10. The Perfect Target

Chapter 10

The Perfect Target

The Siren

I followed the man from the ship several hours later, through a quaint little village off the coast of the sea. Cobblestone streets cut paths through buildings of various sizes. His steps carried him down a street, each building with large windows of glass and trinkets of all kinds held within their windows. He turned a corner, and I hurried to follow, worried I'd lose him, but my body slammed into his hard chest as I came around the edge of the building. His hands caught my shoulders as he glared down at me.

"Why are you following me?" he demanded, holding me at arm's length. His gaze trailed down my form and concern creased the corners of his intense blue eyes. "What happened to you?"

With a shrug, I wrenched myself from his hold and took an indignant step backward. My dark hair fell over my shoulder as I peered down at myself, noticing for the first time the splotches of blood dotting my stolen shirt. For a moment, panic caught my breath as I glanced up, my eyes wide as I open my mouth and close it again.

"Are you all right?" he asked, his hand lifted as if he wanted to offer support but were afraid to cause me further distress.

"I'm not quite sure," I replied, deciding to mix a bit of truth in with my response. "I was on a ship, and then I woke on the beach." I pressed my fingers into my hair, prodding at my scalp to sell the lie. "I think I must have hit my head."

"Shipwrecked?" He gasped. "Oh, you poor thing! What is the last thing you remember?"

He'd jumped to a conclusion that would work in my favor, a conclusion for which I'd already set plans in motion. Perhaps his pity would help me with this task. He appeared to be a well-off gentleman. His attire form fitting, his sandy blond hair combed proper, and a pleasant scent that enveloped him. A golden chain looped from his pocket, and another band of gold circled his wrist.

"I'm…" I swallowed, looking up at him from my lashes. "I'm not sure."

My siren heritage gave me plenty with which to work. My body, most of which stood on complete display for this man, held an allure meant to draw in my victims. My siren senses let me feel the desire within my prey. The beating of their hearts and the heat of their blood. I feasted on that desire, but in order to awaken my full siren potential, I needed to feed on a heart not only filled with desire, but consumed by love and lust for me.

The man looked down at the golden band around his wrist and straightened. "You know what, I am late to a party I am supposed to be hosting. Why don't you come along with me? I wouldn't feel right leaving you alone in this state. I'd like to help you find where you belong, but perhaps we can do that in the morning?"

I chewed my lip, my fingers twisting lengths of my hair in what I hoped came across as someone lost to doubt. "I wouldn't want to impose myself on you," I said, my voice soft. "Besides, I could hardly show up to a party disheveled as I am."

He glanced down the street and then offered me a hand. "Come with me. I have just the thing you need."

I took a step backward, my attention flicking from his offered palm back to the glittering green of his eyes. I worried my lip between my teeth, really selling this demure act. His attraction to me was clear in the beat of his heart, the hunger in his eye. I'd seen him on the beach and had painted him the perfect target, and as I stood before him now, him practically eating out of the palm of my hand, I knew I had been right.

He smiled; his white teeth perfect as a breathy laugh fell from him. Rubbing the nape of his neck, he said, "I'm sorry. How terribly rude of me. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lord Marcus. May I be so forward as to ask you for your name?"

A Lord! Ha. I kept my features schooled at the realization. If I succeeded with his heart of love, it would be far better than a simple mortal man's heart. My rite of passage sat at the back of my mind always. I couldn't let Poseidon give my throne to Triton; he wasn't even a siren. It would be like a slap in the memory of my mother.

I blinked up at him, letting him peer into the aquamarine hue of my irises ringed in gold. My eyes, like my body, had been crafted to allure men, to tempt them so that I was better able to lure them to their demise in the depths of the sea. The golden color that ringed my irises denoted my royal heritage, though this man, Marcus, didn't need to know any of that.

"My name is Talia. I don't recall much more than that. I might have been a merchant's daughter." I shrugged, letting my words trail off. It would be best not to give too many lies. Less was best, otherwise, they'd haunt me later as I tried to keep them all straight.

He offered his hand again, his brow arched in silent question. "You can trust me. I only wish to find you fresh attire. Then we can discuss how to proceed."

Nodding, I gently placed my fingers into his hold, letting my fingertips brush across his skin lightly before looping my arm through his. I batted my lashes at him as I let a demure smile slip into place, my plump lips luring his gaze as I said, "Thank you. You are too kind."

