The Silver Siren (12 page)

I sighed loudly. Opening my pouch
again, I pulled out another copper, but he held up two fingers. I
pulled out two coins which quickly disappeared into his
pocket.

“
They came by five days
ago. Bought enough bread to feed an army. My sister cried when they
refused to stay. She likes him, ya know. She’s been in a fit ever
since, thinking he doesn’t like her.” The words flew out of the
boy’s mouth in one breath. His eyes kept flickering to the front of
the stable nervously the whole time he talked. As if he were
waiting for something or someone. He finally stopped and looked at
me carefully. “Hey, I remember you. You were here last time, with
them. You were awfully scrawny and dirty. I thought you were a boy,
until mum said otherwise.”

My cheeks grew warm in
embarrassment.

Want me to knock him
over?
Faraway asked.

No, it’s fine. He’s right.
I probably did look terrible the last time I came. I had just
escaped out of the prison then. Besides, he’s just a
boy.

With no manners.
He snuffed and threw his head back, startling the
young stable boy who promptly fell on his rump.

Stop! Don’t do anything.
I’ll be fine.
I heard Faraway nicker in
laughter as I headed to the inn’s entrance. My goal was to get in,
get a meal and a room, and do it without a fuss. I didn’t really
want it advertised that I was traveling alone.

As soon as I entered the inn, moppy
brown-haired Bran was there to greet me once again.

“
Hello, welcome to the
Ginger Dragon, are you here for the fare, or a fair sleep? We serve
both.” He flashed me a toothy grin, and I couldn’t help but smile
back at his odd sense of humor.

My eyes wandered the room, and I
immediately saw the beautiful Vienna serving a meal to a full table
of people sitting at a corner table. Her hands flew as she talked,
and I could hear her giggle all the way to the front of the
room.

“
Both please,” I answered
Bran softly. Trying not to draw attention to myself. “Food first,
then a room.”

Bran went over to a register book and
opened it up. He pulled out a quill and began to write in the day’s
date. I was about to hand over my money when I heard my name from
across the room. There was no mistaking the warm tone of Joss’s
voice.

My head snapped up faster than
lightening as I zeroed in on him. He was sitting in the back of the
room at the table, talking to Vienna. The inn door opened with the
jingle of a bell, and the floor rumbled as someone large dropped a
very heavy item to the floor.

Bran’s mouth opening in a
silent
oh
was the
only warning I had before I was scooped up from behind and wrapped
in a very furry leather-bound bear hug from Hemi.

“
Ahh, I’ve found you Li’l
Wolf. Now I can keep my head and my home!” Hemi’s deep voice boomed
throughout the inn.

“
He-He-Hemi, put me down!”
I squealed out in delight, my feet dangling in the air.

“
Not until I see that you
are all right. That you have all yer fingers and toes,” he
challenged back.

I was allowed back to the ground, and
Hemi placed his large hands on my shoulders, studying me, head to
toe. His serious eyes missed nothing—the scrapes, bruises, and
cracked lip that had mostly healed from my fight with Gwen in the
pits. His hands reached for my face, but I gently knocked them
away.

“
Hemi, I’m fine. What are
you doing here? Where’s Mona? Where are the others?” No sooner had
I won my freedom from Hemi, I was wrapped up in the warm embrace of
Joss’s arms.

“
You’re safe?” he asked in
disbelief. “I can’t believe you’re safe.” He leaned back and looked
at me but startled.

I had forgotten about my eye and the
eerie change. Joss and Hemi had not seen it yet. I dropped my eyes
to the ground.

“
Thalia, what happened?”
Joss said. His voice dripped with worry. I raised my head again and
met his eyes.

“
It’s been like that since
I lost control of my power in the barn.”

“
It’s…it’s…I don’t know…”
Joss spoke, turning my head from right to left trying to see it
better in the inn’s dim lighting.

