“Gimme...uh..anoder one o’ dem...a glars…”
Adagio’s face contorted in disgust. “Sure.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm as she filled up a glass with water. He didn’t need anymore alcohol.
After close inspection of the liquid, he gulped it down, believing he was getting drunker and drunker. He burped, slammed the glass down, threw a bill on the counter and stumbled off.
Adagio plucked it up with her fingernails, hurriedly pushing it into the register. It was only 10 PM, and people were already passed out around the place. Bodies were tightly packed on the dance floor, bouncing up and down to the Top 40 blaring from the stereos. The loud noises and blaring lights annoyed Adagio to no end, and the counter was always sticky, no matter how many times she furiously lathered soap on the oak wood.
“How’re things over there?” Spirit called out, poking his head in from his office.
“At least three people threw up,” she replied, jerking her thumb into the general direction of the danger zone. “I’m not touching it.”
He shook his head and darted back in the room. Well, neither was he.
When the clock struck 11, Adagio gathered her things and knocked on Spirit’s door. “I’m leaving,” she yelled. “Give me money.”
She and Spirit had developed a casual camaraderie, built on the fact they both hated the place they worked at.
He swung open the door and handed her an envelope. She opened it and counted out the dollar bills inside.
“I’m not scamming you,” he sighed, stretching his arms above his head. “Get home safe, yeah?”
“Thanks.” Adagio smiled tightly, her icy exterior melting temporarily. “You stay safe here as well.” She turned to leave.
“H-hey, you know, I don’t think your sister would mind if you stayed behind a little longer, would she?” he called, biting his lip after the words spilled out of his mouth.
Adagio stopped. “But I would.”
The walk home always dragged. The echo of her heels on the pavement, the hoots of night owls hopping from bar to bar, calling out to one another, and the honking of cars all contributed to the soundtrack of her thoughts. The loss of her magic had left a dent in her vigor, leaving her feeling weaker than ever. She was older than both Aria and Sonata by at least half a century, so she was used to not getting enough energy for a long time. But Sonata...the smallest one, the one most inexperienced with suffering, the only siren she knew with a heart not completely corrupted by negative energy wouldn’t be able to hold herself together.
Adagio slowed her steps, coming to a complete stop in front of a shabby looking bookstore. She had always walked by it, but this time, she wanted to get a proper look. The windows were coated in dust, and a plastic skeleton was propped in the display. It was reading a cookbook and wearing a chef’s hat, but other than that, the windows were bare. Her eyes moved up to meet the sign.
‘Illumiducation…’ she mouthed. What a stupid name.
As she was about to continue, something caught her eye. In the depths of the shop, a glimmer of light peeped from the darkness. The door slammed open, catching Adagio in a rare moment of fright. A woman stood in the doorway, back stooped, toothless mouth gaping wide. “Hello, dear,” the woman rasped, placing a bony hand on Adagio’s arm. “Would you like to come in? I’ve got lots and lots of nice books! Books on witches, spells, oh yes! Books filled with magic!”
Adagio wrenched her arm away from the elder’s grip. “First of all, don’t ever touch me again,” she snapped, immediately feeling guilty at her rudeness.
Oh great, now she was feeling remorse.
The old woman wasn’t fazed. “My apologies, sweetie, but I just got so excited to see a young and beautiful girl like yourself show interest in my store! If they see you come in here, they’ll follow, oh yes they will! Good for business!”
Adagio peeked inside, surprised to find that the interior of the store actually looked clean and homey. From what she could see, candles illuminated the room with a warm glow, and bookshelves were loaded with tomes of all shapes.
Then...
Oh.
What.
Magic.
The familiar hum of magic resonated inside of her, sending shivers creeping down her spine. Goosebumps rose on her skin, and she shivered violently.
“You’re cold! You’re cold here in that little outfit,” cried the woman. “Come in, into the warm, and browse my collection!”
She was right. It was warmer, cosier. The store was dark, and the scent of incense, heavy and sweet, hung thickly in the air.
Ah. There it was again. It was faint, like the brush of a feather. It was only a whisper, but she felt it. There was magic in this store. Not Equestrian magic, but another kind.
