9. Chapter 9

I might not have had much experience with men or flirting, but Myle's intentions were easy to guess and I wasn't in the least interested in encouraging his flirting nor in becoming his next conquest.

All I wanted was for this to be over, to return home to my nice, safe life. And Conrad , my mind stabbed at me. Don't forget Conrad . Nice, sweet, safe Conrad. Yes. I wanted to be back with him.

Myles's smile deepened, his black eyes burned dangerously at me and a pulling sensation ran through my loins, tightening and releasing them. The sensation was alien and new, but oh so pleasant. This man across from me was dangerous. Not only because he was a vissigroth, my vissigroth, but because something about him drew me in, awakened a Niara who was more than willing to take a risk.

I pushed her back down, Conrad, Conrad , I forced my mind to repeat like a mantra or spell to ward my increasing, confusing feelings for Myles off .

To distract me further, I took a sip of the camwin tea and watched Myles pile vegetables, fish, meat, rolls, steamed shellfish and whatnot on my plate.

"I can't eat all that," I protested.

"Nonsense, you need some meat on your bones." He added more steamed dollug—a sea plant like potato—on my plate.

"Are you saying I'm too skinny?" I heard myself ask, hoping to keep any flirtation out of my voice.

"Are you fishing for compliments?" he countered, eliciting a small, mumbled curse from me. He chuckled. Damn him .

"This is very delicious," I held up my cup of tea.

His eyes darkened, smoldered even, "Probably not as delicious as some other things around the table."

I swallowed the tea I had already in my mouth, trying hard not to choke as his words made me suck in my breath.

He placed the filled plate in front of me, leaned forward, with his hands fisted on either side of my dish. Our heads were so close, our noses nearly bumped, when he slowly and very deliberately picked up a small berry from my plate and plugged it into his mouth, chewing it and smacking his lips while a warm sensation spread through my chest making it hard to breathe.

"Delicious," he said, keeping our eye contact.

This needs to stop , I decided. We had only known each other for a few hours, I was his hostage, hah, prisoner might be a better word, and here I was drooling all over him. No, that wasn't me.

And yet, those eyes.

His warm breath caressed me, smelling of the sweetness of this particular berry. My breathing turned deeper, if physically felt the rising and lowering of my chest. It wouldn't have taken any effort on his or my part to lean a few more inches forward and press our lips together.

Something flickered in his eyes. Something like victory and when I broke our eye contact I noticed the left corner of his lip rising in a self-satisfied grin. Which was when I realized this was a game for him. A game to see how fast he could have his hostage panting at his feet.

Anger bubbled up inside me. Well, I would show him. I would not become one of his famous conquests. Oh yes, even this backwater woman had heard of his infamous conquests . I would not become another notch in his belt. I would not. Any feelings of desire he had woken in me died.

I pushed my chair back and grabbed my plate. "Thank you for fixing my plate, I think I will eat in my prison cell."

I rose and bathed in the sight of his diminishing, self-satisfied grin, which had proclaimed a victory just seconds ago. In my mind I padded myself on the shoulder, as he slowly seemed to deflate, pushed himself back to standing on the other side of the table and regarding me with a mix of amusement and surprise.

I nearly dropped my plate when the door opened and a siren slithered in. As it was, I took a step backward and held on to my plate as if it was a weapon I could use against her.

Her voluptuous breasts were barely contained by the largest seashells I had ever seen, bound around her like a bra. A lifting bra .

I didn't know much about sirens, the first real ones I had seen where when we passed the ruins of Attourna and in the harbor. The one entering was even more imposing then those. Taller, more beautiful with an aura of power around her that made me shrink back another step.

"I heard you were back, vissssigroth. Funny I ssought you would have ssent for me the moment you returned." The sound of her voice grated on me, made my ears hurt.

"Ah, Sarissa, my I introduce Niara of Horn to you. Niara, this is her royal highness, Queen Sarissa of the sirens."

Shit . Was I supposed to bow to that creature, whose hateful slitted pupils turned to me with a sneer.

"A human? Ah, Myless, you dissssappoint me."

Had I not been so frightened of her, I might have found her lisp amusing. As it was, it felt like cold claws raking down my spine.

She slithered to the table. "I didn't mean to interrupt your dinner."

Horrified I watched the tip of her tail move up Myles's leg.

"I… I was just about to leave," I stammered, glad to be able to excuse myself.

"A most conssiderate human," Sarissa lisped, the fingers of her right hand made shooing motions, "go then, Niara of the humanss. Make yourself sscarce."

Thankfully I hadn’t fully closed the door behind me when I entered Myles’s living chamber and was able to push it all the way open as I took one step at a time back to seek the shelter of my prison cell, kicking the door closed behind me and nearly dropping my plate. It took a few deep breaths to dispel the growing fear inside me.

I didn't know for sure what it was, but the siren's presence had been beyond awful, the very air around her had been a threat to me and I didn't even know why, but her hate for me—my kind—was palpable.

It wasn't even the death her eyes promised, I could have handled being threatened, no, there was more to it, like looking down a well and discovering the fires of hell, watching hands emerge to pull you down.