Voices of the Sea

by Bethany Masone Harar

  Will held out a breakfast bar. Lora knew it was a peace offering. “Hungry?”

  “Nah,” she said, waving it away. “My Dad forced an English muffin down my throat this morning. Thanks, though.”

  “He’s worried.”

  “My Dad?”

  “Yeah. He only makes you eat when he’s upset about something.”

  Lora laughed. “Very true.” His intuitiveness struck her. Sometimes, Will understood more about her father than she did. “He has a lot to be worried about.”

  “We all do,” Will said with a sigh. “Everyone is scared shitless about the murder. Even my Aunt, and she’s usually level-headed. Did Devin have any new information?”

  Lora shook her head. “No. We talked about . . . other things.”

  Will raised his eyebrows. “Like what?”

  “Personal things. Guardian things.” She hesitated to share her experience with him, although she didn’t know why. “The ocean finally listened to me today.”

  Will’s eyes widened in surprise.

  “Wow. What did you do? What did it do?”

  She told him of the high wave and how the water had obeyed her, and of the ocean’s voice as it talked to her.

  “It speaks?” he whispered, staring out the window. “All this time I thought it only sang.”

  “Devin said it only speaks to Guardians when their powers get stronger,” she answered. “But the voice sounded so pure and melodic, I never wanted it to stop. I could feel it in my blood, Will, as if it had entered my soul.”

  “You’ll be a good Guardian,” he said, though his voice sounded emotionless, monotone. He appeared distracted by something else. Will glanced down at his pocket as his phone rang. Frowning, he glanced at the caller. “It’s your dad.”

  “My dad? Why is he calling you?” Lora asked, grabbing for her phone to see if she’d missed a call, but there were no messages. Will answered the phone. She heard him say hello, but became immediately lost in the worry etched across his face. Will said little, only giving small, nondescript replies, but the fright he exuded crippled her emotionally. All the confidence she had acquired from her time with Devin this morning abandoned her, leaving her a vulnerable child in an unsure world.

  “What happened?” she asked when he put the phone down, her voice dry with fear.

  “The police just found the Haynesworth family dead.”

  Gasping, Lora clutched her throat. “All of them? Even the children?”

  Will nodded.

  She felt dizzy. Sick. “In the same way?” she asked, not really wanting the answer, but needing the truth at the same time. Lora remembered Devin’s strange reaction this morning, her face lined with pain. Devin had felt their death the moment it happened but had said nothing. Why?

  “No. Their throats were cut, but based on the police report, their vocal chords were still in place.”

  Lora swallowed the lump in her throat. “Christ, Will. What kind of sick son of a bitch would do something like this?” Her body trembled as she remembered little Molly and Benjamin, who only the day before had touched the ocean wall with such trust. Devin promised the ocean would protect them, but had also said their fates were already written. Had she known more of them would die? Fighting back tears, Lora frowned at the window. What was happening to her clan? To her world?

  Will sighed. “I haven’t told you everything.” He looked at the ground. “Violet Barbas is missing, too.”

  Violet’s parents both died some time ago, and she had been living with her grandparents ever since. Lora always considered her a quiet, mousy girl, innocent to the harshness of the world, but somehow also safe from it. “Someone from the Sons, for sure,” Will said. “No one else realizes who we are, or what we can do. And if they did, they certainly wouldn’t hate us for it. It’s no coincidence.”

  Lora’s stomach turned again, and she fought back nausea. Hearing the Sons of Orpheus had returned to reap their vengeance disturbed her deeply, but now they’d killed an entire family; Benjamin Haynesworth was only nine.

  Lora fought to control furious shaking. Four members of her clan, her clan, were dead, and yet her father and grandmother didn’t have the courage to tell her themselves. She found it particularly insulting because some day, she would lead the Clan as Guardian, and if her father and Devin’s actions were any indication, they had little confidence in her abilities.

  She set her anger against them aside as Molly Haynesworth’s face flashed before her, stealing the air from her throat. The reality of their situation bore down on her and Lora took a deep breath to calm herself, allowing the music of the sea to fill her heart. It sang a sad tribute to the dead.

