Shasta arched an eyebrow, not that he was likely to see it in this low light. “If you’re sure.”

  “I’m sure,” he grumbled.

  “All right then.” She didn’t entirely believe him, but it wasn’t the most pressing problem. She looked at the slope below them and then at the rest of the volcano above them. There was no good way back to town. With a sigh, she turned to Cord. “Back up or continue down?”

  “Down. I slid most of the way to get here.” He sounded resigned to the inevitable—sliding farther down, walking halfway around the island, and then trudging up the path to the village.

  She sighed. “I was afraid you were going to say that.”

  Rather than responding, Cord simply started picking his way down the hill. Shasta followed, trying to find a safe spot to plant one foot before moving the next and sliding more often than not. It was a good thing she had been able to mend the pack, because she never would’ve been able to keep hold of it and control her descent.

  Ahead of her, Cord stopped moving. She slid down next him. “How’s the knee?”

  Cord leaned close, whispering into her ear. “Out there on the water, do you see anything?”

  At first Shasta wasn’t sure what he wanted her to see. The ocean stretched out below them, darkness broken by patches of moonlight reflecting off the waves. Then she spotted three bright yellow specks. She squinted and managed to make out the rough shape of the boat. “Oh no.”

  “You see it too?” Cord said tightly.

  “We need to warn them. They have to get away from the island.” One body was enough for today. If the crew made it back to the mainland, they’d be safe. Hell, if they made it a mile away from the island they’d probably be safe.

  “That’s a great idea in theory, but how do we do it without alerting any of the sirens?” Cord stared at the boat.

  Shasta bit her lip, holding back an angry retort. He was right. Lights and shouting were more likely to attract the boat than send it away. She might be able to get the wind to carry a message, but the locals tended to be human or shifters, neither of which were likely to be able to hear the message.

  Then it was too late. The first soaring notes of the siren’s song reached her ears.

  Cord grabbed her arm and pulled her with him as he marched around the volcano, putting distance between them and the sirens.

  “Hey!” Shasta hissed. “What are you doing? We need to go help them.”

  When even her ears couldn’t pick up the song, he stopped moving and released her. Shasta stepped back and rubbed her arm. He was immune to the siren song, and they didn’t have any evidence to support the fact that it worked on her. “You owe me an answer.”

  Cord leaned close. “Are you sure they can’t enchant either of us?”

  Shasta started to answer and then stopped herself. Her first instinct was to say yes, she was sure, but that wasn’t true. She was sure the siren song had affected but hadn’t enchanted her at the welcome feast the first night. She was equally sure that neither she nor Cord had been enchanted on the dock. However, neither of those circumstances meant they couldn’t be enchanted.

  “That’s what I thought.” Cord unzipped a small pocket on the outside of the backpack. In the dark she couldn’t see what he was doing, but a moment later he pressed something cold and slightly tacky in her hand. “Beeswax. I cut it off one of the candles.”

  “And we can use it as earplugs. Smart.” Shasta rolled the hunk of wax in her hands until it softened and then broke it into two pieces, which she molded into earplugs. “Do you have a plan? Once we put these things in, it won’t be easy for us to talk to each other.”

  “If you can think of a safe way to warn the boat, I’m happy to follow your lead.” He paused for a moment, giving her a chance to offer up suggestions, and then continued. “I was under the impression our plan was to deal with the sirens so the boat wouldn’t be in danger.”

  The problem was that was the best plan she could come up with too, and it wasn’t so much of a plan as a goal. What they needed were actionable ideas. Shasta chewed on her lip. The earth hadn’t been willing to help them, but the wind had aided them on occasion. That was something she could work with. “If we get close enough, I might be able to get the wind to carry our words to the boat and push the siren song toward the island.”

  Cord shifted his weight as he considered. “That might be too much for one person. If you can get a message to the boat, I can take care of the sirens’ songs.”

  She started to protest, to tell him that historically men were targeted more by sirens and they’d already shown a dislike for him. However, he’d also shown that he was resistant to the song, or the sirens wanted them to think that. Since they didn’t have any evidence that she was more resistant, it was hard to form a logical counter. “Fine.”

