

### What have people been saying about Chained?

## Reviews

"Amazing I really enjoyed this book it was just so good and I never wanted it to end. And that ending OMG I cannot wait for the next one"

"Another great book I'm obsessed with them. The story is amazing and I can't wait for the next one in the series. Totally recommend to anyone who is a fan of the paranormal/supernatural genre."

"I just couldn't put this book down and I read it in one night. I was that hooked on it and now I'm waiting for the third one"

"Read first two books in one night and I loved them."

"Is there another one? If so what's the name?

# Chained

# By

# L.A.Griffiths

Copyright © 2015 by L.A.Griffiths

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission.

Acknowledgements

### Thank you for continuing with Ellie's story and hopefully there will be many more to come. Thank you.

## The Siren Series

### Broken

### Chained

### Desire

### Enemies

### Fallen

### Guilty (Coming Soon)

# Chapter One

Pete arrived at the Laveau house, ready to see his daughter again after sorting out the morbid details for his sister's funeral. He had decided that he would only have a few attendees since there was no family from his side and they didn't have many friends. This was why he didn't want Ellie to be with him. Pete didn't want Ellie to worry like she did last time. Pete had tried to protect her in any way he could, but this was something he could not shield her from. Pete pulled up in the driveway and shut off the engine. He paused at the wheel, willing himself to move from the seat, but he just sat there and deeply sighed.

"Come on, Pete. You need to do this." he said to himself.

Pete pushed open the door and locked the car with one push of his keys. He stood outside looking up at his home, wishing for things to go back to how it was. His hand trembled on the door handle. Pete clenched his fist to get rid of the nerves and tried again. He had to be strong for Ellie and show that he could bear the weight of it all, to show her that there was nothing to worry about. He hadn't been sleeping well at night and it showed on his face. He was ready to paint the fake smile on again. He opened the front door to expect Ellie to run up to him and hug him tightly as she used to do, but as the door slammed shut, there was nothing.

"Ellie, I'm home!" Pete called out.

He waited in the hall for an answer. "Ellie?" he called out again.

Something wasn't right. Pete walked into the living room to see that the TV was still on. The television played an afternoon talk show that he had no interest in. He walked through the living room and into the kitchen. All that remained was an empty plate sitting in the sink.

"Ellie, Ellie?" his voice crept with panic.

He picked up his pace and headed up the stairs and into Ellie's bedroom. Pete held onto the door handle as he felt his heart drop. Some of Ellie's draws had been left open and there were clothes scattered on the floor along with a few missing items from their rightful places.

"Ellie!?" fear had gripped him and it didn't let go.

Pete quickly ran down the stairs. His mind raced with horrible thoughts that he didn't want to entertain. There, sitting on the sofa, was Ellie's phone. He snatched at it and searched through, thinking it could answer all of his nagging questions. Old text messages wished Ellie to get better and a few asking what her plans were. Then the voice of reason appeared to give Pete some comfort.

"God, I hope she's in school." he prayed, "but why take her clothes?" Another voice popped into his head, making him feel worse.

Pete picked one of the girl's numbers from the phone and rang it. He picked Lilly's, and the phone rang. After four rings, a whisper answered the phone.

"Ellie, is everything OK?" Lilly whispered on the phone.

Just hearing Lilly thinking it was Ellie filled him with dread.

"Uh, no, it's her Dad." Pete had to resist the urge to panic. "Lilly, is Ellie there at school with you?" he held his breath.

There was silence on the other end.

"No, she's not." his world collapsed.

He ended the call without saying his goodbyes, and the phone fell from of his grief-stricken hand.

# Chapter Two

Voices filled my ears. Someone was talking over me. Their stale breath filtered into my nose that nearly made me gag. There was over one person, and they were all talking at once, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. I think they were arguing amongst themselves.

I couldn't move. My limbs were lifeless, and I was at their mercy. I wanted to get up, to run away, but my body felt heavy and light at the same time. My head pounded in sync with my heartbeat and I felt like at any minute I would float away and be free from all this, away from whatever had me in its grasp.

"Stick her downstairs and monitor her!" one voice ordered.

Where? Where am I going? Panic flooded in and I tried to stay calm. I was picked up and manhandled as they dragged me away. Then the smell hit me like a ton of bricks. They reminded me of the deepest horrors, and I would rather try to keep locked away. The leeches dragged me away while their talon nails dug into my arms. I wanted to scream, flail my arms around, but my entire body had become paralysed, I was useless. My poor vision failed me as I tried to make out my surroundings. Dark splattered stone passed me by as they carried down me into whatever hell they had in store for me. A creaking noise echoed throughout and they threw me up against something solid and pain spiked up and down my back. I screamed out in joy. I could still feel pain. That was a good thing. I wasn't dead, not yet.

Something cold made its way around my weak wrists, and again I heard the creaking noise. Then there was silence, no voices, no hissing, nothing. I tried to get to my feet, but something pulled me back, slamming my body back into the wall. I then realised that they chained me up like a filthy animal. I try to scream, but every time I did my throat would seize up. Again I try to struggle against the clanging metal, but the chains that bind me were strong.

Finally, my eyes adjust to the darkness, and they revealed a small dark cell with no windows. The walls were gripped, the walls with mould, travelling along the black stone and up to the ceiling. It was disgusting, and I was living in it. At the front of the cell stood a large, rusted metal door with a tiny spy hatch attached. They just want to see me suffer.

I slump to the floor in defeat. I wish Rhea were here. Then my mind exploded with memories as it all came flooding back to me. The house, the monsters, and what had happened to Rhea and Sophia. I hope they made it out OK. It was my fault; I wish I never had these stupid powers, and then everything would be OK. Monsters wouldn't chase me or turning people into crazed animals. I was a danger to myself and others around me. Remembering what happened also brought back the pain. My body burned with the bite marks that the leeches left. I tried to ignore the pain as best as I could, but tears trickled down my cheeks and fell onto the black stone floor. Without thinking, I tried to wipe them away, but the chain would clang and the cold metal bit into my wrist.

More tears fell down my face, but I wanted to be strong. I didn't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing me crying on the floor. Then my heart pounded inside of my chest as there was someone outside my cell door making muffled footsteps. With each step, they became louder and clearer. Then there was silence. I held my breath as I could hear the bolts of the old door move into place. My heart thumped rapidly inside my chest as the rusted door opened, filling the room with a familiar stench. I gagged on the dominant aroma as the creature stalked into my small cell. Seeing the leech again was still frightening, as it was the first time. He sniffed the air around him and his inhuman face landed in my direction and smiled a sharp grin.

It slowly slunk towards me with its sick, twisted smile on its scabby black lips. I tried not to scream as the disgusting monster was just inches away from my face. Then a thought came. It was a stupid one, but I had to try. I quickly got up on my feet and brought out my leg and tried to kick the monster. The leech quickly caught my leg and dug its nails deep into my calf. My leg stung with pain as I tried to wrestle it out of its filthy grip. Finally, he released, and I fell to the floor trying to clutch at my wounded leg. The hideous monster just stared down at me, licking its lips.

"What do you want?" I tried to ask.

It didn't answer, and I didn't even know if they could talk. Then, while feeling sorry for myself, he pulled out a syringe filled with the same black substance I remembered at the manor. My eyes shot open as he played with the needle between his claws. I backed up from him, but it was no use; I had nowhere to go. He came closer to me and I tried to scream, but he stuck the syringe into my neck and the room spun and sway before my eyes. That same feeling of weightlessness washed over me and I tried to fight against the sedative but it was no use, I was losing the battle. I sat there, slumped on the floor as I watched the leech walk away.

While I was in and out of consciousness, moaning groans and terrifying screams pierced my ears. More shrill cries carried throughout the cells, and I just wanted to curl up in a corner and close my eyes tight. I just wanted to shut it all out for good.

I woke up with my face on the floor. My entire body felt weak and there was a tingling sensation running through my battered body. I tried to lift my head up, but I felt like they filled it with bricks. I lay on the floor, staring at the door, hoping for it all to stop, hoping for it all to end.

Hours or even days passed with no one disturbing my dead sleep. I could still feel the black fluid flowing throughout my body. It made every nerve inside feel fluffy and numb at the same time. Deep down I never wanted the feeling to stop and that scared me more than anything. It prevented me from thinking straight, and that's what they wanted from me. Numb and lifeless.

Awakening from my sleep. More footsteps pounded the cold ground. The chains rattled as I tried to stand, but my balance failed me and I fell back down onto my knees. The effects of the drug were still in my system. They pulled the door open and stale air filled up my still breathing lungs.

"Please, no more injections." my weak mind thought.

In walked a human man who looked oddly familiar. He came closer, and he smelled fresh, something I hadn't smelt in a while. This was no leech. The mysterious stranger came closer to my cell, carrying something with both hands.

"You hungry?" the voice asked. The oddly familiar man brought a metal tray with what looked like sludge along with a half a cup of water.

His voice, I've heard it before. I couldn't be sure since my mind was in fragments, but inside I knew that voice. Then he came closer, and I saw his dark blue sea eyes penetrating through the darkness. I stared at them and I could feel drawn in by them. I pulled away as everything came into place. I tried to speak, but my throat was too dry.

My mind burst with questions and I needed answers, but as soon as I could form a sentence inside my mind, it would float away from my grasp.

Dr Moss placed the plastic cup to my eager lips, and I drank from it. The water was warm and stale, but I welcomed anything at that moment. Then he quickly snatched it away before I could quench my thirst.

"No, all at once." he said.

"Are you going to free me?" My throat burned while I tried to talk.

Dr Moss didn't answer.

"Please." I begged.

"Ellie, I'm not here to help you." he placed the cup back into my mouth. "I'm with them now."

As he spoke the words, my heart dropped. There was no rescue for me.

I finished what was inside the cup while staring into those deep eyes of his.

"Why!" I wanted it to come out as a scream, but a mere whisper escaped.

"It's complicated. I don't want to be here." he said, "but I can't free you, I'm sorry."

"My neck." I turned my heavy head and showed him the many track marks from the needle.

He looked disgusted at it but did not offer any words.

"What do they want from me?" I asked.

Dr Moss didn't answer, he just placed down the metal tray covered with slop. I looked down at the so-called unappealing food and kicked the tray away, splattering it up against the wall.

"You will need your strength for what is coming and maybe the next person who comes in won't be so sympathetic." he left the tray and exited the cell, leaving me in darkness again.

I wanted to scream till my lungs burst, but my throat brought me nothing but pain. I wanted to scream at Dr Moss for letting them do this to me. How could he just sit back and let them drug me, and he was so nice at the hospital? Lies, it was all just lies. Something nagged at me about what he said. Would I need all my strength? I will never help them. I'd rather stay here and starve.

Just thinking about food made me hungry, but there's no way I'm eating that slop. The food that spilt onto the walls had already formed a hard crust around it. Finally admitting defeat, for now, I tried to find a comfortable position. I then waited.

More screams and curdle cries of pain filled my ears. Were they torturing people down here? I hope I'm not next on their list, and I had no information to give them. The screams got louder and more terrifying, I just wanted them to stop. As I tried to think my thoughts would disappear from my grasp or I would forget simple words to hold a sentence together. Soon the numb wave was back and I could feel myself slipping away, back into the darkness where it welcomed me back.

Pain dragged me back into the harsh reality. My wrists were covered in flakes of dried blood. The metal shackles were cutting into my flesh. I looked carefully at the cuffs around my wrists. The pain was growing, and I needed to get them off. I looked them over, but there was no keyhole or a way to undo them. I tried to pull them off or to loosen, but they brought me more pain. I wanted to scream with frustration, but I couldn't. I needed to get out of this place before I go mad. I was so busy with my wrists I didn't notice that someone was looking down at me. I peered up and two leeches stood over me with their sick, twisted smile.

I tried to back away from them, but there was nowhere to go. The leeches easily unlocked my chains and forced me onto my feet. For the first time, I could feel a bit of relief. I looked down at my wrists; there were deep slashes across them. I tore my eyes away from my wrists only to be ushered out of my cell.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked with a frail voice.

They didn't answer, they just pushed me forward and out of the cell. The room beyond my prison looked familiar. The same stains stuck to the floor along with pools of blood dotted around the many cells entrances. Each room had been issue a number, and I looked back at my so-called room, and I was number six. As I walked past the many doors, I could hear screams and whimpering coming from the rusted out doors. I held onto myself as the leeches behind me snarled and prodded me. My body was weak, but I didn't want to fall in front of these creatures, they would only enjoy seeing me suffer.

We came to a set of stairs that led up and out of the dungeons. Carefully, I took each step at a time. I tried to catch my breath when I finally reached the top.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked again.

They just snarled and pushed me forward.

We walked down a darkened stone floor corridor and along the walls were scratches and specks of blood. The three of us walked through a badly battered door and one leech pulls me to a stop. I stood there waiting in a dimly lit area covered with dirty stone walls. I remained standing there, shivering from the bitter cold. I was still dressed in my jeans and top, but they were in tatters. The leeches stood beside me as if they were waiting for something. Around me, gas lamps burst into flame and colour filled my vision.

At one of the side doors, out came a tall, brute man and accompanied him was Dr Moss. They strode over towards a throne-like chair that was the focus of the entire room. The well-built man took his seat while smiling gleefully at me. The doctor stood at his side with his head down at the floor.

# Chapter Three

"It's finally nice to see you awake, Siren." the man's voice carried throughout the stone-filled halls.

"Dr Moss." I tried to get his attention, but the doctor didn't answer. He remained with his head, staring at the floor.

The well-built man looked at the doctor and laughed. "He cannot help you. You are mine now."

"I'm no ones." I said weakly.

The man roared, laughing in his chair. He sat forward in his seat as if he and I were the only ones in the room. "You are mine until I am done with you, Siren!" he spat.

The gas lamps lit up all his features on his scared, covered face. He had long black hair that stuck to his sweaty face and deep pink scars under both eyes. His nose was straight but curved at the tip. He might have been good-looking once, but time was no friend to him.

Around me, the leeches closed in. They all bowed their heads, and I stood stuck in the middle along with the other two standing beside me. I was slowly getting scared by the second. Was this it? Would I die here?

"What do you want?" I asked him.

"Well, I want your power, that's all." he said, "you can join us if you wish?"

"I will never help you. Just kill me now and get it over with!" I tried to shout.

"No, no, my dear, you are far too valuable to kill. Maybe a few more days in the cell will change your mind?"

"No, please!" I cried out. I didn't want to go back down there. I had to get out of here. I closed my eyes and tried to find any ounce of energy I had left. I opened my mouth and tried to scream with all the energy I had, but my throat closed up and my head swam. I suddenly lost my balance and fell to the floor. My mind spun and all the colours merged into one. Around me, laughter and snarls filled the room.

"That stuff we've been injecting into you. It's stopping your abilities. You are powerless against us all." Again he erupted into laughter, "and it's all thanks to the wonderful doc' here, he's quite the genius with chemicals."

His words ran straight through me like shards of glass. I was powerless and alone. I clenched my hands into fists.

I looked up towards Dr Moss with anger and he still had his head down, he wouldn't meet my gaze.

"Someone gets her up, it's depressing." said the man sitting in his throne-like chair.

The leeches beside me grabbed onto my arms and pulled me up onto my feet. I pulled back and thrust my fist across one of the leech's face, making it stumble back. Pain shot through my hand and I clenched it against my chest. There was silence, no one spoke. The bruised leech looked towards his master for his approval and he replied with a nod. The creature brought the back of his hand against my face and sharp pain cut against my skin, but I stood my ground. Blood trickled down my cheek. He had nicked my skin.

Then the leeches sniffed the air around them as if they had caught hold of a delicious aroma. They could smell the scent of my blood. They closed in around me like a pack of hungry hyenas. They outstretched their claws, ready to strike. I slowly backed away from them. A stinging pain quickly travelled up my arm. One leech beside me had slashed at my skin. I winced out in pain as it licked the tiny amounts of blood from its talon claws. It smiled as it tasted my life-force, and he wanted more.

Faster they approached, they each wanted a taste.

"No, not again, please, no. Stay away." I screamed inside.

"Enough!" a voice shouted. The leeches stood still and dispersed, leaving me clutching at my fresh wound.

"Take the siren back to her cell and give her something for the pain." he told the doctor.

Dr Moss weaved around the leeches and slowly picked me up off the floor. Touching his hand felt weird. I expected for him to turn into the animal I expect from others, but my powers disappeared and for once in my life I needed them.

The doctor ushered me down the stairs and back into the pits of the dungeons. I tried to fight against his grip, but it was too strong.

"Don't struggle." he gruffly said.

"So you're with them now, are you?" I asked.

He remained quiet on the subject.

"Answer me!" I yelled, and a sharp pain made its way to my throat.

"I don't have to tell you anything, just shut up and do as you're told." he replied.

As we moved towards my cell, panic crept slowly in. I didn't want to be shackled up again. I tried to pull away from him once I saw the chains swinging from the wall.

"Please don't do this!" I said.

"Do you think I want to do this?!" he quickly replied.

"Then don't, you have a choice."

"No, I don't." he said.

The doctor replaced the cuffs back on without saying anymore. Fresh pain travelled throughout my wrists and I wanted to cry, but not in front of him. The blue-eyed doctor pulled out his black concoction and slowly brought the needle towards my neck. The fear inside me seized up all of my muscles and I just wanted to scream. It then burrowed into my neck and I could feel the liquid flowing throughout my body. A soft darkness now replaced fear and pain, and I gladly let it take me.

I awoke to the sounds of ringing in my ears. Slowly, it tried to drill its way into my brain. I gritted my teeth and tried to deal with the pounding pain. The tingling sensation was back and this time, it was making my arms and legs feel heavier than they were. Sitting on the ground was another metal tray of the same goop that decorated the wall. Deep down I wanted to devour it in one sitting, but it didn't look or smell edible. I ignored it. I could still hold out a little more. But those words were a lie. I would surely die down here. More ringing shot through my head and I had to fight the urge to scream.

Tears flowed down my face. How many had I shed while being here? I couldn't even wipe them away. I was a total mess. Shuffling footsteps stopped my train of thought. I didn't care anymore what they stuck into me or their failed attempts of trying to intimidate me. The rusted-out door came alive with a sharp moan, and I welcomed the fresh air. It was the blue-eyed doctor again and held in his hand was a glass of water. He placed it softly to my lips, and I drank the cool refreshing liquid, trying carefully not to choke. It washed away the dryness of my throat. I finished the glass, and I just stared at him. How could someone so caring, be so cruel at the same time? What had I done to him? Did he know from the start what I was? My mind was too broken to finish any thoughts.

"I wish I could help you, Ellie, I do." he murmured.

I just hung my head. I didn't want to listen to him anymore. Unless the words are, I'll free you. I just didn't want to know.

"I'm sorry Ellie but.." his words were cut.

The ground above us shook with force, and chips of stone broke away from their foundation. The doctor looked around, his face startled. He rushed off, locking the door behind him with a metallic clunk.

"What's going on?" I asked.

I closed my eyes, and more shakes came from above, and this time, loud shouts were coming from outside of the cell. I stood there listening to the loud yells and explosions from afar. A bright light pierced its way through the peephole, warm and inviting. It felt familiar. Slowly, I tried to get to my feet. The light was getting brighter and warming up my entire body. My cell door contorted and peel away from its once strong hinges. It was thrown to the side like a crumpled piece of paper. The light engulfed my entire room, leaving no shadows to dwell. I tried to shield my eyes from the radiance and prepared myself for the worst.

