To Seduce A Siren

35. If Ifs and Buts Were Candy and Nuts

Raz didn't bother to spit out the viscous blood pooling in his mouth. He hadn't bothered for the last six hits.

"Give up!" Isaac heaved as he sent the hilt of a dagger into Raz's temple.

His eyes hadn't yet reached the blissful point of giving in, letting him get some reprieve from Isaac's blows. That point was still a while away. His thoughts drifted far too much to Selene. She was okay. She had to be okay.

A sign reverberated across the room. "She's never going to love you. You can't be stupid enough to think that. Her kind isn't capable of it," Isaac said softly. He laid a hand on Raz's shoulder. "Theron can love you but he won't. He's lived too long, his heart decayed a long time ago and his mind follows suit. I have no fondness for you but grant me Theron's weakness and I will reward you."

Raz glanced up, a bead of blood made its way into his eyes and down. Isaac bent and wiped his cheek as if it were a teardrop.

"Theron has no honour. Despite your blood..." Isaac rubbed Raz's blood between the pads of his fingers. "Despite your blood, you are his brother. A Redeemer. You deserve better than being cast aside. Being deceived out of your mate."

Raz gritted his teeth. All he had wanted was Theron's respect. He should have known long ago that he never had a chance. As if he could have seen past who Raz's mother was. He might have been tempted to betray Theron if he could be sure Isaac wouldn't go after Selene.

The screech of metal reverberated off the stone floors as Isaac swept his sword across. "Fine. Have it your way." He raised the long blade, both arms outstretched above him, a mangled smile twitched.

A rap on the door stopped him midway.

"What now?" Isaac forced out, motioning to the door with eyes.

A guard opened the door.

Selene stumbled into the room.

What was she doing here? An indescribable rage flooded his ears. He could only hear those waves crashing again and again. What the hell was she doing here?

Another guard stepped in behind her. Joseph. Joseph who pushed secret training lessons onto Raz. Ones where Joseph would fly and Raz would remain rooted. It was dishonourable to spar like that but Joseph had insisted. If there was a real fight, he needed to learn how to defend himself even when the odds were against him.

Raz had just never realised when the odds were against them, it would be ropes that would be his demise not his lack of wings.

"The Gods are smiling down on us today." Isaac grinned, pulling Selene to him.

Joseph glanced at Raz for a second before turning his eyes to Isaac. "Fate is kind", he agreed. "I found her sneaking around in the dungeons. Now that we have her, Theron will be ours shortly."

Isaac didn't respond, instead, his eyes were locked on Selene who was looking anywhere but at Raz.

Raz could have howled. For nothing. All of it was for nothing.

"So, I guess I'll put away Raz in a cell," Joseph continued casually.

Isaac gazed up. "No."

"No?"

"No." Isaac twirled a lock of Selene's inky hair. "Why would I put him away when I can use him to make this nightingale sing."

"Such flowery speech," Selene said cooly. "I guess you took lessons from villain speech 101."

Isaac's hand flew right into Selene's face, sending her body crumpling to the ground. He straightened his coat, "I hope you learn to keep your opinions to yourself for next time."

Selene glared at him. "I'm not so good at learning."

"No?" Isaac moved abruptly, barreling his fist into Raz's stomach. Raz groaned. Isaac's hand could have bisected his body and made contact with the spiked wooden chair, so great was his pain. He wondered if he had ruptured an organ by now. It wouldn't have had time to knit itself together. It took more than a mere few hours. It would have been more so for Raz.

"Feel like learning now?" Isaac said to Selene.

Raz tried to make out her form but the black dots that had appeared in the corners of his eyes an hour ago had taken over his vision entirely. The room wavered and sank. Then wavered again. "Selene..." He whispered.

"There's no need for that. I've come to give you what you wanted." Selene spat out.

Isaac motioned with his hand for her to continue.

"Don't." Raz tried again.

A numb kind of pain erupted across the side of Raz's skull. It took a moment for him to realise Isaac had hit him.

"Shut up Raz!" Selene got to her feet. "I'll tell you what you want to know but I need your assurance. That you'll let Raz go."

"You have it."

"That's great. Except for the fact that I don't trust you." Selene crossed her arms. "I'll take him somewhere safe and then come back here to make good on my word."

"You really think I would let you go and trust  you to come back?" Isaac cackled.

Selene shrugged. "It was worth a try. I'll take you both to my hideout. Theron's there right now. You could have his skull by the time the hour's up."

"You and your witch friend have set up a trap." Isaac pulled his blade, the tip meeting the soft hollow of Selene's neck. "I think you should tell me Theron's little secret before I tire of you and find it out myself."

Selene's eyes widened, shifting to Raz and then back.

An overwhelming queasiness gripped Raz from within. Dread. True dread was pumping through his body, each sense screaming at him. So many messages, he couldn't decipher a single one.

She could die right now.

Selene could die right now. He couldn't do anything but watch. He would have to see that delicate skin break and -

The image stopped dead in its tracks.

He would die before that happened. He would die if  that happened.

"Stop."

Selene and Isaac turned to him.

"I'll tell you it."

Selene said, panicked, "He might kill me anyway if you tell him."

Raz's jaw tightened. "He'll kill you right now if I don't."

Isaac smiled. "Now you finally see."

"I'll do anything for the chance you make it out of here okay," Raz let out a breath. "Theron has a human mate."

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4 years later and I'm back