CHAPTER SIXTEEN

STRUMMING HEARTSTRINGS

Seth brought Juliet another blanket when he noticed she was shivering. “Sorry,” he said calmly. “It’s cold in here. You should probably come back tomorrow if you want to go swimming. Actually, come next week. It takes the human body four or five days to replace the amount of blood we’re taking, so you’ll feel strong again by then.”

Juliet put her free hand to her mouth and bit the side of her index finger. She wasn’t shivering because she was cold. She was shivering because of what he’d just said. Did he really think she was immortal? Juliet didn’t have any birth secrets. She had no memories from before she tried to kill herself, but she did have fifteen scrapbooks her mother had made of their family before she lost her memory. There were tons of pictures of her with her parents. She even looked like them. There was no way her parents were not her parents.

Just then, Chas checked the bag at her side. “You’re done. Let’s get you unhooked. Good job, Juliet. For a first time donor, you were very brave. Some girls squeal a lot about the pain.”

“It was fine,” Juliet said as Chas tugged the tape off her arm.

Within seconds, she was free from the machine with a piece of gauze taped over her puncture wound. Chas handed Seth the tube and Seth sucked the tiny remnant of red liquid out of it like he was a child licking the cake batter spoon.

“Okay,” Chas said, “let’s go to the bar. We have to keep the second half of our deal.”

Seth helped Juliet up from the chair with one hand and took the plastic bag of blood from Chas with the other.

“Congratulations Seth! I’ll see that your left wrist doesn’t get broken,” Chas said kindly.

“Why would his wrist break?” Fiona asked.

“Family joke,” Chas said to Fiona, but his eyes stayed on Seth and they looked serious.

Juliet felt a little light-headed as they went back through the theater to the bar. She leaned into Seth and let him lead her to a barstool. Then Seth went behind the bar while Chas and Fiona took seats beside Juliet. From under the counter, Seth brought out two shot glasses and clunked them down. He unplugged the plastic bag and filled both shots. He slid one towards Chas and said, “For your consideration.”

“Thank you,” Chas said, picking it up.

“Wait,” Fiona said, grabbing Chas' arm. “What are you doing?”

“I’m tasting it. Don’t worry, honey, it won’t spoil my appetite.”

When Juliet saw Fiona’s distress, she grumbled and then gathered her courage to say what was on her mind. “Seth and Chas want to find out if I’m immortal. If I’m right, Chas has never shared your blood with Seth. When he drains a little off the top, he’s putting it away for a rainy day. Seth probably has no idea what immortal blood tastes like.”

Fiona looked slightly horrified. “Is that true?”

Chas raised his eyebrows and clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth. “Yeah, that’s how it is. You’re not angry, are you?”

Fiona stared at him blankly for a moment. At last, she finally stuttered, “I... I think I am. You’ve been lying to me all this time about needing blood for your brother. And what about the emergency? If you’ve been saving it then you don’t need to drink my blood today.”

Chas put the shot glass back on the bar untasted and said unflinchingly, “I did not lie about today. It just wasn’t my emergency. I’m sure you can put two and two together, Fiona. If Juliet came today and continues to come then there’s no need for me to replace the donor who quit. You want me to have fewer donors, don’t you?”

Fiona squirmed on her feet.

“It’s okay, Fiona,” Juliet heard herself saying. “You don’t have to give him your blood if you don’t want to.”

“I’ll think about it,” she said, averting her eyes and turning slightly on the bar stool.

It was then that Juliet noticed Seth. His hand was on his forehead, and she noticed a thin line of perspiration. He was still holding his glass, waiting, sweating, and silently losing his mind over the small amount of warm blood under his nose.

Chas seemed to notice, too, and he gave Seth a nod to continue. Chas would know how he was suffering.

“Bottom’s up,” Seth said tightly, just before he drained his glass.

Chas drank his at the same time, and the two brothers slammed their glasses down on the bar. Their eyes locked as though trying to gauge what the other thought.

“You go first,” Chas said at last.

Seth started pouring another glass. “I’ve never tasted such young blood, but this blood doesn’t exactly have the tang of innocence some of the blood you bring me has.”

“No,” Chas said, sniffing the inside of his cup.

Juliet was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable and yet strangely valuable. It was almost like having your fortune told, having two sirens taste your blood in order to figure out your personality and perhaps, your destiny.

Chas licked out the inside of his shot and then turned to Juliet. “Not to burst your bubble, but this isn’t immortal blood. Not only does it not taste right, but Fiona’s blood changes color after about fifteen minutes. It turns golden and looks more like honey than blood.”

Seth took another swig and after he swished it around in his mouth he said, “This blood is tainted. I need a different glass.” He fumbled around under the bar until he pulled out a large brandy glass. It was big enough to double as a fishbowl. He poured the rest of Juliet’s blood into it, squishing the corners carefully so that it emptied completely, and began swirling the glass back and forth.

