Eyes the color of amethyst watched me from the dais. My skin prickled with the attention, a subtle gnawing ache lingering low in my belly. It was a hunger for something more than food or wine could satisfy.

Hiding it from my master took a skill I’d cultivated through years of suffering. It wasn’t natural for me to be anything other than what I was and what I wanted. It didn’t stop me from trying. My body remained stock still, the features of my true form hidden from reality. It was how my master liked me, docile and dainty, as though I were a doll. A doll was a tool to be wielded, manipulating the emotions of those he negotiated with, keeping them from realizing his true intentions until ink met paper. But that side was merely a mask meant to lure unsuspecting prey. The creature inside, the thing I loved most about myself, wasn’t allowed to exist in his presence.

To my left, my master sat in a chair at a table with a dozen ambassadors from other empires. Dull, uninteresting conversation passed between them, the drivel of greedy politicians. They were vying for a vandium trade deal, the precious, rare metal that could hold magic for even the most inert user to wield. Valdir controlled three of five existing mines, making this trade opportunity something no empire could pass up despite the danger of trading with them.

It wasn’t just the trade routes that made the deal dangerous. A Valdir alone could subdue dozens without spilling a drop of blood. Their gaze was hypnotic, and their bite was consuming. They fed off the power of others, as voraciously as most species consumed water. Or so they said. It was a strange dichotomy to be Valdir. Yet with so little time spent in their presence, it was one I hardly understood.

“Siren,” a voice, smooth and melodic, teased my mind. Deep in my thoughts, I moaned. How long had it been since someone identified what I was? How long since I heard that word said with anything but malice?

A soft snap drew my attention away from those haunting eyes. A subtle hand gesture from my master guided me toward the Tree Folk’s ambassador. My master required him to become compliant.

The carafe of Menosia Brandy was an elegant, crafted thing of gold, vandium, and crystal. An elegant container for the most decadent of drinks, in a palace so refined, it was as though the gods had made it. Or rather, the god who sat in this very room.

I brought the carafe to my master and refilled his drink. More than one set of eyes followed me. Their hunger, their desire, teased the part of me that my master feared, yet enjoyed subduing. I stoked it, drawing my sleeve up as I offered another politician a drink.

Splashes of emotion flicked across my mind. I was always aware of them, but mostly I paid them no mind. Focusing on them would only make me hungry. Now, my master’s command bade me. The consequence of ignoring such an order would fall when no one was to see me for days. I did not enjoy the thought of hurt and humiliation, and he’d long ago beaten the defiance from me.

At least, the part of me he preferred to see.

Drifting around the table, I filled cup after cup. Every movement came with dragging gazes. Only one interested me, but I refused to meet it again. Meeting the gaze of a Valdir was playing with fate. Daring to meet the gaze of their god? That was not wise by anyone’s standards. But curiosity was a devil of depraved talents, as was my gift.

A set of emotions, tamed but strong, rose to the top of my list. As I moved, so did my influence. Subtle, teasing hints tainted heated words, dulling the fire behind them. His anger was like a not yet ripe peach. Eating it was only so satisfying. I wanted more, but my master’s order demanded temperance. Only the Ambassador of the Tree Folk, and only enough to sway his opinion and not draw notice.

My feet carried me without pause. My hands guided the carafe without spilling a drop. I was the image of perfection, a doll anyone would want at their beck and call. I returned to my place at my master’s side, obedient and silent.

Those amethyst eyes watched me from the dais. The awareness of his attention weighed, calling to the predator inside. The defeated part of me wanted to beg him to stop, to look away, to find anything interesting besides me. I wasn’t worth a moment of his attention, even if the darkest parts of me wanted to bask in it like the sun.  

“Imy.”

Despite the word being in a language few at the table understood, the conversation halted at the command. Every member of the table turned to face the dais.

It was too simple to call the being on a dais a man. Watching him rise from the vandium throne was a mistake. Amethyst eyes caught mine in a grip I couldn’t remove. Words in a language I never knew spun through my thoughts, echoing sweet, terrible nothings.

He released me from his gaze. I sagged with relief and regret, my thoughts racing and my heart threatening to stop.

Searing pain stabbed through the part of me that was hidden. The sensation was something I knew all too well. Showing it would earn me no reprieve. I forced myself straight, my face and thoughts blanking through the pain. It was far from the worst he could do.

Amethyst eyes brightened, but I couldn’t meet them. The pain robbed me of any capacity for thought. The voice I’d heard in my head spoke to the room, his language smooth and somehow crisp. A Valdir man stepped away from the wall, translating his words into High Speech for the room to understand.

“Osiris has grown tired of these pointless negotiations. We encourage you to return to your quarters to rethink your proposals. Any proposal that includes an exchange of labor, in any form, will be denied. We will allow no one to move about our lands who does not meet the bonding requirements. Tomorrow, we will resume.”

