Blood of Sirens: Book 13 of The Witch Fairy Series by Bonnie Lamer Read Free Book Online Page A

with gold trim is atrocious.  I did not get my taste from my biological father, thank goodness. 
    “Thank you,” Tana replies.  I’ve heard she merely tolerates Dagda’s taste, but I haven’t asked her about it. 
    Sindri, who met us here after taking the stairs like the smart Fairy he is, asks, “Would anyone care for a drink?”
    Kai begins to speak but Arie shakes her head, stopping him from responding in the positive.  “No, thank you,” the MerQueen says.  Disappointment washes over Kai who was staring hopefully at the decanter of scotch on a table in the far corner of the room. 
    I wonder if the Merpeople have any sort of alcoholic beverages in their realm.  I wonder if they have any beverages at all.  Is it possible to drink underwater?  So many questions in my brain, so rude to ask them all.
    One thing I like about Arie is she doesn’t waste time.  “The escape of the Sirens was my fault.”
    It’s a good thing I wasn’t drinking anything.  It probably would have shot out of my mouth and nose in surprise.  “What?”
    The MerQueen sits up straighter.  “I did not recognize the influence the Sirens gained over the captain of their guards.”
    “I was under the impression the guards were rotated regularly to avoid such things,” Isla remarks coolly.
    Anger flashes in Arie’s eyes but she is angry with herself, not Isla.  “You are correct.  The only guard with a permanent position was the captain of the guards.  The captain maintained her position within the city.  She was not to have contact with the Sirens.”  Arie pauses and takes a deep breath before continuing.  “It seems a combination of curiosity and hostility drove her to disregard the parameters of her position.”
    “Hostility toward whom?” Kallen asks even though we can see the answer in Arie’s eyes.
    “Toward me,” she admits. 
    The puzzle pieces click together in my mind.  “Let me guess, she was in the running for Queen.”  The Merpeople elect their Queen who then serves for life.
    Arie inclines her head.  “You are correct.”
    “What was her intent?” Dagda asks.
    “She made a deal with Irena.  If the Siren agreed to enslave my consort, she would be set free.  She hoped the grief it would cause me would render me ineffectual as a Queen.”  From her expression, I can tell she has not yet told us everything.
    “Meaning she could then demand you forfeit the crown with your death,” Dagda fills in.
    Arie nods.  “You are correct.”  Wow.  This catastrophe really wasn’t my fault.  Amazing.  “She also vowed revenge on the one who killed her ‘rightful’ Queen, as she sees it.” 
    I sigh.  So much for it not being my fault.  Or, at least the other me’s fault.  “Does she know it was my doppelganger from another reality?” I ask. 
    “The Merpeople are hesitant to believe such a thing could occur,” Arie admits. 
    I will definitely not be travelling to the Merpeople realm anytime soon, then.  “That sucks.”  I get admonishing glances from Isla, Dagda and Tana for my slang.
    “Indeed,” Kai agrees.  He adds, “I understand their reluctance.  If I had not seen your doppelganger with my own eyes, I would not have believed it myself.”
    “Thanks for the support,” I grumble.  Louder, I ask, “Is it just a few Merpeople or do they all believe I’m the one who killed their Queen?”  I will take the deafening silence to mean it’s pretty much all of them.
    “You said your captain agreed to free Irena.  Did she free the others intentionally or was Irena responsible for it?” Kallen asks.
    “Irena convinced the captain of guards that she was too weak to perform such magic alone.  Over several months, she convinced the captain to release them all if she wanted to successfully lure me from my wife,” Kai explains.  He shakes his head.  “Fools.”
    Arie places a loving hand on her husband’s arm and smiles.  “As you can see, Kai’s love is not so easily