I flicked my gaze up to Score’s table, and saw him speaking animatedly with Ryan Anderson. He turned to me, just for a second, his face lighting up when he saw me. He offered a short wave. I smiled back at him, wiggling my own fingers in response.
“Whatever,” Marin said. “I, for one, am glad that at least one of us is dating Hottie McHotHot.”
My face grew even warmer as she said it. Score was handsome, it was true, but there was so much more to him than a nice face. I peeked up at him again, feeling a strange tug of jealousy as I watched some of the more popular girls sidle closer to him. He brushed them all away, disinterested.
How did he do it? I wondered again. How did he manage to blend into the crowd with so little issue, to maintain control over his voice? I smiled thinking about it, leaning forward as I watched him.
Marin bumped her shoulder against mine, a sly grin on her face. “You really do like him, though, don’t you?” She laughed. “Humans can be fun distractions. About twenty years ago, I dated one for a whole year. It was hilarious when I broke up with him.”
Glenn narrowed his eyes. “You don’t really have any business dating humans, Princess.”
She shot daggers to him, balling her hands into tight fists. “My business is absolutely none of yours, elf!”
My companions’ banter was making me feel paranoid again. The last thing I needed was a human to overhear. I chewed my bottom lip and stood, throwing out my brown bag. Glenn fluidly moved as I did, following me to my next class, even though it was painfully early.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After school, as I shoved my textbooks into my locker, Glenn said, “So, Sarah, you’re meeting him at his house. Where will you be after?”
I shrugged, not meeting his gaze. “This side of town, at least. You should still hear us, right?”
He leaned against a neighboring locker, his arms folded lightly across his chest. “Mm… yes. Well… I’ll let you go alone, as we discussed.” His expression was strange, and I could tell he regretted agreeing to this before the attack. “But you have to promise you’ll call for me, should any danger arrive. I can be there within a minute or two. I’m swift when there’s a need.” He closed his eyes, leaning his head back. “What time should I expect you back?”
“Seven?” I answered optimistically. I still had to stop back at home, so I probably wouldn’t even be at Score’s house until four. I wanted a few hours with him.
“Fine. But if you’re even a minute late,” he said warningly, “I can promise you, you’ll never see him alone again.”
“I’ll be home on time. I promise.” I just needed to remember to set an alarm for a few minutes before, so I’d be prepared. I gave him a grateful smile. Glenn was being more lenient than I expected, especially considering the most recent attack.
Marin bounced over to us, looping her arm in mine. “So… I broke up with James. I’m dating Cody Gibson now.”
I wasn’t sure why she was telling me this. As we strode outside, I was surprised to see that it was beautiful and sunny. It’d been raining most of the day, but it finally burned off this afternoon. It wasn’t even windy.
Glenn nodded tersely at me. I shrugged. “I’ll meet you at the house. I’ll ride home with Marin.”
He frowned but stalked off. I slid into Marin’s expensive car.
She grinned, starting the engine. “I think we should double date this weekend. I mean, if you’re still involved with Will.”
I leaned back into the leather seat and closed my eyes. I didn’t want to double date with her. It might have had potential, but Score’s relationship with me wasn’t what Marin assumed. The whole point of this charade was to be alone together, so Score and I could be ourselves.
“I don’t know, Marin…”
“Come on!” she urged. “No pressure at all. I just think it’d be fun.”
“I’ll… I’ll ask him,” I told her doubtfully.
Her mouth twitched. “Honestly, we both know you’re the one who has final say. He’s human. You’re a siren. He has to do whatever you want.”
I was at a loss to that declaration, so I just shrugged again. “I’ll ask him,” I repeated.
We slid into the driveway. I bounded outside, pulling open the main door. Marin slipped her shoes off by the entrance and was immediately greeted by a maid, “Miss Marin, a letter arrived for you.”
She smiled, taking the envelope from the woman. “Thank you.”
