Fire Brand Read online

  “I need help!” I called to the security guards. The good thing about being a siren was I never had to ask twice. They rushed the stage, gasping when they realized how dire the situation was. “Get her…”

  I had no idea what to tell them.

  “Cover her up, and follow me.” I refused to be separated from Teal. One of the guards wrapped Teal’s stiff body in a blanket. Her voice was muffled, and I couldn’t understand what she was saying anymore, but for once, I didn’t want her to stop talking. As long as she still made noise, she was in there.

  The guard had to try twice to get Teal through the door. Her long, lean body must’ve been awkward to carry, and he had to move carefully. I pushed through the crowd outside The Alibi, the noise swelled to an unbearable level when they caught sight of Teal. Her rigor mortised legs stuck out from under the blanket. She looked dead.

  So much for the positive spin.

  My lungs filled with panic and cement, but I didn’t have the luxury of giving into it. I had to get to Chronopolis. The gates had seemed further away than ever. People came out of their house to see what the commotion was. Even though I’d always been very public, it wasn’t every day the fallen Queen was followed by a whole whack of security guards and a stone facsimile of one of her courtesans in tow. They called to me, but I couldn’t answer them. I had no answers. Only questions.

  I needed my girls more than ever right now. For too many years I’d relied on them to do my dirty work. They took care of anything I found difficult or unpleasant. It was how we rolled. I was the dreamer, and they got down and dirty. As I neared the gate, I racked my jumbled brain to figure out how to talk my way in. The guard stared me down with a greasy smile. I was making his life so easy.

  “Teal.” I knocked against her shoulder, immediately wanting to take it back. My knuckles stung. “Can you hear me?”

  She said something that sounded like yeah. Didn’t matter what she said, she responded. I wanted to scream at everyone to shut up so I could hear what she had to say.

  “What do I say to get past the guard?”

  She answered, but it was like talking to someone in another room. Behind a closed door. And that door just happened to be made of stone. I knew no more than before I asked the question.

  I didn’t have time to be cute, so I went direct.

  “Bring me to your King,” I demanded of the guard.

  The guard had the audacity to laugh. In my face. “I can’t do that, Your Majesty.” He spit out my title, like it was the funniest part of the whole thing.

  “I need to talk to Asher MacKay. Right now.” I sidestepped him but I didn’t get too far before he straight-armed me.

  “You’re considered an enemy of Chronopolis, Queen Avila.” Now he seemed slightly apologetic. It had been so long since anyone had called me that. I’d forgotten how much I liked it.

  “I’m the only friend you have.” It was a lonely place to be. “Now step aside and let me pass.”

  “We’ve been given orders to shoot any siren we see inside city walls, no questions asked.” The guard swallowed hard. “Per order of the King.”

  Like hell he did. “That’s bullshit!” I slammed my fist against the wall, and it was just as solid as Teal. “Let me pass.”

  “I can’t do that,” he insisted again. “I don’t want to be held responsible for what happens to you inside those walls.”

  Breathe. I needed clarity and whole boatload of other things right now. The guard’s words sunk in. If he didn’t give a shit about what happened to us, he’d let us in. He stood outside the city walls, and it was possible that there was a time he’d answered to me. The more he used my title, the more sincere he sounded. Penelope and Teal had hinted toward the same thing he claimed.

  I just didn’t want to believe it was true.

  Now what? If The League had Penelope, chances were they already had her behind that god forsaken wall. I’d probably get shot if I went looking for her, and Teal had turned to a reasonable facsimile of herself.

  If rumors were to be believed, it had all been set in motion by the man that was my fated mate, and I had about two weeks left of being immortal, because he called bullshit on the whole thing.

  This sucked.

  “Let’s go back to the boat.” I tried to keep my shoulders high, so anyone who was out of earshot wouldn’t realize what a giant concession this was. Teal protested, but I couldn’t understand a word of it. “I need to think!”

