Read Online Waterborn (The Emerald Series Book 1) by Kimberly James - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kimberly James
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didn’t.
“I just thought… I don’t know. You’re nineteen. I didn’t think guys lasted that long now days.”
Obviously, for some reason Maggie wasn’t letting this go. Talking to Jamie would have been so much easier.
“Magnolia. Stop. This is important.”
“More important than sex?” She tried not to laugh.
I knew what she was thinking. What could be more important than sex to a nineteen-year-old guy? I expelled a heavy breath. “Yes.”
“Oh.” The word came out so softly, I barely heard her. She put her hands on the table and clasped them together as though she were about to meditate, wrestling to control her face.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “This girl, she’s a breather. But I don’t think she knows it.” I didn’t think it. I knew it.
“That’s unusual.” She sounded surprised. “How old is she?”
“Seventeen, maybe eighteen.” At least I had her attention now.
“Wow.” She sat up straighter, the wheels of her mind practically humming. “That must mean there’s a pretty powerful charm in place.”
“That’s what I thought.”
Charms were fairly common. Maggie herself had the ability to put one in place. Sometimes a breather needed to go inland, be away from the Gulf for more than a day. A charm would give them that ability. Wearing a charm was like wearing a mask. Gills and webs disappeared. Any physical trait was hidden and the need for water subdued. I had never heard of anyone using one for more than a few days, a week at the most. Why would someone need a charm for seventeen years? I shuddered just thinking about it.
I practically saw the light bulb go off over Maggie’s head.
“She came in here the other day. Poor girl.”
I didn’t like the way Maggie was making this girl out to be the victim. I was the victim here.
“Well, there’s more.” This was the part I was dreading. Maggie waited with an expectant look on her face. “I can hear her.”
She didn’t react at first, as though she had no idea what I was talking about. I knew the second she realized what I was telling her. Her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open.
“She’s a siren.” Maggie could barely contain her excitement. She leaned forward, pinning me with her eyes. “I haven’t heard of that phenomenon since I was little girl.”
Maggie loved all things supernatural. And it might have been kind of cool had it not been happening to me. Besides, if I were to develop a superpower, mind reading wouldn’t be on my list of choices. Not that I could, in any way, read this girl’s mind. Not exactly. Though she might feel differently if she knew.
“You got an explanation why it’s happening now? Why me? And more importantly, how do I make it stop?”
“I’m not an expert on this stuff, Noah. And this is pretty old magic. And there are different kinds of Songs. Healing Songs, Songs for when someone is separated from the tribe and needs to be found. Songs connecting families. Songs of love and friendship,” she said, her voice all soft and fantastical, as if she found the whole idea totally romantic. I hated to break it to her—it wasn’t.
“And the ones of violence where the siren kills and eats her prey,” I deadpanned.
“That too. But if that were the case, you’d be dead already.” She waved the idea off. “I wish I could tell you more. As far as making it stop, I don’t think you can. I really don’t know a lot about how this works.”
“This is how it works.” My voice was hard with frustration. “I’ve got a soundtrack playing in my head to the tune of this girl’s moods. She’s got a happy song, a sad song, and a confused song, which is getting a hell of a lot of playtime. And I swear, I think there’s even a song for when she’s eating chocolate.” At some point during this confession I had closed my eyes. I opened them again and met Maggie’s stunned gaze. “I shouldn’t know this much, Maggie. I don’t want to know this much. I don’t
“I just thought… I don’t know. You’re nineteen. I didn’t think guys lasted that long now days.”
Obviously, for some reason Maggie wasn’t letting this go. Talking to Jamie would have been so much easier.
“Magnolia. Stop. This is important.”
“More important than sex?” She tried not to laugh.
I knew what she was thinking. What could be more important than sex to a nineteen-year-old guy? I expelled a heavy breath. “Yes.”
“Oh.” The word came out so softly, I barely heard her. She put her hands on the table and clasped them together as though she were about to meditate, wrestling to control her face.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “This girl, she’s a breather. But I don’t think she knows it.” I didn’t think it. I knew it.
“That’s unusual.” She sounded surprised. “How old is she?”
“Seventeen, maybe eighteen.” At least I had her attention now.
“Wow.” She sat up straighter, the wheels of her mind practically humming. “That must mean there’s a pretty powerful charm in place.”
“That’s what I thought.”
Charms were fairly common. Maggie herself had the ability to put one in place. Sometimes a breather needed to go inland, be away from the Gulf for more than a day. A charm would give them that ability. Wearing a charm was like wearing a mask. Gills and webs disappeared. Any physical trait was hidden and the need for water subdued. I had never heard of anyone using one for more than a few days, a week at the most. Why would someone need a charm for seventeen years? I shuddered just thinking about it.
I practically saw the light bulb go off over Maggie’s head.
“She came in here the other day. Poor girl.”
I didn’t like the way Maggie was making this girl out to be the victim. I was the victim here.
“Well, there’s more.” This was the part I was dreading. Maggie waited with an expectant look on her face. “I can hear her.”
She didn’t react at first, as though she had no idea what I was talking about. I knew the second she realized what I was telling her. Her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open.
“She’s a siren.” Maggie could barely contain her excitement. She leaned forward, pinning me with her eyes. “I haven’t heard of that phenomenon since I was little girl.”
Maggie loved all things supernatural. And it might have been kind of cool had it not been happening to me. Besides, if I were to develop a superpower, mind reading wouldn’t be on my list of choices. Not that I could, in any way, read this girl’s mind. Not exactly. Though she might feel differently if she knew.
“You got an explanation why it’s happening now? Why me? And more importantly, how do I make it stop?”
“I’m not an expert on this stuff, Noah. And this is pretty old magic. And there are different kinds of Songs. Healing Songs, Songs for when someone is separated from the tribe and needs to be found. Songs connecting families. Songs of love and friendship,” she said, her voice all soft and fantastical, as if she found the whole idea totally romantic. I hated to break it to her—it wasn’t.
“And the ones of violence where the siren kills and eats her prey,” I deadpanned.
“That too. But if that were the case, you’d be dead already.” She waved the idea off. “I wish I could tell you more. As far as making it stop, I don’t think you can. I really don’t know a lot about how this works.”
“This is how it works.” My voice was hard with frustration. “I’ve got a soundtrack playing in my head to the tune of this girl’s moods. She’s got a happy song, a sad song, and a confused song, which is getting a hell of a lot of playtime. And I swear, I think there’s even a song for when she’s eating chocolate.” At some point during this confession I had closed my eyes. I opened them again and met Maggie’s stunned gaze. “I shouldn’t know this much, Maggie. I don’t want to know this much. I don’t
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