Water Games

by Juliann Whicker

  “Who is it? Anyone I know?”

  “The Examiner. That’s a title the king gives to the head of mercantile, trade, tech. It’s a good position for anyone corrupt who wants to spread even more corruption.”

  “The Examiner? I think I sat in his seat at the games. Didn’t Spyguy work for him?”

  “Spyguy worked for a lot of people.”

  “Sean, thanks for the song.”

  “It was terrible.”

  “That makes it more precious. You knew that I’d appreciate something imperfect more.”

  “Did I? I think I just got lucky. Very, very lucky. I love you, Gen. I have to go. I’m going to sleep for a little while. Do you mind if I call you when I wake up?”

  “No. You should call me.”

  He exhaled. “I should? Your dad said I should wait. Spyguy said I should wait. Even Dean said I should wait and what does he know?”

  “Wait for what?”

  “For you to come out of shock. Is that what it was? Shock?”

  “What what was?”

  “You not sleeping, not eating, not humming, not anything other than staring. Spyguy was pretty freaked out. He thought you might try to kill yourself or something. You wouldn’t talk to anyone, not even Flop or your dad. She’s been praying for you.”

  He made it sound so bad. “I wiped out an entire world, a beautiful world. I can’t do that again. I don’t know if I’ll ever see another ocean.”

  “That’s fine. It’s not too late to cancel the games.”

  I closed my eyes and pressed my fist to my forehead. “You’d have to go without me.”

  “I’ll be home in a few days. I’m not leaving without you again.” He hung up, leaving me staring at the phone.

  I probably would have burst into tears like the emotional wreck I was, but instead I hung up and went to make mac and cheese. I had things to do.

  I wasn’t okay, but somewhere during our conversation the music had come back. If I had music and Sean, I could cope with everything else.

  Chapter 16

  The next morning I got up and showered, the fastest shower in the history of the world, before I headed to the community college. I was standing in line behind these two girls who were debating which math teachers gave the best grades when I was struck with a baseline like thunder. I stiffened up and gasped, getting their attention.

  I blinked at them. “I thought I forgot my transcript, but it’s right here.” I waved it and gave them a vacuous smile. When I got to the front of the line, the registrar didn’t care about my reasons for not signing up for classes until so late. I’d already applied for financial aid and basic registration after the Maine thing. She pointed me towards a few classes that weren’t entirely full and sent me on my way.

  I left the building and headed down the sidewalk, dripping sweat beneath the hot sun. At the nearest bus stop, I stopped walking and stared at Reeve Fielding. For some strange reason, I doubted that he’d taken up public transportation.

  I stared at him and he gave me a warm smile before he stood, straightened his jacket and started walking beside me, like I’d invited him.

  “Good morning, Genevieve. You’re signing up for classes. I suggest you transfer to a different school with a better music program. You have a lot of talent in that direction. Madame Claria made certain to let me know what she would think of me if I allowed your talent to languish.”

  “How is my talent any of your business?”

  “Because you’re my daughter, naturally. That reminds me, we’ll need to work out your lines.”

  I stared at him as that word, ‘daughter’ echoed in my head. A line of violins joined the bass in a screaming warning. “Lines?” My voice was barely a whisper.

  “Morganagh’s are a matter of public record, but your father is a complete mystery. I think we should use the Hapstar line. They’re a semi-notorious Soremni family who dabbles in cross-breeding with Vashni on a regular basis. You see, as a Vashni you couldn’t possess the Soremni glands which Sean demonstrated so publicly unless your father wasn’t entirely Vashni.”

  “Oh. Okay.” I was going to die. Dead. The whole world had probably seen Sean turn me into a completely brainless zombie, taking me like that in public. Wow. I was going to kill him.

  Reeve Fielding opened his briefcase and took out a thick sheaf of paper. “I took the liberty of establishing your dad’s line. Please memorize it. Also your mother’s. There’s a copy of Sean’s lineage as well. You’ll be tested on his officially, but you’ll have to know yours front and back.”

