Warnings: continuation of overdose content. Themes of life and death. But we're out of the woods after this.
Disclaimer: Parthenope is a 'real' siren from Greek legends, but I took a few artistic liberties with her story to make it fit this fic. No surprise, Women Who Run with the Wolves references abound as well. Lastly, I made some edits to previous chapters to better foreshadow some of this information. Feel free to reread if you want, but nothing major has changed.
Song lyrics in this chapter: Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles
As soon as Grace's eyes fully closed, red fractals appeared on the back of her eyelids like she was peering into a kaleidoscope. She could feel her body fighting to breathe and although she was still very high from the dope, the singer started to feel helpless. She was too impaired to move and avoid being pulled under as she felt her existence start to slip away from her.
Flashbacks began to intermingle with the fractals; Grace watched her memories as a third party, standing beside herself at different points in her life. Her toddler self running around the side of a pool, her mother singing along to the radio on their way to kindergarten, her father beating the hell out of her brother on his twelfth birthday, the time he accidentally left an empty cocaine receptacle in her Christmas present, the first audition she ever took in Los Angeles, her first show at Fangtasia, the power that emerged during the New Year's Eve cabaret and finally, Eric's lips meeting her neck just before he drank from her.
Soon, the scenery faded to black and her mind was transported elsewhere. It left her body entirely, no longer attached to her form. She lost all sense of time and space as she sank below the earth, deeper than she'd ever traveled. Shreveport and everything other physical thing in her life was miles away and an afterthought.
It was as if someone had placed the twenty-seven year old in a sensory deprivation tank. She was weightless and alone in the dark. No noises or tangible sensations concerning her body. Nothing to distract her. Just her pure mind in a meditative state and she felt one with the universe and everything that resided in it.
Finally, there was peace. It was stronger than any drug she'd tried.
She wasn't sure how long she stayed in this lower plane of existence; it could have been a minute or a decade. Time was not a concept she could fathom. Grace was too enthralled with the feeling of absolute connection to notice a light the size of a pinhole that appeared in the distance. It began to grow and she finally realized it was there once it became the size of a baseball. The alluring energy from within it invited her closer.
She considered giving in to the light and finding out what would happen if she crossed the threshold to the other side of it. But Grace didn't want to leave the dark void. It was cold, yet simultaneously felt like the cosmos were giving her a warm, enveloping hug. She told herself she could feel it for one more moment before investigating the light further, but the promise faded when she lost track of time again. The addict made more attempts to leave the state of mind - just a few more seconds, another small hit of peace before she would move - and each time she ended back up in the same place.
Blissfully suspended without a care in the world.
Without warning, a glitch darted through her tranquility. Grace became aware of directions at the very least because something pushed her upwards. She didn't fight it initially, still absorbed in the majestic and otherworldly sensations. However, when the force threatened to boot her out of the void, Grace panicked and clawed back as much as she could. She didn't want to go back to her old body and life. She needed to stay in the dark paradise forever.
Yet, the universe had other plans. The force pushed her all the way up until she emerged into a familiar underground cave network with the faint sound of chirping birds. She rose from the depths of her river beneath the river and floated out of the water but still didn't possess a true physical form. When the singer looked down, she saw a bright red glow resembling a body shape but it was fluid and not flesh and bone.
She heard faint singing and looked over to the shore where her ancestor was sitting naked in front of the biggest pile of bones she had seen yet. The woman held out her hand as a gesture to join but Grace was terrified and longed for the comfort of the world below. She pushed her form back down into the river to return but her ancestor interjected.
"You cannot go back there, my child. I know your attachment but it is a transitional plane. It is time for you to choose."
"No." Grace was surprised that a sound came out of her, given she didn't have an actual mouth. "I'm going back."
"You cannot."
"And why is that?" Grace challenged. Her glow vibrated alongside her forceful words, her frustration evident now that she was no longer in her dark zen state.
"You have been there long enough," the woman answered, forceful but calm.
"Says who?"
"I do. I am the keeper of your soul and it does not belong there."
Grace stewed when yet another person tried to control her. Her agitation rippled throughout the cave; she didn't want to accept her ancestor's words. She longed to be weightless again without any obligations and moved her energy back over to the river. However, she was stopped from doing so when the woman sang a few syllables to close off the portal.
"I want to go back there," Grace demanded. "I want to be away from you. Hell, I'll even take that stupid light over this. Let me go."
