Siren's Mark

Chapter 16

ℤ𝕒𝕟𝕖

I step out onto the balcony to avoid disturbing Ava, who is fast asleep on the couch. I hold my phone to my ear and listen to the ringing.

Pick up, damn it.

"Zane, what the hell?" I hear Kami's voice whine at the other end of the line. "Are you seriously calling me at this hour??"

"Right love, like you never call me in the middle of the night for a random favor."

"Okay, sure," she says with a yawn. "But you never call me this late."

"Well, I am now."

"So what's the emergency?"

"It's not exactly an emergency but, uh..."

"Did Ava already break up with you?"

"No," I say. "But thanks for immediately assuming that."

"My bad," she says. "What's up?"

"Ava wants to have sex."

"Oh my god Zane what are you, a teenager? Do we need to have the talk? Should I tell you about the Sirens and the bees?"

"Kami you're not as funny as you think you are."

"I'm hilarious and you know it," she says.

"I've been trying to avoid being alone with her but... I'm struggling to control myself."

"Oh wow," she gasps. "This is good!"

"How is this good?"

"You're letting loose. No more tightly-wound, can't-let-my-guard-down Zane. You've been holding yourself back for so long. You're finally being who you are: a true Siren."

"We can have my coming out party later, love. I'm losing my fucking mind over here. My eyes have been sparking green so much that she's starting to ask questions. I can't even think straight when I look at her. I'm turning bloody feral, I swear."

"Men are so melodramatic," she says with a sigh. "You could always try aster. Or anything with aster in it. Personally, I like absinthe."

Aster is a spice that calms the passions of Sirens. I've always prided myself on never needing it.

"First off, who has absinthe just hanging around in their pantry?" I ask.

"I do."

"Of course you do," I sigh.

"Honest answer, Zane? You just need to feed your urges. You're a Siren. Just have sex with her. Don't make it more complicated than it needs to be."

"How? How do I do this? How do I know if she really wants to?"

"Well first off, venom doesn't make people do anything they don't want to do. It just brings your desires to the surface. It's an aphrodisiac, not hypnosis," she says. "Secondly, you could just ask her."

"Ask her what?"

"Ask her what she wants to do before you guys get all hot and heavy. Then you're double sure."

"I... huh... maybe that would work."

"Well it's better than sporting a perma-boner." Kami was never one for subtlety.

"Ahh that's enough, thanks. I'm hanging up now."

"You called me, remember?"

"Bye, Kam," I say as I end the call and set down my phone.

I peek through the glass door to see Ava fast asleep.

I'm going to have to try something eventually. Otherwise, this girl is going to kill me.