Elegy

TWENTY-FIVE Eternity

Daniel sat in the driver’s seat of the car he’d borrowed from Alex and took another fortifying breath. His phone was in his hand, still glowing from the last text he’d received. It’d been Harper, replying to his with, “I love you, too.”

He’d wanted to say something more, but he couldn’t think of anything else. This might be the last thing he ever said to Harper, and if it was, “I love you” was the only thing that really mattered in the end.

Before he’d left the house, he’d gone over everything. He made sure to leave the keys on the dining room table, along with his mother’s phone number and insurance info. He’d tried to write a letter as a last will and testament, but he wasn’t really leaving much behind. The only things in his life that really mattered to him were his boat and Harper.

Today was his twenty-first birthday, and he was going to have sex with a woman he hated, and though he hoped she would accept his offer to become her concubine, he knew there was a very good chance she might kill him when she was done. He would die on the day he was born. At least that had some nice symmetry to it.

He was focused on the phone, on Harper’s last text to him, and he didn’t notice Penn until she was knocking on the car window, smiling seductively at him. Trying to force a smile back at her, he pushed the button to roll down the window.

“Are you ever planning on coming inside, or did you wanna do it in the car?” Penn asked, leaning on the door so he could see down the front of her slinky black dress. “Because I’ve done it in cars before, and it’s not as hot as it sounds.”

“I’ll go in … unless you planned on changing your mind about today.”

Penn threw back her head and laughed. “No way. Let’s go.”

When he rolled up the window, she stepped back. He turned off the ignition and decided to leave the keys and his phone in the car. It would be easier for people to find if Penn killed him tonight.

He followed her into the house, and he was surprised to see how everything had been decked out. No lights were on, but there had to be a thousand candles casting a warm glow over everything. Civil Twilights played softly on a stereo, but otherwise, the house was silent.

“Your sisters are gone?” Daniel asked as he glanced around.

“Yeah. I sent them away for the night, so we have the place to ourselves,” Penn said over her shoulder as she walked into the kitchen.

“I suppose I would prefer this without an audience,” he said under his breath.

A bottle of wine was chilling in a bucket of ice on the counter. Without asking if he wanted any, Penn poured two glasses and walked back over to him.

“Here, have some.” She handed him a glass. “It’ll loosen you up.”

Instead of taking a sip, Daniel sniffed the glass. “You didn’t drug this or anything, did you?”

Penn laughed again and tossed her silken black hair over her shoulder. “Of course not. I want you totally present for tonight.”

“Thanks.” He took a long swallow, almost gulping it down.

“Why don’t I show you to the bedroom?” Penn suggested.

“So soon? Shouldn’t we warm up first? Get to know each other?”

When she smiled, there was a devilish sparkle in her dark eyes, one that Daniel found unsettling. “I think I know everything about you I need to know.”

Taking his hand, Penn led him through the living room and up the staircase to the loft above. There was only one bed in the center of the room, covered in black satin sheets. The bed had a heavy-looking iron headboard, with a gold wrap draped across it, apparently to set the mood, and Daniel wondered dimly where Thea’s and Liv’s beds were.

She took his wineglass from him, now nearly empty, and set it on the nightstand next to a black candle with an oddly purple flame. Then she came back to him, standing so close that when he breathed in deeply, his chest pressed against hers. The smile playing on her lips was wicked, and she gently bit her lip with teeth that were too sharp to be human.

Her tanned skin seemed to glow in the flickering candles, and he tried to think about how beautiful she was. If he could focus on the lovely parts of her exterior instead of the vile creature that lurked beneath, he might be able to get through this.

Penn seemed to be waiting for him to make the first move, so he knew he needed to do something. He put his hand on the small of her back, pressing her body against him, and he could feel the warmth of her skin through the thin fabric.

That was all Penn needed, and a small, purring sound escaped her lips. She reached up and ran her fingers through his disheveled hair until her hand rested on the back of his neck. Her grip was strong, too strong, and her fingers felt like fire, sending hot electricity through him.

Penn kissed him slow at first, reminding him of the way she’d kissed him out on Bernie’s Island. Her mouth worked gently against his for a moment, but she couldn’t keep up the restraint for very long.

She put her arms around him, almost clinging to him. As she fell back on the bed, she was pulling him down with her, and he let her. He lay on top of her, and her legs wrapped around him, holding him to her. When she pushed up against him, he felt his body responding.

He needed the physical reaction to get him through this, to be able to perform and keep Harper safe, but he’d never before felt more betrayed by his own skin. Penn was repulsive and monstrous, and no part of him should find any pleasure in this.

Breathing heavily, he pulled away from her, which was rather difficult when she clung to him so tightly. He held himself up with his arms above her, and her lips were pressed into a tight pout.