"Ellie?" the seductive voice called.

That voice. I lowered my hands and in the doorway was Rhea. My heart soared, I was saved. I walked forward only to be restricted by the wrist cutting chains. She stood in the doorway, bathed in a glowing white light. She was truly a goddess, and she was here to save me.

"Rhea?" I cried.

"What have they done to you, Ellie?" she asked.

Rhea walked into the room and with a wave of her wrist, the metal shackles fell to the floor. I breathed a sigh of relief. I was free. Rhea placed her healing hands on me. Her ebbing light found its way into my body and I could feel my skin knitting itself back together. Slowly, my strength came back, and the tingling sensation dissipated.

"Ellie?" asked a voice. I looked over Rhea's shoulder and standing there with a gentle smile across her lips was Sophia. She walked into the bright cell and smiled. I was so happy to see them that tears were obstructing my view.

"Let's go. We need to get back upstairs." Rhea ordered.

"Why can't we just leave now?" I asked.

"This stone is enchanted and prevents me from teleporting."

Rhea walked back through the door and left Sophia and me safely behind her. I was ready to say goodbye to this pit, and I hoped I'd never see it again.

Sophia helped me up the stairs, only now noticing that Rhea was leaving a trail of ash behind her. She must have killed a lot of leeches to get here, and that made me smile. We reached the top of the stairs, but I had to stop for breath. I inhaled deeply, but the air stung my lungs. I coughed and spluttered while trying to find fresh breaths of air. I still hadn't gotten my full strength back.

"Ellie, we need to hurry." Just listening to Rhea's her voice made me happy. I forgot how calming her voice had been.

"Come on. We're nearly there." Sophia said with her elegant voice.

I pushed on and we came into the main hall that they congregated. It was empty, except for the tiny drops of my blood speckled on the floor. Rhea grabbed onto my hand along with Sophia's but before we could escape a loud voice boomed throughout the hall.

"Ah, Rhea, I expected no less." the brutish man said.

"Barbus, I'd wished never to see you again." Rhea spat.

The shaggy-haired man stared at me with hunger in his eyes. "If you think you're taking my Siren, you're wrong." he said.

"You think she's yours? She's nobody's toy!" Rhea shouted.

"No, I wouldn't say that, but she has her uses." his lips turned into a sick smirk that gave me chills.

"You are sick." said Rhea

"Don't be like that, remember the delightful times we had." he replied.

Around the man who called himself Barbus, gangs of leeches appeared. I stood behind Rhea, hoping she would protect me.

"There were never good times, Barbus. I'm a better person now."

"No one ever truly changes, but if it helps you sleep at night." Barbus replied.

"You disgust me, and you did horrid things!" Rhea yelled

"Don't lie, you enjoyed every bit-." Before Barbus could finish, he was blasted back through a door. That was the leech's cue to attack. They rushed at us, screeching and gnashing their teeth. Sophia stepped forward and erected a barrier around us, turning the eager leaches into dust. From the back of the room blasts of red came flooding towards us. It struck the barrier, but it held its ground. Before Barbus could attack again, Rhea grabbed mine and Sophia's arms and the world became distorted in a blink of an eye.

# Chapter Four

The same feeling came over me again. I wanted to be sick, but I fought the urge. My stomach flipped and jumped as I travelled from one place to another. Finally, I was dropped onto a hard floor and I rolled to a stop. Rhea stood over me while Sophia was just getting to her feet. She looked perfect, actually an angel.

"Thank you, Rhea, you saved me, I thought I would die down there." I said with a weak voice.

"I'm happy that you're back too. That's why I'm sorry to do this." she replied.

Two forceful men strode over to me and lifted me up on my feet. I tried to fight against them, but they were like two brick walls. They dragged me away and put me in a compact room. I was about to run back through the door, but Rhea stood between me and freedom. She waved her hand, and the door clamped shut, locking me in.

"I'm sorry, Ellie, but you need to stay here." She said as her voice echoed through the door.

"No, Rhea, please let me out!" I shouted.

"Listen, they have been injecting you with something that's highly addictive, and for your benefit it needs to leave your system." her voice was so calm and confident.

"I trusted you, Rhea!" I screamed. I repeatedly slammed my fists against the sturdy door.

"It's just for a few days, I'm sorry." her footsteps echoed down the hall and I was all alone, again.

When I finished slamming and pounding on the door, I gave up. I slumped down on the floor and curled up.

This cell was much nicer than my so-called another one. There was a small single bed in one corner and a toilet and sink at the other side.

Well, at least it has plumbing. I thought.

They had painted The room with blinding white walls along with the pristine white floor, and it felt like being in a padded cell.

How could Rhea do this to me, first she rescues me and now she leaves me? I felt awful. My wrists slightly healed, also the marks on my neck too, but I felt itchy and irritable. I just wanted to get up and leave, but there was no way. I picked myself up from the floor and helped myself to some water. The cups they had were made of paper. (What am I, a child?) The refreshing water quenched my thirst. For just a second, I forgot about the nagging, itchy feeling. I closed my eyes and tried to focus my mind on something else, other than the pain I was feeling. I threw myself onto the bed and it felt like heaven; I hadn't felt something this soft in a long time. I pulled the blankets around me tight and tried to get some needed sleep.

A loud noise woke me up. I shot up from the bed, fearing another leech would accompany me. When I remembered that I was safe, free from their clutches (well, if anyone would call this free?). The door slowly opened, and I waited for whatever was about to greet me.

Sophia thanked someone to her right and walked in. She smiled and placed down a tray that was supporting a sandwich. My eyes lit up, and I snatched it from the plate. For such a basic sandwich, it tasted amazing.

"Slow down or you'll choke." she said.

I took her advice and took my time. Sophia stood over me and watched as I tore the sandwich apart like a savage animal.

"I'm sorry it took so long to find you, Ellie." she breathed.

I stopped making a pig of myself and looked up to meet her gaze. Sophia was wearing one of her unusual outfits again. This time, she wore frilly gloves that travelled up to her elbows, a tight fitting corset that pulled her in tightly attached to a ruffle skirt. Where did she get her clothes from?

"What do you mean? It's just a few days wasn't it?" I asked.

Sophia didn't answer. She remained quiet.

"Sophia, tell me, how long was I gone for?"

"Two weeks." her words felt hollow and strange.

I swallowed the last bite with a bit of difficulty. "What?!"

"Rhea did not stop until she found you. It took us awhile but-." I cut her off.

"I was gone for two weeks?! But it only felt like a few days at the most."

"It's because of the stuff they injected into you. You must have been asleep most of the time."

The words passed through me as they meant nothing. Two weeks I became a captive, it didn't remotely feel close to that. I immediately grabbed at my neck, feeling the tender spot filled with scabs. They had been drugging me, keeping me asleep and doped up. The words just spun around my head until I felt sick.

"Are you ok, Ellie?" Sophia asked.

"Yeah, OK." I lied.

I took a sip of water that sat on the tray.

"When can I get out of here?" I asked her.

"It's not up to me, Ellie." she replied.

"But why can't Rhea just heal me? Surely she can do that?"

"I asked her that and she can't. Whatever is in your system can't be cured by magical means." she said. "I'm sorry. You just have to wait it out."

"But I feel like I'm going crazy." I said.

"I'm sorry, Ellie."

Sophia picked up the tray and the empty cup. As she was about to leave, I snatched at her dress.

"Please don't go." I pleaded with her.

"Ellie, I wish I could stay, but I have orders." she pulled away from me and exited through the door that led to my only escape.

I crawled back into bed with a full stomach. It felt nice to have some decent food, not that disgusting thing on a plate they tried to feed me. Sophia said it would only be a few days, and I could handle that, just a few more days and I could get the hell out of here.

At night, that's when the pain started. I sweat through my clothes. I felt clammy and irritable. My temperature was high, then it would drop and my body would feel chills throughout. My body didn't know how to regulate my temperature, I just wanted to scream with frustration. My body and muscles ached throughout the days and nights. What did they inject into my body? I splashed myself with some water and tried to calm myself down. Nothing worked. I scratched at my skin till it became sore. I pounded on the door till my hand hurt, but no one answered. I needed to get out. With my powers, I could bring this place down if I needed to, but I had to suppress it. Clenching my teeth together would take the pain away, but only for a few seconds and then it would start up again. I climbed into bed and wrapped myself up in the blanket, no matter how hot I was. I would beat this thing. Waves of heat came from within my body and sweat trickled down my face. I brought my knees up towards my chest and sat there. After a while of trying to suppress the pain, sleep caught up to me. I tried to get myself into a comfy position and tried to get some rest.

I awoke to a piercing noise throughout the room. My eyes scanned each of the white walls to see that there were many slash marks indented into the walls. My heart raced as I could smell the familiar stench that brought me back to those sinister dungeons. The lingering scent beckoned me from outside the room and as I stepped forward, the door broke apart in front of me. A group of leech's stood in my path but did not prevent my search. They soon parted on each side and out walked Barbus. He stood proudly among the many creatures he commanded. He held out his hand and waited for me to take it. I wanted to go back into the cell, to run away, but my body moved forward like I was being called to him. The closer I drew near him until I was within arm's reach. He pulled me to his chest and embraced me and I could feel his firm muscles through his clothes as his hands travelled down my back making my flesh crawl.

His fingers caressed my body and for a moment it felt good, but I didn't want this. He should disgust me, but his breath on my neck took it all away. Without warning, he grabbed a handful of my hair and pulled my head back, exposing my throat, but I didn't fight it. His lips travelled from the bottom of my neck and up to my earlobe. My cheeks flushed with colour and my heart pounded rapidly inside my chest.

"You won't escape me." he whispered.

His voice was loud and commanding yet soothing, and at that moment, I felt I could do anything for this man. Something inside screamed, telling me to run away, to never trust this beast of a man. A cruel smile graced his lips, and he threw me towards the leeches like I was table scraps for the dogs. I lay on the floor while the parasites gathered around, waiting to taste me.

I woke myself up with a scream. Quickly, I placed my hands over my mouth when my brain realised what I was doing. I had blown open a small hole in the wall opposite me. I jumped out of bed to give it a look, hoping I didn't do too much damage. Well, at least I didn't bring the place down.

"Don't worry about that." said a voice behind me.

I spun around, greeted by Rhea, who stood in the doorway.

"Uh, sorry 'bout that." I said.

Rhea giggled and smiled. "I'm so glad to have you back. It looks like your powers are slowly regaining."

I smiled weakly at her.

Rhea made her way to my bed and sat, she tapped the spot beside her and I took my place.

"I'm sorry you had to go through this as soon as those foul creatures took you, I didn't stop until I found you. I failed you, and I should not have let this happen."

I took both of her hands into mine and a surge of power flowed through me, fuelling my once beaten body. I forgot how good it felt to touch her.

"Rhea, you saved me." I said to her, "I almost gave up."

"I'm just relieved that I got to you in time." Rhea pulled me close.

It felt good being in her arms. My once troubled thoughts disappeared.

"Can I leave now?" I asked her.

She took her time before answering. "Well, you seem to have your powers back."

"Well I feel fine, but it was a rough night." I replied.

"Then I think you're ready to join us."

"Us?" it confused me.

Rhea led me from my room and out into a long corridor filled with other rooms on either side. I walked passed each of them expecting to see them locked up as I was, but inside were people of different age inside reading or listening to music. The rooms looked like bedrooms. They decorated their wall with personal effects and posters of famous singers along shelves crammed with various kinds of books.

"Rhea, who are these people?"

"They are guests here, looking for refuge." she answered softly.

"Refuge from what, Leeches?" I asked.

"Yes, and no. This is a place where everyone can feel safe, runaway or not."

I passed others in the corridor, some of them only kids. They looked scared and uncertain, but as soon as Rhea passed their faces lit up. What were they doing here, didn't they have families to go home to?

We left the rooms behind us and turned a corner into a large seated area. It looked like a living room with sofas, TV's, and electronic gadgets. It felt warm, comforting, like an actual home. A feeling of guilt ran through me, but I ignored it and carried on with Rhea.

"This is the living room." she said.

She left me to look around. Sitting on the sofa were a few people, they chatted amongst themselves but as soon as they spotted us; they stopped and stared. Without saying a word to them, I turned and caught up Rhea. At the next stop, she showed me a small kitchen area. Inside was a small fridge at the side and a medium size table made of thick wood, it took its place in the centre of the room and sitting at the table was Sophia eating her breakfast. Sophia's eyes lit up once she saw me and gave a brief wave. We then moved on throughout to see what else this place offered, but Rhea came to a stop and turned to me.

"I think you'll want to use our next facility." Rhea commented.

Rhea pushed open the door to reveal an area that held small cubicles on either side. I didn't know what she was showing me until I could hear flowing of water. This was a shower room. I could not remember when it was the last time I had a shower.

"I'll leave you to it then." she smiled.

I jumped straight into the shower. It was small, but I wasn't complaining if it had boiling running water. I pulled the lever towards me and out jetted a stream of warm water. I stood there basked in the warm calming jets of water. As I stood in the shower, I could feel everything being washed away like it was all a nightmare. I could still feel the bite marks the leeches had left even though Rhea had healed me, but the mental scar remained.

I felt so much better after the shower; I felt like a new person. I dried myself with some fluffy towels and changed into the clothes Rhea kindly laid out for me. There were a pair of loose black jeans and a tight cream coloured top, and it wasn't much, but at least they were clean. I had been wearing the same stained torn clothes for weeks and they needed to go, badly. I threw my ragged clothes into the nearest bin and continued out of the shower area. My stomach growled with hunger. So I find the kitchen if I could remember where it was. I walked through the cold halls, still trying to remember the way to the kitchen. As I turned a corner, thinking for sure, this was the way. I knocked into someone who gave a brief yelp.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." I said.

The junior girl didn't meet my gaze. Instead, she bent down and collected her fallen books. She checked for any damage and brushed off any dirt that stuck to it. Her head then snapped up into my direction and looked as if she was about to unleash her anger on me, but she quickly held her tongue.

"I know who you are." she said.

The girl who stood in front of me had wild frizzy chestnut brown hair which she repeatedly kept moving away from her big brown doe eyes. She looked older than me, but I couldn't tell. The girl hugged the book to her chest and stared at me, as did all the others.

"I can't believe I'm seeing one up close." said the staring girl.

"I guess everyone knows about me now, do they?" I asked.

"Well, everyone is talking about it and I mean everyone." she replied.

"I bet they want to see the freak, do they?"

"How can you say that about yourself? Most supernatural creatures would kill and I mean kill to have time to become a Siren." she blurted out.

"Thanks." I mumbled.

"Oh, my god, I'm sorry. I have a terrible habit of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. Let's start again. My name's Amanda."

Amanda adjusted her books and placed her hand out.

"Oh sorry, there I go again." Amanda quickly threw her hand behind her back.

"I'm, Ellie, but you probably knew that already." I said smiling.

"Yeah, your kinda' big news around here. Why don't we sit in the living room, don't think you'd want anyone else knowing your business in the hallway."

She was right; I didn't want anyone to hear us.

Amanda led the way into the decorated living room with the plush chocolate brown sofas along with colourful glass lamps scattered around the chamber. The room was empty apart from two of us. She then threw herself onto the plush sofa while putting her book to one side.

I just stood awkwardly next to the couch, waiting for the invitation.

"You can sit down, you know, this is your living room as well."

I took a seat next to Amanda, who looked fit to burst with joy.

"Go ahead." I said to her.

"What do you mean?"

"I know you are dying to ask me some questions." I said to her.

"Really!?" she turned in her seat and gave me her full attention. "What's it like to be one? Have you made anyone falls deeply in love with you? Have you ever used a Siren scream?" words came spewing out, and I felt like I wanted to run away.

"Whoa, slow down." I said.

"Sorry, but really what's it like?" she brought her voice down to a reasonable level.

"Truthfully, it's horrible, and I hate it." I replied.

"I bet it would be amazing." replied Amanda.

"You're wrong. You'd think differently when you can't touch anyone."

"Yeah, that sounds horrible." she said.

"It is. I hate it." I replied.

"But I've heard stories of Sirens that they can do anything they want. I wonder what it feels like?"

Amanda held out her hand and looked at me with her big brown doe eyes.

I quickly stood up from my seat. "What is wrong with you? Touching you could put you and myself in danger, never ask me to do that again."

Done talking with her, I left the living room with anger slowly bubbling away while looking for the kitchen again.

I followed the smells of food to guide me, and within minutes I found the kitchen. Sophia greeted me with her usual smile and offered me some food, and I decided on some cereal. The kitchen was not big, but it had the necessities. I sat down beside Sophia and ate my food. For a few minutes, we continued in silence like we were two complete strangers. I had to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Where are we, Sophia?" I asked.

"Didn't Rhea tell you?" she replied.

I shook my head while shovelling the spoon into my mouth.

"Well, we are underground."

"What!" Milk dribbled down my chin.

No wonder everything was so cramped. We were living underground, but how? Was it safe underground? Did we have enough oxygen?

"Yeah, I thought she would have told you. This place used to be a bomb shelter, and it's now a converted hideout where supernaturals can come when they've got nowhere else to go."

"Are we safe down here then?" I asked her.

"Safe." she said with her soft voice.

"So these runaways are like me then?" I asked.

"Yes, you could say that."

"Some of them are very young." I commented.

"That's the worst part of it. They have nowhere to go since some of their families have been killed."

"By the leeches?" I didn't need Sophia to tell me that. Those disgusting creatures have destroyed everything that is good.

As Sophia and I were talking, a big brute of a young man came into the kitchen. His eyes caught mine, and I felt fear. I dug my nails into my chair as I watched him grab something from the small fridge. As he left, I saw something shimmer with light from his belt.

"Who the hell was that?" I asked.

"Don't worry about him. He's part of the protectors." Sophia said.

"Protectors?" I asked.

"Yeah, they are an order of people who protect the supernatural world. You could call them the police of your world."

"But he looks terrifying." I replied.

"Ah, they are kittens really, they put their lives on the line for us."

"Well, I feel a little better, I think." I said.

"You should, you are safe here." she tried to reassure me, but the words didn't offer me any comfort.

I paused at my unfinished meal, and I wiped my face.

"Uh, Sophia." I wanted her full attention.

"What is it, Ellie?" she asked.

"About Rhea's manor, you got hurt because of me. I'm so sorry." I said.

Sophia said nothing, she just stared at me.

"Please forgive me, please." I begged her.

"I forgive you, but it wasn't your fault." her perfect pink lips curved up into a smile.

"It was my fault, and I made it happen. If I hadn't been there, none of this would have happened."

"Ellie, I don't blame you and neither does Rhea. She was worried sick about trying to find you." answered Sophia.

"I'm glad that she did, it was horrible down there, Sophia."

"I can't even imagine, Ellie."

"At one point, I just wanted to let the darkness take me away." I said.

Sophia just stared at me, lost for words.

We continued with our breakfast in silence. I finished the last of my cereal and put it into the small metal sink. I turned around and Rhea stood in the kitchen, waiting. She always had the ability to sneak up on me, and I think she got some kick out of it.

"Ellie, can we talk?" she asked seductively.

I nodded while waving goodbye to Sophia and followed Rhea down the hallway. We walked together down a narrow hallway. As soon as Rhea passed, the other residents would stop and bow or politely call her madam. (Should I be doing that as well?) I tried to keep up with her, but my little legs were not quick enough. As soon as they were done with their bowing, they would turn their gaze onto me and stare in awe. After a while it got very awkward.