“Don’t forget the rubber spatula. You don’t want to miss a drop,” Chas advised dryly.

“Wait a second, Seth,” Juliet protested. “What do you mean my blood is tainted? I don’t have any diseases or anything.”

“He means,” Chas said carefully, “that your blood is sinful.”

“Violent sins,” Seth clarified, after swallowing another mouthful. “Self-mutilation, I think.”

“How can you tell that?” Juliet gasped, rising automatically from her chair and gaping at him.

“I can tell a lot more about your blood than that. Just give me a minute,” he said, sniffing the red liquid again.

“Like what? That I’m a descendant of Medusa?”

“Har har,” Seth said, drinking heavily.

“No,” Chas said rationally. “I think that’s a legitimate question. Obviously, there are not only humans in this world, so if you did have a little mythical blood in you, Seth would be able to taste it.”

“One hundred percent human,” Seth said when his mouth was free again.

“I thought so, too,” Chas said, giving Juliet a curious gaze.

Juliet felt her whole body fall in disappointment when she heard their words. She had counted on her theory being correct. She lowered herself back onto the stool.

“Yet tragic,” Seth said appreciatively. “Oh, so tragic. Like a sorrowful love song that was sung only once, like a tender young woman executed unjustly, or like moonlight on the water eaten by a storm. That’s what you taste like. There’s so little defiance in your blood. It’s a wonder you’ve made it this far. You have been crushed and manipulated,” Seth whispered like he was seeing something beyond the room they were sitting in. “That’s where the self-mutilation comes into play. It’s ironic that the only way you can stand up for yourself is by holding yourself hostage.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Juliet rasped, feeling as though she was being rushed at by wild bulls. Was he telling the truth about her missing years? But she continued on like there was no possibility that he had hit the mark. “I’ve never once hurt myself.”

“You’ve done far worse than that,” he whispered. “It’s no good, Juliet. You can’t have your innocence back, and now that I’ve tasted this, there is no way I’ll let you pretend that you have it. The mask has to come off and you have to become who you really are. You won’t forgive me if I don’t strip you of the little lie you feed yourself to keep yourself safe.”

“What are you talking about? What do you know about me before I was thirteen?”

Fiona gasped. “You mean, he doesn’t know what you did?”

“No,” Juliet said, keeping her eyes on Seth. “The only time I have ever spoken of it was at the Halloween party.”

Chas suddenly grabbed Juliet’s upper arm and forced her to look at him. His voice was hoarse as he roughly questioned, “What did you do?”

When Chas opened his mouth to speak, Juliet saw his fangs. There was blood pooling in red lines around his teeth. His breath smelt nauseating, hot and coppery.

Juliet stifled her gagging reflex and covered her mouth and nose.

“Relax,” Seth said quietly before Chas lost his temper. “Let her go. Everything’s fine.”

“Is it?” Chas asked, loosening his grip on Juliet’s arm.

“Yes,” Seth said, right before he lifted his brandy glass unreasonably high and drained the rest of her blood. Then he did as Chas said and got out a green rubber spatula to clean every drop of blood out of the glasses. “Thank you, Juliet, for coming today and being such a good sport.”

Juliet smiled weakly at him. She didn’t know what to say.

Seth suddenly perked up like he just remembered something. I’m being a bad host. You need to eat something sweet, Juliet. I forgot because I was so excited. What would you like? Normally, we have every decadent dessert imaginable. Let’s see,” he said, ducking to root around under the bar. “But let’s get you started on a couple of cookies.” He brought up several packages and let Juliet choose one.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

She took a coconut cream and started munching away. She didn’t realize she had been feeling weak until she put a cookie in her mouth. Now her body sensed how much she needed the sugar, and she started chewing faster.

“Right now,” Seth said. “We have cheesecake, chocolate cake, carrot cake, cinnamon buns with cream cheese icing, and apple crisp. Which one do you want?”

“Carrot cake,” Juliet answered immediately and Seth brought out a piece on a tiny plate with a glass dome covering it.

He uncovered it and handed her a delicate silver fork. “Sorry that it’s from a bakery, but we don’t cook anything here.”

“That’s okay,” Juliet said, sinking the fork into the cake. “It looks pretty fancy.”

“Only the best for our donors,” Chas said calmly to Juliet. He seemed to have settled down since his outburst. Then he turned to ask Fiona, “Which would you like for an ‘after’ snack?”

“The cheesecake... But wait! I haven’t agreed to let you bite me,” she said, realizing her blunder.

“It’s okay. Have a piece anyway,” he said. “ I really appreciate you taking the time to accompany Juliet and helping us make her feel safe. Seth will be floating on a cloud for a week. I promised Juliet a show so you can sit in on it if you’d like. If you still don’t want me to bite you afterwards, then you can go back into the office and rip up the waivers you already signed. Whatever you decide, we still love you today.”