“Penn, can I ask you something?”

She rolled her eyes and groaned. “Haven’t we talked enough?”

“No, I need to know something.”

“Daniel.” She ran her hands through his hair, so her fingers went over the scar that ran along the back of his head. “Come on. You can’t back out of this now.”

“I’m not. I swear, I’m not,” he told her honestly. “I would if I could, but I know I can’t.”

Penn sighed and let go of him, allowing Daniel to sit up on the bed next to her. “So what? What do you need to know that’s important?”

“When this is over, are you gonna kill me?”

“I’m not a praying mantis.” She still lay back on the bed, staring up at the skylight and the darkening sky above them. When he’d arrived, the sun had been setting, but now the stars were starting to come out.

“You kinda are, actually,” Daniel countered.

She sat up so she could look at him directly. “Why are you even asking me this?”

“Because I want to know. Wouldn’t you want to know if you only had a few hours left to live?”

“A few hours?” Penn smirked. “You’re being generous.”

“You told me you were gonna ‘rock my world,’ so I’m making assumptions here.”

Her smiled changed, and Penn climbed onto his lap. She tried to straddle him, but Daniel pushed her legs to the side, so she had to settle for having her arms around his neck.

“Penn,” Daniel said firmly, keeping his hand on her thigh to stop her in case she tried to wrap it around him again. “No. I’m not doing anything until you answer the question.”

“What if I am?” Penn asked, the same sultry smile and glint in her dark eyes.

“What?”

She lowered her eyes, staring down at his mouth. “What if I plan to kill you when we’re done? What then?”

“Then … I guess I’d better get busy dying.”

Her eyes widened, either in disbelief or surprise. “Really? You wouldn’t try to talk me out of it?”

“I don’t know what choice I have,” he admitted. “If I put you off anymore, you’ll take it out on Harper or Gemma. And if I do it tonight, you’ll probably kill me. I’m choosing the lesser of two evils.”

“What if…” She chewed her lip, as if debating on whether or not to say more. “What if I told you there was a third option?”

“A third option?”

“Yeah.” The velvet in her words grew more excited. “I’ve been thinking about it. I cringe at the word ‘love’ and all its frivolities, but I feel something for you that I haven’t felt for anyone in centuries. And I’m not about to let you go.”

“So you’re not planning on killing me?” Daniel asked.

Penn shook her head. “Not exactly. I want you to join me.”

He waited a beat before speaking, almost too afraid to find out what she meant by that. “Join you how?”

Penn slid off his lap and knelt on the bed next to him as she explained. “I mean, this is all assuming that you perform up to my expectations, and when I wake up tomorrow, I’m still as infatuated with you as I am today.”

“So whatever you’re plotting hangs on your ever-changing whims?”

“Exactly.”

“What are you plotting?”

“You remember earlier this summer when we realized that you were immune to our song, and Gemma’s stupid boyfriend was in love with her?”

He nodded. “I’m familiar with this.”

“We didn’t understand why this was happening, and Thea in particular was obsessed with reevaluating the curse. So we pulled out the old scroll and were going over it when I noticed some particular wording.” Penn tucked her hair behind her ear as she spoke.

“It went on and on about the curse, we have to eat boys’ hearts, we sing, there must always be four, blah blah blah. But there was one thing that really stood out.”

“And that is?” Daniel pressed.

She smiled widely before delivering her big discovery. “It never said the sirens had to be girls.”

It was a second before he managed to ask, “What?”

“We’d always assumed, and I’d never thought much about it,” Penn said, speaking more rapidly in her fervor. “The four of us were the original sirens until the 1700s, when Ligea died, so we haven’t used the replacement clause that much. And I’d never really wanted anyone other than a girl, another sidekick, but you’ve got me thinking.”

Inwardly, Daniel groaned. He always seemed to get her thinking when all he was really trying to do was to get her to forget him.

“How did I get you thinking?” he asked.

“The other day, at the park. You told me I was doing a terrible job of picking minions, and you were right. That’s when it hit me. I don’t want a minion—I need a partner.”

“A partner? And you think I’m that partner?”

He wanted to laugh, but he knew Penn would freak out if he did. He looked away from her and got up, deciding that standing would somehow make this feel better. Putting some distance between her and him had to help him think more clearly.

“Daniel, it will be perfect,” Penn continued, and in her excitement, her voice had almost turned into a song. “I’ve gotten so bored with life, and I’ve done everything there is to do. I’m so sick of the world. I’ve seen it all before, and everything has become redundant. But with you, it could all be new again. I could show you the world.”

He glanced back at her, kneeling at the end of the bed and staring expectantly at him. “Did you just quote Disney at me?”

“Maybe, but it doesn’t make my point any less valid.”

