Chapter 31

Valeria POV

The weight of the colony's ancient power pressed down on me as we moved deeper into the heart of the Siren's realm. I could feel their eyes on us-on me-like a thousand unseen hands pulling at my skin, pulling at my soul. The scent of the ocean mingled with something darker, something primal, and I could feel my magic stirring, responding to the hunger in the air.

Adrian's presence behind me was a constant pressure at my back, a reminder of the bond we were still tethered to, the one we had yet to complete. It was a bond that had both the power to destroy us and to make us more than we could ever be on our own. I knew the cost of completing it-knew that once it was done, there would be no going back. But the weight of Talon's challenge hung over us, and I couldn't help but feel the pressure tightening around my chest, choking the air from my lungs.

But I wasn't afraid.

Adrian was behind me, silent but burning with a fire that mirrored my own. He wanted me, wanted to claim me, wanted to prove that he could protect me. And though I understood the depth of his obsession, I knew I couldn't let it blind him. The Sirens had more power than he could possibly understand. Talon, especially.

I could feel him lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike, his eyes never leaving me. His presence was like a magnet, drawing my attention even when I didn't want it. The moment his gaze met mine, I could see the desire in it-deep, consuming, dangerous. Talon was a king here, and I knew he wasn't going to give up without a fight.

The colony itself was alive, the energy of the Sirens wrapping around me like a living thing. The ocean seemed to pulse beneath our feet, and the ancient stone pillars that surrounded us thrummed with an energy older than even I could fathom. The air was thick with it-the promise of power, of danger, of lust. But none of it could compare to what I felt when I turned to look at Adrian.

The bond was still fragile, the connection between us still untested in its full force. I could feel it pulsing through me, faint but persistent. There were parts of me that had never felt more alive than when I was near him. But there were other parts of me that knew that nothing, not even Adrian, could erase the truth of what I was, what I had been made for.

"Are you all right?" Adrian's voice, low and rough, broke through the tension that gripped me. He was standing close now, his arm brushing mine as we moved through the crowd of Sirens.

I glanced at him, his face etched with worry, with something darker. The possessiveness I had felt growing inside him had reached a boiling point, and I could see it in his eyes now. The way he looked at me. Like I was a prize to be won.

"I'm fine," I replied, my voice steady, but I felt the weight of my own uncertainty creeping in. I had to do this. I had to see this through, no matter how much it hurt.

We were nearly to the center of the colony now. The energy was thicker, the pressure in the air unbearable. It was like every Siren here had their eyes fixed on us-on me-and I could feel the hunger, the desire that they couldn't hide. They all wanted to claim me. To mark me as theirs.

But none of them would.

Not Talon, not anyone else. The bond was mine to finish, and mine alone.

Talon emerged from the shadows, his movements slow and deliberate, like a predator stalking its prey. His dark eyes locked with mine, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. He was beautiful in a way that made your skin crawl. Powerful, magnetic, untouchable.

"You shouldn't have come, Valeria," Talon's voice was silk and poison, his words wrapping around me like a trap.

I stood tall, my back straight, my magic thrumming beneath my skin. "I know exactly what I'm doing."

His lips curled into a smirk, and he stepped closer, his gaze never leaving mine. "You can't deny it forever, Valeria. You feel it, don't you? The call of the power. The need to complete the bond. You're no different from the rest of us. You want it. You want me."

I could feel Adrian's tension beside me, the air around him vibrating with barely contained fury. I could feel the jealousy coursing through him, raw and uncontrolled. He wanted me, but he didn't understand what he was up against. What Talon was.

"I don't want you, Talon," I said, my voice cold as ice, cutting through the air between us. "I never did. And I never will."

Talon's smirk faltered for a moment, but it was fleeting. He had underestimated me. He had always believed I was just another Siren he could bend to his will. But he was wrong.

"You can lie to yourself all you want," Talon replied, his voice low, like a whisper carried on the wind. "But you won't be able to deny it forever."

I glanced at Adrian, and the intensity in his eyes made my heart race. His jealousy was raw, but beneath it was something stronger. His love for me, his obsession with me. He had come here for me, to claim me, to make me his.

But could he? Could anyone?

"I'm not yours to claim, Talon," I said, stepping closer to Adrian, closing the distance between us. "And I never will be."

Talon's eyes darkened, and the air around us shifted. The tension crackled, and I could feel the magic of the colony stirring, responding to his anger. But I wasn't afraid.

"Then prove it," Talon said, his voice thick with venom. "Prove you're strong enough to resist me. To resist the power."

Before I could respond, I felt a surge of energy, the bond between Adrian and me flaring to life in response to Talon's challenge. I could feel it-feel the power building between us, a force that threatened to tear the very fabric of reality.

Adrian's hand reached for mine, his grip strong and steady. He was with me. He was willing to fight for me, even if it meant facing Talon-and everything else the Siren's colony had to throw at us.

"I'll prove it, Talon," Adrian said, his voice dark and filled with determination. "I'll prove I'm strong enough for her."

Talon's eyes flashed, a dangerous glint of amusement in them. "We'll see about that, won't we?"