How strange; death was not nearly as final as most believed. Though she’d not seen her mother’s soul become one with the sea, she knew her mother was there, and the understanding gave her strength.
The police and emergency personnel moved with a graceful rhythm, each fulfilling the tasks required of them as if they lived only for one purpose. The police examined the crime scene, escorting Lora and Ryan to the far side of Devin’s property, asking them endless questions until Lora’s head felt thick with stress and exhaustion. Her father had arrived at some point during the interrogation, but she barely noticed him standing next to her, arguing with the detectives, convincing them to let Lora and Ryan go home. But the police were overly cautious, particularly since Lora had been the one to find Victoria’s dead body two months ago. Their questions verged, at times, on accusatory.
Had she seen the person who shot Devin? No.
Did Devin have any enemies? No.
Did her grandmother have a will? Probably.
Didn’t she find it strange that she was involved in two murders in the same month?
Despite the nature of the questions, however, Lora barely noticed their tone. She was caught up in her own despair, wishing she could speak to Devin one last time. There were so many questions she wanted to ask her grandmother, but she had put them off for another day. She answered the inquiries of the police in a haze of confusion, sipping on the water they brought her to drink. Her throat felt so dry.
Lora clung to Ryan, who stroked her head, kissed her temple when she began to tremble again, and wiped away the tears that continued to flow. The ambulance finally left to take Devin’s body to the hospital morgue; one by one, the police began to dissipate as well, until only the detective and a few other officers in uniform lingered in the cordoned area, staring at the ground still saturated in Devin’s blood. Lora’s father sat next to her, staring out to the ocean.
“Maybe I should try and contact the Clan,” he said. “I think we need to tell them.”
Lora sighed. “Don’t tell them. Not until we’ve stopped the Sons of Orpheus. It will only make them more upset and confused.” The ocean water turned gray as it crashed against the rocks, its music barely audible now. The sea, too, mourned. Her father opened his mouth as if to argue with her decision, but closed it again.
“You are Guardian now,” he said in a quiet voice. “The decision is yours.”
Every truth in Lora’s world crumbled with those words. Every rule her father or grandmother made, every reality she’d experienced, was broken. She was in charge. She would make all the Clan’s decisions.
Heaviness overcame her, settling in each limb. Her own father, who had taught her right from wrong, who had directed her every move as a child in order to keep her safe, now deferred to her. At the same time, the confidence in her abilities began to wane as the responsibilities she inherited weighed on her shoulders. Responsibility did not give her strength the way she had hoped it would.
“What do you think?” she asked her father. “Would you tell them?”
Smiling, her father shook his head. “No. I agree with you.”
Ryan, who had gone inside the house to use the bathroom, came out and sat down next to Lora, taking her hand in his.
“Can we leave now?” he asked, staring at the detective who knelt in the distance, next to where Devin’s body had fallen. “Does the detective have more questions?”
Lora shook her head. “I hope not.”
The detective continued to circle the crime scene while other police officers snapped pictures and bagged evidence. Every once in a while, he paused to look at Lora and Ryan, but even from far away, Lora could tell his glances were not menacing. Instead, his looks appeared curious, as if he suspected the three of them possessed some crucial information. We do, thought Lora, but nothing you could ever comprehend in your lifetime. She needed to keep their identities a secret. The Sons of Orpheus already had too much information about them. The Sons were one step ahead of them, stalking the Clan, following their patterns, even when they were meeting secretly.
The Sons must be following them. She had no other explanation, no other way they could know all of their moves and intentions. This type of clandestine movement frightened her more because of the care and planning which lay behind it. The Sons of Orpheus might be a bigger group than she first imagined.
From over the horizon, a storm approached. The black clouds began to take over the sky, covering it with darkness, bringing strong wind which whipped Lora’s hair around her face. The sea churned, singing a tune forewarning the Sirens of the dangerous weather, while the police and detectives scrambled to finish their investigation. The wind blew harder and pushed their clothing tight against their bodies. They sat in front of Devin’s cottage and Detective Russell hurried toward them, tripping over the rocks and the sand in his smooth-soled work shoes.
“You can go before the storm hits,” he said. “I’ll get in touch with you when we have further questions.” Lora glanced behind her at Devin’s house. It was empty except for Penelope, who stared forlornly out the window, searching for her master. Her pitiful whines made Lora wince with pain.
Ryan’s hand intertwined with hers, warming her spirit.
“You should get home,” Detective Russell said again. Nodding, Lora’s father entered the house for a moment, then emerged with a leashed Penelope. Together, they traveled down the wooden porch steps.
“Be careful,” the detective said, stopping Lora. “I worry you might be in a great deal of trouble.”
Frowning, Lora pulled away from him. “Are you insinuating I had anything to do with this?” she asked.
“On the contrary,” Detective Russell said, more to her father than to Lora. “I worry you are in danger.” Giving them a sad grimace, the detective loped toward his vehicle, leaving the three of them to hurry to their car to escape the impending storm.
