The Silver Siren by Chanda Hahn Page A

he eventually
smiled, though it took a while. He too, lifted my chin to stare
into my eye.
    “ That’s my girl. Still the
same…right?” Hemi asked.
    “ Yeah, just with a very
bad temper from being jostled around.”
    Just then, the inn door opened again,
and the young boy from the stable walked in, giving me a sheepish
look.
    I put my hands on my hips and gazed
sternly at him.
    “ So I may have forgot to
mention they came back. You would have found them eventually, and
now I’m three coppers richer.” I moved closer to him and he
squeaked and ran up the closest set of stairs to escape my
ire.
    Joss looked impatient. He took my hand
and pulled me over the table he had just vacated. Hemi followed
closely, not willing to lose sight of me again. Vienna sniffed at
Joss’s change in mood, but she went to fetch me a bowl of soup and
bread.
    Joss continued his story. “We made it
to Haven and took Mona to the Queen’s Palace. We told them
everything, and immediately we set back off to look for you. Darren
and Fanny went west; others from the Citadel volunteered as well.
But there’s more, Thalia. More have gone missing. This time right
from the Citadel.”
    “ How can the Septori be so
bold?” I gasped.
    “ They snuck in once; they
will do it again.”
    Hemi shook his head. “It’s not right,
children being taken. Not right! Doesn’t matter which clan they are
from.”
    Over dinner, I told him the shortened
version of the last few days, leaving out that I was blood-bonded
with Kael. That information was too valuable for anyone—even those
I trusted—toknow. Hemi was astonished that I’d actually seen the
Sanctuary of the SwordBrothers.
    “ Yes, I did,” I said
uncomfortably, hoping they wouldn’t press me for more
information.
    “ Where was it?” Joss
asked. He was on the edge of his seat with excitement.
    “ Far away,” I
mumbled.
    “ South? East? West? How
many days did you say you traveled on horseback to get
there?”
    “ Joss, I’m sorry. Kael
blindfolded me. I really don’t remember and I was so exhausted I
didn’t pay attention when I left either,” I lied.
    “ Where is he? Where’s Kael
and how could he not come with you?”
    “ He was injured when I
left. I’m sure he will be following soon,” I reached out, trying to
distract him from his questions with my hand on his. It worked.
Joss reached over and placed his on top of mine and
squeezed.
    Hemi, who had been a silent observer,
slammed his glass of mead down loudly on the table making me jump.
He pulled out a very long knife that he used to pick at piece of
dirt under his nail. His warning for Joss to back off was clear as
day. I couldn’t help but wonder at the change in his mood. Was it
because Fanny wasn’t around that Hemi was only now more observant?
Or since we were no longer pretending to be a couple, he wanted
distance between us?
    I rolled my eyes and pulled my hand
away from Joss’s. “Well, now that I am safe and sound we can head
back to the Citadel tomorrow. Maybe we can call in the volunteers
that went out looking for me and send them out looking for
Tenya.”
    Joss suddenly became quiet. “They
already did, but any extra help is worth it. I feel like it’s been
too long—that we’re too late. I can feel it here, in my
gut.”
    “ Don’t give up so easily
Joss. We’ll find your sister.” I tried to put as much reassurance
into my voice as possible, though I was beginning to lose hope as
well.
    “ And if we don’t, Thalia?
What if we never find her? What are you going to do?”
    The thought hadn’t occurred to me.
When the search ended, would I go back to my own clan? Just the
thought sent a shiver of unease down my spine. “I don’t know, Joss.
I guess I would go home.”
    “ You can’t go home,
Thalia. You belong with me at the Citadel. You know I would just
come after you again.” I could tell he meant it.
    “ Joss, I don’t know if
I’ll be allowed to go back to the Citadel. I tried to glance