  She was in danger. The Sons threatened everyone she loved, and their looming doom terrified her.

  The car slowed at a red light. As if sensing her upset, Will turned to study her with large gray eyes. His hand reached out and tucked her chestnut hair behind her shoulder, then rested on the nape of her neck.

  “My aunt and your dad made me promise to keep an eye on you, and I’m pretty sure Devin would insist on it. I think we should stick together until the Clan can stop the Sons of Orpheus. If something happened to you before . . .” he paused and glanced out the window without finishing his sentence.

  An unusual amount of emotion touched his voice. Lora searched his face, wondering what thoughts clouded his mind, what apprehension lingered there. He still cared about her, which helped her body and mind relax. She’d not ruined their friendship. For a brief moment, Lora felt better.

  “I promised my Dad the same thing,” she said.

  She realized Will’s hand still lingered on her neck. She felt his finger brush it lightly. He’d never touched her intimately before and, for reasons she couldn’t explain, it made her uncomfortable.

  As if sensing her unease, Will jerked his hand away. “We should go or we’ll be late to class.”His touch confused her, made her mind swim with conflicting emotions, and Lora struggled to pull herself together.

  The light turned green and Will drove the short distance to their school. He hurried to exit the car. He was so confusing! One minute he was stroking her neck, and the next he was running away from her. With a sigh, Lora picked up her bag and rushed to catch him as he strode across the parking lot, dreading another day of monotony at school when there were demons waiting for her on the outside.

  Chapter Nine

  Lora mourned for the Haynesworth family and worried about poor, quiet Violet all day. She dreamed about them that night, picturing the beautiful children as they played in the water, imagining the young woman scared and alone. The Haynesworths were one with the ocean now; they were nothing more than spirits floating with the salty sea for the rest of eternity. As for Violet, well, she most likely had met a similar fate.

  The next morning, Will kept quiet, but Lora had no desire for conversation either, happy to remain in silence. They crossed the parking lot together, not touching, not talking. “Will you have lunch with us?” she said, hoping to regain some sense of normalcy. “I might need your protective services in case Nicholas Wilson decides to follow me around.” Lora attempted a smile, seeking solace from her sorrow.

  He sighed, but grinned as well. “Do I have to watch Eric and Fiona make out?”

  “Well,” she said, pushing the sadness from her mind. “We could throw French fries at them if they try.”

  Will’s expression brightened. “Okay. I forgot to bring my lunch, anyway.”

  They walked through the archway and into the throng of students bustling from the lockers to their classrooms.

  “See you at lunch, then?” she said over her shoulder as they parted. She glanced back to find him studying her, an odd expression on his face. At first, it appeared as though he wanted to ask her a question, but then he nodded and turned away
, making his way down the hall at a quick pace.

  Lora stepped forward, still staring over her shoulder at Will, and felt her body hit something hard. She gasped.

  “Oh! I’m so sorry, I . . .” Lora trailed off. She’d collided with a boy she didn’t recognize. He stood directly in front of her, rubbing his chest where her head had hit him. Towering would be a better word, for he surpassed six feet and had broad shoulders and a strong, masculine face. Next to her five and a half foot frame, he looked massive. Her eyes moved up his body and stopped at his face, taking in his dark, black eyebrows, messy golden brown hair, and a small scar above his left eye.

  Lora’s palms felt clammy. The boy resonated familiarity, but he also made her legs quiver; whether it was his dark features, his incredibly lean, muscled body, or the strange, wise expression on his face, she couldn’t tell. “Sorry,” she said, staring down at her feet in embarrassment. “I wasn’t paying attention . . . I mean, I shouldn’t have . . .” Stammering, she took a step back, worried she stood too close, before finally gaining the courage to glance up again. To her shock, he wore an amused expression.

  “No problem,” he said with a chuckle. The young man bent down and picked up her backpack, which had fallen during their collision. Lora didn’t speak. Couldn’t speak. His dark eyes held her captive. He handed the backpack to her before offering his hand. “I’m Ryan Brenner.”

