The Siren Jewel: Spellbound Prison Saga

by Karri Roberts

  “It’s The Blood Coven. You felt that darkness. It has to be them,” Becky said. Teal nodded.

  “Why would they do that? They have what they want. They took The Siren Jewel.”

  Lorelei’s face dropped and her eyes filled with worry.

  “The Blood Coven doesn’t like being told no,” Becky said.

  “Still, draining the life force of a witch from a first family, let alone a Siren Descendant, would take a ton of power. Why waste it when they have the damn necklace? Out of spite?” Flynn ran his hand through his hair. “It doesn’t make sense.”

  “Yes, it does,” Lorelei whispered. “Only Siren Descendants can access the power of the jewel. That is unless they’re all dead. Then all that power is up for grabs and whoever has the jewel has the power.”

  “I’m the last Siren Descendant.” The room went quiet.

  Becky pulled some stones from the cargo pocket on her prison issued jumpsuit. Teal stood and stared at the stones.

  “Where did you get those?”

  “Does it matter now? They can help.” Teal sighed and put her palm out. Becky dropped the stones into Teal’s hand. They seemed holographic, shifting colors as light reflected off the smooth surface.

  “These are kinda my family’s signature. I can use them to call on the power of my coven for a spell even without them here. It’s basically the power of hundreds of witches at my fingertips. But they don’t last long.”

  “What are you going to do with them?” I asked.

  “I’ll cast a protection spell to block whatever magic they are using to drain your life force. But it’s just a Band-Aid. We have to find a way to sever their link to you before my spell ends.”

  “And if we don’t?”

  “When my spell wears off you die. Fast.”

  “How long will it give me?”

  “A day, maybe two max.” Teal frowned.

  “Let’s do it,” I said.

  I followed the guard to a small, private visitation room where he uncuffed me and sat me at a table across from my lawyer. Mitch stayed silent, shuffling through papers in front of him, and didn’t look up. When the door closed behind the guard and we were alone he looked up at me and I could see the worry in his eyes. He placed his papers down in a stack and then folded his hands on top. I stared at him, waiting for him to speak. His eyes shifted around the room as if he was looking for an exit. He didn’t want to be here.

  “Jewels, I have some upsetting news. Your father was supposed to meet me a few days ago to review your case. He never showed. They found his car abandoned on the side of the road. No one knows where he is.” He avoided making eye contact with me as he spoke.

  “It’s The Blood Coven. They have him!”

  “That is highly unlikely. They have not been active in years. The High Council practically wiped them out twenty years ago. I know some inmates claim to be in it, but it’s just for show,” he said. I crossed my arms to keep myself from slapping him.

  “I’m telling you they are responsible. They threatened me. Saying if I didn’t join them they would do something to my dad. They are also the ones who did this to me!” I pointed at the bruises still visible on my face.

  He finally looked at me and I could see the shock in his eyes. Mitch shifted in his seat uncomfortably and glanced around the room. He sorted through some papers in front of him and spoke in a whisper without looking up.

  “Then you need to be careful. The Blood Coven likes to infiltrate and destroy from within. Given everything that has happened here I’d say they aren’t just inmates.” His eyes met mine. “I’ll do what I can to get you out of here as soon as possible.”

  “Don’t worry about me. Find my dad. Where is Ben?” I slammed my hands down, causing the metal table to clang.

  “Ben is with Dr. Shay. He is safe.” He handed me a stack of papers. On the first page was my picture and all my biographical information followed by my charges. Also listed was the agreement between my dad and The High Council from after my mother died. I swept the papers to the floor.

  “I don’t care about my case. I care about my dad. And my brother. And Miss Kemp.”

  “Your caseworker?”

  “Yes! She’s missing.”

  “She is certainly not missing. She was supposed to meet with me today as well. However, the warden informed me she is on vacation.”

  “Of course he would say that! But everyone knows an escapee took her!” My voice was so high-pitched I didn’t recognize myself. My chest tightened as dread set in. I threw my arms in the air. I had to move. “He’s The High One! He’s part of The Blood Coven!” I screamed. The guard opened the door and looked at Mitch.

