watching her for a moment before I follow.
If I want to catch my prey, I have to be patient and wear her down.
“You ready to go back to the circus?” I ask when I catch up to her.
“What’s going to happen to Angelina? Should we call the cops?”
“What would we tell them? She kidnapped a siren, tried to kill her by draining her blood, and then make a love potion to enslave me? It’s over, Emma.” For now.
“I can’t believe my sister, the sweet, never-does-anything-wrong angel, was behind all this. I think the world has turned inside out.”
Chapter 10
~ EMMA ~
THE SIREN IS back—the collar in place and the iron door sealed shut—when we make our way to her circus tent. Hands holding the bars, she presses her face against the cage. She stares at me, her eyes boring into me.
“So how did you do it?” Gruff asks.
I shrug. “By the skin of my teeth.”
Gruff grumbles something under his breath.
“What was that?”
“I said, I wish I could have been there.”
“You like watching humans get their asses kicked?”
“I like good battles.”
“If you want a good battle, you should be around next time Jason pisses me off.”
He stares at me. His eyes are green as the grass on an Alaskan meadow. I can even see flecks of red and gold to mimic the wildflowers.
He grunts. “I still don’t like you. I expect you next week to clean my stalls.”
Taylon clears his throat, and I turn to find him holding a vial of purple liquid. “I’m sorry about your hair.”
“I’m getting used to it.” Actually, I kind of like it.
“I made this for you. It should turn your hair back.”
“Should?”
“My research indicates it should work.”
“I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
His face falls and he takes the vial back from me. “All right.”
Shoulders sagging, he shuffles toward the door.
“Okay, fine. I’ll try it.”
I unstopper the lid and drink back the liquid. It tastes like lighter fluid and charcoal. I cough and wheeze. I sound like Mama Maria, checking out her maybe-poisoned goop.
Great. I’m turning insane too.
Everybody—Jason, Gruff, Taylon , and the siren —stares at my forehead. Their eyes grow big until the whites of their eyes show all around the iris.
“What?”
“I’m sorry. I thought it would work.” Taylon tugs his braid.
“Mirror.” I hold my hand out.
Taylon shakes his head. “I don’t think that is a good idea.”
“Mirror!”
He produces the mirror with a wave of his hand and a spark, and I look in the mirror.
My hair is still pink. Still curly. But now it has purple streaks through it. And it has grown so big that it is twice the size as my head, sticking up all over.
“Uh . . . Can I kill him now?” I turn to Jason.
“I said I was sorry.” Taylon pales.
I clench my hands at my sides. He’s just a goofy kid. I can’t hurt him. Closing my eyes, gritting my teeth, I chant it in my head ten times: He’s just a kid; I can’t hurt him.
And as soon as I stop chanting, I haul off and hit him. Well, not really, he disappears before my fist hits and reappears behind me. Far behind me.
“I think I owe you a unicorn ride.” Gruff scowls.
I grin.
Jason puts his arm around my waist, looping a finger into my belt loop, and an electric shock races through my body. My face burns and my lips tingle. I remember the feel of his lips on mine.
I step away and shrug his arm off. I’m hoping he forgets that kiss. Maybe the potion will wipe his brain . . .
. . . but the memory will keep me up at night.
I remind myself we’re just friends, and we’d kill each other if we tried to be anything more.
“No reason to be so jumpy. I was just going to tell you I think she wants to talk to you.”
“But she can’t. Not with the collar.” I think for a moment. “Not without the collar either.”
Taylon clears his throat behind me, when I turn, he holds out his notebook at arm’s length. “Use this, human—what’s your name
If I want to catch my prey, I have to be patient and wear her down.
“You ready to go back to the circus?” I ask when I catch up to her.
“What’s going to happen to Angelina? Should we call the cops?”
“What would we tell them? She kidnapped a siren, tried to kill her by draining her blood, and then make a love potion to enslave me? It’s over, Emma.” For now.
“I can’t believe my sister, the sweet, never-does-anything-wrong angel, was behind all this. I think the world has turned inside out.”
Chapter 10
~ EMMA ~
THE SIREN IS back—the collar in place and the iron door sealed shut—when we make our way to her circus tent. Hands holding the bars, she presses her face against the cage. She stares at me, her eyes boring into me.
“So how did you do it?” Gruff asks.
I shrug. “By the skin of my teeth.”
Gruff grumbles something under his breath.
“What was that?”
“I said, I wish I could have been there.”
“You like watching humans get their asses kicked?”
“I like good battles.”
“If you want a good battle, you should be around next time Jason pisses me off.”
He stares at me. His eyes are green as the grass on an Alaskan meadow. I can even see flecks of red and gold to mimic the wildflowers.
He grunts. “I still don’t like you. I expect you next week to clean my stalls.”
Taylon clears his throat, and I turn to find him holding a vial of purple liquid. “I’m sorry about your hair.”
“I’m getting used to it.” Actually, I kind of like it.
“I made this for you. It should turn your hair back.”
“Should?”
“My research indicates it should work.”
“I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
His face falls and he takes the vial back from me. “All right.”
Shoulders sagging, he shuffles toward the door.
“Okay, fine. I’ll try it.”
I unstopper the lid and drink back the liquid. It tastes like lighter fluid and charcoal. I cough and wheeze. I sound like Mama Maria, checking out her maybe-poisoned goop.
Great. I’m turning insane too.
Everybody—Jason, Gruff, Taylon , and the siren —stares at my forehead. Their eyes grow big until the whites of their eyes show all around the iris.
“What?”
“I’m sorry. I thought it would work.” Taylon tugs his braid.
“Mirror.” I hold my hand out.
Taylon shakes his head. “I don’t think that is a good idea.”
“Mirror!”
He produces the mirror with a wave of his hand and a spark, and I look in the mirror.
My hair is still pink. Still curly. But now it has purple streaks through it. And it has grown so big that it is twice the size as my head, sticking up all over.
“Uh . . . Can I kill him now?” I turn to Jason.
“I said I was sorry.” Taylon pales.
I clench my hands at my sides. He’s just a goofy kid. I can’t hurt him. Closing my eyes, gritting my teeth, I chant it in my head ten times: He’s just a kid; I can’t hurt him.
And as soon as I stop chanting, I haul off and hit him. Well, not really, he disappears before my fist hits and reappears behind me. Far behind me.
“I think I owe you a unicorn ride.” Gruff scowls.
I grin.
Jason puts his arm around my waist, looping a finger into my belt loop, and an electric shock races through my body. My face burns and my lips tingle. I remember the feel of his lips on mine.
I step away and shrug his arm off. I’m hoping he forgets that kiss. Maybe the potion will wipe his brain . . .
. . . but the memory will keep me up at night.
I remind myself we’re just friends, and we’d kill each other if we tried to be anything more.
“No reason to be so jumpy. I was just going to tell you I think she wants to talk to you.”
“But she can’t. Not with the collar.” I think for a moment. “Not without the collar either.”
Taylon clears his throat behind me, when I turn, he holds out his notebook at arm’s length. “Use this, human—what’s your name
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