“Yes, thank you,” Seth said sincerely, looking into Fiona’s face.

Fiona seemed reluctant.

“I’ve got a good idea, brother,” Seth said before Fiona could terminate their standing agreement. “I think you need an opening act. You can’t just walk up and start singing without a little fanfare first, right?”

“What did you have in mind?” Chas asked. Then he smiled slightly with his lips pressed together firmly.

“I could open for you.”

“An excellent idea,” Chas said, getting up and putting his hand on the small of Fiona’s back. “Then there’s no reason not to get started right away. Juliet, just bring that food into the theater with you.”

They all headed in, and Seth carried a small platter of cookies and apple juice with him. Chas led them to the front row and Seth set up a little tray for Juliet’s food to rest on. When she was comfortably seated, Seth jumped up on the stage and started tinkering with the electronic equipment.

Chas sat next to Juliet and brought Fiona down to take the chair next to him. “Behind that curtain are my instruments. Seth likes to sing to electronic tracks because then he can have a full accompaniment, so he programs them himself. He’s modern, while my performance will be more classical. I like the strings, so I play the harp, violin, and guitar. Which would you like me to play?”

Juliet’s sip of apple juice went all wrong and she was wheezing and hissing while Chas patted her on the back. When she had finally caught her breath, she wiped her mouth with a napkin and said, “Please let Fiona choose.”

“But it’s you I’m trying to please,” Chas said evenly. “It really means a lot to us that you took the leap to come here. Let me cater to you.”

Juliet glanced over Chas' shoulder to see Fiona’s face. She was biting the flesh of her thumb and looking openly restless in her chair. Juliet couldn’t make her miserable by accepting any more of Chas' attention. It was obviously making her uncomfortable.

“Actually, I don’t really care if I’m sung to or not. If I were to be rewarded somehow for doing this, then I think you’ve already given me what I was searching for. I wanted to know if I was really an ordinary human and you’ve told me. Thank you. I don’t need all this.”

Seth had stopped what he was doing and was now standing at the edge of the stage paying close attention.

“How will we get you to come back in eight weeks if you don’t accept payment from us?” Chas asked smoothly, his violet eyes narrowing slightly.

Juliet scratched her previously punctured arm nervously and averted her eyes. It was a moment before she had the nerve to say, “I hadn’t exactly planned to come a second time.”

“Would you rather be paid money for your blood?” Chas continued. “Our song is generally considered more valuable than money, but we cater to the needs of our donors. Do you need money?”

“Isn’t that normally around twenty bucks if you go to a clinic?”

“All donations are volunteered. Not even clinics pay for blood anymore. I wasn’t talking about twenty dollars. Are you in some kind of trouble? Do you need money to clear up some debt or do you have an unexpected expense?”

“No. I’ve just been a little on the poorer side lately. It’s nothing serious.”

“She can’t have money problems,” Fiona said dryly. “Her boyfriend is moneybags Rylan. He would take care of anything she needed.”

Chas shot Seth a worried glance. In return, Seth nodded slowly.

“Let’s forget about all that,” Seth said. “Listen, Juliet. Give me a chance. I’ll sing something and then you can see how you feel. Clearly, I want you to come back in eight weeks. So, let me convince you with my song.”

“Wait!” Juliet said, arching her back and sitting up in her chair. “Didn’t people do suicidal things when they heard a siren’s song?”

“Well, yes,” Seth said, trying to keep his mirth in check. “Don’t be afraid. It won’t make you want to jump out of Fiona’s car on the way home. It will only make you want to stay glued to your chair until I’m finished, okay? It’s not scary. And it isn’t some strange form of mind control. It’s just beautiful. Okay? Can I get started?”

Juliet looked around nervously.

“There’s nothing to worry about,” Fiona said. “It’s fine. I promise.” She clearly wanted to hear their concert.

Juliet settled back into her chair and nodded to Seth.

“And hey,” Seth said as he fiddled with a few more knobs on the mixing board. “If you’re unimpressed, I can always have you over next week for swimming.”

“Can’t I have that anyway?”

Seth flipped a switch and the lights went out. In the soft darkness, she heard his voice like it was dancing in an unfelt wind. “I’ll give you anything you want.”

Then a little white light started flickering on the ceiling and against the curtains. Something appeared over the center of the stage. It was like a spotlight, but the light was not constant. Instead, bits flashed and flipped on and off. It was almost like Seth was being rained on by blue light.

And the music began.

The smoothly balanced sounds of percussion and electronic instruments were nothing compared to the power and scope of his voice. Juliet sat up in her chair and saw Seth like she had never seen him before, like she had never understood one thing about him until that moment, and he was not the man she thought he was.

