If Lerissa didn’t know anything about Bayleon and Bastian, then I was back at square one. I knelt before the siren, her pain evident in her eyes. “What do you know of the Tyvar?” I asked her.

  Lerissa sighed. “I’ve never met one personally. I only know of them from the stories my mother told me. Apparently, they have the powers of seduction just like sirens, only slightly different. Their magic is more of a curse. I was brought up not to kill men with my powers.” She glanced over at Aidan and then back to me. “But I’m not going to lie, I’ve had my fair share of fun with the opposite sex.”

  Aidan nodded, relaying that was the truth.

  “I have another question,” I said, waiting for Lerissa to bring her crystal blue eyes to mine. When she did, I stared right into them. “This siren you’re trying to track down is obviously very powerful if you can feel her magic through realms.”

  Lerissa’s jaw tightened and her shoulders slumped, obviously realizing she couldn’t lie. There was only one siren I could think of that could be that powerful. If it was her, then it could be what we needed to venture on to the next step.

  “Who do you think she is?” I inquired, my heart racing with anticipation.

  Lerissa huffed and slammed a fist into the ground. “I can’t tell you.” Aidan added fuel to the flames, and she grit her teeth, hissing with the pain.

  “You’re going to have to, Lerissa,” I warned her. “There are lives at stake here and I’ll do anything to get the answers I need. I don’t want to hurt you and it definitely doesn’t bring me joy to see you suffering. All I want is the truth. If you help me, I’ll help you.”

  Tears streamed down Lerissa’s cheeks, the liquid sizzling on her heated skin as she looked up at me. “Do you promise?” she said, meeting my gaze. “I’ve heard promises are sacred to the fae. So, if you promise to help me, I promise to tell you everything I know.”

  A part of me wondered if she knew the rules of our realm. Her words held great power even if she didn’t live in the Land of the Fae. She’d have to keep her promise no matter what.

  “You do realize what you’re asking, right?” I said, regarding her curiously.

  Lerissa nodded mutely, her face charred and blistered from the fire’s flames. “I’ll do anything to get away from this fire. Besides, there isn’t much I know.”

  I extended my hand, knowing that was how humans usually sealed deals. “I promise to help you,” I announced.

  When Lerissa hesitated for a moment, I wiggled my fingers invitingly, daring her to seal the promise. She finally grasped my hand and looked me in the eyes. “I promise, too.”

  A warm energy ran from my palm into hers when our skin connected, healing her blistered and burned body until it was as good as new. Lerissa gasped and stepped back in shock, staring at her healed hands with wide eyes.

  Aidan put out the blaze with ease and Lerissa sighed in relief. “Thank you,” she whispered gratefully to Aidan and me. Then turning to me again, she asked, “How did you heal me?”

  I shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s one of the gifts I was given.”

  She smiled knowingly and looked around at the destruction left behind by the fire. Bending down, I placed a hand gently on the ground and sent my healing magic through the land. The burnt ground turned back into bright green grass with a ring of colorful flowers.

  Lerissa watched with fascination. “Must be nice to be royal.”

  I smirked and stepped back up to her. “It has its advantages. Now back to the question you didn’t want to answer. Who do you think the siren is?”

  Lerissa’s happiness faded and she hung her head. “This is hard for me. I haven’t spoken any of this out loud . . . ever. My own mother doesn’t know what’s going on.” She blew out a sigh and glanced over at Aidan before turning back to me. “When I started feeling the magic pulling me here, I thought it was a sign. I’ve wanted to find a way for my family to get out of the mortal realm for years. There was a time when we lived in the Land of the Fae. I wanted to see how we could make that happen again.” She averted her gaze to the ground and blew out a shaky breath. “There’s only one person who has the power to do that, and I have a feeling she’s the one I’ve been searching for.”

  My pulse quickened and Aidan’s eyes widened. I wanted to hear Lerissa say the name.

  “Who?” I asked.

  Lerissa lifted her gaze to mine. “Diawen. She’s my grandmother.”

  Chapter 17

  Lia

  That was it. That was the name I wanted to hear.

