Siren Song (The Fated #1)

19 | The Unseen Hand

Iliana glowered at the back of the stranger's head as she and Callias were escorted through the moonlit streets. She thought about running, and had even taken a step to do so, but was warned off by an arrow burying itself in her potential path. She'd glanced at the archer in time to see them prepare another shot.

That, plus the frown Callias shot her, told Iliana that perhaps it was better for her to wait. After all, there was a decent chance that the group were simply hoping to get a reward for capturing her. Perhaps they'd be able to escape upon reaching their destination. The small bud of hope that came with that thought died the moment they reached a small alleyway. Apparently, her wandering had taken her closer to the port than she thought.

She stared down the familiar doorway as they approached.

"You're one of the Unseen Hand."

At her observation, the stranger glanced over his shoulder. His hand was poised on the doorknob, brow raised in an amused manner.

"It's that obvious, is it?" he mused. "I suppose the symbol is a bit ostentatious."

Callias snorted, seeming to mirror her feelings on the subject. The stranger turned his attention away from them to step through. Once again, an unreasonable amount of fear flickered through her at the thought of entering the building. It caused her to stall, looking around the alley as if another escape attempt was possible. The dozen archers still standing on the roof told her that no, it probably wasn't.

I could sing. She glanced at Callias. If he could hear her voice, was he no longer wearing his charm? What would happen to him if she tried? What would happen to her if she failed? She doubted her captors would be very impressed with an attempt to bewitch them. Her mind flicked to the way the sirens had hummed to the taki. Perhaps that was the key. It was quiet, and if she failed...well, there was only a slight chance of repercussions.

The stranger turned around, lingering just inside the shadowed doorway.

"You might as well give in. There's no point in lingering out here, and it's rather late. I'd like to take care of all of this before sunrise, if you don't mind," he said.

She took a deep breath. It was the only shot they had, so she might as well try it. No more stressing over the consequences. Something told her, some instinctive inkling in the back of her mind, that if she followed him then there was no escape. She was going to be trapped into whatever Lykos had planned. And if the Unseen Hand was involved...

As her thoughts raced, and Callias took a step towards the door, she began to hum beneath her breath. It was a quiet, soft tone. The merman paused, head cocking to the side. The archers atop the buildings seemed to lower their bows in the barest degree. A thread of excitement dug into her mind. She could do this.

Then, it died with the soft press of a blade into the small of her back.

"I wouldn't, little siren."

She hadn't noticed their approach, and a glance over her shoulder revealed why. Standing nearly a foot taller than Iliana herself was a sharply beautiful woman. Her hawk-like, amber eyes studied Iliana with half amusement, half unspoken threat. The dying light cast shadows over her dark skin, and made it hard for Iliana to make out the details of the large, mottled brown and black wings on the woman's back.

A harpy.

Hunters of the darkest criminals in the world, harpies were infamous for their silent movements. Legends said they could take off your head before you even knew you were on their map. There were stories after stories about their apparent ruthlessness when it came to killing. Iliana couldn't help the way she tensed, despite the knowledge that harpies didn't kill those who hadn't bloodied their own hands. At least, not without provocation.