Siren Song (The Fated #1)

24 | Charmed

Kain woke to whispers.

The words were unclear, but familiar. For several moments, his sluggish mind refused to acknowledge the need to rise with the sun, making identifying them impossible. The early hour spawned an ache in his temple that would no doubt persist for hours. Sometimes, his need for the moon sucked.

The voices quieted, and Kain blinked open his eyes. Perched on the edge of the opposing bunk were Melitta and Dalphie. Melitta was pale, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. Dalphie wore a soft, apologetic smile.

"It is what it is. I cannot make the choice for you, merely offer the information," she said, her melodic voice echoing through the otherwise silent room. She was louder than before, leading Kain to wonder if she'd noticed him waking.

"I... will think on it," Melitta murmured, dropping her gaze to the floor. "It is a lot."

"Understandably," Dalphie replied.

Then, without warning, she leapt from the bed and clapped her hands together. "Now, let's join Rhode for breakfast. I haven't eaten at this place in decades, but I've little doubt that they're still as delicious as before."

Melitta laughed quietly, her expression lightening a minuscule degree. "Never change, Milady."

Dalphie grinned, and started for the door. At that same moment, Melitta's eyes met Kain's, and she froze. He shifted into a sitting position on the bed, scratching his cheek as he smiled.

"I heard nothing but the last bit, when she raised her voice," he assured her. "I've no clue what you two were discussing."

Not that he wasn't incredibly curious.

Melitta studied him for a moment, as if searching for the truth in his words, then offered a nod of her head. "I believe you."

He relaxed, then hesitated. "If you wish to talk about it, however..."

Whatever they'd been discussing looked serious.

"Not now," Melitta replied. "Thank you, though. I appreciate the thought."

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Nokos was the most closed-mouth port Kain had ever seen. The majority of people ignored his request for information. Those who did pause, would either tell him where exactly where to put his interest in whether or not they'd seen someone matching Iliana's description--typically in rather vulgar ways--or give a blunt 'no' and move on.

"I am sorry," Melitta said. Her fingers clutched a lock of her hair as a frown played across her lips. "If I could figure out what was blocking me..."

Kain shook his head, turning his gaze to the walkway. "Someone confident enough to steal a siren wouldn't have done things half-way. You can't blame yourself for whatever it is they're doing. It's because of you that we knew to travel to Nokos in the first place."

The street was bare. They'd been looking to stumble upon the marketplace, as Kain hoped the merchants of Nokos might be more loose lipped than the typical public, but the town had no real landmarks. Trying to find the shops among the rundown houses was like trying to get information out of the villagers--useless, and disappointing.

"Still, I am worried," Melitta replied. "I doubt they will stay here for long. Nokos is too close to Inna's Cove for anyone in their position to feel safe."