5

The next morning, I took to my second job which was cleaning the homes in elf houses. I didn't mind cleaning. Even though my family would rip me a new one if they knew what it was I was doing. But they paid well and I liked to clean. Sure the elves kept cameras all over their homes to watch me, but that was okay. I got five different pay checks from five different clients. And let's be honest, some of these homes would be in shambles without me. And I was not even being conceited. If I took calls and texts on my off days, then my phone would be blowing up like it was this morning.

'Please O. I need you here asap. I am having a party and need my place spotless.'

'I have a business meeting and need you!'

'I'll pay double if you come over right now.' I stuffed the last check in my bra and moved to my car placing my cleaning supplies in my car. I was leaning over into my passenger seat through the driver's side when I got phone call from Monte.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Ms. Odette. Good afternoon. Do you know who this is?" I stiffened. Kandomere.

"Who is this?" I asked. I heard a quick scoff like chuckle.

"Do you know why I am calling from Montehugh's phone?" he asked.

"Because you know if you called I probably would have hung up on you?" I asked.

"Very smart. I just wanted to inform you that the information you got on the terrorist was accurate. We're going to go to dinner to discuss your employment with us. A car will pick you up at 7 pm sharp. Dress nice." he commanded all too swiftly. I stammered a bit trying to interject but the line went out. I sighed and bit my tongue gently. Son of a bitch. I didn't have anything else to do now that my morning work was done, so I drove from the elf district.

Normal POV

Kandomere tossed Monte his phone back.

"Are you sure you want to do this alone, Boss? I am sure if I just sat down with her we can easily get this out of the way, and she can sign the paper work with little to no stress." Monte replied. Kandomere shook his head.

"No. She's going to have to get used to seeing my face and get used to being beneath me." he explained as he sat back in his desk.

"You never did tell me how you came to meet her and get to help in investigations." he said. Monte looked down at his paper work with a huff hoping his boss wouldn't really be interested in knowing the details of how they met. But he shrugged.

"When she isn't helping us, she cleans homes in your district. A lot of the elf women like her talent for keeping things clean. Most elf men covet her. Having a siren woman in your home doing whatever it is you ask for money. Unlike you all, their beauty is their curse." he explained. Kandomere rolled his eyes sighing heavily in frustration.

"What happened, Montehugh?" he asked not interested in dramatics. Monte shrugged and moved into his filing cabinet and pulled out a small disk and handed it to his boss. The cover said File: 19918514. Kandomere scanned over the numbers and realized each number was connected to the letter S-I-R-E-N and he looked back at Monte as if saying 'really?'

Monte just shrugged.

"Play it. It's camera footage of writer Geylin Tollison and his home." he said. Kandomere glanced at the CD before looking up at Monte and just placing the disk into his computer. He had heard about Geylin Tollison. He wrote numerous erotic and dark literature that Kandomere was secretly curious of. His work spoke of taboos of interspecies relationships and he was good. Kandomere heard he had died of some unknown terminal illness. The screen played and Kandomere leaned back in his chair watching. An empty bedroom was now showing with a time strip at the bottom. The room was nice and colorful and everything in there was expensive from the paint on the walls to the carpet on the ground. The door opened and in came O. Her hair was pulled back and she was in grey sweats and a white crop top.

She was vacuuming and dancing at the same time to music on her headphones. Kandomere arched a brow watching as she ground her body against the air, her bottom shaking as she moved. She looked like she had a nice round bottom. However, he pushed the thoughts away and kept watching. Finally, O was packing up her stuff and was moving to leave the room when the door opened and in came Geylin Tollison himself. O jumped a bit but nodded.

"Your home is clean, Mr. Tollison. I will be out of your way now." she said and started to move around him, but he immediately blocked her way.

"Odette, why are you so quick to flee from me? I told you, let me take you from this life of cleaning. Be mine, and I can give you all the riches in the world. I can give you the world." he said.

"Mr. Tollison, we have talked about this. It is not allowed. You are an elf, I am siren. It can't happen." She said trying to move around him, but he blocked her path again.

"Screw the past and the war between our people. Let me take care of you. I will leave everything for you, my wife, my kids anything you want I will do. Just be mine." he said.

