The Siren Jewel: Spellbound Prison Saga

by Karri Roberts

  Tears ran down my cheeks, leaving lines of pale skin down my mud-covered face. My heart ached at the thought of losing my magic. I had just found out magic was real and that I could use it. Parts of me that never felt complete before finally seemed to have a place. And this ‘High Council’ was threatening to take it all away.

  “How can you take my magic away? I didn’t even know what I was doing when I did those things.” My voice cracked.

  “Ignorance of the law does not excuse you from it.” Maggie shook her bony finger my way. “Guards.”

  The two men looked at Nicholas. He nodded, and the guards guided me forward to the open doors of the van. I dug my heels into the dirt and struggled against them. My power brewed below the surface of my skin, looking for a way out. I reached for it but couldn’t grasp it. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried again. A jolt shocked through my body from my cuffs, lighting every nerve on fire. My eyes shot open as I screamed and fell to the ground.

  Dad lunged for me, but The High Council members held him back. The man with the bowler hat pressed on Dad’s chest with arms that were now large, hairy, and had fingers tipped with claws. Note to self: do not piss off the man with monster claws. The guards lifted me up by my arms, not at all fazed by my pain, and dragged me across the ground before tossing me into the van.

  The van lurched ahead, carrying me away from my home. I thrashed around the back. Kicked at the Plexiglas divider between me and the two guards up front. I screamed until I was hoarse. No one came to my rescue and dumb and dumber showed zero interest in my tantrum. I rolled onto my stomach, resting my face against the cool metal of the van floor. The burn of tears threatened to spill over. I bit my lip to hold it back. I would not let those guards see me cry. Half mermaid. Half witch. Who am I? What am I? My entire life has been a lie.

  Images of prisons I’d seen on TV flashed through my mind. The small cells, bland food, and don’t forget the whole being someone’s bitch part. Maybe a magical prison was different. More orderly, controlled. My skin crawled. More monsters. Definitely more monsters. My necklace pressed against my chest stuck between me and the floor. It vibrated slightly, like a tiny hug, letting me know it was there. I remembered one of the many mantras Dr. Shay had drilled into my head over the last year. I am bigger than my fear. It was time to put my game face on or prison was going to eat me alive.

  I maneuvered myself onto the bench and leaned against the side of the van. Each bump on the road, and there were a ton of them, jostled me and caused the cuffs to pinch. I scooted down the bench until I reached the clear divider.

  “Hey, where are we going?” I asked.

  The men just kept looking ahead like they hadn’t even heard me. I peered out the windshield and saw… nothing. Literally nothing. It was like we were driving in a blank, black space of absolute nothingness. How did they know what was ahead? I banged my forehead against the divider.

  “Hello? I’m talking to you two. I still have rights.” I slumped over, squishing the side of my face against the Plexiglas behind the driver, Fred. Good ole dipshit Fred. The guard in the passenger seat gave me a quick side glance. Well, they could definitely hear me. I pressed my lips to the glass and blew. With my nose tilted upward and my mouth agape, I was sure they were getting quite the view. The glass around my face fogged up. The guard, not Fred, looked my way again. I stuck my tongue out. Annoyance drew his brows together before he turned toward me and pounded his fist against the glass.

  “Knock it off. We are almost there,” he barked. His name badge read Zack.

  “And where exactly is there, Zack? There’s literally nothing outside,” I said.

  He snickered. “You really know nothing about magic, do you? We are taking you to Spellbound Prison,” Zack answered before he turned back toward the front.

  “Never heard of it. So where is it exactly?”

  He ignored me, continuing to stare ahead.

  “Answer me. I know you aren’t busy enjoying the scenery.” Still no reply. I blew hot air onto the glass, causing it to fog. Using my nose, I wrote ‘fuck you’ in the moist haze. I kicked the divider with my foot, but he still didn’t turn around. Just as I was about to lie down, the van came to a stop and the back doors opened up. An additional guard pulled me from the van into an empty warehouse with holes in the roof and standing water on the concrete floor. It had definitely seen better days.

