Black Sea Bright Song

by Shelly Jarvis

  “I didn’t understand. In some ways, I still don’t. But I never hated you.”

  Celia reached over and put her arm around Evan, pulling her against her shoulder. “I missed you, Ev. And I’m sorry I left without a proper goodbye. The only reason I stopped feeling guilty and started living my life is because of Will and Lucy. They give me purpose.”

  As if on cue, Lucy came from the bedroom pulling a bleary-eyed Will. Blinking at the sun shining through the windows, he asked, “What time is it?”

  “Nearly eight,” Celia said.

  He nodded through another yawn. “Malcolm will be here soon. I’ll start breakfast.”

  “Who?” Evan asked.

  “My best bro. You’ll like him,” Will said, his head inside the fridge. “Everyone always does.”

  As Evan sat down for her first human breakfast, there was a knock at the door. A tall man with flawless tawny skin stepped inside the apartment. His dark hair was shaved short, barely longer than the shadow of stubble across his face.

  Lucy ran to him, wrapping her arms around his legs as she stared up at him. A smile sprang to his face, and Evan found it difficult not to smile in turn.

  He scooped Lucy into his lap as he sat down, nuzzling his cheek against her curls before finally looking up and spotting Evan. “Oh, snap,” he said. “I didn’t realize you had company.”

  “Would it have mattered?” Will asked.

  Malcolm shook his head. “Nah.”

  Celia put a glass of orange juice in front of Malcolm and handed Lucy a sippy cup. “Malcolm, this is Evannia.”

  “Pleasure to meet you,” Evan said.

  Will took Evan’s hand and said, “The pleasure is mine.”

  “Don’t flirt with my sister, Malcolm. She doesn’t know you like we do,” Celia said, though her expression remained playful.

  He looked between them for a moment. “Sisters. That explains why she’s so pretty.”

  Evan felt her cheeks flush as she pulled her hand away. She turned her eyes to the plate Will had placed in front of her. She didn’t recognize a single thing. She looked up, meeting Malcolm’s chestnut eyes. He asked, “Is this your first time?”

  “Excuse me?” she asked.

  He pointed to her plate.

  “Oh, no,” she said, feeling the heat return to her cheeks. “Caspian fed me last night.”

  “Hamburger and fries?” Celia asked. “That’s his favorite.”

  “This won’t be quite as good,” Will said. “Cas has been perfecting his burgers longer than I’ve been alive.”

  Evan raked her fork across a pale yellow mass. It certainly didn’t look as appealing as Caspian’s food.

  “Those are eggs,” Malcolm said.

  “I’ve seen eggs before, but never made like that. Evan held up a reddish strip of something and asked, “What’s this?”

  “That, my dear, is bacon. It’s the food of the gods,” Malcolm said, snatching her piece and popping it in his mouth.

  “And those are potatoes,” Celia said, pointing at the crispy brown shreds.

  “Yummy ketchup,” Lucy chimed in, her mouth already full.

  Evan looked around as all eyes waited for her to try her first bite. She gave a hesitant smile, then pushed her fork into the eggs and took a bite. The taste was fine, good even, but not quite the explosion of flavor that the hamburger had been. She gave a thumb’s up as she chewed, which seemed to satisfy them. Malcolm was right about the bacon; she wished he hadn’t stolen that other piece.

  As soon as breakfast was over, Malcolm stood and headed to the door. Lucy made whimpering sounds as she followed him out. “Don’t worry, little princess. I’m going to work, but I’ll see you tonight.”

  He hugged Celia, bumped his fist against Will’s, then called back to Evan and said, “Nice to meet you, sis. See you tonight.”

  After he was gone, Evan asked, “What’s tonight?”

  “Malcolm is having a little party,” Will said.

  Celia must’ve read the look of terror on Evan’s face, because she quickly added, “It’s nothing like the parties at the palace. It will be casual, and we’ll eat simple human food that we cook ourselves.”

  “No fancy dresses?” Evan asked.

  Celia shook her head. “You’ll have fun, I promise.”

  Evan shrugged. “It’s not like I have anywhere else to be.”