  The guards followed me. It was much easier to get through The Bay now, the crowd had lost interest quickly. Hopefully they’d already gone back to what they were doing by the time I was denied access at the city gate.

  Teal rocked the boat when she was set down on the deck. “Center her. I don’t want her to go overboard.” She wouldn’t fare well at the bottom of the ocean. “You can go.”

  “Avila,” the guard who carried Teal protested. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty. We don’t think it’s a good idea to leave you alone right now.”

  “It’s fine.” I actually didn’t want them to go. “Whoever took Penelope will change their mind and bring her back any minute.”

  My joke fell flat.

  “Do you have any weapons?” I asked. They nodded.

  I stooped to Asher’s level. “Shoot anyone who approaches. Ask questions later.”

  I went down to my bedroom. Everything ached like I was about to follow Teal’s lead and turn to stone. The worst part about it was I knew she was in pain. It had to stop. This was why we’d always vowed to only go after the bad guys. But someone was lying to us, and the line between good and bad had become unrecognizable.

  I sang softly, for the first time ever self-conscious of my song. That it would attract something to me that I couldn’t handle. But if I couldn’t get to Asher, I had to do my best to lure him to me, no matter what the cost.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The only thing that arrived at the boat was an invitation to the gala. Addressed to Her Majesty, Avila Aquaviva, plus two. No more of Asher’s cryptic notes that had given me a lifeline through the ridiculous process of his Queen search. Looking at the card made me angry, and reminded me how helpless I’d been rendered by Asher and The League. I wanted to rip the stupid thing into a million pieces and scatter it in the ocean, but it was my ticket inside the Chronopolis walls.

  “Any word from Penelope?” Someone called from the crowd. Many of our fans had come from Chronopolis to The Alibi, hoping for a show, updates, and some sense of normal. I needed them right now. They were my only contact with the city. All residents of The Bay had been banned from entering the gates, including my guards. Everyone was told the same thing: intruders would be dragged to jail. Sirens shot on sight. And while the citizens of Chronopolis enjoyed many freedoms, their prisoners weren’t as lucky. It sent a chill down my spine, thinking Penelope could be suffering inside a cell.

  Before this happened, the girls had urged me to consider all angles. Whoever took her could be hiding her in plain sight. I worked with the club guards to do everything I could. They’d been doing double duty since Penelope’s abduction, working around the clock to find her. We’d been combing The Bay, door by door, boat by boat, looking for any clues. So far, our efforts had all come up empty.

  I’d played a few solo songs for the crowd, but my heart wasn’t in it. They were the only people I drew to me, and I couldn’t disappoint them. I shook my head. “Not yet. What have you guys heard?”

  I could only play on weekends, thanks to The League, so we’d lost precious time that I had no contact with anyone allowed inside city walls.

  “I haven’t been asked to make any extra food. We make a tray for each of the prisoners.” One of the fans worked in the castle kitchen, and he confirmed there was a jail inside the building. He’d drawn me a map of the castle, but it had so many cross outs on it I couldn’t trust it. He meant well, but he never went past the kitchen and the employee lounge. That was as far as he was allowed to venture. Everything he knew
abo the rest of it was information he got from his fellow employees. I appreciated the effort, but it probably did more harm than good.

  “I’ve seen some women’s clothing and supplies come through, but that’s not unusual. We have female prisoners. Nothing specific to Penelope.” Another fan worked in housekeeping. “I’ve even tried asking for her specifically, but if anyone knows anything, they’re not giving it up. How’s Teal doing?”

  “Solid.” I sighed. She wasn’t talking anymore, which worried me the most. I had no idea if we could break her out of her prison, if she was still in there.

  And I didn’t understand why she’d turned, and I hadn’t. I was getting shut out at every turn. And everything that Asher hadn’t said spoke the loudest.

  Talking to the castle employees, I came to know a very different side of Asher. They worked long, hard hours for very little pay. And they all said the same thing.