  Then I felt it. Magic. I don’t know how I knew, but I knew. I felt it pulling at my soul like a game of cat and mouse. The guard led me to the front of the van where a circle of white with golden edges floated in the air. The white seemed to flow like water but remained within the gold band that flickered and sparked. Both were constantly in motion. The magic.

  “What is that?” I asked, unable to hide my amazement.

  “That’s your ride,” Fred said. Then he shoved me forward into the white.

  My entire body vibrated as the white engulfed me. It was warm and jelly like against my skin. I wiggled my fingers, amazed by the feeling of the white squishing between them. The white continued to flow around me like a river current carrying me along, brushing against my skin. Goose bumps covered my arms. The white rushed past me, increasing in speed and getting tighter and tighter with each second until it was so constricting I thought I was going to pop. Nausea washed over me. I wanted off this ride now.

  Dizziness overtook me and vomit erupted from my mouth. Ejected from the white, I stumbled as my feet hit the stone floor of my new home and fell forward, landing on my stomach. The sour stench of my vomit covered shirt stung my nose. My eyes tried to focus on the people who stood in front of me, but all I could see were fuzzy, humanoid figures. The room was doing somersaults.

  “She didn’t handle the trip too well. Should we let her rest before processing?” a disembodied voice said. They placed me in a chair, still unable to get my bearings. The blurry outline of two people stood before me.

  “No. Warden Blu said to process her and place her in gen pop ASAP,” another voice said.

  “Gen pop? She hasn’t even had her trial yet. Shouldn’t she go—”

  “When the warden says to do something, I do it and don’t ask questions. If you want to hang around here, you will do the same,” the other voice said. One of the blurred silhouettes grabbed my arms and pulled me to my feet. My stomach rolled as I staggered upright. The room spun around and nausea returned with a vengeance. Vomit spewed from my lips all over the figure holding my arms.

  “Damn it, inmate!” he screamed.

  And then my world went dark.

  The pounding in my head woke me. I opened my eyes, happy to find my world was no longer spinning. I stared ahead at a stone wall with a desk against it. I rolled to my back as my muscles strained to carry out even that simple task. I groaned. The squeak of mattress springs above me stabbed at my ears like ice picks. A grinning face hung upside down from the bed above me. Deep brown eyes locked onto mine.

  “Hey, sleepyhead, you’re awake!” She flipped off the top bunk with ease and sat gracefully next to me. Her dark curls were cropped close to her head in a very trendy pixie cut. “I’m Lorelei.”

  “Jewels,” I mumbled. My throat burned. I rubbed my wrists. Cuff shaped bruises encircled them. I still felt wrong, drained. Someone had cleaned me up and changed my clothes. I didn’t know if I was thankful or mortified. Prison orange did not compliment my red hair.

  The room was tiny and bare minus a few essentials. A single chair at a desk sat across from the beds. A metal toilet and sink off in the corner. Looks like I would be playing the game how long can I go between bathroom visits.

  “So, roomie, what brings you here? You have caused quite the commotion.” Her gentle face looked at me with curiosity.

  “What…” I sat up and stretched my back. My stiff muscles begged me to lie back down.

  “Everyone is talking about the fresh meat who threw up on one of the guards.”

  “Great. I already have a reputation,” I said.

/>   She laughed. “There are worse reputations to have.” She got up and filled a glass with water from the sink before handing it to me. “What are you in for?”

  “Um… forbidden magic apparently.”

  “Whoa. You’re going to be popular in here. Wear that shit like a badge of honor.”

  “What about you?” I asked.

  Lorelei’s forehead creased and a storm brewed behind her dark eyes. “That’s a bit complicated. But the short of it is I’m a thief. It’s kinda the family business.”

  A loud buzzer sounded overhead. Lorelei grabbed my arm and pulled me to the cell door. The grinding of metal on metal echoed as all the cells opened at once, barred-doors rising into the ceiling overhead.

  “Stay close,” she said.

  A sea of men and women in orange pants and black tops formed in the hall and Lorelei pushed her way into it, pulling me along with her. Men and women were apparently just kept together here. None of the TV shows prepared me for that. A few guards stood nearby, eyeing all of us. The line started to move when I leaned forward and tapped her on the shoulder.