We ascended the stairs. Marin flipped the letter over in her hands, grinning cheerfully. The paper of the envelope seemed to shimmer a little. It was sealed with a round stamp of crimson wax on the back. Marin didn’t appear impressed, and didn’t bother opening it.
When we reached my room, she tossed it, still sealed, into the little waste basket by my nightstand.
I raised a brow. “Don’t you want to know what it says?”
She laughed. “I already know. So… no.”
“But why—”
She narrowed her eyes, placing her hands on her waist. “Just drop it, okay?” Then she brightened again, “What are you going to wear on your date?”
I sighed. Marin never wanted to talk about anything more serious than the weather. She turned from me, beginning to rifle through my wardrobe with a pensive look on her face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It’d been so long since I’d gone anywhere completely alone. It felt strange to stride along the coastline solo now. I kept finding myself whipping my head back, sure that Glenn was there, somewhere behind me, too far to see.
The sun was bright and cheerful as I walked. The sand felt good under my feet as I clutched my flip flops between two fingers. My mind kept mulling over the attack.
It was the third attempt on my life in less than three weeks. It felt more weighted this time. It wasn’t an underhanded, single incident— it was an entire group coming for me.
Maybe I was being stupid, insisting on seeing Score alone.
But what would be the point of surviving if I was locked away all the time? I squinted, happy to see Harbor Estate in the distance.
I hadn’t made it to the house, but Score was already out the door. He wore a crisp white shirt and blue jeans, jogging up to greet me. His face split into a wide smile. “You’re alone?” he asked, practically whispering.
“Just about,” I murmured. I found myself smiling in response. He understood exactly and laced his hand through mine, gripping it tightly. He led me along the sandy pathways, towards our little private beach.
Even though Glenn wasn’t following close, we couldn’t speak freely quite yet. Eventually, Score would hum his spell and make it truly private.
I felt free, dropping my flip flops off on his porch as he pulled me along the sand. I popped sunglasses over my eyes as we bounded along the beach. Score leaned over, gesturing. “Come on!” I leapt onto his back. He sprinted, carrying me piggy-back through the surf.
I laughed. Life was fun with him. I leaned forward and inhaled his hair, closing my eyes, enjoying the warmth and spice of him.
How did I feel about him? My stomach tumbled as I wondered at the question. It would not be difficult for me to genuinely fall in love with him, to stop pretending that we were dating and just… fall.
Score was kind, and funny. I felt more natural around him than I did around anyone. Maybe it was just because he was another siren, but I felt an easy affinity for him. Of course, I knew Score didn’t feel that way for me. I closed my eyes, enjoying the jostling run pressed against him, surprised at his endurance.
He slowed, moving through the trees. When we arrived at the little beach he’d found for us, I slid off his back, laughing. Score hummed with a smile on his face, sealing us away for our time together.
“Lyra…” he said quietly. He grabbed my hand, pulling off his sunglasses to show me his eyes, his true eyes, gold right now.
It was so beautiful; I felt choked up.
I sank down, sitting on the stone slab, just looking at
him. The worry, the anxiety I’d felt, seemed to melt away from me. It was almost like the attack hadn’t even happened.
He sat facing me with a thoughtful expression, his eyes shifting color to forest green. “Lyra…?”
I nodded, “Yeah, Score?”
He searched my eyes, hesitating. He brushed a few loose hairs from my cheeks. “What happened over the weekend? After our last— after last time? This morning, you were ashy, terrified. I could see in your eyes how scared you were. They’ve been black all day— black and orange.”
I didn’t want to talk about it, didn’t want to think about it. Somehow, it felt like that side of my life was completely separate from this one. A large part of me wanted to keep it that way.
“Lyra, is it because we ran off? Did it cause you that much trouble?”
I nearly laughed, “No. No, Score.” I pulled my hands from him, clasping them together, looking at the water. “Actually, once Glenn calmed down, he was pretty reasonable. We have an arrangement now. I won’t have to slip away from him anymore.”
