood. The stench of Tacker’s fishy mouth clung to it. “When she appeared, I mean.”
“Nixies are a breed of siren. A dangerous breed.”
“So, that’s why you told me to cover my ears. Her voice—”
He nodded. “A siren’s song is adeadlyweapon. With but one note, she could have you merrily slitting your own throat.”
I blinked at the thought, reminded of Tamsyn’s hints about my mother’s magic. Could she have been—?
“Mind you, not all sirens use their songs for ill,” Pete gritted out, breathless after I’d finally pried that saliva coated scab from his flesh. “I’ve met only one other siren. They’re quite rare, like.” He held his breath while I dabbed the next fang puncture. This one downright gross. “She—uh—she helped me. I was in a terrible state—thought myself lost for good. But she—she managed to shake me from it. I’ll be forever grateful—”
I stumbled to my knees and vomited the few rosenuts I’d eaten for supper into a thatch of reeds. When I finished, I sat back on my heels and wiped tears from my eyes, my face tingling, my muscles quaking.
“You’d make one hell of a field nurse.”
My hand trembled as I wiped my nose. “Shut up,” I snapped, then crawled to the brook to rinse my mouth. For long minutes, I sat hunched by the water, its flow hypnotizing.
Exhaling, Pete rose and grabbed me. “Get up.” He lifted me by my armpits.
I yelped and jumped back.
He’d brushed past my cloak to help me, and his knuckles had grazed the side of my breast where my bodice flapped open. The feel of his hot, rough skin upon such tender flesh sizzled to my core.
Pete’s eyes twinkled in the moonlight as I glared. “Settle down. That was but an accident.” Holding hands skyward, he reseated himself. “Now, please sit before you swoon into the stream.”
Yanking my cloak closed, I wobbled over to drop onto the rock.
I felt Pete’s gaze on me as I slouched beside him, trying to rub sensation back into my face. “You need rest, Shorty. You should go back to sleep.”
“I’ll go to sleep when I’m finished with you.” I shook myself. “Man! I don’t know why I’m so woozy.”
I’d endured worse sights and smells in my life. I’d survived the bogeybats’ breath. Of course, Ihadpassed out that night—after I’d lost Daddy.
Pete’s brow furrowed when I turned his way. “You’re—woozy, as you say—because you used too much power in too short a time tonight. Doing that weakens you, ken.”
“No, I didn’tken.”
His mouth bunched in judgment. “You must learn to better control the flow of your magic, or it’ll erupt in immense torrents like that, leaving you weary, powerless. Someonereallyshould’ve taught you that. Control takes practice—”
“Dude, what do you even care?” I bristled. Yeah, he was right. I should’ve been taught how to control my powers long before that night, but someone like him had no right to criticize my father’s parenting choices. “Aren’t you still the guy who wants to sell me off to Gentian like I’m—”
“I don’twantto do anything of the sort.”
Had I heard right? Was he letting me go?
“I’m not taking you to Gentian because Iwantto.”
My hopes plunged.
“Shorty, I’d love nothing more than to set you free and never hear your nagging voice again.”
“Thenwhydon’t you? Do you need the money that badly?”
His lips pressed together. “I’ve seeds aplenty, thank you.”
“Then I don’t get it.”