Her ancestor sighed and looked at her clasped hands. "So that is your choice then? You choose to go into the light?"
The artist paused, taken aback by the finality in her tone. She was used to arguing with people like her father, who fought fire with fire as soon as she expressed an attitude. She expected her ancestor to be furious with her for ignoring the repeated visits from Bert (never Leandros). Instead, the redhead was accepting while feeling dismayed about her choice.
"What would happen if I did?" Grace asked. Something told her she needed to be informed about what her choice would really mean.
"You would follow your human spirit. It is the end."
"End?" she repeated incredulously.
"I am afraid that part of you is dead," her ancestor informed. "It did not survive your ordeal. So you would choose to join it and your existence would be over."
Dead. Dead.
Fuck.
She kept running over the woman's words to internalize the facts. She had apparently overdosed, killing a part of herself. There was no walking away from that fact and the void was - what, purgatory or something? There was still so much she wanted to know. It was very appealing to have an ending where she didn't have to carry any more heavy burdens but she didn't want to meet the light quite yet. Not when she didn't have answers to her questions.
"What's my other option?" Grace asked timidly.
"Embrace your true nature. Become the siren you were meant to be without human attachments."
Grace's form floated backward in shock; if she had hands, they would have flown to her mouth to cover a gasp. Siren? Was that what she really was? Yet a soft drum beat started in her brain, setting a steady tempo as things clicked together. Alessandra's heritage, her love of water and the powers behind her voice … it started to make sense based on what she knew about the mythical creatures. She couldn't remember every detail from her high school history classes, but it was enough to make the connections.
And there was a deep comfort that came along with the truth, she found. Grace couldn't explain it, but it was almost as if she'd known she was a siren all along and it was simply a formality to have someone say it out loud. It pushed away her initial fear and she could feel the woman before her responding to her interest. The wild energy that always accompanied her performances at Fangtasia began to swell between them both.
"Is that what you are?"
"Yes," the woman said with a warm smile. "My name is Parthenope and I was one of the first."
Finally, her name.
"Tell me," the singer said, floating closer and thirsting for more. "About you and our kind. Please." Parthenope waved the artist back over to the pile of bones and took a deep breath before launching into her story once Grace settled beside her.
"Very well, as it shall help you make your choice. Sirens are the daughters of Achelous, the oldest and most honored river God, and the Muses. In the beginning, there were only a few of us. We flocked to the sea, for we are at home when we are near water. We inhabited an island where we could be ourselves without interference. Over time, we came to know male visitors of all species - we even coupled with them and had more siren daughters after they left. We were happy to be alone to tend to our young. We could raise them how they were meant to be. Creative and wild. Our ways kept them immortal, no matter the father."
Grace was entranced as Parthenope's unique primordial energy curled around her. She basked in her ancestor's verbal and nonverbal wisdom and looked at her as if she was her second mother.
"Word spread about our power, beauty and hospitality. More and more visitors descended upon our island and some, like the underworld demons, stole our daughters. We never saw them again. We learned from these predatory traps and sang our enchanting song to thwart anyone from landing on our shores. We successfully kept visitors away for a very long time.
"Yet, the world grew too big for our family. As human technology flourished, they frequently sailed by on their wooden ships, moving back and forth to wage war on one another. They became our largest threat. We shifted our song to invite them in and perish upon our rocky coast. We would let them rot in our meadows if they survived the shipwreck for we do not require food and water in the same way they do. We hoped that if we killed enough of them, their race would die out and we would be left alone. But we were not successful."
Grace felt a shiver run down her spine. She didn't like where this was going.
"My end was during this time. I called out to a passing ship and invited them in, as I had done favorably many times. But I did not know that the witch Circe told the sailors to put wax in their ears. The famed human Odysseus was the only one to hear my song, but the ship sailed past our island and he survived. My intention did not come to fruition, which fated me to die. I fell into the sea and never saw my daughter again in my siren body."
Parthenope fell silent for a moment, painfully mourning the loss. Grace absorbed her emotions as if they were her own and it was strange to experience tears without physically producing them.
"Humans gathered my body once it washed ashore and buried me. They created a city around it and named it after me before eventually calling it … Naples, as you say today. They regularly prayed at my tomb and thus gave me the power to watch over my bloodline from the beyond. That is how I became a soul keeper." She paused for another moment and Grace was hit with more sadness. "I watched our family dissolve the island fortress and separate after more of us died. My daughter carried on and I continued to teach her our ways when she visited this river beneath the river. She and the other sirens carefully produced more offspring and raised them in our customs. This kept them immortal. However, our lineage began to dwindle as the world viciously tried to capture us for their gain. The elders fell and their offspring grew outside of our ways. They became mortal without our wisdom.