Emotions shifted in the room, dancing from annoyed focus to irritation, and even anger. None of the emotions showed on the faces of the politicians, but I felt it. Especially from my master.

Alone in my room, no one could see me draped over the edge of the bathing tub. Blood pooled on the tile floor, growing with every slow drop that fell from my feathers. The plaguing torment limited itself to my predatory features, something I tried to feel lucky for. They were the parts of me I could hide. In days, when we left this palace, my master wouldn’t hold back as he had tonight. This was a temporary measure meant to remind me of what was to come for stepping out of line.

A knock at the door drew me from my misery. Feathers vanished with a push of my will, taking with them the blood. Only what fell on the floor remained for me to stumbled around as I retrieved a robe.

Beyond the door, a Valdir woman waited.

“Osiris summons you.”

My chest expanded with a long inhale, sending phantom fire streaking down my back. “Allow me a moment to ready myself.”

She caught the door before it could close. “No. Now.”

I hesitated, the damage sparking against my nerves an overwhelming reminder of what would happen if I acted outside my master’s expectations. “Have I been summoned… alone?”

“Yes.”

My gaze darted to the door across the hallway. “Prime Minister Montevallo will notice my absence. May I inform him?”

“No.”

Accepting my fate was something I’d come to terms with long ago. Pulling the robe tighter around my body, I entered the hallway.

The Eternal Palace, the shining gem of the Valdir, had ceilings higher than any I’d ever seen. Being bound to an ambassador meant I’d been in more palaces than most. This was opulent and extraordinary. Only those who could manipulate the world around them could maintain it. How else would they reach a metal sconce twenty feet above the ground? Or polish the gleaming vandium trim, tracing the seams of the walls and ceiling?

The Valdir woman pushed open a door leading into a vast chamber. She closed it behind me, leaving me to explore the room with my eyes. The furniture was luxurious, every elegant arch and finely woven thread belonging in this palace of extreme finery.

Pain stole my breath, and with it, any space I might have had for observations. My master knew I had gone somewhere without permission. A noise I regretted slipped from my lips as I fought the urge to bow. It wouldn’t make it feel any better.

“Siren…”

I barely recognized the word in my mind. Footsteps padded toward me. I tried to force myself to focus and turned. I barely avoided meeting amethyst eyes and instead caught on lips that were far too perfect to belong on the face of a man.

But he wasn’t just a man.

Steps as light as a fox’s and as steady as a lion’s circled me. I remained still, accustomed to being inspected for flaws. My master would have found something to disappoint. Would a god find the same? Because I could not find a flaw in him. Each time he circled me, I noticed more. The first time, it was his size. Broad shoulders and a defined chest were bare of clothing, and twice as wide as I was. On the second, it was the vandium cuffs at his biceps and wrists, the shimmering, precious metal crafted into magic storing jewelry. And the third time, he stopped before me, looming as a giant facing a lamb. My head tilted back and back, stopping on a straight, somehow perfect, nose.

His mouth moved, and words in another language flowed. He paused, and something I understood came from his lips in a thick, delicious accent. “A man who enslaves a siren begs for death.”

 I’d heard the remark before, but from those who were lesser. Years of brutal consequences had my mouth opening to deny it, but I paused. This wasn’t a merchant or mere soldier, whose sympathies were pleasant and useless. This was a god. If I told him the truth, would he turn away as they had? Or would he do something about it? I wasn’t a Valdir. There was no reason for him to intervene, but this situation… It had something I’d long forgotten how to feel blossoming in my chest.

Hope.

“I am bound by a blood oath to serve.”

A frown dragged the corners of his mouth down. “By your words, or another’s?”

“My grandfather’s.”

He made a noise, his lip dragging up in disgust to flash a single fang. “Do you like this man you have are sworn to?”

My response ended before it could start as fresh pain flared, sensing what I was about to say. There was no hiding my reaction from the god before me.

Large, warm hands cradled my neck and face, dragging me to meet those glowing, jewel-like eyes. Honey soaked through my mind, soothing away the sensations of the world. The pain was there, filtered through muslin that held back the worst of sensations until I could think again.

“There is no need for words,” his voice echoed through my mind. “Show me.”

It wasn’t a command, but the lightness in my chest had me obeying as though it were. Plucking apart the tie of my robe, I let it fall to the ground. His eyes never strayed to take in my bared body. His gaze stayed locked with mine, his irises gaining an inner glow when mine changed from mortal to serpent.

The predator I held back most of my life shimmered into existence. Mulberry, emerald and royal blue feathers covered my hands, the tips of my breasts and the apex of my thighs, only to thin into trails that accented the curves of my body in elegant, colorful trails. Talons as sharp as a chimera’s formed at the tips of my fingers and toes, ready to rend and tear through flesh.

