Free The Siren (Laments of Angels & Dark Chemistry Book 1) by Meg Xuemei X Page A

has an equal and opposite reaction.”
    “It depends on how you attune all the elements,” Dr. Hsi said. “Everything in the universe is connected in a spiral web, but very few can read the code.”
    “Speaking of the code, I still have difficulty grasping the deep connection between Wu Ji, the Way, and Tai Ji, the source of time and space. Are there deeper meanings beneath the symbol of two eyes, one black and the other white, forming a circle? How can the ultimate nothingness contain the supreme ultimate?” she asked, batting her eyes, her voice innocent and sincere. “Maybe the candidates can enlighten me? They’ve been awfully quiet, and I absolutely have no intention to be rude and steal their thunder.”
    “Very considerate.” Dr. Hsi clasped his hands with a knowing smile, turning to the boys in the class for the first time. “Does anyone have any idea how the ultimate nothingness contains the supreme ultimate? Boys?”
    Lucienne could almost hear every candidate cursing her in his mind. An innocent, encouraging smile danced in her eyes. As she intended, she had led Dr. Hsi to ask an impossible question that elicited complete silence from the boys and their supporters.
    But proving to be a prodigy invited countless attempts at her assassination. Lucienne Lam had survived, but obliterating thousands of years of Lams’ tradition and accepting a female Siren had finally brought her grandfather to his death bed.
    Lucienne placed her hand on Jed’s frail one, her eyes glowing with a tender light. “I was lucky, Grandpa,” She said. “Vlad and I stumbled onto the second scroll.”
    “There is never coincidence in the universe, child,” Jed said. “You were meant to find it. That part of the prophecy about you has come to light. You must find the last one. Remake history. My dear child, how I wish I could be there to see it through.”
    Prophecy? What prophecy? She’d ask him later. She had a more urgent problem to solve now. “Grandpa, you’ll be there to see it all the way through,” she said, her mind working on how to introduce Vladimir to the equation.
    “I won’t live forever, but I’ve seen it in a vision,” said Jed, his eagle eyes piercing her, as if reading her mind. “Now tell me: how do you like the Czech boy?”
    “Vladimir.” A sob escaped her. “His name is Vladimir Blazek.”
    “Is he good to you?” Jed asked, then chuckled at his own question despite his poor condition. “I don’t think I should worry about that. My granddaughter would never allow anyone to take advantage of her.”
    “I kissed him and he collapsed last night,” Lucienne blurted out.
    “The kid got too excited?”
    “No! It was a bad fall.” Tears came to her eyes. “He’s allergic to my kiss.”  
    Jed looked worried. “Did anyone else see that?”
    “No. Kian took care of it.”
    An appreciation smile floated to Jed’s eyes. “Good Kian. Always efficient.”
    “What am I, Grandfather?” Lucienne asked. “Why can’t I kiss a boy? I can never be with a boy, can I?”
    “Have you tried to kiss others before that Prague boy or after?”
    “Vlad was my first kiss.” She swallowed. “But, well—”
    When it came to Jed, the best strategy was to tell the truth. He expected it. He always knew if she was lying. “Two other guys after him also got poisoned,” she said reluctantly.
    “I take it they wouldn’t recognize you?”
    “They’d describe me as a tall blonde with a distinctive accent.”
    Jed nodded in approval.
    “The point is, Grandfather, I must find out why I can’t be with boys.” A sob, again, stuck in her throat. “I don’t ask too much. I want only one boy.”  
    “That’s what I’m afraid of,” said Jed.
    “That I want only one boy?” Lucienne raised her head, staring down at the old man incredulously.
    “There’s a reason the tradition forbids a female Siren. The implant mutates Sirens, giving us superpowers, but at a cost,” Jed said. “The mark isn’t of