  Lerissa’s face darkened with realization and her brows furrowed like a storm cloud gathering on her forehead.

  “Something tells me you’ve already heard that name before,” she said, her words slow and measured.

  “We have,” I said, nodding. “She’s the one who created the Tyvar. And if she’s here, she’s the one I need to find. She has something of mine.” I stepped closer, my voice growing quiet and serious. “And you are going to help me find her.”

  Lerissa drew herself up, lifting her chin defiantly. “I promised to help you, but that doesn’t mean I’ll let you hurt my family. I may not have met my great-great- however many greats, grandmother, but she’s still family to me. I need her help.”

  “So do I,” I agreed. “Her being dead doesn’t do me any good, so if what I’m thinking is correct, she has two of my men with her for some unknown reason. I’m going to need her help to break the Tyvar curse and as she’s the one who made it, she should know how to break it as well.”

  Lerissa cocked her head to the side, her gaze narrowing as she sized me up. “Fine. I’ll help you find my grandmother, but in exchange for my help, I need you to keep me safe and permit me to stay in this land while we search. From what I’ve heard, no one of my kind is welcome here.”

  “I will keep you safe,” I said in a low voice. “But if you so much as try to turn on me in any way, I will kill you. Don’t mistake my niceness for weakness.”

  Lerissa held up her hands in surrender. “I never thought you were nice to begin with,” she said dryly, “not with watching my skin about to bubble off my bones.”

  Aidan came to my side, his expression serious as he studied Lerissa. “We want to find your grandmother to break the Tyvar curse and you want to find her to conspire a way to live within our land. Where exactly do you plan on that being if she finds a way? Glimmerglass Lake has dried up.”

  Lerissa’s face paled and she bit her lip. “I was really hoping that question wouldn’t be asked. And, of course, I can’t lie to you.” Aidan’s eyes shifted to his dragon and she stepped back, releasing a shaky breath. “Whatever you do, just keep your fire away from me. I’ll tell you the truth, but I know it won’t do anything in this case.” She huffed and glanced at us both. “There’s one place my family has dreamed of going to. We’ve heard of its beauty and its vast oceans.” A knowing look passed across Aidan’s face, and I already had a feeling I knew where she was talking about.

  Aidan chuckled darkly and shook his head. “The Summer Court.” Lerissa bit her lip and looked away. Aidan’s smile faded and he huffed. “Diawen just lured two innocent elves to their deaths in just a day. No matter how powerful she is, she won’t have enough magic to get past our defenses or convince any of the fae to let your people stay. My family and I control what goes in and out of our courts, not her.”

  Lerissa nodded slowly. “I know. All of the summer courts are out of the question, especially with you, your parents, and your sister being dragons. As you can see, fire is what sirens are most afraid of.”

  Aidan’s burning eyes softened, and he smiled warmly. “Before I surrounded you with flames, you didn’t seem too afraid of me.”

  She shrugged her shoulders and pursed her lips. “Call it false bravado,” she said hesitantly.

  His brows rose in surprise. “And? I know there’s something else you want to say. I can feel it.”

  Lerissa let out a huff and flung her arms up in exasperation. “Okay, fine. I thought you had sexy eyes before they turned all scary and dragony. I wasn’t afraid of you before that.” She gazed around the elvish kingdom, admiring the lush trees and vibrant flowers. “This place is new to me,” she whispered almost inaudibly. “I’ve been here several times but only for a few minutes. It’s the only place I feel like I belong.”

  “How long can you stay on land before you need to return to the water?” I asked.

  Lerissa shook her head. “There’s no limit for my family and me. I have friends who can only stay on dry land for about two hours, but after that they have to find water. My mother says it’s because we’re Diawen’s descendants. She’s the most powerful of the sirens.”

  “That’s good to know,” I said, ready to get moving. “Can you feel Diawen’s magic at this very moment?”

  Lerissa nodded. “I can, but she’s not anywhere close.”

  Aidan nodded toward the path that led back to the castle. “Let’s get going then.”

