Page 14 of Voice of the Ocean

“Bastian, stop!”

Another bolt of lightning sang across the sky. Much closer than before. Light flashed across the ship. Celeste’s stomach rolled as she gazed upon the lifeless face of the man who had danced and laughed with his prince not hours ago, the one he’d called “quartermaster.” Others began to climb the railing as well. Their expressions all looked the same: soft and happy. But there was nothing alive behind their eyes.

Thunder rumbled as the mist parted, and the prince strode into view. His dark coat billowed behind him with each pounding step, looking like Death incarnate. But his face was not soft. It was tense. Angry. Afraid. The prince was awake. Untouched by the Song. He reached the railing, and with one hand, he hauled the nearest crewmate backward. He reached for the next, throwing this one, too, to the ground. Celeste couldn’t look away as he went through his crew one by one, working his way to the quartermaster.

This shouldn’t be happening. Celeste had never heard of a human who could resist the pull of the Song before.

Take my hand and let me guide you as you listen to our song.

The Song swelled, but the prince remained unaffected. General Xandra stiffened. Then, to Celeste’s surprise, she raised her arm, bending it into a right angle.The signal. Celeste’s throat tightened. The initiates were being called into the Song. Around her, voices rose, entwining. Bastian’s left foot slipped from the banister. With a shout, the prince made a break for the quartermaster. But beneath, Echo beckoned, achingly beautiful. And it was as if Celeste could see the siren’s voice rolling up from the water and wrapping around Bastian’s throat.

My sisters have been waiting, and in our arms you belong.

He dove.

“No!” cried the prince, his hands grasping at air as Bastian tipped over the ledge with a smile. The quartermaster fell headfirst, landing with a sickening splash. One by one, the other crew members climbed upon the railing, arms opening wide. Even the few the prince had pulled away were crawling back, white eyes unblinking. The sight of them made Celeste’s stomach sour. She looked to Maeve, searching for a similar look of horror upon her friend’s face, but instead she saw a warrior. Her gaze was cold as ice as her lips moved in sync with those around her.

We are doing what is necessary. It is for our protection, Celeste reminded herself as her eyes found the prince again. He was no longer trying to stop the tide of crew members, but instead stared down where Bastian had disappeared. Any resolve Celeste had crumbled when she caught the look on the prince’s face. The horror and sorrow as he searched for any sign of life from his friend.

Finally, Bastian’s body emerged from the ocean. His arms flailed not in distress but in desperation. As if he would die should he not reach his beloved Echo. The general beckoned to him again, long arms pale in the darkness. And he began to close the distance between them.

Bring me all your fears and sorrows. I will wash them all away.

Bastian moved like an animal, pure instinct. He paddled, arms smacking the water again and again. The gap between them lessened, until he was halfway between the boat and her arms.

Splash!Celeste looked toward the sound to find the prince breaking through the surface of the water. Her heart hammered. Why would the prince willingly dive into the ocean? He knew there were sirens in the water. Now he’d sacrificed his only advantage.Horror climbed up her throat, stealing the breath from her lungs as she watched him swim after his friend, each stroke clumsy to Celeste’s eyes.

This wasn’t the action of a monster.

Bastian frantically flapped through the water, and Celeste saw the turtle from that morning.

Does that make us the shark?She felt as though she might be sick.

Xandra dove forward, her powerful tail launching her at the prince. She could pull him under, Song or no.

The prince did not see her. His head was underwater as he swam forward. Toward Echo. Toward Celeste. The dark fabric of his jacket pulled at him, dragging him backward. Xandra gained. Above them, the storm approached, threatening rain.He will die. Celeste had known this, and yet facing it was quite another thing.And I will watch him as he dies trying to save another.

It was then that she noticed she was not singing. She had never started.

And I’ll hold you in my arms, my dear, as you perish and decay.

Without thinking, Celeste plunged. There was nothing in her head. No thoughts or questions or doubts. There was only instinct, moving her toward Bastian. Beneath, she could see how his legs flailed without rhythm. The sirens around her did not move. They were a trained system. They did not act without orders, and with the general taking care of the prince, the one human who avoided their Song, there was no need to change tactics.

Within seconds, Celeste had reached Bastian. He was now only a couple of lengths away from Echo. Celeste grabbed at his ankle, hoping to pull him away without being seen. But he was stronger than she expected. His foot kicked at her and collided with her wrist, knocking her arm away. She grunted and reached again and again, until her hand at last grasped his ankle. But his unreasonable thrashing made it hard to keep hold of him, and once more her hand slipped.

There was no way she could save him like this, and she was wasting time. Time the prince didn’t have. Pulling her spear from her back, she flipped the weapon around.Sorry about this, she thought as she jabbed the flat of the spear into his temple. At once, Bastian fell still. Returning her spear to her back, Celeste grabbed the human’s ankle and began to drag his limp body along the surface. She was careful to keep his nose and mouth above water, for the Chorus had taught them that humans—like seals—needed to be on the surface to breathe. How strange that now she used this information not to drown one but to save him. The sight could have been funny—Bastian floating away from the sirens as Celeste towed him from beneath the dark waves. But although Celeste was trying her best to hide, the charade was clearly in sight of Echo and the others.

A commotion rose, the water distorting most of the sound. Celeste ignored it, searching for any sign of the prince. And when she found him, several lengths away from her, General Xandra had reached him.

“Celeste!” Celeste spun to see Maeve floating in the darkness behind her, confusion apparent on her face. “What are you doing?”

Celeste stared at her friend. If she did this, there would be no turning back. She looked toward the prince, resolution wavering. Xandra grasped his leg and dragged him down. He was fighting, but he was staring ather.

He saw her.

There was fear in his eyes as they flicked between her and Bastian’s unconscious body floating above. The prince twisted, trying to break free, and she realized he did not have any weapons. He must have abandoned them on the ship before jumping. Bubbles escaped his lips as he fought to free himself from Xandra’s grip. But she was too strong. And they were descending deeper and deeper into endless nothingness.

With utter certainty, Celeste knew that if she let these humans die, this moment would haunt her for the rest of her life.

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