Elegy (A Watersong Novel) by Amanda Hocking Read Free Book Online Page B

how to kill us all. You were supposed to find out what she knew about the scroll, but instead, you threw a fit, and now you’re here.”
    “Oh.” Liv paused. “ That scroll.”
    “Yes, that one,” Penn said, and rolled her eyes.
    “But … you guys still have it, right?” Liv asked.
    “I have it under lock and key,” Thea lied, and avoided making eye contact with anyone.
    She’d given Gemma and Harper the scroll last week, but if Penn found out, she’d kill her. Not figuratively, but literally rip off her head, tear out her heart, and murder her. Penn had put Thea in charge of the scroll because she didn’t trust Lexi with that kind of responsibility, and Penn was too busy playing with Daniel to concern herself with it.
    That was the one good part about Liv’s leaving college. If she snooped around Harper long enough, she’d have been bound to figure out that they had the scroll, and Penn would eventually deduce that Thea had given it to them.
    That didn’t change the fact that Liv was psychotic and couldn’t handle a simple assignment.
    “Where is it?” Liv asked.
    Thea cast her a look. “Like I would trust you with that information.”
    “What would I do with it? I don’t want to hurt you guys.” Liv smiled warmly at them. “You’re my family.”
    “It’s better if you don’t know,” Penn said. “The fewer people that know, the safer it is.”
    “Well, if Thea has it, then Harper or Gemma obviously don’t. So we’re safe. What does it matter if I’m at college or not?” Liv asked.
    “Why don’t you just go out and swim for a while?” Penn suggested. She kept her tone amazingly even when she talked to Liv, using more self-discipline than Thea knew she had.
    “Really?” Liv asked, and practically jumped off the couch.
    “Penn,” Thea hissed. “She shouldn’t be unsupervised.”
    Penn waved off Thea’s concern. “She can handle it for a few minutes. I’ll come out and join you, so stay close to the bay.” As Liv darted off to the back door, Penn called after her, “And don’t kill anyone! I mean it.”
    “I won’t. Thank you!” Liv shouted as she ran out the door.
    “It’s so ridiculous.” Penn shook her head. “We have one siren who refuses to feed and another one who won’t stop. Maybe we should have Gemma and Liv hang out together, and they can rub off on each other. Then they’ll end up somewhere in the middle. Like me.”
    “You think you’re in the middle? You eat like once a week,” Thea said.
    “It’s better than Liv, who thinks she should eat three times a day. And your once-a-month diet is impossible.”
    “It’s not impossible.”
    “What was all that about when I came in?” Penn asked.
    “Nothing much. Just that Liv is totally insane and horrible and way worse than Lexi and Gemma combined.”
    “She’s not so bad,” Penn insisted. “She’s new. Give her time.”
    “Really?” Thea arched an eyebrow. “That’s the card you’re playing now? You were ready to behead Gemma for much less.”
    “We’ve got two horrible sirens, and we need to make at least one of them work.”
    “And your money’s on Liv?” Thea was dubious.
    “My money’s not on anyone right now.” Penn sighed and stood up. “I should probably go out and join her.”
    “You’re really going to swim with her?” Thea asked.
    Penn shrugged. “Why not?”
    “You’ve been swimming for a while,” Thea said. “I mean, I assumed you were out stalking Daniel, too, but it couldn’t have taken that much time.”
    “I wasn’t stalking him.” Penn laughed and started walking toward the back door. “And I swam around for a bit after I talked to him.”
    Thea got up and followed Penn. “How did it go?”
    “What?” Penn stopped near the kitchen island and turned back to face Thea.
    “Your talk with Daniel. Based on your current good mood, I’d guess it went fairly well.”
    Penn smiled coyly. “Don’t worry about it.”
    “Why are you sneaking off to see Daniel