Silencing The Siren

14. All Magic Comes With a Price

(La Siréne and the Banshee)

"So... You're telling me that you have gray skin because a curse was put on you?" Calliope asked Xena the next day. They were sitting at the bar in The Tipsy Piano, drinking while they waited for Asmodeus to appear.

"It's not so much a curse as it is a... Sorta magical disease. Dere's no fixin' it," Xena replied. "One day it'll kill me and dere ain't nothin' anyone can do 'bout it. Da only thing I've found so far dat even helps is an ointment made especially for me dat keeps da magical necrosis at bay."

"Oh, that sounds awful," Nagaveni said sadly.

"You ever have a trickster try to make it go away?" Dysnomi asked.

"Nah, but you're more den welcome to try," Xena replied.

"Alright, let's do this," Dysnomi said, clapping his hands together. He finished his drink, stood, and walked over to Xena. He held his hands out toward her, letting swirling mists of golden light wash over them both before the warm light curled around Xena's skin, enveloping her in a bright cloud. He seemed to struggle then, straining with his magic. His face began to turn red, and he grunted like he was in pain.

"Dys..." Nagaveni started to say as she laid a hand on Dysnomi's shoulder. "Don't hurt yourself, please."

"The magic used to do this-" Dysnomi replied in a strained voice. "It's really fucking strong." He let out a pained grunt and was forced to let his magic fade away, leaving Xena looking the same. "I'm sorry, Xena. I thought I could fix it, but I can't."

"Ah, it's awright," Xena replied.

The door to the bar swung open then, and in walked Asmodeus. He glanced at Amarok, who was playing the piano the way that he usually did. He sneered at Amarok as he said, "I bet you had a fun night."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Amarok asked Asmodeus curiously.

"Oh, nothing," Asmodeus replied, his eyes turning darker. "Just that I know how fun sleeping with a siren can be. As does Dysnomi. Evidently, it's pretty easy to get a siren to take you to bed."

"What the fuck, 'Deus?" Calliope asked, annoyed.

"Don't you dare fucking talk to me!" The demon voice was the one that yelled at Calliope then, and Asmodeus' horns slowly stuck out of his head. "I don't want to hear anything from la puta. As a matter of fact, I don't want to hear anything from el chucho over there, either."

"What the fuck did you just call me?" Amarok asked as he stood. Calliope noticed that his teeth and nails had grown longer and sharper, and his golden-yellow eyes began to glow.

"Hey!" Zephyr called out to Asmodeus and Amarok. "Y'all are not doin' this in my bar. Either cut the shit or leave."

"Whatever," Asmodeus said, shrugging before turning away and crossing his arms as his horns retreated. "So, what are we doing today, Nini?" he asked, his eyes slowly changing from black to blue, though his voice already sounded normal again.

"Calliope's gonna stay here and contact her mom," Nagaveni said, standing and smoothing out her form-fitting pink plaid mini skirt.

Asmodeus then noticed that Nagaveni and Calliope had coordinated their outfits, as usual, and were wearing the same skirt. He also noticed, however, that they were wearing different tops and shoes. While Nagaveni was wearing a loose white crop top and a pair of white open-toed heels, Calliope was wearing a long-sleeve pink off-the-shoulder shirt, a matching pink cloth choker around her neck, and a pair of high-heel black knee-high boots. Nagaveni's version of the outfit was soft and sweet, while Calliope's version looked commanding and seductive.