Siren’s Desire: A Dark Tides Novel Read online

  Praise for

  the Dark Tides Novels

  Siren’s Desire

  “[With] a root-able heroine, a divinely sexy hero, and a really cool bad guy (bad gal?), Devyn Quinn’s Siren’s Desire has pretty much everything you need to curl up and get lost for hours.”

  —MaryJanice Davidson, New York Times

  bestselling author of the Undead series

  “This triumphant conclusion to the story of the three Lonike sisters and the men that fall hard for them is sure to engage both romance and fantasy readers!”

  —A. C. Crispin, New York Times bestselling

  author of Pirates of the Caribbean

  Siren’s Surrender

  “A genuinely unique tale of magical mermaids. The characters are people you can cheer for, and the story line really keeps the pages turning. Thought-provoking historical insights give a sense of realism to a fantastic, romantic story that will have readers hoping for a happy ending for all.”

  —Romantic Times (4 stars)

  “[A] fast-paced and exciting book.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  “A passionate, action-filled thriller.”

  —Night Owl Reviews

  “A wonderful second book to the Dark Tides series… full of adventure and romance.”

  —Sizzling Hot Book Reviews (5 stars)

  Siren’s Call

  “A thoroughly mesmerizing ride—Quinn throws open the doors to an unbelievable world where nothing is as expected. At once terrifying and fascinating, and unbelievably entertaining, this is a book you won’t forget.”

  —Kate Douglas, bestselling author of Wolf Tales 12

  and the Demonslayers series

  “Devyn Quinn writes her stories exactly the way I like to read them: rich, detailed, and a touch poetic. You can practically smell the wind, feel the passion, and taste the tears.”

  —Morgan Hawke, author of Insatiable

  “More than a paranormal romance where the star-crossed lovers must battle huge obstacles, Siren’s Call quickly serves up a main course of interesting characters with a side dish of archaeological and historical intrigue. The novel does not delay the inevitable, nor does it retread the oft-trod, predictable lines of many paranormal romances. Instead, as the story develops, so do intriguing questions about privacy, relationships, and what the world may have a right to know.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  “The questions, feelings, and issues discussed made this unlikely story more real and believable.… I felt that the author fully pulled me into her world that she created… I am definitely interested in reading the next book in this series.”

  —Night Owl Reviews

  “I love this book… overall a very enthralling novel that made me definitely want to keep reading!”

  —Publishers Weekly Beyond Her Book Blog

  Praise for

  the Vampire Armageddon Series

  Darkness Descending

  “[A] unique world to enjoy being lost in. The alternate reality is made realistic by the detailed setting and rawness of the characters.”

  —Romantic Times (4 stars)

  “Filled with captivating excitement and chilling thrills, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat.… This is an extremely fast-paced story that will keep you alert and waiting for the next word.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  “An exhilarating action-packed thriller from the opening graveyard battle until the climactic finish.… This is a terrific opening act.”

  —Genre Go Round Reviews

  “Wow! I just LOVED this book! I had so much trouble putting it down. A dark and exciting new world has been opened up to us. An amazing start to a brand-new series and an ending that’ll leave you coming back for more. If you love urban fantasy [and/or] paranormal romance, then sink your teeth into this amazing story. You won’t be disappointed.”

  —Sassy Book Lovers (5 stars)

  “Urban fantastic! Astonishing! Ingenious! Darkness Descending by Devyn Quinn is a paranormal junkie’s dream! Devyn Quinn has an undeniable melismatic flourish for spinning a truly wonderful paranormal.… This incredible new view on the origins of vampires is a manifestation of creativity and sensational writing.… This thrilling new series is sure to please.”

  —Readaholics Anonymous (5 stars)

  “This was another read I had difficulty putting down.… A fast-paced plot with plenty of twists, intrigue, and a forbidden romance… an exciting and enticing world.… Has all the ingredients lovers of dark paranormal worlds look for.”

  —Book Lovers, Inc. (5 stars)

  “The tortured characters and their physical and mental traumas make this a gritty and sometimes uncomfortable read that reminds us that everyone has imperfections and obstacles to face, but it is how one compensates or overcomes their faults that separates the victims from victors. A thought-provoking read.”