“I can’t be your eyes, Penn. I can’t give you a heart again or make you happy.” He shook his head. “I know I should be trying to convince you that I’m everything you’re looking for, but I’m not. It wouldn’t be long before you would get bored with me; and then what? You’d have all of eternity to drag me around.”

“Obviously I would get rid of you if I got bored with you,” Penn said, like she was talking about tossing out expired milk.

He laughed darkly. “You’re really making this appealing.”

“I want you, Daniel, and I’m being as kind as I can be.”

“Strangely, I believe that.”

“You may not believe that you’re my last chance at happiness, but I do, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get it,” Penn said. “You need to accept my offer.”

“Accept your offer? I don’t even really understand what it is.”

“If you say no, I will have no choice but to kill you, and Harper, and Gemma, and every last person in this shit hole little town. I’ll slaughter them one by one, and I’ll make you watch. You’ll be the very last to die.” There was no menace in her voice. She was merely stating the facts to him, and that somehow made it more chilling.

“How romantic,” he muttered under his breath. Swallowing hard, he looked up at her. “And what if I say yes?”

She smiled. “If you say yes, you’ll get far more than your safety and your life and eternity. I’ll love you, I’ll serve you, I’ll feed your every desire. My life’s ambition will be to make you happy, as yours will be to me. We’ll live forever with incredible power and unlimited freedom. Together.”

“And what about everyone else?”

“We’ll leave them behind,” she told him simply. “We’ll go far, far away, and we’ll never return to Capri. You’ll never see Harper or your family again, but that means neither will I. I’ll never hurt any of them, and they’ll live long, happy, little human lives. I will spare everyone, for you.”

As horrible as the offer was, it still sounded too good to be true. He would have to spend the rest of eternity in emotional, physical, and sexual servitude to Penn, but he could save everyone. Everything he’d been trying for would come true. He might not be able to break the curse—at least not right away—but he’d be there with Gemma, to help her and watch out for her.

His mind raced, trying to find the flaw in Penn’s plan or what other devious thing she might be scheming at.

“With me, there would be five sirens,” he realized. “I thought you could only have four.”

“We can only have four,” Penn confirmed.

And that would be the flaw. “So who are you getting rid of?”

Penn tilted her head, like she was considering, but she considered rather quickly. “I was thinking Thea.”

“Thea?” Daniel asked, startled by her choice.

She laughed. “You look surprised.”

“I thought you’d say Gemma.”

“I’m not stupid, Daniel. If I killed her, you wouldn’t go along. I know that.”

“But Thea is your sister, and she’s not totally insane and out of control like Liv,” Daniel countered.

He wasn’t entirely sure what Thea’s deal was or if he could trust her, but from what he knew of the sirens, she seemed to be the most sane and reasonable. If he had to a pick a siren to have on his side, other than Gemma, Thea was his top choice.

“She’s annoying and bossy, though.” Penn wrinkled her nose in irritation when she talked about Thea.

“I don’t think I can spend the next hundred years or so dealing with Liv,” he admitted, though he failed to add that he didn’t think he could spend that long dealing with Penn, either. “If you want me to do this, then she’s the one.”

“You want me to kill Liv?” Penn nearly squealed in her delight, and she licked her full lips. “You’re so deliciously wicked, Daniel. I thought for sure you’d have some kind of moral argument about it.”

“I’m fairly certain that Liv has already killed a lot of people, and if she hasn’t yet, then she will soon,” he reasoned. “She’s much more of a monster than Gemma or Thea, and maybe even you. I don’t have any qualms with getting rid of evil.”

Penn had been sitting on her knees, but she moved so she was leaning back on the bed, propping herself up with her elbows. One of her long legs dangled over the edge, but her other foot was still on the bed, so when she moved her knee, Daniel would get a peek up her dress if he was looking.

“I’ve never seen this side of you before, and I like it,” she purred. “So as your reward, I’ll do it. I’ll kill Liv because you asked me to. And you can replace her.”

“When?”

“Assuming all goes well tonight, then tomorrow. The next full moon is on Monday, so we should get started with the process, just in case you don’t take.”

“Tomorrow? Like, in twenty-four hours?” Daniel asked. The thought of becoming an immortal monster in a day didn’t seem like enough time to prepare.

“Yes. I’ll kill Liv in the afternoon, you come over, drink some blood, and by the next morning, we should be all set to go,” Penn said.

“Unless I die, of course,” he reminded her. “You’re not even sure this will work on me, since I’m a guy, and I know that it nearly killed Gemma.”

“Well, yes, that is a possibility.”

“What then?”

“What if you die?” Penn shrugged. “You’ll be dead.”

“And you’re fine with that? You’re so obsessed with me, but you’re cool with my being dead and gone in a day or two?” he asked.