Rhea stopped in front of an enormous door covered with engravings of weird symbols that looked like giant eyes with crosses through them. She held it open while I quickly hurried on into the hidden room. Inside was a bedroom much nicer than the one I was in. It had a four-poster bed with silk curtains draped on either side, along with matching pillows and cream coloured blankets. She also had her en suite and a large makeup dressing table that held unknown creams, remedies inside weirdly shaped thin glass bottles. (Not that she needed it). Rhea walked in and sat down in a plush chair and crossed her legs. I sat down on the other chair opposite her and I just stared down at my hands nervously.

"Ellie." She spoke, "you destroyed my house."

My heart dropped. Does she want to punish me for what I did. "I'm so sorry." I tried to explain, but she brought up her hand and stopped me.

"Few people can do that, I'm impressed."

"So you're not mad?" I asked.

"No, it's just a house, Ellie. We can rebuild." she gave me a reassuring smile and a wave of relief washed over me.

"Thanks." I said.

"So how are you feeling?"

Rhea's question threw me. I hadn't stopped and thought about how I was feeling. I just tried to hide my emotions as best as I could.

"It's difficult." I said.

"I must admit you are dealing with it very well."

"It's just one of my talents I've developed over the years." I replied.

"It is a remarkable talent. Even I can't read your emotions." commented Rhea.

I remained silent, awkwardly shifting in my chair.

"You are safe here, Ellie. I mean that this time."

"Yeah." I mumbled.

"Ellie, do you blame me?" she asked.

"No, never, it's just things are so messed up." I answered.

"I can understand, it's all so different for you now and you have to adjust to it the best you can."

"Yeah." It was all I could say.

"Good. I want to talk to you about certain things that have happened."

"Like what?" I didn't want to talk about things.

"Well, first. That man who abducted you."

"Oh yeah, he knew you didn't he, but how?" I asked.

"Well, I have a long grim history with Barbus, and that's how I want to keep it." she spoke with such hate for him.

"He asked for me to join him, but I told him no."

"Interesting, what else did he say?" she wanted to know more.

"Well, he stated that I was his." just thinking about him made me feel ill, "the leeches also listened to him, like he was commanding them."

Rhea remained sat in her chair and I could see her mind working. "Mmm, Barbus is hardly the brains behind this, but we should be careful none the less."

"Yeah, he makes my skin crawl." I replied.

"He seems to have that effect on some people. I hated him ever since the first time I met him."

I wanted to ask Rhea a personal question, but I didn't know if I would be over-stepping. I took a deep breath and just let it out.

"Rhea, what are you?" I interrupted.

Rhea looked at me and gave a brief smile.

She cleared her throat. "I am what you would call a Demi-god, my dear."

Wait, what, a God?! Did she say that? "Sorry, can you explain?"

"A Demi-god, surely you have heard the word before?"

"No, not really, they don't teach us that in school."

"Well, they should." she replied.

My tired mind tried to come to terms with Rhea being a god, but I just could not continue that train of thought.

I tried to muffle a giggle. I was sitting next to a god! "Were you born one then?"

"No, I was.." Rhea cut herself off. She had a blank stare across her face. An icy cold stare formed in her flame coloured eyes. I had brought up memories she wasn't ready to divulge just yet.

"Rhea, you OK?"

She brought herself back with a smile.

"That's a tale for another day." Rhea stood up from her chair and paced around the room. I just sat and watched her float effortlessly around her bedroom.

Another piece of information came to light inside my still weak mind.

"Oh yeah, my doctor was with them. He treated me when I was in the hospital after the.." Just thinking back to the hospital was an awful idea. It seemed ages ago when I was in that hospital bed. I tried to throw off the guilty words that surrounded me.

"Your doctor, that's strange. Did you notice anything weird about him?"

Her question pulled me from my nagging doubt.

"Come to think of it, yes. It was like he didn't want to be there, like he was being forced to do it."

Rhea was about to say something, but there was a gentle knock on the bedroom door.

"Enter." she ordered.

A large tall man appeared. The same guy from the kitchen. He had a powerful presence about him, the way he carried himself, full of confidence. He looked me up and down with interest, and I had to resist the urge to blush. He then gave his full attention to Rhea.

"I have information." he spoke.

"You can report, she's fine." his eyes gave me another glance before he reported his findings.

"Yes, mistress, there have been many reports of leeches roaming around in public, and with many in number."

Rhea took in all the information.

"It's very unlike them to attack in public, and you say there are many of them?"

"Yes, mistress, they are at a very high level, close to the danger zone." he said.

"She must breed them. This isn't a pleasant sign." Rhea said to herself.

"Breeding?" I was totally lost.

"Yes, Ellie, leeches don't breed like ordinary people, they get birthed about ten at a time or but these numbers are high."

"We've had some protectors go missing while hunting for the nest." he spoke with a formal tone.

Rhea thought again. "What does the council say about this?" she asked the strong, callow man.

"They want us to deal with it quickly and quietly. They want you to front the operation."

"Thank you, Marcus, we will leave first thing in the morning. If that's all, you can go." she waved him off.

He bowed his head and left, closing the door behind him.

"Where are you going tomorrow?" I asked.

"To find a nest of leeches and you, my dear, will come with me."

"What?!" I blurted out.

I'm surprised that Rhea wanted me to accompany her down into a leech nest. "You want to put me back in danger again, after what I've been through?"

"Yes, and I know what you must think, but you will be safe with me and I don't want you out of my sight." her soft voice was like music to my ears, but I had to resist.

"That's what you said last time and you know what happened." I stood up from my chair in protest.

Rhea took a deep sigh. "That will never happen again. I will put my life on the line if it means your safety."

Was this all going to happen again? No, I won't let it. I won't let them take me again.

"I need to think about this. I can't go back to that dungeon. I won't!" I ran out of the room and down the corridor, pushing past Sophia.

"Ellie?" she called after me, but I didn't stop.

I ran back to my room, trying to avoid the many runaways that filled the halls. I closed my door, hoping it did not lock me in. I just wanted to scream, and I felt trapped. I would not allow myself to go through that again. I clenched my teeth together, wishing that the rage would pass. Rhea had no right to put me back in that position again.

# Chapter Five

It was getting late, but I was too upset to sleep, and my stomach growled in protest. I got a snack from the kitchen. Quietly, I walked down the many halls, not wanting to disturb the others. Some runaways were in the sitting room reading or just chatting quietly away to each other. Every room had at least two protectors watching over their charges. Once they saw me, they would look at me with interest. Many of the runaways smiled and waved at me while I walked past trying to find the kitchen. Slowly, I was finding my way around this maze. God knows how many corridors there are down here. I would have to get used to this place eventually, and right now I just wanted to find the kitchen to get some food.

The kitchen was devoid of people. It was nice not to have the idle chit-chat with a total stranger, and I prefer my company. I opened up the fridge, and it greeted me with its icy chill. Inside greeted me with strange foods with fancy names I hadn't heard of. I didn't even know what half of it I was looking at, and I didn't want to go around smelling them if they were edible. I didn't know whether to put it on my face or eat it. Instead, I settled for some toast, and it amazed me they had electricity down here. I prepared my toast and sat in the kitchen eating in silence.

I was almost done with my simple snack when I could hear footsteps coming towards the kitchen. Was I allowed out at this time of night? Crap, crap. I quickly tried to tidy up the crumbs I had left, but it was too late. Behind me, I could hear someone clearing their throat. Oh, crap!

I turned around to be greeted by one protector that I had met inside Rhea's room. Was he stalking me?

"Sorry, I'll just move on. I should get back to bed." I said sheepishly.

I tried to tiptoe around him, but his words stopped me.

"You're Ellie, aren't you?" he asked.

"Yeah, why?" I asked.

He leant on the wall and crossed his muscular arms around his chest. "Just that I've heard things about you, all good things, though," he added.

I chuckled nervously. Oh God, I'm acting like a schoolgirl.

"Well, I'm glad people have been saying good things about me, for a change." I said to him.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Uh, it's nothing. Rhea said your name was Marcus, wasn't it?"

"Yep, that's me." he then smiled with a devilish grin.

"So you're here to protect us? I don't know what's going on around here. I'm kinda' new to the whole supernatural scene."

"Well, if you have questions, come to me." he said, "I'm new to this entire protector thing myself, I only became one a few weeks ago and they send me here, but I am not complaining."

"Are you enjoying it?" I asked.

"Yeah, it runs in the family. Even my past generations were in the protectors, so I'm doing my family proud." he said.

"What do the protectors do, anyway?" Marcus laughed, and I felt my cheeks flush with colour.

As Marcus moved, his belt shimmered with light as it did before. With a closer look, strapped to his belt was a long thin sword sheathed in its holder. Did they need these with them?

"You are new to the scene aren't you?" he cleared his throat, "well the jobs in the title, the protectors, we help supernatural beings like yourself when they are in need. And sometimes we do special jobs, like tomorrow. Are you coming with us?"

I didn't know how to answer his question. "Maybe, I don't know yet."

"I'll protect you, it's my job." he said with a wink.

"I've had many people claiming to protect me." I said.

"There's nothing to worry about." replied Marcus.

"You'd think, but there is always that doubt at the back of your mind that everything could go wrong in a matter of seconds."

Marcus didn't give an answer. He just remained quiet.

"I think I should go back to bed." I mumbled.

"Night." he replied.

I walked back to my room with a silly school-girl grin across my face.

I awoke from my peaceful sleep to see Sophia's face inches from mine while and I screamed with fright. I threw Sophia back a few steps before putting up one of her barriers just in time.

Quickly, I shot up from the bed. "I'm so sorry, Sophia."

"It was my fault, Ellie. I shouldn't have woken you."

"What were you doing?" I asked her.

"Watching you sleep." she replied.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because you look so peaceful." she replied.

I ignored her weird comment.

"Are you OK?"

Sophia regained her composure.

"It's fine. I came to tell you we are getting ready to leave."

Leave? They must have been getting ready for the mission. I didn't want to go, but did I even have a choice? Will Rhea let me out of her sight again?

"Just to tell you, I'm going." she said.

"What? Why? Shouldn't we leave things like that to those protectors?" I asked her.

"Well, I have been on a few missions with Rhea before, besides I'm quite excited about it." I could feel the excitement flowing from her. "We know what we are doing. You'll be safe with us." Sophia walked out of the room and l quickly got dressed.

The many runaways filled the halls, all trying to get a peek at the leaving party. I carefully weaved my way through the adoring crowd, where Rhea, Marcus and Sophia stood waiting for me.

"Morning." said Marcus.

"So you have joined us?" Rhea asked.

"I don't have a choice." I mumbled.

"I'm glad." she replied.

I looked around at the small crew. Was this it? I didn't feel much safe with just a small group.

"Is this it?" I asked them.

"No, there is one more, he is late." Rhea's tone was sharp.

From within the crowd, there were shoving and unhappy yelps. Something was moving towards us and it wasn't in a pleasant mood.

"Move, move out of the way." said a voice from the crowd.

The group of people parted, revealing a middle age short man. "Him?" I asked, surprised.

"Yes, Missy, me." he said as he came closer.

"Do not be decided by his small stature, we all have our uses, even him." said Rhea.

"Charming, I've got places to be and I don't want to be here." The balding man said.

"Robin, you owe me. So you will do this for me." Rhea said.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"There has been lots of leech activity outside of the city, so we will check it out." Marcus answered.

"But shouldn't we have more protectors with us?" I asked.

"No, they need to stay here and we only need a small group, otherwise we will attract attention." Rhea explained.

We all formed a circle, Rhea on my right and Marcus on my left. He was about to take his hand when I quickly flinched away.

"Sorry." he quickly said.

"Uh, no, it's my fault." I blushed.

"Ready?" Rhea's voice carried throughout the small halls. The group of runaways stepped back, allowing us to teleport safely.

Before I could prepare myself, I have torn away from the underground hall and sent spiralling off into different directions. My stomach filled with knots and I wanted to throw up. We all landed onto a soft ground and I had to sit down for my head to stop spinning.

"You OK?" Marcus asked.

I waited for my dizzy head to fade before I was ready to answer. "Yeah, I'm all right."

"Remember, stay close and no one does anything stupid that can get us killed." Marcus's eyes were on the unknown guy.

"What're you looking at me for?" he said.

Robin and Marcus were talking (well, arguing) while I looked around. We had teleported outside a city entrance, that below a busy motorway. It was very early in the morning and the sun was about to rise. I wanted to take a seat and watch, but I knew I didn't have time. I stood close to Sophia, and she greeted me with a soft smile.

"Are you nervous, Ellie?" Sophia asked.

"Just a little." I replied.

"Just stay close to Rhea and you'll be fine." Sophia gave me one of her brightest smiles and inside it made me feel better, but I still had my doubts.

Marcus and Robin were still arguing, and Rhea had to step in.

"Gentlemen, please. Can we finish this." asked Rhea.

Marcus nodded. "Stay close." he whispered.

Rhea made her way to a large sewer pipe leading deep into a complex of twisting tunnels that were the underground sewer system. We all followed behind her one by one into the black tunnels. The smell was awful, the memories of the leeches flooded in and I tried to ignore them swimming around in my mind. I could feel myself tensing up, I just wanted to run away, but how could I face Rhea again if I did that? I didn't want to keep running from my problems all the time. I took a deep breath of the polluted air and continued through the dark, winding tunnel.

Marcus trailed behind, his sword at his side, ready to strike at anything that would harm us. I had nothing to fear while he was at my back. It was his job to protect me.

"Are you OK?" he whispered.

I tried to muffle my surprise with both hands clasped to my mouth.

"Don't do that! I don't like being snuck up on." I whispered back.

Again he came in close to give me his answer. "Sorry." he whispered, and my body exploded with excitement. (Focus, Ellie!)

We continued through the sewers and stopped. In front of us, the stone floor was no more. Murky water had taken its place instead.

"I'm not walking through that." I said.

"It's only water, Ellie." Marcus whispered.

"Ellie's right, plus it stinks." added Sophia.

"Oh, for heaven's sake." Rhea took the first steps into the water while waiting for the others.

"Fine, but you owe me new shoes." Sophia said.

"If that's what gets you to move, then fine, I'll buy you new shoes." Rhea said.

The bog filled water filtered through my shoes and socks, and it didn't feel good and it made me feel sick. As we waded through the dirty water Rhea stopped, I peered around her and out in front stood many entrances. We didn't know which way to go.

"Can you sense anything, Robin?" whispered Rhea.

He placed his palms and his ear to the slime-covered stone and closed his eyes. His face scrunched up and his eyes flickered rapidly from side to side.

"What's he doing?" I asked.

"He's trying to sense supernatural's." Sophia replied.

"Hush, I'm trying to concentrate." Robin ordered.

His eyes shot open, and he backed away from the wall slowly. "They're here, many of them."

"Good, now find them." Rhea said.

"Are you serious, I'm not going into the heart of that!" he said.

"Keep your voice down!" Marcus ordered.

"I'm getting the hell out of here." Robin added.

He tried to push passed, but Marcus stood in his way.

"Hey, if I'm here, so are you. We stick together." I whispered harshly.

"But you're the Siren, the all and powerful." he smugly replied.

"Yes, but I'm petrified. I feel like running away, but I don't because I know I'll never forgive myself. So shut up and deal with it." I told him.

Robin breathed a deep sigh and took his place.

I said my piece, I could feel all eyes on me. I looked around, realising that everyone just stood there, watching me.

"What?" I asked them.

"It's nothing, just sometimes I forget how strong you are." replied Rhea

I was shocked at her comment. Was everyone else in agreement? Well, I didn't feel strong.

Robin pushed forward through the bog water and we followed him.

"It's this way." he pointed to the far right of the many tunnels and we continued through the darkness.

The tunnel scuttled with rats and worms and other strange looking creatures that ran away from our approach. I followed behind Sophia, careful of where I stepped. The smells were getting worse, and I had to put my hand over my mouth to stop myself from gagging on the foul fumes. Marcus held his sword high, ready to strike. I felt a bit relived with him at my back and nervous. Robin took us down more narrow walkways with a slime-covered walls. What the hell was this stuff, I didn't want to give it a full examination. Weird noises echoed through the sewer tunnels. Scratching, scuttling, and muffled moans. Where the hell were we going? Wherever it was, it didn't sound good.

Robin ordered us to stop. He stood his ground to make sure the way was clear.

"There is something around the corner." whispered Robin.

I held my breath. The creature made it's all too familiar groaning noises. Visions of being back in the black pits came rushing back, and I tried to fight them off. Finally, the leech slowly appeared around the corner while we all remained still as it sniffed the air. The faceless creature snapped its head in my direction and the all knowing terror rippled through me. Before it could make any noise, Rhea threw out her hand and black ash scattered into the air.

"That was a close one. He could have warned others." Marcus said.

"Let's keep going." Rhea replied.

We stepped over the creature's pile of ashes and carried on down the maze of gloomy tunnels. I wanted to hold on to Marcus's hand and never let go, but that would never happen.

"It's just up ahead. You better be ready." Robin told us.

My hands shook, while my forehead dotted with sweat. I tried to throw off the horrible feeling and walked on. The tunnels opened up into a large clearing with what looked like frog spawn covering the walls and the floor. The slime covered sacks littered around the area. Inside, something was moving around, trying to claw its way out.

"Ugh, it stinks." I said while covering my mouth.

"Yep, it does, but don't think about it too much." Marcus replied.

While looking around for any of the leeches, my body froze. Lying on the floor was a body, an adolescent girl. Darkness had hidden her face from me and I moved closer to get a better look at the laid out body. Once I saw the face, I stumbled back in shock. It was the cheap blonde from the cinema. Her body displayed bite marks and scratches on the face and stomach. I had to tear my eyes away from the lifeless body. That could have easily been Becky or Lilly on the floor. The thought of my friends taking her place made me sick, I had to move on.

"Are you OK, Ellie?" Marcus asked.

I said nothing, I just pointed to where the young girl laid. Marcus moved closer to the body, inspecting what they left of her.

"Did you know her?" he asked.

"No, not really, I met her at a cinema and I used my powers on her. She wasn't a friendly person, but to have this done to her. It's wrong."

"What did you find?" Rhea asked.

"Just the leeches prey." answered Marcus.

"Alive?" she asked bluntly.

I replied to Rhea with a shake of my head.

"Where are the leeches, Robin?" Marcus asked.

"I don't know. I sensed it. They should be here." Robin replied.

"Can you sense anything, Rhea?" Sophia asked.

"There is something, but it's faint."

Tapping noises surrounded us, each coming from a different direction.

"What that?" asked Sophia.

"It's them. They are playing with us." I answered. The tapping noise brought back the memory of the leeches invading my home. It's because of them I had to leave.

"Agreed, they are toying with us." Rhea brought her hands out and a bright light radiated from her palms. The white glow illuminated the entire area, showing us all the horrors that the tunnels offered. The shadows could not conceal the hidden leeches anymore. Once they realised they fled into their holes, hoping to avoid the blinding aura.

"Is that it?" I asked out loud.

"That was far too easy." replied Marcus.

The tapping noise returned, and it was pissing me off.

"I can hear you, show yourself!" cried Rhea.

Something moved above us with such speed that I could only make out as a blur. I took a step back while the others moved forward. Marcus held his sword high, ready to strike. Something crashed to the floor, shaking the surrounding ground. I lost my balance and fell backwards into the slime. I looked up from the slime-covered floor to see something that almost looked human. The torso was a beautiful woman with overlong silver hair covering her naked breasts. But the lower half of her was something I'd never thought I would witness in my entire life. The creature had a snake's lower body with a large scaly tail that coiled around her womanly shape. I slowly got to my feet and backed away from the creature.

