Agatha motioned, encompassing everything around them. “All of us here on Sirenum were once sirens on the Mediterranean. We came here to find a new way of life, one that would allow us to coexist peacefully with others. At first it was both more difficult and easier. There were fewer people, and most of them had heard nothing of us, but the temptations were great. Over time we became stronger, more accustomed to this life.”

  Agatha stopped only a little ways below the crest of the path. “Look around you. This island was raised from the sea to be ours. The waters are colder, but otherwise this is much like the home we left.”

  There was a rugged beauty to the island with its sharp corners, spillings of rocks, and birds nesting along what could almost be termed cliffs. Peeking through the waters were little outcroppings, places Shasta imagined the sirens could enjoy lounging and, if the legends were true, singing to passing vessels. It was a sight that was hard to pass up, especially since it changed with the ocean’s moods. Though as she turned back to Agatha, she thought perhaps the most remarkable things awaited her on the top of the volcano. “It is beautiful.”

  Agatha nodded her agreement. “And dangerous. The ocean can be as brutal as it is beautiful.”

  “I’ve heard that before.”

  “Then you have been forewarned.” Agatha resumed climbing the path. “When we made this place our home, we dedicated ourselves to a peaceful existence. We became craftswomen, artisans—anything other than the enchantresses of the sea we were known as.”

  They stopped on the ridge that circled the top of the volcano. Below was a wide valley dotted with fields and groves of trees, interspersed with stone buildings. Sirens bustled around, seeing to the tasks that made this small town function.

  Agatha guided her down through a grove of hazelnut trees, past a garden growing a myriad of fruits and vegetables, and to a small stone house, where she pushed open the door. “This will be yours while you’re here.”

  As Shasta walked inside, she found herself stepping back in time. The house was simple, but it had everything she truly needed. Melissa had already been here and set Shasta’s duffel by the door. The furniture was old-fashioned and simple, from the small bed in the corner to the table and four chairs in the center of the room. Built into the wall were a fireplace and an old-fashioned type of oven that only worked if you got the fire just right. It wasn’t a method of cooking Shasta had used before, so she was grateful for the supplies her parents had insisted she pack. Agatha informed her that a small door on one wall led to a toilet and bathing area.

  “Thank you,” Shasta said. “This will do very nicely.”

  Agatha closed the door and then settled into one of the chairs at the table. “Sit. Let us talk.”

  Shasta sat, hoping she would finally learn exactly what she was doing here.

  “On a practical note, there are several common buildings for laundry, food, and other supplies you might need. They are marked by green pillars on either side of the doors. We are a small group, numbering at ninety-five. Everyone will know why you are here, and they have been instructed to help you, both with anything you may need personally and with the investigation.” Agatha looked out the window and seemed disinclined to continue speaking.

  Shasta studied the anassa. The faint smile lines at the corners of her eyes and around her cheeks didn’t tell Shasta Agatha’s age. She could be forty or four thousand.

  Agatha looked back at Shasta, her eyes bright and glistening. “For more than three months now we have been suffering some sort of attack. We have found traps along the shore, and several of us have been injured by them. We have found our supplies spoiled. We have been awakened by odd noises in the middle of the night. And the police have been here to ask if we have been drowning men.”

  Agatha looked down at her hands and then back up at Shasta. “Someone is attacking both us and our place here.”

  While Shasta supposed it was possible the sirens were reverting to their old ways, that wouldn’t really make sense. Agatha wouldn’t be asking her to figure out who was doing these things if the sirens were ultimately behind the problems. They’d simply take care of it themselves. “Do you know who’s attacking you? Or why?”

  “No. We have posted guards and set our own traps to try to catch the person or people responsible. Our guards have seen nothing, and our traps have been empty. I can only assume whoever is behind these attacks wishes to drive us away from this place. Though as it was created for us, I doubt they could take possession of it. It would simply settle back into the sea.”

  “What did you mean when you said the island was created for you?” That was information that would’ve been nice to have before taking the job.

