Page 69 of Voice of the Ocean

Valencia turned to her companions with a grin. “Looks like we’re going for a little walk.”

“Captain, forgive me, but what if she’s lying? Or trying to trick us?” asked the thin human, stepping out of the shadows to their leader’s side.

“She could be,” agreed Valencia. She closed the distance between herself and Celeste in one long-legged stride, taking the siren’s chin in her hand. Her grip was unnecessarily firm, fingernails biting into the skin. “But this is likely all she’ll give us.” She sighed. “And a warm hostage is better leverage than a cold one.”

Celeste jerked her chin, but the Pirate Queen’s grip remained strong, a coy smile playing upon her bloodred lips. “I would hate to waste a perfectly good Wayfinder. They’re sohardto come by these days.” Valencia tipped Celeste’s head up so that their eyes met.

Celeste kept her face neutral, but inside she burned with annoyance. She hated how much this woman knew of her, even if most of it was a lie. She hated the way she spoke of her as if Celeste wasn’t even there or was too stupid to understand. And she hated that this woman reminded her of how small and helpless she was. A fish struggling in a net.

With a grunt, Celeste kicked, her foot landing just between Valencia’s legs in the spot she knew to be sensitive to humans. But the Pirate Queen did not double over, crying out in pain. She jerked away, dropping Celeste’s chin with a surprised look on her face, before laughing.

“Do I look like a man to you?”

Did it only work on males?

Valencia turned to the human at her side. “Hex, get the rest of the crew.” Her bloodred lips pulled into a smile. “We’ve got a ship to catch.”

* * *

Leading Valencia and her crew to the ship might’ve been a bad idea. But Celeste did not have any good ones. She had considered leading them somewhere else; however, the town was a labyrinth to her. If she got lost, they’d know what she was doing and kill her on the spot. Plus, if she led them far away, the chances of her crew finding her would be lower, though it was likely most of the crew had returned to the ship by now.

What if they already left?The thought came unprompted, a poison rotting her from the inside out. Pirates weren’t known to be particularly loyal. But they couldn’t hope to get to the island in time for the eclipse without her.Right?She’d already proven herself as a navigator. And even if Raiden could navigate the ship there himself, a captain like him took his responsibility to his crew very seriously. He would not abandon a member of his crew if he could do something about it.

And something happened between them today. A feeling she wouldn’t dare to name.

The bite of cold metal pressed against Celeste’s back. A silent reminder. The group trekked through the city, an odd little parade that kept to side streets to avoid the large crowds. They weren’t going to give Celeste the opportunity to slip away into the festival, it seemed. Dirt and mud coated the streets, and a rancid stink filled the air, a noticeable departure from the cleaner streets Celeste and Raiden had trod mere hours earlier. They didn’t run into many people, but when they did, they didn’t appear friendly and turned a blind eye to the girl at gunpoint. It seemed even this prosperous and beautiful city had a darker side if you ended up on the wrong street. There were many dangers to sirens in the ocean, but the citizens of her own kingdom were never one of them.

Celeste led them on and found that despite the twisting streets she could use the darkening sky to lead her back to shore. The familiar sound of the waves called to her above the noise of the festival, pulling her home. Behind her, the Pirate Queen’s boots clipped on the sidewalk, her stride casual and swaggering. But the others in the party were tense, like strings pulled tight. Beside Valencia walked the thin, dark-haired human called Hex and the larger blond woman. The rest of the crew followed behind in silence.

As they neared the edge of town, Celeste’s hands grew slick with moisture, a sensation she hadn’t felt before. Was this a human thing? Where was the moisture even coming from?

Bang!

The sound cracked against the stone walls of the city. Celeste dropped to the ground. But the sound hadn’t come from the gun in Valencia’s hand. It had come from above.

Bang!

A shower of glittering red light exploded in the sky above. Sparks rained down. Far away, a crowd erupted with awe. Celeste steadied herself as another burst of light exploded above them, washing them all in its sparkling blue light. The explosions were beautiful, now that she gathered they weren’t a threat.

“Get up, girl,” Valencia said, pistol now pointed at Celeste’s heart. She looked over Celeste as if she were nothing more than a wounded creature. Pathetic.

The siren pushed herself to her feet, and the party was off again. Celeste wished she could be back with the crowd now, watching the lights in the sky. She wondered what she’d be doing if she hadn’t been captured. Would she be dancing with Raiden? Laughing with Kiyami? Drinking honeyed wine? Instead, she was leading a crew twice the size of her own toward her ship.Goddess help her.

But if the Goddess was listening, there was no answer.

A gleam of dark water beneath anchored ships appeared at the end of the street. And soon a stretch of beach and a cliff was all that separated them from theRed Revenge.Please let me be right. Let the crew be there and ready to fight. Each step felt like an eternity.

Bang!Bang!

Two new colors burst in the sky, gold and purple. Celeste watched the reflections of them dance across the shimmering waves. Her feet sunk into the sand with every step. They turned around the last bend into the cliffside. Celeste’s heart shuddered in her chest.

There was nothing there. An empty ocean ebbed and flowed against the beach before them. There wasn’t so much as a footprint to show that anyone had been there.

Celeste was certain this was the right place. The pirates hadabandoned her. She clenched her shaking hands into fists. Humans couldn’t be trusted. She knew that. So why did it feel as though the air had been knocked from her lungs? Why was she so surprised?

The cold barrel of the gun pressed into her temple. “I believe I made myself perfectly clear, love,” Valencia said. All the swagger had left her voice. Now she only sounded cold.

A clicking noise came from the back of the gun, priming the weapon to fire.

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