Silenced by Natasha Larry Page A

do.
    “Okay, that was intentionally glib.” She rakes a hand back through her hair. “Twenty four. You?”
    “Twenty-two.” I offer my hand to her. When she reaches to shake it, I lick my bottom lip. She’s warm. And soft.
    And probably not just on her palms.
    “Nice to meet you, Valene Spencer.”
    She bites down on her thin, lower lip. “You always this polite?”
    Holding onto her hand a little longer than I need to, I smile, then slowly release her.
    “Why are you here, Valene Spencer?”
    She laughs. “Because I’ve been a bad girl.” She turns around and sticks out her ass. “And we both know what they do to bad girls at Compound Six now that you’re back in business.”
    My eyes widen. Was not expecting that response. When she turns back to face me, she laughs louder.
    “You should lighten up, Pike.”
    She’s about to die, and she’s telling me to lighten up.
    Interesting.
    All I can manage to do is stare at her. She rolls her eyes and sits on the nearby weight bench. Crossing her legs, she sighs.
    “Fine, you want an actual answer?”
    I nod.
    “I’m a bit of a trouble maker. Stealing food. Conning people out of extra shower time. And my latest offense, talking to one of your people.”
    “My people?”
    She nods, eyes crinkling at the corners. “Oh, yeah.” She holds up her hands in the air, an admission of guilt. “Was shooting the shit with this earth Spirit. Nadine. She’s pretty cool.”
    I inch toward her. “Oh, my. You have been a bad girl.”
    Leaning back, she grins. “You gonna teach me a lesson?”
    I smile. “I am in the lesson-teaching business.” I furrow my brows, having fun with this flirtation. “Let’s see, I can have you write, Do not to talk to the things the gods made, on the black board one hundred times.”
    Her lips press together, a thoughtful expression settling on her face. “That’s a good start. But, seeing as how it’s my last lesson, maybe you could make it a little more fun.”
    Laugher booms out of me. I shake my head. “I’ll see what I can do.”
    She straightens the pants of her coveralls. “Good.”
    We stare at each other for a few charged moments, enjoying the anticipation, then I clear my throat.
    “In all seriousness, aren’t you scared?”
    Her head tilts to the side. “Of?”
    I raise an eyebrow.
    “Oh.” Her bright eyes narrow. “Of you? Of dying?’ She snorts.
    Again, not the reaction I was expecting. I reach out to wrap my power around her because I’m curious. And that’s all I feel when I taste her, my own curiosity.
    Well, goddamn.
    That’s rare.
    “No, I’m not afraid.” Her expression almost crumples. “I’m more excited than anything. Never met a siren before.”
    “Why?”
    She shrugs. “Just never ran into one?”
    I sigh, then stare at her. Realization brightens her eyes.
    “Oh! Why aren’t I afraid?” She frowns. “This conversation is getting depressing. And counterproductive.”
    With a smile, I sit down next to her. Leaning over, I brush her hair away from her ear. “If you humor me, I promise to make it up to you.”
    Her body trembles. I scan my gaze down the length of her leg to the toes that are curling on the mat.
    After a few moments, she huffs. “Okay, only… If I give you one, you give me one?”
    I lick my lips. “Bet.”
    With a small smile, she tucks her hair behind her ears.
    “I’m not afraid of dying, because there’s nothing left to be afraid of.” Her head turns, and she stares straight ahead. “Before this, my life was good. And after... I watched the love of my life turn into this… creature that ate her own frickin’…” She shudders, shaking the bench with emotion. With a sniffle, she pinches her eyelids down with her fingers.
    We sit there for however long. I clear my throat.
    “I’m sorry,” I finally say.
    She turns to me, waving me off. “No, I’ve accepted it.”
    Something about the expression makes me curious again. I reach out to taste her. And again,