  “It’s not like the King cares about us.”

  “He does.” I didn’t believe it anymore. Everything he’d told me was bullshit. The boos from the citizens of Chronopolis confirmed it. “His message gets lost when The League carries out his orders.”

  “The League sucks!” Someone called from the center of the small crowd, and nervous laughter erupted around him. These were good people who wanted better than they had. Just like I thought Asher did. “It feels good to say it out loud.”

  “The King says one thing, but he does another.” A fan in the front row shook his head sadly. Since it was just me, I sat on the edge of the stage. I could reach out and touch the only people who seemed to care about me. I needed them right now.

  “Don’t I know it.” I sighed. “You need to support people who will represent your best interests.”

  “It’s not a democracy,” another protested. “We don’t choose who is in power.”

  I had no business suggesting these people put themselves in harm’s way. They came to see me because I made their problems go away for a few hours on Friday and Saturday nights. Some of them might hope for a little more. I was their fantasy. I couldn’t turn it into a nightmare.

  “I can bring two people with me to the party.” That got everyone’s attention. I’d planned to bring Teal with me. She wouldn’t want to miss this, but now she was an accessory. And Penelope was MIA. “How should I choose my dates?”

  “Take us to your bed!” someone called out from the back. A lot of people liked that idea, judging from the hoots and hollers. “Whoever fucks you the best wins!”

  It was possible for a siren to blush. “That’s tempting, but I don’t think it’s a good idea.” Since I’d kill them. Our fans needed to learn to be careful what they wished for.

  “Whoever has the best plan to kick The League’s ass wins.” That sounded like it came from The League Sucks guy. “As long as you let us get a clear shot at them.”

  If I had any solid proof that Penelope was being held in that castle, I’d go for it. But we could do more damage than had already been done. There was an outside chance I needed Asher on my side.

  “We’ve got a lead on Penelope!” One of my guards banged on my bedroom door before dawn the next morning. Some would criticize my business as usual policy at a time of obvious distress, but it was my way to show that The League, Asher, whoever it was, couldn’t fuck with me.

  “Tell me everything.” I pulled on clothes as fast as I could. I didn’t even give them the sniff test.

  “My brother lives in Chronopolis. He said there’s been a gathering of men outside a building at the end of the street. He lives right outside the castle. Everyone’s been distracted, including him, lured to this house. But no one’s getting in. Guards everywhere. He only told me about it because he thought it was so weird. They all know there’s something supernatural there. But no one knows what.”

  “Those are all of Penelope’s calling cards.” I finger combed my hair and pushed past the guards to go up to the deck. The dark always threw my balance off, and I walked straight into Teal, almost knocking her over. The last thing I needed was for my best friend to sink to the bottom of The Bay.

  I hated leaving her there, a signal of her failures for everyone to see. If I ever brought her back to life, she’d chew me out over this. I couldn’t wait.

  “Let’s go.” I didn’t understand why everyone was standing around. We had a lead.

  “We can’t get in there.” The guard’s frown was barely visible in the moonlight. “My brother also said security’s been beefed up at every gate. ID needed, baggage checks, no stone left unturned.”

  I groaned at the mention of stone. “I need one of you to catapult me over that fucking wall.”

  “And you’d get shot in midair.”

  My heart stopped beating. “Teal? Was that you?” Or I’d gone totally batshit crazy.

  “Yeah. Get me out of here.”

  I hugged the statue that incased her body, rocking it back and forth. It was like someone had poured concrete over her. A big, Teal-shaped rock. “It’s so good to hear your voice. You haven’t said anything in over a week. I thought you were…nevermind. I missed you.”

  “Where’s P?” Teal asked. “She back yet?”

  “No.” She’d totally kick my ass when busted out of her prison. “That’s where we’re going right now.”

  I kissed Teal’s statue, hoping she’d bring me the same good luck as kissing the blarney stone, and headed to shore.