  “Where are we—” A baton struck the rail next to me.

  “No talking in line,” A guard growled. I swallowed back my words and bit the tip of my tongue to remind myself to stay silent.

  I followed the line down the stairs. Worn, gray stone covered the walls and floors. Antiqued metal railings lined the walkways and stairs. The same metal the cell doors were made of. Water flowed through narrow canals carved into the stone floor. A large fin broke the surface, retreating back into the depths before I could get a good look at it. Add a guillotine and a hooded executioner and you have yourself a magical medieval dungeon right here.

  The line of prisoners dispersed as we reached an open room that all the cellblocks seemed to be centered around. Tables with attached benches were scattered around and bolted to the floor. Inmates grouped off. Some sitting at tables, others getting into line under a sign that read ‘Commissary’. Lorelei pulled me to a table and we sat down.

  “I can’t believe they let you keep that necklace,” she said. I froze. Didn’t Dad say only I could see it?

  “Uh, what necklace?” I stuttered and Lorelei laughed.

  “The only one around your neck.” Before I could answer two girls sat down with us. They tossed some chips and little barrel-shaped bottles of juice onto the table.

  “Who’s the new girl, L?” the blonde asked as she ripped open a bag of nacho-flavored goodness.

  “This here is my new roomie. Jewels, Teal. Teal, Jewels.” Teal extended the bag to me and I took a handful and shoved them in my mouth. My stomach growled.

  “Thanks.” I shoved another handful in my mouth, wondering how long it had been since I last ate.

  “Are you the one who puked on a guard?” the other girl asked.

  “Does everyone already fucking know about that?” I covered my face with my hands and leaned on the table.

  “Oh yeah. Everyone knows.” A girl with long chestnut hair extended me a blue barrel of juice. I quickly chugged it. Freckles speckled her face and arms. “I’m Becky.”

  “To be honest you being a Farrington was going to get everyone talking regardless of the reason you’re here,” Teal said.

  “Yeah, when someone from a first family shows up it always attracts attention.” Becky twisted her hair around her finger and bounced her legs under the table. Teal rested her hand on Becky’s knee and the bouncing stopped.

  “What’s a first family?”

  Eyes bore into me from around the table.

  “A witch family that originated from Salem,” Lorelei explained. Her eyes scrunched together as she stared at me.

  “Oh yeah. My family doesn’t talk about it much.” I shrugged and prayed my expression didn’t give away the queasy feeling in my gut.

  Becky leaned over and whispered in Teal’s ear before they both giggled. Their eyes darted between each other and me. I fidgeted in my seat, wanting this moment to end. Dad had really let me walk into this blind. Fucking asshat.

  “So, is this prison only for witches?” I asked.

  They all laughed. I frowned at them. The laughter stopped.

  “Uh, no. Becky and I are witches like you. But Spellbound houses all types of magical beings. How do you not know this stuff?” Teal tilted her head as she squinted at me. As I fumbled for a response my necklace lightly vibrated. Lorelei looked down at it, but the other two seemed oblivious.

  “I didn’t find out I was a witch until yesterday. I think it was yesterday. I’ve kinda lost track of time.” The burn of embarrassment flooded my cheeks. I hung my head slightly forward so my hair could partially cover my face. “My dad secretly bound my powers when I was little. I didn’t even have magic until right before I got sent here.”

  “Oh, you poor thing! I never would have made it through high school without my magic.” Teal shook her head and threw back the last of the crumbs in the silver, crinkly bag.

  “You didn’t make it through high school. You dropped out.” Becky raised her brow and cocked her head to the side.

  “Close enough.” Teal grinned.

  “Are you a witch too?” I asked Lorelei as I glanced at her.

  I felt Lorelei tense next to me as two large hands squeezed my shoulders from behind. Lorelei’s gaze shifted to above me and her eyes darkened. Every instinct I had told me to run, but the strong hands had a firm hold on my shoulders. A bead of sweat trickled across my forehead and my necklace suddenly felt like an inferno on my chest.

