Page 12 of Voice of the Ocean

Celeste squeezed her eyes shut. “I won’t?—”

“Forgive me,” the queen said, cutting off her daughter as she turned to the council members behind her. “I must speak with my daughter. I will rejoin you in the pearl room.”

They nodded, bowing low before excusing themselves. But Celeste did not miss how they whispered to each other as they went. And neither, apparently, did the queen.

“Celeste, you are not going on the mission, and that is final,” Halia said.

Tears blurred Celeste’s vision as they mixed with the water around her. “You don’t want me to try, because you’re afraid I’ll fail. That I’ll embarrass you.” She threw the wordembarrasslike a curse. As if it was the worst thing in the world.

“No,” her mother said. “I don’t want you to try because you might hurt someone else.”

The words hurt more than Celeste thought they would.

“I can control it now,” the princess pleaded. “I know I can. Please just trust me.”

“My answer is no, Celeste. I’m sorry.”

The words resounded with utter finality. Celeste should have known. Known her mother wouldn’t understand. Known to keep her mouth shut. It was clear to her that Halia would never have let her join the Chorus. Not really. Perhaps she’d never believed her daughter would get this far. If it hadn’t been this, it would have been something else.

Celeste sank to the stone floor beneath her, the spear on her back clattering as it hit. Four cycles... four cycles undone. She had only wished to talk. To tell someone—anyone—about her doubts instead of holding it all inside. Shame and anger rolled down her in waves, crashing over and over.

She had nothing now.

“Why don’t you calm down in your room,” her mother said, reaching for her daughter’s hand in sympathy.

Celeste flinched away and pushed herself off the floor. When she looked into her mother’s face, there was no surprise there. Only pity. It was as if she had been waiting for this moment to come. Celeste looked away, not wanting to see it any longer. Without another word, she swam down the hall toward her room. Her mother did not stop her or offer comfort. Instead, the queen watched as the space between them grew. Then Celeste turned the corner and left her mother alone in silence.

Sephone had always been the better daughter. She never asked questions or spoke out of turn. Sephone did as she was told. And Shye was like their father. Hardheaded, straightforward, and ambitious. But strong. So strong. Doing everything by the book.

Celeste was the foolish one. The curious one. Too silly. Too loud. Too emotional. Once, when she was six, she swung her arms around when she was telling a story at dinner and knocked her mother’s favorite crown from her head. It fell, and one delicate piece of coral snapped from it. Her mother hadn’t reprimanded her. She hadn’t needed to. The crown had been in the royal family for generations, and in one sweeping gesture, Celeste had ruined it.

She was tired of ruining things.

She was tired of everyone treating her as if she were some problem to solve.

Without the Chorus, she would be destined to rot away in the palace alone or be wed off to some foreign prince, like Sephone. Her life would never be her own. So when Celeste reached the end of the hall, she did not turn to swim up the circling tower to her rooms. Instead, she swam straight through the side exit and into the night.

CHAPTERSIX

The belly of the human ship cut through the dark waters, its lanterns casting a faint glow around the vessel. Beneath the surface, a small army of sirens in perfect formation awaited, dressed in battle armor with sharpened spears strapped to their backs. Celeste floated among them, her heart pounding in anticipation. She kept her mind focused on her mission, ignoring any thoughts of doubt that tried to slip in through the cracks.

“Initiates, stay with your assigned officer and do not engage with any humans,” General Xandra said. “Officers Zale, Wrasse, and Captain Io will use water to extinguish their lanterns. If they cannot see us, they cannot use their weapons effectively against us. Then we shall begin the Song. Our main target is the prince, but we shall leave no survivors.”

Celeste tried to ignore the churning in her stomach that started at the mention of the prince.It is not your job to question. It is your job to serve, Celeste reminded herself as the general finished explaining the details of the mission. They were to spread out along the starboard side, remaining close enough to help each other but far enough to keep out of each other’s way. Celeste had studied ships with the Chorus for the last several cycles.Port is proven left, and starboard is surely right, so long as you are facing the fight, she recited in her head the little song she had created to remember the difference between the two.

“Initiates, if I give this signal”—the general raised her arm so that it was bent at an angle and her hand was level with her head—“you are to join the Song and sing with us. Understood?” Her piercing purple eyes scanned the group, making eye contact with each initiate until she landed on Celeste.

“Yes, General,” they responded in unison.

“Good,” the general said with a smile. “May the Goddess look upon us with favor and guide our Song this night.”

It was time. Celeste twisted around to catch Maeve’s eye, but her friend was already turning away with her officer, falling into line.You can do this, she reminded herself, but inside she was nervous. Everything was happening so quickly. It felt as though she had blinked, and she was here. She should have felt excited. She should have felt proud. But instead she felt sick. Her mother’s words continued to ring in her ears.You’re too emotional. If you can’t control yourself, you could hurt someone. She had never disobeyed a direct order from the queen before. Everything about tonight felt wrong.

But this was her chance to make things right. To prove she was capable. Celeste let her body go through the motions, following behind General Echo as they ascended. When they were just below the ocean’s surface, the sirens stopped.

“Ray,” Xandra called. And like a school of fish, the sirens moved into formation. The senior members of the Chorus floated beside their initiates, watching their every move. Judging how well they took command. Celeste straightened beneath Echo’s gaze, keeping her eyes focused on Xandra. Waiting for their next command.

With a gesture from the general, Zale, Wrasse, and Io shot toward the surface, breaching so smoothly they didn’t make a sound. Celeste watched with awe. The first lantern flickered out. Then another. When the final light winked out, and the ship was plunged into darkness, General Xandra let loose a single note.

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