“Then what is it? Why were you so frightened?”
Maybe these eyes would end up being a problem. I closed them, considering my response. Finally, I decided to be honest. “I was attacked. I’m fine, though,” I said, not opening my eyes, not looking at him. “It’s not the first time it’s happened. It probably isn’t the last time, either.”
“Lyra…” His voice sounded achingly concerned.
I cracked my eyes open, looking into his guiltily. I didn’t want to worry him, but it was plain that he was worried.
Score knelt in front of me, his hands gripping mine tightly. “Then run with me, Lyra. I can keep you safe. I know how to fit in, how to get around without notice.” His eyes were a piercing blue right now, and he sounded honest.
I smiled. This time, the offer was more tempting, but I couldn’t leave— not without more answers. Maybe hidden within one of Aldan’s books was the secret to discovering a cure for Susan and Rick.
Score sighed. “I already know your answer. I can see it written on your face.” He stood up, brushing the sand from his knees, sitting next to me on the slab. “Then at least— at least let me teach you to control your voice, how to—”
“No!” I said rigidly, more harshly than I intended. I mostly just wanted to forget about my voice. The last time I’d experimented with its properties, I’d ended up hurting two people who cared about me.
Score looked taken aback, his eyes shifting to forest green. He curled his toes into the sand, contemplating. After a long few moments, he said, “Okay.” But his voice didn’t sound like it was final, just suspended. Eventually, I suspected he would be asking me again— either to learn, or to run with him.
I would cross that bridge when I came to it.
The silence stretched out, wrapping around us like a warm blanket. I wondered if I’d have felt so soothed by his presence if I’d grown up with sirens surrounding me. Maybe it was my special circumstances that left me feeling so comforted.
He stood up, offering his hand to me. “Dance with me?”
I stared at him, baffled. “There’s no music, Score, and I’m not going to—”
He just shook his head, gripping my hand in his. He pulled me up, close to him. “There is music. It’s just quiet, in the background. Open your ears and listen.”
I raised a brow doubtfully at him, but then dutifully closed my eyes. I sighed, listening.
What did I hear?
The tide, of course. The wind through the branches. The soft call of the birds, and— I gasped, my fingers reaching forward. There was a music, interlacing the sounds together. I could hear it perfectly, now that I’d dissected the sounds individually. Everything was in harmony.
His left hand was in mine, his other along my waist. I could feel the outline of muscle on his back with my fingertips. I leaned into him, taking a few deep breaths, inhaling the fragrance that I knew only as him— warm and comforting. My heart was beating so fast, I thought it might explode from my chest.
Was Score just being friendly, was this a siren thing, or was this something more?
A few moments passed, then he was humming softly to himself. Not really singing, but it accompanied the percussion of the waves, the soft melody of the wind, the cry of the birds. It was so beautiful, I forgot to be angry or uncomfortable. He spun me slowly around, away from him, before pulling me back to his chest.
After a long while, we stopped dancing. We stood, still holding each other. I felt lost in his eyes, my heart beating loudly in my ears. It felt like I was dangling over a precipice, and I couldn’t decide if I wanted to tumble down or not.
He leaned forward so his face was close to mine. “I wish you’d leave with me, Lyra…”
The moment was shattered.
I pushed him from me, sitting back on the stone slab, slumping forward. I dug my toes into the sand. Why didn’t he understand that I couldn’t? I had too many responsibilities.
He sat next to me. “I feel like… I’m just fond of you, Lyra.”
“It’s not that I don’t like you, Score,” I said, exasperated.
He turned to me, grabbing one of my hands again. “It’s not as simple as liking you, Lyra,” he said, dropping my hand. “I can’t imagine going back to the way things were before you.”
I thought about it, imagining myself in his situation. Would I be willing to lose Score, now that I knew him?
