Page 39 of Voice of the Ocean

Kiyami brightened. “Thank you, Nasir! What is it?”

The cook smiled and reached into his pocket, pulling out a folded cloth.

“They might be crumbled,” he admitted, opening the top of the bag and revealing a pile of pale golden disks, smaller than Celeste’s palm, with what looked to her like a little brown seed pushed into the center.

“Cookies?” Kiyami said, pulling one from the pile. “Oh, I love almonds. Nasir, you are too kind. Thank you.” She took a bite of the edge and hummed happily, making the cook beam with pride. He offered them to Celeste, and she was suddenly hit with guilt for comparing him to the guard. She didn’t know them well, but her gut told her Kiyami and Nasir were nice enough, at least compared to other humans. Stomach grumbling, Celeste brought a cookie to her nose and sniffed. The smell reminded her a little of the bread she had before, but much sweeter and softer. She tasted it. It was better than the bread.

“It’s a popular treat where I’m from,” Nasir said.

Celeste’s eyes slid closed as she enjoyed the new sensation. The cookie was a little hard, so it crunched when she bit down. But as she chewed, it softened. She couldn’t name the flavors, but it tasted like a warm memory. Sweet, and soft, and comforting. She chewed slowly, savoring every bite. What she thought was a seed in the center was hard, with a thin skin around the outside. An almond, Kiyami called it. When Celeste finished, she opened her eyes again and smiled at Nasir in thanks.

“I’m glad you like it,” he said, his eyes crinkling in the corners.

Kiyami took another cookie as Bastian strode up the steps to join them.

Nasir offered them to him as well.

“I never could say no to a biscuit.” The quartermaster laughed, helping himself. As Nasir left to continue handing out his cookies, Bastian and Kiyami fell into easy conversation. Although it seemed they hadn’t known each other for long, it was clear they were already familiar. Perhaps seafaring was similar to her life in the palace that way. It was a small community, and if you lived there your whole life, eventually you began to know everyone. If only tangentially. The two attempted to include Celeste in the conversation as best they could, which meant sticking to simple yes-or-no questions.

“Do you have any family, Celeste?” Kiyami asked.

The warm sugar of the cookie turned in Celeste’s stomach. Of course she had a family, a family who risked everything to save her life. But if she were being honest, it hadn’t felt like a true family in a while. Shye was hardly interested in her on the best days, and she hadn’t heard anything from Sephone in nearly a cycle. Tears threatened to form in her eyes, and she blinked them back, trying desperately to stop the emotion clawing its way up her throat. She couldn’t cry, not in front of these humans. And why was she crying? She was a warrior! And she was fine a mere moment ago. Heroes in stories didn’t cry.

A gentle touch landed on her shoulder, as warm as a ray of sun. Celeste looked up to see Kiyami’s kind gaze.

“I’m sorry,” Kiyami said. “I’ve lost family too. My mother died when I was ten, and my father”—she took in a breath—“he hasn’t been the same since she passed. All the money I make I send back to them, to keep my father and siblings alive. I haven’t seen them in years. But with a job like this, I can finally go home. Take care of them properly. One last job, and I’m free.”

Celeste’s eyes widened. She wasn’t used to her family opening up to her, let alone humans she hardly knew. And although Kiyami didn’t cry, Celeste could feel her sadness, like a river carving its way through stone. Deep and enduring.

Most sirens didn’t show much emotion. In the lifetime that Celeste had known Maeve, she couldn’t say she’d seen her friend cry once. Not even when Maeve was stung by that jellyfish when they were seven. Celeste had always admired how strong Maeve was. When bad things came her way, Maeve would carry on without skipping a beat, while Celeste found herself crying whenever she was overwhelmed, or angry, or sad. Her family had teased her for it growing up. Told her to calm down. Be lesshuman. That no one would take her seriously if she cried. But no matter what they said, and no matter how hard she tried, she could never stop herself. For the thousandth time, Celeste wished she were normal. That she were strong and could control herself. Control her emotions. Even now, her feelings betrayed her and revealed too much.

“I lost my father too,” Bastian said. “Left my mother and me alone with my baby sister. Do you have any siblings, Celeste?”

Celeste nodded, feeling the tears fall despite her best efforts. The only person in her life who she had lost had been her grandmother. And she’d been so young then. She couldn’t imagine how she’d feel if she’d lost a parent, as Kiyami and Bastian had. Guilt washed over her. Here she was, making Bastian and Kiyami think she had lost her family, when in reality she had betrayed them. Her stomach squeezed. She felt sick. Suddenly, she wanted to run, to hide. But she was on a ship. There was nowhere to go save for herroom.

“Is everything okay?” Raiden strode up the steps, his eyes firmly on her. It was perhaps the one time Celeste recalled being happy to see him. Thankful for the distraction, she wiped the tears from her cheek.

“Sorry, Captain, just getting to know one another,” Bastian said hastily.

Raiden nodded, still not taking his eyes off Celeste. “Glad you all are getting along. You would be the first. The rest of the crew has been having”—he paused, considering—“issues.”

Bastian laughed. “Why don’t I check on them.” He made his way down the stairs, giving Celeste a soft smile as he went.

The rest of the day was spent in much the same way as the first half. All the while, Celeste could not shake her feelings. They rolled around inside her, thrashing like water in a storm. She was embarrassed for crying in front of Bastian and Kiyami; disgusted for daring to feel sorry for herself and the loss of her family, when she had been the traitor; and heartbroken for Kiyami’s and Bastian’s losses. Not to mention the loss of Raiden’s previous crew. How many of them had families who would never see them again? Celeste hated that she had saved the prince, but a part of her hated that she hadn’t saved more. Raiden may be selfish, but it was all too clear that not all humans were like that.

A large wave hit the side of the ship, sending Celeste stumbling over. She caught herself on the railing, relieved it was there to keep her from tumbling to the deck below.

“You okay?” Kiyami asked.

The siren nodded quickly, holding her hands up to show she was fine.

A crewman just below her said to another, “I heard the king was furious with Raiden after what happened the last time.” He chuckled to himself. “Did you ever work on one of his ships?”

The king. This was the sort of information she needed to bring back to her mother. She certainly hadn’t heard any of the other humans mentioning him like this before.

“I did,” the other grunted. “I have seen the king’s fury many times. It is not something one ordinarily walks away from.”

The first man turned as green as the churning water below.

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