  Tentatively, she reached out. His hand felt cold, contrasting with her clammy palm, and he held it tightly. Not shaking. Not moving. It made her heart beat faster. Lora never realized hand holding could be so incredibly enticing.

  “Loralei,” she said, pulling her hand away. She took a deep breath to calm her rapid heartbeat. “But everyone calls me Lora. Sorry I almost knocked you down.”

  “You didn’t.”

  “Right,” she said with a nervous chuckle, “because you’re way bigger than me. I mean, not fat, just really tall.” What’s wrong with me? She had to stop the babbling. Lora’s mind screamed at her to be quiet, and she half expected him to give her a dirty look and storm away. Instead, he flashed another charming grin.

  “Thanks,” he said, his voice as dark as his eyes. “Actually, I’m glad I ran into you.”

  “You are?” she said, squirming as his eyes studied her without restraint, wandering over her face, down her body and back up again.

  “I’m new,” he said, finally locking eyes with hers. “You aren’t headed to P.E., by any chance, are you? I’m a little lost.”

  P.E. Damn. “No,” she replied. Lora frowned, unable to mask her disappointment. He might be a stranger, but his alluring body was dangerously attractive. “I’m going to Chorus.” The ocean finally broke through the mental barrier she had planted within her and called to her, beckoning Lora to the sea. She tried to push the voices out of her head and concentrate on the boy in front of her.

  “You sing?”

  “Yup,” she answered. “Pretty much what we do in Chorus.” She loved music, and it would forever remain a driving point in her life, but this boy would never be acquainted with her secret. Lora’s heart sank. Ryan was human, making it impossible for her to take this conversation further. He never looked away, gazing at her still with his dark, intense eyes, and she took a step backwards away from him in a vain attempt to stop her heart from pounding.

  Ryan moved toward her. So much for calming her pounding heart. “Any chance you can point me in the right direction?” His voice had the slightest twinge of an accent she couldn’t place. From the East coast, perhaps?

  “Sure,” Lora said, unable to hide a shy smile under his intense gaze. “Just go to the end of this hallway and turn left. You’ll run straight into it.” He certainly rivaled Will’s handsome features. Lora’s body felt warm. He created a new feeling deep within her, foreign and unfamiliar.

  “Thanks. Maybe I’ll see you around?” he asked, turning his head to the side as he studied her.

  “Yeah, maybe. Sorry I rammed into you.”

  “Don’t be,” he answered. “I’m not. See you around, Loralei.”

  The way he said her name, the way it rolled off his tongue, was soft and sensual. “Bye,” she said, not eager to leave him, or his engaging grin. Lora wanted more time to take him in, to study his face, to figure out why he made her squirm. Her body felt like it belonged to someone else.

  Turning, Lora tried to push Ryan out of her mind while she hurried to class. She plopped down on the plastic choir chair, reminding herself to breath, because her heart beat even faster. As Lora closed her eyes and tried to control her breathing, she felt someone lean toward her.

  “Who is the guy you were talking to in the hallway?” a voiced whispered from behind her. Lora turned to see Laurie Fisher, a short girl with red curly hair. Laurie didn’t usually go out of her way to talk to Lora, but apparently Ryan Brenner could make an exception in her book. She couldn’t blame Laurie, of course. Ryan had made quite an impression on her, as well. If Laurie could see through her, Lora’s irregular breathing and pounding heart would give her away immediately.

  “I’m not sure,” Lora whispered back, not sure if she wanted to share any information about Ryan. “I almost knocked him down on my way to class.”

  Laurie leaned forward, her curled bob of hair bouncing off her shoulders. “Tell me.”

  I’ll bet you want hear all about it, Lora mused. New blood in the school, especially hot boy blood, didn’t come around too often. Lora rolled her eyes, but made sure Laurie didn’t see her reaction. “He was nice about it, actually. His name is Ryan, and he’s new to the school.”

  “And really cute.”

