Page 49 of Hunger & Harmony

Don’t be reckless.

I stare at it longer than I should. The plain wall of messages. No emojis or cute nicknames. No warmth.

“Cadence?”

When I glance up, Niko is obscured by my misty eyes. A few tears slip, and I quickly rub them away with my sleeve. Wow. I can’t believe I’m crying when it’s him who needs comfort. I’ve never been more ashamed to be a crybaby.

“Sorry, uh . . .” I put my phone back. “What was I saying?”

He looks like he wants to acknowledge the shift in my mood, his stare lingering on my tear-stained cheeks. I’m relieved he chooses not to.

“Your best . . . something?”

My best friend. The one I feel like I’m losing with each day on the job. I know she’d sneer at me for where I am. Alone, in an abandoned theatre, with the king of vampires.

But the one reaching out to me as my chest aches is him. It’s Niko who frowns in concern and waits patiently as I collect myself. It’s him who feels safe to cling onto.

“Well, I met this girl as a freshman in college. A music major. My parents honestly trust her more than me, so they didn’t suspect anything when she got her counselor to sign off on this ‘internship’ in Sunveil.”

Another tear rolls down to my smile.

“This is the first time I’ve been able to just . . .live. I can listen to music, travel around Aurea, and be normal.” I point at him with a giggle and a sniffle. “So, yes, Niklaus Vane. You are very cool to me. The most glorious.”

That gets him to smile again. Even though he’s looking at me, he starts to feel further away. I fight the urge to put my hands on his.

“That means more than you might believe,” he says, voice as quiet as the air. I can hear the rain’s gentle rhythm on the rooftop. “It reminds me of when I sang for love, not power.”

I sniffle and scoot closer. My clothed arm presses against his.

“I told you some of my story, so tell me a bit of yours.”

The very thought seems to pain him. After a moment of consideration, he relaxes back again. He takes just a moment to gather his thoughts.

“My mother was a bard. Born to a respected but powerless family. To her, titles meant nothing next to character. Not that the Court or any high-bloods uphold such views.”

“Was she happy that you sing so well?” I ask, and he nods, eyes full of firelight as they linger on the empty stage.

“Mm. Not every pureblood has such potent siren magic.”

“Siren?” I echo, and he chuckles.

“Ah, of course a human doesn’t . . .” He shrugs. “It's ancient history, but vampires were born of High Fae and sirens.”

My eyes widen, almost popping right out of my head.

“Really? Fae and sirens?”

While I remember Ezren mentioning sirens, I didn’t take it literally. Because there’s no way. Vampires can’t get more fascinating.

“I tell no lies. The ocean-bound grew jealous of High Fae’s freedom on land. As it was, a rogue prince attempted to lure fae to steal their form and obtain legs. What he didn’t count on was falling in love.”

“How romantic,” I breathe, absolutely stunned.

“Truly, given the brutal nature of sirens.”

That explains the songs, then. The hunger. The pull.

“Huh . . .So much goes on that humans know nothing about.” I glance at him. “So, you’re, like, the culmination of all this power . . .But you want to sing for love?”