Chapter Twenty
Lora did not go to school for a week. Instead, she stayed in the vicinity of her house, staying as close to Ryan as possible, as she drowned in her grief. There were times when her sorrow threatened to consume her, when she found it hard to breath from the hurt and loss. Ryan stayed with her, holding her while she cried. Her grandmother had been her second mother. She couldn’t imagine getting by without her. Her wisdom, her patience, her understanding. All of them Lora had relied on. Now, they were gone.
But with each passing moment, she could feel the power within her growing, making her more and more the Clan’s Guardian. She could hear the worries of her people as they settled into their hideouts, far from the sea, felt their sadness to be so far away from their Mother Ocean, even though she still couldn’t discern between the different voices. She had always thought Devin could hear each member of the Clan distinctly, but she had been wrong.
Even the sea talked to her, its ethereal voice whispering to her from down the road, summoning her by name. Loralei. Lora understood now why Devin had lived in the tiny cottage so close to the ocean. The sea yearned for her constant presence, and she had difficulty ignoring its call.
She did not see Will at all after her grandmother’s death. Like the others, she couldn’t make out his voice when she listened in on the Clan. Her clan. Will had not kept his anger about Ryan a secret and continued to avoid her. His distance hurt her deeply, and she wished he would come to see her, to make peace. Even more importantly, he didn’t have anyone to protect him, and Lora worried about his safety.
For days, she and Ryan talked, sharing their lives with one another. She told him of her childhood, which had been so happy until her mother died. She told him of her suspicions: she was convinced the Sons of Orpheus had killed her mother, while her father tried to protect her from the awful truth. She told him of her relationship with Will, and how he had been her best friend for these past four years, and of her
guilt over their drifting apart.
Ryan provided more details of his childhood. His family moved from Maine to the coast of California, always trying to remain anonymous so the Sons of Orpheus would not discover them. She learned he had attended five different elementary schools. As a child, he relied only on himself, for he never had a friend for more than a year before he moved again. He cried when he talked about his parents, and of the Clan they settled with in Half-Moon Bay. Lora stroked his head and kissed the tears that fell from his cheek as he released the painful memories.
One afternoon, while she and Ryan sat on the front porch listening to the sorrowful song of the ocean, he sat up straight. “I have something else to tell you,” he said. “I haven’t been entirely truthful with you.”
Lora, too, sat up, and took his hand in hers. “I’m sure, whatever it is, I can handle it.”
Taking a deep breath, Ryan turned to look into her eyes. “You remember how I told you I graduated from high school? How I just enrolled there to find you and to keep you safe?”
Confused, she said, “Yes. You told me you already graduated.”
He shook his head. “No, you don’t understand. I’m older than I said.”
Surprised, Lora laughed and kissed his hand. “Your big secret is your age?” She’d been expecting something much worse. “How much older?”
“I’m nineteen,” he said. “My birthday was five months ago, right before . . .” He trailed off, lost in the horrible memories of his parents’ deaths. “I hope you aren’t angry, since you are only seventeen.”
“Eighteen,” she said, cutting him off. “Next week. We’re only a year apart, so no worries. Plus,” she added, moving closer to kiss him, “I think it’s very sweet how you wanted to protect me even before you met me.”
Ryan hung his head, a sheepish gesture. “Actually, I’d heard about you before I came here. Our Guardian talked about you often. She told us stories about a child who would someday be more powerful than any other Guardian on Earth.” He turned to Lora, who studied him in confusion. “Didn’t Devin tell you? All the Guardians had knowledge of your power.”
“No,” she whispered. “I had no idea.”
A terrible idea rose deep within her breast and she shuddered. “I brought them here,” she said, staring at Ryan in horror. “I brought the Sons of Orpheus to Pacific Grove. They are here to kill me!” Trembling, she rose from her chair, crossed the porch to the stairs, and sat and buried her face in her hands. “This is all my fault.”
Ryan came immediately to her side. “No,” he said in a firm voice. “This is not your fault at all, and I don’t want to hear you blame yourself. You can’t help the power you possess. If anything, the Guardians should have kept you a secret rather than singing your praises to the other clans. They are the ones who weren’t careful.” He put his arms around her, and Lora put her head against his chest. “I won’t let them hurt you,” he said in a fierce whisper. “I promise to protect you, Lora.” Ryan pulled away and bent his head, pressing his warm lips against hers, sending surges of pleasure down her body. She leaned into him, gaining strength from his love.
“Promise me you’ll never leave me,” she said as she moved her lips against his neck, kissing the freckles.
“I promise,” Ryan said, his voice scratchy and deep. He pulled her closer to his body so she could feel his long, hard frame. Lora’s heart beat in quick bursts as her longing for him increased. Their kisses became more passionate until they were no longer aware of anything but their lust for one another. She even temporarily forgot the sea.
“I thought I would find you here!” A sudden, boyish exclamation interrupted their moment.
The unexpected voice startled Lora, and she jumped away from Ryan, turning to see where the voice came from. Nicholas waved at her from the sidewalk, pushing his glasses further up his nose so they wouldn’t slide off.
