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waterfalls and other natural wonders. Overhead rang the raucous calls of birds and small
mammals. A heady perfume of tropical flowers and rich, damp volcanic earth filled my
nostrils. Higher in the sky, the gulls soared ahead of us as though announcing our arrival.
The trail wound slowly upward. My companion and I rounded one last bend and
stepped into a secluded glade ringed with brightly colored hibiscus.
As we passed into the clearing, musicians began pounding a compelling rhythm on
skin drums. We moved forward, along ground that rose in ripples that looked as if they
had been formed by the downward movement of an ancient lava flow. The rising ground
made for a natural dais at the far end of the clearing, perhaps a hundred yards to the
right of a steep waterfall that splashed noisily into a wide pool of water so clear and pure
I could clearly see every stone and swimming fish.
I didn t waste much time looking at it or any of the other natural wonders surrounding
me. Because we had come into the presence of royalty, judging by the arrangement of
six thrones carved from the native stone, in graduating sizes and complexity leading to
the massive center chair.
The thrones were occupied, each chair seating a siren of imperious beauty. While I
couldn t be sure, I could almost guess which woman represented which ocean based on
their appearance. Each was completely unique in her appeal, coloring, and dress. One
throne was empty. I presumed it was for the Atlantic queen who no longer existed.
They were dark skinned and light, Asian and Caucasian. One woman bore a
particularly striking resemblance to Ren presumably her mother, queen of the
Mediterranean branch. A tiny woman with Japanese features was, I assumed, the ruler of
the Sea of Japan.
On the center and largest throne sat a tall blond woman who looked remarkably like
me, only better. A lot better. Her blond hair was loose, flowing unhindered to the waist of
a crimson lavalava hemmed in glittering gold. Her skin was too fair to actually tan, but it
had the hint of a warm glow. All of her features were beautiful, but her eyes . . . her eyes
were unforgettable. Because while she had the body of a youth, one look in those storm
gray depths and you knew she was ancient. There was both wisdom and cold,
implacable pragmatism in her gaze. I knew I should look at each of the queens, take their
measure. But I couldn t seem to look away from Queen Lopaka.
Even without the benefit of my vampire talents I would ve felt the power in that clearing.
It was thick, thrumming, almost a separate, living presence that grew with each passing
moment.
Ren appeared beside Hiwahiwa and the two of them led me forward until I stood
directly in front of the row of thrones. The drumming continued, growing in intensity as
more women, sirens all, filed into the clearing, sitting on the ground in groups of four or
five on either side of the main path.
At a tiny gesture from Lopaka, the noise of the drums and the murmurs of the crowd
stopped in an instant. The rushing splash of water was deafening in the sudden silence.
Hiwahiwa bent almost double before her queen, her long hair brushing the ground at
her feet. Your Majesties. I present to you the abomination, Celia Kalino Graves.
Abomination. Great. Just great. Although I suppose it was better to find out right at the
beginning where I stood.
She means no insult. It is simply a label for what you are: not human, not siren, not
even vampire.
The voice in my head was calm and melodic, as if it was set to music I couldn t quite
hear, a song so heartbreakingly pure that I d never forget it if I did.
I shook my head, trying to break the spell. It didn t help much. But that was all right. The
warmth of the unheard music clashed in harsh counterpoint against the harsh words of
the tiny Japanese queen. She rose from her throne next to Lopaka. Glaring at me with
cold, dark eyes, her beautiful features twisted into an expression of disgust.
Again the words formed inside my skull. This creature, this . . . thing . . . has no place
among us. Siren blood may be in her veins, but it is blood corrupted. She was
summoned to appear before us weeks ago. Where has she been? She hasn t even
the decency to show respect by bringing a gift for the queen of her line.
There was no sound, but I could feel the stirring of their minds against mine. Psychics.
They were all psychics. Well, I d guessed as much and Hiwahiwa s actions on the way
here had warned me. Had she done it deliberately? I was grateful either way.
Each voice in my head had its own melody. Some beautiful, some harsh. It wasn t [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