In the calm of the night

I stand on the shore

The universe is cracked

And the stars shine into my core

There is nothing left for me to do

All I can do is wait for you

And the waves pound out my distress

Knocking out all my unrest

Making me lie in sleep

As I wait for the promised guest

The music changed as the tempo increased and the room exploded in millions of tiny fragments of light.

In the ache of your morning

The wind comes fast enough to break me

It’s white enough to see through me

To puncture holes in me

There is nothing left for me to say

I can’t fight to keep you away

And the branches that beat me,

Writing on all my skin,

Your speeches sting

Making me lie in death

As I wait for your lost breath

Seth closed his eyes often as he sang and when he opened them he gazed directly into Juliet’s awestruck eyes. Juliet felt like she had missed an entire facet of him before. She hadn’t seen this much beauty. It wasn’t his face or body anymore, but something inside his soul that spoke of deep reservoirs of intense feeling. How had she missed that much of him?

Juliet’s throat tightened. Her breath became shallow and the only thing she could feel was the sound of Seth’s voice breaking down her barriers. Why had she tried to keep him out?

The beat slowed down again for the verse and the light fell only on Seth once again.

In the wakening of my mind

I feel the frost coming

And wonder when your leaves fall

And how I can catch them

The melody rose again with great emotion as the light flooded the room again in what looked like silver rain. Juliet stood up. He said she would be pinned to her chair, but she had to get up. She couldn’t stop herself from dancing. Her arms were over her head and she let her eyelids fall as she swung her hips to the rhythm.

There is nothing left for me to do

All I can do is wait for you

The only soul that can save me

Biting me through to the bone

Making me lie in blood

As I wait for the oncoming flood

His voice sounded closer now as she felt his hand caress the side of her face, the side that still had the lightest of bruises, grazing her skin. Juliet felt rapture. She clung to his hand and kissed his fingers.

The beat slowed and he sang the next lines softly into her ear.

And wonder when your leaves fall

How I can catch them

Juliet stood perfectly still, holding carefully onto Seth’s arm to stop herself from falling to the floor.

The music faded out and Seth whispered the last words carefully into her ear.

How can I catch you?

Then the music stopped entirely and the lights came back on. Juliet felt like she had just woken from a trance. She shook her head feeling a little bewildered.

Seth’s free hand stroked her back. “Perhaps I could continue the set and Fiona and Chas could shove off for a few hours?”

Juliet nodded her head vigorously.

“No!” Fiona interrupted, getting to her feet. “What have you done to her, Seth?” she asked, sounding waspish.

“Nothing,” he denied, staring back at her.

“Like hell! She’s like a zombie!”

“I didn’t do anything to her!” he shouted back.

“Whatever! We have to go,” Fiona forcefully unwound Juliet’s hands finger by finger from around Seth and forcefully pulled her loose.

Juliet wanted to resist Fiona, but she was too disoriented to realize exactly what was going on. She realized only two things as she was hustled out of the theater and into the coatroom. One was that Seth did not struggle against Fiona to keep her. The second was that she desperately did not want to be separated from him, but she was too weak to fight the strong arms that maneuvered her swiftly away. She stood dazed as Fiona helped her put on her coat.

Chas followed after them and spoke hasty words to Fiona to appease her temper while Seth stayed in the theater. Juliet wasn’t sure, but it sounded like something was crashing to the floor. Was Seth ripping the place apart? But Juliet couldn’t move: not to talk, not to fight back, and not to rush back to Seth’s side.

Fiona pushed her out the front door. The cold air on Juliet’s face woke her up a little, enough for her to take a deep breath and stare hopelessly into the sky. She was bewildered and not strong enough to run back. The feeling could not have been described before this moment, but it felt like she loved Seth so completely that just the feeling alone would kill her.

Fiona muscled her into the passenger seat of her car and put on her seat belt when Juliet couldn’t do it for herself.

“I’m so sorry,” the blonde girl said earnestly. “I didn’t know it would affect you like that. It was never like that for me... only a really good concert with a really beautiful man performing—nothing like that. I’m so sorry, Juliet.”

Juliet didn’t respond. Actually, she couldn’t even focus on Fiona’s face and instead just stared straight ahead of her like she saw angels.

Fiona shut the car door briskly and when she got into her seat on the other side, she said, “Listen, I’ll take you to my place and I’ll call Rylan. I’ll tell him that you’re coming to the club tonight with Halo and me and he can meet us all there. I’ll get you in one of my dresses and doll you up like a siren and... uh… sorry. I didn’t mean to say that. Anyway, I’ll fix this, honey. I’ll fix this.”

Juliet sat slumped in the car like a broken doll as Fiona pulled away from Chas' building. Her eyes still wouldn’t focus, so what she saw out of the corner of her eye may or may not have happened. Just at the last moment, she thought she saw Seth burst out of the building and try to stop them. But, she was so confused that she might have imagined it.