Page 16 of Sworn to Revenge
I quickly reach into my bag, pulling out my phone’s earbuds from their case. My fingers frantically search YouTube for anything resembling a calm symphony with high enough tones. I shift the ear covers on my ears, pull out just one earplug, and listen for a moment. It sounds right, I think. I cover my ears again, gently wipe the blood from her ear with my finger, and place the earbuds in. I hit play and crank up the volume to the max, knowing this is a wild experiment, but I have to try everything.
Suddenly, her lips part slightly, and a soft breath escapes them. “Bay?” I call out, nearly jumping in place. Maybe it worked.
“Bay?” I ask again when she doesn’t respond, but still, no sound comes from her.
Her eyes suddenly begin to glow in that familiar color, only to flicker out in an instant. Again, like lights struggling to stay on, her eyes flash, dim, and flash again. Realization hits me—Bay is fighting him. The music might not have freed her completely, but it seems to have given her enough control back. A small glimmer of hope rises in my chest that I might be able to hold her here until Alin returns, without any more problems.
“You’re strong, Bay, don’t let him break you,” I say aloud again, encouraging her even though I have no idea if the porcelain doll before me can even hear my voice.
I turn around instantly when a hand touches my shoulder, and I’m startled to see Cora’s face staring back at me.
I quickly remove the ear covers and earplugs. “What are you doing here?” I ask, panic rising in my voice. Could Bay affect her too? Or is it only men? I’m not taking any chances.
“You need to get out of here now,” I tell her before she can answer.
“I called for you guys several times, but no one answered, so I came in,” she says, her gaze now falling on Bay’s unresponsive face. “What happened to her?” she asks with a high-pitched shriek that stings after the silence of the ear covers, causing me to wince.
“It’s a long story, but if you’re not going to leave, at least put these on,” I hand her another pair of earplugs, knowing that Cora is more stubborn than all of us combined when she wants something. There’s no time for arguments now.
“We just have to wait until she comes back to us,” I add as she gives me a questioning look, though she’s already shoving one earplug into her ear.
“Cora?” Bay’s faint voice instantly turns our heads toward her. Cora moves to approach, but I stop her with my hand, preventing her from getting any closer.
“Bay? Are you okay?” I ask cautiously, unsure if it’s really Bay who’s returned or if she’s going to act strangely again.
“Yeah, what is this music?” she asks with a half-smile as she pulls out the earbuds as if they were nothing more than dirt in her ears. That tired smile reassures me that it’s really her. She has a lot to learn about what the land has to offer. I release the long breath I’ve been holding, and with it, mygrip on Cora relaxes. I move closer to Bay on the bed as Cora kneels by her feet, asking, “What’s going on here?” Directing the question to Bay now.
“What is that music? I could hear it even through his control. It helped me balance myself against his voice,” Bay tells me, a look of satisfaction in her eyes as if it’s the first time she’s managed to do that. A small spark of pride ignites in my chest—I actually helped her.
Cora’s throat clears from beside us, breaking the tension, and Bay takes her hand, looking at her with an apologetic expression for ignoring her earlier question.
“You didn’t do any damage this time, but your ears were bleeding,” I inform her, and she immediately glances at the bloodstained earbud still in her hand.
“This is the first time it wasn’t one of his illusions—I’m actually bleeding,” she says, fear now washing over her face. “His grip on me is getting stronger.”
“Alin and I won’t let that happen, you can be sure of that,” I promise her, resting her head on my shoulder, fighting the urge to lean in closer, to inhale the scent of her hair, to caress her soft, pale skin. I have to control myself—she’s not mine.
“And I won’t let it happen either, if you’d fill me in on what’s going on here?” Cora presses again.
Yeah, stubbornness is definitely her middle name.
Bay
It’s been two days since Alin went back to her mother, and I have no idea when she’ll return. The hunting days in the ocean are over, and slowly but surely, the Guardian’s control over my mind is slipping away. But just to be safe—just to be sure—I’ve been sleeping with Cora. My voice can still affect her, and though she’s sensitive to it, stronger women, with enough focus and determination, can fight back against my influence far better than men. Especially strong-willed women like Cora. I chuckle quietly to myself, though it’s hollow—half-hearted, forced amusement masking the growing unease in my chest.
“How are you today?” Cora asks with a yawn, pulling me out of my thoughts as I stare at the cityscape through the glass wall in the room. It seems she’s finally woken up. She and Alin have the same sleep habits—if no one wakes them up, they could disappear for days.
“I don’t feel him in my head anymore. It seems the hunting days are ending now, and theCoral of Life has had its fill,” I answer honestly, feeling a strange new sensation blooming in my chest, a feeling that, for the firsttime in my life, I have a place that protects me, a place I can call home.
I lost my parents... or rather, they lost me when I cut ties with them completely. But in exchange, I gained a broader, much warmer family. And even though I’m still getting used to humans, I would choose them any day over the life my parents gave me in the ocean.
“That’s good. It’ll give us some time until Alin gets back. Do you have the earbuds in your pocket?” she asks, rubbing her eyes as another yawn overtakes her. I nod and chuckle to myself again—just like Alin. Especially now, with her pregnancy.
I slip my hand into the pocket of my shorts, feeling the earbuds Pedro left with me. Thanks to him, we found something that eased the torment the Guardian’s grip caused me.
He made it clear that I’m only family, and he doesn’t want to take unnecessary risks with me. So why does he still cling to me whenever he can? Does he purposely want to hurt me more?
I thought he was different from his brothers, but it seems they are all predators here.
