Capture
After discussing a few particulars, Tanya drew the circle around Sirene. As this was a single person targeted spell, it required more work than the usual capture spells Leona had her cast for decades. Once it was done, she didn't give Sirene a chance to second guess herself, and snapped her fingers.
Sirene felt a warm sensation come over her, like someone was hugging her mind. She felt like she should trust Tanya with her life, and wondered why she ever doubted Tanya to begin with.
"How do you feel Sirene?" Tanya asked.
"Like I had been missing something for my entire life." Sirene said, smiling dreamily.
"Sit down for now." Tanya said, gesturing back at the chair.
"Yes, of course Mistress." Sirene answered, sitting in the chair promptly.
Tanya looked slightly unnerved for a moment, but then the thoughts came creeping in. Maybe she could convince Lady Eigengrau to leave Sirene like this. Maybe the monster was more of a part of her than she was willing to admit. Maybe she could be the one on top, for a change.
"Lady Eigengrau." Tanya said.
"Do not undo it." Eigengrau stated flatly. "You will need her to help you kill Leona Barclay, and she will be enslaved by the mansion's magical circle immediately if she steps foot on its grounds. Unless a stronger spell is already in effect."
"You want me to keep her like this?" Tanya asked, gesturing at Sirene, who looked at both of them with a pleasant smile and vacant eyes. "I don't mind having a completely obedient bodyguard, of course."
"Think of it as a test. You have every incentive to kill Baroness Leona Barclay, and once she lies dead, Sirene will be freed. She will remember how you treated her during that time, so if you treat her badly, she may choose to imprison or kill you."
"My Master is right, Mistress." Sirene added. "My sense of duty toward law and order is very strong."
"Do you wish to be freed?" Tanya asked. This was important, and a good indicator of if the spell was working.
"I live to serve my Mistress, I do not need freedom." Sirene answered, waving her hand dismissively. "Think for me, I will do your bidding."
Tanya's heart was nearly beating out of her chest at hearing the words coming out of Sirene's mouth. She motioned for Eigengrau to bend down and whispered into her ear. Eigengrau smiled broadly and whispered words into Tanya's ear, before leaving in the blink of an eye.
---
Later, as Tanya lay on the bed naked and panting, Sirene hummed as she bathed. Her Mistress was very fun, and she wondered why this hadn't occurred to her a long time ago. It was so much easier to have someone else think for you. On to the matter of Baroness Leona, though. She knew Tanya would want her to learn as much as she could about her, and so she resolved to question her about the information network when she got out of the bath.
When she got out of the bath, she noticed Tanya had fallen asleep and was snoring lightly. She had also changed forms again, and was a curvy human woman with black hair. Sirene kissed her on the cheek and tucked her in, before realising something.
"What if she's Julia when she wakes up?" Sirene whispered.
Sirene sat on the bed, still naked, and thought. Well Julia wouldn't be expecting either of them to be naked so that was a problem. But what would she tell her about Tanya? Pleasing Tanya felt very good, so she had to make sure not to make Tanya mad about oversharing. She didn't like lying, but was omitting the truth a lie? She opted to get dressed while she thought of these things, which turned out to be a good thing as she heard stirring and a woman shouting.
"Sirene! Where are my clothes?" A woman's voice could be heard asking.
"Julia?" Sirene called out from her changing room.
"Who else would it be?" Julia responded. "Did you undress me?"
"Yes." Sirene responded, which wasn't entirely wrong, but also wasn't the answer to the question Julia had asked. "I have some extra clothing that should fit you." Holding some clothes, she emerged from her changing room to see Julia sitting on the edge of the bed. "Nice melons."
"Oh quiet you." Julia said with a laugh, holding out a hand for the clothing.
"Enjoy your rest?" Sirene asked, as she tossed the bundle of clothes into Julia's lap. She decided she better at least tell Julia about the existence of Tanya, to avoid problems later. Besides, she could always choose to restrain Julia if she took the news badly, and only travel with Tanya.
"Funny that, I actually feel even more exhausted." Julia said as she slipped on the corset.
"About that." Sirene said. "This isn't the first time you woke up today."
"That sounds ominous."
"Seems whenever you lose consciousness, through sleeping or otherwise, you switch minds." Sirene said, crossing her leg over the other. "I met the real you and she's..." Sirene paused. She didn't want to insult her Mistress, indirectly or otherwise. "A handful."
"So what am I then? Am I even real?" Julia asked, looking a bit unnerved.
"That remains to be seen. But I did learn there's someone powerful and very wicked chasing you." Sirene continued, folding her hands. This was quite hard, she hadn't discussed anything with Tanya yet, so she didn't know what Tanya would want to be said.
"I'd ask who but well..." Julia said, trailing off and laughing.
"Excellent point." Sirene said, also laughing. Perfect. She could avoid telling her because she wouldn't know who it is anyway.
Sirene gave a brief explanation of who Tanya was while leaving out any details she felt Tanya would deem unimportant, or any that would show Tanya in a poor light. She wished she had orders on what she could tell Julia, but in the absence of any, had to make guesses at how Tanya would want to be perceived. Thinking was hard, and she desperately wished Tanya was here to do it for her. How did she even manage all this time without her?
"Sounds like you're leaving out details." Julia said, raising an eyebrow.
"Frankly I am." Sirene said, crossing her arms. "Because I'm respecting Tanya's privacy. I don't know what she wants to share."