"What brings you here, Rhea?" the beast hissed.

Rhea slowly walked up to the creature. She remained calm as she eyes the monstrous woman.

"We have come for you, Idina." said Rhea.

The naked woman laughed. Her shrill cackle made my skin crawl.

Marcus moved closer, brandishing his sword.

"So you've brought backup? You're getting sloppy, she-witch." The creature slithered across the room, and no one dared to move. The woman who called herself Idina slid with ease along the dilapidated slugged infested floor. I was too scared to move. Nothing I had seen so far had prepared me for this. The woman carried her snake-like body with ease.

"Are these things for me?" It asked, "I'm so glad you brought me presents, I haven't had a plaything in a long while, well, not since that thing." the creature pointed its sharp black claws in the direction of the young girl. I felt sick inside. No one deserved that, not even her.

"Do you think I'd give you anything, creature?" Rhea asked it.

Idina's eyes flashed an ominous glow, and I thought the two of them would come to blows, but it focused her attention on something else. It was Marcus who had caught her eye. She moved towards him like he was an unopened present at Christmas. It caressed his muscular body, seeing if he was up to scratch. His face covered with disgust. I watched as Marcus slowly readied his weapon.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." around us, leeches crowded around. They trapped us. Idina placed her hands tightly around Marcus's body and slowly licked his cheek with her slick black tongue. He tried to move, but her grip was firm. She tore at his skin and he tried to fight the pain.

"Maybe you could be my new plaything? I'll take excellent care of you." she whispered.

"Enough!" shouted Rhea.

The creature's soulless black eyes focused onto Rhea. "If you do not behave yourselves, I will have you torn apart!" she spat.

The leeches crept closer, just waiting for the word.

"Do you like my children?" she finally ignored Marcus and slithered over to one of her leeches. The snake woman gently stroked its grime covered face, and the parasite started smiling with glee. The others sensed the attention and moved in. The sickening smiling leech snarled at the others, warning them to back off.

"Now, now, you'll all get your turn." Idina said to her sickening children.

"They have been roaming around unchecked, Idina." Rhea said, "they have been killing innocents, and that can't go unpunished."

"My children would do no such thing, and how dare you accuse them!" Idina's temper flared.

The five of us closed in on each other. We had to stick together. Things would go south fast.

"I think we've talked enough-." the naked woman's eyes found mine and stopped mid-sentence.

"Well, well. What have we here?" the creature's eye found mine. But before she could move, Rhea and Marcus stood in her path, cutting off her view. "Is that the creature everyone's been talking about? She doesn't look like much, does she?"

"I think we should leave. I'm having an awful feeling about this." Robin whispered.

"I haven't finished with you yet!" it screamed. The woman sprung forward with her claws outstretched.

Sophia quickly stepped forward and created a barrier around us, protected from the hideous creatures.

"Barbus said you would come, he was right." said Idina as she circled the barrier. "he will reward me when I give him the girl."

Rhea snatched my arm, and the rest held hands together, ready to leave this hellhole. I waited for the stomach-churning ride, but nothing happened.

"Rhea?" Sophia said.

The snake creature cackled. "He also gave me a few tips on how to trap you. You can't leave."

No, I would not let them capture me again, I won't. I was in the full panic mode. My fight-or-flight mode kicked in and everything pointed to flight.

Robin lifted his hands out to one leech. It began flinching violently on the spot. Within a few seconds, it turned to its mother and pounced on her like a crazed animal. Idina grabbed it by the throat and quickly snapped its neck. A quick death. She screamed a high pitch wail that tried to tear its way into my skull. I fell to knees and hopped for the pain to end.

"What did you do that for?" shouted Marcus

"I was just trying something!" Robin replied.

"You've just pissed her off even more!"

"Guys, I can't hold this barrier all day." Sophia commented.

Idina spat a yellow substance at the barrier, and it slowly deteriorated the shield. I sat on the floor, panicking. They would lock me up again, and no one would save me this time. My heart thumped in my chest and I tried to calm myself down, but all the horrid memories came rushing in one by one. My body felt like stone, and I couldn't move.

The group chatted above me, each offering a way out, but then another voice would cut in and call the plan a failure. They shouted at each other while the snake woman laughed at our failed attempt to hatch a plan.

"I can't hold it!" Sophia screamed.

"Ellie." A soft voice said, "We need your help."

"Hurry, they are getting through over here." a voice called out.

I was sick of this, I always afraid of what was around the corner and always afraid of myself, not knowing what I was capable of. I didn't want to listen to the person in front of me. I wanted to block it all out, no more. I didn't want this!

"Ellie, can you hear me." again the voice tried to get through to me.

Screams and yells filled my ears. I placed my hands over my ears to block it out.

"Ellie!" this time the calm voice was filled with terror.

I needed to do something. They needed me.

I stood up and tried to call on the pain of being abused at the hand of the leeches and torment I suffered. I shrieked, shattering Sophia's barrier with the leeches blocking our path. We all backed away from the coiling creature and her leech army, running back the way we came. We had to get out, fast.

I hurried with the rest of the group while Rhea and Marcus dispatched any followers. Robin led us through the maze of pipes and tunnels that seem never ending. He tried to remember the way out, but fear fuelled his decisions.

Adrenaline sustained my body and my mind was sharp, I felt as if I could run all night without stopping. As we carried on another leech jumped down and blocked our path. We didn't have time for this crap. I screamed, and the leech spiralled through the air. Impaled by a thick steel rod right through the chest. The dying creature screamed in agony before finally submitting to its bloody death. Robin was first to run off, and I hurried after him back through the tunnels.

"Do you know where you're going?" I asked.

"Yes!" he said over his shoulder, but I didn't hold much faith in him.

I pounded the floor until my heart became heavy inside my chest. Behind me, I could hear screeches of dying leeches and flashes of bright white light. My lungs burned with each fresh breath, but I had to keep pushing myself. Marcus quickly caught up to me with sweat covering his body and a bloody sword in his right hand. He kept his pace steady with mine and I glimpsed him as he was running and he had an enormous grin on his face.

"What are you smiling for?" I asked breathlessly.

"It's the chase I was born for this." he replied.

"That's comforting, not." I replied.

We came to a stop at a ladder leading up to the surface. Robin was the first to climb, then Sophia.

"She-witch!" the creature screamed as it slithered towards us with remarkable speed. Many leeches ran behind her, hoping to get a taste of their next meal.

Rhea faced the woman; she reached out with her white luminous hands and above her pulled the loose pipes towards the ground. She had blocked their path.

I hurried up the ladder with Marcus right behind me. I quickly gripped each bar as fast as my hands could. The fresh air welcomed me back from the dark tunnels and I fell to the ground near Sophia and we both gasped for our breath as if it was our last.

"That was a failed effort, wasn't it?" wheezed Robin.

"Big time!" Marcus replied.

"That was a trap." Rhea said.

"You think?" Robin said sarcastically.

"What the hell was that thing?" I asked.

"I've seen nothing like that before." Sophia added.

I turned to Rhea expecting answers, but her eyes never left the dark manhole. "We were almost eaten by those things." I said.

"If Robin kept his cool, we could have avoided it." Marcus pointed the finger at Robin.

"I was doing something, unlike you who was flirting away with that thing." Robin shouted.

Marcus' face filled with rage.

I thought the two of them would have a fight right in front of me, but Rhea pushed out with her hands and sent the two of them flying in opposite directions.

"Enough!" her voice roared. "We need to get back and report this, now."

There was silence among us. We had failed our mission from the council and nearly gotten killed.

Rhea again grabbed my hand, and we teleported away from the sewers and back to the safety of the underground bunker. As feet touched the ground, the stench hit me like a punch to the stomach. My eyes focused on the grisly scene in front of us. Blood splattered the walls along with screams echoing throughout the halls.

# Chapter Six

The runaways lay on the floor in a pool of their blood. Deep slashes and bite marks littered their bodies. They died a horrible death. I just stared at their bodies. Their faces had frozen in their last moments of their life. I had enough of seeing dead bodies, and I wanted to be sick. When will it end? Marcus rushed down to a dead Protector. Did he know him? Marcus slowly closed his glassy stare. Out of the corner of my eye, something was approaching fast. It was a leech, and it was heading straight for Marcus.

"Marcus!" I yelled.

He readied his weapon as it came charging in. He ended its life with one quick swing. More screams and shouts came from the sleeping quarters and other corridors. It was a massacre, and we were in the middle of it.

"Ellie, stay here, I need to get something." Rhea ran off leaving the four of us behind.

"I'm outta' here, bye." Robin said as he ran through the halls looking for a quick exit.

"Wait." I called.

"Coward." shouted Marcus.

I wanted to do something, to save these kids, but was it too late. I needed to do something. I ran towards Rhea, leaving behind Sophia and Marcus. I came to a corridor with many blood stains across the white walls. I moved passed the fallen residents and tried to find Rhea as fast as I could. As I rushed passed, something caught my eye. I quickly hid behind the wall, thinking it was a leech looking for its next meal. I slowly peered around the wall to see the creature crouched over something. I came away from the wall to see the disgusting leech feeding on someone. The wild, unkempt hair gave it away. The leech had killed Amanda, and it was draining her dry.

I quietly stepped forward, hoping to catch it off guard. I screamed my disgust at it and they blew away the creature, crashing through a wall. The small roof supporting us had taken a beating from my scream, I had to be careful with my powers; I didn't want to bury us, but it was worth it for Amanda. I took one look at her, her hair wet with her blood, it covered half of her face but I still knew it was her. The guilt tore into me. I wished I wasn't so hard on her. None of them deserved this, nobody did. Why did this have to happen?

"Ellie?" said a voice behind me.

I turned around to be greeted by Rhea, who now held a strangely familiar large tome under her arm. I just stared at her with tears forming in my eyes. "How could anyone do this?" I asked.

"I'm sorry, Ellie." she replied.

I took off with Rhea without looking back at the destruction the leeches had caused. We returned to where Sophia and Marcus stood their ground against the many monsters.

"Where have you been?" asked a pissed off Marcus.

I tried not to meet his gaze with tears in my eyes, but he could already see them.

Sophia's face lit up as she saw Rhea.

More leeches came out from their hiding place and surrounded us with their blood covered talons, fresh from the kill. Marcus stepped forward, brandishing his blade. One leech made a quick grab for me, but he killed it with one clean strike. I was about to scream, but I remembered about nearly burying myself. My powers were useless down here.

They rushed at us, ready to taste us.

Rhea's bright light engulfed us, turning the leeches into ash one by one.

"Where were you?" Sophia asked with panic in her voice.

"I had to get this." Rhea held out a large tome.

"What's that?" Marcus asked.

"It is something that can save us." she explained. It was the same book I saw in Rhea's house. It must be very important if she will go through a crowd of leeches for it.

"Where's Robin?" asked Rhea.

No one spoke. "He ran away, didn't he?" The coward had run away with his tail tucked between his legs.

"Yeah, he saw the bodies and took off." said Sophia.

While talking, a few leeches spotted us and headed our way.

"Enough about the book, what do we do?" Marcus shouted while cutting through the oncoming predators.

I looked at Rhea for her all-knowing advice. Her face was grim and colourless.

"We leave." she said.

"What?!" Marcus asked with rage in his voice.

How can Rhea leave them? Did she check for anyone that could be alive?

"Are you sure? What about survivors?" asked Sophia.

Rhea remained silent.

"There may be people hiding, scared for their lives." I tried to find a reason to look for them, but I knew there was no one else.

"Ellie, there's nothing back there, but death you've seen it with your own eyes. We need to leave." Rhea's voice was steady.

I looked over at Marcus, who was now walking back and forth seething with anger. He was fighting for his fallen brothers, for their honour. How could we leave?

"Marcus, you need to come with us." Rhea said.

"I will not leave, I will fight!" he yelled.

"Marcus, there's nothing left." whispered Sophia. She tried to put her hand on his shoulder. But he shrugs it off. He didn't want to know.

"Marcus?" I called.

Rhea walked up to the grief-stricken man and grabbed his hand, Sophia and I quickly followed by holding onto her. My stomach knotted, and I pulled away from the bloody scene. I could see Marcus trying to fight Rhea's hold she had on him, but her grip was vice-tight.

I landed on my feet this time, but I fell on the hard, cracked ground. I was getting good at teleportation, but this was no time for celebration. Marcus pulled away from Rhea with a grunt.

"Why did you do that?!" he asked.

"You would have died, I saved you." she answered.

"That wasn't your call. I had sworn an oath to my brothers in arms."

"I didn't want to see any more protectors die." she replied.

Marcus walked away and I could feel his rage pulsing inside him. He paced back-and-forth mumbling to himself and I wanted to tell him that everything would be OK, but how could I tell him that, the misery we had witnessed. It would have been a lie, and I would convince no one of it.

I looked up into the sky and took a deep breath. I tried to forget what we all had witnessed, frigid air whipped around us with ice white clouds towering over us in the air. It was a grim day, and I felt it fit the mood.

"Where are we, Rhea?" Sophia asked.

"An old friend's house, we were once sisters, but I have not seen her in some time now." Rhea explained.

"Will we be safe?" Sophia asked.

"Nowhere's safe anymore." Marcus added.

I just stared at Marcus, his face formed into a grim sadness. I wish I could have made him feel better, but what could I have done?

I looked around. We stood on a muddy forest path leading up to a wooden bridge overlooking an enormous river. It connected the bridge to an enormous stone door that stood ten feet tall. The sturdy stone wall surrounded whatever was inside, or to keep whatever was inside locked up. Rhea was first across the bridge. I watched her effortlessly cross it with grace while I slowly crept my way along, fearing for my life with every step I took.

Rhea waited for us to pass. She then stepped forward and placed her free hand onto the stone. It responded to her touch as the stone wall crumbled away before her.

"Be ready for anything." she said and quickly ushered us in.

The stone door reformed behind us, locking us inside. I looked up at the impressive building that took my breath away. The tall building was made entirely out of stone, with balconies at every window. Each brick seemed to glow with its sun-kissed colour. It looked like an enchanted castle that belonged in a fairy tale. On the enchanted building, it had four tall towers had tall spirals high into the air. It made me dizzy just looking up at it. On this grey day, seeing this building was like a ray of hope. Rhea walked up the stone path that once looked like a garden but it was only now a shadow of its former self, overgrown, faded and grey, nothing like the bright building that stood out amongst the drab dead garden.

"Who lives here?" I asked.

"You'll see soon enough." she said, "But I don't think she'll be happy seeing me after all this time."

"Who is it, Rhea?" Sophia sounded suspicious.

She remained tight-lipped on the subject. It wasn't like Rhea to leave us in the dark.

The four of us walked through the dead garden until we reached one of the solid wooden doors. We all stood still, wondering who would knock first. Then loud unlocking sounds came from behind the door and it opened, welcoming us inside. Or at least I hoped.

Rhea turned to me and gripped both my shoulder and looked deep into my eyes.

"Ellie, I need you more than ever. Will you stand by me whatever happens?" Rhea spoke in hushed tones.

I had to think first. Why was Rhea telling me this, did she know what would happen?

"Yes." I finally answered.

Rhea smiled at me and walked through the open door. The rest of us followed inside. I stayed close to Rhea, hoping if things get too much we could leave.

Darkness had filled throughout the building. I felt something from the shadows, like a thousand eyes watching me at once. There was nothing breathtaking about the inside of the castle, it was run down with dust, destroyed paintings and cobwebs had made their home here. I would have thought it became abandoned if not for the mysterious person who let us in. There was no care put into it, unlike Rhea's amazing house, all polished and pristine. Or what it used to be before I destroyed it.

An eerie glow appeared on the top of the balcony, casting an ebbing light on all what the ruined hall offered. The light seemed to grow with each passing second as we all watched it descend in front of us. I took a step back as the radiant light transformed into a tall raven haired woman. She scanned the others and stopped into Rhea. The raven haired woman's face twisted with rage. She walked up to Rhea and slapped her across her perfect sculpted face. Sophia stepped forward, but Rhea held her.

"I didn't expect to see you again." the raven haired woman said.

"We need your help, and I know I'm the last person who should ask for It." asked Rhea.

"So, you come back begging for help. I don't know if you're worth my time." The woman seemed to take joy in teasing Rhea.

"Naaz, please do not do this." Rhea added.

"Is that any way to talk to your dear long-lost friend?" she asked.

"A lot has happened and we need your help."

"Yes, I have been watching you closely, but I don't know if I can trust you again."

The raven haired woman walked closer towards us and came into the dying light that was the sun. She too was a sight of beauty, soft dark skin flawless with black cherry coloured lips. Her eyes were the colour of night, but with a hit of fire, and they seemed to hold a lot of history behind them.

"Don't play games, Naaz." Rhea said.

"I'm not doing anything, I'm just-.." the woman stopped mid-sentence. "You!" Her eyes found mine, and I felt terror rise inside my body like bile.

"Sirens are forbidden!" she said out loud. The dark-haired woman threw out her hand and my body was dragged towards her. The raven-haired woman lifted me in the air, inches away from her face.

"Do you think you can deceive me? I could smell her from miles away. The stink is all over her." Naaz spat.

"Rhea!" I called out for her help.

She did not look my way. She remained locked onto the ebony beauty.

Marcus rushed towards me, but with a flick of the woman's wrist, sent spiralling off in the opposite direction.

"Stop it!" I yelled.

She ignored me and continued to address Rhea.

"Have you been naughty, Rhea? You know Siren's are forbidden." the woman cackled.

She again waved her wrist, and pain flooded through my body. My muscles seized up as the pain wormed its way throughout my body. I screamed out in agony while the woman laughed at my torment. I tried to fight through the pain as best I could, but it was a losing battle. I wanted to call out to Rhea I didn't have the energy.

"That's enough!" Rhea ordered.

"Remember your place!" Naaz spat.

Rhea gathered a light that slowly coiled around her hand.

There was a look from Naaz that could turn your flesh into stone. She then released her hand, and I fell to the floor. Marcus rushed towards me and bent down to pick me up but I filched away from him.

"What is wrong with you?!" Marcus yelled at Naaz, but she ignored him and continued her icy stare towards her old friend.

Rhea stared down at me and I didn't know what to say, I thought I could trust her but it was slowly fading away. Did she know this would happen?

"You may stay a few days, no more, no less." Naaz took one last look at me and walked away.

I picked myself up, hoping there was no internal damage. Rhea then held out her hand, and I paused for a few seconds before grabbing it. She helped me up, and I felt her healing glow throughout my beaten body. Did she think everything was OK? I get beaten while Rhea stands back, and then she rushes in like everything is OK? I found my trust in her being eroded away.

I carried myself into the nearest room that luckily had a roaring fire. I lowered myself into the nearest chair that wasn't filthy and curled up into a ball and felt like crying, but I held it in as best I could.

The group shuffled in after me and talked in hushed tones.

"What the hell was that about?" whispered Marcus.

"I'm sorry you all had to go through that. It's me she is after and she's trying to do it through you." Rhea explained.

I wanted to ignore her words. I wanted to be alone.

"Are we safe here?" Marcus asked.

"Just leave it to me." she replied.

"But are we safe here?" Marcus asked again.

"I hope so." Rhea finally answered.

"Are you OK, Ellie?" Sophia sat down on the carpet next to the sofa.

"I'm all right." I lied.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, if there's anything you need or if you want to chat, I'm here for you."

I didn't reply, and I just wanted everything to stop and go back to my old life, where I got bullied for being different or worry about my English homework from Mr Drop dead gorgeous. That was a walk in the park compared to this.