No, not a chance. If it were me, I’d be trying to push him, too.
But I couldn’t give him the response he wanted. I turned to him, searching the color of his eyes. Forest green, bleeding into pink at the edges. What did that mean?
I deflected, “What were things like before me?”
“Lonely, flat… meaningless…” the last word was a harsh whisper.
I closed my eyes, taking a few deep breaths, feeling dizzy. The sun had dipped below the horizon sometime when we were dancing. It was cold now, and the wind picked up, making it brisk.
Noticing me shiver, he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I slumped into him. It wouldn’t be hard to pack up everything and leave with him, not really. If Score felt even marginally as comfortable with me as I did with him, we’d get along fine on our own. It’d be as easy as falling, or breathing— but I still couldn’t do it. It’d be cowardly to leave my foster parents comatose because I was selfish and scared.
Score sighed, leaning back. He dug into his shirt, retrieving something shiny. A ring, hanging from a chain around his neck.
He gestured to it. I plucked it up between my fingers, turning it over. It was beautiful, feminine: a delicate platinum band with two small triangular diamonds flanking a brilliant oval opal.
“It’s the one siren keepsake I haven’t shown you,” he said quietly. “The last thing I received from my birth parents.”
I smiled, looking at it.
His eyes met mine, “I think…” he turned away, “it was my mother’s, maybe?”
“It’s pretty,” I said, nodding. It certainly wouldn’t suit Score, which explained why he wore it on a chain around his neck, beneath his clothes. He tucked it away, chewing on his lip. We stared out at the water together.
We sat in our usual comfortable silence, his fingers brushing through my hair for a long while. Finally, he said, “Will you consider the possibility of learning how to control your voice, Lyra?” I turned my gaze to him. His eyes were a rose pink.
I nodded. “I— I’ll think about it, Score.”
His hand cupped my face, his thumb brushing my cheek. He leaned in. My stomach tumbled around, nervous for what was coming. I’d felt butterflies before, but at that moment I was dealing with hummingbirds, or maybe even pterodactyls. I sat rigidly, expecting my first kiss. I wanted it, but I didn’t know what to do. He came closer and closer to me, then—
A chirping erupted, and he pulled back. His eyes shifted to dark purple. He chuckled, running a hand through his hair. “Your phone, Lyra.”
He stood up, offering his hand to me. “I guess I’ll see you at school?”
I nodded, biting my lip, feeling a stab of regret. Then I remembered, groaning. “Marin— Stacie— wants to double date this weekend.”
Score smiled. “And you said?”
I sighed, shaking my head. “I told her I’d ask you.”
“That… might not be a bad idea,” he said suddenly, looking thoughtful. He nodded, “I’m in.”
“What?” I asked him, incredulous. “If we’re around other people we can’t possibly—”
“It’ll be fine,” he said soothingly. He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. “She’ll just keep asking if you say no.”
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Spirit Trial
I spent that evening studying. I chewed my lip, reading about the Realm, learning that it was connected to the Overworld geographically, but that the geography didn’t really matter. As I tried desperately to wrap my head around it, Glenn cleared his throat.
“You haven’t asked me a single question,” he said, some levity in his voice, “and after I’ve given you three.”
I smiled, happy that Glenn was treating me more like a friend. I didn’t like upsetting him, but I didn’t regret for an instant my meetings with Score. I rolled off the bed and stood, picking imaginary lint off my clothes. “You only gave me three,” I countered. “So I have to make sure they’re all exceptionally good questions.”
“You’re saying, after digesting it for over two weeks, you haven’t thought of even one measly question for me?” He clucked his tongue, standing fluidly and sliding closer. “I thought you were sharper than that, Sarah.”
I giggled, more at the sound of my false name than his teasing tone of voice. It felt more strange to be called the name I’d known my whole life than to accept Lyra as my new one.
Prelude (The Rhapsody Quartet) Page 22
