Sea Green Siren

by Ellie Margot

  “It’s not a bad look necessarily,” started Mekhi.

  Riette moved to stand, but Cassian tried to stop her.

  “I’m okay.”

  “I’m voting for not,” said Guy.

  “I can’t believe I did this,” said Trinity.

  “Did what?”

  “I’ll show her,” said Corin.

  “You think that’s the best idea?” asked Mekhi.

  “She can’t not know,” said Corin. “Besides, it makes her look distinguished.”

  “If you all are trying to kill me or trying to piss me off,” Riette said. “I promise you don’t have to try.”

  Corin found a small piece of glass on the ground. Riette watched her pick it up. If she had to guess, she would assume it was from a bar fight long past, as there was dirt covering every surface of the glass.

  Corin wiped off the edges on the sleeve of her shirt and walked with it in hand to where Riette stood. Cassian fully released her, and Riette stood on unstable feet. Her balance was thrown off, and she was thrown with it.

  Cassian reached back out to steady her, but Riette held up her hand, stopping him. She wanted to do it alone. She had to.

  The glass was cool to her fingers. Riette wiped off a bit more dirt and held the glass up to her face. The sun reflected off it, but she could see the damage all the same.

  One of Riette’s eyes had the color of burning coals behind it, as if flames were licking the back of her eye from the inside.

  She raised a hand to her face slowly, as if she were scared to spook herself by the action. Riette expected heat. She expected to cry. She expected to hate the new broken elements that she had added to herself.

  She touched her cheek.

  “We need to leave,” said Trinity. She was still shaking, but her attention was firmly focused on the town at their back.

  “She’s right,” said Guy. “We don’t need a new fight.”

  “No, it’s more than that. If my grandmother sees her…” Trinity’s face paled, and she bit her lip as her eyes began to water. “Fuck, if even Allison gets a look, she’d be kept. Weird people, weird things, don’t get left alone. Not here. They get dissected.”

  “Dissected?” whispered Corin.

  “This place lives in weird,” Riette said. “Every single thing in it.” She hadn’t broken eye contact with herself, but she was already coming to terms with it.

  “Right, but it’s all weird familiar. Things we’ve seen. Variations of things we understand. You? Right now, you are something else entirely.” Trinity shook her head. “Elves are always something else. You were already a walking liability, now you’re a—”

  “Stop, you’re flattering me,” said Riette. She threw the glass shard to the ground with more force than she anticipated. It struck the earth and buried itself deep in it.

  The shard could barely be seen from the surface.

  “What the fuck?” asked Mekhi.

  Riette stared at the ground. She let out a breath. “I didn’t intend—”

  “No shit,” said Mekhi. “Something has happened to you.”

  “We need shelter first,” Riette said. “We’ll figure out the rest of this later. Trinity is right. We can’t afford to be here with how things ended back at Ella’s. It’s not safe.”

  Cassian went to touch her shoulder, but he leaned in, not making contact.

  “Your tattoo,” he said.

  Riette touched her shoulder. There was warmth coming from the tattoo still, even when she wasn’t forcing energy there. But there was something else. Ridges, an extra line.

  Getting tattoos was a ceremony done by elder Elves. They were done by hand. They didn’t form on their own.

  “I’d look myself, but what does it look like?” asked Riette.

  “Nothing I’ve seen before,” said Cassian, and his voice was mostly air.

  The rest gathered around, and Riette’s face warmed. “Not a freak show, you all.”

  Mekhi raised an eyebrow. “Uh, I love you. You’re family even, but freak show is your new home. I’m going to charge admission, but since I love you, I’ll share the profits.”

  “The fuck you are,” said Riette.

  “Only when you’re sleeping.” Corin hit Mekhi. “Ow. I said when she was sleeping. I don’t want to make it weird.”

  “That’s how you make it weird?” Corin asked, rolling her eyes.

  “Well, yeah. Weird is a new normal for her too.”