Two feathered wings extended from my back, the peaks rising above my head, while the tips hovered just above the ground. I kept them folded tight to my back, as though it would somehow ease the pain I could not stop.

Osiris’s face changed, the steady hold of his gaze narrowing. He inhaled, his frown deepening as soon as he scented the blood that dripped from my feathers once more.

He strode behind me. He didn’t speak, but I knew what he saw. Living wire threaded through each wing, twining around the delicate bones, and weaving through the feathers and membrane beneath them. At rest, the wires merely kept me from extending my wings. When active, they bore into my flesh, writhing and tearing.

“Is this how he controls you?”

I opened my mouth, only for the wires to lurch and steal my words. Several feathers fell, their bases cut from the violent movement.

He was quiet for several moments. I didn’t dare to speak. Enduring this pain for years taught me how to appear unaffected, to stand tall and maintain the innocent appearance of a doll, just as my master preferred.

“Vivum filum, living wire, was made to secure and break a prisoner, providing both a binding that cannot be broken, and a device to break one’s will,” he murmured. “It is controlled by the one who is keyed, both by direct manipulation, and by predicting intent. In theory, the only way to remove it is to be released by the key holder, or to remove the body parts it secures.”

I didn’t respond.

“The oath. What does it bind you to?”

The only answer I could give was silence. Fingers trailed down a portion of my wing untouched by the wire. It was so unexpected that my feathers ruffled and shivered.

“Stay silent if you wish me to remove it.”

He understood. A kaleidoscope of emotions warred in my chest. Did he mean to remove my wings? I couldn’t let that happen. Despite the affliction, my wings were the part of myself I treasured most.

“My wings—”

He was in front of me so fast, my head nearly spun. Those haunting eyes caught mine once more, and his voice echoed in my head. “I am Osiris. I am the god of the Valdir. The world bows to me. A device as cruel as this will bow to my will. As will you, siren, if I demand it.”

The challenge in his words set off a reaction. With the predator released, I couldn’t stop myself. I stepped into him; our bodies separated by a whisper. “I am more than a siren. I am lust, I am thirst, and I am hunger. I am the creature who deadens men and women. I will no more bow to you than the mountains bow to the sun.”

Challenge lit in his eyes and a hint of a grin was all I saw before his mouth crashed over mine. He dragged me to him, my naked body flushed against his; skin to feathers. He tried to devour me, but I refused. Teeth clacked, lips bruised, and my talons dug into his back, needing more and everything. Pain flared through one wing, then the sensation dulled with his influence. I ignored it, my need guiding every action. But it grew, spiraling throughout every nerve, from bone to follicle.

I hissed when his efforts morphed into agony, but Osiris didn’t let me stop. Even when my body locked in place to fight the urge to pull away, he took advantage, his mouth trailing down my neck, his fangs skimming the tendon. I didn’t realize he was trying to distract me until the pain hit a crescendo, nearly blackening my vision, and stopped. My wing sagged, even as it throbbed in time with my heart. Something hit the floor behind me. Breathing hard, I glanced back. Wires flailed on the floor, their barbed ends violently striking the tiles. They writhed and twisted, each movement inching the mass toward us.

The wires lifted from the ground and shot across the room, slamming into the door. The door opened a moment later, and the woman who escorted me here stepped in. Without looking at us, she found the wires. They lifted from the ground without her touching them, and floated out of the room ahead of her. When the door closed, I met Osiris’ glowing gaze. Afraid to speak, I showed the question in my eyes.

“I am a god, siren. Magical tools will not stop me from getting what I want.”

Fresh pain blossomed in my other wing. I glanced back, my wing flaring slightly, allowing me to see the end of one wire as the barbed end retracted through my flesh, tearing the puncture wide. It stole my breath, then Osiris stole my attention. His mouth took mine again, conquering any protest I could have had. When the pain grew, my body shook, knowing what I was allowing to happen. As though he knew it would be harder to distract me, his touch wandered. Fingers followed a trail of feathers along my spine, my hip, and further, delving through thicker feathers to find a wet, neglected part of me.

Caught between opposing sensations, it was everything I could do to stay on my feet. The pain was terrible, but this—it had been years since someone saw this side of me and found me anything but repulsive.

Writhing wires hit the ground, then shot to the door to be retrieved. My knees gave with relief and exhaustion. Osiris caught me before I could hit the ground, then did something I couldn’t have prepared for. He lifted me into his arms, cradling me close. My wings vanished as I took on my mortal form, unwilling to subject myself to more pain. He took me to an adjoining room and set me on a bed of fine silks and soft pillows.

My body shook even as I curled into him, seeking the distraction he’d so readily offered. Perhaps it was foolish. He was a god. I was a slave. Whatever was happening would only be temporary. Was it a sin to want to taste divinity?

Welcoming fingers trailed from my hip to my thigh. “Are your wings affected by the world when they vanish?”

