#part five!!!

“Who goes?” A voice called out, one of the cell doors to their left rattling lightly.

“Lyra?” The siren called softly as she stepped up to the door.

“Melody? Are you okay? Did they hurt you? Gods alive, they drove Serina and I mad, taunting us that you’d been killed for betrayal.” A hand reached through the bars and Melody felt her body tremble as she turned back to the group of four.

“You can’t let them die.” Her plea was quiet, but they all heard her.

Luke groaned before Michael shook his head to the vampire. And then he realised. It was likely going to be Michael and Calum’s mates.

“Calum?” Luke asked quietly, turning his attention to the blonde demon. “We can’t leave them behind.”

Another second and the door exploded outwards, pushing Melody into Ashton’s awaiting arms, earning a scowl from the red haired demon.

But then his focus vanished when the first siren stepped out and he felt his breath disappear. And his magic reacted, the bond snapping between her and the sisterhood, only to be replaced with one tied to him.

And he couldn’t find it in himself to care less as she threw herself at the siren she’d named Melody before turning to the group.

Michael was swift to meet the second siren, his anxious state settling as his fingers brushed her arm and the siren scowled.

“A fucking werewolf? Great.” She muttered and Melody laughed.

“Lyra and I are tied to demons, count your blessings Serina.” And Calum felt himself entirely lost for words as Luke finally snarled.

“All fucking dandy, but my own mate is still suffering.” He snapped and it seemed to move the group into action.

Every time they met a siren who was determined to get them, either Calum or Luke took them out. Now that they had the three that Michael had prophesied, there was no holding back for Luke.

And he was ruthless.

At first he just murdered them outright, but then he realised that to get to Carina, he needed them to tell him. He was surprised at the lack of sympathy that the other three held for their murdered sisters.

“They broke our trust with the sisterhood.” Serina simply intoned and none of them argued their words, especially when Luke wrapped his fingers around the throat of the next siren they saw, allowing Calum the pleasure to kill the other three with her.

“Where did they take the witch? If you give me the right answer, I might let you live.” His lips were curled up into a snarl and it was glaringly obvious that she was a younger siren.

What he hadn’t expected was for Lyra to give an encouraging nod to the siren in his grip.

“Sacrificial chamber. The centre cavern.” She gasped out and Luke smirked.

“First rule of coming across enemies. Never trust their word.” Her neck snapped in his grip and her body dropped to the floor as he turned to the three sirens they had.

“Where’s that chamber?”

“I can get you there. The other two will get burned.” Melody stepped forward. Luke went with him.

“We’ll stick with Calum and Lyra until one of you can give us word that we need to go.” Michael motioned to himself and Serina, and she didn’t argue with him, choosing to move closer to his side.

Luke followed after Melody and Ashton brought up the rear as they began to traverse through the winding caverns.

No words were shared as they hurried through and Luke could finally hear the chanting. He didn’t even break stride as he moved past Melody and broke into the chamber, his eyes wild and lip curled up into a snarl.

“The vampire gets to witness his mates doom, how sweet.” Sorrell’s sickly sweet voice set his body on edge, his eyes darting between the various sirens. It didn’t sit well with him that there was still so much distance between him and his mate, but then he spied Carina’s dagger in the sirens hands and he realised he had to tread carefully.

“The vampire broke three of your sisters from their slavery to you. I think I got the better end of the deal.” Luke commented nonchalantly as Melody slipped into the cavern followed by Ashton. Sorrell scoffed.

“That pathetic waste of skin? She was never one of us.” He watched as Melody’s resolve shifted and he smirked as she switched her direction towards Sorrell rather than Carina. He knew Ashton was moving to his mate, so he stayed put.

“Never one of you? I had the same as you, you insufferable bitch! I had the slender body, the looks to boot. But then you, the precious little princess decided I wasn’t worth a damn.” Melody snapped as she stalked forwards.

Sorrell watched in shock as the dagger ripped from her hand, straight into Melody’s.

“You were never one of us! You chose to waste away instead of helping us!” The stupor finally broke as Melody laughed and Luke silently prayed that he was immune to the magic of her voice.

“Better to waste away than put another siren through the hell you put me through.” With another snarl, the dagger was flung from Melody’s grip and lodged directly into Sorrell’s heart.

The look of smug satisfaction washed over Melody until the cavern began to tremble and her gaze turned from smug to frightened as she looked over to see Carina being freed into Ashton’s grip.

“Time to leave, little siren.” Luke muttered, trusting that Ashton would actually follow with his mate.

-

Calum watched as Michael pulled his mate away from the crumbling caverns.

“You can’t leave them!” Serina was pulling back towards Calum and Lyra. Lyra turned away from her sister, facing Calum completely.

“What do you need?” He couldn’t look at Michael, and he knew Ashton would have whisked Melody out with Luke and Carina.

