My Immortal Playlist (The Siren Collection #1) (10 page)

“But he doesn’t find me attractive…well, not like his past girlfriends. I don’t know how to feel about that. And he’s sort of using me…he wants to change his lifestyle into one that’s
more ordinary, and less…gangy.”

“Well it doesn’t sound too bad,” Noah said to me. “That’s kind of what I wanted. An ordinary life. Why do you think I stole your – ah, I got it now. That’s why you were pissed at me.”

“Yeah,” I mumbled.

“This is quite the predicament,”
Elliot said, “but not as large a one as you might think. The simple answer is to let this go. Let him go, and let us get on to business.”

“Maybe she doesn’t want that,” Henry replied, looking deep into my eyes. “You can’t just turn your feelings off.”

“I don’t have feelings for him,” I said, but Henry just laughed at me.

“You might not,” he said. “But p
art of you wants to see where this goes. Take it from me. If you’re uninterested in someone, nothing they do will persuade you. The fact that you’re so upset about him is abnormal.”

“I am curious,” I admitted, and though it must have hurt to do so, Henry smiled warmly.

“Then see where it goes.”

“Even while I was hypnotizing you,” Noah said, “I was even thinking of whether to let you go or not. You are a very rare woman.
Perhaps I shouldn’t have ended the hypnotism.”

Three pairs of eyes gave him a death stare.

“Have a spell to cure foot-in-mouth disease?” Noah grimaced.

“I’ll check,” I winked at him.

“Check on that cure, and Lucas,” Henry said. “Sooner rather than later.”

“This is very romantic and all,” Elliot sighed. “But it appears that once again I m
ust play the realist. Alexandra, as much as I want to see you happy, have you forgotten that you are absolutely incapable of a healthy and long relationship?”

“That’s harsh, man,” Henry said, dropping his arms and glaring at Elliot.

“Have you forgotten what she is? We have all tasted human blood so we are in no place to judge, but surely Lucas and any other human she is enamored with would be horrified, and more than likely come to this house with a mob of fire and pitchforks to boot.”

“No one would believe him if he told.”

“But the gang that he founded might, or another thought. He could pull rank and force them to take Alexandra down. Whether she is a creature or not, they would surely not mind the idea of ransacking a house and preying on a helpless girl.”

“She has us.”

“Right.” He scoffed. “Me, with no legs. You, who is no stronger than a human, and Noah. While Noah does possess superhuman strength and speed and what not, he has the tactical mind of a wet dish cloth.”

“I could take them down,” Noah
replied adamantly.

“Perhaps a few, but even that would just fuel their animosity toward us all. To halt a surge of that magnitude, you would have to kill all of them. Can you do that? Murder that many in cold blood? While you have given in to your hunger and kil
led a few, there is a difference between being an individual trying to survive versus blatant slaughter.”

“Perhaps he’s right,” Noah winced.

“And remember,” Elliot said, turning to me. “You will transform or die in two years’ time. Would Lucas accept your new form? Could he accept the possibility of your death? Is it right of you to ask him to wait and see? There are far too many complications to take this course any further. Let him go and out of our lives before it gets messier than it already is. Our focus, and I am not saying this solely for myself…is to find the cure for us all.”

Once I heard Henry give a deep forlorn sigh, I knew it was no use arguing.

“When you’re cured of your condition,” Elliot said to me. “You can pursue this or any other relationship. That is my opinion. Naturally, you can do what you like. Your usual mode of operation.”

The three boys waited for an answer, but I had none. E
lliot, as usual, was right. And let’s be honest, it’s not like I left Lucas on good terms. It was surely over, and the best thing, no, the right thing for all of us was for me to just let it all go.

“Let’s move on,” I said finally, to which they all nodded in agreement. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m planning on devouring half the refrigerator due to all of my romance woes. Please don’t judge.”

“We won’t out loud,” Noah said, and Henry punched him in the arm.

So they wouldn’t be grossed out, I decided to grab a cup to enjoy my next beverage with. I walked o
ver to the kitchen sink and hummed a tune of which I didn’t know the origin. Washing a cup out, and hearing the boys leave the kitchen, I allowed myself to become lost in my own thoughts, wondering what could have been but will never be…

And
then I looked up.

And I screamed so loud, it must have sounded like I was being murdered.

Noah and Henry rushed back into the kitchen, and once they saw why I screamed, I knew that more blood was about to be on my hands.

For Lucas wa
s staring directly at me, from the window above the kitchen sink.

“Get him,” I heard Henry say,
and a gust of wind blew through the kitchen from Noah’s wake. Elliot crawled into the room like there was a fire behind him.

“What is going on?” he demanded. “Noah nearly stepped on me!”

“Lucas is here,” I said, as I heard the front door slam shut. I ran out into the foyer and caught the tail end of Noah shoving Lucas onto the floor. Lucas hit the wood hard, but he immediately rolled forward and back onto his feet. Noah went to punch him, but Lucas already had a Swiss army knife out and held in-between his right closed fist.

