“That is quite all right. Very impressive for someone newly aquatinted with the craft. Very impressive indeed.”
I set the pens on her desk before returning to my seat.
“Our time is up. I will see you again soon. Oh, one more thing. You have been assigned to laundry duty. Your cellmate has the same assignment and should be able to show you the ropes.” She pressed a button on the phone on her desk.
“Yes?” a staticky voice said.
“You can send the guard for Farrington back in. We are done.” She released the button before the staticky voice replied.
“Remember our little secret.” She walked around the desk and placed the cuffs back on me. She smiled.
The guard took me back to my cell the same way we had come before. Brendan’s cell was empty. Disappointment clawed at my belly. There were a few catcalls and guttural shouts of a term I had not heard before. ‘Cross breed’. The shouters looked at me with disgusted faces. Some even ran fingers across their throats as they locked eyes with me. I am bigger than my fear. I made certain to keep my face flat, free of any sign of emotion. The guard removed my cuffs before he shut the cell door. Lorelei sat up on the top bunk. I dove onto my bed.
“Who did you get?” she asked.
“Kemp.”
“Oh, you’re lucky. I heard she’s real nice.”
“I’m apparently on laundry duty with you too.”
“That’s great!” She bit her lip. “I’ve been thinking about what we talked about earlier.” She jumped from the top bunk and sat on my bed next to me. She chewed on her lips.
“Well, spit it out.”
“I’m trying to think about how to say it.” More lip chewing.
“You are going to slice open your lip. Come on now.” I squeezed her hand. A slight tingle flowed up my arm from hers. She looked at our clasped hands and then locked eyes with me.
“My family used to be Guardsmen for Sirens and Siren Descendants. Once they were all gone we had to find another way to survive.” She squeezed my hand before releasing it, severing the energy flow between us. She stood up and scribbled on a piece of paper on the desk. “I figured you should know.” She handed me the paper.
‘Siren Descendant (you) + Guardsman (me) = weird power connection’
I nodded and she took the paper and flushed it. She held a finger to her bruised lips.
“Because of the fight earlier they will bring us dinner in our cells tonight. Tomorrow after breakfast it’ll be our turn in laundry. I’ll show you all the best places to hide from the guards.” She pulled herself onto her bed. I leaned back against the wall and let my mind wander back to the picture of my dad and the girl, Alure. Alure, is she my birth mom? My necklace sent tiny jolts into my skin. Goose bumps spread across my torso and arms. I pressed my hand to my chest, trapping the necklace under it until the feeling subsided. I was pretty sure that was a yes.
I stood next to Lorelei, folding black shirts as she sorted through a load of bedding. She chatted away with the people around us, all of whom seemed to adore her. Most were wary of me. Which was understandable given the circumstances. Really this was not the place to make friends. Becky and Teal passed by the open door and waved. Their long locks hidden away under hair nets. Becky had a purple bruise around her eye.
“Poor Becky. She probably hates me now.”
“Don’t even worry about it. She may not seem like the type, but she lives for that kind of stuff. They don’t blame you for what happened. The Blood Coven is always trying to start shit. They tried to recruit them too when they first got here.”
“They came to prison together?” I asked.
“Yeah. They were partners on the outside. Got caught together. Normally they would be separated, but there is only one other prison for supernaturals. They have already escaped from there. So, they both had to come here.” She sorted the last piece of bedding onto the table in front of her and started folding blankets with help from the guy next to her. Flynn, I think he said his name was.
“What were they arrested for?”
“They swindled this old dumb shifter out of his collection of rare enchanted objects. They convinced him they were working for The High Council and needed the objects for research. Then they sold them to the highest bidder. They are con artists. That’s their thing.” A low growl emitted from Flynn. “Oh, knock it off, puppy dog. I didn’t mean all shifters are dumb. But that one was.” The growl ceased and Flynn continued to fold with Lorelei.