Calum had never been sure what love was. He’d seen the aura, felt the familial love from the coven and his tribe. The brotherly affection he received from Ashton. But the way Lyra’s eyes looked up at him, so trusting and ready to help him stop the sisterhood, he felt his heart grow ten times in a span of seconds.

“I need you to focus your magic, I need you to direct it. Mine will overpower and guide yours when it gets close enough.” She nodded her head at his instructions, her foot stepping backwards to give him space, but Calum’s hand shot out, wrapping around her wrist.

Her eyes met his and he couldn’t stop the words that had been circling his mind.

“I know we’ve only just met, and I know this is going to sound so fucking stupid. But if I have to die today, I’m glad the universe gave me you, just so I knew what an all encompassing love felt like.” Her eyes widened at his words.

Before he could step away to turn and do his work, her arms went around his neck, her lips meeting his. And everything in his body began to sing, just for her.

“The universe allowed me this one moment peace with you, Calum. I cannot be mad at it, if we were to leave now.” Lyra whispered against his lips before pulling away.

He stood for a moment, dazed before he turned away, his hands raised as he began his chant. Calum could feel his magic meet hers, the force twisting together as he began to guide it.

The ground began to violently tremble, the earth protesting the use of her magic for something so destructive. But Calum held firm in his chant, unable to look away from the tops of the caverns as rocks began to crumble and fall.

Fear began to bubble in his chest, knowing that he was walking to his death. It terrified him.

A slender arm joined his, fingers wrapping around his as Lyra mirrored his stance, her body next to his, other arm raised up and the fear that had bubbled, began to shift into determination.

The second the chant ended, the ground cracked and Calum pulled Lyra into his hold, his eyes pressing tightly.

“I’ll love you for eternity, even in the afterlife.” He whispered as the world went black.

-

Michael was fighting with his mate, her struggled cries causing him grief as he felt the magic wrap around them and move them away from the caverns.

“How could you let them stay?” She snapped as she broke free from his arms her body turning away from him as she looked out to where the caves were. They were too far for her to go back on foot.

“Because Calum is the only one powerful enough to wipe out sirens. Our job was to keep you and your sisters safe.” He finally snapped and she pinned him with a glare that rivalled his own. She could see his eyes were shifting between amber and green and she knew that his wolf was dangerously close to the surface.

“Then why didn’t you let me save Lyra?”

“Because I know how it feels to lose your mate, and I wasn’t going to subject her to that pain so soon after finding him.” He snapped back, frustration bubbling to the surface. “Or did you forget that your sisters so loving murdered my last mate?” She stumbled back at the venom in his tone and she took in a shaky breath as a hand landed on his shoulder.

“Peace, Michael.” Carina’s voice was gentle, but she did not miss the way that Serina’s eyes landed on her hand, a look of confusion warring with a look of frustration.

Taking a step back, Serina’s body relaxed when Carina dropped her hand from Michael’s body.

Michael took a step forward to Serina this time, her eyes wary and he sighed.

“I didn’t mean to throw that in your face like that. My goddess gave me another, you. But you have to trust that there is a reason why we didn’t take Lyra with us. Melody will tell you what she said the moment she touched Ashton’s hand. I couldn’t let Lyra live with the false hope of him surviving or the crushing grief that would happen if he didn’t.” Serina’s bottom lip wobbled as she let out a choked sob, her body falling into Michael’s as it hit her.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered as a rumble ran through the earth and they turned to the caverns, watching in horror as the cliffs collapsed.

“Carina?” Luke prompted softly and she wiped a stray tear that had fallen.

“We have a day to find every body buried under the rubble before the humans will see the devastation.” She whispered and Luke nodded.

“The sirens bodies will need to be burned. Did you manage to contact Jade?”

“They should be here with reinforcements in the next few moments.” Carina whispered in return and sighed.

“We may as well move to the site before they arrive, so they know who is in charge of this clean up.” Melody murmured softly from Ashton’s side. He’d barely let her leave his side since they escaped and Serina sucked in a shuddering breath as she turned to Carina.

“I don’t want them touching Lyra or Calum’s bodies. We need to go now.”

It took two jumps, but Carina got them all as close as possible and she began to murmur spells, sand rising from the ground and solidifying into a table, her magic reaching out to give them a full view of what they were looking at.

It wasn’t much later that other witches began to arrive.

Ashton was frozen when Lucifer himself showed up with them, his eyes tired as he took in the protective stance that Ashton held over his mate.

“You cannot touch these two.” Michael stated firmly, stepping between Lucifer and Ashton. Luke felt either the wolf was very brave or very stupid.

“I’ve been instructed by my goddess that our mates will help bring about a new round of sirens, sirens that will obey our laws and will know better than what the last lot did.” His eyes flashed amber and Lucifer backed down instantly.

“I will not argue with your goddess.” He finally muttered. The other wolves that had arrived whispered between themselves before falling silent at Michael's look.

Carina stepped up then.

“Our task is to get every single body from the rubble before my spells wear off. I can only reapply the spell in twelve hours to give us another twelve hour protection. But that’s all we have.”