"As more mortal daughters coupled with different men, our true genetics were diluted and hidden, only to emerge if a descendant reconnected with her wild nature. But many women of our species became trapped instead of embracing it. I watched generations of my kin forget our traditions and suffer because of it. I reached out to them, but they did not answer my call. Society held them in chains they perceived they could not break. They fell into unhappiness and died without ever knowing their powers. Generation after generation, the pain compounded and was handed down like an heirloom. For women carry much pain that does not directly belong to them."
"Did you visit my mother?" Grace finally interjected. The question burned within her, she had to understand. Parthenope somberly looked down at her hands again.
"I called to your mother," she sighed. "She researched our family tree and came across the last siren of our line, her namesake who sailed over from Naples." Grace remembered the Ellis Island photograph clearly. "Although your mother did not know what she had uncovered. I brought her here to the river beneath the river, as I did with you the first time. She never returned. She does not know about our species. She chose soul famine instead of nourishment."
"She chose my strict and abusive father," Grace said bitterly.
"You must understand. After so many generations of hurt, her instincts have been injured beyond repair. She does not know any better. It is for the same reason that I cannot let you go back to the transitional plane. You believe you need it, but you do not belong there."
Grace paused momentarily, taking in the elder siren's words. She remembered the haunting feeling of not wanting to leave the place she apparently wasn't meant for.
"You, my child, are too special to be hidden there. I have not seen powers as strong as yours since the elders were alive. You should not have been able to control such crowds as a novice. You need more instruction, which I will give you if you come to see me." It was hard to ignore her pointed stare, finally acknowledging Grace's failure to visit when she needed it most. "You have so much potential to revive our line. Now that you do not carry human traces, you may be able to grow your siren wings with practice. Something the world has not seen for over a millennium."
"Wings?" Grace blurted out. "What do you mean? All the sirens I've read about are like mermaids!"
Parthenope's mood shifted quickly.
"Lies! Lies! As the human empires rose and fell, the men in power found new ways to demonize us and encourage the hunt. They painted us as temptresses and evil creatures. They said we attacked when we merely defended ourselves. They even pushed our abilities onto other female creatures to justify killing them alongside us. We are not mermaids with tails that look like fish." Grace floated backward in horror when the woman's body shifted shape. Feathers started to grow out of her shoulder blades. "We are songbirds of the sea."
The siren then erupted into her true form. Wings spread out from her back and her feet turned into talons, but her beautiful face remained the same. Parthenope took off, flew around the cave and sang a stunning melody to demonstrate her full ability.
Grace shrunk her red aura, cowering at her astonishing power. The story had moved her but her ancestor's display showed her the deep waters that came along with choosing to become a siren. She would need to accept that she'd no longer be human; like a vampire, she'd outgrow all her current attachments to that world once immortal. All while trying to protect herself from constant attack and learning how to turn into a fucking supernatural bird woman.
It was too daunting and she couldn't accept it at first. Grace felt shame as she turned back towards the river. She longed for the dark void again, without hardships or troubles. She'd even take the light at the end of the road. Parthenope noticed her agitation and swiftly transformed back into her naked body.
"I will not lie to you. It will be difficult if you choose this path. It will be painful to cut out the old parts of your life, heal your wounds and learn the true path you were meant for."
"I - I don't know if I can do it," she sputtered. She would have been crying buckets of tears if she could. "I don't think I'm s - strong enough."
"I pulled you out of the plane to allow you a choice. Do not think too much. What does your heart say?"
The artist paused. She silently counted to ten and focusing on something menial and insignificant for a change shifted her attitude. Her red energy reached out to Parthenope without Grace consciously realizing it and danced alongside her ancestor. It yearned to be wild and free again in the world, learning to create and love. As hard as she tried, she couldn't ignore the feeling and the decision became clear.
"I want to live as a siren."
Parthenope wrapped her arms around her, her happiness swelling and transferring to Grace. The singer melted into her embrace and experienced profound joy and acceptance. They tenderly hugged until she felt the need to pull away.
"Come then, my child. It is time."
