“Will you let us pass into the next realm?” I asked.
The siren smiled, and there was a razor-sharp edge to it. “For a price.”
I tensed, resisting the urge to shove Laila behind me. I doubted that would be effective, and it would be an announcement that she mattered to me.
“A kiss,” the siren said.
“A kiss,” I repeated. There had to be a catch.
She swam up to me, her ebony tail flicking behind her. “Kiss me like you mean it, and I’ll show you the way out of this realm.”
“Both of us,” I clarified.
Her eyes danced with amusement. “Both of you.”
I didn’t look at Laila. I wasn’t sure which reaction would be worse—if she was hurt by what I was about to do or if she didn’t care at all. It shouldn’t matter. Laila wasn’t mine to kiss or to be unfaithful to.
The siren’s arms looped around my neck, her hands curling in my hair.
I felt Laila’s hand slip from mine as the siren’s grip tightened, keeping my head from turning.
“One kiss,” she whispered. “Make me believe it.”
Wrapping my arms around her smooth waist, I pulled her closer to me. I hadn’t missed the threat in her words. I had one shot at this, one chance to earn us safe passage. I closed my eyes and imagined Laila. In my fantasy world, I still had a soul and hands clean of blood. For precious seconds, I pretended that I was someone better, an angel of the first order who could deserve Laila.
I ran my hand up her back, tangling my fingers in her hair. I held her to me and brought my lips to hers. The kiss started soft and searching. My lips brushed over hers again and again. My tongue darted out to tease at her seam, asking to deepen the kiss. She opened for me, and I dove in, claiming her mouth with firm, demanding strokes.
She moaned into my mouth, and the spell broke. I wasn’t kissing Laila. It wasn’t her voice sighing in contentment.
I pulled back, dropping my hands from her hair and waist. My eyes opened, and I stared at the siren with cool indifference. I refused to give this woman one more second of emotion.
“Well?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
“Follow me.”
Laila didn’t take the hand I held out to her. She didn’t look at me either. Her gaze was fixed on the siren who was already turning to lead us through the towers of skulls and seaweed.
I tried to ignore the way my stomach dropped to my toes. She was always going to realize I wasn’t worth it sooner or later. We had an alliance, not a relationship. She didn’t need to like me; she just needed to let me help her get out of here and back to the pearly gates where she belonged.
THIRTEEN
Laila
I keptmy expression carefully blank. I knew how to hide my emotions. You didn’t spend years listening to the stories of humans who’d lost their lives far too soon and in horrible ways without learning how to keep your feelings off your face. I’d heard children tell me about being shot or drowning without letting any of my horror show.
At least now I had my answer about what my kiss with Joriel had meant. Namely nothing. I wasn’t special. He really did kiss everyone like that. Mystery solved.
But why did it have to hurt so much to watch? My heart ached every time I pictured his tongue in the siren’s mouth, his hands on her skin.
He’s not yours,I reminded myself. I didn’t have any claim on Joriel. We’d kissed once when I’d been his only option. And he’d apologized right after. That didn’t exactly sound like I’d rocked his world with my kissing skills.
I needed to get a grip. We had bigger things to worry about than who Joriel did or didn’t kiss.
The siren led us to a large opening in the seabed. Like when we’d been standing on the dock, it was impossible to see through the patch of water that hovered where there was no sand.
“Enjoy the rest of your travels,” she said.
Joriel reached for my hand again, and this time I let him take it. The time for pettiness and hurt feelings had passed. We needed to work together as a team if we wanted to make it out of Hell.
