Chained (The Siren Series #2) (16 page)

“
Surely we can keep her here.” said the
baby faced man.

“
We have to abide by the rules and
release her into Rhea’s care.” said the jeweled masked
man.

“
Are we all in agreement?” asked the
baby faced man.

There were nods and a few groaning noises
coming from the unhappy judges.

“
Very well Rhea, we will entrust you
with the Siren, but we will be watching you very carefully.” said
the powder white woman.

A chill made its way up to my spine. I then
knew that they would be watching every move I’d make. Even a
slightest mistake and they would know about it. Would the council
always be watching me all my life, I hoped not.

“
You many leave.” said the longed nosed
man with a wave of his hand.

Finally, after
standing in front of the four judges and waiting for them trying to
decide my fate, I was allowed to leave with Rhea. I stepped down
from my podium and walked out through the main doors and into the
warm bask of the sun as a free woman.

"Thank god
that's over with." I said stretching my muscles. I seemed to be
tense all the way through.
"Yes, I'm glad too." said Rhea.
“So why did they let me leave?” I asked.

"Well, I didn’t
want to do it but I knew what the outcome was going to be, so I had
little choice and invoked the old god’s law. You are now under my
protection and no one can take you away from me, not even the
council."

“
That was
a very smart move, Rhea, but are you sure you did the right thing?”
asked Marcus.

Rhea didn’t
answer him.

“
Who are
the old god’s?” I asked them.

“
The old
god’s are a group of the highest authority in our supernatural
world and not just anyone can invoke their laws.” Sophia took a
glance of Rhea but as she spoke “only people who are ‘special’ can
do it, like Rhea.”

I was a little
confused by it all but if it means I get to leave without harm, I
have no problem with it.
"I'm surprised that you invoked the old god’s law, Rhea, no one has
done that in many years." Naaz said spitefully.
We all turned towards her as she descended the court stone steps,
her sheer dark dress blowing in the wind with ever step she took.
There was a hint of movie star glamour about her, but I had to
think twice, this was Naaz we were talking about.

"Bit
disappointed, Naaz?" Sophia asked.

Naaz spun
around and gave Sophia a dark piercing stare and carried on walking
past us. As she drifted past me I stared at her, hoping to catch
anything that could give away her motives. This woman was very
dangerous, and I think she was reaching the end of her limit. She
had tried to play the entire situation and she had lost.

“
Naaz!”
Rhea called out to her. “The council didn’t give us that
job
did they?”

“
What do
you mean?” Naaz asked playfully.

“
The
council had no knowledge of that mission to kill Idina did they? It
was all you. You used us for whatever sick scheme you have
planned.”

“
But what
about the information I had? I would have known if Naaz had given
it to me.” Marcus said.

“
Who did
give you the information, Marcus?” I asked.

Marcus started
to think. “It was one of the protectors. He told me that we had
been given a job to find the nest.”

Rhea gave
Marcus her full attention. “Marcus, did you ever see the protector
when we came back to the bunker?”

“
No, did
you.” He asked.

“
What?
What’s wrong?” I asked eagerly.

“
We were
betrayed, Ellie. That’s what’s wrong.” replied Sophia.

I turned to
Marcus who had fury written across his face.

“
What did
you offer the protector?” Rhea asked.

“
I have
no idea what you are talking about, you and your weird
imagination.” Naaz brushed off the accusations.

“
It’s
true isn’t it, Naaz?” I asked. “You manipulated everything to your
advantage, for whatever reason, you let leaches butcher innocent
people and you killed Idina.”

“
She
needed to die! I did you a favour!” A sharp wind whipped around
Naaz, her words fuelling her emotions.

Naaz gave us
one last look and disappeared in a wave of darkness.

"I won’t let
her get away with this" Marcus said.

“
She
won’t.” replied Rhea.
I looked up at Marcus and saw his sun kissed skin. He was truly
breathtaking while he stood in the afternoon sunlight. All he
features were lit up for all to see. I just stared at him and took
in all that he was, his square manly jaw, his straight nose that
had a little bump at the bridge, along with his perfect full soft
lips. I was totally engrossed in him that I missed the question
posed to me.

"Ellie?" said
Rhea.

"Huh?” I
replied.

"I said are you
ready?"

"Ready for
what?”

"Home, we can
go home now." Rhea said.

I nodded. I
wanted to leave here immediately. There was something about this
place that just made me feel uneasy. Maybe it was the power
struggle I could feel coming from the four judges. I would not like
to be locked in a room with them.

I entwined my
hand with Rhea’s and the four of us were torn away from the council
and hurtling back towards Naaz's dusty barracks. I had a feeling
deep inside that something would be waiting for us.

I arrived with
the same sick feeling I always felt while teleporting, maybe I'll
get the hang of it someday. Naaz had arrived before us and left to
go upstairs to her own quarters. I had envisioned Naaz’s bedroom to
be a sadist paradise. Chains, torture devices and god only know
what else. I pictured her sleeping on a bed of nails, and no pillow
would ever be comfortable enough for her, only the nails.

"Rhea, Naaz
doesn’t look happy at all." Sophia asked.

“
She
tried to play the game and she lost.” replied Rhea.

"I don't like
the vibe I'm getting from her at all." I said.

"Maybe we've
outstayed our welcome?" Marcus asked.

"Yeah, I think
so too." Rhea added.

I made my way
to the cosiest room in the house (well the only cosiest room). The
others followed me like a pack of wolves, like I was their leader.
I sat myself down at the foot of the roaring fire and thought of
the judge’s ruling.

