Kingdom of Salt and Sirens

by J. A. Armitage

  I pulled my left arm out and wrapped the long edge of the blanket around his shoulders. He glanced over at me and smiled, sliding closer on the bench so we could both be covered in the fleece.

  “Thank you for asking me out and listening to all of my crazy stories,” he said, the low rumble of his voice vibrating through my arm as we sat dangerously close together.

  “No, they’re great.”

  I pulled my fist, still clutching the blanket, up toward my face to move some stray strands of hair that tickled across my nose.

  “Here.” He slipped his index finger across my forehead, down over my temple, and around my ear, catching the stray curls and putting them in their place. His touch sparked along my skin, every nerve triggering a happy jolt through my body. He pressed his palm against my cheek, his warm skin like fire against my wind-cold face. He leaned closer and rested his forehead against mine, his lips close—so close that his short, labored breath caressed my mouth. I closed my eyes.

  Caw. Caw.

  The tree above us rustled loudly and I flipped open my eyes as a crow took off and screamed at the sky. Griffin pulled away, watching the bird fly and chuckling to himself. His hand fell away from my face and into his lap. The farther he moved away from me, the more I deflated.

  “I guess someone got tired of watching,” I said.

  He looked back at me again and grabbed my hand beneath the blanket. “I really want to kiss you.”

  I squeezed his hand back and shrugged. “Then do it.”

  Griffin leaned back in, and I breathed in the clean scent of him mixed with the rich smell of wood and chocolate. This was it. Finally.

  Caw.

  A crow dove right at us, barely missing Griffin’s head. He jerked away from me as a second crow swooped down close enough to blow my hair around.

  “What the hell?” Griffin yelled as another crow streaked by him again.

  I looked up. About twelve crows circled above us, each taking turns to swipe. Griffin covered his head with his arms and one of the birds landed on his elbow, cawing loudly at him. He shook his arm and the bird flew off, rejoining its group.

  Griffin grabbed my hand. “Let’s get out of here.”

  He whisked me off the bench, my feet barely touching the ground before we started to run toward the truck. The blanket flapped behind me as the birds continued to swoop at our heads. He raced to the passenger side and yanked open the door for me, then ran around to the other side and scrambled in, slamming the door behind him.

  He sighed, relief washing over his face, until he noticed a rip in his sweater where the crow had landed and clearly torn the fabric. He frowned then shrugged, likely glad the crow hadn’t taken a patch of skin as well.

  I pulled the blanket off my back and sank into the truck seat. “What is going on?”

  Griffin stared past me through the passenger window at the crows still circling. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen birds act like that before. Maybe there is a nest or something around here. But it’s fall. It shouldn’t be an issue.”

  I slid across the bench seat and put my hand on his chest. His heart pumped hard against his ribs, but I wasn’t sure if it was from the crows or the lack of space between us. Moonlight washed over his face, reflecting in the calm waters of his eyes, just like the gentle waves on the lake—but only for me to enjoy. My own private ocean. He placed his hand over mine and the sparks I’d felt the day we met returned, crackling under my skin and heating my cheeks.

  Thump.

  I jumped as a large crow landed on the truck hood. Its claws clicked against the metal as it waddled to the center of the windshield, staring in at us with its red eyes glowing against the dark shadows of the night.

  * * *

  Griffin squeezed my hand and chuckled as he stared the bird down then looked back at me. “They can’t stop us in here.”

  He tucked his arm behind me and rested his hand at the nape of my neck. He pulled me closer, his muscles flexing against my sides as he held me tight. Griffin’s lips met mine and started to move, the sugary marshmallow tasting sweet on my tongue. And I kissed him back, completely unsure of what to do but savoring in the newness of every sensation. The tingle in my stomach, the sharp, unexpected pain when he accidentally clipped my lip with his teeth, the calm rhythmic sound of our mouths coming together and pulling apart, over and over again.

  I wrapped my arms tighter around him, drawing circles into his shoulder blades, kissing him deeper, slipping under the ocean of him. The moon and the stars and the fire fell away into this one perfect moment, and I couldn’t even consider going back to Heaven, because in his arms I was already there.