The elder siren led Grace back to the pile of bones, motioned for her to sit and settled beside her. Her aura vibrated in anticipation of her oncoming evolution, but she didn't exactly know how it would happen.
"These are your bones. Your indestructible life force. If you sing to them, you will breathe a vital spark into them again. Think of a song you love. That makes the sun rise in the sky and shine light onto all the dark places in the world. Then sing it aloud."
Instead of responding with her usual doubt and sass, Grace focused on identifying what would fit the criteria and went through her rolodex, much like the first time she auditioned at Fangtasia. Yet instead of choosing something that would please someone else like Pam or any other promoter, the singer intended to select a song that would satisfy her. Soon, such a tune came to mind. She was instantly transported back to her middle school years when she'd borrowed a friend's CD player and listened to the Beatles for the first time on the bus ride to school. Grace trusted that she could still sing in her current physical form and projected the lyrics.
Little darlin', it's been a long, cold, lonely winter
Little darlin', it feels like years since it's been here
Her voice was delicate and shaky but still caused the pile of bones to jump to attention. She stopped singing and cried out when she felt a sharp, cracking pain rip through her; marrow and tendons began to grow around the abandoned skeleton.
"What's happening?" Grace managed to get out. The torturous pain continued as the bones glowed and more muscle appeared. The artist finally took in her first real breath to endure the excruciating discomfort and felt a new force burst from within her. How, she wasn't quite sure because she still didn't have a body, but she didn't question it.
"It is alright. Continue," her ancestor soothed. She took in another breath and desperately gulped down more oxygen. After a few more gasps, Grace focused back on the bones and forged on.
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun
And I say, it's alright
The bones snapped apart and regrew themselves into smaller and more intricate pieces. Some organized themselves on the ground to make feet while others stacked on each other to form legs. But they halted once Grace stopped singing again and whimpered in response to the worst pain she'd ever felt. Time was still not something she fully understood, but it felt like she encouraged herself to continue for hours to no avail.
"I … can't do this … I'm … not strong … enough."
"You are. Trust me."
Grace thought about giving up. She couldn't take the agony, it was even too hard to breathe. Yet all of a sudden, something violently shook the cave. The artist looked up in terror but Parthenope smiled. The bones resumed building and formed a torso on top of a pair of hips; the new flesh crept up the structure and filled in the gaps.
"I was wondering what his choice would be. His bloodline continues to surprise me."
"W - what?" she stumbled. Grace wanted to ask so much more, but she couldn't find the energy to verbalize it.
"You will not be alone in this it seems. Your bonded is here," the siren said, her smile forming into a bigger grin when the cave shook again and the body progressed.
"B - bonded?"
"Your connection to the Viking vampire. It is a soul bond. He is your true mate. Your destinies are woven together and he has accepted this. He has given you his heart to aid your choice."
Eric.
Grace resisted at first; she was still angry with him. However the emotion faded and was replaced with wonder when a stream of red started pouring from the cave's ceiling with an icy blue force fluidly swirling around it. The vampire blood landed on the body's shoulders and Grace's pain lessened due to its healing powers. Once the bones were fully formed with help from the new development, Grace found herself staring at her reflection as if she was in front of a mirror. Everything was the same as her human form; it retained her cellulite, stretch marks, scars, tattoos and piercings. But when the body's eyes flew open, it began to sparkle and pop with mystical power.
She was taken aback, and when the icy blue glow surrounded her newly made form, Grace felt Eric's emotions alongside hers. She was flooded with guilt, grief, support, hope and most importantly, his steadfast love and devotion. And somehow, she heard his voice telling her he loved her. The words made Grace's red glow dance and rejoice, her strength returning. Her resistance to him smoothed over.
"Keep singing, my child," Parthenope directed.
Grace gave her one last look before hardening her resolve now that the pestering aches were starting to dull. She looked back at her body and focused all her power on singing to her life force.
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
The lyrics boomed throughout the cave, surprising her. The body took its first independent breath and its heart began to beat; the icy blue and red auras twirled around it. The sound of pumping blood fueled Grace to take the energy in stride and repeat the lyrics with the same amount of brute force.
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
The rest could only be described as pure magic. The rest of her red glow floated into the body's mouth and Grace finally took her first breath as an integrated and fully immortal siren. She felt so whole … and fucking free. Parthenope's long lost daughter flew into her arms, reveling in her physical touch now that she was no longer just a ball of energy.