"You're hurting me." O cries out as she pulls away from him, but he holds her tight. Kandomere is still leaning back, lips pressed against his fingers as he watched.

"Don't you get it! You're the only one, the only siren who comes here of her own free will. A siren with such talent and beauty that any man would want you! But I see the way you look at me." he growls pushing back at her struggling smaller form.

"Stop. Geylin, stop it!" she screams. Kandomere's eyes slowly widen and he lifts his head as he watches the sight unfold before him. Geylin tears her shirt immediately and O screams as she tries to fight him off. He throws her onto the bed and kisses all over her face and neck as she tries to push his face off her. "GET OFF!"

In seconds, O starts to inhale big and Kandomere watches intently as he knows something much worse is about to come. She lets out a loud high-pitched scream that bursts every glass item in the room and suddenly the camera goes out. Kandomere gives a silent gasp and looks at Monte who just stares at him.

"She blew out eight other homes which were in the vicinity, luckily there was no one else in the houses. I came to investigate while you were out of the states. She was hiding in the closet. Tollison's head was gone, burst like a balloon. It was a real shit show, Boss. I found the video footage and saw what happened. I got her counseling and in return for keeping her out of jail, she helped us with gather information from anyone who proved difficult on cases." he informed. Kandomere looked down in disgust, crossing his arms.

"And when were you planning to tell me about this informant?" he asked. Monte shook his head.

"I figured after what just happened, she didn't really want to think about the fact of you ever being in charge of her. She's like a ghost, she's in and then she's out." he explained. "Which is why I think it'd be best for all of us and if I meet her for dinner to discuss her employment with us." Kandomere shook his head.

"No. I can handle one siren. And we cannot have her as a hermit being part of this job one day and then gone in the wind the next. If she is going to be an informant she is going to work." he stated before moving to the door of his office, "and learn to show a little respect."

O's POV

"Home, love, family. There was once a time I must've had them too." I sang tidying up the house. "Home, love, family. I will never be complete until I find you. One step at a time, one hope than another. Who knows where this road will go!"

I twirled the mop around in happiness getting lost in my music. Nick was coming down the hall in his uniform when danced up to him and took his hands.

"Wait, O I can't I gotta pick up my partner." he said, but I danced with him anyways and he didn't struggle. His hand moved behind my back and the other in my hand and we twirled around the living room.

"Back to who I was. On to find my future. Things my heart still need to know. Yes let this be a sign, let this road be mine. Let it lead me to my past. And bring me home," I placed my hands over Nick's shoulders and he and I danced just enough when I am in my singing moods, to know what it meant when I did this. He placed his hands on my hips and lifted me in the air and began to spin me, "At last!" My hands shot out like I was a flying eagle and once the music on my phone ended, Nick placed my down and smiled at me.

"Okay there we danced. Now I have to go." he said stepping back. "How do I look? There's no kick me signs on my back is there?" He now turned to me and I looked him over.

"You are perfect." I said. "Go be safe." He nodded moving to the door before suddenly stopping and turning to look back at me.

"So shot in the dark. Maybe this weekend you want to go out and do something?" he asked. I guess it wouldn't hurt since I basically use him for dancing and my own needs and giving nothing in return. I nodded.

"Sure." I replied and he smiled, showing sharpened down fangs.

"Okay. Cool. I'll call you later." he said and I waved.

"Okay." I said and he was out the door. The last thing I did before getting ready for this meeting I guess, was to deposit my checks. Once that was done, I was back home and in the shower getting ready. What should I wear? I mean I guess I should be formal. I figured Monte was wearing a suit and that elf would be dressing in something to show his power and money. I pinned my hair up and slid on a black skater dress with a beautiful lace pattern on the back. I slid on my heals and right on time, I heard the honking of car. I grabbed my clutch purse and checked myself over in the mirror before moving from my room with my keys, phone and wallet. I left the house and moved over to the car, but who stepped out of the back-passenger side made me pause in my movements. Blue hair, bright eyes, in a nice blue suit was coming toward me. Kandomere. I glared at im watching as he eyed my home in judgement.

"Good evening Ms. Odette." he said walking up to me and I looked him over.

"I was expecting Monte to be here." I said and he shrugged lightly.