I looked over at Marcus. He was too tense to sit. He just kept checking the windows for signs of trouble.

"Why did Naaz do that to me?" I finally asked.

Rhea stood in the door with her back to us. She gave out a great sigh and turned to me.

"She still harbours a lot of hate towards me and she can tell I care much for you." she said.

"Should I be worried about her? I don't want to be watching my back all the time while I'm here."

"No, Naaz is a loyal friend." Rhea replied.

"Loyal, you call that loyal?" he questioned. "She almost killed her."

"It was a test, Marcus. Please, just calm down. We have been through a lot these past few hours. We should get some rest."

"I don't think I can sleep." replied Marcus.

I knew where he was coming from, but my eyes burned with tiredness and with all the things we had seen today; I tried to block it from all the horrible images in my mind. The sofa was comfortable enough, and I felt myself slip away.

I was brought back to the darkest pits of the dungeons, locked away from the light. Leeches filtered in and out of the room to feed on me every day like I was their own buffet until I would pass out from the pain. That's the life I led in my dreams, broken and bruised. No one was coming for me and no one cared. I was alone and the only friend I had was the oncoming darkness.

I woke up sweating, cold and clammy. I looked over at Marcus and Sophia. They were still asleep, but there was no sign of Rhea. I quietly crept out of the room and into the dark and dusty hall. I had a terrible feeling about this place, and darkness had taken up residence and it wasn't leaving soon. Looking around the corridor at night was terrifying, I felt like something would jump out and say "boo" but I ignored my simple thoughts and went on the lookout for Rhea, but something caught my eye in the corner of the dark hall.

Rhea came out of the darkness as if she just said goodbye to an old friend. She didn't notice me and I quickly hid behind a large broken statue that was chipped in many places. I watched her, and she looked worried. Rhea was always calm and composed, but not here. This was a grim place, and I didn't want to stay.

"You don't have to hide from me, Ellie." her voice was dry.

"Crap." I whispered to the darkness.

I move away from the destroyed statue, sauntering over to her. Rhea didn't turn to greet me. She remained quiet while looking out of the window.

"Can't sleep?" she asked.

"You could say that." I mumbled.

"Yes, it has been awful for you, haven't it." Rhea said.

"Yeah." I answered dryly.

"Ellie, I want to talk about what happened down in the sewers."

I didn't know what Rhea was talking about until slowly I remembered. "You're talking about when I nearly had a breakdown?"

"Yes." she answered.

"I don't know what happened. I felt as if I was back down in those dungeons again. I never want to go back there."

"I will not allow it, Ellie. But I am concerned about how this is taking its toll on you."

I didn't answer, and I didn't want to linger on the bad thoughts that held me back. Something inside me wanted to know what was going on, and I wanted to blurt out everything that I was thinking and feeling, but I held my tongue. "What will happen to me?"

Rhea didn't react to the question; she continued to stare out of the window.

"Rhea?"

She took a deep sigh and answered. "To be honest, I don't know., that's happened, I just don't know anymore, but I don't have all the answers yet."

She had told me the truth. My confidence in Rhea was falling apart, slowly shattering into tiny pieces. "I don't want this to be my life anymore. I don't want to keep running all the time."

"We will find a way, Ellie. I promise you." Rhea turned to me and pulled me close to her.

"Thank you, Rhea." I squeezed her stone body tight. I felt safe when I was with Rhea, but was it all a lie? Was she the one dragging me into the danger?

"What's inside that room you came out of?"

I pulled away from her and waited for her response. "I was talking with Naaz. She knows everything. She has agreed to shelter us, but I don't think we should outstay our welcome."

That was all right with me. I didn't want to be here anymore than I had to.

"Why did she hit you?" The words just fell out of my mouth and I immediately felt awful. "Rhea, I'm sorry." I tried to apologise.

"It's OK, Ellie. We used to be sisters, well more than that, but that was a long time ago. I was a different person back then, not what I am now."

"What happened between you?" I asked.

"I felt I was going down the wrong path, and it nearly destroyed me." Rhea's eyes turned glassy. She was reliving the memories of her haunted past.

"Does she hate you?" I asked.

"I don't know, but we have to be careful around her." Rhea warned me.

"Is she dangerous?" I asked.

"She can be, but I will observe her."

Those words comforted briefly, but I had no choice but to accept them.

"Rhea, what happened at the underground bunker, why were the leeches there?" I asked.

Rhea didn't meet my gaze. "I failed them. They've just kept hitting us again and again. We are not ready for them."

"That's what scares me the most." I replied.

"Me too." she continued to look out of the window as if she was watching someone's movements.

"I think I'm ready for bed now." I said.

"Yes, sleep well, and thank you for talking with me, Ellie." I left her in the hall as I made my way back to the room with the spitting fire. Sophia and Marcus were still asleep. Sophia took the other broken sofa while Marcus laid on the floor among the many pillows. I quietly crept back to my spot and tried to go back to sleep.

# Chapter Seven

"Should we wake her?" someone whispered.

Whispers awoke me from my sleep, and I tried to block them out.

I grunted my annoyance.

"No, leave her sleep, she's been through enough." another voice whispered.

"Come on, I'm starving, hope she's got some decent food."

Ah, crap. My brain was now fully awake. I sniffed the many aromas that drifted in. It was food, and it smelled great. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and stretched my aching muscles. Sophia and Marcus had gone, and I jumped up from the sofa panicking. My heart thumped hard inside my chest. Had they left me? Have they finally had enough? My tired legs rushed out into the hall only to hear voices. I followed them to a vast kitchen where everyone was eating and chatting away.

"Morning, Ellie." said Marcus, as he tucked into his plate of meat.

Sophia was also there and sitting next to her was Rhea, but she wasn't eating. The three of them sat around an old wooden table that had many scuffs and dents.

I took a spot next to Marcus, who made enough room on the bench for me. On the table was a small banquet of meats, bread and fruits. Unique kinds of jams and jugs of juice filled the table. I helped myself to some toast and a glass of fresh orange juice.

"Where did this all come from?" I asked.

"Naaz." Rhea replied.

"Finally, she has her uses." added Marcus.

"Did you all sleep well last night?" asked Rhea.

Grumbles were coming from Sophia and Marcus. Looks like they didn't have the best night's sleep either.

I remained quiet. I didn't want to tell the others that Rhea and I had a talk that night. I think I'd rather keep that between us.

"So what is the plan then, Rhea?" Marcus asked with a mouth full of food.

"I need to confirm a few things, and then we will have a proper chat about what will happen." she replied.

"Well, something needs to be done, and we could use your help, Ellie." said Sophia.

I could feel everyone's eyes on top of me, but I ignored them and started spreading some strawberry jam onto my toast. It seemed ages since I had anything to eat, my stomach was empty, but with everything going on who could have an appetite after that?

"Did you get any sleep then, Rhea?" asked Marcus.

"Yeah, I didn't see you around last night." Sophia added.

"I had to deal with a few things, plus I sleep little these days." Rhea replied.

"So did you enjoy sleeping on the floor, Marcus?" I asked.

"Wait, were you watching me while I slept?" he asked.

His accusations made me choke on my toast. I coughed and gulped some orange just to dislodge it. I turned to him with flushed cheeks, ready to defend myself.

"I never watched you sleep, and you were snoring." I said.

"Yeah, yeah, don't deny it." he laughed.

The four of us continued the banter back and forth like it was an ordinary day, but it all stopped when Naaz entered the kitchen. Then there was silence. It was as if, for a moment, time had stopped on our little debate. She examined every one of us, but she took her time looking me up and down. I returned her icy glare with one of my own.

"Please continue." she said.

I watched her while she floated around the room. Naaz was beautiful, yet terrifying. She was someone not to mess with. We continued with our breakfast in silence, ignoring her presence.

"How did you all sleep last night?" she asked cheerfully.

No one replied.

"Naaz, we talked about this." Rhea said.

"I am just being polite." the dark-skinned woman replied.

"We need to talk about Idina and her offspring." Rhea told her.

I looked up from my breakfast with interest.

"Yes, that creature has been birthing those disgusting things all over the place, and Barbus is using them as an army." replied Naaz.

With just hearing Barbus's name, made a chill run up my spine.

"If she dies, no more army for Barbus." Rhea said.

"I don't think we are ready to jump back down there, not what happened last time." Sophia said.

"Quiet, the grown-ups are talking." Naaz said spitefully.

Sophia slammed down her hands on the table hard and walked out.

"Sophia, wait." Rhea rushed after her.

A cruel smile appeared on Naaz's lips.

There were just three of us in the kitchen now, and it felt awkward. Marcus continued to attack his breakfast while I swallowed the last piece of toast along with the last mouthful of orange juice while avoiding her stare.

"Is there something going on I don't know about?" Naaz asked.

Oh god, she will say something horrible. I prepared myself for her oncoming insults.

"Are you two a couple?" she finally asked.

Marcus and I just looked at each other, and I could feel my cheeks flushing with colour. "No, we're not." said Marcus.

"What a shame. I could take him off your hands." she said seductively.

Marcus snapped up from the dinner table and gave Naaz an evil look. "I will be no one's plaything." he said through gritted teeth. He stomped out of the kitchen, leaving me with her.

The encounter with Idina must have a lasting impact on him, and I didn't know that it bothered him that much. Now I was the only one left with Naaz.

"Do you enjoy pissing people off?" I asked after summing up the courage.

Naaz disappeared from my sight and re-apapered right by my side. She snatched at my throat and lifted me up out of my seat. Her grip was tight, and I remained still.

"I had a Siren once, pretty thing she was. Maybe you could work for me?" she asked.

"Let me go." I tried to say.

"Or I could just end it all for you. Would you like that? You would never have to watch your back again. You could be free." she then brought me closer and whispered into my ear. "I could end you right now."

"Try it." I replied.

A deep fire took root behind Naaz's eyes and she was about to unleash it on me. She could have easily killed me if I stepped out of line, and I think I just said screw the line.

Her grip tightened around my throat as I fought against her strength. She smiled a sick, twisted smile as she increased her hold. Something inside me snapped. I was tired of being the weak, timid kitten. I used all the hatred I harboured deep down inside and roared. Naaz lost her grip, and I threw her across the room, smashing into the kitchen wall.

I stood my ground. No way was I just going to stand there and let her hurt me again. Naaz picked herself up with a smile on her black lips. With one raised hand, the large wooden breakfast table took flight towards me. (Shit). My brain quickly tried to find an answer to the problem that came flying towards me. I screamed at the table, making it explode into tiny splinters. From the table, food and fragments showered the surrounding room around. Naaz rushed through the chaos and headed straight for me. I didn't have time to think, and I paid for it. The air around me felt hot and exploded. I quickly made a dive for the floor, narrowly missing the blast by inches.

"What the hell is going on!?" demanded Rhea.

I stood up and looked around; the kitchen was a disaster. Many scorch marks stained the white walls, and the doorway was blown wide open, scattering debris all around us.

"Are you trying to kill her!?" Rhea yelled.

"No, I wouldn't call it that, it's just sparing." she replied.

Rhea rushed towards me and made sure I wasn't hurt.

"I'm all right." I said as I picked myself up.

Naaz brushed herself off and walked towards me. "You've got some power, little Siren. Be careful who you use it on." Naaz said as she left the kitchen.

"Wow, Ellie. You just took on a Demi-god and survived." Marcus said.

I felt a rush of heat rush to my cheeks. But I knew Naaz had only wanted to test my powers, to see if I could hold my own.

After the kitchen fight, I tried to keep my head down and avoid Naaz as best I could. I didn't want another fight. I don't think the building could take another beating. The group took up residence in the living room, but I decided not to follow them. I wanted to check out the place.

"Ellie?" Rhea called.

Oh, crap. I turned and faced her like a child was about to be caught doing something naughty.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I wanted to look around, I mean look at this place, it's like something out of a child's storybook." I answered.

"Fine, but if you see Naaz, keep on walking." she said, "and touch nothing."

I agreed to her terms and went off to explore the unknown of Naaz's home. I climbed the dust-covered stairs to the top and carried on forward, where I saw Naaz at the end of the hall for a brief second.

I was about to call out her name, but Rhea's words came into my mind at the worst time. I thought about going back down to the group, but I wanted to follow Naaz. It was like as if she was beckoning me to follow her. My instincts screamed at me to never go near that woman again, but something inside spurred me on. I chased after her through the hallway, passing me by one by one were portraits of unknown people. Within the frame, sizeable scratch marks had ripped right through the delicate paintings. Who would do this? Finally continuing, I came to a glass door leading to the outside.

The door had many stained coloured pictures into the glass. Depicted onto it was a sea of bright red with a darkened figure at the top leading them against something else, but the glass had broken, cutting off how the story ends. I ignored it and pushed through the stained glass doors where it leads me out into another dead garden. Brown was the dominant colour of the long-deceased garden. As I walked down the stone stairs to get a look at the once majestic garden, something struck the side of the stairs, blasting smoke and rocks up into the air. I slipped on the last step and landed on my back.

"Slippery little thing aren't you?" Naaz commented.

I carefully picked myself up and saw Naaz standing in her now long dead jungle.

"What is wrong with you? Why are you trying to kill me all the time?" I asked.

"You mistake me, little one. I'm trying to teach you." Naaz replied.

"You call that teaching!" I said, pointing to the destroyed steps.

"If I am to help you, I want to make sure you know of your full abilities."

Naaz raised her arm, and I quickly dived across the garden, taking refuge behind a vast stone fountain that held mossy green water.

"You cannot hide all your life, Ellie!" Naaz yelled.

She's right. I can't hide from all my problems, all my life. Naaz struck the fountain again and again, tempting me to move. I quickly threw myself around the beaten up fountain and screamed, tearing up the concrete floor as my cry barrelled through the air. I had surprised her, sending Naaz rolling up into the air and finally falling into a long-dead flower bed.

"Sorry!" I yelled while trying to suppress a giggle.

Within a blink of an eye, she was back up on her feet as if nothing has happened. She stared at me and smiled her frightening grin.

"How was that?" I asked sarcastically.

"Good, but I want you to do more." she said.

More? What more could I do?

"I told you I had a Siren, yes?" she asked.

"Yeah, you did, when you were trying to strangle me!" I replied.

Naaz gave me a sly smile and ignored the comment. "Well, she used to do things for me. The little Siren would use her powers and lure many people here that we used."

I didn't want to hear her talk anymore.

"That's enough. I don't want to know." I said.

"Fine with me, but Siren's can influence without even touching, and that my dear is what I want you to do."

"But I've done nothing like that before. How do I do it?" I asked.

"Close your eyes and concentrate." she asked.

I did as she said and closed my eyes. Did she want me to do anything else? I felt stupid, standing with my eyes shut tight.

"Naaz?" I called out, but she didn't answer.

Should I open them?

"Let go, what are you do-." said a voice. "Ellie?"

I opened my eyes up to see Marcus standing next to Naaz.

"What are we doing out here?" he asked.

"Training." replied Naaz. "Now, make Marcus fall in love with you while you are over there."

"What!?" Marcus yelled.

"I'm not doing that!" I said.

"You need to, you might need it one day." she replied.

"It could go wrong and I don't want to hurt him."

"Look, she said she's not doing it now can I go back inside." he said.

Naaz gripped his arm as he walked off. "Don't you want to help Ellie?" she asks him.

Marcus said nothing. He looked at Naaz and then at me. "Fine." he agreed.

"Good." smiled Naaz.

"But what if it goes wrong and-." she cut me off.

"It won't, now close your eyes and try to call upon that power you have inside you."

I closed my eyes again and tried to call upon any power that I had. Something pierced through the darkness of my mind and a figure of a man came towards me.

"Command him!" Naaz forced.

It was Marcus, and something wasn't right with him. His eyes adopted a glassy stare, and I didn't like what I was seeing, I didn't enjoy seeing him like that. I wanted the image gone from my mind and quickly opened my eyes. Marcus was now standing an arm's length from me with the same stare I pictured in my mind.

"Mistress?" he said nonchalantly.

He swayed on the spot, waiting for his commands.

"Turn him back, Naaz." I begged.

She nodded and placed a hand on his chest. Within a few minutes, he blinked and returned to normal.

"I'm so sorry, Marcus." I said.

"It's OK. I did it for you." He said as he rubbed his forehead.

"Are you sure you're all right?" I asked.

"Just a little headache that's all." he replied.

"I'm very impressed, Ellie." said Naaz, "Normally it takes a while before a Siren can master it, but you did it straight away."

"Thanks." I mumbled to her.

Naaz disappeared back into the building, leaving Marcus and I alone.

"I'm sorry I did that to you." I said.

"I'm a little in awe and scared of what you can do. When I was under it felt like something trapped me, my body was moving but I couldn't stop it." he said.

"That's horrible." I said.

"Yeah." he replied.

"I'm going back inside now." I mumbled.

"Come on. I'll walk you back." Marcus said.

# Chapter Eight

That afternoon we remained in the living room with the warm glow of the fire. The four of us remained silent as we sat. We were all lost. I couldn't find a way out of this mess and everyone was looking to me because I was the 'golden child'. Rhea was silent and not her usual self. She had her nose in that book she brought along with her. I picked myself up from the floor and went over to her, whose eyes were rapidly scanning each of the pages.

"What are you reading?" I asked her.

Rhea quickly snapped the book shut. "An ancient story." she replied.

"I've seen that book before. You were reading it at your house." I said.

"You have quite the memory, Ellie. This is a unique book."

"What so special about it?" I sat down at her knee like a little child hoping for a bedtime story.

"This book has no words." she said.

It confused me, no words? "If it has no words, then how do you read it?" I confusedly asked.

Rhea gave a little giggle. "It has no words, but it is a very particular book none the less. It lets you speak to very important people." Rhea gently stroked the book as if a loveable pet.

"Would I be able to talk to them?" whoever they are.

"Sorry, Ellie. It would destroy your mind. But hopefully, in time, I can teach you."

"How?" I asked.

"Touch the book." Rhea passed the battered tome towards me and I could feel the power flowing through my body, quickening my heartbeat. It was something I had never felt before, not even when I touch Rhea for the first time. It made my entire body shiver with power. My energy seemed to feed on it and I wanted more, but I quickly gave it back to Rhea.

"Did you feel it?" she asked.

"I've never felt that kind of power before." I replied.

"Few people can stand its power, but this is what will end it all, Ellie."

"A book?" I asked doubtfully.

"Yes." Rhea replied.

The book she caressed in her lap didn't look much, but whatever it was harnessed substantial power. "You think this book could stop everything that is happening?" I asked.

"Yes, I'm sure of it." Rhea replied.

Was I about to put all of my faith in a book? If Rhea held so much faith in one book, then maybe I should too, but lately my trust in her was fading away, but I had no choice but to believe her.

"Rhea, will Naaz help us?" I asked.

"I hope so, but she has held onto a lot of anger." Rhea then let out a sigh.

"Well, I hate to say it, but she is powerful and we may need her." I said.

"I'm surprised to hear you say that, Ellie. Since she has attacked you twice." said Rhea.

"I think that's why we need her because she's dangerous. She can get things done."

"Hopefully, she will help us." Rhea said.

"Yes, but will she need more convincing?"

"No, she doesn't, but when it all comes down to it I hope she stands with us."

"You'd think she'd betray us, even though she's your friend?" I asked.

"Well, friend is a bit of a stretch, but whatever we had between us, I hope that she still feels something for what we once had." Rhea said.

