Page 105 of A Silence So Divine

Cecil grabs for it, a self-satisfied smile in place.“Can’t turn twenty-one without a birthday drink.”

Creed is well and truly inebriated.

After insufferable pleading, I attempted to take a shot with him, but I promptly sputtered it out all over myself. Never in my life have I tasted anything so bad. Every time Creed takes a swig from the bottle, he shudders. Cecil brought pineapple juice to mix, but his little brother is adamant that he doesn’t need it.

Men and their pride.

The three of us sit around the fire. A thick blanket is wrapped around my shoulders, my knees pulled up to my chest. The stars are high, and looking out to the ocean, we’re met with never ending inky blackness. You’d think the water disappeared altogether if it wasn’t for the steadywhooshof waves on the shore.

Creed had been a flurry of conversation from the first drop of alcohol. Over the last couple hours, he jumped from topic to topic; sharing his opinions on anything from the benefits of salting pasta water, to how he thinks he could wrestle a sharkif he had to.

Now, he’s grown quiet, and I let out a sigh of relief. My eyes are tired from tracking all the movements. Gazing into the fire, I catch green eyes on me between the dancing flames. The moment I meet his stare, Cecil blinks and looks away.

All too soon, Creed waves his hand to get our attention.

“I have a confession to make,” he announces. His face is screwed up in something akin to dread, and my chest tightens with anxiety.

Checking that he has both of our attention, he inhales deeply before proclaiming,“Eden has been training with Sylvie.”

My jaw drops. Cecil laughs earnestly, his eyes crinkling.

Creed looks even more apprehensive after his brother’s reaction.“You’re not mad?”

“No,”he manages between chuckles.“I knew.”

Flummoxed, I ask,“How?”We’ve been so careful. Everyone at the Refuge swore not to tell.

Eyes brimming with mirth are on me.“Because I know you.”

Such simple words, but something pleasant stirs within me, weaving throughout my veins and over my bones. Our eyes are locked, and I bask in the swell of emotions. It’s uncomfortable to feel anything so strongly, but it’s inevitable with these two.

Oblivious to the intensity of the moment, Creed suddenly shoots up and informs us that he’s going to be sick. It takes all of three steps before he’s retching in the sand, bracing himself with his hands on his knees.

The tension is there and gone. Cecil stands, dusts the sand off his jeans, and goes to his brother’s aid. The two stagger away, arms over the other’s shoulders. Tents are set up near the truck,and as soon as they disappear into one, I allow my thoughts to return to my mother’s journal.

The necklace weighs heavy on my neck, and I fiddle with the dangling bird. Will I see her? In some other life? I don’t want to be alone. One lifetime of seclusion is enough. The Fates are all about balance, aren’t they? So maybe, if I’m lucky, the afterlife is kinder to me.

The sound of shifting sand has me banishing the thoughts.

“He’s out,” Cecil announces, plopping down. Only, this time, he sits right beside me. Our arms brush, and I find myself wishing the blanket wasn’t there as a barrier. He’s wearing short sleeves and I’m curious if the bare skin is warm.

“Probably a good thing,”I say.

He snorts, leaning back on his elbows and stretching his legs out in front of him. His toes are so close to the fire, I cringe.

“Did you enjoy today? I figured you’d never been to the ocean.”

Taking a deep breath, the woodsmoke fills my lungs. It burns, but it’s kind of nice. I’ll never experience this again. My lips lift into a close-lipped grin.

“Yes, thank you.”

I can feel him looking at me, but I continue facing forward.

“I’ve been here once–that’s how I know about it. When we were little, we came out here with our dad. Creed was still a baby, so he doesn’t remember.” His voice sounds far away, locked in a memory. “It was one of the only trips we took, but it was out of necessity. My dad was in trouble, so we came here to hide out for a while. Lived in his SUV. At the time, it was like an adventure.” He shakes his head. I chance a peek.

With the amber glow, he’s impossibly beautiful. It hurts to look at him.

“Did you swim?”I ask, desperate for him to keep talking. He shares so little about himself, I seize the opportunity.