“There are two bodies that are not to be touched by anyone but our own hands.” Luke called out, his voice carrying. “A demon and his siren mate.” Lucifer gave off a silent snarl but Luke snarled loudly in return.

The King of hell wasn’t expecting that.

“King or not, you abide by our word. I already owe Leto my gratitude for helping me defy the fates to keep my mate alive. She gifted her wolf a second mate. Do you think she will not hesitate to make you obey?”

“I am a King, boy.” Lucifer snapped, clawed fingers wrapping around the vampires throat, lifting him off his feet.

“And I am a broken siren.” Melody stepped forward, her glare firm on the King of Hell. Ashton was both terrified and proud of his mate in that moment.

“So what? Your fucking race murdered my Queen. Why should I listen to the vampires threats?”

“Because King of Hell or not, you have our laws to follow. The sisterhood may have disregarded the laws, but I don’t. Put. Him. Down.” The claws retracted from Luke’s neck, dropping him to the sand.

Carina helped him up, her fingers tracing the marks the claws had left.

“And what will you do, broken siren, if I decided to take the body of one of my own away?” The taunt was a challenge, and any fool could see it. Raising her fist, she watched as his eyes became unfocused.

“I will rip you from every good thing. I will take your memories and taint them. I will drive you mad to the point that your own kind have to put you down like a rabid dog. Don’t. Test. Me.” Her fist dropped on the last word and Lucifer stumbled backwards, his glare less intense as he put distance between himself and Melody.

She returned to Ashton’s side and he pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head as Carina took over.

“The only siren body we are after will be with the demon. Otherwise, we will create pyres and burn them at sunset.”

No one argued with them after the verbal smack down that Lucifer had received.

As they began to pull bodies from the wreckage, Luke visibly shivered as he came across Sorrell’s body, unable to even touch her. The dagger that was still lodged in her heart was a clear as daylight message.

Carina removed the dagger, sheathing it before continuing to help shift the rubble.

It took the better part of six hours, their bodies were weary as they got closer to the centre of the destruction.

Various species were trading off, but the original six held steadfast, determined to find the bodies of their fallen two.

It was Melody who found them first.

“Ashton.” Her voice was calm and they knew. They abandoned the areas they were all working at, scrabbling across the rocks to see it for themselves.

Luke helped Melody launch the piece of rubble as far as possible away from the entwined couple. Their hair covered in dust, faces covered in cuts and dark bruises.

Ashton knelt down first, his fingers pushing through his best friends’ hair, brushing it away from his face. Melody and Serina knelt together, their fingers gently brushing Lyra’s hair back before their first tears fell.

No noises could escape the two, they knew it would mean certain death for those that were now not protected. But even so, the mournful noise that escaped Ashton, followed by a baleful noise from Michael, who could feel every emotion from his mate, everyone paused.

Ashton carried Calum, silent tears falling as they moved through the rubble, following the path towards the set up. Creatures alike stopped as the procession passed them, Luke cradling Lyra’s body to him as the other four followed behind.

No words were spoken as the bodies were lain together, knowing that even in death, they deserved something so simple. It was all Ashton could do to stop himself from lighting them immediately, reminding himself to follow the traditions.

“One day and then we burn them.” He whispered to Melody who let out a choked noise, her face moving to hide in his face as she heaved noiseless sobs, her fingers clutching at Ashton’s shirt. Serina was in a similar position, allowing her mate to comfort her as her shoulders shook, tears dampening Michael’s shirt.

Carina wiped the few stray tears from her eyes, taking a hold of Luke’s hand.

“We’ll help finish up. You guys have done enough.” She finally whispered and before they could make noises of protest, she held up her hands.

“You’re about to witness your own species go up in flames, please. Let them comfort you and pull yourselves back. You’re the only ones who know the old ways for your species death. We need you both.”

They couldn’t argue with her logic, not when she was so sound in it.

They stayed, waited it out. Eventually, when all of the bodies were found, the various creatures began to step back, allowing Melody and Serina to step forward.

“Why aren’t we burning the other siren?” A call came from a latecomer and quick as a flash, Ashton had his whip out and around the person's throat, the magic pushing them into the air as the whip tightened around their throat.

“She was mated to a demon, to my best friend. Our laws dictate that we burn our dead a day after. Despite what the sisterhood did, we have to follow their laws with their bodies, but once they connected, she’s bound to my laws.” He snarled.

No one moved an inch before he dropped the newcomer unceremoniously on the floor.

Melody and Serina began their chants.

“We ask our goddess, she who tempted Odysseus, to take the sisterhood and grant the passage to where they will go. We do not ask for judgement, for their souls have been selected. Grant them that mercy with the fires of the dead.”

The pyres were lit up, and the sirens magic broke, the two remaining sirens collapsing into each other as the bond between them and the sisterhood snapped away completely.

Everyone was so focused on the two living ones, no one noticed when the supposedly dead siren’s hand curled around her mates.

-

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