Siren's Storm

She went rigid. “What?”

The word was a clang-like a door slamming. It shook him, and Will blinked. “Gretchen told me what happened.”

“Did she?” Her voice had gone soft again, musical.

Will felt sleepy, but he fought it. “She did.”

“Are you certain?” It was a long note, almost a song.

Just agree, whispered a voice in his mind. But he couldn’t let it go. There were too many holes in his memory-too many questions. He needed some answers. “Yes.”

Asia cocked her head. She looked at him a long time. He had almost given up when she said, “You’re different.”

“What?” Will was so surprised by this that he took a step backward. “What do you mean?”

“There aren’t many like you, Will.”

Will didn’t know what to say. “I’m nothing special.”

Asia just looked at him. “Most… people… have weak minds.”

“You say ‘people’ as if you aren’t one of us.”

“Life is full of mysteries,” Asia said at last. She held his gaze, but just for a moment, and then she kissed him on the jaw.

Before he even realized what happened, she was walking away across the sand. Will put a hand to his forehead. His brain was muddy, as if he’d just walked across a clear river, stirring up silt. He watched the white form as it began to fade from view. “You don’t have to be so mysterious all the time!” he shouted after her.

But she didn’t turn back.

Will sighed. He looked over at the pier. Gretchen and Angus were leaning against the railing, talking and smiling. Would she even really notice if I skipped the party? But Will knew that she would. He didn’t want to go, but it wasn’t worth hurting her feelings.

The sand rasped softly underfoot as he headed toward his friends. As he approached the pier, the gentle roar of the sea beside him subsided, giving way to sounds of music and laughter.

“Will!” Gretchen, half dangling over the side of the railing, waved frantically at him. He waved back, and hurried his steps toward the pier.

She fought her way through a thicket of moist bodies to reach him at the end of the pier, near the sand. “You made it,” she said. Her cheeks were pink from the heat, and her smile lit up her whole face. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, and she was wearing a pretty red halter dress. He was taken off guard at how beautiful she was. Usually Gretchen was just… Gretchen. But here, with her hair blowing in the soft breeze, she looked different to him.

Angus had gotten caught by Gina Abernathy-the chattiest girl in Walfang-and it took him a moment to extricate himself. “Hey, man,” he said, appearing at Gretchen’s side. “A couple of people are talking about building a bonfire on the beach. What do you think?”

Someone screamed from the other end of the pier, and that was when Will saw the figure standing atop the railing at the edge. Someone reached out as the figure spread its arms wide.

“Holy-”

Splash.

“Gretchen!” She was already running toward the end of the pier, and Will darted after her. “Gretchen!” She stopped at the railing and looked out over the edge.

The figure in the water splashed and writhed.

“Shit.” Will kicked off his shoes. There were screams and movement around him. A hand grabbed at his shirt as Will climbed over the rail, but he pushed it away.

“Stop him!” Gretchen’s voice.

“Will!” Angus’s voice came to him from far away.

Below, Will saw white foam around the frantic figure. Someone threw a life preserver into the water, but the figure ignored it.

“It’s Kirk Worstler,” Angus said, and then Will stepped into the open air. For a moment he was weightless as he plunged, feet first, into the water.

Will heard someone-Gretchen?-screaming his name, but in a few quick strokes he had reached the life preserver. Grabbing it, he kicked until he was face to face with Kirk. Kirk’s eyes were black, pupils dilated wide, and his dark hair streamed down his face.

“They’re coming. They’re almost here,” Kirk spluttered as a slight wave caught him in the mouth. “They’ve come for her.”

“What?” Will reached out, but Kirk slapped his hand away.

“Vengeance rushes from the mouths of the serpents. They’ve come for her-will she breathe fire on them?” Kirk looked at him. “They’ve tasted your blood.”

“Who?”

“The seekriegers are singing. They’ve come for her. Can you hear them? Can you hear them?”

“No, dude. No-I can’t hear them.”

“No?” Only Kirk’s head was visible above the water, eyes huge, pale skin. “You don’t hear them?” He looked vulnerable, like a child.

“Will,” said a voice.

It was Asia. Her head floated on the water nearby, hair slicked away from her face.

Kirk started screaming, and Will had to pin his arms to his sides. Reaching out, Asia touched Kirk’s hair. He struggled away from her, but she leaned forward and sang something into his ear. Will couldn’t catch the words- they were on his deaf side.

After a moment Kirk quieted. Then he seemed to lapse into a state of semiconsciousness.

“It’s time to go back,” Will told him. He gestured toward the shore.

Kirk had grown very still. Only his legs still beat the water, keeping him afloat. Will took loosened his grip and gently led Kirk to the red and white life preserver.

“I’m behind you,” Asia said.

“Won’t they be angry?” Kirk asked dreamily as Will kicked his way toward the shore.

“Who?”

“The seekriegers.”

Will didn’t know what that meant. “I don’t think so,” seemed like the safest answer.

“Good.” Kirk seemed to sink a little, and his eyelids drooped. “I’m so tired.”

“We’re close now.”

“I can’t hear them anymore.”

“That’s okay.”

A few of the partygoers watched from the pier, but most had gathered by the shore as Will and Kirk staggered out of the surf. Once he was back on his legs, Kirk’s body started to sag a little, and Will had to hold him up.

Will helped Kirk to the sand, where he sat shivering, knees to chin. “The seekriegers have come for her. The song sleeps on the wind, waiting for deliverance…”

Gina appeared with a towel, which she wrapped around Kirk’s shoulders as he babbled on. People gathered around in a big circle, whispering and talking.

“Would you give him some room?” Will snapped.

Nobody did.

Will turned, expecting to see Asia nearby, but she was nowhere to be found. Was she even really there? he wondered. Or did I dream that? With his eyes, Will measured the distance from the shore to the place where Kirk had jumped. It was significant. Asia must be a strong swimmer.

“Will, hey-” It was Harry Ansell. His eyes were worried beneath his thick, straight brows. “Listen, would you… would you mind taking Kirk home?” He swept his five-hundred-dollar shaggy haircut out of his eyes. “Before the cops get here, I mean?”

“Will!” Gretchen was sprinting toward him. Angus loped behind her.

“Will-what the hell?” She punched him in the arm, hard. “What do you think you’re doing? That drug addict