  “It’s okay. I’ve got it. She’s been through a lot.” Mitch waved him off.

  “Calm her down or I take her out.” The guard closed the door.

  Mitch sat next to me and wrapped me in his arms, pinning my hands to my side. My body trembled and tears ran down my face. I felt like I was always crying now. Crying for my dad. My brother. Miss Kemp. My fucking life. Mitch pressed his cheek to mine and whispered in my ear.

  “You cannot go around throwing accusations at people. It will get you killed. Even if you’re right. Being right means nothing if you’re dead.”

  I nodded and he released me.

  “We can go over these things later. Your trial date is still not set. I will focus on helping to find your father. In the meantime, you need to be on your best behavior. I have forced the warden’s hand and made him release you from the medical wing. You should be free to go to your cell after this. Behave and for fuck’s sake don’t draw attention to yourself.” Mitch waved to the guard through the tiny window as he gathered his papers. “Ms. Farrington is ready to go back to her cell. I assume you will escort her? Make sure she gets there safely? I don’t want to come back here and find another scratch on her or I will hold you personally responsible.”

  The guard grumbled and locked golden cuffs around my wrists before steering me from the room. We followed the familiar trench that ran down the edge of the hall before splitting into multiple outlets that twisted through the cellblocks and common areas. I stared at the dark water and wondered what all was hidden away down there besides Bree. A flash of red scales glittered in the light just beneath the surface before disappearing into the deep.

  “Not one damn scratch!” Mitch yelled after us.

  The guard held tight to the chain between my cuffs as we walked to the entrance of the cellblocks. The halls were almost deserted, cell doors flung open, the contents within ransacked. Row after row of empty rooms. The few inmates left quieted as I moved by and stared at me like people on the highway do when they pass a wreck. It has nothing to do with you, but everyone slows down and gawks anyway. I swore at them all in my head. When we reached the start of my cellblock he yanked me to a stop and removed my cuffs. He turned and walked away.

  “Are you not going to walk me the rest of the way?”

  He flipped me off without turning around.

  I returned the gesture with both hands and stuck my tongue out. Outside the entrance to my block the inmates who had stared at me still stood looking in my direction and whispering between each other. I was acutely aware of all the eyes locked on me and I wanted to slink into my cell and hide. But I was sick of everyone seeming to have the upper hand in my own life. Everyone knew more about me than me! Anger that had been brewing under the surface since last summer now boiled over into full-on rage.

  “What the hell are you looking at?” I did a little fuck you dance outside the cellblock for all to see. Middle fingers waving in the air as I whipped my red hair to and fro while making faces at the other inmates.

  “Fuck you and you and you!” I pointed at all the busybodies as I screamed.

  Inmates loitering in the halls slipped back into their cells or disappeared down the halls. I smiled and congratulated myself on making them uncomfortable enough to have to walk away instead of me.

  As my dance
came to an end a chill wrapped around me and sank down into my bones. I knew that feeling. The Void. My stomach flipped, sending pulsating nausea up my throat. My brow became moist with sweat as my heart raced. I looked around for the black glob I had seen when I summoned The Void before, but it was nowhere to be seen. I was completely alone. Not an inmate or guard in sight. No hovering blackness. My knees gave out and I fell to the stone pavers that lined the trench. I caught my reflection in the water. I was paler than usual and my bruises were in various stages of healing.

  Bree’s face appeared from the depths, swimming to the surface, her tail flicking behind her. Her terror-stricken face broke the surface of the water mere inches from mine. She clutched my arms in her hands, digging her nails into my skin.

  “Ouch, Bree, stop!”

  “Jewels! They are out. They are here.” She kept clinging to my arm and her eyes scanned the room. “It’s you. You’re the reason!”

  “Slow down. What are you talking about? The secrets?”

  “Yes!” Her nails broke my skin and blood ran down my arm into the water. I tried to pull away, but she held me firmly in her grasp.