Somehow, Lucas was able to dodge Noah’s swing at the last second and retaliated with his own. Noah dodged it and sped behind him. He reached out to put him in a head lock but Lucas jumped backwards, slamm
ing his back into Noah’s body. The strange maneuver caught him off guard and they both sprawled onto the floor.

“Enough!” I shouted as they both came to their senses.
Sheesh. The guy just went toe-to-toe with a vampire and held his own.

“What is going on here?” Lucas demanded, wiping the dust off his jacket. I noticed the knife was still in his hand.

“I could ask the same thing,” I said, making sure I wasn’t too close. “What are you doing snooping around my house?”

“I wanted to talk with you,” he groaned, feeling his ribs with a free hand. “You don’t have a doorbell and I was knocking
but no one answered. I saw the lights on so I went to see if someone was home.”

“That,” Henry chuckled, “must have been the weakest knock in existence.”

“What’d you do?” Noah said. “Tap once?”

“Aren’t you, Henry?” Lucas asked him. “You look a little different than I remember, but…what are you doing here?”

“The way you talked, you made it sound like you were best friends,” I said. Lucas swatted a hand at me through winces over his bruised ribs.

“Acting like I was interested in him was just a way
to get you to talk to me,” he admitted. “But I’m still surprised he’s here. Didn’t you go missing? Are you living here?”

“None of your business,” Henry replied.

“Alexandra, you have to do the ceremony now!” I heard Elliot call out from the kitchen.

“Shut up!” I shouted back.

“Who’s that?” Lucas asked.

“Don’t worry about it. You should go.”

“He might have seen something!” Elliot shouted. I grit my teeth and turned to Noah.

“Can you please shut him up?” Noah nodded and jogged into the kitchen. I heard a brief scuffle
and then Elliot’s annoying outbursts went silent.

“Do you live here with these guys?” Lucas asked me.

“What does it matter if I do?”

“I just…
it’s kind of weird. Do you guys –“

“ – she
wishes,” Henry replied just as I was about to say no.

“You look strange,” Lucas said, taking a closer look at Henry.

“I’m dead,” Henry said, with no emotion in his voice.

“Such a kidder,” I laughed, pushing Henry behind me and grabbing Lucas’ arm. “But seriously, you have to go.”

“Can’t we talk about tonight? I have something to say.”

“We can discuss it Monday at school.”

“That’s too long.”

“If it’s so important,
you can wait.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“Please leave.”

“Alexandra,” he said, grabbing both of my hands into his. “I want to see you again. I want to take you
out again. We don’t have to talk much. Let’s just have fun.”

“Is that what you and your airheads do?”

“Why are you being so difficult?”

“It’s my personality
. You should know that since you’re so attracted to it and not my body.”

“I’m plenty attracted to your body,” he said
, and I heard a chorus of groans from the kitchen. “But I respect you enough to not just treat you like one of the…airheads. I want to actually get to know you first instead of not at all.”

“Reassuring,” I muttered, gently taking my hands out of his. “But you’re going to have to leave now.”

“Can’t I get an answer first?”

“No.”

“No is your answer?”

“No, meaning I’ll think about it.”

“But I’ll be up at night wondering.”

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

“Just tell me if –“

Another gust of wind flew between us. In one second, Lucas was standing, and in the next, he was on the floor unconscious, a humongous bruise and welt forming on
his left cheek. Where he once was, a triumphant Noah stood in his place.

“Didn’t see that one coming,” he spat at him
, as I knelt down and examined Lucas’ cheek.

“You could have killed him,” I said
, as Noah placed a hand on my shoulder. I shook it off.

“
I had to surprise him. I couldn’t believe he was wrestling me earlier. And besides, Elliot told me to do it.”

“What for?!”

“So you can perform the ceremony,” Elliot replied. I glanced behind me to see him in his harness, strewn across Henry’s back. “The ritual has to be performed.”

“No,” I said sternly, gazing at the fallen Lucas.

“He already knows too much.”

“He knows nothing.”

“We don’t know how much he saw before you noticed him in the window. Besides, it’s far too late to turn back now. The moment Noah wrestled him…and just now – rendered him unconscious, he became a threat. If he is let go, he will surely tell his friends.”

“And both fights were uncalled for!” I yelled, standing to my feet to glare at him face to face. “I could have easily met him outside and talked him away.”

“He’s persistent. He will oust us all.”

“No ritual.”

“You don’t have long before you must take a victim. Here is one now, ripe for the taking.”

“Not him.”

“Why not?” he asked with a concerned look. “Why does he get a pass?”

“This isn’t how I operate.”

“It’s exactly how you do business, Alexandra. What hinders you? What makes him so different than any of us?”