  Cord nodded. “What do you want to do with the camera?”

  “Good question.” Either they could keep it with them and risk it being damaged or stolen, or they could hide it somewhere and hope no one else found it before they retrieved it. Shasta glanced around at the rock and brush covering the side of the volcano. If someone was hiding out there, she couldn’t see or hear them. “We leave it.”

  “Agreed. We know we’re heading toward a fight.” Cord tipped his head to the side. “What about that rock?”

  He indicated a rock with a deep shadow on the downhill side. Shasta transferred the earplugs to her left hand and knelt next to the rock. She felt along its cold face and down to the base where the shadow was the darkest and found nothing but air. It had an overhang, leaving a hard-to-see space. She quickly wedged the backpack under the rock, being sure to tuck in the straps so they didn’t poke out and give away its location. “I’m ready when you are.”

  Cord nodded. “Earplugs in. Hand signals and touch for future communication.”

  Shasta put in her own earplugs and gave him a thumbs-up.

  He pointed down the volcano and started moving. Shasta carefully picked her way around the large rocks, trying not to slide too much as they slowly made their way down the hill. With every second that crept by, Shasta pictured the sirens luring the boat closer, enchanting the sailors, and dragging them into the depths of the ocean.

  After what seemed like hours but was probably no more than a few minutes, they got down to the shore. From there she had a good view of the four sirens on the beach and the boat lights on the water. It was almost close enough that someone could jump off and easily swim to shore. More importantly, if the boat didn’t stop soon, it would run aground. If that happened, Shasta wasn’t sure how they would get the sailors back to the mainland. Neither she nor Cord knew enough about boats to get them back into deeper waters once they’d been beached.

  Cord tapped her arm. She looked over in time to see him making a motion of the two of them running, followed by an imitation of him shouting.

  Shasta nodded.

  He held up three fingers, then two, then one.

  They broke into a run at the same time, but she let him pull ahead. As soon as all the sirens were focused on him, it would be time for her to do her part. The sand shifted underfoot, making every step take twice as much effort as they sprinted down the beach. She felt the wind shift, doubling back to swirl around them as Cord’s powers sparked to life.

  All four sirens spun toward them. She could almost feel the song falter as the sirens gaped at the two of them. Shasta slowed her pace even more and reached out to the air. Will you carry my words loud and strong to those on the boat?

  The wind twisted around her, raising the little hairs on her arms and gooseflesh behind them. Yes.

  “You’re near Sirenum. For your own safety you must leave. Get away from these shores. If you linger, you risk your life,” Shasta yelled. The wind wrapped tightly around the words, carrying them toward the boat.

  A flash of movement caught her eye, distracting her from following the words and ensuring they reached the boat. Myrrine landed behind Cord. The others spread out, one siren directly in front of him and one to each side. Considering how fast they could move, Shasta knew Cord couldn’t defend himself against all of them.

  Shasta summoned her sword, held it over her shoulder, and charged Myrrine. It was an uncanny experience. She could feel her feet bumping into the sand, the cool air against her face, and see Myrrine’s lips moving, but there were no useful sounds. The earplugs muffled everything, and the siren’s utterances were no clearer than the crashing of the waves against the shore.

  When she was only steps from Myrrine, Shasta heaved the sword into a heavy downward blow that could break the siren’s collarbone and remove her from the battle. Right before the blow would have connected, Myrrine leaped to the side.

  Off balance from not landing the blow, Shasta stumbled and had to carefully control the downward sweep of the sword while regaining her footing. Rather than trying to go after the siren again, she let her momentum carry her closer to Cord. He turned just enough that she was able to meet his eyes, and with a brisk nod, she knew where to go.

  Three more steps and she was able to position herself back to back with Cord. She settled into a fighting stance, her fingers firmly gripping the hilt of her sword. There was often a still moment before a fight, where time seemed to slow as nerves settled into determination. This time it was different. She had to keep suppressing the urge to twitch, look around, try to make up for what she couldn’t hear. This wasn’t just a still moment. It was a silent one.