“It’s nice, yes? Do you like my books? All my lovely books are waiting for you to read and buy!” The old woman wouldn’t stop babbling, dragging Adagio to the center of the store.
Adagio resisted the pulling, trying to inspect the titles of the books in front of her. The Hardships of a Nymph, Where, Oh Where have the Windigos Gone, Aren’t you Glad this is Ogre…
“Excuse me,” she said, trying to get the older woman’s attention. “Do you have any books about...sirens?”
The old woman smiled. “Ah, the siren! Beautiful, dangerous creatures. Voices so lovely, so poisonous. Let me see…let me see.” She bustled away, disappearing behind a curtain leading to another room. “Mmm! Aha! Here, here.” She came back, carrying a large, leather-bound book. “I remembered reading this sometime ago…” With a thud, she dropped the book on the counter, beckoning Adagio to come closer. The pages were thin and looked like they were about to crumble, but the woman flicked through each page with practiced delicacy.
She pointed to an illustration of an elegantly inked sea monster. Its eyes were dark holes, and it had a malicious grin on its otherwise beautiful face.
It..no, she was a siren.
“The temptress of the sea,” the woman whispered, reading the loopy script beneath the image. “A siren gains power by feeding off the energy brought to them by their singing. A long time ago, they were known as the musicians of hope, bringing serenity to the lands around them, before one siren, known only as the Maestro, discovered that she could become more powerful by feeding off negative energy, such as fear, anger, and jealousy. However, the other sirens believed that negative energy would bring them harm, and cast out the Maestro into the unknown. Hurt by their betrayal, and now filled with rage, the Maestro set out to get her revenge. First, she birthed three sisters. The eldest was brought forth slowly and gracefully, the middle brought forth in solitude, and the third surrounded by her sisters. She taught them the wonders of indulgence, and forged three stones to aid them in their conquest of the world. Alas, when her daughters were ready to take the power they thought they deserved, the Maestro had sung her last notes, and withered into an empty husk.”
It had started to rain. Adagio quickly wiped away her tears, sniffling hard. “G-go on.”
“Distraught, the three sisters decided to honor their mother and fulfill her wishes of revenge on the other sirens. In the midst of the musical massacre, a powerful magic cast the three sisters into the beyond, and they were never heard from again.”
The image blurred behind her tears. And turned to look directly into her eyes.
The old woman placed a hand on Adagio’s shoulder. “It is a sad story, isn’t it?” she murmured, handing the younger girl a tissue. “But it’s just a story.”
“Thank you, but I have to leave,” Adagio whispered, nodding her head and rushing out of the store.
She ran.
She ran, teetering in her heels, blinded by her tears. Her head was pounding, with the image of the Maestro seared in her brain.
Sonata was waiting for her. “Gee, you took longer than usual,” she pouted. Then, she instantly lit up. “Does that mean you bought me another present? Oh. You’re crying.”
Adagio gave her a sad smile. “Well...I’m sad.”
“Why?” Sonata nuzzled her face into Adagio’s curly hair. “Will you tell me?”
Adagio returned the hug, but didn’t say anything.
“Adagio, I was thinking. Where did we come from?” Sonata’s voice was muffled by the mass of hair. “In that book you bought me, they were talking about how people are made from the same things are stars. Is that true for us?”
Adagio pulled away from the embrace. “Yes. But you’re more than just stars, Sonata. You’re my whole universe.”
Sonata snorted and gently slapped Adagio’s shoulder. “Oh, Adagio, you’re so funny!”
She sat down, removing her shoes and massaging her sore feet. “Yeah,” she muttered. “Thanks.”
“Can we braid our hair tomorrow?” Sonata asked, sitting next to Adagio. “You’ve got the day off tomorrow right?”
Adagio placed her arm around Sonata, and began to stroke her hair. “Yeah, sure. But then I’ve got to do something, alone.”
“Okay,” Sonata said. “Then, can we get some more coloring books?”
“Sure.”
“What do you have to do?”
“There’s someone I need to talk to.”