"Where is Eddy?" I asked. I kept my back to the god-awful man. I knew what I would see. Dark hair, dark eyes, but all human. It was all a big farce. He should have looked like a villain with jagged teeth filling his mouth, a crocked nose, scars on his face, and sores on his skin. He should have been just as repulsive to look at as he was to deal with. But he was as normal as they came.

"He's in the car, sedated but alive, for now," Nero purred. "The second you agree to come with me, we can decide what happens to him."

"I don't believe you."

"Little bird, I would not risk losing you for keeping an old man. Whatever you want will be done."

"If I ever find out that you didn't abide by my wishes, I will fight you as hard as I can," I warned. 

"I would expect nothing less from you. But, if I do everything you as, would you be willing to abide by my wishes?" Nero wondered, his voice sickly sweet. "We could be a wonderful team, you and I. The most powerful werewolf and the most powerful siren fighting together instead of against each other. Think of the things we could do. Think of the offspring we could produce."

At that, I could no longer be cold hearted and stoic. Very suddenly, my brilliant plan lost all of its luster. I could hand myself over without batting an eye. I would give myself up if that meant that no one else was hurt, but I refused to bring children of his into this world.

I leaped off the rock, my sneakers immediately soaked by the incoming tide. I didn't think, didn't consider what I was doing or who might see. I felt the water twist around my ankles, and in my rage, I called on it. The current of the ocean filled my veins, striking me with power. My glowing eyes narrowed on the average looking man before me. 

"Now, now little bird. What are you going to do?" he taunted, opening up his arms as an invite. "You know that you can't compel me."

"I can compel werewolves," I threatened, but knew he was right. After years of watching sirens desperately try to control him, even just for a moment, I knew it wasn't possible.

"Of course, my dear. You always could. Werewolves like your lover, Alpha Easton, allow their humanity to be tampered with. Haven't you learned that I have very little humanity to speak of? Haven't the king and queen told you all about me, about how I denounced them and my human ways? You have been spending so much time with them, you'd think it would have come up."

I felt the power crackling between my fingers like invisible lightning, but knew it would be useless to expend it now. He was right. 

"How do you know what I have been doing?" I demanded. "How long have you been watching me?"

"Haven't you figured it out? I have one of my failed projects looking after you all this time. I have been breeding with sirens longer than you have been alive. It's a true shame none of them were able to inherit the powers of the sea, but one of them became of use to me when he became beta," Nero murmured, grinning manically. 

Beta. Elliot. 

Elliot had shown up at my house with Easton and had been as stubborn as an ox until he was threatened. Elliot had been there when the royals had come to the pack lands. Elliot had asked me how my mother was murdered, wanting details. Elliot had stayed in the house when I called Eddy's phones desperately. Elliot had found the note on the door of Eddy's home. 

"That's not possible," I muttered to myself, but it very much was.

"Do you see, little bird, you can't escape me."

Maybe he was right. Maybe it was worthless, but I could at least try.

I jammed my eyes shut. I felt the water swirling around me, the warmth it gave me, how it pleaded with me to fight. The sea was angry and vengeful. It wanted Nero to pay, even more than I did. Maybe that would be enough. I held strong, filling like a dam, waiting for max capacity before releasing a wild torrent strong enough to kill.

My eyes burst open, gleaming so brightly in the dark Nero shielded his eyes. 

"Leave me alone! Forget your plans. Forget who you are and never look upon another siren again!" I commanded.

I felt it starting at my heart, the force bursting out of me. It spread through my chest, down to my legs and up through my arms. The dam had broken. It all poured out of me. 

I dropped to my knees, panting so hard I could barely lift my head.

And there was Nero, grinning at me. Completely unaffected. 

"Do you feel better now?" he teased.

"I hate you," I snarled through clenched teeth, stumbling back to my feet. 

"Are you going to come with me willingly or do I have to keep feeding your Eddy pills until his weak heart gives out?" Nero murmured like he was asking a toddler to leave a theme park.

I could only nod my head. I would do this. I would make sure that Eddy was safe. I would play nicely until he forgot about Easton. I would give him everything I could so that Nero would trust me. I would be the perfect little siren.

And when he wasn't looking, when he trusted me enough to leave me alone, I would find a way to kill myself. 

Nero held my arm, somewhere between being an enforcer and a crutch, we moved to an SUV parked on the side of the road. When we reached it, my fingers brushed the back window, seeing Eddy in the backseat, head tipped back, mouth open.

It was like he was dead.

"He's just sleeping off the pills," Nero assured. "Come on, little bird."

And I would have went with him.

But Easton's voice carried through the night air like a knife, "Kaia!"

~~~Distraction Section~~~

Hello everyone, I hope you had a wonderful new year and holiday season. I'm super stoked because I got a Kindle for Christmas! Now I don't have to decide between books when I go on vacation, I can just take them all!

Question of the Day: Do you believe in astrology? Why or why not?