Page 67 of Voice of the Ocean

“You two better watch it, or I’ll leave you here,” the captain growled, looking first at Torben and then Celeste. But there was no real threat in his eyes. If anything, he looked amused. It was a sharp contrast to Bastian, who did not.

“Captain, with all due respect... I think that is a very bad idea,” he said.

“Bad ideas tend to work out in my favor,” Raiden countered.

Bastian heaved a sigh. He could only question Raiden in front of the others so much. They may be like brothers, but Raiden was still the captain. And he wouldn’t back down, not now that his mind was set. Still, it struck Celeste as odd that Raiden didn’t agree to leave immediately when he was the one who had been worried about missing the eclipse.

“So we hide the ship and station a few extra crew as guards?” Kiyami suggested.

Bastian and Nasir looked as though they agreed, but no one offered to guard the ship. The entire crew wanted this chance to celebrate. Celeste didn’t blame them. Port Velluno’s energy was infectious. But after Raiden offered a bigger cut to those who stayed behind, it was not hard to find some willing volunteers. Together, the crew boarded the ship and moved it to a more secluded place away from the docks. And thankfully, there was no sign of Valencia.

* * *

By the time the crew returned to town, the sun had begun to set. The sky looked as though a street painter brushed it with broad strokes of burning reds, glowing yellows, and soft purples. As the sun slid lower and lower into the water, the city began to change. In the streets, lanterns were lit. Hundreds of them. They glowed a soft, beautiful yellow. And each home was lit from within as well. It was as though the town was only now waking up, its bright eyes blinking into the night. There was something magical about it.

The crew agreed to meet at theRed Revengeat midnight, then broke into small groups. Celeste remained with the officers as they wove through the town toward the main square. As they neared, she heard music playing. The tune began with a single instrument, playing a melody that leaped and danced like the ocean. A tinny noise sounded, like metal coins clattering against each other to the beat. Kiyami looped an arm through Celeste’s. The weight of it was comforting. Even with all these strangers surrounding her, she felt safe with her crew. The air was thick with so many bodies pressed in around them, and although the sun had gone down, the heat of the day remained. Shouts and songs poured from every open door and window as humans lifted overflowing cups in celebration.

Kiyami pointed out a man selling colored glass, each delicate piece curved into intricate designs. They were interrupted by a woman calling after them, promising to tell their fortunes. Kiyami scoffed at this, dragging Celeste away before she could discern what tools the woman used. The next stall held exquisite dresses of colorful silks. Celeste reached out and let the delicate fabric slide through her fingers like water, wondering what it would feel like to wear something so vibrant. The siren hadn’t noticed Raiden had disappeared until she felt a tap on her shoulder.

When she turned, she found him holding a circlet of thick, braided ribbons of cerulean blue woven with flowers of purple. He smiled, the corner of his lip near that mole of his curling up. Inside her chest, her heart faltered. He drew close, lifting the little circlet and placing it gently atop her head.

“I thought it’d look nice with your hair,” he said, grazing against the silver strands as he pulled his hand away. The statement was so matter-of-fact, as though it had been but a passing thought. And yet she felt her cheeks flush, nearly glowing. It was a treasure unlike any she had collected. The delicate weight of the simple human crown made her feel more like herself than any Starian tiara.

“Where’smine?” Kiyami smirked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Raiden snorted and pulled a second circlet of scarlet flowers from behind his back. “I knew you’d say something like that.”

“Aw, Captain! You shouldn’t have!” she said as she snatched the crown and placed it on her dark hair. Then she turned. “Cel! They’re starting the dance.”

It took a moment for Celeste to realize Kiyami was speaking to her.Cel. Nicknames weren’t common for sirens, and Celeste had never had someone shorten her name before. If anything, sirens would lengthen it and use her full title.Cel. She liked it immediately.

“Let’s go watch.”

