The Pleasure of Reading Today: Release Week: Siren's Call by Jessica Cage

After being snatched from the street and drugged Syrinada wakes to find herself strapped to a bed with a predator in the next room. In a moment where she might have shut down and accepted her fate, a defense mechanism she isn't aware she possesses surfaces. Syrinanda struggles to understand the turn that her life has taken. What are these new powers and who can she turn to for guidance?
Malachi, a long time friend knows more about here than he has ever admitted. When he witnesses her tapping into this unknown source of power he steps in. There is more about him that she doesn’t know and now is the time to pull off the mask. He reveals to her that she is a Siren. But there is more to Sy's background, darker things, and for that reason she must stay hidden. But the call of the siren is a strong one and Sy finds herself incapable of denying her new urges. Now that she has brought attention to herself they must flee, but how long can you run before your demons catch up with you?

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Back at the house, Malachi and Demetrius thought it best to keep me separated from the guy Demetrius called Mark; apparently, he had thought to ask the guy his name. When we entered the front doors, I was ushered in one direction while Mark was dragged in another. Malachi got me into what he had named my room and closed the door behind us.

“I thought we were going to be questioning his ass, why am I in here, Malachi?” I wanted one on one time with Mark.

“We are going to question him. You need to calm down first. There is no point in going out there all heated, you won’t be able to focus on the information you need to be getting and odds are you will snap and end up killing him.” He shook his head. “Hell, the guy is already pretty damned messed up.”

“Well, can you blame me?” I didn’t appreciate the judgment in his tone.

“No I guess not, but action before thought doesn’t exactly help us out in this scenario does it?” There he was again with his all-knowing annoyance.

“Yeah, okay, I know you are right.” I let out a frustrated grunt.

“Okay, so, we are going to stash him away and you are going to rest tonight. We will question him in the morning, with clear heads.” He double-checked the door to be sure it was secure, as if I didn’t know how to operate a damn lock!

“No problem, I am sure I will be able to get a great night’s sleep knowing that that bastard is here.”

“I figured you would have trouble, which is why I am going to stay here with you. To help you relax and to make sure you don’t go looking for him in the middle of the night.” He smiled; proud that he had already considered all of the angles. I didn’t see much that he could do to help me relax after the new ‘no touch’ policy.

“And how do you intend on helping me relax? I mean, I just found out that my own aunt, the woman who raised me as her daughter, set me up to have a bunch of fucked up men snatch me off the street and do god-only-knows what to me. Then she stood in my face and pretended not to know. I never even told her about it because I didn’t want to worry her! I can’t believe someone so close to me could have done that to me.” I paced the floor because my frustrations, both physical and mental were on a constant growth pattern. I couldn’t be still; to be still was to be accepting of the bullshit.

“I honestly don’t know what to say to you right now because I know that there are no words capable of making you feel better or to erase the terrible knowledge of what your aunt did. It’s a complete and total betrayal of your trust, and that’s putting it mildly.” He watched me pace and I could see his own struggle as he stood away from me. I could tell that he wanted to come to me and wrap his arms around me. I could see the assault of kisses, and his hands gripping my waist, I saw it all. I bit my lip because I knew that none of it would be happening. He wouldn’t allow it; I shook the thoughts and mental pictures from my mind.

“I just don’t understand what my life is anymore. I am a half-Siren half-Warlock mutt. My mother is dead and my Father is nowhere to be found. I feel completely out of control, I hurt people and I actually enjoy it. I hate to say it, but I started to look forward to it, to finding my next target and being the one to remove him from the planet. That isn’t me; at least it didn’t used to be me. I don’t know who I am anymore. And now, the one solid part of my life, the part I thought would be there for me to fall back on and catch me when all of this goes to hell, as it clearly is, well obviously that part is fucked! My own aunt, my family set me up to be broken. I have no idea what I did to her or what made me deserve this.” I stopped pacing and allowed my tears to fall. As much as I hated the idea of crying in front of him, the release felt good. As the tears flowed, the tension in my chest released but a flood of sadness replaced it.

“You aren’t deserving of this, no one is. Sy, you did nothing wrong. Whatever happened, whatever her reasons were for doing this, it says something about her and who she is as a person, not you. It doesn’t define you, none of this does. What defines you, are your own actions. I know that you have done some less than favorable things lately, but that is only because of the transition. You will find yourself again. Even if it is all confusing now, you will remember who you are and what kind of person you are.” Against the new policy, he crossed the room to embrace me. I laid my head on his shoulder, a hug didn’t really break the rules and I needed it. I needed more, but a hug was a good start. “You cannot let this break you down, as tempting as that may be, to give up or give in to the urge to do the wrong thing, you have to fight it and you have to remain strong.”

Born and raised in Chicago, IL, writing has always been a passion of mine. I dabble in artistic creations of all sorts but at the end of the day, its the pen that my hand itches to hold. I had never considered following my dream to be a writer because I was told "There is no money in writing." So I chose the path most often traveled. Now working at my day job in a law office, I look at my two year old son and ask myself, how can I inspire him to follow his dreams, reach for the stars, if I never had the guts to do it myself. So here I am, age 25, unleashing the plethora of characters and their crazy adventurous worlds into the realm of readers. Hoping to inspire not only my son but myself.