  17

  “Earth to Arianna. Come in, Arianna.”

  Chloe waved her hand in front of my face as she pulled her car into a parking spot in front of the school.

  “Uh, what?” I blinked my eyes, my fingers resting on my lips, still able to feel Griffin there even after an entire night had passed. “Sorry, I’m a little tired. Someone kept me up all night.” I glared at Chloe and she laughed.

  “What did you expect? You burst into my room telling me you made out with Griffin and didn’t expect me to ask for all the details?”

  “Yeah, but you could have let me go to bed instead of making me repeat them the third time.”

  She shrugged and opened the driver’s side door, letting the sunny fall morning into the car.

  I sat still for a moment, staring through the windshield, watching the clouds pass. Even if it weren’t for the total rehashing with Chloe, I still wouldn’t have slept. Once the euphoria of the kiss faded—except it hadn’t completely faded yet—my mind wandered back to the reason I’d gone out with Griffin in the first place. I’d tried to fall in love. Tried to book myself a ticket back to Heaven. But even though I felt the butterflies and the lightheadedness that every poet and songwriter has gushed about since the beginning of language, I was still here. Raguel had not come for me and time ticked on, closer to the deadline.

  The car door opened and I shuddered, being dragged out of my own thoughts.

  “Morning.” Griffin stood there with a smile bigger than any I’d ever seen since we’d met. “Are you coming in or going to skip this morning?”

  I shook my head and climbed out, letting the sun warm my skin, hoping it would melt away the worry burrowing a hole in the back of my brain.

  “I needed to find you. I completely forgot to ask you something last night.”

  “Or maybe you were kinda busy.” Chloe snorted.

  Griffin’s eyes shot daggers at her before he lightened up and chuckled a little himself. “Maybe. But I needed to know if you wanted to go to the homecoming dance with me tomorrow. I know it’s short notice, but unless you’re going with someone else, I’d love to take you.”

  I glanced at Chloe, then Griffin, then Chloe again, still unsure of the request, still unsure if I would even be here. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

  Griffin nodded and grabbed my hand, locking his fingers between mine. We walked toward the doors of the school, Chloe squealing behind us. As we entered the hallway, the familiar stares of everyone fell on my shoulders, but this time they weren’t because I was the new girl. By making this move, Griffin had made it clear to everyone that I belonged with him now. We were together.

  We reached his locker where the rest of the team hovered around like a swarm of purple and yellow bees.

  “Good morning, Arianna,” Alex said, the level of amusement with the situation evident across his face.

  “Good morning, Alex.”

  “I hope you’ll be at the game cheering on our boy. He’s been needing a little something this season. Maybe you might just be it.”

  Griffin opened his locker and grabbed his books, while casting me a private eye roll in response to Alex’s smug look.

  I laughed, watching the pained look of torture spread across Griffin’s face. “Yeah, I’ll be there. Wouldn’t miss it.”

  I pushed up on my tip
toes and kissed Griffin on the cheek. His face immediately corrupted into a never-before-seen shade of red. The rest of the guys laughed, but I could see the pride in his expression.

  “I’ll see you after class,” he said as I walked away. The jeers started and I could hear Griffin trying to change the subject.

  The glow around me must have been contagious as people smiled and waved, or maybe it was just the first morning I had noticed.

  “Are you kidding me?” Seth stood directly in my way, hands on his hips and a scowl across his face. “Why are you still wasting your time with that ridiculous human?”

  “Why are you still wasting your time trying to keep me away from him?”

  “I don’t care if you’re with him, or not, or whatever. This drivel gossip doesn’t interest me. I just thought you had bigger priorities.” He rolled his eyes toward the ceiling. “A higher calling.”

  “I do, but it doesn’t seem to be working. I still don’t know what Raguel wants from me, and I am starting to doubt that he ever planned on taking me back.”