The room was filled with the slosh of washing machines, the spinning of dryers, and the yammering of inmate conversations. Every once in a while, a guard would pass by the open door, not even bothering to look inside. As loads of shirts were dumped in front of me I set into the rhythm of folding and let all the sounds fade into the background. I looked up when a hush overcame the space.
A man with dark skin and light eyes walked in, pushing a laundry cart. Everyone distanced themselves from him as he made his way to the row of washing machines. His eyes fell on me and he gave me a once-over before averting his gaze. Large muscles flexed under his shirt as he loaded armfuls of dirty linens into the washing machine.
He pushed the empty cart from the room and disappeared. The flurry of voices came alive again.
“Who was that?” I leaned over and whispered to Lorelei.
“Evan Muir,” Flynn replied.
“Ixnayon the shifter hearing dude.” Lorelei swatted him playfully on the arm. “Mind your business.”
Flynn smiled. “He killed his own sister,” he said.
“Yeah, she was a Moon Child. Apparently, he thought if he killed her, his power would be amplified, but that’s not how it works. They can’t amplify magic if they are dead.” Lorelei shook out the pillowcase in her hands.
“Wait. You just said so many things I don’t understand. Moon Child? Amplify power?”
“A Moon Child is a fae that is born under the light of the Black Moon. Their presence can amplify all magic they are near but not their own. They are super rare and often hide their existence.” Flynn stopped folding and moved closer to me.
“Yeah, because everyone hunts them down like animals.” Lorelei shook her head.
“It’s pretty screwed up. They said he was covered in her blood when they found him. He’s cold-blooded. He’s fucked some guys up here pretty bad too.” Flynn started stacking the shirts I had folded into an empty laundry cart.
“Yeah, stay clear of him, Jewels. He is bad news.”
A guard walked in the room and pointed to Lorelei.
“Summers. Your lawyer is here.” Lorelei walked to him and he placed the glowing cuffs on her wrists. She nodded to me as she left the room.
Flynn filled the cart to the brim with shirts as a load of pants was dumped onto my table. He waved before pushing the cart out the door.
I let my mind wander as I drowned out the conversations around me and worked on the pile in front of me. Time slipped away from me as I thought about my potential connection to the Original Siren, whoever that was. When I looked up, the room was empty except for Quincy and three of his Blood Coven buddies standing in the doorway.
“Hey, Newbie,” he said. My quick glance around the room for something to defend myself with proved futile. His steady approach backed me up until I hit the dryer behind me, his buddies right on his tail.
My heart raced as my necklace danced on my chest. He was so close to me that if he took one deep breath our chests would touch. His warm, sickly sweet breath blew across my face as he spoke.
“You need to join our coven. The boss told us not to leave this room without you on board.”
“Well, you will disappoint him.” My necklace was so hot I worried it might burn my skin.
“You haven’t even heard our offer yet.” He snarled.
“I don’t need to.” I pressed myself against the dryer to create distance between us with no success. Before I had time to react, his large hand was around my neck, lifting me off the ground
, pushing me against the dryer. I gasped for air as his cronies laughed.
“If you won’t join us, then you won’t leave this room.” Quincy’s grip tightened around my neck. I struggled against his hold, digging my fingers into his hand, kicking my legs toward him. His long arms made it impossible for my short legs to reach him. I called to my magic, begging it save me, but was met with static. I probed behind me for something to fend him off with, but only felt the metal dryer. I let my body relax into his grasp and closed my eyes, picturing the symbol above my bed. Moving my fingertip against the dryer, I tried to recreate the symbol. My necklace stung my skin and my power tried to claw out of me but couldn’t break through.
The world around me started to fade away as sparks ignited under my hand. With my last bit of energy, I swung my body, shifting all my weight into Quincy. It threw him off-balance just enough for me to grab the collar of his shirt and slam his face into the sparking emblem seared onto the dryer. He screamed and his companions lunged toward me. Before they could reach me, a laundry cart barreled into them, sending them to the ground.