“
It’s different,” I
shrugged and pulled away from him. I was a little disappointed by
his reaction. It was so different from Kael’s. I turned and faced
Hemi, so he could see me for the first time.

Hemi took one good look at me and made
a sign to ward off evil spirits. I punched Hemi and he eventually
smiled, though it took a while. He too, lifted my chin to stare
into my eye.

“
That’s my girl. Still the
same…right?” Hemi asked.

“
Yeah, just with a very
bad temper from being jostled around.”

Just then, the inn door opened again,
and the young boy from the stable walked in, giving me a sheepish
look.

I put my hands on my hips and gazed
sternly at him.

“
So I may have forgot to
mention they came back. You would have found them eventually, and
now I’m three coppers richer.” I moved closer to him and he
squeaked and ran up the closest set of stairs to escape my
ire.

Joss looked impatient. He took my hand
and pulled me over the table he had just vacated. Hemi followed
closely, not willing to lose sight of me again. Vienna sniffed at
Joss’s change in mood, but she went to fetch me a bowl of soup and
bread.

Joss continued his story. “We made it
to Haven and took Mona to the Queen’s Palace. We told them
everything, and immediately we set back off to look for you. Darren
and Fanny went west; others from the Citadel volunteered as well.
But there’s more, Thalia. More have gone missing. This time right
from the Citadel.”

“
How can the Septori be so
bold?” I gasped.

“
They snuck in once; they
will do it again.”

Hemi shook his head. “It’s not right,
children being taken. Not right! Doesn’t matter which clan they are
from.”

Over dinner, I told him the shortened
version of the last few days, leaving out that I was blood-bonded
with Kael. That information was too valuable for anyone—even those
I trusted—toknow. Hemi was astonished that I’d actually seen the
Sanctuary of the SwordBrothers.

“
Yes, I did,” I said
uncomfortably, hoping they wouldn’t press me for more
information.

“
Where was it?” Joss
asked. He was on the edge of his seat with excitement.

“
Far away,” I
mumbled.

“
South? East? West? How
many days did you say you traveled on horseback to get
there?”

“
Joss, I’m sorry. Kael
blindfolded me. I really don’t remember and I was so exhausted I
didn’t pay attention when I left either,” I lied.

“
Where is he? Where’s Kael
and how could he not come with you?”

“
He was injured when I
left. I’m sure he will be following soon,” I reached out, trying to
distract him from his questions with my hand on his. It worked.
Joss reached over and placed his on top of mine and
squeezed.

Hemi, who had been a silent observer,
slammed his glass of mead down loudly on the table making me jump.
He pulled out a very long knife that he used to pick at piece of
dirt under his nail. His warning for Joss to back off was clear as
day. I couldn’t help but wonder at the change in his mood. Was it
because Fanny wasn’t around that Hemi was only now more observant?
Or since we were no longer pretending to be a couple, he wanted
distance between us?

I rolled my eyes and pulled my hand
away from Joss’s. “Well, now that I am safe and sound we can head
back to the Citadel tomorrow. Maybe we can call in the volunteers
that went out looking for me and send them out looking for
Tenya.”

Joss suddenly became quiet. “They
already did, but any extra help is worth it. I feel like it’s been
too long—that we’re too late. I can feel it here, in my
gut.”

“
Don’t give up so easily
Joss. We’ll find your sister.” I tried to put as much reassurance
into my voice as possible, though I was beginning to lose hope as
well.

“
And if we don’t, Thalia?
What if we never find her? What are you going to do?”

The thought hadn’t occurred to me.
When the search ended, would I go back to my own clan? Just the
thought sent a shiver of unease down my spine. “I don’t know, Joss.
I guess I would go home.”

“
You can’t go home,
Thalia. You belong with me at the Citadel. You know I would just
come after you again.” I could tell he meant it.