  I sighed and gripped the papers in my hands tight enough I got a paper cut before I tucked them into my bag. “Mr. Fielding, don’t you think we should quit all of this? You were right about me, collaring me and sticking me in a cell. I wiped out your ancestral home. How can you smile at me? Don’t I make you sick?” My stomach twisted and my mouth went dry. Terramore.

  His smile faded and his eyes narrowed instead. “Terramore was Sean’s responsibility. You are as well. He’ll take care of it.”

  “You’re fine with that level of destruction?”

  He frowned, a weird expression on his face. “No. I had words with my son. Not a lot. He already feels responsible and will not make the same mistakes again. I trust him in that. And you, do you trust him?”

  I shrugged. “I trust him to do what he thinks is best, but I’m not sure I’m something even Sean can fix.”

  “It’s interesting. You live as a human, think you’re Vashni or Soremni, become whatever part you play until you forget what you truly are. Do you think that the best way to control something is to forget it’s there, or to watch it carefully, to train it? I’ve had some experience in training all sorts of creatures, my son among them. I would suggest that you allow your siren a stronger role in your life. I would suggest that you spend your weekends on Siren’s rock, the traditional Siren found land, bringing out the emotions, the madness, the power and then putting it away before going back to your other roles.”

  I stared at him. “You think I should embrace it?”

  “I think you should control it. Acknowledge it. You are a Siren.” He shrugged. “I’ve interviewed your grandmother. She was difficult to find. Traditionally they don’t allow Sirens like you to survive, those who have such a strong tie to water, such a dangerous power that will reveal their existence to the rest of the world, but those who are paying attention are quite aware of your existence. I say you play a part as a Siren, meet with monsters, maybe even the Master of Deepness, create order out of chaos.”

  “That sounds idiotic.”

  He smiled sharply. It was funny, me calling him an idiot. “Does it? My son cares passionately about monster rights. He always has. I think he was waiting his whole life to find a monster he could breed with. If you’d rather spend your time inland breeding, instead of going to Cierdeep, I suppose my son would consider it a viable alternative to the monster games.”

  I stopped breathing for a long time before I took a shuddering breath. “Wow. Thanks for the, um, advice.”

  He raised his hand and a dark car pulled up beside us. “Why don’t I take you to lunch? Ruby’s steaks?”

  Lunch? I was supposed to eat while Sean’s dad talked about me breeding with Sean? I shrugged. “Sure.” Something was seriously wrong with me. So many things.

  He opened the door for me and I got in. He went around and sat beside me, leaning against the cushy seat and rubbing his forehead. I had this feeling that he might be taking me somewhere secure where I’d never hurt anyone again, but I wasn’t sure if I cared.

  “I told you that I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, eyes still closed.

  “And you’re not the one who taught Sean how to lie so well?”

  “Sean doesn’t lie well, you’re just in love with him. You want to believe him.”

  “So, you’re the one who taught Sean how to lie badly?”

  He chuckled, low and golden. “I didn’t understand it at first, but th
e more I see of you, the more excellent I think the match. I married a Vashni. I’m not a Soremni snob who would never consider another race. As a human, you’re unimpressive, but as a Vashni, quite compelling, as a Soremni, utterly devastating. Your duet is played ad nauseum underwater. I’m gratified that you got my son to perform again. I thought I’d never hear that. Thank you.”

  I cleared my throat. There was nothing more uncomfortable than being thanked by your fake husband’s father who may or may not have scientists torture you. “It wasn’t my idea. That’s your Soremni marriage custom.”

  He laughed. His laugh reminded me of Sean, how he laughed when he was playing warm and golden Soremni male. “And you chose to perform those traditional customs. Not many go to the effort of milking a brogge or purifying their heart for their spouse. Sean would not have performed for anything he wants less than having you as his wife. He showed the world his devotion. You don’t understand. It’s impressive that he fights for you in the games, but this, letting the world hear his soul, is far more precious. Vashni emotions are richer than Soremni, buried deeper, but stronger and more motivating. That’s what drew me to Loren, her emotional vulnerability. There’s nothing more enticing than a strong woman who genuinely needs you.”

