The Siren Series 1: Ember by Marata Eros

from the beginning. He had tried to explain the
reasons behind that to Desmond. Who, in keeping with his character,
had ignored Madden's misgivings. And look where that had gotten
him?
    Dead.
    While the king and queen of the Mer roamed the
deep seas of the Mother, their prized prince lay cooling on the
floor of his own chamber, their daughter, virgin and unbred, had
been absconded with ruffians: two part-Mer and with intentions that
at the very best were suspect. And judging by Constantine's
behavior... Madden thought much worse.
    The other warriors partook of the special
essence that would make retrieval of their special royal
obtainable.
    They sheathed their tridents, Madden taking a
look around himself for anything they might be forgetting. Seeing
nothing he moved to the portal that would release them into a night
fraught with uncertainty. Then a thought occurred to him.
    There was the issue of Brandon, the young Druid
hybrid... did he know? That should have been explained, in detail.
And Madden had not yet had time to do so. Did Brandon know that it
was the kiss that Madden had shared with his mother that awakened
his blood? It was an unusual combination. As a point-of-fact,
Madden did not think he'd ever come across it during war or peace.
He shrugged the thought away, throwing the task at hand before
himself once again.
    He left, the other warriors following,
recovering their senses slowly after the dark dance with the
Mother.
    *
    Brolach
     
    Brolach faced off with the vampire mongrel even
as he pawned off a sleeping Ruby to another vampire. Brolach's eyes
flicked to the other. Druid, his mind answered, scanning the
younger one quickly, and some Mer, he determined.
    He refocused on the one in front of him, the
real threat in Brolach's estimation.
    “We have to stop meeting like this, fire
breeder,” Constantine said, hands free as Brandon guarded the
females.
    Brolach scowled even as he felt his horns burst
through his skull, his tail flashing like a tiger's behind his
body, barbs bursting the flesh of the tip in preparation for
battle.
    “Bring it, demon,” Constantine said, his talons
and fangs at their fullest.
    “We do not have to war, Exotic,” Brolach
tried.
    “Ah, then you know the rarest of the blood I
carry?” Con asked, surprised despite himself.
    Brolach nodded. “I but want the breeding demon
girl,” he said, evading the question of his uncanny discernment,
brought on by the part of his blood that was not demon.
    Constantine instinctively moved in front of
Ember, hating his automatic protection of the spoiled Mer princess.
Knowing his goddamned Druid genetics got their dander up just when
he needed to lay it down. Like a cat's fur rubbed the wrong
way.
    Brolach chuckled. “You are welcome to that
one... for she is better suited to you.” He pointed to Ruby. “She
is mine.” He closed a hand tipped in short black talons. “I have
tasted of her and know that she will breed true.”
    Brolach stated this as if it was fact. It was
similar to the human game of poker, he kept the neutral expression
on his face with difficulty.
    Brandon looked at the demon then at the tranquil
face of an unconscious Ruby. His eyes shifted to Con's. “Tell
him.”
    Constantine smiled slightly at the dangerous
demon breeder. “Fuck off. We're not going to give up the females,
either one.”
    He heard Ember give a soft sob behind him and it
squeezed that part in his body he ignored.
    Where his heart lay.
    Brolach got ready to take them on when a voice
from behind them said, “No one will touch Ruby tonight.”
    A man with very light skin bled from the fringe
of city trees that hovered near the pier. He stood very tall, his
skin tinged with red, a slow and subtle smolder emanating from the
visible pores.
    His eyes were like Ruby's, Brolach noted. His
hair was inky black, like Brolach's, but without that hint of
red.
    He was demon, and other.
    Constantine actually laughed. “Glad you could
join the party, demon spawn.