Her phone was buzzing. At least that function still worked. 

“Don’t touch me or I’ll call the police.” 

Calling the police was an empty threat. Adeline rarely lied but desperate times… Besides, it wasn’t an intentional lie, really. She wanted to call the police. She would certainly try if she needed to, after all. It’s just that she knew her outdated, broken-screen, software-update-required, no-space-left phone was not going to be calling anyone. But it sounded like someone was calling her and that was enough of a threat. 

Eleanor’s boyfriend was tall. Stupidly tall. He looked like he ought to play sports and he had the broad shoulders and sinewy arm muscles of a player. Adeline briefly wondered if he played for one of University of Atlantia North’s teams. She doubted they were ranked very high. Not that she would know. She only she paid attention to sports when Will was around and, even then, sports were often far from their minds. 

He was also handsome. Equally, stupidly handsome. His silver hair caught the light and his startling gray eyes stared out from above chiseled cheekbones. 

“Go ahead,” the man sneered, snapping her back to reality. “Call. Tell the police how the mean man existed near you.”

Right, he was likely a Siren. Just like his girlfriend who had moved to drape herself on him. Which made him utterly detestable in every single way. 

And, if Adeline had been a violent woman, she would have jumped up and slapped the sneer right off of his face. Instead, with shaking hands, she pulled her phone out of her jean pockets. 

It was Will. Gabs had left a dozen texts, too. Simon was still blowing her up. 

She took a deep breath. 

“Okay, scratch the police plan. My friends and family are looking for me because I’m late. And, given the truce, I doubt you’re actually going to try anything. Let alone in broad day light.” She sounded more confident than she felt. Her only run-ins with Sirens had all technically been within the bounds of the truce. All above water, so to speak. Technically. But they weren’t known to fight fair. And Adeline was very aware she was outnumbered. “So, if you’ll excuse me.”

The man waved for her to step past him with a sinister smile. And Eleanor whispered something in his ear Adeline pretended she didn’t care about. 

“What’s your name?” the man called as Adeline wobbled past, rubbing her sore back. 

She turned to him, clutching her phone tightly almost as though its mere existence was a threat. 

“Adeline.”

“No.” Something wicked flashed in his eyes and Adeline felt her stomach twist. “You know what I mean.” 

All Sirens and Virtues had a real name. One given to them by the sea. Adeline’s was Ever. And that was something no Siren could ever know. If they ever found out her real name, she would be joining her parents at the bottom of a watery grave. Not even the Gulfs knew her real name. The ocean whispered it to her on quiet nights and sang it in her heart. She had promised to keep it to only herself. To speak it to another was too dangerous. A name is a powerful thing. 

“What’s yours?” Adeline snapped back.

“Viktor.” 

Ocean names were unusual. Eleanor, Sara, Adeline. Those were their given names. Their real names spoke to their hearts. They would never be as simple as Viktor. When spoken, the air would shatter and the stars would fall and a truth would be known. Viktor, Adeline scoffed. Please. 

“Coward,” Adeline said, again with more confidence than she felt. “Asking for mine when you won’t give your own.”

Viktor shrugged. “You’re a Virtue. Not exactly the most self-preserving. Or clever. Figured it might just be that easy.”

Rage rose up in her but she squashed it down. He wasn’t worth her time or her feelings. No Siren was. Not even silver haired, gray eyed demons like the one in front of her. Not his redhead girlfriend dripping off his shoulder. No one. 

He was still grinning when Adeline stalked toward the rose garden. She couldn’t get his stupid face out of her mind and she regretted not slapping him with every step she took. Squash, slap, squash, slap. Her flip flops joined her in solidarity. 

“Del, are you kidding?” a voice called out.