  “But as an angel here on Earth, you’re a huge liability. Don’t you get that? If I hadn’t saved your ass the other day, you would have been dinner for a demon. Do you really think that’s what Heaven would want for you?”

  I stared at the floor, counting the beige specks on the tiles, trying to avoid admitting that Seth had a point. If I didn’t leave, they might still come for me—or worse, come for someone else. I wouldn’t be able to deal with them hurting any of my new friends.

  “Then what do you suggest I do, Seth?”

  “Meet me at the game tonight and I can introduce you to someone who can help. Deal?”

  I glanced over my shoulder, staring at the lion stitched across Griffin’s back. My heart shrank. “Okay. I’m going anyway, so I might as well see what I can do.”

  Seth’s face lit up and he finally stepped out of my way. “You’re making the right choice.”

  “Then why doesn’t it feel like it?”

  “Because sometimes life is hard. Free will might not really be the gift it’s cracked up to be.”

  “No kidding.”

  Seth pumped his fist and gave a plastic smile. “Until later. Go Lions.”

  18

  The stadium hummed with enough energy to light the world for a week. Fourth quarter, seven minutes left, 28–28. I still didn’t understand half the calls, but I’d picked up the general idea. Get the ball past the line without getting tackled to the ground. A simple premise, but a much harder task in reality. On the sidelines at least three of the Lions nursed injuries from what looked like painful attacks. Painful enough that the collective audience felt it.

  On the other side of the field, the blue sea of Bartlett Bears fans cheered and screamed as loud, if not more, than our purple Faraway Lions fans. Unfortunately, in this game the purple stood for bruising.

  Chloe watched intently as the quarterback threw the ball and another player near the side of the field caught it before getting trampled by one of the Bartlett Bears.

  “Oh, come on! Where’s the call?” she shouted, flipping a hand in the air then turning toward me and smiling like she hadn’t just screamed at the official. She was right. People here really loved their football.

  I loosened the yellow and purple scarf around my neck and clapped my hands along with the bubbly cheer squad, desperately trying to rally support for our battered team.

  “At least it’s a pretty good game.” Seth had somehow managed to slip beside me as if by way of magic. But knowing him, it was likely just by being a bit slippery.

  “I thought we were meeting after the game.”

  “Yeah. But I’m allowed to have a little fun once in a while too, you know.” He stuck his lip out in a pouty frown, his eyes too amused to sell it.

  Chloe glanced over and saw him standing beside me. She rolled her eyes. From the look of disgust on her face I wouldn’t have been surprised to see her march right out of the stadium—except that would mean she’d miss the end of the game. Clearly, I’d found her one true weakness.

  Seth leaned over and shouted in my ear. “Unless you want to get out of here early. I am so okay with that.”

  “Thanks, but I want to stay.”

  “What is it with you and these humans anyway? Didn’t you get tossed out for messing with them? Now here you are just begging for any excuse to hang out with them.”

  “And what exactly did you do to end up here, Seth? You’ve never really told me your story. Why am I always the one who has to share information?”

  His face blanched in spite of the piercing fall wind. “That’s fair. Once we get out of here, I’ll tell you.”

  “Why not now? Why wait?”

  “Because I can barely hear you right now. Unless you’d rather take this somewhere else?”

  I glanced at Chloe, then the clock. Less than a minute and everyone would be piling out of here like rats escaping a burning building. I likely wouldn’t miss much at this point.

  “Fine.”

  I tapped Chloe on the shoulder to tell her that I would find her later, but at that second Griffin caught the ball and started to run. I stood there, mouth open, watching him barrel down the field faster than I’d ever seen anyone run. One of the Bears tried to get in his way, but our Lion guards picked him off and gave Griffin a clear path. Thirty yards. Twenty yards. Ten yards. I squeezed my fists and stood on my toes, every muscle in my body clenching tight. Five yards. Touchdown! Chloe screamed and jumped up and down. She turned and grabbed my arms, and I started jumping with her. The entire Lions’ bleachers erupted in cheers and screams.

  The team lined up again and kicked the ball through the metal goalpost. The cheering grew louder—a feat I’d thought would not be possible.

