Siren's Mark

Chapter 8

ℤ𝕒𝕟𝕖

I'm hit with the familiar sights and sounds of Pike's as I walk through the door. I walk toward the bar and wave at Kieran as he serves another customer.

"Well look who's still alive!" he says, sliding me a beer. I haven't been to Pike's for a couple of weeks. Pretty much since the night that we ran into Jen and Ava.

"Yeah, yeah," I say. "I've been busy, mate, alright?"

"Jesus, you can say that again. I'm fucking starving, man. Your new girlfriend is officially getting in the way of your wingman duties."

"She's not my girlfriend," I say.

Fucking Kieran.

"Yeah, okay, man. Sure, she's not your girlfriend. She's just a girl you obsess over and you punch your best friend out when he makes a pass at her, and you're out with her so much I haven't seen you in weeks... but sure, yeah, she's not your girlfriend."

"I've only known her a couple weeks."

"And yet you're leaving me to fend for myself pretty much the entirety of those two weeks. The sex must be fuckin' fantastic."

I feel my jaw clench and fight the urge to chuck this beer directly at his face.

"I wouldn't know," I say through my gritted teeth.

He looks at me, gobsmacked. "You don't know?"

"No, I don't know, okay? That proof enough for you that she ain't my bloody girlfriend?"

His jaw drops and the corners of his mouth curve up as though he's about to laugh.

Fucking Kieran.

"Holy shit, bro. You haven't closed the deal? Either you're really, truly interested in this girl or you've seriously lost your touch!"

"Piss off, Kieran."

"Whoa," he says teasingly. "Somebody's sensitive. Did I touch a nerve? Your powers not as effective with the ladies as they used to be?"

"Powers are just fine, mate. Don't need 'em anyway."

"Yeah right! Have you ever even seduced a woman without your powers?"

He's seriously testing me tonight.

"You serious? This coming from the bloke who's starving without me?"

"Hey!" he snaps. "I'm alive, aren't I? Obviously I have more game than you do if you haven't closed the deal with Ava."

The beer bottle shatters in my hand, the shattering glass attracting eyes from around the room. Kieran quickly grabs a towel and pretends to look at my hand for wounds.

"Wow, so subtle there, Z," a woman's voice says. I turn to see who it belongs to and meet Kami's grin. "You have to watch yourself. You know what happens if we get outed. Best case we get heat on us, worst case we attract attention from someone who wants to kill us. After all of these disappearances around town, it's probably best if you don't go around smashing bottles and making yourself a prime suspect."

"Don't blame me. This twat is trying to start something," I say nodding toward Kieran.

"He's a demon," she says. "That's kind of his M.O."

Kieran chuckles to himself, wiping beer off the counter.

"We're having a debate, here, Kami. Incubus versus Siren, who has more game?" he says.

"Please," she says. "Sirens. Hands down..."

"Without powers," Kieran chimes in, cutting her off.

"Oh..." she says, pausing for a moment. "Then I guess it depends on the individual."