“No. I feel them, but they exist apart from reality.”

A low, hungry growl vibrated in his throat. He thrust me onto my back, his body a delicious weight pinning me to the bed.

“Tell me no,” Osiris purred against my throat, his fangs dragging down my skin.  

“Telling a god no-“ my breath hitched when he nipped at my collarbone. “It would be a mortal sin.”

His head lifted, catching me in his seeking gaze. Words drifted through my mind. “This is your chance, siren. Tell me no, or you and I will find no rest this night.”

I would have no rest without him. Spending a night in a god’s arms instead of struggling to breathe from pain? It was an opportunity I would only get once.

“One night,” I whispered, making a promise. For one night, I would escape into the embrace of a god. When the sun rose, I would return to my fate.

Pleasant, delicious soreness warmed my belly. It made standing behind my master a tolerable, even pleasurable, experience. My master knew I’d gone somewhere last night. Mistakenly, he thought I returned to my room shortly after. I was sure I had Osiris’s woman to thank. It kept my master from asking too many questions, and from furthering his punishment. Had he, he would have discovered the removal of his controlling restraints.

Despite the throb of healing flesh throughout my wings, Osiris made me forget my name. He’d satisfied me in so many ways, I didn’t think I’d ever felt such bliss, or would ever again. I wished the ache would never go away. But eventually, it would fade. Only the memory of last night would carry me through the dark days to come, and the bleak years beyond.

A snap drew me from my thoughts, the gesture from my master guiding me to the Tree Folk’s ambassador once more. Emotion swelled within me, flaring with the fresh memory of last night. I felt so appreciated, wanted… it was as though he revered me. I knew it would never happen again, but I wanted it. And this man who thought to control me—he was the only reason I’d could only dream.  

Ignoring the promise I made, I reacted with how I felt. It was foolish, but I forced my emotions on The Tree Folk’s ambassador. He stood, his argument escalating from refined but firm, to enraged and defiant. He spouted words of war that spread throughout the room, igniting furious passion as they met the ears of those taking part.

My master turned in his seat, his eyes flashing with rage. Despite knowing the repercussions, I glared back. His expression darkened. When I didn’t bend, it morphed into something vile.  

He shot to his feet, the chair skidding back several feet. With a vise-like grip, he dragged me out of the room of arguing politicians. Rage boiled off him, lapping against my senses in scalding waves. Everything in me wanted to devour it, to steal his rage, his spite, his everything and deaden him until he was no better than a corpse. The only thing stopping me, as it always had, was the blood oath.

He threw me into his bedroom, sending me sprawling across the floor. Rage boiled in my chest. I rose to my feet, unable to force myself to cow before him. Despite knowing there was nothing I could do to defend myself, I stood in defiance.

 “You defy me,” he snarled, stomping into the room. “I thought you learned this lesson years ago. It seems I need to beat it into you once more.”

His hand lashed out. I caught it before the strike could land across my cheek.

He snarled, “I have told you before. Accept your punishment.”

My arm shook with the effort of fighting the command. I bared my teeth, my eyes flashing serpent. My soul’s fire, once snuffed to embers, burned anew. It spat and roiled, turning the bars of my oath bound cage molten. He could force me to do anything, but none of it would be willing.

The door to the room slammed against the wall, shattering the wood. For an instant, the compulsion of the oath changed, dragging me forward. My talons appeared, and my wings tore through the back of my dress. Before I could do more than raise my hand to slash, the compulsion was gone, leaving me stumbling forward. My master fell to the ground, his head unnaturally bent to the side.

Osiris stood above the corpse. He couldn’t have cared less for the body, despite the political ramifications that were to befall him for the death. His focus was solely on me.

My predatory features vanished, leaving my dress to hang off my shoulders.

“You killed him,” I said, disbelief shallowing my words.

“A siren should never be allowed to be tamed.” He closed the distance, and though we didn’t touch, I’d have sworn his hand clutched my heart. “If you had remained his dog, I would have let you go on being as you were. But you fought back. I could not allow him to crush your spirit when you just rediscovered it.”

“You’re a god. Interfering in my life… It should not be more than a pass time to you. Why bother?”

Amethyst eyes bore into mine. “Stay here, with me.”

“W-what?”

“Stay with me. No oath or bonding is required. Just stay.”

I couldn’t trust the bubbles dancing in my chest, no matter how giddy they made me feel. “What would I be if I did? I have only served. I do not know if I can be anything else.”

“Perhaps it is time you are allowed to learn that for yourself.”

What he was offering was absurd, and yet I couldn’t help but want it.

“Elaine,” I said, my voice a whisper. When his brows furrowed, I clarified. “My name is Elaine.”

One large hand lifted, cupping my face. He stroked my cheek, then my bottom lip.

“Osiris is my ordained name. My chosen name is Jaeger.”