The Sound of a Siren's Call

46.) The Return of Ryan

I walked in, Castor following me. Centaurs looked at me with appraising eyes.

After the first few seconds, they ignored us, talking to the green girl. Castor sat down, his chin on his hands. He suddenly looked terrible in the dim light. And he looked so young, even though he was probably slightly older than me.

I slid down next to him.

"You asked why I ran away."

"You're right. It doesn't matter."

"I couldn't stand living in the same house as my dad."

He met my eyes. I nodded.

"Do you miss it at all?"

He took a deep breath. "I don't miss my dad or the house or any of it—except my brother. He helped me run away. I haven't seen him since."

How long ago was that? "I was twelve at the time, so about six years."

"That's a long time."

He nodded. "Too long. I was supposed to go home after our job. A few months, they promised." His palm hit his fist with an angry slap. It must have hurt to sign it that emphatically, but he gave it emphasis. "I thought I was going to die, and I'd never go home again. Then I didn't, and I still don't know if I'll ever be able to go back."

"You're not going to die. We'll both go home. All of us. Me and you and Juniper."

He smiled. "I'd like that."

"You lived up North. Where?"

"The mountains. My father—never mind."

"What?"

"It doesn't matter now."

I didn't push. "Could you take Juniper up to the mountains with you?"

"I don't want to live in the mountains. I could write to my brother to meet me in some small coastal town. He'd come."

I nodded. "You and her are good for each other."

"Yeah. I wouldn't change it for the world. I just wish... I wish I'd met you two under different C-I-R-C-U-M-S-T-A-N-C-E-S."

"So do I."

He took a deep breath. "I knew things were getting bad over here. It'd have to be bad for them to T-H-R-E-A-T-E-N us with W-A-R, but I had no idea about any of this."

"None of us did."

He shook his head. "We should've."

I didn't say anything. Even if there had been a way for me to know, no one ever told the not-so-friendly pirates just off the coast when anything interesting happened. Most of the places we got news from were far away lands and traveling people unlucky enough to be carrying delicate riches in their hold.

I watched the centaurs stamp their feet. I felt safer among them than I did alone with the night, but that wasn't saying much.

Eventually, when the centaurs were done talking to the green girl, she spun around, a thick braid falling away from a pointed ear.

An elf. Why hadn't I figured it out sooner?

"We're sorry for that incident. That's not fair to either of you."

She was speaking too, evidently for Castor.

"We'll deal with the vampires," she continued, "but until we do, all the humans need protection. The centaurs will watch over you tonight, the elves tomorrow. We will address this."