The Siren at the Museum (The Girl Who Sang #1)

Chapter 5

Azura stood shining under the gallery lights; her eyes glimmering gold under the stark black of her knit cap, the white cat medallion gleaming just below the notebook she held to her chest with one hand. She slowly pulled down her mask-like scarf and tucked the folds of its fabric under the point of her chin. Her delicate features were trembling with sorrow, as if she were on the verge of despair. Luz had never seen anyone so beautiful. She was stunned, and stared at the golden-eyed girl for so long she almost didn't hear the repeated question, "Can... can you hear me, Luz?"

Luz swallowed, "Ye-yes!" then winced at how loud her voice sounded in the room, "Sorry, I can hear you." She took a step forward and raised a hand, suddenly shy, "Hi, Azura."

Azura held a hand up to her mouth, a tremulous smile breaking out behind her fingertips. She laughed, once, and tears pooled in the corners of her eyes as she whispered, "Hello Luz." She curled both hands over the notebook and held it low at her waist, a practiced, formal pose. "It's a pleasure to meet you," the golden-eyed girl smiled as she gave the smallest bow, "for the second time."

Luz was smitten. "Yeah, no, the pleasure is all, uh, for me—wow, sorry," she slapped herself on the forehead to try again, "It's so quiet in here, is that why I can hear you?"

Azura looked around the room, just for a moment, "I believe so," before turning back to the brown-eyed girl staring at her in surprise, "I had tried to speak to you before now, but you couldn't hear me... I almost didn't attempt it this time, I had just about lost hope." She shrugged, tilting her head to one side, and Luz couldn't remember seeing anything so adorable before. "But this gallery seemed just right." Her voice was almost too soft to hear. It was a slip of wind, the palest ghost of a breath.

Luz softened her voice to try and match, "Right, yeah, it's perfect." She took another step forward, just to be closer, "Tell me about yourself, then. I-I'd love to get to know you." She ran a hand through her hair, at a loss for what to ask, "What, uh, what do you do?"

"I sing," Azura said, as she gave Luz a soft smile.

"Qué." Luz looked incredulous.

Azura tilted her head slightly, "I'm a singer."

"That's... are you serious?" Luz leaned forward and squinted, not sure if the golden-eyed girl was trying to pull one over on her.

The pale girl furrowed her eyebrows, frowning, "Yes, I'm serious."

Luz stood upright, raising her hands in surrender with a laugh, "Sorry! Lo siento, I just didn't expect to hear that."

Azura raised her nose just a hair, her eyes tightening slightly with a knowing grin, "I can see how you'd find it amusing. I'm not offended." She took a slow, graceful step to the side and sat down on one of the black leather benches. She folded her hands over the notebook in her lap and began speaking slowly, staring somewhere near Luz's knees. "Sometimes I am ordered to rest my vocal cords after a strenuous performance. It's what we call going "on silence". It usually lasts for a few days." She looked to the side, a disgusted curl of her lip twisting her face for a moment, "Whispering is just as bad as talking, honestly, it's strictly forbidden."

"Whoa, hey, then," Luz said quickly, taking the last few steps forward to perch on the edge of the bench beside Azura, their knees brushing, "Then you need to stop, right?" The pale girl began shaking her head, her mouth pinched and trembling. She took a shuddering breath as Luz reached out to lift one of her hands, cradling it gently between her larger palms, "We'll have time to talk later," Luz begged, "I don't want you hurting yourself."