Sound of Sirens by Jen Minkman (new reading txt) 📖

my hand. “She knew who I was. She could – sense things. I guess that’s how the Sirens lured her out to sea. A sensitive soul is too easy to snare.”

“Yeah. I get that.” I gaze at him, still unable to believe that this gorgeous, famous, Current guy just kissed me. When he cracks a smile, I laugh nervously. “Sorry I’m staring.”

“You can stare at me all you want,” Royce replies. “I like looking at you too.”

A horrible blush creeps up on my face. “You’re just making that up. You always have your eyes closed.”

He winks. “That’s what you think. I’m sneaky, aren’t I?” He grins wider when he sees my red cheeks. “Besides, I just realized that I actually knew you before I got to know you for real,” he then says cryptically.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Last Oorol?” he mumbles, suddenly a bit nervous. “You were sitting in the park with a friend of yours and she was playing the guitar. You were singing. It was an after party organized by one of the Skylger songwriters, I guess. I happened to be out that night, and I couldn’t tear myself away from your spontaneous performance. Your voice was so heartbreakingly beautiful. I just never saw your face, because I was behind you. In my mind, I called you ‘mystery girl’.”

He’s right. It was me singing with Dani playing the guitar that night. The description fits. “I – I never saw you either,” I mumble, completely flummoxed by his admission.

“It was dark. You were singing by candlelight. Plus, I kept out of sight. I’m happy the mystery is solved now.” His hand cradles my cheek, and I inadvertently lean in to him, my skin craving his touch.

“I – can’t believe this is happening,” I whisper. “You’re so gorgeous and I’m just – me.”

Royce smiles. “You think you’re plain, Enna? Skylgers don’t keep mirrors in their houses?”

“Of course we do.” I roll my eyes.

“Well, you should know you’re a beauty, then.” He’s stroking my neck now, softly and warmly.

I smile shyly. “Are you serious?”

“Like the star.”

“What star?”

“Sirius?” He cocks an eyebrow, and I burst into a nervous fit of giggles.

“Stop being so funny,” I gasp at last.

He grins. “Sorry.”

“You know – I never really expected you to be this cool,” I admit. “Meeting you here is like a silly daydream.”

He nods slowly. “It’s not supposed to be real,” he agrees.

“But it is now,” I whisper.

“Yeah. It is.” For a moment, his eyes flicker with a hint of fear and apprehension. Then, he smothers his alarm by kissing me again, pulling me down next to him while softly stroking my hair. Breathlessly, I shudder as every inch of my skin touching his is set on fire. I was right – this is like a dream. And I never want to wake up.

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By the time I get up to leave Royce’s cottage, it is near midnight. My entire body is aglow after an evening of talking, kissing, and listening to LPs. My world is expanding so rapidly that I’m afraid it will explode.

“See you tomorrow,” he says at the door, gently touching my face. “You’re skipping Oorol?”

“Yes.” I nod eagerly.

He cracks his handsome smile. “Me too, then. What time shall we meet?”

I suddenly have an idea. “Let’s meet up somewhere else,” I suggest. “There’s this place near my house that I always go to when I want to be alone. It’s a kind of cave.”

“Color me intrigued,” Royce says. “How do I get there?”

“I can’t really tell you. We’ll meet up at the Stortumer Dyke,” I explain. “At the signpost near the border of Kinnum. Noontime?”

“Sure.” He leans in for one last kiss, and then I turn around and walk down the path with empty hands but a head filled with love.

I’ve left my LP with Royce, together with my heart.

14.

The albatross isn’t there when I get out of bed. Normally, this would disturb me, but today nothing will rain on my parade. I’ll spend a few hours on my history assignment in the morning before taking off to show Royce my secret grotto. I’m bringing the gramophone so we can listen to some classical music. Last night, I discovered he owns Rachmaninov’s full Piano Concerto No. 2 on record, which made me green with jealousy and elated about his taste in music at the same time. I never heard it past the first eight minutes because our shellacs never contain more than four on each side, and my father never bothered to track down the rest of the set. We only have the very first part.

Just as I sit down for breakfast, Dani bursts into the house and waves at me and Sytse. “Good morning, my darlings!” she sing-songs. “Are you ready to explore Osterend with me?”

I raise my hand in objection. “I’m still not tagging along,” I point out. “History homework, remember?”

“Oh, come on, don’t be a killjoy,” Dani rebuffs my protest. “You’re not gonna spend all day on that assignment, are you?”

“I should if I’m supposed to show Mr. Buma anything passable by tomorrow,” I grumble. Sadly, I’m not even lying – meeting up with Royce will mean I have to slave away in the evening to make up for lost hours.

