Page 20 of Sound
“Seraphina found Alto in the room with me.” Ignoring his obvious question of who Seraphina is, I plow through my explanation. “Needless to say, she was not happy about it, so she started kicking him. I begged her to stop, not to hurt him. Then she laughed in my face like I was an idiot and she showed me nothing is at all like it seems.” My arms tighten around my knees. “She said he was not a cat but her familiar. She chants stuff in what I think is Latin, which I understand for some reason, but that’s not important. She chanted and turned the cat into a human. It was just for a moment, but I know what I saw. The cat is not really a cat. Before she left, she made sure I knew that the same fate is waiting for me when she gets tired of either myself or my music.”
When he says nothing, I dare to lift my eyes to his face. I was staring at my muddy boots while I was talking. A blank mask greets my gaze, no expression visible to tell me if he believes me or thinks I’m a nut job. My stomach caves in on itself.
“I know it sounds insane but that’s the truth.” I can’t stop myself from blabbing. “It made me realize that I wasn’t doing anyone any good by staying here. I can’t help my friends when I’m a prisoner in this damn place. So, I tried to run. I was going to wait for you.” He still says nothing and nerves prickle inside me. “I’m telling you the truth I was going to hide and wait. I didn’t know where else to go. Who else should I tell about this? Who would actually believe me? They’ll lock me up in a padded room the second I start talking about magic and cats turning into humans.” Sucking in a deep breath, tears prickle my eyes. “I’m telling you the truth, I swear. I’m not crazy.”
“I believe you.”
“You do?”
“Yes.” Tenderly, he takes my hand, his strong fingers wrapping around it as gentle as a breeze. “I told you I detest magic. I hate magic users even more. So, what happened when you entered the tunnel, apart from the pain? Tell me everything.”
16
Melody
“That’s all.” Deflating after I recount my every step, I take strength from his touch as my mind screams,He doesn’t think I’m nuts.I rack my brain trying to remember if I forgot anything. “She took Alto with her …”
“I thought the cat’s name was Salmon,” Étienne pipes in, a small smile playing on his lips.
“I named him that because he has fish breath.” Feeling stupid, I scrunch my nose up. “That’s another thing, now that I think about it. When she was gloating, turning him to a human and then back to a cat, her eyes kept flashing orange, the pupils turning vertical every time she said his name.”
“Witches have been getting more daring through the centuries.” Étienne is glaring at the closed door so he doesn’t see my mouth hanging open, my jaw unhinging at his use of centuries like he is talking about days.
“They started experimenting with things best left alone. Magic users were once part of our world, but they slowly pulled back to hide from prying eyes so they can play games with everyone’s lives.” Spitting the words, he turns to me and freezes.
I’m still gaping like a fish out of water.
“Melody?” He tugs on my hand where my nails are now digging into his skin. “Are you well?”
“Centuries.” I breathe the word, and he frowns like that makes me nuts. “You said centuries like you’ve lived through it to know.”
“I’m not human.” His shoulders stiffen, shutters lifting behind his eyes and closing his emotions off. “You are not human either,” he tells me defensively.
“What are you? You never told me.” The sweaty skin of my hand slides in his grip. I tighten my fingers because I don’t want to lose the connection—as if that might force him to tell me or something.
“You didn’t tell me what you are either,” he points out and I wonder if I’m breaking some social decorum by asking what he is. Maybe its rude?
“That’s because I have no idea if I’m human or not.” Incredulous laughter bubbles up in my chest but I force it down. “I thought I was human.”
“The people in that room, the ones who came to listen to your music … they were human.” The frown on his face smooths out, the silver disappearing in his gaze and leaving his eyes as blue as I remember them. “None of them left this place that night. Yet here you are, having this conversation with me.”
“I didn’t do anything to those people.” Yanking my hand back, I jump to my feet, fear and guilt causing bile to rise at the back of my throat. “I didn’t hurt anyone.”
“Melody, please calm down, little one.” Pushing off the floor, he stands as well. “You didn’t do anything. It was the witch. All of it.”
“What are you?” If I keep thinking about all those people being dead, I’ll curl up in a ball and stay like that until I die myself. So, I latch onto him for a distraction.
“A vampire.” Voice flat, he stands still like I’m a firing squad aiming at his head.
“Vampire,” I say, stretching the word out. With a sharp nod, he squares his shoulders.
Watching me warily, he must think I’m about to faint or laugh. Nothing can be further from the truth. What I’m doing instead is dying from embarrassment, my face burning hot and my skull numbing from it. The fact that vampires exist and that he is one of them doesn’t even register in my panicked brain right now.
“Oh my God! That wasn’t a dream.” The words come in a rush and I cover my face with my hands. “Please tell me that was a dream or just kill me now.” Spreading my fingers, I peek at him through the small gaps. “You can make it quick right? Just rip my throat out and it’s done, yeah?”
“Why in fates name would I kill you.” Taken aback, he even backpedals, horror twisting his pretty face.
“I begged you to kiss me.” Wailing, I duck my face, wishing for the ground to open and swallow me whole.
