* * * * *
It wasn’t until they were in the Camry and heading toward 95 that Abby spoke to Brian again. She’d spent the first ten minutes of the ride curled in a ball, her face pressed against the window as she stared out at the sea.
“There’s someone else,” she whispered, turning to him. “Someone else is missing too.” It was more of a statement than anything, but Brian knew she must be thinking of the yellow caution tape. It hadn’t been there after the first two girls went missing. No doubt she’d figured out what was up.
“It’s Gretchen Milligan,” said Brian flatly. Only once he’d said it, he wished he could take it back.
Brian had never seen anyone react like Abby did. A sharp wail rose from her throat, and the sound sliced, scalpel-like, through his skull.
“No,” screamed Brian, wanting to shove his hands over his ears, but he made himself lock his fingers around the wheel and pull over to the side of the road.
“Emergency lights.” The words came in his father’s voice, and he was relieved that someone had told him what to do.
But then she was sobbing, and he couldn’t think anymore. His head was pounding. Vomit lurched up his throat and onto the dash. He leaned his head against the steering wheel, barely noticing the stench, as he stared up into his cracked windshield.
She did that, he thought. She broke it with her voice. And still she was sobbing, her moans like a saw.
Stop it! He wanted to scream it at her. But all he could do was whimper the words: “You’re killing me.” He couldn’t move. It felt like his scull was being crushed in a vise. Like a grape under pressure, soon it would burst. And all he could do was dig his hands into his scalp and pray for the horrible feeling to fade.
An eternity passed, then the crying stopped. His head still ached, but at least the sound was gone. Too bad he could barely open his eyes. Then her cool hand skimmed the back of his neck. “Brian,” she sounded almost normal again. “Brian, are you okay?”
He wanted to run, leap out of the car. He knew he was crazy for helping her now. Crazy because she wasn’t human. And she was dangerous, that much was clear. With one hand, he moved to open the door, but she caught the other one and closed it in her own. When he glanced back at her, he knew he couldn’t go.
“Don’t leave,” she squeaked, her eyes flooding with tears. “Please don’t leave. I don’t know what to do.”
“What are you?” he moaned. “What the hell did you do?”
“I....” She frowned and looked away. He could actually feel her connecting with the ocean, could sense the water begging her home.
I’m going crazy, he thought, fear clogging his throat. I’m actually crazy. That’s what’s going on.
“I’m a siren,” said Abby. “That’s what I am.”
“A siren,” he whispered. He wanted to laugh, to scream like a madman, but he could barely move.
“That’s right,” said Abby, looking away. “You were right back at Emmett’s, about my killer song. I don’t think I’m one of the good guys anymore.”
Anger plowed through Brian. He couldn’t believe what she was saying to him.
“So when you went off about your powers, when you threatened me— that was all for real?”
“No. I didn’t know. I had no idea what I was back then.”
“What, you thought you were just a garden variety mermaid?” scoffed Brian. His head was throbbing, but this time it wasn’t from her moans.
“I guess so,” said Abby. She started to cry. “You know,” she sobbed, “I better just come out and tell you. At least some of it anyway.” She could barely speak, but she kept stumbling along. Brian tried his best to take everything in.
“The box,” said Abby. “The one you want to show your dad? Well, ever since I got it, I’ve been having these dreams where this other siren comes to me. I’m not sure, but I think she’s some sort of teacher. She’s the one who gave me the feather and the key. You know, the ones you saw when you and Jake woke me up. Anyway, she calls herself Eleanor. She says I’m the only one who can stop whoever killed those girls. I’m the only one who can stop it before it’s too late.”
“Too late?” said Brian. “It’s already too late. Three people are dead, and you haven’t stopped anyone yet.”
“I know what you’re thinking,” said Abby, “but I’m not involved. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Except for apparently freezing half the people at Logan, and almost killing me now. You know, you did do that!”
Anger was roaring through him now, a bitterness he’d never known he’d had. “You’re a sea witch. A sea witch that kills guys. The kind that makes men jump off boats, bewitches them with your song. All those myths, I never thought they were real. I mean, even when I found out what you were, I thought you were some sort of genetic mutation. I never really believed that you were bad.” His voice trailed off. But then he stared into her eyes and said what was bothering him the most.
“But I guess that’s just how it works. My feelings for you aren’t real, are they? It’s just your way of controlling me.”
“It’s not like that!” said Abby. Her words felt like a punch. Brian’s head began to throb again. He almost wished she wouldn’t talk.
“But it is,” he moaned. “That’s why you’re so beautiful.” All of a sudden, he didn’t know what to say. Because he didn’t want this; he didn’t want this for her. Or for you, he admitted, hating the truth, ashamed of the way he still felt about her.
“It’s after me,” said Abby, raw fear in her eyes. “I’m the one it really wants.”
“You mean the murderer?”
“Yeah, whatever it is, it’s after me. It’s hunting me down, searching the water, tracking my scent through each new kill. On the train ride back here, I sort of figured it out.”
Abby grew calmer as she spoke, and the silver glow in her skin returned, bleeding up from beneath the surface. Brian didn’t know whether to be scared or awed. He guessed he was a little of both.