  Celia turned to her husband and asked, “What are you doing today?”

  “I’ve got to finish my article or Donna will be all over my—”

  “Language!” Celia exclaimed.

  Will cringed. “Sorry. I forget she’s repeating everything now.”

  He eyed Lucy as she sat on the floor brushing her doll’s hair. He mumbled, “She’s too smart for her own good.” Will’s eyes moved from his daughter to his wife. “What are you gals doing?”

  Celia hooked her thumb towards Evan. “We’ll be getting rid of some of the Mer.”

  Will nodded, but Evan looked between them, confused. “What does that mean?”

  “Mer have a certain look when they come to land,” Celia said, wrinkling her nose.

  Evan asked, “What’s wrong with how I look?”

  “Nothing’s wrong with it,” Will said, holding up his hands. “You just look, well, Mer. A little girl-time will help you fit in better with humans.”

  “And it will help disguise you from the Sirens,” Celia added.

  “Sirens?” Will asked, his eyes darting between them. “What Sirens?”

  Celia bit her lip. “It’s probably nothing to worry about, but Judas brought Evan here as a precaution.”

  “Judas is back?” Will asked.

  “I don’t know if he’s back,” Celia said. “He disappeared again.”

  Will gritted his teeth for a moment before saying, “Let’s not mention this to Malcolm yet.”

  “Why?” Evan asked.

  Evan couldn’t read the look that passed between Celia and Will before Will said, “They had a falling out. I’m not sure Malcolm is ready to see him.”

  “I’m certain he’s not,” Celia said under her breath.

  A knock the door drew their attention. Will let a short, curvy girl in and Lucy ran to meet her. The girl hoisted Lucy onto her hip as she sauntered into the room. Evan stared, taking in the way she moved with such grace it appeared she was floating. Her corkscrew curls were pulled into a high ponytail, and Lucy patted the girl’s cheeks as she stared at her.

  Celia said, “Kedra, this is my sister, Evannia.”

  Kedra’s smile was full of surprise when she turned to Evan and said, “Girl, you might as well hug me. We’re family ‘round here.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Evan said. “Are you Glaucan?”

  “No honey, I’m a New Yorker.”

  “It’s a city in the north,” Celia clarified. “Kedra is a normal human.”

  Kedra scoffed. “Ain’t nothin’ normal ‘bout me. I’m extra.” With an infectious laugh she added, “Miss Lucy, we’re going to be late if we don’t leave. You ready?”

  Lucy pulled on a backpack and took Kedra’s hand as she waved goodbye to her parents. Will closed the door behind them with a shake of his head. “Sometimes I think she loves Kedra more than us.”

  “She loves Kedra, for sure,” Celia said with a smile, “but I think it’s the books that have her heart. She gets in such a hurry to leave on library day.”

  “I can’t be upset that she likes books.”

  “She gets it from her daddy.”

  Will sighed and stepped over to kiss his wife’s cheek. “Speaking of books, I’m going to work. You ladies have fun today.”

  As he walked to their bedroom and closed the door, Celia turned to Evan and smiled devilishly. She reached forward and picked up a strand of Evan’s long hair. “I’ll have fun today. I don’t know about you.”

  Thirteen

  While Celia dressed, Evan poked around the apartment looking at the things she didn’t understand. Celia had turn
ed on a moving painting and told Evan to watch what she wanted, but the contraption was strange and loud. Evan wasn’t sure she liked it. Instead she found herself staring dreamily out the window, watching the people passing on the street below.

  A young girl with bouncy black waves was walking across the street. From this height, she could pass for Orielle. The girl spun around in a circle, as if she was lost or looking for something.

  What if it is Orielle? she thought, fear running through her. The Sirens could’ve attacked Triton or kidnapped her and she’d escaped. Or they could be using her as bait.

  It didn’t matter. She had to check. She ran downstairs and out the front door. The girl had her back to her.

  “Orielle?” Evan asked.

  Her voice was too quiet amongst the noise of the city. The girl stepped off the curb and started across the street. Evan went after her, taking the front steps two at a time. She ran into the street and caught the girl by the shoulder, spinning her around.