"Monte will not be joining us tonight. This business deal is between you and me." he said and raised his hand to the car. "Please." Well I couldn't turn back now and I just winced and moved in the direction of the car. I got in and buckled up and he did as well. The car began to move and I was immediately stiff and anxious.

"I know you probably will not believe me when I say this, but you look beautiful." I hear him say. I can hear his tone; the genuine softness was there. I slowly looked in his direction but not at him.

"Thank you." I replied with mild skepticism in my tone before looking forward. "Where is it that we are going?"

"Back to the elf district. There is a nice quiet sea food place I know that we will be able to talk at." he said. I hid my soft sneer and looked down some. Silence is my weakness. Going months without any melodic tones would drain me. And seafood? Sirens came from the sea and so we did not eat fish or any ocean dweller. Kandomere suddenly chuckled.

"I am only kidding. We are going to a small Italian place that has the best music and we can talk like normal people." he said. But we are not normal people. I kept my hands folded over my lap tapping my fingers lightly on my knee.

"You're the boss." I replied and Kandomere's eyes hardened some.

"Odette look at me." he said. I am not his dog. "Please?" I sighed and slowly turned to face him. Even though he still had an authoritative demeanor, his eyes were attempting to soften enough.

"There has been other wars too. Right now everyone dislikes everyone. So when we are working together I will respect you when you are working for me, but I expect respect back." he said. I stared at him for a moment.

"Fine." I replied, but I knew deep down, I couldn't treat him as an equal because he wouldn't treat me as an equal. "Why couldn't I just meet you at your office and talk. Or do you do this with all of your informants?"

"I am not a workaholic. I do like doing other things outside of work." he said. I looked him over.

"Like shopping?" I asked. He gave a mild sneer.

"No. Like going out to nice places and trying to get a stubborn siren informant to cooperate." he said and I snorted gently.

"I see. Are you married?" I asked.

"That's not a question I expected you to ever ask." he said, his voice hinting amusement. I rolled my eyes.

"You're a strong jawed, blue haired, walking elf magnet. If you aren't a bachelor than I am sure your wife would not like you taking another woman out to merely discuss work." I explained. He stared at me for a moment and I was not expecting such a flat eyed stare. He now shook his head.

"No. I am not married." he said.

"Why not?" I asked. Now he looked ahead searching for the answers in the air.

"Just haven't met the right person." he said.

"You keep it within your species?" I shot back and he looked at me now stunned and mildly offended.

"Of course. Don't you?" he asked. I shook my head.

"No I am my own woman. I sleep with whoever I want." I said.

"So you're not mated." he said.

"I never said that." I replied and his brow arched and head tilted and he stammered now as if having more questions and not knowing which to ask. I shook my head. "I am not mated." He closed his mouth now into a thin line and nodded looking ahead.

"I see." he replied. Now it was quiet and I didn't see much else in speaking.

"I know how you and Montehugh met. I know about Tollison." he said. I didn't even react.

"So?" I asked. There was mild silence in the car.

"I am sorry an elf attacked you." he said. I shrugged placing my hands on the seat.

"Don't be. I know what I am asking for when I do the jobs I do." I said. I then feel a warm hand over mine and I looked over him immediately and he removed his hand, but his hard stand remained.

"I know you think I am an asshole. But I don't care what you are. Rape and sexual assault are disgusting. I don't tolerate it if I find out about it." he said firmly and now the car has stopped and I looked out the window to see a large building with big red lights that said Marina's. They flashed one letter at a time before all flashing all at once.

"Thank you for trying to care." I said and I could tell that threw him off. I just wasn't convinced he had genuine feelings. We exited the car and since I had never been to this large silver building, I waited for Kandomere to escort me inside. As we got to the door, I could hear violins playing slowly and gracefully. Once we got inside I could only see a white hall filled with elves talking and looking at the art on the walls. They were all dressed so flashy. But upon seeing us, they visibly whispered and pointed. I just looked at Kandomere already showing my discomfort. But a waiter approached us and it was a blonde-haired elf woman looking at Kandomere and I back and forth numerous times.

"Hello. Two?" she asked and Kandomere nodded and the woman nodded and grabbed two menus and motioned for us to follow her. As we did people kept glancing and watching us. I glanced up at Kandomere to see he was just looking ahead. It was as if he didn't see any of their judging sneers. He didn't care what they thought.