  He took the lead and I motioned for Lerissa to walk between us. I didn’t sense that she was going to run, but I wanted to be prepared.

  “Are you really taking me to the castle?” Lerissa asked. She glanced at me over her shoulder, and I flourished a hand at her jeans and T-shirt.

  “You need to change your clothes. You don’t exactly blend in looking like that.”

  We walked most of the way silently, but then Lerissa turned her head, her gaze curious when she looked at me.

  “These two men you want to find; do you love one of them?”

  My heart clenched in my chest. “I do,” I answered, knowing she could see the truth in my eyes. “I love both of them.”

  She smirked and her eyes twinkled. “Who’s the siren now?”

  The elves were curious about Lerissa when we brought her into the castle, especially since she was dressed in mortal clothes. Aelfric and Rhoswen weren’t too pleased having her within their walls, so we didn’t stay long.

  Aidan packed up bags full of food and supplies and got the horses ready while I had Lerissa change into a set of my warrior gear since we had the same build. Once everything was done, we headed out of the elvish kingdom on horseback. Aidan had flown in as his dragon, so he ended up on Bastian’s chocolate-colored stallion while Lerissa was riding Bayleon’s white mare. She’d never ridden before and if I wasn’t wholly concerned about my men and if they were all right, I would have found the situation humorous with her bumbling along and bouncing unsteadily in the saddle. Lerissa was about to see and learn a lot about the land her ancestors had once inhabited. If only she were familiar with the land, I’d have a better understanding where she was leading us. But, unfortunately, all we had to go on was the pull she had inside her.

  Right now, it appeared to be leading us toward the Mystical Forest. Luckily, there was a shortcut from the elvish kingdom to the forest which meant we didn’t have to travel through the courts.

  Over the day, my thoughts drifted to Bayleon and Bastian, wondering what could be happening to them. They had their strength back, but for how long?

  Lerissa and I rode together, with Aidan taking up the back. As soon as we entered the Mystical Forest, Lerissa stared around in astonishment. The sparkle in her eyes seemed genuine, but she was still a siren. I had a feeling there was something more to Lerissa that I could see. Diawen was the strongest of her kind, and that same blood ran through Lerissa’s veins. If Diawen was behind the disappearance of Bayleon and Bastian, then she would be my enemy, and Lerissa was sure to follow suit.

  “I never dreamed it would be like this,” Lerissa marveled as she took everything in.

  Rays of sunshine streamed through the trees, carrying specks of gold dust along on the wind. Even the natural sounds of chirping birds and trickling streams seemed enchanted. But not every part of the forest was full of fuzzy animals—some held far more menace.

  We were headed toward the direction of Redcaps Village, and I was eager to reach our destination. If Diawen had gone through there with Bayleon and Bastian, the Redcaps would surely recognize my men. Unfortunately, our journey took longer than expected because of Lerissa’s lack of experience riding a horse. I was scared that we wouldn’t be able to locate Bayleon and Bastian before the sun went down.

  “Where do you live in the mortal world?” I asked, looking over at Lerissa.

  Her long, caramel-colored hair glinted in the sunlight, and her porcelain-like skin seemed to glow. She snarled her lip and snorted in disgust.

  “Off the coast of Oregon. Don’t get me wrong, there are beautiful places there, but it’s nothing like this.” Her voice was like a song as she looked around, gesturing at the towering trees and wildflowers that filled the forest. “The air here smells so pure and clean, and I can only imagine that your lakes and oceans aren’t full of complete shit and garbage.” She closed her eyes and sighed wistfully. “I remember the first time I stepped through a portal into the elvish kingdom. My heart sank when I saw that Glimmerglass Lake had dried up. Just once in my life, I wanted to see what it was like to swim in magical waters.”

  Aidan’s deep, resonating voice floated through the air. “Did you ever contemplate sneaking into the Summer Court oceans?” he asked.

  Lerissa turned to face him, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “Since I can’t lie to you, I’ll go ahead and say yes. Sadly, I can’t think about it anymore because you’ll be on the lookout.”

