Page 4 of Sound
“And you are sure the girl is connected?” Placing the glass between my hands, he sits across from me. “It’s not a jab. I’ve been trying to put it all together myself, although I must admit I haven’t given the girl too much thought.”
I search his face and he allows me, staring back at me unblinking. That’s a very good question. I’m really not sure if she is connected, but everything in me says she is. If my gut feeling was not enough, the cat guiding my gaze to the violin with the broken bow laying next to it in the ruined church would’ve been a good nudge in the right direction the night we followed the cursed creature. My thoughts cloud over, the girl’s features coming uninvited to the front of my mind, her tear-streaked face hauntingly beautiful.
My skin pebbles, shivers crawling over me like I’ve walked over a freshly dug grave. I lift the drink to hide my reaction from my brother.
“I can’t see how a human can be connected,” Lucien muses, noticing my distraction. “Apart from luring us to feed on her, what can a human girl do to one of us?”
Glass lifted hallway to my lips, I freeze, his words stabbing my brain and shattering the image of her in my head. My whole body stiffens, the barely-contained power’s thread unraveling until it blasts around me like a tidal wave. The predator has lost control. Lucien jerks on his chair and the drink drops from his fingers, spilling over his lap. It takes great effort to pull myself back, and the glass in my hand groans as cracks spiderweb from my fingers.
“Was she human?” Lucien’s glowing gaze locks on mine when I murmur the question. A line forms between his brows but his shoulders don’t relax.
“What?”
“The girl.” Lowering the drink to the desk, I release it slowly as not to break the glass and destroy the papers scattered on it. “Was she human?”
“Of course she was human.” His scowl deepens and he pulls on his drenched pants with two fingers in disgust. “Look what you fucking made me do. Rain in your control before we announce to everyone where we are, will you? Apart from the three of us, everyone in that club was human. We would’ve known otherwise.”
“I had no effect on her.” Smirking at his glower, I lean back in the chair. “Neither did the two of you and we were standing right in front of her.” This may explain why I can’t get her out of my mind. I want to cry out in joy.
“She was hum—”
The door to the office bangs open and cuts off Lucien’s protest, my youngest brother standing at the threshold with a huge grin plastered on his boyish face.
“J'ai dés Nouvelles.” Grin widening, he saunters into the office. “Get ready because we are going out,” Moël announces, puffing out his chest.
“Everyone has gone insane in this fucking house,” Lucien snaps, but I can’t look away from the twinkle of excitement in Moël’s eyes.
“You said you have news?” Watching him give Lucien a dismissive glance, I track my youngest brother until he stops at the corner of my desk.
“I think I found the girl.” The intent look on Moël’s face stops my heart, my ribs tightening so suddenly I’m left with no air in my lungs.
“Where?” I’m already off the chair rounding the desk. “Where is she?”
“As I said, we are going out.” Reaching in the back pocket of his jeans, Moël pulls out three tickets and fans himself with them, his hair fluttering around his face like in a shampoo commercial the humans love to watch. “We got invited to a solo concert.” His eyes bore into mine. “A violin solo.”
My knees almost give out, so I place a hand on the desk to keep myself standing. He found the girl. Dread and excitement overwhelm me. Hopefully neither of my brothers noticed.
3
Melody
The sound of hushed voices and the scraping of chairs reaches my ears as I inch along the dark hallway, tattering on the thin heels of my boots. Rubbing the tip of my nose with the back of my hand, I try to ignore the scent of damp soil, dust, and a sweet cloying stench that I can’t name. I think it’s the smell of magic since it clings to Seraphina every time she is near.
A snort escapes me at the thought.
I’m as batshit crazy as she is if I’m thinking about magic and what kind of smell it has. What’s next? Vampires and werewolves fighting while fairies flap their wings around? Snickering at the image I slide my feet on the tiled floor, the heels catching between the tiny gaps. Deep down, I’m aware that I should be worried and scared—angry even—that I can’t fight the bitch, but whatever she gives me to drink makes me feel mellow, almost like I’m in a drunk-like state.
Clutching the violin and bow in my sweaty palms, I wiggle restlessly in the corset, the wires pinching the skin at my sides painfully. Like a live doll that Seraphina is playing dress up with, here I am, a puppet with no strings to do her bidding. Not visible strings anyway. My throat tightens with too many emotions to name when I reach the juncture where the hallway opens to the wide area in Chalice, which is what Seraphina named the church she uses as a prison for us. Adrenaline spikes through my veins at the thought of Viola and Harmony.
I know I will see them tonight.
Seraphina’s twisted mind thrives on making all of us suffer. Seeing each other across the room without being able to touch or talk is one of her torture techniques. She might think it’s a punishment—and it was for a while—but to me, this is hope. I can see they are alive. As long as we’re still breathing we can find a way out of here. At least that’s what I tell myself so I don’t drop on the ground and sob until I’m raw. I’m very good at ignoring the haunted looks in my friends eyes and the impossible situation we are in. If I face it, that bitch will win.
I won’t let her win if it’s the last thing I do.
“It’s such a pleasure to see all of you here tonight.” Seraphina’s sweet, charming voice floats in the air and I gag at the fakeness in it. “Each and every single one of you gave up one precious thing for the opportunity to be here today. How does that make you feel?”
The blood curdles in my veins at her words. Poking my head out from around the corner, my gaze passes quickly over the people occupying every available space in the room. Faces glowing with excitement, wide eyes watching the bitch like she is a messiah preaching the words of whatever God they believe in, they roar their answers. Young and old, everyone has a manic look from the light of the candles twinkling in their eyes. My heart shrivels in my chest.