  “Bree, I need you to let me go. You are hurting me.” Bree’s bewildered eyes looked at her hands on my arms. It seemed to take her a bit to comprehend what I had said, but she released her hold and pushed herself back through the water until her back hit the other side of the trench. Her eyes darted around the area again.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t want to hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you. Even before I knew who you are.”

  “What do you know?” I softened my tone like when I talked to Ben.

  Footsteps approached behind me and a familiar warm feeling spread through me, pushing the cold of The Void out. Lorelei. Bree’s eyes fixed behind me and she stared ahead like in a trance.

  “Your arms! What happened?” Lorelei crouched down beside me and examined my wounds.

  “It was an accident. Bree was just about to tell me what she knows about me. Weren’t you, Bree?”

  Bree shook her head vigorously before locking eyes with me. She swam over to me and pulled her top half from the water until her nose almost touched mine. She stared into my eyes like she was searching for something.

  “You have your mom’s eyes. She had beautiful eyes.”

  “You knew my mom?”

  Bree nodded. She didn’t appear much older than me. Add in her fragile mental state and she seemed more like a child than an adult old enough to have birthed me.

  “Are the secrets about my mom?”

  She bobbed her head up and down.

  “What was hers is now yours. You are far more than her.” A calmness appeared in her eyes. She took my face in her hands and caressed my cheeks. “The Blood Coven is here.”

  Spellbound shook and a loud crash filled the space. Rocks fell from the ceiling, splashing in the trench and slamming into the floor, chipping the stone pavers. Lorelei threw her body over mine, pinning me to the ground. When the world around us stilled once more we sat up. Some cell doors had fallen from the ceiling at odd angles and cracks had formed in the stone floor and walls. The water in the trench still rippled, but Bree was gone.

  Lorelei took my hand and hurried us to our cell. The door lay on its side in our doorway. Good riddance.

  “What was that?” I asked.

  “I don’t know. We need to leave. I just need to figure out how.”

  Lorelei paced the cell. My mind raced with thoughts, but my brain always came back to one. Saving my dad. Bree said The Blood Coven was here. That could mean he was too.

  “My lawyer told me my dad is missing.”

  Lorelei halted like she had hit a wall.

  “The Blood Coven must have him. I have to find him.”

  “Your dad is more than capable of taking care of himself.”

  “How would you know?” I asked. Lorelei’s face dropped. Her cheeks flushed and her eyes grew wide. “Lorelei, how do you know?”

  “I know your dad.” She sighed and sat on the edge of the bunk.

  “And you didn’t think to tell me sooner?”

  “I tried. It’s complicated.”

  “No, it’s easy. You just didn’t tell me and that makes me wonder why.” I backed up toward the exit. “You sound just like him!”

  “Like I said. It’s complicated. I didn’t have a choice.” She stood and reached for me. I felt her tug at our bonded connection and threw up mental walls to keep her from invading my thoughts.

  “I can’t trust you!” I spun on my heels and sprinted from the cellblock. I headed to the common area that housed the commissary. The halls were eerily empty and damage was everywhere. The building was crumbling around me. When I came to a guard booth I slowed to a jog and peered inside. Empty. Where was everyone? I turned the last corner before the stairs that led down to the communal dining area and smacked into a large body. I stumbled back and before I could regain my footing two large hands wrapped around my forearms, lifting me into the air. A large bald man with tattoos covering his arms held me out in front of him.

  “Just who I was looking for.” He pressed me against the cold stone wall. “The High One has a message for you. Drop the protection spell or your father dies.” He released me and I fell to the ground. He towered over me in all his massiveness. A grin twisted across his face, his eyes lingered on my body way too long. He looked around and when he saw no one his smile grew. I scrambled to my feet, but before I could step away he had a hold of me again. He pressed his body against mine and buried his face in my hair, inhaling the aroma.

  “The things I could do to you,” his lust filled voice whispered in my ear.

