To Seduce A Siren

28. Your Charm Is Resistable

Selene was more hunter than the prey. She reminded herself of that when she felt her heart beating erratically underneath her ribs. It often beats so slowly, she forgot it existed. She could slow down her heart rate until it was almost impossible to pick up, another perk of being a creature resigned to living in the deep sea.

No one had to hear Selene's panic if she didn't want them to.

Right now, she didn't want Raz to hear it.

He saw something by the bowling alley. Or someone. She knew it. Unfortunately for him, Raz was a better fighter than he was a liar. As Selene had perfected the art, she could sense one without much effort.

She also knew whatever he had seen was bad news. For her.

She entertained the possibility that she could follow him but she quickly rejected it. He would be able to sense her there. While Raz wouldn't hurt her, there might be someone who would.

Perhaps his actions weren't that suspicious but there was that tingling at the bottom of her spine. Nothing had gone wrong this week and she didn't like it.

Selene told herself she was right as she took in the cooling air on her walk home, trying to assess her next strategy. She couldn't trust Raz despite the fact he let her win at bowling. She couldn't even trust Kali. She doubted the two of them were in cahoots but nothing could surprise her.

At the door of her apartment, Selene decided she had to end this pleasant interlude. It was time. She couldn't sleep at night knowing things were going well. It was unnatural.

Tugging all her heavy curtains so that shadows encased her home, Selene waited beneath the comfort of the dark, clutching a silver-tipped dagger gifted to her by a former empress.

Her panic subsided then. She was back where she was meant to be.

Selene waited in the corner for a long time. The dagger was heavy in arms, almost to the point of numbness when Selene heard the click of her door. Finally.

Raz walked in, his steps slowing as he took in the darkness. The night captured in the afternoon, courtesy of the heavy drapes that had cost her a fortune. As if she could do without it.

Selene stopped breathing as he walked by her. He could sense her here. She had a short window before he could pinpoint where exactly. She waited for him to take another step. One more and he'd be standing against a corner.

A second passed. And then another.

Raz finally took a step forward.

Selene leapt out from the shadows, a hand aimed for his throat, another gripping her blade. She didn't know if it was the shock that made it so easy to pin him against the wall or if he had let her, for some indecipherable reason.

"What are you doing?" Raz croaked out, his eyes darting to the silver dagger held against the thin skin of his throat.

"I am going to make this simple for you. Tell me what you are up to or I will puncture your throat right now and leave you drowning in your own blood." She was very impressed with that line, she had been thinking hard about the right words in the right tone.

Raz smiled at her. "You're going to kill me?"

"Don't doubt it, Redeemer!" Selene snapped as she took in his hands moving up towards her. The hands went back down. "Just because I was kind to you these past days and I suffered through one date does not mean I care for you. I can kill you with ease and I won't waste a minute mourning you."

He simply raised one eyebrow.

Damn it! Why didn't he think she could kill him?

Selene tipped the blade forward, just a hair's breadth. Enough to produce two little dots of blood on his tan skin.