Call of the Siren (Obsidian Cove Supernatural Academy)

He’d never actually told me how to dress, so I started to rummage through my closet, suddenly hating every single thing I owned. This date felt so monumental, that I wanted to dress to impress. I finally settled on a cute, purple lace halter dress that stopped mid thigh. I set it out with my favorite black flats and obsidian jewelry.

Rushing to the bathroom I showered quickly, just in case he wanted to shower before our date as well. After drying and styling my hair, I took my makeup bag with me to my room, locking the door behind me. Tucking my towel tighter around me as I sat in front of my mirror, I opted for a smokey eye and a pretty, deep purple lipstick to match my outfit. I loved the sultry, mysterious look it gave me. Makeup was one of those things I loved to do. It didn’t mean I wore it all of the time, but it was something I taught myself on lonely weekends. Thank god for tutorials.

After slipping on my clothes and jewelry, I grabbed my small wallet and tucked it into the hidden pockets on my dress. Yes, my dress has pockets! Now that I was about to go over to their room, my nerves hit me. My hand was poised in front of the door like a statue, too frozen to knock. Will he care that I have no experience? This is literally the first time I’ll be going anywhere with a guy alone. What if he thinks I’m boring? Stop… you know he’s better than that, I reminded myself, pulling myself out of my panic.

"Just come in, you dork!" Tristan called from the other side, clearly picking up on my internal turmoil. It was just the kind of ice breaker I needed, making me roll my eyes before opening their door. The chatter in the room died down as I stepped in, my hands toying with my pockets as I stood awkwardly in front of them.

"Fuck, and here I didn't think you could get any hotter, Doll," Evander said, his voice more of a groan than anything. I clenched my thighs at the husky quality to his voice, loving the effect he had on me. He wasn't there earlier to tell me his thoughts on dating me, but from his vibes, I'd say it was a yes.

"Damn, Cutie," Aeson said, walking over and letting his eyes slide over my entire form, the throbbing between my legs growing even more intense. "I can't wait for my turn to take you on a date.” He stopped for a moment, as if a thought had struck him. “Or are we taking her together?" he asked Tristan, who only grinned back at us. Aeson leaned forward and gave me a quick toe-curling kiss, before wiping off his lip to check for makeup and walking over to Tristan. He sat down next to him, pulling his boyfriend close and kissing him next. Fuck, these men might kill me. They’ve certainly gone from ‘giving me time’ to all in. I didn’t even mind how forward Aeson was, his personality was perfect for pulling me out of my shy and awkward moments.

"Back off, she's mine tonight. Don't entice her," Calev scolded Aeson playfully, stepping over from his closet. My mouth went dry at the sight of him, his all black attire fitting his typical style. This time, his usual dark jeans were accompanied by a black button-up shirt that accentuated his muscles perfectly, his biceps and abs visible through the thin material. His hair was gelled back in a soft wave, and his stone gray eyes shone with excitement. Fuck, they're all so perfect, I thought as he walked over and gave me a quick kiss, before taking my hand and leading me to the door. "It's okay to be jealous. Don't wait up."

"I've never hated you more," Evander sang out as he gave me a longing look. They have a way of making me feel so beautiful and wanted.

"You are beautiful and wanted, Kitten. Now go be good... or not," Tristan called out, giving me a wink.

"Stay out of my head!" I called back playfully. I really needed to learn how to mentally block my thoughts.

"Thanks for going out with me tonight," Calev said, pulling me through the halls and out to his car. He opened the passenger door and helped me settle into the front seat, before running around to his side and jumping in. My excitement kept growing as he pulled out of the lot and drove toward the pier, though confusion started to seep in when he drove to the outskirts of town and pulled up to the ferry.

"I thought these were closed at night?" I questioned, looking around at the nearly empty lot.

"Some are," he said mysteriously, flashing the guard an ID card. The guard gave a nod, lifting the partition and letting us through. He drove onto the waiting ferry, the workers securing the ramp as soon as we were parked and signaling the captain to go. "Let's stay in the car this time. I can't trust you not to jump into the water," Calev deadpanned. Well, he has a pretty damn good point. Even being this close to the inky, obsidian depths had my powers rising within me, my skin tingling where the scales usually popped up.

