A Siren's Sorrow

5

The club is swinging as everyone dances and drinks to their hearts content. I sip on my glass of gin and watch them. Jealousy is bubbling in my chest as Theta sings what used to be my set. It's just another reminder that it might never be me up there again.

"Don't worry, Birdy. I'm sure you're voice will be back to singing shape in no time at all." Arty, the usual bartender, tries to encourage me as he refills my glass. I offer him a fake smile and spin the glass around on the countertop.

"He's right, you know, Miss Elinor." Chills trace across my arms at the too familiar voice despite the lessoned accent, and it only takes a moment before Madame Vitario walks into my line of sight with her gap-toothed smile.

It takes me a moment to connect the voice with the woman who ruined my life. In this light and average clothes, she could almost be mistaken for normal. The wrinkles that painted her face seem softer, and she looks nearly youthful as she leans against the bar.

"It is quite possible to regain what you lost. In fact, I was going to explain it before you ran off and didn't finish the story."

I clench my glass and grit my teeth, wishing nothing more that I could shout all the hateful words on the tip of my tongue and hurt her like she hurt me. But nothing can come out of my mouth except for horrific groans. She smiles at me, and for a split second, I swear she looks sorry.

"I know you're understandably upset, and I also should have explained everything before finishing the transition." My knuckles turn white at the comment, but she continues on entirely unaware. "Looking back, that's entirely my fault. Hence why I had to find you and finish the story."

She pauses for a moment when I slam my hand against the bar, tip back my drink, and turn away from her. "Walk away if you must, but then you'll never learn how to get back what you lost."

Her words stop me in my tracks, which gives Madame Vitario the encouragement she seems to need. "There's others like you out there too, you know, other Sirens, and people who want to see any and all Sirens obliterated. If you leave now, you'll never learn how to find the right group. Nor will you learn what it takes to be whole again."

The information gives me a long pause. I'm half tempted to stay and listen to what she has to say, but then, I lock eyes with Tommy, who smiles at me happily. It occurs to me that this is all part of her sick, twisted game. Perhaps it's another way for her to toy and upset me further, to ruin any chance I have at normality by sending me chasing nothing.

I turn around and do the only thing that I can in this situation to make my feelings to her clearer than the crystal glass in her slender fingers—I spit in her face. She reels back with eyes wide, and the song ends with a screeching piano bench as the closest people in the club turn to watch the spectacle.

It only takes a moment before I feel a comforting hand wrap around my waist. "Everything okay, Birdy?" He questions softly, but I can hear the lingering edge in his voice from the idea of me in any form of danger. Madame Vitario's eyes dart between me and Tommy, another one of her cryptic smiles pulling at her lips.

I nod before linking my hand with Tommy's and moving as far away as I can from the vile woman, who still watches me with a predator's eyes. The moment we're far enough away, I grab the nearest glass and tip it back in the hope to be able to forget the whole event.

Tommy frowns at the action, clearly not believing it was nothing. "Birdy," he whispers and rests his forehead against my own, "you've really gotta start talking to me about what's going on in your head."

I tug on his hand and shake my head. There's bound to be time to explain later, but right now, I barely know what to think about everything—much less talk through it. So I pull us out into the dance floor and rest my head on his chest to feel his heartbeat.