Del

Del, or Delequin Sharkiro, is one of Josephine’s soldiers, waiting for the moment Josephine finally becomes the Bearer—whatever that really means. No one has been told exactly what Josephine is supposed to become. Del, however, is on the brink of her own transformation, one that could change everything.

She looks perfectly human—long blonde hair, dazzling blue eyes that catch the light and shimmer silver, a slim and well-proportioned frame—but Del is far from ordinary. Her voice is like a melody, something magical in the way it can captivate anyone who hears it. There’s a pull to her that even those in the supernatural world find irresistible, especially when she speaks.

Since childhood, Del has been sworn to secrecy about who she truly is, trained intensely to control the power inside her. Her mother always warned her that she would need that control when the change happened, just before Josephine’s transformation. And now, two weeks before that event, Del’s moment arrived.

It started as an ordinary Friday night out with friends at Miller’s Point, a secluded bushland far from prying eyes. Josephine had never been to the Point—her parents, Theodora and Ryan Marlin, had kept her close, guarding her from things she wasn’t ready to see. But Del and her friends, all of them with a foot in the supernatural world, had gathered to relax. Drinks were passed around, and stories flowed easily in the cool night air.

Del started to tell a funny story, something lighthearted to lift the group’s spirits, but halfway through, her words transformed into something else—into song. A Siren’s song.

The group fell silent, eyes locked on her, entranced by the melody. Del felt panic rising. It’s happening, she thought.

She tried to stop it, to pull back the song, but the music kept flowing from her, not from her voice anymore, but from deep within her, like a melody being hummed by her very soul.

“Remember your training, Del,” she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible over the melody. But the song continued, like it had a life of its own.

Her mind raced. What do I do? Del took a few deep breaths, standing still, shoulders back, head high. She fought to regain control. Finally, with great effort, she raised her gaze to the night sky, the stars twinkling down at her like a thousand tiny witnesses. With one last long, haunting note, she sent the song spiraling out into the universe, her voice fading into silence.

Del collapsed.

For a few seconds, there was nothing but stillness. Her friends, who'd been under her spell, slowly came back to themselves, blinking as though waking from a dream. They looked down at Del, lying unconscious on the ground.

“Del?” Sue cried out, rushing towards her, but Deb Katsaros—the human vessel for Aite—grabbed her arm.

“Don’t touch her,” Deb warned.

“What? Why not?” Sue asked, her voice trembling with concern.

“It’s happened,” Deb said, her tone serious. “Del’s come into her powers, and we need to keep our distance.”

“What do you mean, ‘to protect us’?” Ann, Deb’s sister, asked.

“The Siren’s song... if that's what it is, can infect our minds. Control us,” Deb explained. “And from what I can tell, Del just entranced all of us without even trying.”

Sue glanced back at Del, worry etched on her face. “Will she be okay when she wakes up?”

Deb sighed and pulled out her mobile, dialing Del’s mum. “I've no idea.”

The phone rang only once before Mrs. Sharkiro answered. “Deb? What’s happened?”

“It’s Del. We’re at the Point, and... well, she just thralled us all, and now she’s unconscious.”

Mrs. Sharkiro’s voice was calm but urgent. “Don’t touch her. Keep a twenty-metre distance. I’m on my way.”

Deb relayed the message to the group. “We need to stay back—twenty metres at least.”

The others quickly stepped back, forming a wide circle around Del’s still body. Even those who could shift had done so, instinctively recognising the danger. Sue shifted to her bear form, standing protectively within the perimeter, her eyes never leaving Del.

“Um, what happens if she wakes up?” one of the young men asked nervously.

Deb shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. But as long as we keep the perimeter, we should be fine.”

The group stood vigil, watching as Del began to stir. Just then, the sound of a car came screeching around the corner. Her Land Rover sliding to a stop on the gravel road nearby. She leapt out of the vehicle and ran towards the group.

“Where is she?” she called, her eyes scanning the area until they fell on her daughter, who was slowly regaining consciousness. “Okay, you all need to leave—now!”

No one argued. They quickly backed away, unsure of what would happen if they stayed. But as they retreated, more than one person thought the same thing—Del was going to be a formidable force in battle. If she could learn to focus her power, she'd be a weapon unlike any other.

Deb’s thoughts echoed what they were all thinking: If she learns to focus that on the enemy...