When Sebastian released me, I collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. The shock of him putting those images into my mind was overwhelming. The images themselves horrifying. 

“He’s-he’s a monster,” I breathed, shuddering at the thought of the man chained up behind me and all the women he had harmed. 

“Yes,” Sebastian said quietly, crouched down in front of me now. I turned my gaze slowly up to him. 

“You are too,” I said. 

He looked pained. Joel made a sound, but Sebastian held his hand up to stay his friend. 

“I understand where you are right now. Trust me, I’ve been there before, though I had nowhere near your sense of morality when I discovered the existence of vampires. It was a different time. A different world. I can understand your confusion.”

“Are…” I looked back and forth between Sebastian and Joel, “are you going to kill me? Now that I know your secret?”

“No,” Sebastian said quickly, “of course not!”

“Absolutely not,” said Joel. 

“Then-” I looked around at a loss, “what happens now?” I wondered if they’d throw me behind one of these doors, chain me up and leave me until I complied with what they wanted. 

“Well,” Sebastian looked at Joel, and something passed between them, a look I didn’t quite catch, “now, you head back to your room. If you still want to stay.”

If?

“And if I don’t? You’ll just let me leave?” 

I looked at Joel now, his expressions much more of a giveaway to his intentions. He was frowning, concerned, but said nothing. 

“I will never hold you against your will, Calista,” Sebastian said. “You are absolutely free to go.”

“You know that an NDA doesn’t cover being a serial killer,” I blurted. 

Why the hell did I just say that? What is wrong with me?

Sebastian scoffed, Joel made a groan of dismay. I slowly rose to a standing position. There was no point in trying to run. Either one of them could catch me easily, and Sebastian could end me in an instant. Looking at him though, looking into those gorgeous eyes of his, I knew that he wouldn’t hurt me. 

“You must do what you feel you must do. This wouldn’t be the first time we’ve had to leave a place suddenly, and I doubt very much it will be the last. Inconvenient, but doable if necessary. I hope you’ll rethink it though. That you’ll consider the life we’re trying to make for Emily here. And I hope curiosity will get the best of you. That you’ll wish to know more about your abilities. About exactly what you’re capable of. That you’ll want to protect Emily like we do.”

“My abilities?” I repeated. 

“I’m quite sure that the reason you are down here at all was to inquire about the event earlier this evening, was it not? The one where you put us in a trance as you sang,” said Joel. 

“So that is what happened?” I asked, all those thoughts rushing back to me. The questions I’d had before I came downstairs and found a man chained up in the basement. They knew about these abilities? About whatever I had done?

“I would want to know,” said Sebastian, “if I had a gift like yours, the ability to entrance like you do, I’d want to harness this power. To grow it and use it. For good.”

“You knew about this, didn’t you? Before I came here, you knew what I could do.”

It was all becoming clear now. Why they had chosen me. Why everything seemed too good to be true. Why I went from my dingy apartment to a palace in a mere matter of hours. This ability that had always tickled the back of my mind, that I could never give words to. This power to entrance. Clear apart from the why. Why would they want someone with this ability in their home?

“Yes,” Sebastian nodded, “we knew you were a Siren. And yes, that’s why we asked you here initially. But I hope you know that our respect and care for you go far and above beyond just the fact that you are-”

“A Siren,” I interrupted, “you’re telling me that Sirens are real?”