Chapter One
“The spreading illness had finally reached a village a few hundred miles from where Loreley lived with her family, which meant it would soon be in her hometown. The humans didn’t know the sickness was beyond the ability of their doctors; only magic could stop the life-taking curse currently killing off both humans and Feiru (FEY-roo) by the thousands.
The only ones with strong enough magic to break the curse were called the Four Talents. The four legendary elemental magic users controlled the particles in the air. Together, they could battle the sickness and win. Yet as word spread of their unique powers, the humans tried everything in their power to capture the Talents to use as weapons in their own wars and petty arguments.
To succeed, the Four Talents needed an army to protect them. Those with special magical abilities that showed up later in life, such as Loreley’s ability to control others with song, only appeared when the Four Talents needed help fighting off the sickness. No matter how difficult it might be to say goodbye to her family, Loreley’s ability marked her as special. Some might see a latent ability as a curse, but Loreley viewed it as a gift. And not just any gift, but one that could help save the world.”
—From the Legend of Loreley the Siren
Present Day
Sichuan Province, China
Petra Brandt lay on the ground next to Millie Ward, her friend-slash-sometimes-enemy, and watched the side of the mountain through her binoculars. After several days of surveillance, Petra knew there was a hidden door in the section of the rock she watched. And if a certain English scientist kept to the same schedule as he had for the last few days, he should be exiting the research facility housed inside the mountain in the next couple of minutes.
Despite the fact she’d seen Dr. William Evans every morning for the last few days, Petra still held her breath in anticipation. The shock of seeing her ex-fiancé might never wear off.
Get it together, Brandt. Think of not only Will’s life, but also your brother’s.
Right. Petra had spent the last two years working as a mercenary. She could handle watching the man she still loved and control any lingering feelings she might have for him. All that mattered was saving his life.
Sixty seconds later, the rock slid open and Petra raised her binoculars again. Dr. William Evans walked out in a grey t-shirt and black tracksuit pants. Once the door closed behind him, the man began a series of stretches. Each bend of his body or flex of his arms made her draw in a breath.
Petra had always found Will attractive. But over the years, he’d toned up. His broad shoulders and lean, muscled biceps made her want to run down the hill and jump into his arms.
But she couldn’t. Will thought she was dead and Petra needed to keep it that way.
The woman at her side gave a low whistle and whispered, “Are you sure we need to do this today? I really could do with a few more days of watching that bloke stretch.” Will moved into a lunge stretch, showcasing his ass. Millie continued, “Bloody hell. Look at that arse. Are you sure he’s a scientist?”
Petra tightened her grip on her binoculars. If she didn’t need Millie Ward’s help, Petra would punch the woman in the face. “Yes, he is. Now, can you focus? You’re up in less than five minutes.”
“Oh, don’t worry. If there’s one thing I can do well, it’s flirt with a man.”
Lowering her binoculars, Petra looked to Millie. “You’d better do more than flirt if you wish to distract him enough for our plan.”
Millie met her gaze and grinned. “Why, Petra, I never thought you’d allow me to sleep with him. You’re such a generous friend.”
“I’m not your friend,” Petra growled out. “And stick to the plan or I’ll put in a call to Larsen.”
At the mention of Millie’s former captor, her grin faded and she frowned. “That threat is getting old, Petra. One of these times I’m going to test the threat and you’ll falter.” She lowered her voice. “I know you’re starting to enjoy my company.”
Until last week, Petra and Millie had known of each other, but hadn’t ever worked together. They both worked private security or mercenary gigs. The unwritten rule was to stay clear of a fellow mercenary unless they stood in the way of a target. A few times, Millie and Petra had had to trick each other to finish their jobs and collect their fees, but that was it.
Then Petra had learned about the threat to Will’s life and had needed help. Her twin brother worked for a dangerous man and Petra couldn’t risk her brother’s boss finding out about Will. After all, that boss was a mean bastard who wouldn’t think twice of using a weakness such as a former fiancé to get what he wanted. Eventually, Petra would take care of the asshole Sean Reilly. But not until she knew Will was safe.