“No, there is no bond,” Amara answered, her voice cool. “You’re Seth’s sister, then? You’ll be able to tell us why? Or at least point us in the right direction.”
Calypso sighed and shook her head. “I’m sorry. I’m so damn sorry. I had hoped what I’d been hearing and what I thought might be happening was wrong, but it seems I’m not. Yes, Amara, I’m Calypso, Seth’s sister. Again, I’m sorry for not introducing myself properly, but there isn’t much time.”
Tristan fisted his hands. “What are you saying?”
“Stop with the cryptic bullshit, Caly,” Seth said. “Amara and I aren’t Conclave members so you don’t have to hide your true meaning when you speak.”
Tristan narrowed his eyes but didn’t say anything. It was true he’d had to double-speak in the past to survive and keep his people alive, but a Conclave member wasn’t all he was.
“Take a seat,” Calypso said as she gestured toward the couches. “The sirens are on the brink of war, and many don’t even seem to understand it. The queen has been in power for far too long. And while we are all long-lived, practically immortal, usually there is some sort of way for the powers at large to change over when the realm is falling apart. However, this queen,” Caly shook her head, “this queen is using curses, fear, and death in order to stay in power. As sirens, you can sing to souls.”
Amara sucked in a breath. “What does that mean?”
“It means different things for different clans, but you are from the Windwalker clan.” Caly shook her head. “Don’t ask how I know, just know I know. It’s part of who I am. The Windwalker clan was banished centuries ago. Cursed by the queen. Your clan can sing to souls, and by doing that, they can go past merely joining with another soul for that time being, they can bring that soul to life…or to death.”
Tristan brought Amara to his lap at those words, knowing she would need to be held. Seth held her hand and slid over so his thigh pressed hard against Tristan’s.
“It’s a powerful gift,” Tristan whispered and kissed her temple. “But you can control it.” For some reason, he knew that was one reason she shook, her fear of lack of control, and as soon as he’d said the words, she calmed fractionally.
“Tell me what else,” Amara said softly, yet strong. “Tell me why the Windwalkers were banished.”
“You were too powerful,” Calypso said simply. “The queen was afraid she’d lose power so she cursed those who were to come and killed anyone she could. Your clan was not allowed to bond. No matter how close they came to one another as true mates, they could never feel the pull. The queen slowly but methodically killed off the rest of the clan, and no one else was strong enough to do anything about it. You see, she broke the existing bonds.” Caly’s voice broke, and Seth reached out to grip his sister’s hands. “I don’t know how she did it, but she did. I didn’t think it was possible.”
“Why haven’t we heard of this?” Tristan asked. “Why didn’t the Conclave do anything about it?”
Calypso cursed under her breath. “Oh, some knew. And those who knew are dead now. I didn’t find out until recently, and I’ve been trying to deal with what I could. It’s not my realm, though, Tristan, and as soon as I heard Amara was a siren, I did what I could.”
“You’re the messenger,” Amara said sharply. “We won’t hurt you or hate you for your words. Now, how do we lift the curse so I can be with my mates? I don’t want anything to do with the queen. I don’t have powers…or rather I don’t know how to use them so I’m not going to go for her throne. I just want to be with Tristan and Seth and go back to Dante’s Circle and live my life. I just want a home.”
There was something in her words that made Tristan pause, a deep pain he knew he would have to find out the cause of, but then he thought more of the threat.
“The queen knows,” Tristan said, his voice hollow. “The queen knows another of the line she fought to eradicate is here, and that’s why everyone is being so hush-hush. That’s why people don’t know what’s going on because they only have parts of the whole story.”
Calypso nodded.
“What does this mean? And how the hell do we break the curse?” Amara asked, her voice rising.
“You can only break the curse by getting the one who laid it to take it off.” Caly paused, met Tristan’s eyes, then Seth’s, then Amara’s. “The curse must be lifted in life…or in death.”
Tristan cursed again, and Seth let out a small growl.
“And from the sound of this queen, she’s not going to let me off easily.” Amara leaned into Tristan’s hold and he ran his hand up and down her arm. “I…I don’t want to have to kill someone. I know I’m not exactly new to the world of the paranormal even though I’m new to my world and the way things must be, but…I don’t know if I can do that.”