  “I didn’t know she had a name.”

  He laughed and shook his head. “I didn’t realize that what she needed me for was the total destruction of my people. As you may have noticed, I’m not the most loyal Soremni, but once I had Sean, I couldn’t turn my back on his heritage. I’ve been engineered to be duty-bound to my family. Your engineering is a little more complicated. I guess that you see Sean as the surest continuation of your race. He can protect you and give you strong offspring.”

  “That sounds so cold.”

  “To the human in you, perhaps it is.”

  He didn’t say anything else on the way to the restaurant, or much other than to recommend a particular cut of steak. I let him order. Maybe because he was a Soremni male and I still suffered from brain damage.

  “Have you ever seen a Soremni woman fight?”

  I looked up from my battered onion. “I fought Leslie. I didn’t see much of it, but I was there.”

  He shook his head. “I mean a woman, not a girl, not a child.”

  “Abott worked with me while I was there.”

  He shook his head again. “The most terrifying, dangerous, diabolical creature in the world is a Soremni mother. You should hear the ballads, the mother deeds. It is not exaggerated. My own mother was like that. I’m sure you will be the same.”

  I took a drink of my water, ice cubes clinking when I set down the glass. “Thanks. I’m not sure I’m having kids. Just to be clear. The idea of breeding when I can’t control myself, I mean that another person will rely on me to be stable and in-control, seriously freaks me out. I know that Sean is one hundred percent stable, but it’s not enough. Kids need both parents.”

  He studied me for a long time. “They don’t really. You’re an example of what an excellent parent can do with a mess of a child.”

  I wrinkled my nose at him, but yeah, I was a mess, and my kids would be too. I shrugged and dug in with renewed enthusiasm.

  After that charming dinner, which wasn’t nearly as bad as I’d expected, real human food, mmmm, anyway, I felt a tiny speck better about the Terramore disaster. If Sean’s dad who was predestined to hate me didn’t blame me for it, maybe it wasn’t so bad. It was ridiculous to blame Sean. Just because his shoulders were more massive than anyone else’s didn’t mean he should carry the world on them.

  I went out into the backyard and sat down in one of the chairs Cole had left out. He’d left his speakers too. I hit play and stretched out, listening to tunes and soaking up the sun.

  “Gen?”

  I looked up and there was Flop, twisting her hands and looking nervous. She’d come over the first day I was back, wanting to talk to me, but after a few minutes, my dad took her away.

  “Flop. Are you okay?”

  She made this sound like a hurt kitten and hurried to my chair, threw her arms around me, and started crying. I blinked at the pond while my own throat closed up. I’d already cried enough, but I couldn’t feel that emotion from her without joining in. I hugged her back and sobbed with her, my own voice quiet, because I didn’t want to kill her. I closed my eyes tight and clung to her.

  She pulled away, blinking tears out of her gray-blue eyes. “What are you going to do? Junie’s freaking out. You actually crushed an entire province? You must feel terrible. The water tower in the bay was one thing, but this? I know it’s not you, Gen, not the real you, but you have to take responsibility for it and…”

  I gripped her hands tightly. “I know. I shouldn’t ever go near an ocean again. I know that. I can’t keep destroying things.”

  She shook her head, a line between her brows. “No, you need to control this. I know that you’ve been working on control, and obviously your capacity is huge with the way the ocean responded to you, but you have to really, really accept what you are and stop running from it.”

  My mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. That’s what I was. No, a monster out of the closet. “Flop, I can’t control it.”

  Her nails dug into my skin as she leaned closer, eyes enormous. “Do you know what Sean is doing? Do you understand the enormity of it? I’m going to give you a Junie speech since she’s not here to give it. Hundreds of thousands of people are working for living wages for the first time, being housed, fed, treated like they’re viable beings because of what you and Sean are doing. I saw the video feed of the destruction, and I’m not going to lie, it was epic, but sometimes you have to destroy something so you can build it back, stronger, better, the right way.”

