The Siren Jewel: Spellbound Prison Saga

by Karri Roberts

  The leader’s snarl sent a chill through my body. The three men blocking the doorway advanced. One plowed into Flynn and the other two went for me. Before I could refocus my energy and bend the water to my will I was on the ground. They pinned me while landing multiple blows all over my body. I heard Flynn’s growl followed by a whimper off to the side of me, but I couldn’t see him. I tried to call upon the water and my magic slammed into the bindings of the prison like a brick wall, unable to reach me. A pair of hands wrapped around my throat. Green eyes glared at me from above. The hands tightened, cutting off my air supply, while someone else held down my arms. I called to the water again but couldn’t push past the invisible barrier that kept my power from me.

  I kicked and squirmed, but couldn’t escape their grip. A heaviness pounded in my head, distorting my vision, dimming the world around me. The shifter’s weight on my chest sent me one step closer to death. Metal slamming into metal sounded over by the washing machines and suddenly my arms were free, but the hands remained attached to my throat.

  I heard a new voice join the fray. Despite its familiarity, I couldn’t place it. I scratched at the shifter’s face, trying to gouge out his swamp green eyes with the last of my strength. His face disappeared from my view, his hands released my neck, and his weight was gone from my chest. I scrambled to my feet, my breathing labored and my heart hammering in my chest. My vision returned to normal and I scanned the room for Flynn. He straddled the body of the leader, beating the wolf’s face with his fists, turning it to a gooey pile of ground meat. Other shifters lay dead nearby, their bodies riddled with golf ball sized holes.

  By the door was Brendan, his jaw set hard, his eyes cold. His hands were raised above his head, palms open in the direction of one of my attackers. The shifter was suspended in the air. Blood poured from his eyes, nose, and mouth. Even his pants were forming red stains in disturbing places. Every hole in his body was spewing blood. It pooled on the ground beneath him, turning the concrete floor into a lake of red. The shifter went limp and the spew of blood turned to a trickle, then he crashed to the floor.

  Brendan was by my side in an instant, wrapping me in his arms. Lifting my feet from the floor, he buried his head in the crease of my neck. I held the back of his shirt. It crumpled up in my fists as I clung to him and watched Flynn continue to beat the now very dead pack leader. Tears were streaming down Flynn’s face.

  I kissed Brendan’s cheek and wiggled free of his embrace. I ran to Flynn. His movements were now sluggish and weak. I rested my hands on his back. His arms stopped swinging and he hunched forward. I cradled him in my arms the best I could with him being almost twice my size. He leaned onto me and let out a sob.

  “We need to go.” Brendan stood in the doorway, looking down the hall. “Now.”

  “Come help me with him.” I grabbed a towel from the clean laundry bin and wet it in the sink, wiping the blood off our hands and faces. Couldn’t go walking through a prison covered in blood. I tossed his arm around me and held him up as Brendan supported his other side. We led him from the laundry room and to his cell. He didn’t utter a sound the entire walk. We laid him on the bottom bunk and I tucked him in the same way my mom used to do for me.

  “Are you okay, Flynn?”

  No response.

  “I’ll come back and check on you later. Just rest.” I smoothed his hair down and kissed his forehead. “Everything will be alright.”

  Brendan took my hand and pulled me to the exit. Just as I reached the cell door Flynn spoke.

  “Jewels, you’re my pack too.”

  “I know.” My heart ached to hug him, but Brendan’s firm hold on my hand stopped me. “Get some rest.”

  Brendan intertwined his fingers with mine and held my hand tightly as we walked. My fingers went numb under the pressure and I could see his knuckles were white. A guard called out to us from down the hall and scolded us for fraternization. I tried to pull away, but Brendan still refused to release me. When the guard approached us Brendan took off running, dragging me with him. Once we turned a corner and lost sight of the guard, Brendan yanked me into a small room. He closed the door quietly behind us. I had never been into this section of the prison before and the dark room felt foreign. The pounding of the guard’s boots against the stone floor rushed by outside the door and faded into the distance.

  “I don’t think we should be drawing attention to ourselves right now. It’s only a matter of time before they stumble across the laundry room and we shouldn’t give them any reason for us to be on their radar,” I whispered.

  “I know. I know.” He pressed his body to mine and dug his hands into my hips. His lips reached for mine in a frenzy. “I just needed to be alone with you. When I saw that fucking shifter squeezing the life out of you I thought you were done for. I thought I was gonna lose you. I can’t lose you. I’ve been looking for you my whole life.”

  His hands veered to my rear where he grabbed hold, lifted me off the ground, and pressed me against the wall. I wrapped my legs around him and ran my fingers through his hair as we kissed, but something didn’t feel the same. The raw attraction from before was gone. As if he felt it too he pulled his lips from mine and looked in my eyes. He rested his forehead against mine.

  “We can’t do this right now.” Brendan placed me back on the ground.

  “Well, you started it.”

  “I need to take you somewhere.”

