Siren Song

20

I hate flying. Big plane, small plane, private, public, it really doesn’t matter. I hate it. This time I hated it more than usual when I found out that Stefania and Ren had teleported ahead to “get things ready” and wouldn’t be flying with us. I’d have felt more secure having Stefania right here where I could both keep an eye on her and have her as sort of a hostage to good behavior.

Still, I couldn’t fault the jet. It was midsized and very nice. Even nicer than Creede’s car, which was saying something. Adriana was rightfully proud of it. I just hoped it wasn’t going to be a really nice coffin.

The plan had changed slightly. Britain is an island and the British have very old, very secret, ties to the sirens. Queen Lopaka had called in a favor from that other queen. The switch would take place on a military airstrip. No one on our side knew, other than the family: Queen Lopaka, Adriana, and me. It felt really weird, but I had to admit I was glad to be included. We would keep it that way until the last possible moment, so we could watch all parties for signs of trouble.

The head of the task force, Harry Thompson, had introduced himself and his men to those of us civilians who were coming along. While he hadn’t said a word against us, his approach had somehow made it abundantly clear that he wasn’t happy to be joined by a bunch of amateurs, however well armed, and that we’d damned well better stay out of his people’s way. He’d then disembarked and made a nose-to-tail inspection of the aircraft. Creede had already checked for magical problems, but that didn’t stop Thompson and his men from checking again.

The task force’s mage was at least equal to Creede and just shy of Bruno’s talent. At first the two men had watched each other with skepticism that bordered on hostility. Then they’d started crafting, and their hostility turned first to grudging acceptance of each other’s talent and then to open admiration.

Everything else that could be done was being done. Still, I found myself squirming in my seat, wishing I were anywhere but here.

I didn’t have to do this. I could get up, walk out, leave King Dahlmar and the others to whatever fate awaited them. Thompson would be thrilled to see me go. One less civilian to worry about. I’m a bodyguard, not a magician, and not—I repeat not—an elite ops soldier. I could even justify it by saying that the death curse on me put everyone in more danger. Nobody would argue, nobody would blame me.

Nobody but me.

If I walked out now and everything went to hell—literally—I’d spend the rest of my life trying to live with the guilt. I’m still dealing with two deaths like that: Ivy and Bob Johnson. Every day I wake up I still wonder—what if I’d done this, or hadn’t done that. I might not be able to make this mission a success, but I could protect King Dahlmar with my life.

Somewhere in the course of gathering my courage I’d closed my eyes. I opened them at the sound of a soft cough to find Hiwahiwa standing in front of me, wearing a more casual version of the lavalava in green with a leaf pattern. Even without makeup she had an undeniable beauty. She looked excruciatingly uncomfortable and hesitant to interrupt, but frankly, I was glad for the distraction. Now that I’d made up my mind to stay, I needed something to keep me from thinking too much.

“Can I help you with something?”

She flushed and I wondered what I’d said wrong.

“There is a teenager outside named Okalani. She claims to have an appointment to meet with you.”

Oh, crap. The kid. I’d said I’d talk to her. But I hadn’t had time, not with everything that was going on. And now we were leaving and there was a good chance we wouldn’t be coming back.

“I’m sorry, Hiwahiwa. I’ve been so busy. . . .”

“I realize you are leaving and there isn’t much time. But this matters so much to her—”

“No, it’s all right. We don’t have a lot of time, but I’ll do what I can.”

I hadn’t even finished speaking when the kid stepped out of the empty air in front of me, trying not to look scared in her very hip low-rise jeans and neon green tank top. She was prettier than I remembered, and young. So damned young that she made me feel ancient.

Everybody out of the plane now. Adriana’s voice sounded in my head and everyone around me rose with an urgency just short of flat-out panic. Something had gone terribly wrong.

Before we could move toward the exits, I felt the world lurch sideways and every person on the plane was suddenly standing on the tarmac a hundred yards or so from the jet. Which gave us all a perfect view of the fireball when it exploded.