  “That’s Sean that builds, not me.”

  “You’re the Siren that makes it possible. The creatures from the Deepness wouldn’t trust Sean without you. For the first time, they’re doing their best to act like reasonable, intelligent, responsible creatures that deserve equal rights. Their reputation for evil is the greatest barrier they have to equality and representation.” She flopped into the chair next to me. “Being Junie is exhausting. How does she get through all this without taking a breath? What was I saying? Oh, they’re dangerous, but not evil. They deserve good lives just like you and I and everyone else. You should hear Junie go on about it, the fight for equality, you and Sean leading the way to a brighter future for the masses of repressed, it’s a beautiful thing.”

  I stared at her. Yeah, those Crustique and Murke were so vulnerable and repressed. They seemed created to destroy, like me. I really was a monster. In Terramore I’d forgotten I was anything other than Sean’s woman. It had been nice to feel like that, like I belonged, but I didn’t. Could I change the Soremni world without destroying it? I squeezed her hand and smiled. She had so much faith in me, in all the monsters. Flop could see the good in anyone.

  After we made plans to get smoothies later, she left to meet Fred. I stayed outside for twenty minutes until the baseline of the song came again, more complete and devastating than before. I grabbed the speakers so they wouldn’t get rained on and headed up to my room to begin the Terramore orchestration.

  Chapter 17

  I pulled off my headphones. I’d left them on for way too long. My ears would ache all night. I’d been consumed until that very last note. Sean was coming some time tomorrow. I turned around and froze when I saw the enormous gladiator who made my bed look like a child’s. His pale lashes rested on his tan cheeks. How could I have missed that? Seriously, I was going to get assassinated and not even notice. I was starving, but more than that, I needed Sean. Sleep. Mostly Sean.

  I climbed on top of him. He shifted until I was in the curve of his arms, my head on his shoulder. There was a new tattoo past my nose, a swirling wave that made me think of the water that drowned Terramore. When had I given him that? I couldn’t remember.

  I kissed it and then fell asleep. When I woke up, it was
probably midmorning, the next day. The most important thing was that his arms were still around me.

  “You need a bigger bed,” he said in a sleepy growl as he tightened his arms around me.

  I smiled against his skin and kissed it. “Definitely. When did you get here? Why didn’t you tell me? I’m not working on anything good.”

  “I saw your music. It looks intricate, complex and for lack of a better word, good.”

  “I can’t believe I didn’t notice you.”

  “I can. You’re obsessive. Also, I’m very quiet when I stomp into your room in my boots, throw myself on your bed and fall asleep before I convince myself to disturb you. You’re terrible for my ego. It’s a good thing. I missed you like this.” He meant when I wasn’t an idiot Soremni.

  I ran my fingers over his jaw. He was slick with mucous but didn’t feel like he had to run away and wash in case it grossed me out. We were gross together. Like Captain Hotness would ever be anything other than perfect.

  “Sean, do you think I’m hot?”

  “As in feverish?” He put a huge hand on my forehead, mostly covering up my eyes.

  I pushed it away. “Hot in a bikini.”

  He shifted so he could frown at me, his pale blue eyes intent as he studied me. “Very hot. Particularly in the sun.”

  I sighed and snuggled close to him. I kissed his neck and then tugged down the collar of his t-shirt to taste more skin.

  “What are you doing?”

  What was I doing? Probably had something to do with what his dad had said. I froze. “I’m just looking over my options. Your dad says that we could stay here and breed instead of going to Cierdeep?”

  He inhaled kind of roughly and gripped my shoulders so I couldn’t move. “You’ve been talking to my father about breeding? How mortifying. I feel mortified. I never feel like this. I am so sorry.”

  I laughed and leaned my elbows on his chest so I could stare down at him. “He made up for it when he took me to Ruby’s for one of those deep fried and battered onions.”