"Thank you. Thank you," Grace said, tears now flowing down her face. "I am forever grateful to you."
"You are welcome," she responded, hugging her closer. "Always remember you have a choice. I cannot force you to visit me for instruction once you return. That is up to you. But I will be here for you when you need me. I will always reside in your river beneath a river to help you heal. Now, it is time for you to rise, my dear siren."
"I will visit, I promise. There's still so much I need to learn."
"In due time … in due time." Parthenope lovingly patted the side of her face, kissed her head, looked up at the cave's ceiling and began to sing to send her back to the real world. The newly formed siren's eyes slowly closed and she was transported back to the surface where her vampire confidants were waiting, unbeknownst to her.
But it was not a smooth re-entry once Grace's eyes opened and she took her first breath; it was more of a scream and her body jerked upwards. She continued to heave and choke as she panicked and fought for more oxygen. She was disoriented and dizzy. The kaleidoscope fractals returned and Grace felt like she might throw up. She attempted to blink the unnatural fluorescent light away but everything was still so hazy and she couldn't see straight.
"Holy fuck," a female voice swore.
"Shit, someone call Ludwig!" a male exclaimed.
"No."
Her bonded's voice cut through the chaos; she immediately recognized Eric's tone. Grace turned and met his icy blue eyes, sharp and clear as day against the blurry background. She felt his love and relief as the rest of his face covered in red tears came into focus. The singer desperately reached out to feel him and hang onto something solid as she reintegrated and rode out the effects of his heart, for this was the first time she'd experienced the bewildering effects of vampire blood. His arms quickly wrapped around her and held him against her to calm her down. Yet her panic remained and she began to babble.
"Get me out of here, I can't be inside, I'm immortal, I need to be outside, I need to be in water, I need water, I'm a siren, I'm immortal, I need wa -"
In a flash, Eric picked her up from the couch, held her bridal style in his arms, raced out of the house and took her to a quiet lake in the woods outside of town. He stopped at the shore and put her on the ground, but Grace was like a newborn giraffe trying to figure out how to walk on its legs. Her feet couldn't take any weight yet and he caught her after she fell into him, a puddle of uncoordinated limbs.
"Help me, I need to get in there, I'm immortal, I'm a siren, I need the water, I have a new body, I -"
The Viking scooped her up again and zipped into the water until it reached his chest. He cradled her in his arms and Grace floated on the surface, suspended and safe. And not in as much pain, thanks to his blood. Soon, the moon, night sky and the lake's water were like healing salves on her wounds and the siren expelled all of her heartache and anxiety through her wailing tears. She'd been through so much and needed to decompress after such a demanding regeneration and integration. Eric remained silent the whole time and held her against him as he sent soothing energy through their bond much like a dedicated maker would with their progeny on their first night of undead life.
Although she was now in the real world, Grace still couldn't tell how much time had passed. But eventually, her tears dried up and she began to shiver from the combination of the cold winter air and her wet clothes from the night before. She snuggled against Eric for warmth but trembled even harder because of his chilled, dead skin. Still, it felt right to be so close to her bonded, even if they had unfinished business to address. At that moment, she needed him more than she ever had before.
"You're freezing," he murmured.
"Shower. Please," Grace sighed, improving from her earlier stream of consciousness speech patterns now that she'd calmed down. However, she was exhausted and still unable to form complex sentences. "But can't go back to that house."
The vampire used his superhuman speed to transport them to another location. Grace quickly found herself in a simplistic masculine bathroom; the walls were painted a grey hue with dark wood fixtures and black and metal accents. Eric carried her over to the large open rain shower set up and placed her on the bench beside the controls. Grace slowly shrugged off her leather jacket as he turned on the water but got stuck in the process.
"Allow me," he comforted. Eric's hands reached out to take care of the rest of her outfit and she felt his desire begin to rise through their bond as he pulled her shirt over her head and revealed her lacy black bralette. He paused to savor the sight of her breasts.
"No sex. Too tired," she said somberly. His eyes snapped up to her face and he nodded, doing his best to tamp down on the bond as he removed her bra, dingy sweatpants, shorts, now ripped fishnets, underwear, socks and Doc Martins. Once she was naked, he peeled off his own clothes, picked her up and steadied her on her feet beneath the water. Grace leaned into him for support but ultimately he finished cleaning the blood, sweat, tears and grimy lake water off them while she stood the entire time.
