----------------------------------------

EVIE

----------------------------------------

The fog of the Unknown lifted, and Evelyn Arwood heard his name at last.

Cade Stormhollow.

“What a funny name,” she said to herself, humming quietly as her lyrical voice echoed across the arched ceiling.

Evie sat in her lavish room, a haven of opulence and grandeur. The silk drapes fluttered gently, echoing the whispers of the stars that had always surrounded her. An air of sweetness enveloped Evie, though many might mistake her gentle demeanor for flightiness. However, tonight, she felt a tug she couldn't ignore.

She closed her eyes to listen to the stars’ song, waiting for their voices to fill her head once more with a melody only she could hear.

Oh, Evie, sweet siren, your song so divine,

We’ve loved you for eons, your voice on the brine.

The heavens adore you, the sea sings your name,

But now we must whisper the truth of your fame.

A warm smile spread across her face, and she relaxed into the luxurious pink silk lining the pillows beneath her. The fabric caressed her, softer even than the stars’ beloved song, and she let their voices fly through her.

For she was their voice in this world, their home, their channel to release all they had to say, and she never resisted their call.

A rogue will soon find you, with eyes full of storms,

For Cade reveals truths beyond all earthly norms.

He’ll come like the thunder, with crew by his side,

And, taking his hand, you will join in his rise.

“What rise?” she sang back, mirroring their tune. “Darling stars, pray no disguise?”

The melody thrummed through the air, straight into the depths of her soul. It was a phantom echo that only Evie could perceive, ethereal notes twining together in the desolate cosmos of her solitude. Each note was a celestial body, their harmonies conjoined in a symphony that pulsed with the heartbeat of the universe itself.

Around her, the world seemed to fade into insignificance, muted by the trilling harmonies woven by unseen hands. Sorrowful chords plucked at the strings of her heart while staccato notes sparked like distant celestial fires in the fabric of her mind.

The song flowed through veins and marrow, spiraling like cosmic dust around the pulsating star held within her soul.

Your purpose, dear Evie, is waiting with him,

A path that is fraught, but the light will not dim.

For sirens are born not just for the sea,

But to claim their own fate, and so shall it be.

But heed us, young siren, for danger will rise—

A shadow, a dagger, buried deep within lies.

Betrayal will strike, a wound deep and bold,

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Yet in that dark moment, your spirit takes hold.

Betrayal.

The thought struck her as odd, mainly because she couldn’t think of any reason someone would lie to her. She channeled the stars as she had since she was born, sang their tunes and shared their secrets like they asked, and the god of Destiny thought of her as his most powerful siren.

How silly, then, to think someone might betray her—for she had little to give. Everything she owned, everything she was, belonged to Destiny. There was nothing to be taken from her, at least not that she could think of.

But the stars were never wrong.

Her smile faded, but only slightly. As the stars’ song swelled once more, she leaned into their words and waited for it to make sense.

Though, given the cryptic nature of fate, she wasn’t going to hold her breath. Often, these premonitions only made sense after they had come true.

Though she wished the stars would be more straightforward, that wasn’t exactly how the wild and untamed Fate worked.

Strength is in knowing when trust has been torn,

Forgiveness will lift you, more fierce and reborn.

This hurt will not break you, but sharpen your will,

To sing even louder, when all else is still.

Good. At least it would all turn out well. Evie let out a sigh of relief as the words echoed through her head, and she waited for the stars to continue.

So follow the tempest, let Cade lead you true,

The ocean is vast, but your spirit is too.

The stars in the heavens will sing of your tale,

Of Evie, the siren who learned how to sail.

When storms come to drown you, remember our song,

The sea is your home, where your heart does belong.

Your voice will not falter, your fate is your own,

And even through treason, you'll claim your true throne.

“I promise,” she sang back to them, her lingering note humming across the air as her voice vibrated through her. “Your truth is my aim.”

“Cade Stormhollow,” the stars sang again, each syllable resonating with an ancient power. “Remember his name.”

They had spoken of this man many times before, weaving his presence into the fabric of her thoughts, and it was nice to finally have his name. Evie knew he was connected to her fate, somehow pivotal to her journey, yet the reason eluded her still.

“What is my purpose?” she asked softly, her voice barely a whisper in the grand expanse of her room. “Can’t you tell me that much?”

But the song had begun to fade.

Shadows danced on the walls, but the stars remained silent, save for a cryptic rhythm carried on the night breeze. They always spoke in riddles, chanting verses that twisted and turned, never revealing too much.

“Cade Stormhollow,” they sang again, ignoring her question. “Help him, little songbird.”

She sighed in disappointment, but she wasn’t surprised.

The stars’ warning rumbled through her head, one of the rare songs she could remember. There was something unique about this man, this Cade Stormhollow, that she needed to understand.

That, however, was not how the stars worked.

Now that the song was fading, she tapped her fingertip against her red lips as her eyes glossed over. Her heart clenched at the idea that someone could betray her. The thought sent shivers down her spine, but she trusted the stars. They had guided her through many labyrinths of life, often shrouded in enigma.

Silence filled the room, heavy with the weight of songs they had not yet sung.

Evie sighed, her thoughts swirling like the patterns in her ornate rug. Despite the uncertainty, there was a strange comfort in the stars' cryptic guidance. It was a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there was a glimmer of light.

And this Cade Stormhollow person was somehow in the middle of it all.