  He opened the door slightly and peered into the hall. He started to take my hand but stopped himself. He guided me from the tiny room and I quickly lost track of where we were and where we had been. This place was a maze and I had no idea how Brendan seemed to know it so well. He stopped in front of a large red door that seemed out of place in the long corridor that was lined with other plain, unpainted wood doors.

  “What is this?”

  Brendan smirked but didn’t answer. He placed his hand on the door and muttered. I couldn’t make out the words, but from the pacing and sound I knew it had to be a spell. The door flung open, revealing a long, stairwell that disappeared down into darkness. As we stepped through the doorway the blood in my veins went cold and I started to shiver. Brendan squeezed my shoulder.

  “I know it feels odd at first. But you’ll get used to it.”

  He led me down the stairs and lanterns on the wall illuminated as we neared them, clearly lighting the steps in front of us. As we passed by, the lights would shut off, leaving only darkness behind us. The stairwell was so quiet it was unnerving. Our own footsteps barely made a sound.

  “Brendan, where are we going?”

  “A special place where we aren’t limited by the bindings of the prison.”

  “Like the library?” I asked.

  “No. The library just has weak spots. This place has absolutely none.”

  “How did you find this place?” I tried to control the shock on my face, but when I realized my mouth was hanging open I knew I had failed.

  “There are many benefits to being a member of a First Family. Let’s just say this is one of those.” He winked at me and flashed that Hollywood level smile.

  The next light revealed a large door identical to the first but black instead of red. As our feet hit the landing the door flew open and light poured into the stairwell. Temporarily blinded, I stepped into the brightly lit room. Once my eyes adjusted, I gasped.

  This room could have been pulled straight from one of those wizarding academy movies. Cauldrons scattered around the room. Long tables littered with papers, candles, and dried herbs dominated the center of the room. Elegant wooden chairs with red velvet cushions tucked up against the tables. The walls were mostly draped in heavy fabric, but in areas where the wall was visible signs hung covered in symbols I had never seen before.

  In the corner, under a globe of glass, was a large, glimmering ball. A buzzing filled my head and excitement churned in my stomach. The chain of my pendant strained as if the necklace wanted to be near the mysterious orb. I walked to it and B
rendan followed. He said something, but I couldn’t quite make it out over the buzzing.

  The orb grew brighter and brighter as I neared it. When I reached it, it was nearly blinding. I placed my hands on the glass and the power that radiated from the orb reached for mine. The buzzing in my head subsided. I tried to lift the glass dome, but it wouldn’t budge.

  “What is this?”

  “That is the Orb of Salem. After the Salem Witch Trials all the remaining magical beings in the area worked together to form it. It was a promise to work together to keep each other safe. It was then gifted to the coven leaders. Every one hundred years each High Council member deposits magic into the orb, reestablishing that promise so it keeps growing in power.”

  “It’s an enchantment.”

  “Technically, yes. But it’s unlike any that has ever existed.”

  “What does it do?” The magic flowed into me and I quivered. I physically ached to touch it, to hold it in my hands, to own it.

  “No one really knows. Its existence is more a show of unity than for practical use. Although I’m sure The High Council would find a use for it if our world was ever exposed to the humans on a large, unmanageable scale.”

  “Why is it here under the prison?”

  “It’s being protected against those who may want to use its power against us. Where better to keep it than hidden in an inescapable stone fortress?”

  I wanted to ask more, but Brendan walked to the other side of the room and flipped through a large book. He waved me over. My heart dropped as I slipped my hands from the glass and went to his side. He pointed down to the cream-colored page marred with black calligraphy written in English mixed with a variety of symbols.

  “We are here so you can practice your magical skills. Magic is like a muscle. It needs to be exercised or it can atrophy and be of no use. Do this spell.”

  I ran my finger down the old paper. It was smooth and thick, like cotton. The ink created raised areas across the page and the marks sent ripples of excitement through me as I brushed across them. My necklace beat at a steady, rapid pace at my neck. I read the words and the room came to life with static electricity.

  The words flowed from me, piercing the air as power gathered in the room. It clustered around me fighting to get inside me. A muggy moistness weighed down the air. It would have been unbearable if the flow of the spell through my veins wasn’t so intoxicating. My head became light and airy like the time I got tipsy on bitch beers after Homecoming. Butterflies danced in my belly, sending a giggle to my lips.

  A black goo formed in front of me, floating in the air and growing in size. Magic radiated from the black blob hovering in front of my face. It stretched out to the length of my body and resembled an open doorway. The glossy surface called to me. I stepped forward and touched it, sending ripples across its surface. A dark reflection of myself stared back at me.

  “What is it?”

  “The Void. It’s the space where magic resides. It seeps into our world, saturating our surroundings. There is more power in there than anywhere here.”

  The pulsation of magic emanated from The Void and my necklace matched its pace, pulling against my neck, begging me to follow the power. The buzzing in my head returned and silenced the world around me as a warmth embraced my body, encouraging me to step into The Void. I moved forward with every intention of diving headfirst into the black abyss, but Brendan grabbed my shoulders and jerked me back.