  I slammed my knee into his groin. He released me and doubled over before letting out a high-pitched yelp.

  “You bitch!”

  I imagined him being tossed across the room like a rag doll. Words rolled off my tongue, a combination of spells I’d used before. I hoped saying the words was enough to pull my power forth.

  “Levitas volatillis impretenious.” The man slid back a few feet, but remained on his feet. Not the reaction I was hoping for. A buzzing filled my ears and the room started to spin. My skin crawled as magical energy pulsed through me with no controlled outlet. I couldn’t focus on anything. I fell against the wall as I struggled to remain upright. I needed The Siren Jewel to focus my power.

  The man laughed, then lunged at me, but before he made contact a small ball of fire impacted his chest, setting his jumpsuit ablaze. He swung wildly at the flames, trying to pat them out.

  Evan appeared at my side with two hands full of flames. His blue eyes appeared smoky. Evan thrust his hand forward and another fireball flew toward the man and landed on his leg. The bald wannabe rapist flung himself into the trench, dousing out the flames. Evan scooped me up in his arms and ran.

  Once we were far from the common area, he set me down. I quickly put distance between us and kept him locked in my sights. What game was he playing? He raised his eyebrows and looked at me despairingly.

  “Why did you do that?”

  “That as in save your ass again?”

  “I wouldn’t think The Blood Coven’s little match box would want to help me. What’s your end game?”

  He jumped forward and shook my shoulders violently. His face hard and the smoke in his eyes turned to wild flames. He pushed me back and I landed on a bench.

  “I’m not working with The Blood Coven. I’d never help those murderous witches.” He stormed off, leaving me alone in the black hall. The prison walls rattled and a few stones dislodged from the mortar. I couldn’t lose my dad in a building collapse in a fucking magical prison of all places. I had to save him. I wouldn’t let Ben be an orphan.

  I made my way to Teal and Becky’s cell but found them on the way ducked down in a hall with Flynn. They were huddled in a circle, staring at something in Becky’s hands. As I made my way over I saw it was the map of Spellbound from Miss Kemp’s office. Flynn looked up first and he smiled w
hen he saw me.

  “We may have found a way out.” Flynn waved me over and I stared down at the map.

  “There are no guards. Can’t we just walk out?”

  “We tried that. The containment spells are still intact, but the bindings are slowly failing. This map shows staff entrances. The containment spells should be weaker there.” Teal pointed to some areas on the map, indicating doors to the outside.

  “Where’s Lorelei? We need to all go together.” Becky’s eyes met mine and her brow creased with concern.

  “I’m not worried about her right now. The Blood Coven has my dad. They are going to kill him unless you drop the protection spell you placed on me.”

  “So, your plan is to drop dead here and hope they let your dad go?” Teal crossed her arms and glared at me.

  “Stupid plan,” Flynn said. He tossed a handful of peanuts from his pocket into his mouth. Always eating, even in the middle of a disaster.

  “This whole place is collapsing around us. Your spell will probably outlast this building. I’m not going to risk my dad dying under a pile of rubble. I’m out of time.”

  “There has to be another way. Let’s get Lorelei and talk about it.” Becky reached for my hand and I swatted her away.

  “Screw Lorelei. She’s a lying bitch. For all I know she was in on the kidnapping. Did you know she knows my dad?”

  Bewildered eyes stared back at me. Flynn’s mouth hung open mid chew. Teal’s jaw was rigid and anger burned in her eyes. Becky shifted her gaze back and forth between us.

  “Lorelei is your friend. She is all of our friend. If she lied I believe she must have had a good reason.” Teal snatched the map from Becky. “I am not going to undo the protection spell and you don’t have the time to figure out how to bypass the magic of hundreds of witches yourself. So, we are going to find Lorelei and come up with a plan to get out of here alive, all of us.”

  “Of course, you’d defend her. No honor among thieves, right? Snitches get stitches and all that crap? I don’t need Lorelei or any of you. I’m not leaving here without my dad.” Anger boiled in my chest, speeding my heart to a frantic pace.