Out of Tune Read online

  “Hello, Spellsinger,” Slate's voice had a creepy edge to it.

  Or maybe that was my imagination. Maybe I simply needed him to be different than Slate in some tangible way.

  “Release my father,” I demanded calmly.

  “Or what?” The Jinni asked with a smirk. “You'll kill me? I don't think so. Love burns inside this body for you. Even now, it shines so brightly that it's fucking distracting. I can't imagine that you feel much differently about him.”

  “That's why you took Slate,” I whispered in revelation. “I killed your lover so you possessed mine.”

  The Jinni blinked slowly and his grin spread wider. “You think you're so smart. Well, my little genius, can you guess what I want from you now?”

  “I imagine you want to trade my father for me.”

  “Very good.” The Jinni nodded. “I find myself in need of a whore and you have proved yourself to be quite talented in the bedroom.”

  My men made deep growls of fury.

  I went still. “How long have you been in Slate?”

  The Jinni laughed cruelly. “Long enough, sweetheart,” he sneered Slate's endearment for me. “Love is a strange and wondrous thing, isn't it?”

  I blanched.

  “Boy, I don't know who you are, but you're fucking with the wrong family,” my father declared bravely.

  “Oh, this is most definitely the family I want to fuck with,” the Jinni said while he continued to stare at me, obviously enjoying my discomfort. “So, what's it going to be, Elaria Tanager? Will you come back to the Zone with me or will you watch your father die?”

  My father didn't do the typical heroic thing and tell me to tell this guy to go to hell. He didn't have to; I saw it in his eyes. He'd sooner die than see me submit to a monster. I felt differently.

  “I'll go with you. Just let him go.”

  The Jinni grinned. My men objected vehemently while my father's face twisted with fury and fear.

  “Excellent choice.” The Jinni let go of my father's waist to reach into a satchel he had slung over one shoulder.

  He pulled out another of those arena collars and started to toss it to me but as soon as my father noted the Jinni's distraction, he jumped on the opportunity. Literally. My Dad lifted his knees to his chest, forcing the Jinni to either take all of his weight, slice his throat, or let go. The Jinni, shocked by the move, let go. I believe it was an automatic reaction but it didn't matter. My father ended up on the floor but was there for only a moment before he made the aforementioned jump and sprang away like a frog.

  My men converged on the Jinni as his eyes went wide. He had a split second to decide whether to face us or flee. He chose the latter, grabbing the traveling stone that hung around his neck; the one I'd given to Slate, and using it to escape. He sneered at me as he vanished.

  “Dad!” I rushed to my father, but he held up a hand to hold me off as he started to chant.

  I recognized the words; it was a Witch's warding spell. My assumption was confirmed when Dad added the name; Slate Devon to the spell. A shimmer of magic blasted out of him, surging upward and out, to add to the island's defenses. As soon as it was done, my father took a deep breath, let it out, and pulled me into a hug.

  “Your men are a pain in my ass, Ellie-phant,” he whispered but there was no censure in his voice, only relief.

  “Just wait until you hear the rest of it,” I muttered.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  My father wasn't shocked by the issue with the RS; he'd heard it all before. And he reminded me that we'd asked the Witches for help before too.

  “But that wasn't to stop it from growing,” I countered. “We just need something to suppress her power.”

  My father considered this. We were still in his living room, with the tree's trunk forming the main wall and a sprawling balcony across from it. Declan had fetched my mother from Kyanite and she sat beside my dad on their love seat. The rest of us were spread around the airy room, waiting for my father's input.

  “There are suppression spells,” Robert Scorcher finally said. “But they can do more harm than good and finding one to keep the RS from growing while not impeding any of her other... benefits will be difficult. It would have to be crafted specifically for you.”

  “Could you do it, Dad?” I asked hopefully.

  “No, I'm sorry, Ellie,” he said immediately. “You'll need someone stronger than me. Perhaps Osamu.”

  I grimaced. I didn't care much for Osamu, the Witch Leader of Fire; the Head of my father's Witch family. It was difficult to trust him after the Darcraxis debacle. But, if Osamu could help us, it would go a long way to righting the wrongs he'd done.

  “Ellie, have you tried singing?” My mother asked.

  I blinked. It was so obvious a solution and yet it hadn't occurred to me. I hadn't even attempted it when I'd first got saddled with RS.

  “I haven't,” I admitted. “I think I just assumed it wasn't possible since the spell is inside me.”

  “It may not be possible,” my father agreed, “but there's no harm in trying.”

  “I don't know what to sing. Something about suppression? That seems wrong.”

  “How about something to take the spell back to when you first changed it to accept love instead of lust?” my mother suggested. “A return to it's beginning; a fresh start.”