The two made their way to the outer circle, where people had gathered to watch the dance, Raiden following close behind. It was fascinating. The only time Celeste had seen a human dance was aboard theRed Revenge, when the pirates’ moves were bold and loud, with lots of stomping feet and clapping hands. But the festival dance was synchronized. Each human moving through the same steps at the same time. They looked like a school of fish, the many moving as one. As the music played, the humans clasped hands, drawing close together, then far apart. They spun and wove around each other, partners separating and reuniting. As Celeste watched, she began to see the variation. The little imperfections. Individualities. A step offbeat. A turn missed. Laughter.

Behind the dancers, the musicians played. Celeste rose up on her toes, straining to get a proper look at them. The music came from objects. One was curved with a long, narrow neck and a thick base with strings on top. The human playing it nodded to the rhythm, fingers flying over each string. One instrument sat beneath a player’s chin, played with a stick, while another was held in hand, a circlet of coins clinking together. The last instrument was perhaps the most curious of all. It stretched and squeezed between the player’s hands.

“You two look radiant!”

The voice was Torben’s, and Celeste turned to see the rest of the crew had joined them, carrying drinks. Kiyami and Torben fell into easy conversation, discussing various weapons they saw in town, while the others watched the dance. As Celeste drank her cup, she found her attention drawn to Nasir. His face went soft as he watched his husband, little crinkles at the corners of his eyes, as though Torben hung the stars in the heavens. It was the same look Celeste’s mother gave her father. The same look she saw in the faces of some of the dancing couples. And for a moment, Celeste let herself wonder if anyone would ever look at her that way. The thought came unbidden, unwanted into her mind. And she could not shake it. She had never considered it before. Somehow Celeste always imagined she’d remain alone. But now she wondered if that would be true. Surely, when she returned to Staria, they would not allow her to join the Chorus. What would become of her? Would she remain a royal figurehead? Or, like Sephone, would they marry her off to a foreign prince or princess?

“The next dance is starting!” Kiyami said, eyes shining as she grabbed Celeste. “Come on. If we’re bad, we’ll be bad together.” She pulled her onto the dance floor, squeezing between the other pairs. Neither of the girls knew what they were doing. They stared blatantly at the other couples, doing their best to mirror the movements. Step. Twirl. Step. Twirl. Celeste’s arm nearly smacked Kiyami in the face, and they giggled their way through the first refrain. Step forward, step back, spin around your partner, kick your right leg, then left, and clap your hands. The movement began to feel like sword practice, and yet there was a life to dancing that Celeste had never experienced. It was as though the music was a current, and her body had no choice but to be pulled along. The strings played in a tumbling trot, and by the third refrain, Celeste had memorized the dance.

It was as if she were in the water again, her body gliding and graceful. Celeste had been so focused on how wobbly her legs had been those first few days that she hadn’t really noticed how much that had changed until now. She could feel the eyes of the crowd watching her as she swept by them, weaving through the other dancers to find Kiyami again.

“I should have known you were a dancer,” Kiyami said as they linked arms. “You always have this unnerving elegance.”

Celeste laughed.

“My sister is a dancer,” Kiyami said, her gaze turning wistful. “I want to write to her before we leave tonight about how talented my friend is.”

Celeste’s ears snagged on the word as soon as it was uttered.Friend. How that word felt as sweet as a gift and as bitter as loss. Everything about Celeste was a lie. How could a friendship be built on such a rotting foundation? And even if Celeste did stay, the Chorus would begin looking for Raiden. Hunting him until this final loose end was eliminated. He would not be able to sail safely ever again. Nor would any crew with him.

“You might have to teach her a thing or two when you meet her,” Kiyami said as the music soared and ended in a triumphant final note. Cheers burst from the crowd. Celeste clapped her hands with them, turning her face away from Kiyami. And through the crowd, her eyes met Raiden’s. He stood beside Bastian, a cup of wine in his hand, and he was smiling. It wasn’t like the smiles he had given her before. Arrogant. Proud. Teasing. This smile was soft. Unassuming. As if it had happened without him noticing it. And she found herself smiling back.

Then he was moving toward her, parting the crowd before him with each long stride. The band strummed the first chords of the next song—something different, dreamy and slow. When Celeste turned, looking for her dance partner, she found Kiyami was no longer there. The girl was backing away with a knowing smile.

A hand looped its way around Celeste’s waist and pulled.

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