  Agatha’s eyes narrowed. “We swam out here, searching for a place. My mother, Hypatia, gave herself so this island could be created. The volcano made this island for us as our new home and sanctuary. It drains excess lava out a side of the volcano, letting us live here safely.”

  Shasta felt her blood run cold. An island created for the sirens by the volcano itself and aware enough to vent away from the village so the sirens could live in the caldera. Whoever was stirring up this trouble was absolutely crazy. Shasta kept her voice very businesslike and mellow. “Thank you for the clarification.”

  After a long moment Agatha nodded. “I do forget that not everyone knows our history.”

  “My company did try to do some research but found it most difficult. I apologize for any gaps in my understanding.” Shasta hope that sounded professional. She really didn’t want to get on the bad side of the leader of a group of immortals who had an island created for them. It was a long swim to shore.

  “Of course.” Agatha relaxed back into the seat. “I am happy to answer your questions.”

  “Why now?” Shasta leaned forward. “If this has been going on for some time, why reach out now?”

  “They killed one of us. It’s no longer just tricks but all-out attacks. It is the beginning of a war, and we are woefully unprepared. We do not even know our opponent.” Agatha closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

  Shasta almost wished she hadn’t had asked that question. “I will do my best to find whoever killed one of you and stop them.”

  Agatha leaned forward and grabbed her hand. “You must. You must because our first clutch will soon hatch, and I do not want any of them to be without their mother.”

  Looking in to Agatha’s wide eyes, Shasta finally knew the real reason she was here. The entire island was full of expectant mothers. They were at war to ensure their children were born into a peaceful world.

  Shasta clamped her tongue between her teeth, holding back words she simply couldn’t say. This wasn’t a job. This was a cause, and she had a feeling the sirens wouldn’t allow her to leave without seeing it through.

  Chapter Four

  Shasta placed the last set of clothing in the cubbies by the head of the bed. There. She was as unpacked as she was going to get.

  She heard three light taps on the door, a pause, and three more. Shasta walked across the room and opened the door.

  “Hello, I’m Charis. It’s lovely to meet you.” All this was said with a cheerful smile by a woman whose skin, like that of the other sirens, had pearlescent undertones. Her red curls were only just restrained by thick braids.

  Shasta couldn’t help but smile back. “Nice to meet you.” She offered her hand. “I’m Shasta.”

  Charis lightly shook her hand. “It isn’t often we get visitors.”

  “I don’t suppose so.” Shasta’s gaze shifted to behind Charis, where the sun was casting long evening shadows.

  “We’re having a feast! I’m supposed to invite you—I mean bring… show you the way.” Her forehead crinkled. “Would you like to come to the feast?”

  Shasta held back a smile as she slowly bowed her head. “It sounds lovely.”

  Charis’s face smoothed out. “Oh, good! I was afraid I said it wrong.”

  “You did fine.”

  Charis glanced toward the center of town. “Shall we?”

  “Sure.” Shasta pulled the door shut as she stepped outside. Charis started off at a good clip and Shasta fell in beside her. “Anything I should know before we get to the feast?”

  “I don’t know.” Charis slowed. “I’m one of the youngest here. I didn’t really have the heart for our former life. When Hypatia offered a change, I didn’t hesitate.” She sighed. “My apologies. The others say I chatter.”

  “I don’t mind.” It gave her something to think about other than Cord. “Besides, I don’t know much about the island.”

  “Oh, well, it’s just an island.” Charis seemed unsure what to say. “It’s better than where we were before. It always felt unfair to enchant people and drown them. It’s one thing to die in a fight, but that… Sorry, there I go again.”

  Shasta smiled. “Perhaps a happier topic.” The path cut between two groves of trees, cutting off the view of the rest of the town.

  “Sure.” Charis brightened. “The feast is at the largest building on the island. It’s just on the other side of the trees.”