  “What are you doing?” the girl asked, jerking away from her.

  “Sorry,” Evan said, her face falling. “I thought you were someone else.”

  Evan stood, watching, as the girl stormed away. There was a strange noise blaring behind her and she turned to see a bright yellow land-carriage flashing its lights.

  Before she realized what was happening, someone knocked her to the ground as the metal monster passed, a slur of curses coming from the open window.

  “You okay?” A figure in black leather and a curved helmet helped her up. He lifted the visor of his helmet and asked, “Miss?”

  She looked up into his eyes. They were gray, kind…familiar. “I’m fine,” she breathed.

  The man nodded. “You’re sure?”

  “Yeah, yes,” she said. He led her back to the sidewalk before letting go of her hand.

  “Be careful. It’s a dangerous world,” he said. He walked over to a sleek black vessel with one seat and two wheels. It rumbled to life beneath him. He gave one last look over his shoulder towards her before shooting off into the street.

  “Evan?” Celia asked from the steps behind her. “What are you doing out here? You scared the shit out of me.”

  “Sorry,” Evan said.

  Celia’s brows furrowed. “What are you smiling about?”

  Evan straightened her face and said, “Nothing. Ready to go?”

  As they stepped out of the hair salon, the wind caught Evan’s tresses and tussled it around her face. Her hair had cascaded down her back as long as she could remember, but now it didn’t even brush her shoulders.

  “It feels so light,” she said, surprised by the difference.

  “Do you like it?” Celia asked.

  Evan nodded, smiling when she saw the look of relief on Celia’s face. It had been her sister’s idea to cut it so drastically, and Evan could tell she had been nervous about it.

  “I didn’t like that thing they did to my eyebrows though.”

  Celia smiled. “But they look great.”

  “What now?” Evan asked. “Food? Can we get hamburgers?”

  “I’ve got something even better,” Celia replied.

  They walked a few blocks and stopped in front of a brightly colored land-carriage. Celia said, “Two Tandoori Kabobs and two mango bubble teas.”

  The man pushed some buttons on a gray box and Celia handed him a thin plastic rectangle. He gave it back, along with a little piece of paper, and a different man handed her red-checkered bowls and two orange cups. Celia led them to a bench and sat down.

  “I have a lot of questions about what just happened,” Evan said.

  Celia smiled. “That’s a food truck. It’s like a traveling kitchen for people who don’t know how or don’t have time to cook.”

  “And they just give you food?”

  “No, I paid for it.”

  “With your plastic rectangle?”

  “That’s a credit card. It’s a human way of keeping track of my gold.”

  Evan nodded, taking in the information. “Okay, I think I get it. Last question: what is this?” She held up a stick with chunks of reddish meat on it.

  Celia laughed and said, “It’s pretty much the greatest thing about living on land.”

  “Uh, I don’t know about that. I’ve tried bacon, after all.”

  Evan only made it through two bites before passing her to Celia to finish. Despite her sister’s love for the strange food, Evan found the flavors too heavy for her tastes. Celia blamed it on only eating fish for so many years.

  After lunch, Celia took Evan to a building so large the Triton castle could fit inside it. Evan stared wide-eyed at the stores they passed: clothes, jewelry, books, shoes, makeup and perfume—there was a store for everything.

  Celia led her into a massive place where they were surrounded by racks of clothing. She said, “We need to figure out your size.” She pulled dozens of things from the racks and stacked them in Evan’s arms. “Let’s go try these on.”

  Evan was surprised by how much she enjoyed trying on the different things Celia picked out. In the castle she was only allowed to wear dresses. Most were formal and uncomfortable, though she had a few simple ones that she could get away with wearing if she didn’t have to stray far from her room.

  These clothes, however, seemed made for comfort. Celia picked out more jeans like the ones Judas had given her and introduced her to a soft, warm material called “sweats.” She picked a couple dresses as well, but they were much better than the monstrosities with which she was accustomed.