“So how does this tracking work?” asked Brian, trying to ignore the feeling inside him, the tug of her power as she pulled him in.
“Each new victim brings it closer to who I am. The first girl was random, or at least I think she was. But she was dumped in the waters where I always swim. Coincidence? I’m not so sure. And the second was in my mom’s cooking class, so she was a step closer to me than the other one was. And now there’s Gretchen, my ex-best friend? He’s using them somehow, I just don’t know how. All I know,” continued Abby, “is that I have to stop him. I have to before he finds me or Jake.”
“You mean your brother Jake? What, is he a mer-guy or something?” A volt of jealously shot through Brian’s blood as he remembered watching them from inside her closet. The way Jake had hugged her, how she told him things. He’s her brother! thought Brian, his face going red. What the hell is wrong with you?
“No,” said Abby, blinking hard.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said it like that.” Brian felt bad, but he wasn’t sure why. Didn’t she deserve this? She’d almost gotten him killed. Still, he didn’t really want to hurt her. Hurting her felt too much like hurting himself. It’s her power, thought Brian. Don’t be such an ass. But he couldn’t stop himself from wanting to fix things. From doing all he could to keep her safe.
“Listen,” said Brian, and she turned toward him again. Her eyes were darker now, stormy as the sea. “I wasn’t trying to upset you or anything. All I know about mermaids is from mythology and stuff. I mean, I read the Odyssey. I know what they do.” Brian eyed the crack in the Camry’s windshield.
“Anyway,” said Brian, staring her straight in the face. He made himself ignore the heat rising in his chest, and kept his voice as neutral as he could. “It would be a pretty good plan if you stayed in control, or else there’s no way I’ll be able to take you to my dad.”
“Your dad,” said Abby, her voice came out flat. “I wasn’t sure if you were going to do
that anymore.”
“Well, I am,” said Brian. “I still want to help. Even if I’m not completely clear about who you are.”
Brian rubbed at his temples with the flats of his palms, and when he felt like his headache had receded, at least as much as it was ever going to, he opened the door and stepped out of the car. Slowly, he made his way to the trunk, gripping the car’s side as he moved so he wouldn’t collapse into the sand. Once there, he rooted around for something to clean up his puke, but all he came up with was an old can of 7-Up and a rag. “Good enough,” he whispered as he carried them back. He splashed the soda across the dashboard and wiped up his vomit as best he could. When he was done, he dumped the whole mess onto the shoulder, switched on the ignition and steered back onto the road. Don’t do this, warned a voice inside his head. She could be the killer. You really don’t know.
It’s not her, he thought. He had to believe that. After all, what choice did he have? He thought back to Luther and his classmates’ zombie like stares. No doubt about it, that guy was involved. Brian knew he had to do something, and this was pretty much all he had.
“Do me a favor,” said Brian, as he pushed down on the clutch and the Camry lurched into third, “tell me everything you know before we get there, okay? I don’t want any secrets. Not if you want my help.”
“Okay,” whispered Abby. “I won’t keep any from you.” But her eyes slipped past him, and he knew she was lying. Besides, how could he make a siren listen to him? She was a magical creature. What control did he have?
“Tell me what you know,” he repeated, while trying to pretend she was a normal girl. A normal girl and they were out for a ride. Right, he thought. Just keep your cool.
“Where should I start?” asked Abby, but he could feel the fear radiating off her skin.
“How about with what’s her name— Eleanor. Why don’t you start with her?”
“Well, she’s cryptic,” said Abby, swallowing hard. “Everything’s a riddle. It’s hard to figure out what she means.”
“If she’s even real,” said Brian. “I mean, she comes to you in your dreams.”
“She’s real,” said Abby. “I know she is.”
“But how do you know?”
“I just do, that’s all. She spoke to me when I was awake too.”
“What?” said Brian, pulling his eyes off the road. He couldn’t believe this. Was she crazy too?
“You think I’m insane, but I’m not. Every time she talks to me when I’m awake, the feather she gave me gets really hot. Abby dug the feather out of her pocket, and it gleamed in her hand like a wet glob of blood. “I really don’t know how she does it,” said Abby, “but she’s says she’s different from me—special somehow.”
“Special?” said Brian.
“Magical,” said Abby. “More so than a regular siren. She helped me in the airport, showed me how to escape.”
“By hurting all those people?” said Brian. “Because that’s what you did.”
“You don’t know that they’re hurt.”
“Yeah, I think I do.” The look on Abby’s face made his insides ache.
“Oh god,” she whispered.
He didn’t know what to say. “Abby,” said Brian. He didn’t want this. He didn’t want to hurt her; it was too painful to see. “Listen, I’m sorry. Let’s not do this, okay? Just try and get some rest. We’ll figure everything out once we talk to my dad and find out about the writing on your box.”
She looked at him then, her eyes grateful and warm, and for one powerful second he wanted to pull her to him, to taste her saltiness with his mouth. But he made himself turn back to the road. Don’t touch her, warned a voice in his head. Don’t you dare touch her. You don’t know what she’ll do.
Black Waters (Book 1 in the Songstress Trilogy) Page 16