  A moment later the last of the trees were behind them. Pavilion was a better term than building, Shasta decided. It was a solid hundred-foot-long, open-sided structure. The roof covered a wide table the length of the building with benches on either side. Sirens were quickly laying out place settings and platters of food. The far end of the table had a single chair. On the other side of the pavilion was a sizable clearing. The area was dotted with rocks and wooden stools. In the center was a fire pit filled with a stack of wood.

  “Wow.” Shasta’s eyes were wide as she tried to take it all in.

  “I know.” Charis grinned and bounced on her toes. “You’re seated next to Agatha.”

  A siren with dark brown hair and warm skin walked by.

  “Zosime!” Charis called out.

  The siren turned. It took a moment for her to mold her face into a pleasant expression. “Ah, you must be Shasta, the one who can help us with our little mystery.”

  Shasta bowed her head, hoping the lack of warmth wouldn’t be shared by too many of the other sirens. “I’ll do what I can.”

  “I’m sure you will.” Zosime took a step back. “I must be going. Enjoy the feast.”

  “Thank you.” Shasta smiled. Zosime retreated, leaving Shasta at a loss. If the sirens wouldn’t talk to her, this would be a very difficult job.

  Charis watched Zosime. When the siren was about twenty feet away she said, “Sorry. Zosime isn’t the most cheerful of us.”

  It took Shasta a moment to find the right words. “Not everyone is.”

  Charis nodded and then continued toward the pavilion.

  A passing siren carrying a tray of stuffed grape leaves stopped. “Welcome!”

  “Shasta, meet Roxana,” Charis said.

  “It’s nice to meet you.” Since the siren’s hands were busy, Shasta bobbed her head.

  Roxana’s eyes twinkled as she smiled. “You’ll join us in dancing?”

  “Uh…” Shasta glanced between the two sirens. “If I’m welcome.”

  They laughed. “Of course! Everyone dances!” Roxana proclaimed before continuing to the table.

  “You’ll see,” Charis said.

  Shasta wasn’t sure if that was supposed to be encouraging. She didn’t have much time to ponder it before she was introduced to Pelagia and Hagne. After a couple of more introductions, Gaiana and Myrrine, Charis finally delivered Shasta to her seat at Agatha’s right hand.

  “Sit. Everyone else will be here in a moment.” With that Charis darted away.

  Shasta sat there as sirens delivered trays of cheese and olives and tomatoes, baskets of bread, bowls of hummus, and platters of stuffed grape leaves. A grilled fish she couldn’t identify joined the rest of the bounty. After depositing the food, they took their seats. The last sirens set pitchers of water on the table. Hagne, a friendly siren, ended up on Shasta’s right. Across from her was Ligia, who offered frequent smiles.

  A hush fell over the sirens as they focused on something behind Shasta. She twisted around to see Agatha gliding toward them, back straight, shoulders square, chin held high, purple skirts flowing around her legs. She stepped between the table and chair. “Sisters, tonight we welcome Shasta. She is here to help us with our troubles. Let us eat, drink, and wish her fruitful hunting!”

  Shasta glanced around, unsure if she should say something, get up, or do nothing. A cheer from the sirens solved her dilemma. Shasta stayed in her seat, a polite smile fixed on her face.

  Agatha took her seat, and with that, the feast began. Plates were passed to and fro, as was the bread. Hagne snatched Shasta’s plate, sending it across the table for food. When Shasta got her plate back, it was piled with a bit of everything. She dug into the hummus and olives. For a few minutes everyone focused on their food. Gradually conversation broke out along the table.

  Shasta leaned toward Hagne. “What type of fish is this?”

  “Shark. We hunt them ourselves. This one was caught only yesterday.” She smiled.

  She wasn’t much for eating meat, and the shark didn’t appeal to her in the slightest. “Would there be meat in the grape leaves?”

  “No.”

  “Thank you.” Shasta skipped the shark but ate everything else.

  When there was more talking than eating going on, Agatha stood up and clapped her hands. “To the fire!”

  The sirens got up from the table as one, taking their cups with them and dumping the water out on the ground. Shasta copied them, letting the group carry her around the table to where the first twists of fire were dancing among the wood.

