The Siren Song - Book 2 of the Legends of Henge Series

Chapter 16

Cander Flemming 

I pressed my eye onto the eyeglass of the telescope, grateful that I was given an excuse to avoid awkward staring. I blinked, eyelashes crunching into the glass, making me flinch away. Someone snorted next to me.

"You're so stupid sometimes, Cander," Luna laughed. The corner of my mouth twitched but I felt this was more a moment to be laughed at. She shoved me. "Loosen up some, will you?"

Nesia rolled her eyes and my chest rolled with them.

My eyes rested briefly on her long hair before flicking back to the floor.

Hero leaned against the opposite wall, overlooking the roads beneath us. Harper seemed wistfully distracted by the architecture, while Quinn bounced around from place to place like the ball of energy she was.

"I think I might turn in," Nesia commented a little later. "Quinn, maybe you should too."

Luna's shoulders slumped. "You two are gonna leave before the fun starts."

"You still have Hero and Cander," Quinn pointed out. "And Samar, wherever he went."

"Actually, I was gonna..." my voice faded away as I didn't know what I was going to do.

"What?" Luna said distractedly. No one had heard me.

"I'm going for a walk," I decided.

Luna blinked. "Cander, I seriously can't hear you over the noise."

I just waved a hand over my shoulder as I left. My mind was set for the library.

My feet were set for the trails in the forest.

I did not bother to argue with my feet, thinking to myself, it was easier to just follow where they led me. I was vaguely following a set of footprints in the dust, but I wasn't really thinking about it.

The footprints disappeared.

I sighed. Now where was I going to go?

I glanced down at my watch and was startled to see how much time had passed. Curfew was coming fast.

***

The force of Nesia whacking me with a stick sent me sailing backwards. "Come on, Cander," Professor Huxley chided, salt and pepper goatee quivering. "I know you can do better than that."

Nesia grabbed my forearm and pulled me up, handing me the practice stick I'd discarded in my epic fall. "The faster you start to hit back, the faster this will end," Nesia hissed. I knew she was right.

Huxley wouldn't let me off the hook. I grimaced at Nesia through the slits in the leather helmet. She lunged forward and whacked me on the head while I stood there dumbly. I flinched out of the way of her next lightning quick attack. "Good Cander!" Huxley yelled from the fence line. "Try blocking next time."

Nesia jabbed me under my arm and as I lunged forward, my foot slipped on a rock. I fell, yet again, cracking my chin on the ground. Huxley mumbled something as I blinked away tears.

"Well, go again," Huxley sighed.

"I think Cander needs to go to the Med Tent, professor," Nesia stated. "His chin's bleeding."

"I'm fine," I muttered.

"What was that, Cander?"

"I said, I can keep going." Huxley nodded and gestured for us to continue. I'm not sure he actually heard what I'd said, just what he wanted to hear.

It was just lucky that that aligned with what I'd said. I couldn't see how Nesia felt about this through our helmets. "If you don't win this round, I will kill you," Nesia promised and I nodded stiffly.

Nesia flew forward at an alarming rate that alone gave me balance issues. I teetered on my toes, moving my shoulder forward to try and shove her over. I expected her practice stick to end it there.

It didn't come. "Come on," she hissed. "Just stab me already."

"Huh?" I stumbled and she won the strength war. I took a quick step backwards to regain some balance but Nesia stepped on my toe and I fell on my back, forcing the air from my lungs.

I rolled over, knowing it was over. "Alright, you two can be done, I suppose," Huxley decided. "Cander, remind me that we need to work on your offense. Three years and it hasn't gotten any better."

"Sorry, Professor," Nesia said gruffly. I pushed myself up on my own this time, watching Nesia jump over the fence to a sympathetic Quinn. "Next time, we're partners," she hissed to her sister.

I frowned at the ground. "Sorry," I mumbled.

"C'mon Cander, we want to get to lunch!" Hero called from down the path. I held up a hand and quickened my pace.

Squeezing in on the end of the bench like always, I started to eat, just as an excuse not to be spoken to. "Luna! Luna," Harper came bustling over. "Have you seen Anvi?"

"No, why would I have?" Luna said, words muffled by her food.

"She's missing," Harper told us. My head snapped upwards.

"Missing?"

"Yeah," Harper sighed. "Aurum already knows. She didn't come back last night. I figured she was just breaking curfew again-"

"Wait, wait wait," Luna interrupted. "Again? When did she break curfew the first time?"

"The other night, she followed Jonah," Harper rushed. "But that's not the point. No one can find her now!"

"Where did you last see her?"

"We were in the Planetarium. I yelled down to her, remember? She said she'd meet up with me later," Harper explained. Her hands were shaking I noticed. Luna hadn't yet, her eyes were locked securely on Harper's face.

There was a sudden loud and raucous moan from down the bench. "My dear Anvi is missing?"

"Oh God, I forgot," Harper groaned. Quinn gave us all her greatest puppy dog eyes and distraught sniffling.

Samar squinted at her in disbelief. "She's my sister and even I'm not that worried," he pointed out. "Have you checked the library? She might have fallen asleep."

"Yeah, we checked three times!" Harper sighed. "Did you not know? Did Aurum not tell you?"

"No, must have slipped her mind," Samar admitted. Quinn let out another loud whimper. "Would you shut it? There are more important things going on right now."

Nesia grimaced and arched a brow. Obviously she agreed with Samar, as did everyone else. "Sorry," Quinn muttered.

"You're just too dramatic about some things, Quinn," Nesia said quietly.

"Are you completely sure she didn't just climb one of the trees in the library and fall asleep?" Samar asked again.

"I don't think so," Harper continued. "I checked all the trees she's usually in."

"Yeah, I might just go check all the ones she isn't in then," Samar decided, getting up. "I mean, usually in, sorry. Let Professor Orion know I'm looking for my sister." Luna nodded, trying on a reassuring smile for the occasion.

Harper slumped in her seat and my eyes trailed back to my food tray. "It's just like Asteria all over again, isn't it?"

Luna's eyes widened at Harper's statement, but no one said anything. "No," I muttered. "It won't be like that. We won't let it be."

Once again, no one heard me.

Well, it's a day late but whatever.

Question of the Chapter: What's your favorite musical?

My Answer: That's a really hard question. I love a lot of musicals, not even just Broadway ones. So I'm going to take a pass.

See you all next week!!!

Vote, Comment, and Share!!!

I reverse hate you all!!!!!