As we walked down the street, his lust was clear in the beat of his heart, but lust was easy to come by these days. Men practically gave it away for a glimpse of skin, a slow wink of an eye, the right scent on the wind. Filling his heart with love…that would be the real challenge. I leaned my head close to his shoulder as we made our way across the cobblestones, letting him breathe in the intoxicating scent of my hair as we came to a stop in front of a building. The large window displayed clothing within, and I watched as he dug his hand into his pocket, procuring a golden key that fit into the lock of the door.

My brow creased as I looked at him. "What are you doing?"

He squared his shoulders as he pulled free of my hold, his arm at my back as he ushered me into the shop. Pride puffed out his chest as he said, "I own this place, among a few other shops along this stretch. My family has its own riches." He made his way across the shop to a rack of simple gowns. "I don't usually brag, but I am fourth in line for the throne, you see. I didn't want to rely solely on my family riches though, so I made a name for myself."

"You're a prince?" I asked, my curiosity piqued as I let shock drop my jaw. Capturing the love of a prince would surely grant me the power my father wished me to gain.

"No, not yet," he admitted, his fingers already sorting through fabrics hanging before him. He looked over his shoulder at me. "Are you disappointed?"

"No, of course not," I lied, tucking strands of my hair behind my ear as I watched the fabrics rustle. All the gowns he held in front of him were beautiful. "I've just never been in the presence of royalty." I turned from him so he wouldn't see my eyes roll in my skull. I was royalty, more than royalty actually. I was a powerful god's daughter, but he didn't need to know that.

He pulled a dress from the selection and held it to me. A simple fabric that almost glittered in the low lighting, the color of which matched the hue of my aquamarine eyes nearly perfectly. My dark hair would make the color pop, and the fabric appeared to be form-fitting, as if it were meant to stretch and hold whatever shape filled it.

"Here, why don't you try this on?" he asked, gesturing to a small, cubed space with a curtain held to the side.

I took the dress from him and walked into the booth, turning slowly as he pulled the curtain shut behind me. Left alone in the small space, I undressed.

"It is strange," his voice called from the other side of the curtain. "A woman of your age unescorted. Do you recall anything about where your family may be?"

With the soiled clothing left in a pile in the corner, I let the dress fall over my curves, turning to see myself in the reflective glass as I answered, "My father is a merchant. It was his ship I was on before I woke on the beach. I do hope he is okay."

I pulled the curtain open and stepped out into the shop. My hands roamed over my hips, pressing the fabric smooth as I stared up at him.

"It suits you," Marcus said, a hungry glint behind his blue eyes. A look of seriousness came over him then. "I will send my men out tomorrow to search the nearby waters. Perhaps they will find some answers as to what happened to your ship. Have you thought about my original offer? The party I am supposed to be hosting currently? Will you join me?"

I worried my lip again, as if I were unsure. "Will I be meeting your family there?" I asked because he looked quite young to be hosting a party on his own. If he still resided with his parents, it might make my task of capturing his heart harder.

A shadow passed behind his gaze as his lips pressed into a thin line. My question had made him uncomfortable, and I worried I might have overstepped. I needed to proceed with caution. Too much was at stake. I lowered my gaze to the wooden floors that gleamed and smelled of chemicals I could not place.

"My father died earlier this year. My mother years ago. So, no, you won't be meeting them. The party is for my men and those I do business with. There will be music, good food, and plenty of drink." He smirked then, running his fingers through his sandy blond hair. "To be honest, it is exactly the kind of gathering my father would turn his nose up at. He didn't always agree with my endeavors. He thought I was ruining my chances for the throne, a throne I don't really want in the first place."

"I understand," I replied, leaning forward as I admitted the first heartfelt thing since I'd come ashore. "It is hard living in the shadow of a parent who is hungry for power."

He nodded.

This man, Marcus, might not be the perfect target, he might not bring me the same power a prince would have, but he seemed to be a good man. I'd seen darkness in his aura when he stood upon the ship, but I couldn't understand where that came from now. His blood heated with lust as he looked upon me in the gown he had chosen for me, and I knew he would do, if I could only capture his heart.

"I will go with you," I said, letting a flicker of concern flash behind my irises, "if you promise to help me find answers tomorrow. I simply must know what happened to my father's ship, and how I came to be on this shore."

Marcus offered me his arm again, and I wasted no time in looping my arm through his as he replied, "Of course, my lady. In the meantime, please accept my every hospitality."

"You are too kind, good sir."

He locked up the shop as we left it, and then he led us up the cobblestone streets, winding roads that led upward to a manor sitting atop a hill overlooking the entire village. A manor that belonged to Marcus. I could barely hold my grin at bay as I realized, perhaps my mark was perfect after all.