  Riette shifted her shirt to hide as much of her tattoo as she could, even though most of it had burned around. The bag helped a little, but she didn’t want the straps to touch it. The skin was tender there.

  “I need Vitan and to get the Demura out of here, in that order.”

  Guy reached into his bag and threw her a chunk of bark. Riette caught it and tore off a chunk with her teeth.

  “Attractive,” said Guy.

  Riette moved the bag over and wiped some of the bark from her lip before speaking. “Yeah, that’s what I’m known for these days. My hotness.”

  Chapter 25

  They walked to a new location in silence.

  Riette didn’t know if that was exactly true, but she didn’t hear anyone for the ringing in her ears, so she considered it to be her truth at the very least.

  She watched the ground in front of her. Each step was heavy. She pushed down the earth, stomp after stomp, moving forward to a destination she wasn’t even aware of.

  The bag was still on her shoulder, and that gave her peace, but she also knew she needed to check on Bark and Barry. The book was also safely inside, and she itched to touch it, but there was a power in her. A strong power, and she feared she’d break it in half.

  Getting under control had to be her priority. The rest would be sorted.

  Cassian stood closely by. He didn’t speak, but his frequent glances in her direction were making her feel cagey.

  It was different. Everything kept changing with him, and she didn’t want to make it worse by talking or trying to steady whatever it was with shaky hands. There was also something broken in Riette. She knew it.

  She had the distinct sensation that if someone put their head to her chest, they would hear a gurgling sound. It wouldn’t be the blood running through her. It would be the displaced rage that curled her hands by her sides and, though she couldn’t prove, knotted her hair.

  There was a clicking noise all around Riette. It was a clicking and popping, and it took too long to realize that it was coming from her. Her jaw was forced down under miles of pressure, it seemed.

  Riette let out a breath and tried to steady herself once more.

  When they finally got to a clearing, Guy led the way in setting up camp. His eyes kept flitting to Riette’s face. It was like she had a different head instead of a new feature on it. She touched her cheek when she caught him looking, and he smiled at her to try to cover it, but it was Guy, so she knew he wasn’t ashamed.

  Being a freakshow, as Mekhi shared, was a new part of her life, and she needed to embrace it, she knew, before it broke her.

  “It doesn’t look bad,” said Corin. “Really.” She dropped a pile of supplies they used for tents at Riette’s feet.

  “You can say that because your face doesn’t look like it’s burning to pieces from the inside,” Riette said as she leaned down to gather things up. The moon was slowly rising above them, and the darkness of the night was riding with it.

  “It’s not your whole face,” said Corin as she blew the hair off of her cheek.

  “Right,” said Mekhi. He stretched to his full height and reached his hands above his head. His hair was ruffled from playing with it, and he smiled despite the situation.

  “So, I should take comfort in the fact that I’m not completely falling to pieces?” asked Riette. She started to put her tent together. Muscle memory moved her hands, and she felt acutely aware of the new addition to their group as Trinity helped Cassian across the camp.

  “No, partial falling is
normal and is to be expected for a person your age,” said Mekhi.

  “You’re two years older than me,” said Riette.

  “Right, but you have harder years,” he said. “All that moving the ground, and then the ashes alone, which just have to be burning you up from the inside.” He continued to stretch as he considered her. He pointed to himself. “Now me, I’m a water sign. I’m supposed to be supple and youthful forever.”

  “You make no sense.”

  “No, you fear me because I make too much sense.”

  “Who fears who?” asked Guy. He already had his camp together and came over to inspect their progress.

  “Mekhi thinks he’s a badass, and I’m an old maid,” said Riette as she assembled.

  “Well, you’re no spring chicken,” said Guy.

  “What do chickens have to do with this?” Corin asked Mekhi, eyeing Guy warily.

  “It’s a saying,” Guy said. “Look, if I say something weird, or weird to you all, then I’m saying a saying, okay? How hard is that?”

  “You,” said Riette. “You’re hard.”

  “What?” Guy asked, looking down. “You can see that?”