  Gaiana charged forward. Shasta blocked the first swipe and dodged the one that followed that. Gaiana’s face twisted into an ugly sneer. The siren swung both sets of claws at her again.

  Shasta whipped her sword into the air, blocking both attacks and pushing the Gaiana back. A hint of movement to her left had her instinctively raising her sword to protect herself from any downward blows. Another siren slammed into the sword. The force of the impact vibrated up Shasta’s arm and broke through the siren’s scales. As the siren reeled back, Shasta got a clear look at her face. Demetria just wouldn’t give up.

  Gaiana was circling back, looking for a good opening. Shasta forced herself to hold her ground rather than trying to maneuver. If she moved, that would leave Cord’s back vulnerable. Gaiana closed the distance, both arms swinging. Shasta tightened her grip on her sword and brought it up to meet the first swipe before bringing it down in an arc to block the second.

  When Gaiana faltered, Demetria pressed the attack, claws slicing in from the side where Shasta couldn’t defend without leaving Cord vulnerable. Shasta jerked her shoulders to the side and leaned to the right, giving herself just enough room to thrust her sword toward Demetria’s gut.

  The siren’s claws cut through the arm of her shirt and the skin and muscle beneath. But before Demetria could attack her again, Shasta’s thrust slid into her stomach. Ignoring the sharp pain in her left arm, Shasta threw her weight behind the sword, forcing it all the way through Demetria’s body.

  Demetria’s eyes widened and her hands spasmed. Shasta set a foot against her hip and yanked the sword out, sending the siren tumbling into the sand. She didn’t know if that was a fatal wound for sirens, but it would be for most humanoids, at least without immediate medical attention. Hopefully it was enough to incapacitate Demetria and take her out of the fight.

  Shasta spun around, sword already back in position. Gaiana stared at Demetria’s crumpled form. Then her eyes moved to Shasta’s sword, still red with Demetria’s blood. Gaiana ran at Shasta, claws swinging wildly through the air. Shasta stood her ground. As attack after attack rained down, Shasta forced herself to ignore the pain and move at full speed, blocking and parrying so quickly even she had trouble seeing her sword.

  A weight hit the back of her legs, forcing her to step forward to regain her balance. Gaiana’s hands were still in motion, but rather than countering the attack, Shasta darted forward and landed a heavy blow across the siren’s chest with the flat of her blade. The siren hit the sand, gasping for breath.

  Shasta swung around, turning her back to the two sirens she had disabled. Cord was on the ground, Myrrine leaning over him, claws clutching his throat. Shasta screamed and kicked the siren in the gut. Myrrine’s grip loosened. Shasta kicked her again, her foot connecting with the siren in a meaty thud that reverberated through her body. Myrrine rolled off him, arms wrapped around her stomach.

  Shasta settled into a guard position, ready to defend Cord. Below her, he rolled to his side, coughing. Pelagia edged toward them, eyes darting between Shasta and Cord, but she didn’t attack.

  As Cord’s breathing slowly returned to normal, Shasta relaxed ever so slightly. If he could breathe, he would be okay. Of course, knowing that didn’t stop the blood from pounding through her veins, or the hot wave of anger at the siren who had tried to kill him.

  Pelagia’s eyes flickered to the left. Shasta had just enough time to glance over and see Myrrine hurtling through the air before the siren tackled her, forcing the air out of her lungs. Shasta’s entire body vibrated when she hit the sand, and any air that had managed to get back into her lungs quickly exited.

  She tried to force her arms and legs to move, to scramble into a position where she could protect herself, but they were slow to respond. She flexed her right hand but couldn’t feel her sword. She twisted her wrist to dismiss it, hoping she would be able to summon it at an opportune moment.

  Instead, Myrrine’s weight pressed into her, making her fight for every bit of air she managed to inhale. She finally got her eyes to focus, but all she could see were the waves crashing onto the shore. Cord was somewhere behind her. She hoped he was able to defend himself, because she wasn’t of much use to him.