There was an odd silence between us. Something I couldn't put my finger on. Was Rhea's judgement being clouded by Naaz. Since coming here, she was not herself.

Naaz then floated into the warm, cosy room and eyed us. She then stopped at Rhea and jerked her head towards the door. Rhea agreed and walked out of the chamber with her. Sophia and I gave each other a 'what's-going-on-look.'

There was silence in the room. Marcus had sat in the window again, watching the rain splatter on the rooftops. He seemed hypnotised by it all. Sophia took a seat next to the glowing fire, and I took an empty spot on the rug beside her. We both sat and stared into the spitting furnace. As I continued to stare, the flames seemed to dance endlessly inside the fireplace. Its amber glow captivated us.

A few minutes passed in pure silence, waiting for Rhea's return.

She came back into the room and ushered us to follow her. The three of us walked out of the warm room and out into the bitter coldness that was the gloomy hall. Naaz stood firmly in the middle of her cold, dusty home. Her eyes locked onto mine as I walked closer. (Oh god, what is she thinking now?)

"We need to act now. The leeches are running around killing innocent civilians and they will expose us if they continue." Naaz's voice was frosty.

"What can we do, we couldn't even get close to her last time?" Marcus spoke.

"True, but you didn't have this." Naaz pulled out a glass orb that swirled with a bright light in her hand. The radiant rays escaped the ball and headed straight into my chest. My body ebbed with a warm feeling, and soon it spread throughout, tingling my fingers and toes.

"What's that?" asked Sophia.

"We call this a wisp." Naaz replied.

"How did you get this?" Rhea was in awe.

My head became fuzzy and heavy, the tingling sensation continued to spread, and I felt fluffy-headed. It wasn't a horrible feeling. I felt calm, self-confident and slowly I could feel my body rising off the ground, or what it felt like it.

"It's just a glass orb, it doesn't look like much." said Marcus.

Were they not seeing what I was seeing? The bright orb seemed to glow with a rhythm, like a heartbeat. Was this thing alive?

"It's part of her." Naaz pointed at me and the group turned towards me and their faces lit up.

"Ellie, you're glowing!" Sophia cried.

"What?" I looked down at my hands. They were right. I was glowing as if someone had flipped a light switch on inside me.

Naaz took a step forward and placed the glass orb into my hand. As soon as my fingers touched the thick glass, a fierce wind gathered around me, throwing my hair up into the calm storm. Everyone took a step back, hoping to avoid the power I commanded. The orb in my hands warmed my entire body, fuelling me with an energy I had never felt before. Not even Rhea's book felt like this. As I squeezed the orb tightly, more power flowed up through my hands. The wind then died around me and I was in amazement.

"What the hell was that?" I asked.

"That orb you hold in your hands is part of you, part of your history." Naaz explained. "It's made with Siren magic, their blood."

"What!?" the room erupted into gasps.

"Blood?" This thing I held in my hand was made from Siren blood?

"Yes, Siren magic is powerful, you're handy creatures when you want to be." Naaz explained.

I gave Naaz a disgruntled look and stared down at the orb.

As I tightly gripped the glass object, the warm power swirled around my fingers, until a friendly wave pulsed around the room, engulfing us in its gentle glow, giving everyone's skin a bright shine.

"Did everyone feel that just now?" Marcus asked.

"I haven't felt like that in years." Rhea said.

"Yeah, it was like a warm hug. Was that you, Ellie?" Sophia asked.

I shrugged at the question.

"So will this help?" I asked.

"It will. You will use it to fight off the darkness and keep away those foul leeches." Rhea replied.

"We need to go back in the sewers." Naaz said.

"Are you nuts? We almost died in there. Ellie almost didn't make it." Marcus said.

"Marcus is right, Naaz. It's too dangerous to go in there." agreed Rhea.

"It's on council orders. You know their word is law." Naaz answered.

"The council?" Sophia asked. "That's bad."

"Why?" I asked.

"If the council says to do something, you do it." Marcus sighed.

"Really?"

"Yep." he replied.

"We need to finish this then." I said.

"Are you sure?" Marcus asked.

"I always thought we'd have to go back in sooner than later, and I just want it over and done with." I replied.

"OK." Sophia added.

"The council knows about your little Siren, Rhea. They are not happy that you deceived them." Naaz's sharp words struck hard with her.

"What have you done?! You told them about Ellie?" Rhea's voice was rough and angry.

"Do you think I did this on purpose? They feel you are not fit to conduct this mission. And word about the attack on the bunker has spread." Naaz answered.

"So they asked you?!" Rhea asked.

"I'm the only one who can finish this. You had your chance. After we do this, they want to see you."

Rhea paused. "You have deliberately manipulated the situation for your selfish needs!"

"You are still too inexperienced. I will take over and after all of this is finished, the council wants to meet the Siren." Naaz looked in my direction.

"Rhea?" I looked to her for answers.

"We will sort everything out when we get back, don't worry." Rhea assured me.

"Well, are we ready?" Naaz asked.

"What, now?"

"It's a perfect time, they won't see it coming." Naaz said.

"As much as I hate to agree with Naaz, she's right. It's the perfect time." Marcus agreed with her.

"Ellie, we have no choice." Sophia sadly said.

I nodded to them. That was the last place I wanted to go. I hated that place along with the creatures that inhabited the disgusting sewers.

I stood next to Rhea and took a hold of her hand. I stole a glance at her face; covered with worry. I had a feeling that things would not go well for any of us. The group formed a circle, and I was lifted from the ground and thrown to our stomach churning destination.

We arrived in the dead of night while the full moon shined down its white light on us. I expected to land at the same place where we escaped, but this place was new to me. I tried to look through the darkness, but not even the moon's light could penetrate its black aura. Something evil had taken root here, and we all knew what it was. I could almost reach out and touch it.

"This isn't the place." whispered Marcus.

"They've moved around quickly, and we were lucky enough just to learn of this location." Naaz whispered back.

While they whispered back and forth, I felt the wisp in my frigid hand's glow with ebbing light, and its gentle glow warmed my hands in the bitter night. I could feel its soft embrace bring me a minor comfort.

"Rhea!" Sophia pointed towards something in the dark. "Something is moving out there."

We all looked at the spot Sophia pointed to. Something was out there, moving.

Rhea walked towards the darkness and stood there for a few minutes before waving her hand, sending black ash up into the wind.

"We must be close." Rhea said as the ash flowed behind her.

Naaz took off without warning down the hill and into the darkness that was night.

"Shouldn't we stick together?" asked Sophia.

"She will get herself killed." Marcus whispered.

We all followed Naaz down the muddy hill and found a worn out sewer gate. Naaz snatched at the gate and threw it to one side with ease. She was the first to enter the darkness, leaving the rest of us out in the cold.

"Ellie, are you ready?" asked Rhea.

I swallowed a hard lump in my throat and answered, "Yes."

I followed behind Rhea into the tunnel. The memories came flooding back of the creatures and the failed assassination of the snake woman. There was no going back. This time, we had to finish this or we would die or worse, chained up to a wall and left to die.

I can't believe I was down here again. I hope this time it was worth it.

The orb in my hands lit up the bleak, red stained tunnels. All the horrors of the sewers were on display for all to see. Scratch marks covered the walls along with unknown stains. It dotted bloody hand prints all around. What had happened here? I carefully made my way through the massive amount of slime that covered the tunnel floor. Naaz didn't wait for us. She had rushed through the maze of tunnels as if she knew the way.

"Can someone tell her to slow down?" I asked.

"She will get us all killed." whispered Marcus.

Rhea ignored our comments and carried on through the rusty tunnel.

We turned a corner that led deeper into the system of tunnels. We were now ankle deep into the murky water again. My shoes were soaking and I could feel the water slowly filling them.

"No this again, that's two pairs of shoes you owe me now." whispered Sophia.

"Don't worry. I'll buy you any amount of shoes, now get going." Rhea replied.

"Those were good shoes too." I added.

Rhea shushed us and we all stopped. She turned to me and pointed at the glowing orb in my hands.

Now was the time, I held the ball up into the air hoping it would work (come on work). We all had our hopes resting on this one glass paperweight. Marcus took a space next to me and readied his sword. Shuffling noises echoed down the tunnel, and my guess was that there were a few leeches around the corner. Rhea stepped forward and caught their attention. The creature turned to us as they hissed and charged.

"Now, Ellie." yelled Rhea.

As if the orb knew what to do, it pulsed a light around the tunnel. The leeches screamed and scampered away from the light as it burned their skin.

"It's working!" Sophia yelled.

"The light will always banish the darkness." said Rhea.

"Wow, I can't believe it worked." I looked down at the glass orb as its light retreated into its self as if sleeping.

"It's all down to you now, Ellie." Marcus said.

I turned to him with glowing cheeks.

We continued down the dirty tunnels after Naaz. Where the hell was she?

Doubts entered my mind, I tried to get rid of them, but when everyone is counting on you, it's hard not to be filled with dread. I would try to get rid of one, and then another would appear to take its place. My head was just going round in circles and I hated it.

"Do you think we'll fail again?" I asked Marcus.

"I hope not, I don't think we'll get another chance." he replied.

"We have Rhea and Naaz here this time, so I feel a little safe."

"I'm not too sure about her, though, she seems devious to me, look at what she did to you." Marcus said.

Marcus had brought back one of my memories. The pain, that's all I could, and would remember. Her sadistic smile would haunt me forever.

"I know, I know. I hate to say it, but for now, we need her."

"Yeah, I guess you're right, but I'll still observe her for you."

"Thanks." I shyly said.

From the corner of my eye, I could feel Marcus's eyes glued to me. What was he looking at?

"Let's just get this over with." I whispered to him.

Loud voices swept through the tunnels. We were getting close. The nerves had kicked in and I tried to calm myself. The orb in my hand could almost feel my nerves and it pulsated its warm glow through my body, energising it.

Rhea listened to the voices and without warning pulled away from the group, leaving the three of us hanging back.

"Rhea?" I whispered.

She held out her hand and stopped us. We stood our ground, and she disappeared around the corner. The voices soon acknowledged Rhea's presence and talked like old friends.

# Chapter Nine

My heart pounded inside my chest, and with being so close to Marcus didn't help either, both of us covered in sweat. Marcus had become tightly wound, he was ready to charge in at any moment. Sophia's face had many mud streaks across her face with sweat beading from her forehead. We were all tired and worn out; I was not cut out for this. I belonged in a world where I was in school dreading about failing my exams, not worrying about monsters trying to kill me.

We all tried to listen in on the conversation, but sadly I could not hear them.

"Should we charge in or something?" I asked nervously.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Rhea can handle it." replied Sophia.

"Maybe we should?" said Marcus.

The voices were getting louder and I think they were arguing about something. I had to do something. I stepped away from the wall and sprinted after Rhea. I tried to ignore Marcus and Sophia calling me back, but I wanted to finish this, no I needed to finish it. I quickly stopped myself when I saw the giant serpent woman again. Her eyes opened with shock and bewilderment.

"So you've finally brought her to me to make up for your past mistakes?" her voice seemed to have a harshness to it.

"This is Ellie." spoke Naaz.

"Yes, the Siren. We've met before." It said.

Rhea quickly put herself in between the creature and I.

Before I could speak or try to. Loud footsteps pounded the floor behind me. Marcus came to my side with his sword raised. The snake woman quickly slithered up to her perch on higher ground.

"Lie's, it's nothing but lies." the creature screamed, "Come to me, my children."

Shrill screams and loud wailing came from every direction and every entrance leeches came flooding in to protect their mother.

"Ellie, now!" shouted Rhea.

I knew what to do. With both hands, I clasped the orb and tried to channel my power. I thought back to when I could burst with energy. I let it grow and fester until I was ready to release it. The heat intensified around me, and I was ready to explode.

Around me, I could hear screams and whizzing noises fly past. Rhea was shouting orders to the others, making sure that they protected me. My body tingled all over until I could not stand it anymore. I opened my eyes and let out a wave of energy. It travelled away from the orb, making its way to each of the leeches, blackening their skin before finally turning them into ash on the spot. Some of them tried to escape, but the white wave consumed them in seconds.

"No! My babies!" screamed Idina.

The snake woman tried to make her escape, but Naaz lifted her arm and darkness snaked from her fingertips. The black energy found its target and slashed at Idina's bare flesh many times, causing her to flail and fall to the floor in pain.

Her skin had deep gashes with crimson blood trickling from the many wounds. She lay on the ground screaming and writhing in agony as Naaz's power repeatedly cut deep into her skin.

"Stop it!" I screamed.

Naaz turned to me. Her face was full of glee. She enjoyed the pain she inflicted.

"She needs to die." Naaz said through gritted teeth.

"Not like this, this is torture." I said.

Naaz dismissed the darkness and turned to me. Idina made her move, quickly sprung towards me. Her steady hand snatched at my throat and lifted me up into the air, leaving me gasping for breath.

"No!" Marcus charged forward but with one flick of her large tail, and it sent him hurtling towards the wall.

Rhea conjured something within her hands, but she stopped when Idina increased her grip onto my throat.

"Let her go!" shouted Rhea.

"Come any closer and I'll snap your pretty pet's neck." It spat.

I gripped onto her firm arm to see if I could influence her. Her skin was dead cold and I could feel my body vibrate with her power. I closed my eyes and tried to go deeper. Her hate for Rhea and Naaz was unimaginable, it was so strong. I could almost feel myself twisting with anger. I delved deeper into her memories. Something was calling to me, asking me to dive into the many memories that lay before me.

I could see into her memories, Idina living a human life with her friends and her sister, a Siren. They were close, and she did everything for her younger sister. I tried to learn more, but something fought against my control, something that she didn't want me to see. Naaz's face appeared inside her mind with her signature sick smile.

"Yes, Siren, look at what your so-called protectors did to an innocent girl."

Idina opened up more of her memories to me and Rhea and Naaz were at the root of it all, all that anger and rage, they were the reason. They had turned her into the monster, that same monster that had a tight grip on my throat. I was then pulled out of the memories and back into the black tunnels with Idina still gripping my throat tight. Her eyes were cold, lacking any sympathy.

"You see, Siren. That's what they are. They are the actual monsters. I tried to protect her from them. They used her, and that's what they'll do to you!" she gripped my throat even tighter and I could feel myself slipping away.

I tried to control her, but my strength slowly drained away.

"Let her go!" Rhea ordered.

The creature then paused for a moment. "If I devour your little pet Siren I...." a loud whizzing noise shot towards us and exploded on impact, cutting off her words. Idina lost her grip, and I was thrown away from her. The once mortal girl cried out in pain. Naaz and Rhea stood over her, watching while Idina struggled for her last breaths.

"Just do it. There's nothing else you can do to me!" Idina said.

I picked myself up, and pain stabbed at me. I watched in horror as Rhea and Naaz moved in on their kill. "No!" I shouted, but my words went unheeded.

Naaz stepped forward, and with a swift motion of her hand, Idina was dead. Blood seeped from her dying corpse and onto the ground.

I had seen what they had done to her, and they were the monsters, not her. Idina was just trying to protect her sister and got turned into a monster because of it. I remained on the cold floor, trying to come to terms with everything I had just witnessed.

"Let's go." ordered Naaz.

Rage fuelled me. The orb I reclaimed in my hand became hotter, and I gripped it tightly until it burned. She doesn't even care, neither did Rhea. Without saying a word to anyone, we found our way back through the tunnels. There was no joy to be had from this. Even if the threat had gone from my life, I would always remember. There we no leeches left to hinder our escape. Had I done the right thing? Were we the bad guys? I tried to ignore the nagging questions and continued up with the group, back up to the surface, my rage still bubbling away until I felt I could explode.

Fresh air hit me like, and I welcomed it. I took a deep breath to calm myself, but it didn't work. My mind bouncing with questions I needed answers to. I needed to say something.

"So that was your dark past you were talking about?" I asked.

Everyone stopped and looked at me.

"Yes, Ellie. I am not proud of it." replied Rhea.

"But she is!" I pointed at Naaz.

Naaz replied with a sickly smile.

"Why did you do that to an innocent girl, she was just trying to save her sister?"

"What?!" Marcus looked confused.

"Rhea?" Sophia asked confusedly.

"I saw her memories, she was just an innocent, scared girl!" my voice grew hoarse.

"She was far from innocent as you say, she was going to the council about my Siren." Naaz said.

"So that's it? You feared your toys being taken away. You disgust me!" I yelled.

My anger seemed to guide my words, as I threw anything that came to mind from my mouth.

"Watch your words, child." she warned.

"Or what you'll try to kill me again?"

"Try! If you want to die, just say the word?"

"Naaz, you touch her and you'll have me to deal with!" Rhea said.

"Uh Ellie, the orb, it's getting brighter." Marcus said.

I looked down at the glowing ball. It was glowing an angry red and I could feel the heat growing stronger from it, but my anger blocked it out.

"Ellie, please understand, that's not who I am anymore." She tried to calm down the situation.

"She's changed now, Ellie. She's good now." Sophia said.

My anger was now redirected. "What would you know, you just follow whatever she says, for all I know you could have been by her side when she did it!"

"That's lies and you know it is, she has changed and I know she feels guilty!"

"You're a liar!" I yelled.

"Ellie, that's enough!" Marcus said.

"You can shut it, always following Ellie like a lovesick puppy, you make me sick!" it now caught Sophia up in my anger.

"Now that's enough!" Rhea asked for peace, but she wasn't getting it.

"This is your fault. You dragged me into this. I didn't ask for any of this crap!"

"I saved you from those leeches and you were in danger and still are." she said.

"I bet you sent those leeches after me, so you could save the day!" I said.

"Lies, I saved you." Rhea replied.

"So you keep saying, but I bet you just wanted a Siren all for yourself, is that what I am to you people, a prize to be won?" I yelled.

"Prize! You exalt yourself, don't you?" Naaz added.

"Now that's enough!" Rhea yelled.

I could trust no one anymore. They were all against me. Using me for their selfish needs. The orb in my hands burned with heat, and my hatred was feeding the orb. I screamed in pain and dropped to my knees. The sphere was slowly burning into my flesh.

"Drop it, Ellie!" Rhea called out.

I couldn't it let go. The heat flowed inside my body and made my blood boil. The orb snaked out a wave of power, knocking the others off their feet. The fierce wind returned, and I was in the storm's eye. It trapped me in its swirling vortex while the orb burned into my skin. Horrible voices shrieked at me from the orb, telling me I had killed them. The voices picked up, burrowing into my head. The screams now mimicked each other.

"Stop it, stop it!" I screamed.

The wind grew faster around me, and it scared me. "R-rhea!" I tried to shout.

The voice gathered in the air and wailed with their dead voices. The orb grew uncontrollably hot and shattered in my hands, releasing more tortured cries for help. The tiny white orbs of light flew into the air and circled within wind while still crying for help.

Rhea scrambled to her feet. "Ellie!" she screamed.

"It's the Sirens. They've escaped!" Naaz called out.

Rhea brought her hand forward and tried to blast it with her light, but the wailing barrier of Sirens absorbed Rhea's failed attack.

"Protect the Siren, protect her." the words of the souls echoed each other.

The screaming had stopped, but the wind picked up speed, and a blur of white had surrounded me. The bright orbs of light had stopped in mid-air. One at a time they came closer towards me and I tried to bat them away but my hand would go straight through them.

"We have to do something!" Marcus tried to say over the wailing winds.

Each orb passed into my body and I felt the agony and the pain that they felt while living. Each filled with a soul, giving me feelings of doubt, anger, doubt, fear, and sorrow. Their memories blurred into one, and I could not tell between mine and theirs. I could not take the pain anymore. I screamed out and the surrounding wind disappeared. I could feel the souls each fighting for the right to control my body and I was fighting back, but they were slowly winning.

