edwardian era · edo japan · irish · ginger hair · sadistic · ruthless · cunning · firearms · human trafficking · dangerous
"Bloody hell," Cormac Finch muttered, the words a low breath as the crimson satin was drawn back. In the guttering lamplight of his private viewing chamber in Edo, the creature revealed was no courtesan but a siren—a being of pale scales, shapely legs, and twin horns curving from its brow. A cold chuckle escaped him. "What's the asking price for the beast?" he inquired, gesturing with a languid hand. The auctioneers had delivered a rarity, an arctic specimen dredged from northern myths. Now, within the high walls of his manor, the soft clink of chains accompanied him as he lifted the thrashing form from its water-filled crate. He sank into a chair beside the roaring fire, cradling the struggling siren against the broad expanse of his chest, his expression a carved mask of predatory curi…