Aryan
That screeching made my eyes want to pop out of my head. And I swear, if they do, the person responsible won't be able to make noise ever again.
I managed to turn around to face our adversaries. The man called out to Ngozi, reaching out for him as he approached. His brown buff arms scooped Ngozi up with ease—neither of them seemed effected by the noise.
The man's glamour was gone, revealing his true face. His eyes were big and dark, but unlike Alois, this horse Janus did not have black rings around his mouth and eyes, but white patches on the tip and bridge of his nose. Despite this, I recognized him as the man from the photos in Ngozi's living room. If you're the father... I thought, straining to hear myself think. Then you must be... I glared at the woman with the cinnamon skin and rose gold hair. ...the mother.
Her mouth was open and instantly I recognized the sound for what it was. A siren's song. I stared at her hard. I couldn't quite figure out why she seemed familiar, but that wasn't important now.
I pushed my hands closer against my ears, despite knowing it was futile. Like hell I'm going to die here. I tried to push myself off the ground, glancing at Samara as I did. I barely heard her whimper when, all of a sudden, I felt a shift in her emotions. She went from worried to enraged in seconds. I watched her expel a breath before putting her hands on her side and beginning to stand straight.
A dangerous flicker flashed white in her eyes as her mouth set in a disapproving frown.
Shit. I thought, glancing at the siren. She stared, wide-eyed, but continued her deafening song. Ngozi reached for his mother, signing to her, in an attempt, to stop her, but she wouldn't listen to her son.
Samara's eyes flashed white gradually. The intervals between flashes slowing until all the green in her eyes were gone. She barely whispered, but it was more than enough. "Stop. Time for silence, Zahra."
And just like that, the siren, Zahra, went mute. She began to breathe hard, her hand clutching her throat as she realized she could no longer speak. Zahra stared at her son and husband before looking at Samara with surprise. Not anger or sadness, but surprise. This siren... could she—
Ngozi's father took a step in our direction, arms tensing for a fight. Despite feeling a bought of dizziness, I stepped in front of Samara, ready to attack. Samara tried to go around me. Her eyes still pale.
This won't end well. I need to get Samara out of here.
My eyes assessed Ngozi's parents. A voiceless siren and a glorified muscle man. I could take them. Just as I was to confront them, Zahra put a hand on her husband's chest, patting it softly. He froze, his shoulders relaxed, but his eyes glared daggers.
Unfortunately, Samara was not done with them. She raised a hand, and I could feel the air around me swirling. Quickly, I turned around and grabbed her hand, forcing her attention to be on me. Her eyes stared emotionlessly at my hand before tilting her head up to look at me.
Are you still in there?
"Samara," I said slowly, cautiously. "It's ok. We're safe now. They've backed down." She seemed unconvinced. So, I squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Trust me. Let go."
At those words, Samara expelled a breath and leaned against me before blinking hard and standing on her own two feet. "What..." her hand pressed against her temple as her brows pulled together. Her jade green eyes stared up at me before she whispered. "Again?" I felt her disapproval before I saw her frown. "Is everyone...?"
I nodded, turning my head to watch Ngozi and his family from the corner of my eye. "Yeah, everyone is alright. Mostly."
Samara stood beside me looking at Ngozi's parents. "Mostly?"
"It seems," I started, glaring at the people across from us. "That Ngozi's mother is a siren, and you—" I gave his father a pointed glare. "—are a horse Janus."
Samara
"Who are you people!?" Ngozi's father spat at us. I watched him stand in front of his family, ready to fight. He was a very muscular man. His arms and chest puffed out as he scrunched his partially white nose at us in distaste. He was tall. Maybe even taller than Aryan. And for some reason, I felt like he had seen battle before.
Ngozi's mother stopped him, putting a calming hand on his shoulder as she approached me slowly. She was beautiful. She had this curly rose gold hair that seemed to sparkle against her cinnamon skin. Her cheekbones were high, and her eyes were almond shaped. There was a slight silver glow in her eyes that brought to light the chocolate in her irises. The closer she came to me, the better I could see the freckles that were splattered across her cheeks and nose.
I blinked at her, nervously. I felt like she was a beautiful swan, and I was just a duck. Aryan must have felt my anxiousness because he took away the warm hand that was holding mine and placed it in front of my body—his arm a blockade.