“
Joss, I don’t know if
I’ll be allowed to go back to the Citadel. I tried to glance at
Hemi and gauge his reaction, but since Joss had backed off, he’d
put the knife away and sat back in the chair. Now his eyes were
closed, and he rested his head on his chest feigning sleep. I knew
better. I swore I could see his ears twitch with interest. My
stomach growled and I began to dip the bread into my now cold but
still delicious soup.

“
Thalia, there’s something
I would like to ask you.” Joss wrapped his hands around his mug and
stared at its half empty contents for a few seconds. He took a deep
breath, pushed the mug away, and looked up at me with a guarded
expression. “Are you in love with Kael?”

The question startled me and the soft
bread became like a stone. I couldn’t swallow it. I coughed loudly,
reaching desperately for the cider to wash down the bread before it
killed me.

Joss leaned over to try and give me a
reassuring pat on the back.

During this whole horrid scene, Hemi
still hadn’t moved.

“
Joss. I’m really—um—not
sure that I—no. I’m not—in love with anyone!” I shot out in between
fits of coughing. One great red eyebrow rose on Hemi’s large face
before it dropped back down and he let out a snore. Absolutely
feigning sleep.

Finally, when my coughing subsided and
my faced returned to a normal color, I looked over at Joss. His
expression was unreadable. Joss’s blue-green eyes gazed at me
thoughtfully. He leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers
along the hard wood table.

“
Huh, I wasn’t expecting
that answer. Not exactly. But then I guess I deserve it, because I
need to earn back your trust. Don’t worry. I will.” Joss flashed me
a very relieved and determined smile.

I was happy—I think—at his reaction,
but I suddenly felt overwhelmingly tired.

“
I’m sorry, but I think I
need to get some rest.”

Joss immediately jumped up and Hemi
lumbered up as well. My room ended up being the same room as the
last time I’d stayed here. Joss and Hemi shared the room connected
to mine.

Hemi had already walked through my
room and checked the door between the rooms. He went back in to
settle in for the night, which left Joss and me alone in the
hallway. Joss was reluctant to say goodnight. Only one sconce on
the wall remained lit. My door, at the end of the hall, was in the
darkest corner.

Joss grabbed my hand and clasped it in
between his. It was warm and comforting, until I looked into his
face and saw the heat burning there. Suddenly an excited thrill
race up my body.

“
You don’t know how scared
I’ve been, knowing you were gone and that I couldn’t go after you.
I was drowning in worry the last few days without you. But now that
I have you back, I can breathe again.” He pressed his forehead into
mine as his hands delicately ran up my forearms sending a wave of
goose bumps in their wake.

I shuddered and pressed myself closer
to him. It was a different being near Joss than it was with Kael.
Joss was like a slow burning flame that, if given the chance, could
quickly spread and overtake me. And I truly believed he would give
up everything to be with me, even leaving his home, his clan. That
thought both disturbed me and pleased me.

“
Do you trust me?” he
asked.

“
Yes.”

Joss leaned forward and ran his
fingers back up my arm, but this time it was different. I felt a
tingle of power race up my body and I shivered. It was warm and
thrilling. I could see what he was doing. He was opening up a
thread of power and was slowly trickling it along my skin. It was
intoxicating to be touched by his power, and I wanted to be closer,
wanted more. He leaned in and I closed the distance between us
greedily.

The mix of our power and our kiss made
my subconscious rise. Even with my eyes closed, I could see the
bright light that was his center pulsing and burning brightly. My
thread of power reached toward his and caressed it gently. Joss
shivered in reaction. But then I saw the color of my power. His was
glowing gold, mine a dark shadow. Could he not see the difference,
see how wrong mine was? I tried to dismiss my frustration and lose
myself once more in the kiss, reaching for him hungrily.

Joss groaned.

I was no longer touching him but
draining him, like I had done with Kael.

“
No!” I ripped myself away
from the kiss and stared at Joss in fear. We were both breathing
heavily and I held up a hand, warning him to keep his distance. I
reached behind me for the door handle. Quickly, I disappeared
behind the door and slid the lock in place.