That council
meeting was too intense to put into words. I felt free, but leashed
at the same time. The council said to be watching my every move
from now on, and that didn’t sit well with me. I had never been
called to something like that before. Was all that really
necessary? The masks, the robes, and even putting me down into the
floor to rise up like some carnival attraction for everyone to gawp
at? They didn’t tell me anything I needed to know, and I was kinda’
pissed off at that. It was all just a formality for them, like
appearances were the only thing that mattered to them and not the
interest of the supernatural order.

“
Ellie?”
a voice called out to me.

I ignored my
self loathing and looked up to see Rhea standing over me.

“
May I
sit?” she asked.

I nodded and
shuffled to my left.

“
Are you
ok?” she asked.

“
To be
honest, no. I’m more confused than ever. I thought going to the
council would be good for me, but they just wanted to get a good
look at the Siren, the freak.”

“
I
understand where you are coming from. But the council do not pander
to others, they rule on what they see before them, luckily I
stepped in when I did otherwise you would have been taking away.”
explained Rhea.

“
I’m glad
you did, I was really scared, and I thought they would kill me or
take me away.”

“
I would
never let it come to that.” she said.

“
They
were not happy were they?”

“
No they
were not, there hasn’t been a Siren in many years, and with you
just popping up have caused many people to become nervous and
suspicious.” replied Rhea.

“
Why?”

“
Because
some people see you as a threat, those council members are not your
allies. You need to remember that, Ellie.”

“
Did you
know one of them?”

“
Yes, I
knew one of them very well.”

“
How do
you know him?” I asked.

“
We have
crossed paths many times. I first met him when he was just working
at the council, just low level jobs, but now he has worked his way
up to the top.”

“
He must
have some powerful connections.”

“
Among
others.” Rhea replied “there is also the problem about the power
surge.” said Rhea.

“
Oh yeah
that.” I said sheepishly. “What would they have done to me if they
found out it
was
me?”

“
I don’t
really know, but they didn’t.” said Rhea “It also makes me wonder
how they found out.”

“
It was
the siren souls, wasn’t it?” I asked.

“
Maybe,
but something that powerful being released all at once, that’s
bound to raise an interest.” Rhea replied.

I truly was in
big trouble, with something like that being easily detectable. I
really had to watch what I did with my powers in future.

“
I heard
you talking about me, about my powers.” I said.

“
Ellie,
we wasn’t..” I cut her off.

“
I
understand. My powers are growing too fast and they scare me but
whatever happens, I will deal with it.”

“
Understand.” she replied.

“
It
really scares me that my powers are growing fast every day. Who
knows what I am truly capable of?”

“
I’m sure
in time you will be able to handle them.”

“
But what
if I can’t, you saw how that orb nearly drove me
insane.”

Rhea gave me
her full attention and looked at me with fiery eyes. “Ellie, I know
what ever comes your way, you will be able to fight it. You were
captured and held prisoner for two weeks and you have come out
strong.”

Rhea’s words of
wisdom struck a chord within me. I did come out of it, but did it
make me stronger? I didn’t know, if I had been left in there a few
more days, I would have given up. I wouldn’t call that strong.

“
So where
do we go from here?” I asked.

“
Well,
now that Idina is dead, there will be no more leaches, so that will
decrease the numbers a bit. But there is Barbus left.”

Just mentioning
his name made my body shiver. He had been invading my dreams lately
and he seems so real. His touch on my skin, his breath on the nape
of my neck just felt so realistic. Was it just a dream or was it
something from the future, like the leaches? I haven’t even had
time to tell Rhea about the dreams. But was now the perfect
time?

“
Uh Rhea,
I’ve been having more weird dreams lately.” My voice was dry and
sore. To admit to Rhea I’ve been having these dreams were to admit
that they were indeed real.

“
What
about?” she asked.

“
I’ve
been having dreams about Barbus.” Rhea’s body froze. She slowly
turned her face towards me and it was full of horror.

“
When?”
she quickly asked.

“
One when
I was underground and one just the other night.” I said.

“
O-other
night?” Rhea’s words caught in her throat.

“
What’s
wrong?” I asked. “Is it a problem?”

Rhea quickly
got to her feet and rushed out of the room, leaving just her soft
scent behind.

“
Rhea!?”
I called after her but she disappeared from view.

“
What’s
wrong with her?” Marcus came into the room with one of his smiles.
Oh crap.

Behave
yourself.

“
You on
your own?” he asked.

“
Yeah,
just me.” I told him.

Marcus slowly
walked over to the fire and lowered himself into a sitting
position.

“
Bet the
council was scary?” he asked.

“
Yeah it
was. I was terrified on the inside.”

“
Well you
didn’t show it.”

“
I’m good
at keeping my emotions all to myself, I’ve had lots of practice.” I
said.

“
What do
you mean?” he asked.

“
Well I
used to hide all my emotions away, let’s just say I wasn’t the most
popular kid in the school. I got bullied a lot for being what I
am.”

“
I’m
sorry for bringing it up.”

“
No, it’s
ok. Right now school has sounds better than this.” I
replied.

“
Yeah,
school wasn’t all good for me too.”

“
Really?
What was it like?”

“
Well,
when a protector’s child reaches a certain age they get shipped off
to a military facility on an island, and the only way to get out is
ether graduate or in a body bag. It was really rough, everything
has to be done in a precise order. The tutors would drill you until
you had everything, and I mean everything down to the last detail.
The sword training was a bitch. They throw you in a pit on your
first lesson with
real
swords,
I was always back and forth the hospital wing.”