  “Return to Innocence” by Enigma, Kyanite provided the song I was trying to remember. It's perfect.

  I don't know if I want to be innocent, RS whined.

  Better than being destroyed, Ky countered.

  Yeah. There's that.

  If it hurts you, I'll stop, I promised her.

  Okay, RS whispered the word even though she was speaking inside my mind and only Ky and I could hear her.

  The music started softly and so did the lyrics; a wordless, lilting chant that faded when the beat climbed into a steady sway. I closed my eyes and sang, calling upon my magic to tame the spell inside me. I offered the RS a gentle change with my words; hope and love and a new beginning. Innocence. I felt her desire for those things; her need to be renewed and to become something that wouldn't hurt us. I clung to that and tried to connect it to my magic.

  I'd fought myself before; defended my mind from the other half of my soul. But this was different. I couldn't separate my spellsong from the RS. I could feel her as an individual but when I searched for her, she was already with me; inside the very magic I was trying to use to change her. It was akin to dropping ink in water and trying to keep it from diluting. The RS was a drop of ink in my pool of magic and anything I did to her would disperse. Well, maybe she was more than a drop, but you get the idea. She was nearly indistinguishable from the rest of my magic. And I had a sudden feeling that even if I could change her, I'd end up changing the love she fed on as well. We could wind up worse off than when we started.

  Love isn't something to trifle with; one wrong step and you could break a heart instead of save it.

  I shut down my magic and the music clicked off abruptly, leaving an echoing silence. When I opened my eyes, I was met with concern in everyone else's faces. They knew it hadn't worked. Of course, they did. I wouldn't have stopped if it had.

  “Your magic is intertwined now, I imagine,” my father concluded gently. “You can't suppress one and not affect another.”

  “Pretty much.”

  “It's okay, El. You tried,” Gage took my hand and pulled me onto his lap, his thick arms going around me. “We'll find another way.”

  “And we also have to save Slate,” Darc said to my father. “We were hoping for some counsel on that as well.”

  “Then you'd best visit the Coven,” Dad said. “The worst that could happen is they tell you they can't help you.”

  “True,” I murmured.

  “I'll give Nigel a call and let him know you're coming,” Dad offered. “He can gather the Leaders for you.”

  “Thanks, Dad. Warn them about Slate. I don't know if the Jinni will dare to attack
the Witches, but he might try to trick them.”

  Dad nodded and headed into another room to make the call privately.

  “How's Great-Grandpa?” I asked my mom as we waited on my father.

  We could have left immediately but it's always better to warn Witches of your arrival before you actually arrive and to do that, we had to give Nigel more than a few seconds.

  “He's good.” My mother's ebony wings rustled as she settled them in contentment. “Amphitrite and he are closer than ever now. I think Poseidon's possession actually helped their relationship.”

  My mother's side of the family is... extensive, due to long lives and wandering eyes. Poseidon is her Grandfather but his wife isn't her Grandmother; not by blood. I call Amphitrite “Grandma” out of respect but my real Great-Grandma is Teles Tanager, a Siren. She had an affair with Poseidon a long time ago. Grandma Amphitrite got over it and was kind enough to not hold Poseidon's indiscretions against his offspring.

  “At least something good came out of it,” I muttered. “And Uncle Triton?”

  “He's taking on more responsibility so Poseidon can take some time off. Grandfather trusts him more now. And Triteia has been promoted as well.”

  “Good for her.” I cleared my throat, glanced at my men, then casually asked, “Have you heard anything about the Lóng?”

  My mother narrowed her lavender eyes at me. “Why do you ask?”

  “Just curious.” I shrugged but it felt stiff.

  “Elaria Tanager, do not lie to me! I am your mother; I know every twitch of your face and right now, it's twitching deceptively.”

  “You have deceptive twitches?” Gage whispered.

  I grimaced at him.

  “Why are you asking about the Sea Dragons?” My mother demanded.

  I let out a huff of breath. “A Naga seer told me that the Blue Dragon was the only one who could save me.”

  “King Verin? That dashing, brooding, blue-haired brute?”

  “He's not a brute, Mom,” I protested. “He's just not as into finery as the other Dragon Kings. He's a warrior. You know; the strong and silent type. And he's had a hard life, okay? So, give him a...” I trailed off as I realized that everyone was staring at me with wide, horrified eyes.

  “Oh, sweetie,” my mother whispered in sympathy.

  “Elaria?” Banning growled. “Are you in love with Verin?”

  “Am I...” I gaped at Banning. “No, I'm not in love with him,” I huffed. “Of course not. I barely know the guy.”

  “You know him enough to sing his praises,” Torin pointed out dryly.

  “And you're clearly attracted to him,” Darc murmured thoughtfully.

  “Why do you say that as if it could be a good thing?” Gage snarled at Darc.

