“Tell us about your memory,” a girl said and a wave of calm washed over my heart.
“I was out in town drinking with friends,” I said, recalling how Sofia had consumed all four of Diego's shots before any of us had had a chance to grab one. A snort of laughter escaped me and the Sirens chuckled along with me.
“What else?” Max's friend asked, seeming less affected by my laughter. “I can sense something else in you, tell us about the rest of your evening.” His eyes were hopeful as he brushed his fingers over my wrist. My tongue loosened under his influence and I felt myself drifting toward the later events that evening. “I saw Professor Orion.”
One girl gasped then grinned keenly as she held onto my arm.
I frowned, but the blonde guy squeezed my flesh, a wave of their power calling me to keep going and my words kept flowing. “He was angry…he's so hot when he's angry.”
Some of the group moaned and Undine suddenly clapped her hands. “Enough. We're not doing lust today.”
Everyone released me and the reality of what I'd just said slammed into me. My cheeks burned as the Sirens headed away and I blew out a breath of annoyance at Max's friend.
I turned toward Tory but found she was still entranced by her group and I could almost see them feeding on whatever happy story she was telling.
Undine split the rest of the Sirens up into groups and they started recounting happy memories while their classmates drank in the power of their emotions. Max laid down in the grass, cupping his head with his hands, clearly not interested in participating.
The Professor moved to my side, giving me an apologetic smile. “You've got to keep your wits about you, Darcy. You can build shields and control which emotions Sirens can access.” She rubbed my arm, leaning closer. “Orion is on your mind, huh?” She nudged me and I nodded as I recalled the way his dominating aura made me feel sometimes. Completely powerless and yet at the same time like I wanted to reach out and feel the graze of his stubble on my hands, run my fingers around the back of his neck and press my lips against his. He was intimidating as hell but there was also something about him that just…drew me in. And I’d maybe once or twice daydreamed about being spread across his desk under the full keenness of his rage.
Professor Undine sighed and I jerked away from her, realising what she'd done. “Hey,” I snapped, furious.
Why is everyone after those emotions?!
And why am I even turned on by Lord Voldemort’s hotter, younger cousin?
“Sorry,” she said, but the smile pulling at her lips told me she didn't really mean it.
Leeches. All of them. In a way, I disliked this power more than the Vampires'. At least with them they only took magic, the Sirens could pull my darkest thoughts from my lips and feed on my feelings about them while draining my power.
Max suddenly pounced on Undine from behind, grabbing her shoulders. She squeaked in alarm and Max smiled keenly as he kept his hands on her to absorb her frightened reaction.
“We're not doing fear, Rigel,” she snarled, throwing up a hand so a gust of air shoved him away from her. She stalked away, checking on the other students and Max hounded off after a couple of girls, looking like he wasn't done playing games.
I relaxed a little as I spotted Tory moving to join me, wondering if we could somehow ditch this class before any more of my thoughts on Orion were offered out like candy.
“I am not a Siren,” she announced, seeming as pissed off as me as she arrived.
I nodded my agreement then noticed Max watching us as he stood with the blonde guy and some pretty girls. He stared at us for a few hard seconds then turned to his friends and started talking in a low voice.
“I don't like the look of that,” Tory whispered as she scowled at them.
“Maybe Undine will just let us skip the rest of this?” I suggested hopefully. “We're obviously not part of this Order.”
Tory nodded firmly. “I barely like hugging people let alone having heart to hearts.”
Before we could broach the subject with Undine, she broke up the groups and gathered everyone to the lake's edge. She pulled off her shirt and I gazed at her in bafflement, leaning closer to Tory. “Does every Order have to get naked before they turn?”
She snorted a laugh. “Apparently.”
She'd told me about Darius's dragon form and how he'd gotten butt naked in front of her before leaping out of a window. Everyone in Zodiac seemed to be body confident and ready to strip off at any given moment. But I just couldn't see myself doing it no matter what Order I was a part of.
As Undine tossed her shirt on the ground, my brows raised at the sight of her skin rippling and changing. Dark red scales glittered across her flesh, fanning out across her body, shimmering like oil in the hazy sunlight. They reached up to her chin and went no further so she appeared to be wrapped in a skin-tight suit made from a mermaid's tale. She ran toward the lake, diving in and disappearing under the waves with incredible grace.
“I'm not going in there,” Tory announced and I nodded as we drew away from the shore and the deep water.
The rest of the students followed, their scales an array of colours from richest pinks, to pebble grey-blues and darkest green. I stared in wonder as nearly all of them jumped in and none returned to the surface.
My heart stalled as I found Max remaining on the shore with his friends, his shirt removed and his huge chest glimmering with deep navy scales. I was injected with an Aqua Man infused fantasy and caught myself before it got out of control.
Why were these Heirs all so devastatingly beautiful? At least one of them should have had skinny arms and a tuba for a nose. I could only imagine their parents were all gods from the heavens themselves.
Max grinned at us, stalking nearer until the weight of his power fell over us.
He took both of our hands, winding his fingers between ours. Calm rippled through my chest and guided my anxious thoughts away on swift wings.
“Hi,” Tory whispered and Max smiled keenly at her.
“How're my favourite twins?” he asked, a conspiratorial note to his voice. His friends laughed, but none of them approached, respecting Max's boundaries as he held onto us for himself.
“Come sit with me,” he said, his voice lilting and soft. He guided us toward the edge of the lake and we sat either side of him. His skin never parted from mine and I was vaguely aware that all the time he was touching me I was under his spell. But I couldn't seem to make myself pull away.
He wrapped an arm around each of our shoulders and the heavy fog over my mind thickened.
“What's your greatest fear, Tory?” he breathed in her ear and she gazed up at him, her eyes widening with the worst memory of her life. My throat constricted as I recalled that night a few years ago, the slicing terror of almost losing my sister.
Max sighed softly, his thumb caressing my shoulder as he kept his eyes on Tory.
I could see her fighting the draw he had over her and for a second I almost managed to tug away from him in a bid to help her. His influence pushed against my heart again, soothing me and I fell against him, resting my head on his shoulder. The scent of sea salt sailed over me and I listened quietly as Tory recounted that awful evening.
“My ex-boyfriend was driving me home late one night. We'd been fighting and he kept shouting at me. I told him to shut up and watch the road. He was driving like a maniac.” Max rubbed her arm, pulling her closer. “We were heading back from a weekend in Wisconsin. The roads were so dark but he wouldn't slow down. He took a turning too fast and…” Her eyes glimmered with tears and I reached out to take her hand.