  Myrrine pressed her arm across Shasta’s throat. Shasta sucked in as much air as she could before shoving her left heel into the sand and thrusting up with her right hip, trying to toss the siren off. Her vision started to go gray as Myrrine’s weight shifted to the left.

  It half worked. Myrrine lost her grip and slid partly off her. Shasta greedily sucked air into her aching lungs. She turned her head to the side, but all she could see was a pile of sand. Turning back, she saw Myrrine moving in for another attempt. Every part of her hurt. She hadn’t had nearly enough full breaths, and her body ached from the combination of the tackle and impact with the ground. She really was living up to the family’s reputation of having the worst luck.

  Myrrine froze in midmotion, eyes locked on the water. Shasta wiggled around to follow her gaze. At first all she could see were waves breaking against the sand. She turned a little more and saw a man crawl up onto the beach and collapse. While she gaped, a woman and another man followed him. She and Cord had been too late. These three had already been enchanted, and now they were here on the shore with the sirens.

  Myrrine leaped off Shasta and darted toward the new arrivals. Cursing, Shasta scrambled to her feet. She had to protect them. They were innocent in all this and didn’t deserve to die.

  Shasta took two running steps, her feet sliding in the sand, and launched herself at the siren. She grabbed Myrrine’s ankles, sending both of them to the ground. This time she was ready for the impact, and it didn’t hurt nearly as much.

  Myrrine struggled, but Shasta tightened her grip and yanked her back away from the shore. The siren clawed at the sand, not that it did any good. Shasta forced her tired body back to stand. She kicked Myrrine in the stomach and sprinted toward the fishermen. She had to get there before any of the sirens.

  She skidded to a halt by the man and woman, who were both looking around in dazed confusion. She grabbed their hands and started tugging them to their feet. “Come on! We have to hurry!”

  Neither of them budged.

  Shasta braced herself and pulled at their hands again. “Hurry!”

  Then in a rush the sirens were upon them. Myrrine latched on to the man a few feet away and began pulling him closer to the water. Shasta gripped her two fishermen tightly as Pelagia tugged at the woman and Gaiana at the man. Pelagia wrenched the woman’s arm from Shasta’s grip and dragged her back.

  Shasta dug her feet into the sand and grabbed the man Myrrine was trying to steal. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cord sprinting down the beach. Before Pelagia could drag the woman away, Cord yanked the siren back and heaved the woman to her feet. When he saw that she couldn’t support herself, he lifted her onto his shoulder and carried her farther inland.

  Shasta’s grip on the man’s arm slipped, but she clamped her fingers around the base of his hand. Turning back, she saw Myrrine’s hand around the man’s shoulders, trying to drag him into the water. On the other side of her, Gaiana was already hauling the last man into the ocean.

  Keeping her fingers tightened around the man’s hand even as his wet skin threatened to slide through her grasp, she leaned forward and wrapped her fingers around his belt.

  Myrrine yanked, and Shasta stumbled, trying not to land on the man. Before she knew it, chilly water was washing over her, pulling the sand out from under her. With another tug, Myrrine had them both in the shallows. Keeping her fingers locked on his belt, Shasta scooted around until she got her feet under her. She forced them deep into the sand, ignoring the cold water that was filling her shoes, and thrust with her legs, desperately trying to pull both of them back out of the water.

  A wave crashed over them, dousing her from head to toe. As the wave receded, it pulled more sand with it, including what was under her feet. Shasta strained to hold the man, but as her footing eroded, she slid farther into the water. In the moonlight Shasta saw Myrrine grin before she dove under the surface. The moonlight penetrated the water enough for Shasta to see the siren’s gill slits opening, fingers webbing, and feet elongating into fins.

  Before Shasta had a chance to regroup, the next wave pushed her under, and she lost what little footing remained. The siren chose that moment to yank the man into deeper water, dragging Shasta with them. She got her head out of the water long enough to suck in one deep breath, and then they were cruising below the surface.