“I’m not ‘cool’ with it, but it’s the price I have to pay. And if you say no, I’ll kill you anyway.”

“You know that doesn’t make any sense, right? You are a sociopath,” he told her as reasonably as he could. “You cannot love something and then just kill it. That’s not love.”

“I never said it was love, Daniel,” Penn corrected him. “It’s something, and I’m being very generous with you, so take it for what it is. I’m giving you the most I can give, and this is it.”

It was true, and he knew it. This was the best he would get from her, and this would be his best chance at protecting Harper and Gemma and everyone else in Capri. He’d have to become a monster and kill strangers to survive, but that had to be better than letting everyone he loved die.

And if he was one of them, it would be easier to try to figure out the curse or at least how to stop the sirens. He’d have their superstrength, so he’d be evenly matched in a fight against Penn. This could be the way out.

“So this is it then?” he asked finally.

“What?”

“I sleep with you now, and tomorrow I become a siren.” He swallowed the lump in his throat and hoped he didn’t look as nauseated as he felt. “And then I’ll leave this life forever and run away with you.”

“You make it sound like a bad thing,” Penn said, pretending to be hurt.

“No, it’s not,” he agreed, and forced a smile at her. “This is the best option I have.”

“It is. So maybe you ought to come thank me for being so nice.”

He walked over to her, almost hurrying to get to her and get this over with. He kissed her, and they seemed to be picking up right where they left off. Only Penn was more insistent now. She began unbuttoning his shirt, but it must’ve been taking too long, because she ripped at it, sending buttons flying across the room.

“Much better,” she said as she ran her fingers over the smooth skin of his abdomen.

His skin trembled under her touch, and that must’ve pleased her, because she laughed. She kissed him again, then, in an inhumanly fast move, she flipped him over. Daniel was lying on his back, and she sat on top of him.

Her dress was hiked up to her waist, exposing the thin straps of her lace thong. He put his hands on her waist, letting his hands slide up under her dress. She smiled, but she grabbed his hands and pinned his arms on either side of him.

“You’re mine now,” she purred.

“I know.”

When she kissed him again, her mouth was hungry and eager. He could feel her teeth scraping against his lips, but there was something pleasurable in it, too. She rocked against him, and when she leaned forward, he could feel the soft flesh of her stomach press against his.

His mind instantly flashed to Harper. When they’d been making out in his bed, her tank top had slid up, and he’d felt her skin against his. It had excited him, and not just because things were so heated. The thought of being with Harper like that, as close as two people could be …

But he had to push her from his thoughts because as soon as he thought of her, he felt sick to his stomach. He’d thought that if he couldn’t get going with Penn, he could try pretending that Harper was Penn, but that would only make it worse.

To keep her safe, Daniel had to forget about Harper and focus on the way it felt when Penn ran her fingers down his chest.

Penn sat up suddenly, and for a second, Daniel was afraid that she somehow knew he’d been thinking of Harper. But then she smiled and slid farther down his legs. Penn leaned down, letting her lips travel down the treasure trail on his stomach, while her hands undid his pants.

Daniel closed his eyes and wished for the moment to be over.

A phone started ringing, a loud, plaintive sound, and Penn growled.

“That’s not mine,” Daniel said, in case she planned on punishing him for it.

Penn glared at the phone on the nightstand. “It’s my damn sister.” She leaned over and grabbed the phone, then threw it so hard against the wall it shattered. “That’s better.”

“You could’ve just turned it off,” Daniel pointed out.

“That was more fun.” She climbed back on top of him. “Now where were we?”

“About here.” He sat up a little so he could kiss her. If they were kissing, then she wasn’t unbuttoning his jeans, and he wasn’t quite ready for that yet.

She pushed him back down, but he tried to hold her to him. He slid one hand up her dress, pressing against her back, and the other one wandered below the string of her panties.

“Penn!” Thea shouted from downstairs, and the front door slammed shut. It hadn’t even been a minute or two since Penn had destroyed her phone, and Daniel had no idea how Thea had gotten there so fast.

“Dammit, Thea!” Penn sat up and shouted back over her shoulder, her voice filled with a rage that seemed to echo inside Daniel’s head. “I will come down there, and rip your—”

“Save it, Penn,” Thea said. She’d reached the top of the stairs, so she was standing at the end of the loft and staring right at Penn straddling Daniel. “I know that I’m only supposed to interrupt if there’s an emergency—”

“No, I said don’t interrupt even if there is an emergency,” Penn corrected her.

“It doesn’t matter.” Thea was totally unruffled by the venom in Penn’s tone, and Daniel sat up so he could see around Penn better. That’s when he noticed that blood was splattered all over Thea’s shirt and face. “All hell is about to break loose downtown. I can’t deal with this myself. You need to come take care of it.”