  Lora gave a quick nod as the tardy bell rang and turned around to pay attention to her chorus teacher, who called them to the front to begin warm-up. She glanced at Will’s car from the Chorus room window. She had no intention of telling Laurie, Will, or anyone else how Ryan had stirred her blood.

  New students didn’t usually enroll so late in the school year, and most of them weren’t as wildly attractive as Ryan. Still, she couldn’t shake an odd feeling about him, as if something deeper lingered within. Probably his dark eyes—they pulled her as if she were an unsuspecting prey. If she were human, she might have invited him to sit with her at lunch, but the Clan rules were clear: she was not allowed to get close to anyone who didn’t have Siren blood. It was the only way to protect the Clan. If humans found out what they were, they might be taken from their homes and studied. Or even worse, killed. She had never cared much about humans before, but now, this conclusion made her sad.

  Lora waited until the chorus teacher shut the door before she began singing. Of course, the group consisted of all women, so her singing did not affect them, but she wondered what might happen if she sang for Ryan.

  When the bell rang at the end of the day, Lora scooped up her backpack and dodged students on her way to Will’s car.

  Ryan waited outside the school, and Lora tried to hide her surprise and delight at seeing him. She braced herself to act aloof and stroll by, but he waved to her and jogged over.

  “Hey,” she said, unable to stop the happiness forming on her lips.

  “Hi,” he said, smiling back, with sultry dark eyes. “I wondered if you wanted to go get coffee with me. Show me around town since I’m the new guy?”

  His proposal, paired with a charming wink, disarmed her. Lora tried to tear away from his wide, sensual mouth. She and Will had plans to leave together, but coffee with Ryan sounded tantalizing.

  “I’d love to,” she said, hesitating, worried one of her friends might be watching. “But I’m not sure if I can today.” Or if I want to, she reflected, as the uneasy feeling he created within her returned. She was deluding herself, of course. She did want to go.

  “Ready, Lora?” Will stood next to her, as if appearing from nowhere. Arms crossed, he a
ssessed Ryan with narrowed gray eyes. “Who’s this?”

  Ryan’s smiling face changed to a frown, but brightened again and he offered Will his hand. “I’m Ryan Brenner. I just moved into the area.”

  “Will Newton.” They gave a polite handshake, never taking their eyes off one another, like two predators assessing their competition. Will turned to Lora. “Are you ready to go?”

  “I’ll see you later, okay?” she said to Ryan, who nodded, but his expression turned to a frown as she spoke. Ryan didn’t take his eyes off her while Will led her away, and she reluctantly followed.

  “See you tomorrow,” Ryan said. Lora looked back at him, and he was still staring at them as they turned toward the parking lot. Despite the distance, Lora could see his unhappy expression. Will put his hand around her shoulder. A possessive move, she thought, and smiled a bit at the idea. She couldn’t recall a time when two men were ever interested in being with her at the same time. Will only acted protective given the recent danger, more than likely. In the distance, the ocean played an intricate melody.

  “I don’t like him,” Will said as they slid into the car. “He’s too smug.”

  Lora wrinkled her nose, suppressing a pout. “You guessed his whole personality from meeting him once?”

  He nodded. “I got a bad vibe. Didn’t you?”

  Lora shrugged, not ready to share her feelings about Ryan. She couldn’t tell him how Ryan’s eyes made her quiver, though whether from desire or unease, she couldn’t tell. Her feelings might fuel Will’s dislike of Ryan unjustly. “He’s just trying to make friends because he’s new.”

  Will snorted. “Something tells me he won’t have much trouble meeting people.”

  “It’s not his fault he’s,” she paused, trying to be careful, “attractive,” Lora finished. She possessed a strange need to protect him all of a sudden. Plus, she didn’t want Will to dislike Ryan. If Will didn’t like him, he’d probably make it hard for her to be alone with him, and she could not deny her feelings. She wanted to be alone with Ryan. The feeling was hard to pin down, but his body, his smell, the way his eyes watched her as she left, something made her believe he was unique. And Lora’s fluttering stomach told her she wanted to discover more about him.