But soon, her eyelids threatened to close as he massaged her shoulders. Eric noticed her state and moved as if she'd hit the fast forward button, turning off the shower, drying them off, putting her in one of his long sleeve black shirts that fit her like a dress and bringing her into an adjoining bedroom. Her head hit a pillow and she barely noticed him leave her side to dress himself and retrieve soft animal furs to keep her warm.
"Need to talk," she mumbled. "Not now."
"Not now. You sleep," the Viking agreed, wrapping his arms around her from behind and nuzzling her wet hair.
Now that the other distracting smells were gone, all she could inhale was him; crisp air, pine needles, tree sap, amber and smoke. It was heavenly. He then dropped a soft "I love you" in her ear and Grace sighed and felt herself fully relax. There were his feelings, finally said aloud. She blinked away a few happy tears, pulled him closer and said the same words before she drifted off.
Yet Grace woke up in what felt like a blink of an eye even though it had been hours. She didn't even have any strange dreams. She was a little groggy as her eyes fluttered open but melted in relief when she felt Eric's body still beside her. Grace turned to snuggle up against him when she noticed that he was frozen and the room they were in was dark with no windows. Everything smelled insanely like him and she guessed it was his bedroom. It also led the siren to believe that the sun must be up; he was here with her during his day death.
His vulnerability hit her like a ton of bricks because not too long ago, he'd all but pushed her out of his nest and now here she was, in his most private place during his most disarmed state. The memory reminded her that yes, Eric loved her but they still needed to sort things out and she wouldn't be completely fine until they did. But she'd need to kill some time before that would happen apparently.
She lovingly stroked the vampire's cheek before rolling off the bed and turning on the dim room lights. Grace expected to remain disoriented and confused, much like when her soul evolved after the New Year's cabaret. Yet Eric's blood and the experience in the lake had settled her and she didn't feel so out of sorts. In fact, her vision was a little sharper as her eyes scanned his bedroom. The walls were painted a moody charcoal color and a simple desk and bookcase stood in the corner, displaying various priceless works and ancient art. But his black bed was her favorite. It was the biggest thing in the room by far (save for the plush dark rug underneath it) and comfortable in more ways than one.
It caused her to stretch like a cat - practically wiggling her toes - and relax as she waited for her lover to rise. She'd take the time to settle into her form and gather her thoughts. Grace soon transitioned into a lying spinal twist to wring out her physical and emotional aches before rising from the bed to test her feet. She stood easily and walking wasn't that bad either. She lazily strolled over to his massive walk-in closet, ran her fingers over his dark wardrobe as she came to realize how seriously she needed him for the rest of her existence, returned to the bedroom to do more restorative yoga poses, lost track of time and then remembered that there were still more things to explore.
Grace found herself in front of his bookshelf, admiring his treasures. The siren almost pulled out an original copy of Homer's work to distract her from the conditions she would need to make with Eric but decided she'd be beside herself if anything happened to it. Yet one artifact stood out the most: a silver crown. She paused to investigate further and respect the craftsmanship.
"It was my father's." Eric's arms slid around her waist from behind and she smiled softly in response to his touch before turning around to face him. It felt so right to be in his arms; their bond rejoiced.
"I should have known you were royalty. Explains a lot." She felt his intense relief now that she was acting more like herself but it flickered when he caught her serious expression.
"There's much you don't know about me," he said, testing the waters to sense her mood.
"And I'd like to change that … but under different circumstances. Come, sit. We're overdue for this."
Grace led him back to the bed and perceived his slight apprehension. It matched her own. Yet, she decided to say fuck it and launch straight into the topic once they sat down. She was tired of the smokescreen between them; it was time to come clean. Eric took her hand, unable to stop touching her.
"I'm thankful for your help during my … transition. I don't know if I would have made it without you. But we fucked this up before and I can't go back to that. So things need to change. First things first, I know I was high and did some shitty things when I left. I'm sorry for that, but I still stand by the fact that I can't work for you anymore." He moved to interrupt but she put a finger to his lips to silence him. "I won't be a songbird in a cage, pining for you across the room. Right now, I have to heal and learn my powers out of the public eye. I have help - an ancestor is guiding me - but I need to explore on my own in a safe space and be sober while doing it."
"I agree," he finally cut in, "which is why Fangtasia has already terminated your contract."
"When?" She couldn't keep the surprise out of her voice.