“There are worse human beings out there. I’ll take one of them.” The moment I said it, the silence came. I looked to each of them and tried to say something else, but they were already going through a whirlwind of emotions. Shock. Grief. Anger. Rage. I dared not say another word.

“Worse…human…beings,” Henry scoffed. “Wow.” He pushed past me and started heading upstairs.

“I’m staying,” Elliot ordered
, and Henry half-heartedly snapped off the harness. Elliot fell to the floor like a sack of potatoes, but he quickly gained his composure and sat up against the stair bannister. Noah gave me a look of disappointment and followed Henry to their respective bedrooms.

“Is that how you saw us?” Elliot asked, trying his best to tone down his anger. “Selfish, egotistical, worthless, human beings that didn’t deserve the gift of life? Is that what drew you to us?”

“No, not at all,” I said. “Elliot, you intrigued me. Henry was fun. Noah was sweet. I…I loved each of you in my own way. I hated going through with the ritual, but I had to…”

“Then why not him? He’s handsome. You have found your quality to reminisce over. Now carry this out.”

“I’m going to go about this differently now,” I said, stooping down to be eye-level with Elliot. “Starting now, I’m not going to hurt anyone that doesn’t deserve it.”

“Why the change in heart?” he asked. I could see it in his eyes. He was dying to
know the answer, and I wasn’t so sure if I was ready to give it.

“It was him,” I said, looking down at the sleeping Lucas.
“Everyone fears him, yet...he doesn’t hold it against them, or simply accept their idea of him. He just wants to change it.”

“Or he knows all about you and he’s playing with your emotions like Noah did.”

“At some point, we have to start trusting people again.” I turned back to him. “Despite what I did to you, you came back. Maybe I should take a leap of faith and do the same.”

“You’re just trying to find an excuse to pursue this relationship,” Elliot snickered. “But if you want to
believe in fairy tales, who am I to say otherwise. But a word of warning, and food for thought. While we may all be living here…remember…there is still a spell upon us. I may not know where the spell ends, and the truth of our affection begins but realize that relationships, as well intentioned as they may be, are far more complex than we know. Watch yourself with this Lucas. Don’t be completely blinded by whatever spell he may have over you.”

Without another word, he began crawling up the stairs with just his arms for support. I didn’t bother asking if he wanted assistance. Apparently I had already done enough. I heard Lucas cough and I looked down at him. His eyes were fluttering open, but it was obvious he wasn’t quite ready to take hold of consciousness just yet. I didn’t know what to do.

Do I just leave him upon the floor? Bring him up to a bedroom? Ditch him somewhere? Despite my inclination to take him upstairs, I decided to leave him outside. I called for Noah who came to my side quickly and asked him to take him to the back of Angelo’s - to bring him there unharmed, and to watch over him in the night.

It was a terrible thing to ask
of him after what I said earlier, but he did it regardless, and I determined right then and there that I wouldn’t be so cold-hearted.

I decided to forego sleep and head to the basement where the Prep room lay.

Sitting on the couch and turning on the television, I decided to let myself go brain dead as I had so often in the past…but my mind wouldn’t turn off.

All I could think about was the men in my life. Each so fragile yet strong. Each of them
eager to prove their worth yet so often I would cast them to the side. Henry was right. It was all an act. I was so afraid…I was even afraid of Margaret as annoying as she could be. I was afraid to care, and to allow myself happiness. They were all so eager to include me in their lives, even when I gave no effort to include them in mine, and they didn’t deserve that.

I had to make a choice.

Either go all in, or all out.

Either become a hermit, or try to build a life.

Being a siren was a horrible curse, but surely there was a way to live around it. There had to be others like me that lived somewhat normal lives…or did they all die out, afraid and alone?

I sighed and folded my legs beneath me, closing m
y eyes and enjoying the silence, when it hit me.

I was so afraid of death,
but it wasn’t even an option if I didn’t want it to be. I didn’t know what every lyric of my music meant, but I did have choices now. If I wanted, I could go into the Lyric Room right now and become a zombie, a vampire, a tree, or a few other things. And it may not be what I wanted.

But I would
then be immortal.

Just like Noah, Elliot and Henry now were.

Why was I so afraid of death? Why was I letting the thought of it eat at me while I was still alive? Why couldn’t I try love? Why couldn’t I have friends? Why couldn’t I let someone into my life and even reveal what I was down the road? If they were cool about it, who knows? I might extend them immortality too. And if they didn’t, they could simply live out the rest of their years sounding like a crazy person.

The relationships I established…that’s all that mattered now. That’s all I would have left in two
years when I made my final decision.

Otherwise…I was doomed to be immortal, and
bitterly alone.

I shot up from the couch and headed upstairs on a mission. I had a lot of work to do. I had to start repairing the fractures with my friends
, so they would love the old Alexandra.

Let alone the future
new one…whatever she may look like.