  “Your Majesty!” The guards called after me. I didn’t make them call me that, but I loved that they did.

  I turned around, annoyed that no one followed me.

  “We can’t get into the city.”

  “I’m tired of being told what I can and can’t do.” I was getting into that city if I had to do it riddled full of bullets. “If your brother is telling you the truth, the guards will be distracted, too. There’s a reason we ask you to block your ears with wax when you’re around us.”

  “It’s in your best interest not to do this.” At least they were following me now.

  “Who do you think you’re talking to?”

  Both guards looked down, sheepish. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  “Right. Tonight we start our very own invasion.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “No one passes.” This guy couldn’t be serious, but he was. Even though I’d sang the whole way to the gate, the guard was having none of it. His ears were completely plugged with wax. Someone had been expecting me.

  “My naked body has been covered in the ash of your King for longer than you’ve been alive.” I’d had enough of this shit. And I was furious I had to shout so he could hear me. “If you want to continue standing on my land, you’d better respect the wishes of your Queen.”

  “The Bay has no Queen.”

  I didn’t realize I could get madder. “The Bay has always had a Queen. And I don’t take prisoners. Instead, I take care of the problem. Anyone who’s crossed me and my court is at the bottom of the sea. Would you like to join them?”

  My vibration rattled my bones. It went into overdrive when I got pissed off, and it was no surprise the guard shook from it, too. I wished we were closer to the ocean, so I could drop the evidence without making a scene.

  “No…Your Majesty.” The guard went down on one knee. “You may pass.”

  I’d reduced a grown man to a trembling mess. Instead of feeling bad about it, I felt empowered. I’d wasted a lot of time worried about what others thought, being polite when I should’ve been ruthless. It cost me almost everything. The Bay, my crown, but no one was getting Penelope. The time to be nice was long gone.

  The streets of Chronopolis were much quieter than my last unannounced visit. It was later this time, but sirens tended to draw a crowd no matter when they showed up. At least when it was three of us. I was aware that even though I was the one fighting for the title, I wasn’t the most anything in my court. The most powerful, aggressive, ruthless, funniest, sexiest—those all went to Teal and Penelope. I’d tried
to lead with compassion, but it failed. Much like it had for Asher.

  I hated that I still had a soft spot for him. I’d hardened, now that the attacks had become personal.

  “Do you hear that?” I asked my companions. I’d brought a few guards with me, as well as a couple of mermaids, who’d probably be received better than I would be. I had no idea what to expect inside the city walls and I needed all the backup that I could get.

  “I hear something. It sounds angry,” the guard who had the information about the house said. They were at a disadvantage, since they also had to plug their ears or else they’d go crazy this close to me. It made for a lonely mission.

  Just what we needed. The plan had been to kick some League ass and get my girl back. We didn’t have the fire power to add regular folks to the mix.

  “Did he give you an address?” In the frenzy of having my first real Penelope lead and assembling my team, I’d forgotten to ask some important questions.

  The guard shook his head. “He just said right outside the castle.”

  The castle was huge, and many city blocks flanked it on every side. We had our work cut out for us. “Lead us to where you brother lives.”

  The noise intensified, bouncing off the sleepy buildings. How anyone could sleep with this racket was beyond me, unless they all had their ears plugged.

  Oh.

  Shit.

  We wandered in circles for so long I was afraid the sun would come up. I couldn’t risk any members of The League being early risers. The noise came at me from every direction. I was losing my mind.

  “There!” one of the mermaids said. “I see a group of people. And fire, too.”

  That wasn’t a good sign, but we didn’t have the luxury of choices.

  “Let’s go.” I didn’t give myself time to think about what might wait for us.

  The crowd was thick and angry. The fires burned at the edge of the crowd, and appeared to be only for warmth. Thank starfish. I wriggled between two men with sooty jackets, but they had worked hard for their position, and they weren’t ready to give it up to anyone.