  “Because, gentlemen,” Darc snarled right back, “in case you haven't noticed, we are down a man and it is not a good time for Elaria to be lacking a lover. She could die. Is our pride worth her life?”

  The room went quiet. My Mom's eyes pinged back and forth between my men and myself. If you can even call looking between six people “back and forth.” My father entered the room at that very moment.

  “Nigel says that this is the perfect time for you to visit; all of the Leaders are at Coven Cay, even Osamu, who has evidently been spending more time on the island. Nigel suspects it's because you made him feel guilty for traveling so often.” Dad stopped and looked around. “Why do I feel as if I've missed something important?”

  “Your daughter is thinking about sleeping with a Dragon!” My mother announced.

  I groaned and dropped my head into my hands.

  “What?!” My father roared. “The Water God isn't enough for you?” He waved a hand at Darcraxis. “You gotta run after a Water Dragon now?”

  “In case you've both forgotten, I've dated a Dragon before,” I said dryly as I climbed off Gage's lap.

  “A Drachen,” my mother said as if it were infinitely better. “Not a Lóng.”

  “Why does that matter?” I crossed my arms defiantly.

  “Because you can't breathe water,” my father said as if it were obvious. “It's as if you deliberately seek the most difficult relationships.”

  “I'm not seeking a relationship with a Dragon. I have no intention of sleeping with him,” I protested.

  “Oh, you never intend that, little bird,” Torin muttered.

  “Thanks for the support, Torin.” I glared at him.

  “I'm sorry,” he said sincerely. “But you cannot expect us to blithely go along with this.”

  “There's nothing to go along with! I'm not having sex with Verin!” I screeched.

  It was such a loud, vehement shout that it echoed into silence as my earlier song had. Everyone gaped at me as if I were a madwoman.

  I cleared my throat and tried again, “I'm not even contemplating it, and he is not interested in me either.”

  “Oh, yes, he is,” Gage argued. “I smelled it on him. He wants you.”

  Shit. I forgot about a Griffin's sense of smell.

  “Okay, Verin may be attracted to me, but he doesn't want a relationship with me,” I amended.

  “And how would you know that?” Declan asked in a deadly tone.

  I went still. This was why I should have just told them about Verin from the start, but RS and Kyanite had talked me out of it.

  You couldn't have told them, Kyanite reasoned. It would have caused them upset for no reason. Just keep calm and tell them that Verin confessed his attraction to you but then stated that he would not consider sharing a woman.

  Thanks, Ky.

  It's true, my love. You won't be lying.

  “He”—I cleared my throat again—“confessed an interest in me. I told him, and I quote, 'A bird may love a fish but where would they live?'”

  My father snorted with laughter, but my men seemed only slightly mollified.

  “So, you made no declarations to him?” Banning pressed.

  “No, Bann, I don't go around declaring romantic intentions to men behind your back,” I growled. “I did admit that I found him attractive as well, but I told him I wasn't going to take another lover, and Verin said that he had no desire to be with a woman whom he had to share. We agreed to be friends; that's all.”

  Torin grunted—a lot like Verin—and nodded. “Very well. We can't fault King Verin for his good taste, and we shouldn't doubt you, little bird. It's just the situation that has us unsettled. If things weren't so dire, we wouldn't worry.”

  “Which is why I think this may be a good thing,” Darc interjected. “You're all looking at this in the wrong way.”

  The men swiveled annoyed stares back to Darc.

  “If King Verin does not wish to take a lover he must share, he may be the perfect temporary lover for Elaria.”

  That dropped a few jaws; mine included.

  “We must face facts,” Darc said grimly. “If we cannot find a way to suppress the RS and we cannot free Slate soon, we will need at least one more man. A man who would be okay with being put aside once things are settled.”

  “You mean; once we got Slate back and subdued the RS,” I clarified. “That might work if this were about lust, but it isn't, Darc. That's the problem. We have to love each other. So, what you're really proposing is that I fall in love with a man, and he with me, and then we abandon each other when it's convenient for you.”

  Darc's jaw clenched as he looked away.

  “If we want a man for El to love and leave, our best bet would be Lucifer,” Gage noted grimly.

  The other men groaned.

  “Hey, if we're going for brutal honesty; here it is,” Gage growled. “When we get to the point where Elaria is in danger, Lucifer will be our best chance of saving her. He already loves her.”

  “There's just one problem,” I whispered.

  Everyone turned to look at me.

  “I don't think I can be intimate with him,” my voice started to shake just thinking about having sex with Lucifer again.

&
nbsp; The silence thickened and my men started to look angry. I knew their anger wasn't directed at me, it wasn't even directed at Lucifer. They were furious with the people who had forced Lucifer and me to have sex. Over and over again. My stomach clenched.