  “We won!” Chloe screamed over and over. “We won!”

  Seth sat uninterested in the entire event, picking at his fingernails and somehow ignoring the chaos around him. I glanced down at the field. Griffin pulled his helmet off and his team surrounded him. He’d done it.

  As the team thinned, he turned to the stands and waved. To me? To everyone? The strange feeling burning in my chest wanted it to be me. Wanted him to want to celebrate with me. Maybe Seth was right, and I’d gone too far down the human road.

  “That was awesome,” Chloe said as she patted me on the back and we filed out of the row, moving ever so slowly with the mass of people trying to exit. “Remind me not to mock your guy for at least a week. He deserves a bit of credit.”

  “Can we go now?” Seth interrupted as he was nearly bulldozed down the stairs by a middle-aged man and his three children. Seth scowled at them and proceeded on.

  “Can we wait a little bit? I want to talk to Griffin first. What if I don’t get another chance?”

  The heaviness of the words burned my tongue as they came out of my mouth. Why did the thought of going home suddenly make me sad?

  Seth scoffed. “I’m sure he’s going to be a while. They’ll be celebrating in the locker room, and by the time he’s done, it’ll be halfway to midnight.”

  “But I’ll be able to come back, right? I’ll be able to see everyone before—” I glanced back, but Chloe wasn’t paying attention, “—to say goodbye?”

  “Of course. But I don’t want you to lose another chance.”

  I turned back to Chloe. “Can I meet you in the parking lot in a few minutes?”

  “What’s up?”

  “Seth wants me to meet someone, and then I want to say congratulations to Griffin.”

  “Sure. It’ll be hell getting out of here anyway. At least for a little while. But if you get a ride with someone else, make sure they text me, okay?”

  I stopped and hugged her, wrapping my arms as tightly around as I could. She’d been kind when she didn’t need to be. She’d been my friend, even though I probably didn’t deserve it. I’d miss her so much.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “Nothing.” I wiped the back of my arm
across my face, the wind chilling the corners of my eyes where tears had started to form. “I’m just not good with crowds.”

  I followed Seth out into the field behind the stadium as the mob continued toward the parking lot.

  “So where is this guy?”

  “He was supposed to be here. Let me go check.” Seth ran off toward the school.

  I stood alone in the dark. At least it was an open field and I could see anyone coming if I needed to. I wrapped my arms tightly around myself to keep the chill away. The reality that this might be my last night on Earth made me oddly melancholy. I wanted to go home. I missed my wings. I missed the other angels. The power. The only life I’d ever known. I even sort of missed Raguel. But losing my friends here burned through my veins like acid burning away my old life and replacing it with the new.

  Seth jogged back and shone his phone at me, the text screen lit like a firefly in the dark. “He said to meet him at the front of the school. Let’s go.”

  The stadium had cleared quickly, and I shivered at the emptiness it left behind.

  “Hurry up. We don’t want to keep him waiting.”

  I rushed behind Seth, trying my best to keep pace, but my head wasn’t letting my feet move as fast as they should.

  “It’ll be faster if we cut through over here,” Seth said and darted under the bleachers, weaving in and out of metal posts.

  I struggled to keep up then—bang—smacked into Seth as he stopped.

  “Whoa.” He turned around and tried to shuffle me out of the way. “Let’s go a different way.”

  A light giggle echoed under the bleachers. I glanced over his shoulder. Long waves of silky raven hair fell from the back of the giggle girl’s head. Her arms reached above her, tangled around the neck of a taller brown-haired boy in a purple and yellow Lions jacket. She laughed again, tossing her hair back then leaning in for a kiss.

  I clasped my hand over my mouth and moved sideways with Seth, hoping we hadn’t disturbed them. At least someone was going to have a good evening. I crept back, trying to get out as quickly as possible, but as I turned my head to go, something caught in my periphery and stung inside my brain. The number on the sleeve. Two stitched numbers that sank my entire world. Number 62. Griffin wore number 62.