"I ordered it just after you fell asleep. Pam and Louis are already retooling things, something about adding more burlesque and circus acts to fill your place." He paused and a fierce, protective feeling flooded their bond. "It's not safe for you to perform. It puts you in the spotlight and we can't have that anymore. Not with the danger you're in."
"What kind of danger?" Her heartbeat started to race.
"You've broken quite a few vampire laws. Laws I should have enforced as a Sheriff from the beginning," he admitted with a grimace. "My kind will still want to hold you accountable if they ever figure out what you've done."
Grace finally began to see the repercussions of her actions ever since she'd taken to Fangtasia's stage; her fucking audacity was clear now. She'd been so consumed by her emotional baggage and subsequent addictions to notice the snares she was falling in. It chilled her to the bone, knowing that she could have met the same death as the rest of her kind without even realizing what she was doing. A death by Eric's hand too if he'd followed through with his duties.
"Why didn't you crack down on me?"
"I thought you were a threat and wanted to understand what you were before I disciplined you. But after the police raid … I couldn't go through with it. And certainly not after your soul called to me." He pushed a strand of Grace's hair behind her ear. She bit her lip as she processed. "You must know, I glamoured you to stay in the house because I needed to buy time until nightfall, to continue the cover up. I intimidated you in anger, but I would never hurt you."
"Be honest with me then … how bad is the mess, does the King know?"
"He knows about the events in Texas, but I'm not certain he's linked it to you. I'm diverting his attention but it's not him I worry about. You've crossed state lines, so your actions would reach the Magister, our highest judge." Grace's breath hitched. "And now that you've become a siren, I believe she would sentence you a slave to the Authority, our executive council. They would jump at the chance to own such a rare creature."
The ultimate trap. Panic rushed through her nervous system; her muscles tightened and stars floated through her field of vision. She didn't want to end up like one of the lost island daughters, stolen by evil forces to never be seen again. He sensed her agitation through their bond and gathered her face in his hands to ensure she understood how seriously he took his next words.
"Grace, I won't let them take you. I will keep you safe and protect you because you are mine." The force of his voice reverberated throughout the room. "I'm not afraid to say that now. I was a fool to deny it before. I'm … sorry."
She relaxed into his touch and tears started to form in her eyes after he kissed her forehead. They were happy ones at first since he'd addressed another one of her other sticking points without her bringing it up and vampires with reputations like his rarely apologized. And he clearly meant it, their bond was pulsing with sincerity. But they turned to sad tears when she knew that he was also putting himself in danger.
"I can't ask you to shoulder my mistakes. I was reckless -"
"You are my soul and blood bonded -"
"But if the Magister or Authority does find out … you'll go down with me, won't you? They won't be happy you're defying them."
"I would gladly stand by your side. Fuck the Authority," he growled.
"No," she said, shaking her head. He dropped his hands. "You won't get hurt because of me. If we ever get caught, you tell them I bewitched you with my song. It's the truth."
"But not the whole truth. Your influence fades." She looked down to watch his fingers graze her arm; he still couldn't stop touching her. "Did you know that?"
"I suspected," she admitted. "But wasn't sure and didn't bother to verify. Things were kind of a … haze for a while."
"You may have turned my head, but you are not controlling me now. I love you on my own. And I am not letting you go." She started to snivel and he wiped away some of her tears. "You will learn that I am very loyal to the ones I love. No one fucks with my family. And you are part of my family now, you are my bonded. I'm not losing you."
Grace paused momentarily to stare into his blue eyes and remembered the same colored force with her in the cave. She knew she couldn't lose him either and put the knee-jerk anger she'd inherited from her father aside to accept his choice and let him protect her as her true mate. It wasn't hard after shedding her old skin during her near death experience.
"So what do we do?"
"You lay low," he directed.
"Here?" she asked, looking around at his bedroom. "For how long?"
"Until things quiet down, then we can reassess. And not here, you would be too exposed to outsiders. As Sheriff, I must coordinate and host visits for any vampire of importance in my Area. It's why I had a hand in Jessica's shopping trip. Bill found out and reminded me of my duty." Grace shifted as more dots connected in her head. She then felt his deep arousal blast through their bond and a heat ignited within her because of it. "But believe me, I would love nothing more than to have you in this bed."
"I'm not living in that house," she diverted, not quite ready to tumble into the sheets with him. "Too many bad memories."
"I have another property you can stay in."
"Will I have a tail?"
"Our two bonds will always help me monitor you. But Vincenzo has already volunteered to watch over you."