I scrambled to my feet to see Evan Muir in the doorway. He waved me over to him. I jumped over the fallen bodies on the floor and made it beside Evan as The Blood Coven members dragged themselves up.
“You will pay for that, fairy.”
A shadow washed over Evan’s eyes. He pushed me back as the two men rushed him. Grabbing one by the arm, he twisted it until a snap cracked through the air. The man screamed and dropped to his knees. Evan kicked him in the chest, sending him flying into the other man. The third man with a mohawk lunged for Evan.
Mohawk man landed a punch on Evan’s gut and then across his face. Evan dodged the next swing and as the man was moving forward in his momentum, he grabbed the back of the man’s neck and head-butted him. Then he kicked Mohawk’s leg out from under him, leaving him a dazed mess on the floor. Quincy’s face was red and his chest was heaving. He let out a deafening scream and flipped a table toward Evan. The table crashed into him, trapping him beneath it on the ground. Quincy pulled a glowing blue orb from his pocket and squished it between his fingers. A cerulean ooze dripped to the floor. I felt a rush of magic flow into me. Quincy chanted and his buddies joined him as they rose up.
“Impetus corinus mortem,” they chanted. A shimmery translucent veil passed between them, interconnecting them as they cast.
Evan’s fingertips lit aflame. He sent a stream of fire toward the group.
“Murus luminis,” one of the coven said.
The flame stopped short of its target like it had hit an invisible wall. Evan started to struggle to breathe, as if he were choking. I screamed and reached for him. The table flew off of him and slammed into the wall of dryers, shattering. The coven glared at me and directed their words to me as they continued their chant.
“Impetus corinus mortem. Impetus corinus mortem.”
My throat constricted and no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t take in enough air. I fell to my knees and attempted the only spell I knew—levitation. Failing to focus, panic overtook me. My necklace burned against my skin and radiated to my core. My gut knotted in fear and my quaking heart threatened to jump from my chest. Suddenly the men were on fire. Air rushed into my lungs as their spell lifted. The coven members ran, bumping into furniture, setting every item they touched ablaze. Evan took my hand and pulled me from the room. The horrid smell of burnt flesh stung my nostrils. I imagined the door shutting, blocking us from our attackers. The door swung closed, trapping the men inside. The room ignited like a bonfire. Their screams filled the halls. The small window into the room was clouded by smoke. Evan dragged me down the hall and the magic receded back into my body, dampened by the enchantments of the prison. The screams of the men withered away as we ran from the scene. Evan pulled me into a room and we both collapsed onto the floor.
I leaned against a mop bucket. Even a magical prison had a janitorial closet. The thought brought a small smile to my face that quickly disappeared as the smell of barbecued flesh wafted into the tiny space. The only light in the room filtered in from the cracks around the door and the small window at the top of it. A few bottles of water sat on a shelf near my head. I took one and handed another to Evan. I chugged the water, trying to wash away the bitter taste on my tongue.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
“No. You?”
“No.” He finished off his water and tossed the bottle into a trash can at the back of the closet.
“Why did you help me?” I asked.
“You needed it.”
I studied his face in the dim light. His expression was flat, but his light eyes sparkled. “Thank you.”
He nodded. He rose to his feet and extended a hand down to me. I took it and he pulled me up. The space was narrow and my face almost touched his chest.
“Be careful, Little Witch. The Blood Coven wants you bad. They don’t give up easily.” He placed his hand on the door handle, but I reached out and grabbed his forearm. His deep umber skin was hot and smooth against my palm. He stopped but drew away from my grasp.
“Are you really here for killing your sister?”
“Yes,” he replied. No emotion crossed his face. His lips twitched and he ran the back of his hand across his mouth.
“Did you do it?” I asked.
