She bowed. "My deepest apologies. I underestimated you, and I am ashamed of my actions."
"I accept your apology."
She stood and regarded me with those black eyes in that pale white and gold face, as if some delicate porcelain doll had the eyes of a movie demon. "You know that we are offering our sons as your pommes de sang."
I nodded. "Jean-Claude told me, and I'm honored." Actually it creeped me out, but I understood that it was supposed to be an honor.
"But do you know why?"
That stopped me, because the answer was, "Jean-Claude said you wished for a stronger alliance between our two kisses."
"We do"--Samuel joined his wife--"but there is a reason that my wife was so adamant that we bring all three of our sons to your table."
"And that reason would be what?" I wanted to just skip this until I had more vampire backup, but I didn't think I'd get the choice.
Micah was suddenly at my side, taking my hand. I felt better. I wasn't alone. We could do this. We didn't have vamps, but we had each other. Nathaniel came in at my back, not quite taking my other hand in case I needed it for weapon grabbing, but close enough that he was a line of heat at my back. Better and better.
"I am a siren," Thea said.
I nodded. "I know."
"Do you understand what that means among my kind?"
"I know that most mermaids who exhibit siren abilities are killed by the other merpeople before they can reach their full power."
"Do you know why?"
"Because in full power you can control the merpeople magically."
"As a necromancer can control all types of undead," Thea said.
I shrugged. "Yeah, I have some control over a lot of undead, but it's not perfect control, and it doesn't work on everyone."
"Nor does mine work on every merperson, though it works on many. But do you know what the basis of that control is?"
I shook my head. "No."
"Sex, or seduction perhaps."
I crooked an eyebrow at her. "What does that mean exactly in this context?"
"It means that I hold something similar to the ardeur that you and Jean-Claude share. It attracts both my kind and mortals to me, as the ardeur attracts the dead and apparently lycanthropes and mortals to you."
I frowned at her. "Yeah, a lot of guys want a full taste of the ardeur once they get a small taste." I fought not to look for Graham when I said it. "But they aren't attracted to me because of it."
She gave that gull-and-surf laugh again. "You do not know what you are, Anita. The ardeur alone does not make you a succubus, or Jean-Claude an incubus. I have met others with the ardeur, but fewer with that next level of power. You have it. Your master has it. People are drawn to you because of it. The very touch of your skin can be addictive."
I gave her a look. "Like the touch of your skin is supposed to be addictive?"
"Yes."
I fought not to smile, but didn't quite succeed. I licked the cut she'd made in my lip, and said, "No insult meant, but I don't crave your touch."
"No, you fought me. You won."
"What do you want from me?"
"I believe that my sons have inherited my powers, but there is only one way for a siren to be fully born. Another siren must bring them into their power."