"He shouldn't do that."
"I didn't ask him to. He said he is duty bound to help protect you, as you are not the first siren he's met."
Grace's eyes almost popped out of her skull. She would have to find him later and ask a few questions.
"There is another matter. Officially, Fangtasia will say we're dropping you from the cabaret because we're evolving into a new show. Pam, Vincenzo and Louis are the ones who know the truth, as well as a doctor that I can trust to keep quiet. But I can't stop the rumors from other employees or the public … they'll say it was really your drug problem."
Her ancestor's words were true. It would be hard to cut out the old parts of her life; even though it was what she wanted, the circumstances of losing her place on Fangtasia's stage still hurt. The singer mourned her risky training ground and all that came along with it. It was her first home, after all. But it wouldn't be her last, now that she was immortal. Her actions wouldn't be complete failures if she learned from them and chose a different path.
"Let them," Grace said, defiantly jutting her chin. "It isn't entirely a lie. Fuck, tell Bill for all I care if he asks what really happened. If it helps me stay out of the spotlight, then do it. I can take the reputation hit in the short term to keep the long game going." She took his hand and smiled softly. "Man, it's crazy to realize I've got nothing but time on my side now. Well … time and you. Gotta get used to that."
Eric dropped his fangs and every barrier in response. She felt his intense attraction and sense of being kindred immortal spirits through their mystical connection, followed by oceans of desire and longing. She melted under his lust filled, possessive gaze as the fire within her roared to life like someone had thrown gasoline on it. She was done talking, she wanted to feel every part of him and get lost in his embrace after experiencing his pleasure. The siren ached for his hands to explore her new flesh. Moreover, she was floored by his transparency and the fact that she couldn't sense the broken piece of him that had called out to her when she'd first laid eyes on him. Instead, Eric's feelings were whole. He'd changed.
He eventually looked away. His fingers gripped hers tightly and squeezed before he pulled back from the honesty. But this time, it wasn't because he didn't trust his feelings, it was because he remembered that she had demurred earlier and wanted to respect her wishes as he had the night before. She could feel it through their connection. But Grace didn't want him to stop, not when he'd finally let her in. She reached out, grabbed his face to capture his gaze and nodded to give her consent.
Eric wasted no time capturing her lips with his own.
Author's note: woooooooof, what this chapter means to me … I suppose I should dive into the myth references to really describe it.
I read Women Who Run with the Wolves in 2023 after one of my mentors suggested it. The first myth - La Loba - describes how a wild woman ancestor can help women go to their river beneath the river (the deep psyche/subconscious) and sing over their bones (use their art and creativity) to heal them, forming a new body in the process. That's the cliffnotes version, but I realized this is what singing and writing fanfiction over the past decade has been for me. I'm not a professional artist (I work in tech) but I need a creative outlet and with fanfics, I use my OCs as vehicles to process whatever has been going through my life. Grace and I share a lot in common - not just that we're both curvy jazz/blues singers - and if you've ever thought to yourself, hmmm, that's an oddly specific detail, I likely could have pulled it from my life experiences. Although to be clear there are many fictional/dramatized things about her too. So I put those concepts from the myth into this story to honor what I've been doing.
The main thing I've been processing lately is addiction, which is where the second myth - The Red Shoes - comes in. Act One and Three of this fic have always been really clear in my mind, but Act Two was messy and undefined. I originally wasn't going to touch addiction in this way, but it runs in the women of my family and I can't say I've been immune myself. While writing Chapter 5 of this fic, I reread this myth and Estés commentary to prepare myself for a tough conversation with my Mom about her destructive behaviors. Then Act Two came into focus. It was deeply important for me to show Grace going into the abyss and choosing life because that's what I wish for the women in my family, myself included. I could say so much more on this topic, but I'll just finish with this. The themes of traps, society's chains, the good girl around the police raid, Godric's Janis story and the color red reference this chapter in the book.
Well! After all that heaviness … I don't know about you, but I need some fluff and smut to cleanse myself. Sorry for the teaser at the end, I had to spill the main event over in the next chapter cuz it would have been too much to shove it into this one. Thanks for sticking with me here! Appreciate all your love and reviews, hopefully now you can start to understand how much they mean to me!
And lastly, while procrastinating on this chapter, I revived my old Tumblr blog from ten years ago and used it for inspiration. Head over to oldnumberseven . tumblr . com if you want to follow me!