  Charis and Melissa were the last to join the group. They both carried large decanters, glossy and black as night. They were round at the bottom, with slender necks and fluted knobs on the stoppers. The women flanked Agatha, who now held a cup in each hand. In unison they removed the stoppers and poured into the cups. When they finished, they moved around the gathering until everyone, including Shasta, had a few ounces of what looked like wine in their cups.

  Agatha lifted both her cups into the air. “To Sirenum, the giver of home!”

  “To Sirenum!” the sirens roared, raising their cups high. Shasta lifted her cup too, though she wasn’t quick enough to join the verbal toast.

  Agatha poured one cup onto the ground. The sirens cheered and started knocking back their own wine. Shasta lifted it to her lips and tipped back her head. The first taste was of a full red wine, but then she felt how thick it sat on her tongue and felt the biting alcohol. She swallowed it in a single gulp and wheezed as she inhaled. Her mouth and throat burned. Shasta stared into the cup. “What was that?”

  “Fire wine!” Hagne answered. “Fermented red grapes, triple distilled, aged in driftwood casks, filtered through pumice stone.”

  Shasta swallowed again, hoping it would help. “Potent.”

  The siren grinned. Some sirens were heading back to the pavilion and getting water. Shasta followed, washing down the last burning remnants of the fire wine. Hopefully that was the only appearance it would make this evening.

  By the time she returned to the group, the sirens playing the lyre and drum were warming up. From there the fire wine dulled her senses. The sirens began to dance, and she was swept up with them as they flowed around the fire pit, twisting, turning, and stamping their feet. She gazed on in awe as they leaped through the air, seeming to defy gravity.

  Much later as the group settled down, another round of fire wine was passed out. After that they began to sing. Shasta sat transfixed. She’d never heard a humanoid make those sounds, from soaring highs to reverberating lows. If the songs had words, they were not ones she understood. Note after note vibrated through the air, each one more unearthly than the last.

  When Shasta awakened, she could still hear the echoes of the sirens’ songs and taste the fire wine. Luckily she didn’t have a hangover, but the earth was holding itself apart, not maintaining the casual contact she was accustomed to. Shrugging it off as an effect of the fire wine, Shasta washed up and ate breakfast alone in her house, the previous day’s events swimming through her mind. Considering Agatha felt the safety of their offspring was on the line, she wondered if she should call her mom and get a second opinion. After all, this was more than a job to the sirens, and Oaks Consulting tried to stay away from causes like this.

  She sighed as she scooped up more oatmeal. Truth be told, she wasn’t sure it would matter what her mother said. The boat was long gone, and she had some doubts the sirens would let her leave until she fixed the problem. Agatha hadn’t seemed entirely rational last night. If she’d been any number of other species, Shasta would’ve chalked it up to pregnancy hormones. However, the term clutch made her think that sirens didn’t reproduce quite like most other humanoid species.

  No matter how the sirens reproduced, this was a bunch of mothers who saw her as the only one who could keep their children safe. That was not only a heavy burden but also something they were unlikely to compromise on. Plus, if she called home, there was a chance they’d send Cord as her backup, and she wasn’t ready to work with him. She needed the space, and as long as the sirens dealt fairly with her, there was no good reason to leave or call home. Or that’s what she told herself as she polished off the last of her oatmeal.

  She was cleaning her dishes when she heard a knock at the door. After drying her hands, she crossed over and pulled it open.

  Melissa stood there, her hand raised to knock again. “Good morning. Agatha thought you could use a guide to show you where several of the incidents have occurred.”

  “That would be great.”

  Melissa shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “Is now acceptable?”

  Shasta leaned down, picked up a small pack that was leaning against the wall, and swung it over her shoulders. “Now would be delightful.”

  She followed Melissa out into the cool morning air. The day was bright and sunny, and a light breeze played through the caldera. The sirens were already hard at work cultivating their crops, preparing bread, and tending to life here on Sirenum.