"No! Get out!" I screamed.

The others rushed towards me and I shouted for them to get back. I could not hold it in any longer. Someone was controlling my body. It was like I was watching an unfamiliar person and not myself.

Rhea slowly walked towards me, and I screamed inside for them to run.

"Protect the Siren." the voices cried.

Someone made my hands move and a bright light escaped and knocked Rhea high into the air.

"Rhea!" yelled Sophia.

"Stop it." I screamed inside my head, "Leave her alone."

Naaz moved closer, but my possessed boy body was quicker to react. Another bright light came from my hands and exploded. I sent Naaz spiralling through the air and landed hard on her back along with Rhea.

"Stop it, Ellie!" shouted Marcus.

My head turned into the direction of Sophia and Marcus, and they showed genuine fear across their faces. They stood together, hoping to stand their ground against me.

"Bow before us." the voices said.

"Stop this!" Sophia yelled.

"If you do not bow, then you will join them." The words came out of my mouth, but they were not mine.

Sophia quickly put up her barrier, protecting Marcus and herself. My body roared at them, sending a continuous barrage of energy towards them. The scream forced them back as the wail became stronger, finally cracking Sophia's protective shield. Something inside me laughed as I watched her struggle against my power. I could see Sophia battle against the tide, but I was powerless to do anything but watch. Within seconds her barrier soon shattered around her, leaving Sophia and Marcus defenceless. She stood there with her face full of horror. Marcus quickly placed himself in front of Sophia, barring my path.

"No, not them!" I screamed. I fought for control, for my body, but they weren't letting go. Each of the sirens wanted a turn at my body like I was a brand new toy for them to play with. I fought against each of them and I could feel their influence disappearing. Sophia took her chance and ran towards Rhea along with Marcus.

I screamed, and the ground cracked around me. My body trembled from the force of the scream. I kept ongoing and I could feel their grip fading away. My vision had grown darker and my head felt heavy, but I had to keep screaming. One at a time the souls drifted away from my body, I had won and as I inhaled deeply; I had finally had control of my body. The scream had drained me of all of my strength and I could feel my body falling to the floor.

# Chapter Ten

Dense fog had surrounded me. Did the other leave me here? My body didn't feel right, even after I fought for control of it, it just didn't feel like it belonged to me. Soft voices echoed around me. It was a pleasant change from the other voices that screamed at me. Still laying on the ground floor, I picked myself up with difficulty. All of my muscles ached with pain. I was devoid of strength.

"Am I dead?" I blurted out.

But this doesn't look like heaven or anyone's concept of it, the just heavy dense fog that hung low like a thick blanket. There were no pearly gates, no fluffy clouds or anyone to show you where you will stay for the rest of your undead life. I walked about, looking for anything that was worth noticing.

"Hello!" I called out nervously.

Something appeared in front of me that made me jump back. The surrounding fog gathered, and I watched in awe as something took shape, it seemed to be of a human and it was slowly coming together piece by piece.

I took a few steps back, not knowing if it was a friend or foe. The white fog ended with a glittering glow, and out stepped a tall man. He was half naked from the waist up. His athletic body showcased how muscular his arms and chest were. He looked like he could take on a thousand men. His piercing hazel eyes watched me as I took him in. He strolled towards me and I felt like running it the opposite direction.

"Hello." he said. His voice, soft. Nothing except what I thought it would be.

"Uh, hello." I said nervously, "Am I dead? Are you here to take me away?"

The tall bald man laughed to himself. "No, dear Siren. I just want to talk."

"Jeez, why does everyone kidnap me and want to talk, I'm sick of it?"

"I didn't kidnap you, and you brought yourself here."

"Wait, I brought myself here?" I asked, confused.

He nodded.

"Well, that's something new." I mumbled.

"I want to talk about Rhea and Naaz. Do you think you should be with them?"

"Why, what's it to you?" I am sick of people telling me what to do.

"That's quite the attitude you've got there." he said.

"Sorry, it's been a rough couple of days." I replied.

"I can see that." the tall man replied.

"What do you mean? Have you been watching me?"

"I am just an observer, nothing more." he answered.

"So you have been watching me?" I asked again.

He said nothing. I just watched him as he just stood there. What the hell was he?

"Ellie?" he said.

"Yeah, hold on, I'm thinking." I replied.

"About what?" he asked.

"Things." I answered.

"There are people out there who want you to succeed and some want you to fail. I'm just here telling you your options."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, there are people out there who want you dead, and some think being with them two won't end well."

"I make my decisions and I felt safe with Rhea, not so much with Naaz though." I said.

"There is still darkness inside that one, watch what you do around her."

"Who, Naaz?" I asked.

"No, Rhea. She might say she is a cleansed person, but she hides a wicked secret that still haunts her to this very day."

"Are you talking about Idina?" I asked.

"No, there is something far worse things she hides, and it has taken hold of her." he said.

"She would never hurt me. Rhea protects me." I told him.

"There will come a time when no one can help you."

His words shook me. I would never be alone again. "Is that a threat?"

"No, just a warning." he replied.

It was my turn to ask questions.

"What are you? Why am I here? And who the hell wants me to succeed, succeed at what?"

The hazel-eyed man laughed, and his strong shoulders shook up and down. "Well, I am an observer, I am neither good nor evil, and second, you are in the nether. A place between worlds and finally, the people who want you to succeed are unknown to me, sadly."

"Well, that was a mouthful, thanks. At least you were honest with me, unlike some people they just skate around the facts." I said.

"You are playing a dangerous game, Ellie. Think of who you are creating ties with, be careful. Some people want you to be safe, including one particular person." his voice softly said.

My heart skipped a beat. "Kate?!" I asked with tears forming in my eyes.

He didn't reply, but I knew it could be her. "Be careful." he stood back away from me and something expanded from his back up into the air. Two large grey wings were thrown up into the air, ready to soar into the grey fog. He gave me a quick smile and shot off into the unknown. Before I could think of how to get back, I fell through the air and back down to my body.

I opened my eyes to see bodies bent over me.

"She's awake." said a familiar voice.

"Let her have some space." another said.

Their face's moved from my view and the bright new sun showered its blinding light upon me. I laid there for a moment just staring at the sky, stunned at what I just saw up there. Or was it down below? Whatever he was, I didn't know whether to trust him. The group of people who I could trust was getting smaller and smaller.

I sat up and I felt like a house had fallen on top of me; I felt like crap, worse than that crap. Many hands offered me their help, but I ignored them and got to my feet myself. My legs wobbled underneath me, but I held my ground.

We were still by the sewer where we escaped from. They hadn't moved me. They probably didn't want to touch me.

"Are you OK?" Sophia asked.

I looked around to see the others had worried looks on their faces, all except Naaz, her face frozen with scorn.

"It may still possess her." said Naaz.

"Knock it off, Naaz. You're just pissed 'cos Ellie knocked you down." Marcus said.

Naaz gave him a frightening look and turned her back on us.

"Yeah, I'm OK. I'm sorry I said those horrible things before." My throat felt tight and sore.

"We all said horrible things to each other, it wasn't us, it was that orb." Sophia said.

I looked down at my hands, and the burnt flesh was healed.

The others agreed with her. "What happened?" I asked.

Rhea took a deep breath and explained. "Well, Ellie. Your emotions connected with the wisp and it started a chain reaction. It made everyone feel angry because they were, in fact, feeling your emotions."

"How?" I asked.

"Well, it was the orb. It intensified your anger and the orb could not handle that power, so it overloaded, making it shatter." Rhea said.

"So those things inside were-." They cut Sophia off.

"Those, my dear, were dead Siren souls." Naaz interrupted.

I knew what she said was true when they were inside I could feel each and everyone's pain and torment that they felt in life. Their strong will nearly took over my body.

"It felt horrible, and I thought I would go mad with anger." I said.

"Well, it's over now." Marcus said.

"But what I want to know is why were they protecting Ellie?" Sophia asked with a puzzled look on her face.

"They thought we were a threat." Naaz explained, "Especially Rhea and I."

"Why did they believe that you would harm me?" I asked them.

Rhea was about to answer, but Naaz gripped onto her hand hard and spoke for her. "I don't know, but it worries me." she replied.

I noticed the silent words that Rhea and Naaz exchanged with just a look. What are they not telling me? I want answers.

"Let's get back before something else happens." advised Marcus.

We all agreed and grabbed onto Rhea and Naaz's hands. The same feeling came over me and my stomach knotted inside. Shapes and colours flashed passed my face as we headed back to Naaz's dark home.

We landed in the cold hall with the others. I was too tired to talk, so I abandoned them at the hallway and I made my way into the glowing cosy living room. I found my comfy sofa and got comfortable. I didn't want to talk to anyone, not with everything that had happened. How could they ever treat me the same again after what I had done? If I were them, I wouldn't even go near me again. But that wasn't me, and I would never intend to hurt them. But did they know that? The fear I saw in Sophia's eyes, I will never forget as long as I live and I wished never to witness it ever again.

The words of the hazel-eyed angel echoed inside me. I would have to be careful around the others. I don't want to end up on my own again, not like last time. His warning about Rhea threw me off. I trusted her the most, but he's right, there is darkness inside her, and sometimes there are brief moments when I can see it. I don't want to be here when she finally gives in to it.

# Chapter Eleven

I woke up to chattering voices coming from outside the door. The voices were of those that I knew. I quietly made my way towards the door to have a peek. The group was all huddled around one other, talking in hushed tones. I pulled the door open to have a better listen.

"I'm getting worried about her powers." Sophia said.

"I know what you mean, she's growing stronger every day, and no one would have been able to come back from that." Rhea agreed.

"Multiple spirits possessed her all at once, and she comes out unharmed? I don't know even if I could come back from that." Naaz said.

"Can we stop talking about Ellie like she's a danger to us, she's not." Marcus said.

My heart skipped a beat when I heard Marcus trying to defend me, but it scared me. Why would I need defending, am I lost cause, an evil villain to be disposed of?

"I know what you are saying, Marcus. I would never abandon her, no matter what happens." Rhea explained, "But her powers are growing too fast, and she might not handle them."

"I would never leave her." Marcus added.

"We all know that." commented Naaz.

"No one is leaving anyone." Rhea said.

"What do you think the council will do to her?" Sophia asked.

"I don't know. We haven't had a Siren out in the open for a long time." Rhea replied.

"I won't let them take her away!" Marcus harshly said.

"Keep your voice down. No one will take her and I will make sure they don't get a chance."

"You're keen on her, aren't you?" asked Naaz.

Marcus remained quiet.

The four of them stood in silence, and I joined them. I opened the door and pretended to rub the sleep out of my eyes. They saw me and greeted me with fake smiles.

"You're awake?" Rhea said.

"Yeah, I just needed some rest." I answered.

Rhea rushed towards me and pulled me into a tight embrace. I felt so safe in her arms, and I could feel all my troubles falling away, but the angel's words appeared into my head at the worse time. She has darkness inside her. I tried to wash the tainted words from my mind.

Marcus stepped forward and greeted me with one of his smiles.

"I'm glad you're safe." he softly said.

"Thanks." I replied.

Naaz cleared her throat to interrupt us. "There is a matter of the Siren souls."

I stared at Naaz, confused. "What, those white things?"

"Yes, since you released them. They will look for new hosts." replied Naaz.

"And I guess that's not good." I asked.

"No, not really, Ellie. They are full of hate and they can hurt people."

"Wait, hold on." I held up my hands and stopped everyone, "you mean they are out there on the loose?"

"Well, yes, and you freed them." Naaz said.

"But why were they in there? It's not as they volunteered for it. When they were inside me, I could feel their lust for life. They died an unnatural death, and there were a lot of mixed emotions coming from them."

Rhea looked uncomfortable with the question I posed to her. "Well?" I waited for their answer.

Naaz stepped forward and shared the answer. "They hunted down and killed those Sirens for their souls." she said nonchalantly.

"Did you know about this?" I asked while trying to remain calm.

I didn't need an answer from Rhea. It was written across her face.

"And I used that thing, without knowing. I'm just as bad as the person who made it." I could feel my voice breaking.

Then something rushed into my mind and I felt sick. "Did you make it?" I asked Naaz.

Naaz smiled her signature sick grin. "It's something I would do, but I didn't. It was a gift from an admirer." she said.

"You're lying!" I yelled.

"That's enough!" Rhea called out.

I felt the rage bubble inside me and I tried to calm it.

Marcus stepped in between us. "It's getting late, and we have been through enough today, and we have an interminable day ahead of us tomorrow, so let's get some rest."

"Sounds like a wonderful idea to me." said Sophia.

I didn't want to talk anymore; I just walked back to the room with a sick feeling in my stomach.

I tried to sleep, but my mind was in overdrive. I kept on replying events around and around inside my head and I couldn't take it anymore. Everything was so messed up. I got off the sofa, and I noticed that Sophia was sitting close to the fire, staring at the flames. Sophia was unknown to her surroundings, and I didn't want to intrude on her. I quietly tried to make my way out of the room.

"You can stay." Sophia's child-like voice said.

I jumped when she spoke.

"I don't want to interrupt you or anything." I whispered.

"No, it's OK, I was just thinking." she replied.

I took a seat next to her on the thin, threadbare carpet. The heat of the fire felt good against my icy skin. Sophia was silent, but I could tell she wanted to talk about something.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked.

"You can tell?" she said.

"Well, it's not that hard when you got that look on your face."

"It's just everything is just getting out of hand." she said.

"I know what you mean, and it's getting hard, but we have to push through." I replied.

"I don't know why I have a hard time, it's you who's in the middle of it all." Sophia said.

"I sometimes have days when I just want to say, to hell with it, but I don't because I know I'll never see you or Rhea again." I tried to give Sophia a supporting smile. These words I spoke to Sophia, I didn't know whether I believed them, but something inside me screamed for me to keep going, never looking back. But could I do that?

"What about Marcus?" she asked.

"What about him?" I tried to ask nonchalantly.

"Would you miss him?" she asked.

I tried to find the words, but my brain failed me.

"I see the looks you give him." Sophia commented.

"No, I don't." I replied.

"He's interested in you."

"Well, it's his job, he has to be interested."

"But some looks he's given you." Sophia fanned herself.

My cheeks flared. "Really?"

"Ha, so you like him then?" she said with a giggle.

"Yeah, he's OK, but I don't think nothing will come of it, I mean look at what we are dealing with?"

Behind us, Marcus gave a little snore and Sophia and I started giggling like two schoolgirls.

"That's why you're much stronger than I am, Ellie."

"No, not really, I'm just trying to deal like everyone else. We all have our ways of coping with things." I said.

"Yeah, I'm just hoping that the council will help us." Sophia brought her knees up to her chest and hugged herself.

"I am nervous about it. Do you know what they are like?" I asked.

"Everyone has their view on them. I have had no dealings with them and hoped not to either." Sophia regretted her words as soon as they left her pink lips.

"I'm sorry, it just-." she tried to apologise.

"No, it's OK." I replied.

I felt a chill come over me and I shuffled myself closer to the fire.

There was another odd silence between us.

"Ellie, what happened to your mother?" Her words took me aback, "Rhea has told me a few things but nothing else. I hope I'm not nosey."

I didn't know how to answer her question. No one had ever really asked before. Not even I know what happened to my mother, I was too young at the time but my Dad had said that she had died of illness. I didn't ask questions at the time nor did I want to, we just never talked about it. It was a sore subject, and neither one of us wanted to upset the other. I took a deep breath and answered her.

"She died when I was very young. I don't even remember what she looked like since there are few pictures in the house. I think my Dad just couldn't bear seeing pictures of her, and it was hard for him." My stomach tightly knotted itself and I felt sick. Guilt flooded in like a burst dam. I tried to hold back the tears.

"Don't worry, Ellie. You'll see your Dad again." Sophia saw how upset I was.

"Yeah, I hope." I whispered. "I just miss him so much, but what I'm doing is right for him. Otherwise I would put him in danger." those words I spoke repeatedly comforted. Was I doing the right thing?

"So what do you think of Naaz?" Sophia quickly threw the question at me.

"Well, I know that you hate her." I said.

"With excellent reason!" Sophia replied, "look at what she did to you."

"I know, but there's something about her, but I can't put my finger on it."

"That she's evil, that's what."

"Well there is that, but it's something about her that just feels wrong."

"I think we should stay away from her." Sophia said.

"You don't like it because she is an old friend of Rhea's." I said.

"That's not it." she quickly said.

I just stared at her with two raised eyebrows.

"Fine. But there is something about her, though." Sophia said.

"Agreed, but for now, we are under her roof and I don't want to do anything that could upset her right now." I looked at the surrounding room, and I could hardly call this a stable living area, but for now it would do. It was better than living in a black pit for two weeks.

"I think we should call it a night, we've got a big day tomorrow." Sophia stood up and brushed herself down.

"Night." I whispered.

I curled up on the battered brown sofa that had a chunk of stuffing pulled from it. I closed my eyes and hoped sleep would claim me.

# Chapter Twelve

They pulled me from my comfy sofa into a crowd of sewer creatures. I could feel my body being pulled to either side by the disgusting leeches. They wanted revenge, and by ripping me apart, that's the way they would get it. I tried to pull against the horde but they had strength in numbers and I was just one little girl, scared and alone, fighting against the creatures.

"Let go!" I screamed at them.

The tighter they gripped their black talon nails around my arms until scarlet drops trickled down my skin. They then forced me down onto my knees, waiting to face their judgement. The floor then pounded as someone strong approached. It was Barbus, and his long matted inky hair hung around him like rats' tails. He almost smelled as bad as the leeches. They threw me at him and Barbus caught me around the waist and pulled me closer until it hurt.

"I told you I would find you." his voice rang through my ears. "Do you think she can protect you? You are mine!" his voice vibrated throughout my body.

"I am no ones, let me go." I screamed.

"You murdered their mother." Barbus pointed to the group of leeches that lay in waiting. "They want their revenge and they will come for you and your friends."

"It wasn't me. I didn't kill her!" I yelled.

His powerful hands gripped my face until it hurt. "You stood by and did nothing! You are equally guilty!"

"I tried to stop them." I tried to explain myself, but it was no use.

Barbus laughed in my face and I felt hopeless. "I will let my leeches tear apart your friends as you watch."

"I won't let you!" I yelled.

"You don't have a choice. I'll be seeing you soon." Barbus laughed as searing hot pain drove through my chest.

I threw myself on the sofa expecting to take on the leeches, but found myself in the living room with Marcus staring at me.

"Bad dream." I muttered.

"Oh, I've had my share of them." Marcus replied.

I didn't know whether to ask him about Barbus. Did he even know about him?

"Uh, Marcus?" I asked.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"Do you know anyone called Barbus?" I waited for his reply.

"Barbus?" Marcus slowly thought to himself, "Name rings a bell but can't think where I've heard it before."

"Oh, it's OK, never min-."

"Got it!" Marcus blurted out, "that's where I know the name from. He's wanted by the Protectors, nasty piece of work, he's killed many of us. Why do you ask?"

"He's the one that captured me." I replied.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's OK. I'm slowly getting over it."

"Well, he'll get what was coming to him soon." he said.

Marcus then dropped to the floor and began his exercises.

I tried to hide my embarrassment, and it felt even weirder because of what Sophia had said last night. I tried to steal a glance at him while he did his routine stretches and exercises, his muscular body tensed and release as while puffing and pant while he counted.