  Aidan's brows furrowed, his voice full of authority. “You’re right. I don’t want my warriors lured to a watery death.”

  Lerissa clutched the reins, her lips pressed together in indignation. “I told you, I’ve never killed anyone before. Not all sirens want to murder men for sport.” Then she shifted her gaze toward me. “Your lovers are both Tyvar, right? Have they killed any women recently?”

  I shook my head. “Not since they pledged their allegiance to the Spring Court a few decades ago.”

  Lerissa threw a hand up in the air and turned back toward Aidan, challenging him. “And there you go. Just because you’re a dragon doesn’t mean you’re a monster, does it? In the mortal world, dragons are mostly seen as villains. You can’t judge a person by what they are, it’s who they decide to be.”

  I was impressed and noticed a faint upturn at the corners of Aidan’s lips, suggesting he felt the same. Lerissa continued to lead us down the path, a satisfied smirk spreading across her face.

  “You sounded very wise with that last statement,” I said. “How old are you anyway?”

  She turned to meet my gaze, her deep blue eyes glimmering in the sun. “I’m twenty-eight, the youngest and last of the Diawen line. None of the sirens have been able to get pregnant since my mother had me.”

  That was interesting, and I could feel an underlying story behind it.

  “I’m assuming sirens don’t age like normal humans?”

  She shook her head. “No. I have much older friends, and we all look the same. Staying young and beautiful is an advantage of being what I am.”

  “How many women are in your family?” I inquired.

  A look of sadness passed across her face as if she was thinking of a memory. “I have my mother and three sisters, but my eldest sister chooses to live in the ocean. I haven’t seen her in over a year.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said, feeling genuine sympathy. “Why haven’t you seen her?”

  She shrugged. “She likes the peace and solitude of the water. There are times when I like to disappear, too, and just swim for days on end.”

  Out of all the stories I’d seen about sirens, they were made to look like mermaids. I was curious to see if that was true.

  “Do you change form in the water?” I asked.

  Lerissa lifted her brows and smirked. “Are you asking if I grow a tail?”

  “Do you?” I countered.

  She chuckled and nodded. “Yes, we are the mermaids you hear about in fairy tales.”

  “Well, we’re far from one now,” Aidan said. We both glanced back to see him pointing off into the distance. “We’re almost at the Redcaps.” His gaze shifted to Lerissa and there was a hint of warning in his eyes. “Whatever you do, don’t piss them off. I don’t know what happens if a Redcap gets a taste of siren blood. You might end up with a huge mess on your hands.”

  And I knew he meant that literally. The Redcaps were friends of my court, but they were still dangerous men. I just hoped they’d seen Bayleon and Bastian.

  Chapter 18

  Lia

  As we made our way closer to the Redcap village, Lerissa’s eyes widened with terror. “What the hell am I looking at?”

  She gasped when she caught sight of their hulking frames, talons for hands, and pulsing red caps that dripped blood down their faces. They were an intimidating sight dressed in their heavy armor and iron-shod boots, and I was glad we had their allegiance rather than their ire. The Redcaps could effortlessly chase you down, even with all that weighted armor.

  I hadn’t been this deep into the Mystical Forest in a long time. Aidan rode ahead and into the village, but I pulled on my reins, causing Prince Ashe to slow down.

  “Seriously,” Lerissa called out, slowing her horse down. “They look like goblins with blood running down their faces.”

  “That’s because that’s what they are,” I replied.

  Not only did they look scary, but they were fierce killers. The Redcaps congregated around Aidan and he hopped off his horse, his smile wide as he talked to them. They were our allies, and I knew they were in awe of Aidan since he was one of the dragon kings. But above all else, the Redcaps respected my mother. She was the one who saved them a long time ago and continues to help them to this day.

  Lerissa swallowed hard and tensed, her knuckles turning white from holding the reins too tight. “So, is that blood dripping down from their caps?”

  I nodded. “Their caps are their life force. If they dry out, their bodies weaken and wither away. That’s why they must kill to keep their caps moist with blood.” Her mouth gaped and I could see the fear in her eyes.