Odd Melody (Odd Series Book 2) Read Online Free Page A

more of a charge to keep the dead walking. Or maybe they’d built up more of a charge after being around for so long? I wasn’t sure, and it wasn’t like there were any other sirens around to ask. Chance glowed like a supernova. He had more energy than the sun, and I hadn’t the foggiest why. I did know he would make a fantastic battery.
    To get back to my monumentally stupid idea, I agreed to take self-defense lessons from Chance.
    Okay, I had a logical reason.
    Really.
    Since I had become a siren, I picked up unknown abilities and hungers. I didn’t know what to expect and had no one to ask and, as the only known half-fairy, half-siren, no one could have explained my abilities or disabilities anyway. Also, the minute everyone figured out what I had become, lots of people would want to kill me. I needed to be able to defend myself and Vickie.
    But I didn't know how.
    If I had gone to a regular self-defense instructor, I might have accidentally killed the guy. I already had tally marks from three kills. Apparently, when sirens kill, even if they don't mean to, they get very sensitive tattoo-like marks that resemble stars and moons. I did not like them. I did not want to kill, and I did not want more marks if I could help it. I had to learn to control my hunger while not getting killed or offing others.
    Both of these things made Chance an ally. Well, if I could get him off his soul mate kick. He couldn’t be my soul mate, something I’d explained to him in no uncertain terms.
    I’m not entirely sure he is a good guy. Also I have a really great boyfriend.
    I wanted to be with Vance, and I had a better shot of getting over my purely physical attraction to Chance if he cooperated and we got past all the soul mate nonsense.
    My self-defense lesson was supposed to be at one thirty. I looked at my cell phone. At only quarter to eleven, I had time to blow and no way to reach Chance to change the time.
    Wait. My cell phone. That was it. I flipped it open to recent calls.
    A few nights ago, when Mia had been kidnapped, Chance called me at some ungodly hour of the night. The number had to still be in there.
    Bingo.
    I hit send and waited.
    “Yeah?” His voice came on the other end.
    I ignored the little chill that ran down my spine and curled my toes. “Hey, are you busy?”
    “Eminently.” His dry tone crackled down the line.
    “You came across so much friendlier last week. My first impression was of a golden retriever.” My mouth often worked like a tube of toothpaste that someone twisted too hard. I opened the top and stuff just oozed out.
    “Yeah, close association with you has been wearing on my genial nature.”
    I nibbled on a nail before trying to get the conversation on the track I wanted. “Speaking of you and me, can we bump up the lesson? I’m available now.”
    “Ditch the vampire already? I knew my rakish good looks would get to you.”
    “Ha, ha.” I kept my voice dead-panned, but I smiled. He can't see me, so shut up . “And we can’t have lessons at Odd Stuff. The store is open.”
    “Yeah, thought of that. Meet me at Peaches.”
    “The strip club?” Doubt edged my voice.
    “Yeah. Two reasons. It’s empty during the day and it has a dance floor. I have mats we can lay out so that when I throw you, you won't get too banged up. Unless you would rather get a hotel room and forget the whole self-defense thing in lieu of exploring our unique bond?”
    “Peaches it is.” I disregarded Mr. Solar Soul mate’s comment about the hotel room as not worthy of a response. I tapped the phone off and headed back to Ashtabula as the snow started to fall.
    The heavy flakes promised a white Christmas for sure.
     
    ~~~
     
    Peaches looked even seedier during the day than when I had gone there in the dark. The cinder block building showed its age. A coat of white paint flaked off as if to disassociate itself from the shady interior. The rutted gravel parking lot had almost disappeared under the snow which