Page 29 of Sound
“You can play the violin.” Pointing out the obvious, I blink at him because I’m still stunned at what I just heard.
“A little.” Glancing away as if ashamed, he clears his throat before focusing on me again. “You feel better now, no?” When I just nod mutely, his lashes lower halfway to hide the emotions swirling in his blue eyes. “I had a feeling music will soothe you like nothing else. It’s in your blood. It’s what you are …”
“Thank you.” There is a lot I want to say, but with Lucien still staring down at us like he is, all I can do is fidget on the large couch, the hard cushion making my butt go numb. “And I’m sorry for going a little nuts there for a moment. We have more important things to worry about than me losing my mind right now.” Étienne frowns disapprovingly at this, but I can finally think clearly again, and my friends being left in Seraphina’s clutches is all I can think about.
“You need to rest, Melody.” Étienne places the violin on the floor, all tenderness gone from the tone of his voice. “I promised I’d save your friends, and I will, but you are not going anywhere near that place again.”
“And who’s going to stop me?” Anger like a tidal wave rushes through me when his eyebrows dip low over his eyes, his frown bunching his forehead. “I’m coming with you when you go to get them.”
“Absolutely not.” Étienne’s hand slices the air in front of him with finality.
“You are not my mother.” Hissing at him, I jump to my feet. “I don’t need your help; I’ll just call the police. They’ll get Vi and Harmony out of there.” I’m well aware that none of my words are true, but my stubbornness doesn’t allow me to back down. With everything I know now, the police will probably lock me up the minute I open my mouth and start talking about witches and magic.
“Humans will not even find the cursed place, female. And you are not going anywhere near that magic user again.” Uncurling to his full height, he stands up too. I forgot how tall he is until I crane my neck to keep eye contact and a king forms almost immediately. “Are you trying to make this more difficult than it needs to be?”
“How dare you!” Unable to stop myself, I scream at him. Warmth spreads through my arms and legs, and I take a step toward him despite my brain screaming at me to stop. A force inside me awakens, and rage at the fact that he dares to command me as if he is superior takes over. “I will do as I want, and you can’t tell me otherwise.”
“Melody.” My name is a warning and a plea, and when he glances at me, confusion clouds his perfect features.
“This I will enjoy watching.” Lucien chuckles, plopping on the chair he was sitting on earlier, all guarding and protecting his brother from me forgotten. “Carry on, don’t mind me.”
“None of you are going anywhere if what I found is correct.” A third guy walks in looking exactly like Étienne and Lucien, apart from the scar on his face.
Blinking rapidly, I look from one to the other, and then to the third. My brain has finally had enough exercise with all the impossible things going on. The eyes roll to the back of my head and I drop on the stupid couch.
23
Étienne
“The two of you need to stop acting like uncivilized peasants.” My voice snaps like a whip between the three of us as I arrange Melody’s limbs so she is more comfortable on the lounge.
“I didn’t mean to scare the female.” Moël shrugs nonchalantly, his hand raising to the scar on his face before he catches himself dropping it to his side. Guilt gnaws at me, but I push it away somehow. He should know better. “So, this is her?” Inching closer, he curiously peers at my mate over my shoulder.
“This is Melody, yes.” Brushing the strands of curled hair from her face, my fingers linger there longer than necessary. The feel of her skin is like silk under my touch, and I can’t stop myself from brushing it with my hand. “My mate.”
No matter how many times I say it, it still sounds incredible and surreal to my ears. A mate. What are the odds? My youngest brother’s hum brings me back from the warmth I am drowning in from that thought.
“About that, brother … and take what I’m saying with a grain of salt.” Blowing out a heavy sigh, Moël moves around the low table to take the second armchair. He leans forward and steeples his fingers with forearms resting on his knees, a somber look in his eyes that’s so unlike his usual carefree attitude. “I went researching the Muses and everything else I can find about them. What I found”—His pause does not sit well with me, and I feel myself stiffening at the reluctance I see in him—“is not necessarily a bad thing, but there is a catch to it. As there always is when one decides to play with gods and their descendants.”
“What does that mean?” Lucien growls, my own frustration spiking at the harshly spoken words. “Can you just say it without all the dramatic pauses and the rest of the bullshit. We are not at court, so you have no one to impress, brother.”
“I wasn’t doing dramatic …” Huffing in annoyance, he looks at me and ignores the glare Lucien gives him. “The problem is, I don’t know how true what I found is. According to one of the old texts that you must’ve dragged with us from Paris, a pact was made between a magic user and the Muses. They offered their descendants as a weapon against us.” His gaze swings to Melody and his jaw flexes for a long moment.
Lucien snarls and lifts off his chair, but my raised hand stops him halfway up. Our eyes lock in a silent battle of wills, and as unheard of as it may seem, I make sure he sees clearly that I will kill him if he tries to harm my mate. My mind accepts the possibility of what Moël is saying. When I saw her so mellow and so unlike herself while she was under the influence of the drugs the witch gave her, the same thought had occurred to me. But something deeper nags at my heart telling me it can’t be true. I cannot envision Melody harming anyone. Not purposely. The female wanted to trade her life to protect the damn cat for fate’s sake.
“What else did you find, Moël?” Keeping my gaze on Lucien, I don’t even dare blink because my power is scratching under my skin to be unleashed. Brother or not, if he moves one finger, all Hell will break loose.
“It also said that the only way to avoid certain death is to win the Muse’s heart. A heart none of them are willing to offer to one of our kind. It must be something that happened in the old days between a Muse and one of ours, something to force gods to make pacts with magic wielders.” From the corner of my eye, I see him scratching at the scar on his face, his last words murmured as if he is talking to himself instead of us. “She doesn’t look very dangerous to me.” He sounds shocked as he keeps staring at my mate.
“Il faut se méfier de l'eau qui dort." Lucien grumbles, wisely lowering his ass back in the chair.
“What did he say?” Melody’s raspy voice is like a caress to my ears.
“Do not trust calm waters,” Moël answers her question by translating in English, the curiosity still visible on his face. “I’m Moël. The best looking one in the family.” His devilish grin is lost on my mate.
“Hi.” With a tight press of her lips, she tries to smile at him, though her attempt is unsuccessful. “I’m Melody, and I have no intention of killing anyone.” Wiggling, she pushes my hands away to sit up cross-legged on the lounge, and then she faces both my brothers. “I didn’t hear everything you said, but I heard the important part.” She keeps watching them like she is trying to avoid my gaze, which opens a chasm in my chest. “I’m well aware of what happens when I play my violin, so I can put your mind at ease by telling you I decided to never play again as long as I live. Without my music, I’m just a regular, harmless human.”
Moël’s eyebrows crawl up his forehead while Lucien bursts out laughing without humor, and that pisses me off. “That’s a big promise for someone who can kill the only heirs to the French throne, little demigod.” My middle brother sneers and the fangs slide from my gums. “Your kind is well known for manipulation and trickery. You will not fool me like you did my brother.”