  “Ugh, gag me,” Riette said. “I meant difficult. You’re difficult.”

  “I can be both if pressed, you know? I’m a multi-faceted individual.”

  Trinity walked over to them and stayed near the edges. “You’re something. Science is still noodling it out, I’m afraid.”

  Guy shook his head. “Don’t say the word ‘science.’ You might scare the outsiders.”

  “No, you don’t get to be the insider,” said Mekhi. “We’re from Vitan. We are the originals. You’re the outside copies.” He looked at Trinity. “No offense.”

  She held up her hands. “No, no offense taken. It was a tradeoff. We have to grow our own Vitan bark, but we also have more exposure. It’s a mix.”

  Riette looked around them. The area was part forest, if a small cluster of trees could be considered that. The sky was big and filled with stars she had seen before but had never seen that closely. She hadn’t paid attention.

  Before, in Vitan, she had had duties. She had responsibilities. Classes to take. Mothers to disappoint.

  There was a charm to being here—she knew that—but for the brokenness she’d gathered, she knew that she couldn’t feel at home anywhere but the home she had always known.

  Something bottomed out in her stomach, and she placed her hand on it to will it away. Trinity watched her. Riette saw the expression as she looked up and caught her in the act.

  “I’ve upset you,” said Trinity. “It’s becoming a habit.”

  “I’m fine,” said Riette.

  “It can’t be easy being so far from home.”

  “It can’t be easy for you to have just gone through all of that shit, either,” said Riette.

  “Yeah, we know how to party around here,” said Guy. He gestured with his shoulder to Riette. “This one over here, especially.”

  “You’re hilarious,” said Riette. She got down on her knees to push the rods into place for her tent.

  “See?” asked Guy. “Winning sense of humor, flaming good looks.”

  “Keep them coming.” Riette stopped, and then she looked up at him. “Obviously, I’m kidding. Your jokes are awful.”

  Guy turned toward Trinity. “Don’t let her fool you. I’m her favorite.”

  Cassian walked up to stand by Trinity’s side.

  “Riette has a favorite?” asked Cassian, hearing the end of the conversation.

  “I don’t,” said Riette. “It would be like choosing my favorite... dog?”

  “Shoes?” asked Corin.

  Riette looked down at the mangled pair she was wearing and felt the loss of having no other options. “I’m in such a short supply of those, I’d rather not speak of it.”

  “We haven’t gone shopping in six to eight years,” said Corin. “I am dying of it.” Agony colored her voice.

  “Oh, there is this shop,” Trinity said. “It’s behind us now. Near Leaf...” Her voice trailed off. Cassian touched her arm. She smiled softly. “It doesn’t matter now. But shoes, right?” A tear fell from her eye, and she wiped at it but covered it with a laugh.

  “Right, I have these sweet-ass pair of sandals that wrap around the ankles—” Mekhi started.

  “I hate those,” said Corin.

  “Yeah, they’re garbage,” said Mekhi. “But when I was young and dumb, they were my favorite.”

  “You wanted to bring them with you,” Riette said. “You slept in them before.”

  Mekhi’s face colored. “I was young and dumb. I just said that.”

  “It was literally before we left Vitan. You showed me the new—”

  “So what was up with that singing shit?” asked Mekhi. “That was something that we should be talking about now. Right? Am I right?”

  Riette felt her cheeks burn. The tanned color of her skin, given to her by her mother, helped cover it, but she also knew that if someone looked enough, they could see it, and everyone was looking.

  “It was nothing,” said Riette. She turned away from the group and finished assembling the tent. She stood up and dusted off her pants before turning. “So not a big deal.”

  “You touched her, and if it were dark, you would have been a fucking night light,” said Mekhi. “I’m sure. And that was all besides the singing.” He looked at her, and he placed his hands on his hips. “Now, I mean this in the nicest way possible—”

  “Stop, please,” said Riette as she held up a hand.

  “No, I mean it. I love you, but you cannot sing. I have heard your not-singing, and this was something else. It didn’t even sound like you.” Mekhi shuddered. “It was like something was channeling through your body.”