  —Night Owl Reviews

  “I enjoyed the hell out of this book. It’s gritty, which I love. The setting is New Orleans, not long after Hurricane Katrina, and I felt like I was there.… The characters are flawed, the good side isn’t always good, and I want more.”

  —The Good, the Bad and the Unread

  ALSO BY DEVYN QUINN

  The Dark Tides Series

  Siren’s Surrender

  Siren’s Call

  The Vampire Armageddon Series

  Darkness Descending

  Siren’s

  Desire

  A Dark Tides Novel

  DEVYN QUINN

  A SIGNET ECLIPSE BOOK

  SIGNET ECLIPSE

  Published by New American Library, a division of

  Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,

  New York, New York 10014, USA

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  Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:

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  First published by Signet Eclipse, an imprint of New American Library,

  a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  First Printing, February 2012

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Copyright © Devyn Quinn, 2012

  All rights reserved

  EISBN: 9781101575369

  SIGNET ECLIPSE and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  Printed in the United States of America

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  PUBLISHER’S NOTE

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or ar
e used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

  If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  To the readers who stuck with my mermaid sisters

  through thick and thin, to the end.

  This one is for you.

  Table of Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  About The Author

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I’ve always told anyone who asked that it takes more than a single individual to produce a book. Now that we’ve reached the close of the Dark Tides trilogy, I believe that more than ever. This book—and any other I have ever written—simply would not exist without the collective persons that are always necessary to bring any book together.

  Therefore I would like to thank my “team,” which includes my fabulous agent, Roberta Brown. Without her on the job there would have been no Dark Tides trilogy to begin with. Mermaids were not even on my mind when Roberta put them on my radar and began the process that would lead to an eventual submission—and acceptance—of the material.

  But that’s only the beginning of the process.

  Although I may produce the manuscript, it is always in the rawest of formats. That’s when my terrific editor, Jhanteigh Kupihea, steps in, rolls up her sleeves, and begins the real work. Her red pen separates the wheat from the chaff, and offers me a clearer picture of what the characters are doing and where they should be going. She’s quick to point out what’s good, what’s bad, and what just has to go. Her efforts pull the book together and make it make sense from beginning to end. I have appreciated her hard work since day one.

  Never to be left out is copyeditor Jane Steele. Her sharp eyes fix the clunky sentences and bad grammar, and she always makes sure every detail is correct—even if it means additional research on her part. It’s at this point that we’d better get the book right, and I truly hope we have.

  I’d also like to thank my beta readers, those ladies who are brave enough to read early drafts of my books and offer me their feedback. Sometimes I don’t like what they tell me, but they’re always honest. And I value their opinions enough to try to fix what they think I’ve messed up. So Lea Franczak, Tracey Anderson, Kelly Muller, and Marissa Dobson deserve a big pat on the back for their hard work.

  And then there are the ladies I call my “rah-rah” cheerleaders, who give me a kick in the rear when I start whining. Sara Reinke, Sarah Parr, Anya Howard, Vanessa Hawthorne and Kate Douglas, I thank you all for being there for me when I need you. You are all the best. Ever. And Del Garret, you knew me way back when, so I’m tossing you in just because I can. So there.

  And lastly, I need to write something for my readers. Thanks for coming along for the ride. It’s been fun. Let’s do it again sometime soon.

  Chapter 1

  Port Rock, MaineM

  Present Day

  T his doesn’t look promising, Addison Lonike thought as the twenty-seven-foot Boston Whaler headed toward the orange life raft bobbing on the choppy waters. Now that summer was coming to a close, people were attempting to squeeze a few more precious days of sailing out of the season.

  Her heart sank as she performed a quick head count. When the distress signal had come in to harbor patrol, the pilot of the crippled yacht had radioed that four people were aboard. “I see only two survivors,” she called as Sidney Rawlings guided their rescue boat around the raft, attempting to use the larger vessel as a break wall to give the smaller dinghy a little relief from the gusty wind and pummeling water. As far as pilots went, Sidney was one of the best. If anyone could handle navigation in a dangerous situation, he was the man. A few seconds later the raft scraped the side.

  “We got ’em!” Addison called as she threw out a line to secure the smaller craft. Joined by a second crewman, she worked to bring the survivors aboard.

