As he bent to mix her drink, Laura gave her a sidelong look and a grin. “So. Bastian.”
Saina was glad her golden-brown skin didn’t show a blush easily, and she had to use all of her willpower not to squirm in her seat. How could she explain that she wasn’t Bastian’s mate, that she’d just enspelled and deluded the poor man and then had the poor grace to fall in love with him? Whether he loved her without magic or not, they were not mates.
She didn’t want to talk about Bastian.
“Is that a karaoke machine?” she asked desperately, hoping to deflect the topic.
“It is,” Tex said, setting the umbrella-topped drink in front of her. “Care to fire it up? Usually it doesn’t see a lot of use until the evening drinking crowd really settles in.”
Most of the guests were on the deck above, eating Chef’s fine food at the gourmet restaurant, but a few were nursing before-dinner drinks here in the bar, scattered between the tables in the open air bar and out on the uncovered deck, where stars were just beginning to appear in the purple sky.
Saina took a sip of her drink, eyeing the little stage hesitantly.
“I’m dying to hear you sing,” Laura admitted. “Jenny says you have the most gorgeous voice.”
Saina gave her a hard look, trying to determine if she’d heard about the things Saina could do with her voice, or if it was an innocent request.
The mischievous look on her face suggested it was not innocent.
Saina’s eyes narrowed. She wondered if Laura would prove as impossible to enchant as Jenny had.
“Of course, I could quiz you about Bastian, instead,” Laura suggested breezily.
“Hush, love,” Tex chided her. “It’s not always easy at first, and we should know. Give her space and let her enjoy her drink.”
Laura pouted good-naturedly.
Saina was puzzled. This wasn’t the mean-spirited kind of teasing she was used to in the siren pod. They were smiling, not only at each other, but inclusively at her. They would give her space if she asked for it, and she thought that they would be willing and understanding ears if she wanted to talk about Bastian. She wondered what they could tell her about him, and then remembered that she was planning to leave before he came home. She didn’t need to know more about him, as badly as she wanted to.
Suddenly singing seemed like the much simpler choice.
Chapter 24
Keylor slithered to one side, flaring his wings. So, you’ve met Saina the siren. Did she enchant you into coming to fight for her?
I am not enspelled, Bastian said, calmly confident. He remained seated, wings neatly at his back, not returning Keylor’s posturing. You have done her family wrong, he said reproachfully.
Is that what she told you? Keylor scoffed, drawing himself up. Made herself out to be the innocent victim of a cruel dragon deal?
Bastian reminded himself not to rise to Keylor’s baiting. If there is a debt, let me pay it and call it done. Release her Voice!
Slights of honor cannot be repaid with gold. At least not the amount of gold in your ridiculous hoard.
Bastian chewed on this.
Sirens lie, Keylor told him. They thrive on power and control. They backstab and weave fantasies as a matter of nature. He paused, and gave Bastian a sly sideways look. If she
said she loved you, it was a falsehood.
Bastian wanted to mantle his wings and hiss fire at the idea that Saina’s love was untrue, but he kept himself controlled.
Oh, brother-not, do you really believe you love her? You are a bigger fool that I ever knew.
This is not about me, Bastian snarled. This is about releasing her Voice.
Her Voice is mine now. She has a debt to repay and I do not choose to release it. I gave Saina a chance to buy it out, but she must have failed, if you are here now.
Then I challenge you for that contract, Bastian said.