“I’m happy to see you taking school so seriously,” Sytse says. He sounds like he’s pinning a medal of brotherly approval on me, and for a split second I feel ashamed for lying to his face when all he wants is to protect me. 

“Yeah, well.” I shrug. “If I keep my grade point average up, I might get a better job after graduation.” No Skylger ever gets to go to university – we don’t need to learn about modern inventions that we’ll never be allowed to use. Plus, it’s a Current institution located in Upper Brandaris. I wouldn’t want to be caught dead in that place.

After breakfast, my dad and I are quietly doing the dishes in our tiny kitchen when he suddenly puts his dish rag down and looks me in the eye.

“Enna,” he says. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Sure,” I say. “Why?”

“You seem – different. So rebellious.”

“So?” Yeah, he’s right – I do sound defiant.

“You didn’t used to be like this.”

I roll my eyes. “It’s called puberty, Heit.”

He sighs. “Are you angry about Sytse?” he continues. “About the things we’ve kept from you?”

“Actually, yes.” I toss a bunch of spoons into the hot, soapy water. “I might have helped, you know. I could have been useful – I can still be useful.”

“I know that.” His voice is gentle, unwavering. “I just wanted your life to be simple.”

A bitter laugh bubbles up in my throat, but I swallow it down. If only he knew how complicated things have become as of late. “Don’t worry about me,” I reply. “I’ll take things in my stride. You don’t need to protect me.”

“No.” His shoulders slump almost imperceptibly. “No, I guess not.”

And suddenly, I want nothing more than to fling my arms around him and disappear into my father’s embrace. Let him shield me from this world with so many dangers and heartache lurking in every corner. But I can’t – I can never go back, because I crossed that threshold when I thought I was ready, and now the door has fallen shut behind me. I’m no longer a child, and we’ll have to assume new roles and get to know each other again.

I grab his hand. “I love you,” I simply say. “And I’m fine.”

He smiles. “I love you too. I’m glad to hear you feel fine.”

The thought of seeing Royce again today makes me feel more than just fine. It’s as though the blood scorches my veins passing through my feverishly-beating heart. He’ll come to Kinnum, for me, and he’ll sit with me in my secret hide-away. It’s too much – a silly, girlish daydream unable to survive in the open air of the real world. And yet, I have no doubt he’ll be here at noon. He likes me, because I am real.

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When I hear the clock tower in the distance toll out the half-hour after eleven, I pack up a bag of books, snacks, and a bottle of elderflower cordial. Last but not least, I grab the portable gramophone and a selection of records.

“I need to get some fresh air,” I announce to my father as I step out the door and find him weeding in the front garden. “The walls are closing in on me.”

“Off for a seaside stroll?” He eyes my baggage. “Or a beach picnic?”

“Both. I’ll be home in a few hours.”

The road running alongside our yard is deserted, because most people living in Kinnum have gone to the festival in Osterend, Baydunen, or the big stage in Brandaris. They have quite a line-up today – even better than yesterday evening in Upper Brandaris. Last night, as I made my way back home after meeting Royce in Stortum, I could see the Current light show in the distance. Very faintly, like a brilliant sunset I’d narrowly missed. The fog-dimmed electric lights had lit up the sky as though to mock the uninvited like me. But I didn’t mind – I’d been to a more private party with a far more satisfying ending.

I peripherally notice a few kids running toward the beach holding metal buckets. They’ll be hunting for small crabs. I used to do the same in the early summer months with Dani and Alke. For just a second, I’m worried they will see me and Royce together, but I know they’ll be focused on scanning the sand for shellfish. Sooner or later, they’ll start walking sideways just like those animals. We used to get dizzy from hunting them too.

I turn my eyes toward the road once more. My step falters when I see him – Royce is standing by the signpost I told him to meet me at, his arms crossed and his lean body turned toward the sea. He’s squinting against the sun hitting his face, but it doesn’t make him look awkward or weird. In that moment, he is so much like the out-of-my-league crown prince of Brandaris that I always admired from afar that I want to turn around and run far, far away. He’s not for me.

But when our eyes collide and his mouth turns up in an endeared little smile at the sight of me clutching the gramophone, I forget all that. I deserve to be with someone who gets me and who sets my heart alight.

“Hi,” he greets me, his voice soft and melodic. “You want me to carry some of that?”

“Sure.” I try not to look too smitten when he grabs the handle of the record player like a real gentleman. “It’s quite heavy.”

“You’re right.” He looks surprised. “Why is that?”

“The mechanism inside is sort of clunky, I guess. It needs a steel spring and a protective case around it.”

“Is that how it runs?” He sounds fascinated. “By winding up a spring?”

“Well, yeah. How does your turntable work, then?”

“It runs on electricity. The