  Two sopping wet people, a man and a teenage girl, collapsed on deck. Both were shivering and blue from the cold. Addison quickly snuggled them both in thermal heat wraps.

  “My w-wife,” the man stuttered frantically, “and m-my s-son are still in the boat.”

  Paramedic Jim Witkowsky quickly scanned the water. “I don’t see anything,” he called over the lashing gale. “What happened?”

  The man shook his head in confusion. “I don’t know. We were cruising along just fine, heading toward the mainland. Then there was some—”

  “Some sort of explosion,” the teen filled in, eyes welling. “From the engine room, I think. There was a lot of smoke and fire.”

  The kid’s father broke back in. “I sent a distress signal that we were going under. I—I managed to get the life raft out and inflated, but the cruiser started sinking.” Face contorting with pain, he shrugged helplessly. “It just went over on one side.”

  The boat wasn’t what concerned Addison. The fact that two people were still in the water did. Unless they had life vests, there was little to no chance of survival. “You said your wife and son were still aboard,” she broke in.

  Still half in shock and suffering the effects of hypothermia, the man nodded. “Brenda and Sheldon. They were belowdecks, in the galley fixing lunch. Barbara w-was with me. I’d been giving her lessons on piloting the boat.”

  The girl’s face scrunched up as the realization set in. “They never had a chance,” she said, sagging to the deck. A tear slid down her pale cheek, and then another. “There was a big hole in the hull and it just went under.”

  Addison winced. Damn it. The rescue effort had just turned into a recovery mission. If there was one thing she hated, it was fishing dead bodies out of the water. The Mayday call had come in roughly half an hour ago. Though they’d headed out within minutes, the exact location of the wreck was unknown, preventing them from reaching the area sooner. The chances of locating more survivors had just gone from slim to none.

  “It must have gone down fast, and straight to the bottom,” Witkowsky continued. “There’s no way—”

  Jaw tightening, Addison elbowed her crewmate. The last thing to say in front of the family was that there was no hope. But Witkowsky was a newbie, and he still had to learn the finer points of empathy when in an emergency situation.

  “There’s always a chance. Last year a woman survived underwater, in an air pocket of a sunken boat, for more than twenty-four hours.” She cut a glance toward the shivering man. “How much time has passed since the boat went under?”

  Still a bit dazed, the man shook his head. “I—I’m not sure. Fifteen, maybe twenty minutes. It didn’t go under fast but kind of rolled on one side and floated. Then it went under.”
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br />   Addison did a quick mental calculation. The average person had six to ten minutes for survival if completely immersed. Given the frigid temperature of the bay, hypothermia and shock would immediately set in, lowering the body’s temperature. It also meant that cellular metabolic processes would begin to shut down, slowing heart rate, pulse, and respiration. At this stage, the body would actually take longer to undergo brain death. That factor alone might have bought the victims below a few precious minutes.

  But those minutes were quickly ticking away.

  The girl looked up at her, desperation written across her young face. “Is there any way to get down to them?” she asked hopefully. Even as she spoke, her gaze found and fixed on the diving equipment the rescue vessel carried.

  Witkowsky shook his head. “We should probably wait for backup from the coast guard before we proceed with any diving.”

  Addison wasn’t listening. Her mind had already been made up. The girl couldn’t be older than thirteen, fourteen at the most. Having lost her own parents at an early age, Addison knew how it felt to suddenly have family members ripped away far too prematurely. There was no way she’d let the chance pass without attempting to do all she could to change the course of an already tragic day.

  Stripping out of her EMT uniform, she began to put on her diving gear. Every minute that ticked away was another one lost. Though she usually didn’t bother with a wet suit, today she’d awoken with a nagging feeling she should be prepared to go into the water. She was already wearing hers when the distress signal came in. Call it Mer-tuition, she thought, putting on the heavy oxygen tank and mask.

  “Tell Sidney to hold it steady,” she called.

  The pilot was already one step ahead. “I’ve got it here,” Sidney yelled back, throttling the engines down into idle.

  Addison gave him the diver’s signal for “all systems go.” “I shouldn’t be long, Sid.”

  Sidney nodded. “Will do. I’ve radioed the coast guard that we’ve made contact and are commencing with recovery efforts. We’ve got the go-ahead if we think we can handle it.”