  As Evan rounded the corner to try on another dress, she stopped in her tracks. Across the room was a fair-haired man, his pale eyes scanning the room.

  Evan dropped to the ground with a curse. She didn’t know how Andrus had found her, but she was sure it was him. She crawled beside a rack of clothes and peered around, careful to keep herself low to the ground.

  “What are you doing?” Celia asked from behind her.

  Evan jerked around, motioning her sister to the ground. Hooking her thumb in the direction of Andrus, she mouthed, “Siren.”

  Celia’s eyes widened, but to her credit she didn’t panic. Evan watched her clench her jaw for a moment, then slowly stand and pick up a shirt as casually as she could. She held it at arm’s length as if she was considering it. “Blond? Black jacket?”

  Evan nodded.

  “Get into the dressing room,” Celia said. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

  “No,” Evan said, her voice cracking. “It’s too dangerous.”

  Celia said, “I have an idea, but I need you to do what I say.” Evan furrowed her brows but nodded. “When I walk away, I want you to pick up my bags, count to five, then sprint for the dressing room.”

  Celia picked a few things off the rack, then headed off in the direction opposite the dressing rooms. Evan clutched Celia’s bags, counted to five, then bolted for the dressing rooms. She locked the door, her fingers shaking as she rattled the fragile metal into place. If he came for her, the lock would be no match for him.

  Minutes passed.

  The pit in her stomach tightened with each passing second. Evan pressed her ear against the door. She heard footsteps.

  She balled her fists at her side, preparing to make a fight of it. The creak of the door next to her set her frayed nerves on end. As she tried to calm down, a hurried knock sent her back into panic.

  “Open the door,” Celia hissed.

  Evan fumbled it open. Celia was in the cramped room before Evan had a chance to take a step back. She tossed clothes on the floor, grabbing the bags she had already purchased instead. She pulled out a sweater and said, “Put this on.”

  Evan wasted no time in throwing it over her head. Celia took out a jacket and tied it around Evan’s waist. She picked up one of the things she had thrown on the floor and began wrapping it around Evan’s head.

  “He thinks you’re in the other dressing room,” she said through staggered breaths. “I pretended to be getting
more clothes for you to try.”

  She finished covering Evan’s hair and moved to her own, tying it back with a thin veil of fabric. She grabbed a shirt out of Evan’s bag and pulled it over her own.

  “We don’t have much time before he figures out I’m not coming back.”

  “Do you think this will fool him?” Evan asked.

  Celia sighed. “I’m hoping it will give us enough time to get out of here.”

  Celia nodded towards the bags of clothes and Evan picked them up. Undoing the latch, Celia inched the door open and stuck her head out. After a few seconds she grabbed Evan’s hand, pushed open the door, and pulled her towards the exit.

  “Look straight ahead. Try not to look suspicious,” Celia said, though her own gait was stilted.

  Almost there, Evan chanted with each step. She heard a shrill scream behind her, followed by a man yelling, “Stop!”

  They ran.

  On the street, Evan bumped into a muscled man covered in tattoos. His deep baritone asked, “You alright, miss?”

  “Her ex is chasing us,” Celia said, the lie setting the man’s eyes on fire. She added, “He’ll be coming from the mall in a leather jacket.”

  Evan heard him crack his knuckles, but they pushed through the busy sidewalk, leaving him behind. There was a commotion behind them, not as far back as Evan liked. Celia forced her way through gaps in the crowd, but Andrus was close.

  A voice, crisp and sweet, danced through the air. It coated Evan’s ears in sugar, plucked at her heart, turned the wispy clouds pink and purple and full of love. She turned towards the song.

  The words were like no language she’d ever heard, lilting above every other sound. Evan felt herself struggling against Celia’s grip. She knew she had to escape her sister and follow the song, or nothing in life would ever bring her happiness.

  Celia reached up and slapped her. Evan placed her hand on her stinging cheek as her sister’s face came into focus. Celia’s mouth was moving; Evan focused on her lips, letting Celia’s words rinse away the honeyed song.

  “…be so stupid! You’re a Mer. Siren’s songs aren’t supposed to affect you like this.”