His eyes widened and he tilted his head to the side. “No.” He stared at me, waiting for my response. I nodded and shoved my hands in my pockets. His inquisitive eyes searched my face for some hidden response to his answer. He didn’t seem to see the response he expected and he turned away from me. His shoulders relaxed and he took a deep breath. “Things aren’t on the up and up around here. Be careful who you trust, Little Witch,” he said over his shoulder before slipping out the door.
I stood alone in the dim closet and realized just how screwed I really was.
I sprawled out across my bunk, letting my hand drape over the side like some damsel in distress. The chatter outside my cell sounded like white noise as my brain raced with thoughts of how I was supposed to survive my incarceration when people were already trying to kill me less than a week in. Lorelei bound into the room and landed on my bed. Her short and kinky curls bounced even once she was still. Her smile faded when she saw my face. She sighed and laid back beside me.
"What's wrong?" Her eyes pierced mine.
"I almost died today. If it wasn't for Evan, I probably would have." I rolled to my side, propped myself up on my elbow, cradling my head in my hand, and faced her.
"What do you mean if it wasn't for Evan? What the fuck happened, Jewels?”
"I mean The Blood Coven came after me and he saved my ass. I don't think he's a bad guy, Lorelei. And I asked him if he killed his sister. He said no.”
“Of course he said no! Who would admit to a thing like that? They found her body in pieces.” She slammed her hand down on our small desk. “Pieces, Jewels! And your boy Evan was covered in her blood, walking around in some psychotic state, talking about how he didn’t know what happened. It didn’t take The High Council long to figure it out and send his ass here.” She grabbed my face with both her hands and peered into my eyes. "Stay away from him. He's dangerous."
"I think he’s telling the truth. I can’t explain it, but I do. Give him a chance.” I held her gaze with pleading eyes.
“One chance. But I’ll be watching him.” She released my cheeks, leaving behind red hand-shaped splotches across my ghost white skin.
"By the way, you trust me because we're both mermaids. It's a thing. We run in pods. We’re designed to be together. Fire fae are independent and temperamental. Not exactly made to be team players.” Lorelei sat up on the edge of the bed, wringing her hands together like a fretting mother.
“Noted.” I laid my body back down onto the hard mattress. “Tell me about Sirens. Give me a mermaid education.” She turned to me, a smile spread across her face. Her keen eyes seemed to have a new fire behind them.
"Sirens are
like the Holy Grail of mermaids. And they've only come from one family line. As in ever, in all of history. The super weird thing is not everyone born in that line turns out to be a Siren. Think of a super powered sea witch.”
“So, mermaids are like witches with tails?” I asked. Lorelei laughed.
“Not exactly. Mermaids can control water, talk to marine life, and a few other things but not near the level of a witch. Except a Siren. They can give witches a run for their money.” Lorelei balled up a piece of paper from the table and tossed it into the air, catching it as it fell back down. “They do have some help thanks to the Original Siren. She created The Siren Jewel from raw magic. It holds all the power of every Siren that has ever existed. It's been passed down to the eldest Siren or descendant since its creation. Think of it like a really long-lasting battery. Energy can be deposited or taken from it.”
“Who’s the Siren now?” I asked.
“There hasn't been a known Siren for over two hundred years. The last known descendant disappeared years ago. Everyone thinks the line died off.” Lorelei shook her head. “Mermaids are in a permanent state of mourning over it. It reduces our standing in the magical community not having one to lead us.” Her eyes darkened again. Sadness flashed across her face.
"The Sirens are your leaders? What if they don't want to be?” My throat tightened. Anxiety bubbled in my chest. The heat from my necklace radiated across my skin.
“Descendants don’t have to go through the tests it takes to be declared a Siren, but they know that if they choose to and they pass, then they will have certain responsibilities that come with Siren status. When the Original Siren became what she was, it completely changed every mermaid’s life. We were no longer looked down upon. We got a place at the table so to say. It gave us a level of status we had never had before. For us to be treated as equals it is important that we have a formidable figurehead.”
The Siren Jewel: Spellbound Prison Saga Page 7