  My connection to The Void shattered and it snapped shut, sucking all the magic from the room as it did. The static electricity and buzzing were gone, now replaced with nausea and blurred vision. I dropped to my knees. My body stiffened and a coldness flooded my blood, sending my teeth into a chatter and turning my fingertips blue. Goose pimples coated every inch of my skin. With the power from The Void no longer entangled with my own, I felt empty. Brendan wrapped his arms around me and cradled me on his lap.

  “It’s a rush, huh?” He ran his hands up and down my arms, trying to warm me.

  “It’s… it’s amazing.” The nausea eased and my shaking subsided.

  “You did better than I did my first time. For starters you opened it on your first try. It took me years to do that.”

  “What happened the first time you opened it?” My vision cleared in time to see his perfect, sparkling smile.

  “I threw up.” He laughed.

  “Why hasn’t anyone told me about The Void? If it’s where magic comes from you’d think someone would have told me about it.” My fingers pinked up and my body warmed.

  “Jewels, you can’t tell anyone about this. Opening The Void is forbidden magic. No one talks about it. No one calls upon it. No one knows what lies in it.”

  “Why don’t we just walk right in and figure it out?”

  Brendan’s features tightened. “You think you’re the first to think of that? Many people have entered The Void but none have returned.”

  I leaned against his chest, listening to his rapid heartbeat. I breathed in his musky scent, an addicting aroma of fig and sandalwood. We sat there wrapped in each other’s arms until I felt myself start to drift off to sleep.

  “Hey, none of that now. We better get back before they notice we are gone. Magic like that is draining. You need to rest.”

  He pulled me to my feet and led me back up the stairs and out the red door. We walked down the hall hand in hand, not a guard in sight. As we rounded the corner to my cellblock an alarm sounded, followed by the warden’s voice over the intercom.

  “Return to your cells immediately for a head count. Those outside of their cells in five minutes will be dealt with using lethal force. Return to your cells now.”

  Brendan’s jaw clenched. He grabbed my cheeks between his palms, kissing me hard on the mouth. I wrapped my arms around his neck, searching for that feeling from before. I reached it just as his lips parted from mine and his fingers caressed my cheeks. My body craved his again and I never wanted him to leave.

  “Get to your cell.” The shine in his eyes was gone and a dull sadness was all that was left. “Stay safe, Newbie.” He turned on his heels and sprinted down the hall, disappearing around a corner before I could say goodbye. A splash followed by dampness on my leg dragged me from my trance. I looked down and my eyes landed on Bree peeking out from the water. Only the top half of her face and head were visible. She bobbed up and down in the dark, stone trench, her eyes wide with fright. She lifted her head completely out of the water and locked eyes with me.

  “Jewels, I think the secrets have escaped,” she whispered.

  “What secrets, Bree?”

  “All of them.” Footsteps thundered down the hall as inmates barreled into their cells and Bree disappeared beneath the water.

  I waited in my cell, but Lorelei never showed. The guards whispered among themselves as if their hushed voices would prevent us inmates from overhearing them. Every word carried in this stone fortress.

  “Someone escaped,” the scrawny, thin guard with beady eyes said.

  “Who?”

  “It was more than one. We don’t know who they all were yet.” Scrawny guard and his partner passed by my cell, tugging on the bars to ensure I was locked up tight as they passed. Their eyes didn’t even skim over me; they were so focused on their conversation. So much for a head count.

  Maybe Lorelei was one of those who escaped. Perhaps she saw an opportunity to flee and was out of this hell hole for good. I would run as far as I could from here if given the chance. A dull ache encompassed my heart when I thought about never seeing Lorelei again. But I would never have left Lorelei behind. I couldn’t do that. It would be hard enough to leave Teal, Becky, Flynn, and Brendan, but I could if push came to shove. But never Lorelei. I couldn’t imagine Lorelei leaving me behind after everything we’d been through. That seemed to go against our weird, complicated mermaid Siren connection. Not to mention our bonding.

  My pendant warmed against my skin, a calming flow of energy into my core. Lorelei would
n’t abandon me. She would never leave me unless she wasn’t given a choice. I somehow knew that without a doubt. Worry ravaged me as I imagined all the situations that could possibly keep Lorelei from coming back to me. None of them were good. Most of them involved her lying dead in some hidden corner of Spellbound.

  I paced our small cell for hours, awaiting her return. Every set of footsteps that echoed down the hall sent me to my cell door in a panic, trying to get a glimpse of who they belonged to. The same two guards walked by every now and then, absorbed in their own conversation. I finally took a seat but wouldn’t stop my legs from bouncing up and down. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on Lorelei. I pushed my thoughts outside of my body and searched for that connection to her. I pictured her in my mind receiving my thoughts. But I was met with a whole lot of nothing. No answer. No warm, fuzzy connection. No sign of life at all. I could open The Fucking Void, but I couldn’t telecommunicate with the other half of my bonded pair when I so desperately needed to.

  The jingle of keys and creak of my cell door rising distracted me from my thoughts. Scrawny guard stood there and held out the glowing cuffs for me. I stood and turned around, allowing him to restrain me. When the cuffs closed he led me from the cell, pushing me in front of him, and held on to the chain linking my cuffs, using it to direct me like I was a damn horse.