  Riette stilled herself, and the sensation she had felt came rushing back to the front of her memories. It didn’t feel like her.

  It was as if she were in a dark room, behind a door, but all she could hear was the rushing of the waves around her. The water felt close, and she needed it. She needed the moisture on her skin and the salt in her hair.

  Riette needed it more than air. More than life. She needed it more than anything.

  “It was a siren song,” said Trinity.

  Riette paled. “No, it wasn’t.”

  Trinity nodded. She leaned against Cassian for a second but then thought better of it and stood up taller.

  “It was. I’ve heard that same song before. Only once.”

  “Sorry, but I was under the impression that Granny Dearest had you in a closet until we showed up,” said Mekhi.

  Corin elbowed him in the ribs again. Hard.

  “What?” Mekhi asked. “I didn’t say she was. I said that was the feeling I got from being around them. In her house or whatever.”

  “That’s not any better,” said Cassian.

  “You all don’t have be around to be ‘correct’.”

  “That’s for damn true,” said Guy.

  “Hey, buddy, you’re the newest addition here. Last in, first out.”

  “Actually, I’m the newest addition, right?” Trinity asked, raising her hand slightly. “I mean, I don’t mean to be presumptuous, but I’m the newest one here. Not that I’m saying you all are taking me on. I don’t want to make you all—”

  “Trinity, relax. No one is kicking you out.” Riette fought the urge to pat her or something, but part of her didn’t want to make contact until she had fully come down from the last touch. Her hand still shook with the energy bouncing around inside of her. “I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere near the book anytime soon without you.”

  Trinity smiled at her and then at Cassian. “It was the least I could do.”

  “Yeah, after getting her almost killed and whatnot,” said Guy.

  “Shut up, Guy,” said Corin.

  “Hey.” Guy raised his hands. “I’m not saying she did something wrong.”

  “So getting me killed wouldn’t be wrong, how?”
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  “You guys,” said Guy with a broken laugh. He put his hands down. “I’m just saying that we all have a place.” He looked Trinity over. “Trinity especially.”

  “Now I understand why people want to kill you so frequently,” said Trinity.

  “It took you this long?” asked Mekhi. “Demura, it’s not a morning if I don’t picture it at least three times.”

  “You all love me,” said Guy. “Bullshit if you want to.”

  “Why do you think it was a Siren song?” asked Cassian. He looked briefly at Riette, but then left his attention on Trinity, who blushed under her scrutiny.

  “My grandmother had one before.”

  “She had a Siren?” asked Riette. The hollow feeling in her stomach returned.

  Trinity looked at Riette but looked down. She let out a breath. “It wasn’t long,” Trinity added.

  “How did it even survive out of the sea?” asked Mekhi. “I thought that was rule one for those things.”

  “It is,” said Trinity. “That’s the only place they’re supposed to be. But when you’re sick, and you have money...”

  “Frank,” said Riette. Her tattoo burned again. Even though he was gone, just saying his name felt like she was summoning him.

  “No, it wasn’t him. He had been around, but this was another one of Grandmother’s people. She—”

  “A woman did this?” asked Corin.

  “It’s not that uncommon for a woman to be involved in trade. Most of the higher deals involve a woman in an elite role. This wasn’t any different.”

  Riette immediately pictured the red hair of Georgette, captain of the ship she’d traveled on, in her mind. “What did she look like?”

  “Long black hair, darker than you, but with silver eyes,” said Trinity. “She’s beautiful but also looked like she would eat your soul and make you watch at the same time.”

  “Well, she sounds like a treat,” said Mekhi. He clapped his hands together.

  “She was a psycho bitch,” said Trinity, and her voice was suddenly steel.

  Cassian touched her elbow, and Trinity shook her head. She cleared her throat as Cassian released his soft hold.

  “I’m sorry. My Grandmother had a lot of people in her place, and Emma, being a Trader, is the worst of her kind.” Trinity stopped.