"That's far enough." He warned. His amber eyes glowed contemptuously.
She put her hands up in surrender but continued to stare at me. She seemed to pay little mind to Aryan. The woman slowly moved her left hand to lightly touch her throat.
I raised an eyebrow, confused. Was she mute too?
"You spelled her." Aryan mentioned quietly. "When she saw us, she used a siren song to disorient us. You didn't like that very much and spelled her to be silent."
I let out a slow, shaky breath that didn't go unnoticed by Aryan.
"It's ok." He whispered so only I could hear him. Then, he leered hard at Ngozi's mother. "If you try anything, siren, I won't hesitate to—"
I saw the way Ngozi's eyes were welling up with tears and put a hand on the arm in front of me. Aryan paused, side-eyeing me as I smiled softly at him. "Like you said, Aryan. It's ok."
He returned that deadly stare to the woman but did not stop me from releasing her from my power. "Speak freely." I ordered, watching as the woman smiled at me before smirking at Aryan.
"Aryan..." she said thoughtfully. Her voice sounded like bells. "I believe we met once before. However, at that time, I'm quite certain that I was the one with Lady Ashira."
He seemed to think on her words before replying. "Zahra, so you're a defector? Aren't you two a long way from home?"
She laughed lightly, but that only confused Ngozi and his father.
"Zahra." Her husband said curtly.
"It's alright, Owyn." She smiled at me delicately. "Haven't you realized it yet? It's Lady Ashira. I'd recognize her abilities anywhere." She reached for my hand, grabbing it gently. I felt uncomfortable at yet another person confusing me for their goddess. "I've missed you, milady. I see time has changed you. As you foretold."
"That's enough now." Aryan swatted her hand away. "And it's not Ashira. It's Samara. Surely you can see the difference." He huffed.
I smiled in thanks as Zahra smirked at us playfully. Her eyes bouncing between the two of us.
I felt my brows pull together in confusion. She changed her tune rather quickly. Is it really alright to trust her? Although... I watched Aryan looking like his usually annoyed self as we all stood there with silent tension. He seems to know who she is. Perhaps that counts for something.
Ngozi ran up to us, hugging Aryan and I—which seemed to surprise his parents greatly. Owyn approached us, hesitantly. He was still skeptical of our presence. It was something I couldn't fault him for. When Ngozi let us go, he turned to Zahra and Owyn and quickly started signing to them. He seemed to be saying a lot. His hands flashed signs I was unable to read.
"They protected you?" Owyn asked, puzzled.
"Protected you from whom?" Zahra asked, reaching a delicate hand for her son's cheek after she signed back. Ngozi continued to sign, never looking away from his parents' faces. "Those children again." She said scornfully. Then, she grabbed Ngozi, hugging him tightly. "I'm sorry, my darling." She looked into our eyes. The look she gave us was genuinely relieved as she said, "Thank you."
I nodded. "Of course."
"Well, even if they helped Ngozi the day before, why are you still here?"
I was about to answer when Zahra said, "Ngozi, why don't you go play in your room? We will clean up this mess and call you when breakfast is ready. Ok?"
He grinned from ear-to-ear before running away like an airplane. Do they have airplanes in Arcanum? I wondered briefly before refocusing.
I helped Owyn and Zahra pick up their bags and place them on the counters. Zahra began to put her supplies away as she said, "It was because of Ngozi, wasn't it? The reason you stuck around."
"Yes." I said softly. "He was scared. It seemed wrong to abandon him."
"Still," Owyn spoke gruffly. "We heard whispers of you two in Laurels. Soren's halflings are ripping cities apart looking for you."
Aryan shrugged, nonchalantly. "Let them." Then he eyed Owyn suspiciously. "Where are your loyalties, filly? Are you going to tell them where we are? Because I wouldn't suggest it."
Owyn half-growled, ready to tackle Aryan.
"Whoa!" I put my hand on Aryan's tense bicep, standing between the two Jauni. "Aryan, I think we need some fresh air. We'll be back. If that's ok."
Zahra nodded. "Please. Return and join us for breakfast."
"Zahra!" Owyn tried to dispute, but his wife simply raised her eyebrows as she half-scowled at him.
"Thank you." I nodded, sliding my hand down Aryan's arm to grasp his hand. He resisted at first but allowed me to guide him outside.