  Men flanked us from all sides. They completely cut the table off from the rest of the room, creating a wall between us and the nearest guard. Teal dropped her empty chip of bag back on the table and glared at the person behind me.

  “Leave her alone, Quincy,” Teal said.

  “I’m just introducing myself to the newest witch on the block. We are the witch welcoming party after all.”

  I tried to wiggle away, but he tightened his grip, holding me firmly in place.

  “She doesn’t want anything to do with The Blood Coven. Take it somewhere else,” Lorelei hissed.

  A wave of pins and needles covered my arm that was closest to Lorelei. She shifted in her seat, pulling away from me a bit, and the tingle disappeared. My pendant’s dance intensified, keeping pace with my rapid heartbeat.

  “What the fuck did you say to me, fish?” The grasp on my shoulders released and the huge body behind me moved toward Lorelei.

  She stood up and fearlessly faced him. I spun around in my seat to face my wannabe welcoming party. The man behind me was massive. I swallowed a gasp, refusing to let him see how much he intimidated me. The top of Lorelei’s head barely grazed his chest. Her waist was the size of one of his biceps.

  Becky and Teal rose to their feet next to Lorelei. I fumbled up and joined them. My palms were sweaty and gross. I balled them into tight fists, ready to defend myself. This welcoming party definitely wasn’t going to end well.

  Quincy’s gaze bore into me like daggers and a crooked smile spread across his snarled lips.

  “You’re a Farrington, right? That’s some impressive lineage. You would fit right in with our little coven. We only take the best of the best,” he said. My breath caught in my throat, but two words played on repeat in my mind as I stared at the large man in front of me. Prison bitch. I shuddered.

  “I’m good where I’m at, Popeye.” I leaned toward Lorelei and my arm brushed against hers. A pull of energy floated between us, like static electricity. She glanced at me before shifting her focus back to Quincy.

  Lorelei pressed her chest against his stomach and looked up at him with cold eyes. Becky touched her arm, but Lorelei brushed her off. The circle around us closed in, bodies pressed against bodies. The tingle covered me from head to toe. Every move Lorelei made intensified the wave. I clenched my fists, digging my nails into my palms to prevent myself from trembling. I am bigger than my fear.

  “Get out of my face, fish.” Q
uincy spat on Lorelei’s face.

  She lunged forward, wrapping her hands on his throat. Water splashed from the canals as fins surfaced and waved widely. The circle swarmed us and an alarm blared overhead. I lost sight of Lorelei in the sea of bodies. A fist swung near my head, but before I could react a hand came from the side and blocked the landing. Teal and Becky were back to back, each locked in a wrestling match with their attackers. I tried to back up but became pressed between tussling bodies.

  A violent bump from behind pushed me forward. I prepared myself for the impact with the stone, but an arm wrapped around my waist, catching me before my face slammed into the floor. My eyelashes fluttered, grazing the stone floor as I blinked away tears. My face had been so close to becoming a bloody mess. I was thrown over someone’s shoulder and carried out of the crowd of brawling inmates. The wave of static electricity dropped as I was carted away from Lorelei. Fear flowed through me and I pounded my fists against the hard back of the person carrying me. Once my kidnapper and I were clear from the fight, he set me on my feet in the corner of the open room. A tall, dark, and ridiculously handsome man stood before me. His hands were held out in surrender in front of him. I stumbled back, trying to distance myself from him as I held my fists up, ready to defend myself.

  “Slow down, Tiger. I’m not going to hurt you.” He smiled, his brown eyes lingering on me. He ran a hand through his hair and a blush tinted his cheeks before he turned away. “I know you’re new here and I wanted to get you out of there. The Blood Coven doesn’t play around. They are always trying to recruit newbies, especially those they feel are weak. Not that you’re weak. I just… I should stop talking now.”

  The inmates at the center of the room were just a blur of body parts and blood now. Guards rushed the unruly crowd from all sides. Some guards were partially shifted, with claws for hands and snouts full of sharp teeth protruding from their faces. Others formed a circle around the mob, shimmering energy flowing from their fingertips. The wavering light passed between them, forming a dome around the mob. Brown eyes grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the stairs that led to the cellblocks.