“You haven’t been in school all week!” With short legs, Nicholas scurried up the pathway to the porch steps. When he ventured close enough, his head dropped and he sniffed uncomfortably. “I’m sorry to hear about your grandmother.”
Lora had wondered if anyone in the school had news of what happened. All of her good friends were Sirens who had already withdrawn from the school and left Pacific Grove. Apparently, word had spread rather quickly. “Thanks,” she said, wondering how long she would have to continue this awkward conversation. “But I really don’t want to talk about it right now, Nicholas.”
His small shoulders shrank into his body. “Sorry,” he said. “I just wanted to come over to tell you to be very careful. You’re in a lot of danger.”
A small growl emerged from Ryan as he turned to face Nicholas. “Is that a threat?” he asked, stepping toward the small boy. Nicholas retreated with wide eyes.
“No!” he said, putting out his hands. “No, no. I just mean . . .” He gave a furtive glance around, as if to make sure no one eavesdropped on their conversation. “You have to watch out for the Sons of Orpheus.”
His words hit Lora with a punch. Ryan whipped his head around toward her, and his eyes said it all. How did this boy hear about the Sons of Orpheus? Lora’s mind raced. Nicholas had always been strange, and trouble followed him everywhere. Betsy didn’t like him, either. He’d even brought a knife to school. Though she had never really considered it before, she regarded him with suspicion. Maybe Nicholas wasn’t what he appeared to be. Lora might have been wrong about Nicholas being innocent. “How did you hear about the Sons of Orpheus?” she whispered, narrowing her eyes as she took a step forward. Lora stood tall and glared down at him, refusing to show her fear.
Ryan moved in front of her, as if to protect her. Nicholas panicked, his beady eyes darting back and forth between them. “Wait!” he said. “I’m not one of them, I promise! I just know about the whole Siren thing. I mean,” he swallowed, pushing his glasses again. “I know what you are.”
Lora felt nauseated. What Nicholas said was impossible. Her mind raced as she tried to imagine who could have betrayed them. The Sons of Orpheus had no reason to expose them, at least none that she could think of. Her knees trembled as the shock of this new information bore down on her: the danger was greater than she had anticipated. If Nicholas knew what they were, how long would it take for the rest of the world to find out? The foolish notions she’d had only months ago, before she’d met Ryan, before she’d lost her grandmother, before she became Guardian, were lost to her. She had no desire for the world to learn of their existence. She didn’t want to use her special abilities publically anymore. She’d been a child when she had those silly ideas; now, she had to protect her people, and the urge to shelter them grew stronger. Gathering her strength, Lora moved around Ryan toward Nicholas, hoping to intimidate him.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said, trying to make her voice hard. Nicholas’ small frame shrank under her glare. “And you need to leave.”
Nicholas shook his head. “Please,” he said in a nasal voice, which sounded even more pathetic than usual. “Please, I don’t want to hurt you; I want to help you. I can tell you all about the Sons of Orpheus, and how they want to kill you. I have some information about them I think will help.” Lora studied him critically. His face certainly appeared sincere. Based on his sharp, freckled nose scrunched beneath his glasses and the way he resembled a small, scrawny puppy, even Lora believed she could overpower him in a fight. She could only think of one solution to the problem.
Squeezing Ryan’s hand, Lora listened to the song of the ocean. The melody sounded gentle, a bit like a lullaby, and it flowed over the houses from the beach. One thing which amazed Lora since she’d become Guardian was how the music had colors. Today, the melody appeared a mild violet and pale yellow, floating in the wind. Softly, so as not to overpower the boy, she began to hum with the music.
Her effect o
n the boy worked instantly. Nicholas’ eyes glazed over, gaining a far-away gaze as he stared at her with longing. His body lurched forward, yearning to be closer to the Siren, as her song was apt to do to human males. Ryan snickered, and she hit his shoulder. “Don’t be mean,” she whispered. “The poor thing can’t help it.” Still laughing, Ryan shrugged.
“I can’t help it either. Watching him fawn over you is really amusing.”
Because she had stopped singing, Nicholas lost the possessed desperation in his eyes. He shook his head, glancing around with a confused expression.
“Did you say something?” he asked, scratching his messy head of hair.
Smiling, Lora shrugged. “No,” she said. “But I am willing to listen to what you have to say.”
Nicholas appeared elated and hurried down the steps toward her car. “Great!” he said. “Let’s go.”
“Where are we going, exactly?” she asked.
“My house,” Nicholas called from behind his shoulder. “I have all my information there.”
Lora hesitated to go with Nicholas. She still wasn’t entirely sure she trusted him, but Ryan, sensing her anxiety, put his arm around her waist.
“I’ll drive,” Ryan said.
Nicholas directed them away from the water, up the winding hills, farther from the ocean than she preferred. Its song lingered, distant now, the thick layer of clouds muffling the sound. As Nicholas gave directions, Ryan turned onto a dirt road barely visible from the main road. A jumble of brush, vines, and evergreens created a canopy above them as the car turned onto the hidden lane, the brambles scratching the side doors.
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