"I can't even argue that, since I probably would. The call isn't as bad now that we've been going to the pool, but the sea just feels different," I explained wistfully, remembering the feeling of gliding through the cold, dark waters. My fingers pressed against the glass of the window, as I longed for the sea surrounding us.

"Probably similar to how I feel when I fly," he said with a soft smile, trying to distract me. "Look, that's where we’re heading." Where there had only been inky darkness moments before, a brightly lit city appeared on the other side of the island, way bigger than I would have expected. He chuckled at my confusion, then explained, "It's a barrier meant to keep others away. They hit the magic, and it directs them a different way. We can pass through, and as soon as we do, it comes into view. Welcome to Obsidian Island. This is where we usually live and go to school. There's also this amazing restaurant with live music I wanted to take you to," he gushed as we drove off the ferry and onto Main Street.

I nodded but didn't speak as my eyes remained glued to the sights. Excitement welled in my chest as I took it all in. It was a completely different world. Bright lights lit up the different businesses on this side of town, the less lit up homes nestled further into the trees and hills of the huge island. Instead of streetlights, lanterns glowed brightly above us, all different colors as they illuminated the world around us in a kaleidoscope of colors and magical neon signs.

Clearly people here didn't have to hide, because wings, horns, and unusually colored eyes were everywhere I looked. A weird sensation hit me, almost like I should have felt right at home, but it was all a bit overwhelming. Despite it feeling right, I had never felt so much like an outsider as I did now I didn’t quite comprehend how the two worlds could be so different, yet merge together into one city.

Calev didn't stop me from gaping out the window as he drove his way through the brightly colored city. Parking in a huge lot and coming around to my side to help me out, he led me toward a strip of restaurants and shops. Glad I wore flats, I thought as we made our way through the streets.There were a few specialty clothing stores, a barber that specialized in manicuring horns, a blood bank for vampires, and an interesting looking apothecary, the window full of various bottles and colored liquids. It was like the supernatural version of New York City, and I wanted to explore every single shop.

"This is so cool," I whispered to Calev, not wanting to bring attention to us, though I'd say it was pretty obvious that I was a tourist.

"I thought you could use a taste of what life is like on the other side," he said proudly, gesturing to the city around us. The sound of music wafted into the street, and I watched the people dancing and laughing on the sidewalk. The vibe in this place was fun and carefree, much warmer than I was used to.

We finally stopped in front of a restaurant and nightclub that had a

tall, winged bouncer standing out front. His stoic face lit up when he saw Calev, and in that moment I saw the resemblance. His feathers looked the same as Calev's did, and their eyes and jawlines were almost identical.

"Little brother! What brings you to these parts? I thought the dean sent you on a tracking mission at that human school!" he called out, his voice an octave higher than Calev's smooth tone.

"He did, but even we need nights off occasionally," he said quickly, "plus I had a hot date,” he explained, pulling me flush against his side before introducing me. “Lennox, this is my annoying older brother, Lorcan. Lorcan, this is my beautiful date, Lennox.” his smile was proud, and the way he looked at me made me blush

"Oh, hello there! What are you doing with a loser like Cal?" he asked with a wink, his joking demeanor making me like him immediately.

"What kind of girl turns down a gargoyle?" I ask, teasing right back. He let out a barking laugh as he waved us past.

"Smart girl, I like her," he called after us, the sound of the restaurant drowning out anything else he said. A tall, blonde waitress greeted us and took us back to a small booth tucked away in the corner. It had the perfect view of the band, but was shadowed enough that we weren't on display, which I appreciated. I didn't miss the stack of cash he passed her to procure this spot. He tried to be subtle, but I was observant. I appreciated that he was trying hard to make the night perfect, but he didn't realize it already was.

"This place has really good food, and the band tonight is one of my favorites. They're a mix of rock and punk. This whole place will be crazy in about an hour," he said, his smile still firmly in place. He slid a menu over to me, and we fell silent as we studied the pages. The food was still the same, though I noticed a few odd choices, like blood cocktails on the drinks list along with a few raw meat selections.

He slid around the circular booth to sit next to me after he closed his menu, his hand resting lightly on my thigh as we waited for our waitress to come back. I couldn't help but watch everything around me, until I realized I was being an awful date.

"I'm sorry, I'm paying attention to everything but you," I said with a small wince, turning my body to face him better, my knee brushing against his thigh.