"Do you do that every day?" I asked him.

"Yep, every day got to keep my body in good shape." he panted.

"You look fine to me." I blurted out and my face flushed with colour. Crap, crap.

Marcus chuckled to himself. "Oh, you noticed, did you?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to stare." I quickly said.

Marcus stopped and picked himself up from his pushups. He pulled his t-shirt off revealing his strong flat stomach.

I twirled around. "Do you do that?" I asked.

"What?" he chuckled "I don't want to get my shirt sweaty do I?"

"Oh yeah, I guess you're right."

"Sorry if I'm embarrassing you." he said.

I cleared my throat. "No, no, you're not."

I left the hot, awkward room, but Marcus followed behind me. As soon as I opened the door, Sophia spun on the spot and greeted us with a shocked expression.

"So what have you two been doing then?" Sophia asked.

"What?" I asked.

"Well, you come out of room all hot and bothered, and Marcus follows with his top off and a sweaty body?" Sophia's eyebrows down suggestively.

"Uh, no, you've got it all wrong." I tried to say, but there was no point.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll keep your secret safe." she winked.

Marcus walked passed me and headed up the stairs. "Off for a shower." He said.

As he ascended the stairs, I glimpsed his strong, wet back. Ink covered his back with grand tattoo unknown words. I tried to get a closer look, but he quickly turned around and I had to drop my gaze.

"There's only cold water left." Sophia reminded him.

"That's fine with me." he said with a wink and disappeared off upstairs.

Sophia turned back to me. "Now tell me all the details."

"There's nothing to say." I mumbled.

"Liar, I saw the two of you coming out of that room, and I'm sure I heard some huffing and puffing in there."

"No, there was nothing like that!" I blurted out.

"Liar." laughed Sophia.

"Oh yeah, did you see the writing on Marcus's back?" I asked.

"No, not really, I wasn't looking. Oh, and I thought you weren't interested?"

"I'm not, it just caught my eye." I replied.

Rhea and Naaz soon interrupted us, entering from the kitchen with faces like stone.

"Ellie, a moment." Rhea called me over to her, and I knew this would be terrible news.

"I want to speak to you about the council." she said.

"Is it bad?" I asked.

"No, it's just about how to approach the council. Don't speak to them unless spoken to. You will probably want to voice your opinion but don't. Address them as either lord or lady if spoken to, and just let others do the talking, OK?"

I took a moment to think it over. I just had to remain quiet until they wanted me to speak. Just by thinking about the council made me very nervous. My stomach knotted tightly, and I thought I would throw up. I took a few deep breaths and tried to steady my nerves.

"Are you OK, Ellie?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm all right." I lied.

Rhea gave me one last look and joined up with Sophia. I just stood there thinking of what the council could do to me. Torture, capture, or even just straight out kill me? I put the last suggestion to the back of my mind and hoped it would never come true.

"Where's Marcus? We need not keep them waiting." asked Naaz.

"He's, uh, in the shower." I said.

"Well, we haven't got all day to wait for him." she said, "Get him."

"But he's in the shower. He'll be out when he's ready." I said nervously.

Naaz stared at me and raised one curious eyebrow. "Good god girl, please tell me you've.."

I quickly interrupted her. "No, I haven't and if I go up there, he'll think I'm stalking him or something."

"Fine, I'll go." Naaz said and hastened up the stairs.

Something inside me didn't want Naaz going anywhere near Marcus, but I didn't know why. Was I starting to fall for him, I didn't have time for that right now.

Naaz was at the top of the stairs but before she could enter, Marcus came out towel drying his hair. I breathed a sigh of relief and blushed just by thinking about him.

Get a grip, girl. We've got more important things to do than to fawn over some guy.

"Right, now that everyone is here, we can get this over and done with." Rhea said.

Like many times before we stood in a circle and I grabbed onto Rhea's hand, Marcus stood next to me and for once I would have like to have held his hand.

Focus Ellie. I told myself again.

We were pulled away from Naaz's home and hurtling towards the unknown. I still couldn't get used to teleport, but at least I didn't throw up anymore.

We arrived at the front of what looked like a vast courthouse. Large stone walls covered around the building with large, intimidating metal gate standing proudly at the front. A large brass knocker had attached itself to the gate that took the shaped of a mocking grin. I turned to Rhea, and she gave me an encouraging smile. The fear inside me built, and I tried to hide it as best as I could.

"Don't worry. It will be OK." Rhea said.

Naaz walked up to the grinning knocker and pounded on it twice. A few seconds later, two sizeable men who looked like protectors appeared in front of us. Rhea acknowledged the two and pointed at me when they spoke. I slowly back away from them, hoping to run if I needed to. The two men looked me up and down, then walked up to me.

"Are you Ellie Laveau?" one man asked.

I swallowed a lump in my throat and tried to answer without fear fumbling my words. "Yes, that's me."

The men nodded at each other and without touching me they herded me through the gates and up towards the imitating building. The court house stood tall with slanted sun damaged roofs. The building's colour was white, but you could tell it had faded. It needed a fresh coat of paint badly. They marched me up the long pathway towards the building, ready for my fate to be determined.

"Rhea?" I called out.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine." she said.

I took Rhea's words to heart, but right now I needed more than just words.

My so-called bodyguards ushered me into the building, and they filled the halls with people with grim faces. They looked like they were waiting for their death, and I hoped to God that would never happen to me. They rushed me passed many doors leading off into the unknown. Decorated on the walls were magnificent paintings by the hand of famous people throughout history. I couldn't quite put a name to their faces, but some of them were a few it shocked even me to see depicted on the walls.

We came to a stop at an ordinary-looking door. I looked around. The area was devoid of people. Was my time up? I turned to both of the protectors.

"Inside." one of them said.

My gut instinct was telling me to run and never to step foot into that room. I tried to back away from it.

"What's in there?" I asked.

"Inside." the protector's voice grew louder.

Well, there's nowhere else to go. I said to myself.

I pushed open the door, expecting the worst. I squeezed my eyes closed, hoping nothing bad would happen. The protectors slammed the door shut, locking me in. I rushed back to the door and started pounding on the sturdy wood.

"Hey! Open the door!" I yelled.

It was no use. I was stuck here until they decided what to do with me. Now only realising. Sitting in the middle of the room was a tall podium that dominated the tiny looking room. Above me, the floor boards warped around the weight of whatever was upstairs. Within seconds, many footsteps filled the chamber and there was the chatter of voices of men and women. My palms sweat and my stomach was in a tuff of knots. I slowly breathed in and out and I tried to clear my busy mind. I needed to get a grip on myself. I would be in big trouble. I just had to remember what Rhea told me. Speak only when spoken to and address them as either lord or lady. Was all this necessary? A light on the wall pulsed red with the words STAND ON PODUIM. I nervously took my place and waited for my fate.

The wooden podium rose into the room above us. The crowd behind me gasped as if they had just witnessed a terrible crime. I looked back behind and I saw sitting on the front row was Rhea and the gang. She didn't wave or smile. She just sat there with such elegance. I turned to the front to be greeted by four prominent judge's boxes. Each one filled with a person wearing a black purple cloak. They looked down at me, each supporting a different mask. I felt like a tiny ant, ready to be squished by their wrath.

# Chapter Thirteen

"This court has come to order." said the voice of a man. He wore a full mask embodied with many crystals and jewels that reflected the light.

"You are Ellie Laveau, is that correct?" a screechy womanly voiced said. I looked up to face her mask. It was white china with a gold motif around the eyes and ruby red lips. It looked so elegant.

Was this the time to speak? Oh crap, oh crap.

"Yes, my lady." I said formally.

"The Siren everyone has been looking for?" another voice pierced the room. My eye caught his mask, and it wasn't like the others. This one was creepy. The dark purple robbed figure wore a baby doll mask with dark cracks around the eyes. I stared at it for a moment and I could feel its cynical eyes penetrate through me.

"Yes, that's me, my lord." I said.

"So, Miss Laveau. Why have you avoided us all this time?" Another voice came into play. This man wore a dirty white mask with a long protruding nose at the front. It had black-rimmed eyes that looked like he wore spectacles.

They all peered down at me, waiting for me to answer them. "I haven't been avoiding you. This is still all new to me. I didn't even know anything about this until recently." I said.

"We have had sources saying that you have been kept from us? Can you tell us more about that?" said the ruby-lipped woman.

I put on a formal tone and tried to defend myself.

"I know nothing of these so-called sources." Deep down we knew it was Naaz who went running to the council to blab everything, and now we were all paying the price. "And I have been in hiding for fear of my life."

The peanut gallery behind me burst into their fake gasps and I tried to suppress an urge to roll my eyes.

"Quiet, quiet!" ordered the scary baby-faced masked man.

"Are these allegations true?" asked the jewelled masked figure. "Have you been on the run for your life?"

"Yes, my lords. I have been attacked in my home by the leeches." As soon as the words left my lips, the crowd behind began their gasps and their idle chatter. I guess the leeches are a sore subject around here. The four judges tried to get the court back into order.

"Do you speak the truth?" asked the longed nose masked man.

"Yes, and they are still after for me." my voice trembled with a hint of fear.

The robe judges whispered amongst each other. Now and then they would stare at me and then return to their whispering. They finished their chatter and turned towards the crowd.

"We do not know of these so-called attacks." the jewelled masked man said.

What! Are these idiots blind, they sent us on that mission to kill Idina.

Something wasn't right. Did they do not know of the leeches?

"We can neither confirm nor deny that there are leeches are roaming around unchecked and all we have is a word of a Siren." the white-masked woman said.

While they talked amongst themselves again, something inside me wanted to spill every detail that I had witnessed. I wanted to hold my tongue, but maybe some information will be useful. I took a deep breath and hoped for the best.

"There seems to be a leader." I raised my voice.

The judges stopped and slowly turned towards me, and I could feel their disapproval.

"Excuse me?" said the baby-faced masked man, "How dare you to speak without authority."

"Calm yourself, the Siren wishes to speak." said the jewelled masked man. "Please continue."

I took another deep breath. "Someone is commanding the leeches, giving them orders. They abducted me, and the person's behind it all is Barbus."

More shocks and gasps came from behind me, and even the judges were taken aback.

"Is this true?!" the longed nosed man's voice bellowed throughout the courtroom.

"That so-called man has been wanted by the council for many years and you say that he has taken command of the leeches and abducted you." asked the red-lipped lady.

"This is quite the tale you are spinning, little Siren." added the long-nosed man.

"If she is to be believed, then we could all be in danger." the baby masked man said.

With the word danger now floating around, it had finally tipped everyone over the edge. Loud shouts and yelling filled the room while the four judges tried to get the room under control. I bowed my head down, hoping to avoid their rage. Even the crowd was getting rowdy. This was getting out of hand. This was such a terrible idea.

"My lords and ladies!" a serene and seductive voice called out from the chaos.

I turned on the spot to see Rhea slowly making her way through the crowd and towards the judges. Oh crap, what's she doing!

She glided from her seat and made her way to the centre and stood beside my podium.

"Rhea, it's been too long." said one man, but I didn't catch who it was.

Rhea gave a brief bow. "Lords and ladies, Ellie Laveau has been under my protection. She is a gifted creature, and she requires the highest protection, and what she says is true. Barbus is the man who is pulling the strings. He abducted Ellie and used the leeches for his selfish ends."

"You speak with such conviction, Rhea. We will talk about Barbus without prying eyes." said the screechy-voiced woman.

"But how can the leeches be controlled? They are animals, and they don't take orders." said the longed nosed masked man.

"That is unknown to me, but he has created an army of them." Rhea replied.

"An Army, you say? Have you seen them for yourself?" asked the jewelled man.

"Yes, I have your lords and ladies. It is truly a horrible site."

The council members talked amongst themselves with whispers.

"Now that you're here, we can question you. Do you deny that you tried to hide a Siren from us? You know that they are forbidden creatures and are not for personal use?" said the baby-faced man.

"No, I do not deny this. I saw that Ellie was in danger and sought to protect her from anything that would harm her. And I still do that to this day." Rhea said.

"But where were you when this poor inexperienced girl got kidnapped?" asked the evil baby-faced mask.

I turned to Rhea, and I saw a tiny glint of that darkness she tries so hard to contain. Within seconds, the darkness faded, and she was back to her usual self.

"My lord, I'm surprised you have taken this to heart since you wouldn't have known about it unless it had to be presented to you. You're so wrapped up in your minor games that you cannot see what is happening outside, in the actual world." said Rhea.

"How dare you! Know your place. This is our domain." roared the baby-faced man.

"Domain or not, Ellie has come her willingly to plead her case." added Rhea.

"That is enough!" said the jewelled man.

The four judges turned in my direction. "Can you confirm that Rhea has been protecting you?" the red rose-lipped lady said.

"Yes, Rhea has been protecting me from the many things out there that wish to harm me, and I trust her judgement." I said the words, but did I believe them? I didn't know anymore.

"Then we acknowledge this." said the woman.

"Also, there has also been a massive surge in magical power recently, do you know anything about this?" the cracked baby-faced man bypassed Rhea and asked me directly.

I swallowed a lump in my throat and tried to speak, but my mouth was too dry. I didn't even know what he was talking about. I was about to speak, but Rhea took the floor.

"We know nothing of these power surges. Ellie is new to her powers and they are still growing, she is too young to do such things, and to accuse even this adolescent girl of wrong doing is going beyond even your station."

"Did you mishear me? I did not accuse the Siren, but you seemed to take it personally." replied the cracked, baby-faced man.

"I take things seriously with my charges." commented Rhea.

My mind then flooded with the memory of myself being possessed by the many spirits. I caused that power surge. But how did they know about that? At that moment, I felt like a guilty convict just waiting to be taken to jail and do my time.

"I asked the young girl." said the longed nosed man.

I stared up at the four intimidating judges who held my fate in their hands. "No, I know nothing of this, my lord." I held my voice as the best I could.

"Are you sure?" asked the jewelled masked man. Their stares burned into me.

I was about to lie again, but Rhea cut me off.

"I did not want it to come to this but I invoke the protection of the old gods, Ellie is now under my protection." said Rhea as she sat back down into her seat.

Around me, the court burst into cries of anger. Even the judges went along with the gasps. The four robbed judges tried to get the room under control by banging their gavels onto the desk, but no one listened.

"Order, order!" cried the judges.

What the hell just happened? I turned on the spot to see Rhea smiling from ear to ear. She liked this way too much. Even Sophia and Naaz looked at her with shocked expressions.

Soon after many cries, the room was under control. "We cannot let a Siren go out unchecked." one judge said.

"She is under the old god's protection, there's nothing we can do." the red-lipped woman said.

"Surely we can keep her here." said the baby-faced man.

"Even we have to abide by the rules and release her into Rhea's care." said the jewelled 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 observe you." said the powder white woman.

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

"You may 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 could finally 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 would 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 gods are a group of the highest authority in our supernatural world, and not just anyone can invoke their laws." Sophia said, "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. 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 grim, 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 gave you the information, Marcus?" I asked.

Marcus thought. "It was one protector. He told me they had given us 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, I didn't." 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 do not understand what you are talking about, you and your eccentric imagination." Naaz brushed off the accusations.

"Its true, isn't it, Naaz?" I asked. "You manipulated everything to your advantage, for whatever reason, you let the leeches butcher innocent people and then 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 breathtaking while he stood in the afternoon sunlight. All his features were lit up for all to see. I just stared at him and took in all that he was, his manly square jaw, his straight nose that had a minor bump at the bridge, along with his perfect full soft lips. I was totally engrossed in him I missed the question posed to me.

"Ellie?" said Rhea.

"Huh?" I replied.

"I said, are you ready?"

"Ready for what?" I asked.

"Home, we can go back 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 wait for us.

# Chapter Fourteen

I arrived with the familiar 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 quarters. I had envisioned Naaz's bedroom to be a sadist paradise. Chains, torture devices and God only knows what else. I pictured her sleeping on a bed of nails, and no pillow would ever be comfortable enough for her, only the nails.

"Naaz doesn't look happy." 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 most comfortable 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 necessary? The masks, the robes, and even putting me down into the floor to rise like some carnival attraction for everyone to gawp at? They didn't tell me anything I needed to know, and I was 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 afraid, 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 has 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 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 interest." Rhea replied.

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

"I heard you talking about me, about my abilities." I said.

"Ellie, we weren'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."

"I understand." she replied.

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

"I'm sure in time you will 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 whatever comes your way, you will fight it. You were held as and held a prisoner for two weeks and you have come out strong."

Rhea's words of wisdom struck a chord within me. I came out of it, but did it strengthen me? I didn't know if I had been 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 leeches, so that will decrease the numbers a bit. But there is Barbus to contend with."

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 leeches? 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 was to admit that they were real.

"What about?" she asked.

"I've been having dreams about Barbus." Rhea's body froze. She slowly turned to face me face, concern now warped her face.

"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.

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 all the time, 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 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 attains a certain age, they get shipped off to a military facility on an island, and the only way to get out is graduate or in a body bag. It was rough, and everything has to be done in a precise order. The tutors would drill you until everything you had was gone, and I mean everything down to the last detail. The sword training was a bitch, though. They throw you in a pit on your first lesson with actual swords. I was always back and forth in the hospital wing."

"Wow, did you ever see your parents?" I asked.

"No, we only got letters and parcels now and then, but they came for my final graduation. I cannot say it was all bad, but it gave me the skills to survive."

That had reminded me of what I saw on Marcus's back. I didn't know whether I should ask him about it.

"Uh, Marcus?" I asked, "what's that tattoo on your back?"

"Oh, so you noticed that did you?" he chuckled.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Is this just a ploy for me to take my top off?" he asked jokingly.

"What!? N-no it's not." My face was now bright red.

Marcus laughed. "It's the code of the protectors. Every protector has one. It hurt like a bitch when they did it. The strapped me down and just inked away." Marcus turned away and lifted the back of his shirt up.

It inked his strong back with three long black sentences, running from shoulder to shoulder. I was about to touch it, but I quickly held my hand still. I read the words out loud.

"We are the wonderers of old. The one that watches all. We are equal in conquest, in darkness and light. The protector of the just and unjust."

"Yep, that's it." he said.

"What does that mean?" I asked as he pulled his shirt back down.

"No one knows, everyone has their interpretation of it. To me it sounds like you may not see it, but it doesn't mean that it's not there, something along those lines."

"So every protector has this on their back?"

"Yeah, do you like it?" he asked.

"Would it matter even if I liked it?" I asked.

"Maybe." he replied.

He moved closer towards me and I could smell his bodily scent, salty sweat with desire. He smelt nice, which was weird. My eyes travelled down from his face and to his sturdy arms that he unknowingly flexed. It attracted something inside me to him and I wanted him, now. He turned to me and I looked deep into his eyes. There was hunger inside and I needed to feed.

"Ellie, are you OK?" he asked.

I moved closer to him, and with just one touch he would be mine. We could be together. I crept my hand towards his, and only inches separated us. Marcus noticed my hand and shot up quickly.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I want you, Marcus." the words sounded alien.

"No, don't do this, you've been through enough. Don't come any closer." Marcus slowly backed away.

"Oh, come on, it'll be fun. Don't you want some fun?" The words flowed freely from my mouth.

I was on the prowl, and he was my prey. I slowly slunk towards him. I would catch him and he would finally be mine.

"We've been cooped up in this room for many days now, and you've never thought of it?" I asked with seduction in my voice.

"N-no, never, w-why would you say that?" Marcus fumbled his words.

"Come on, don't you want a release. It would be fun." I said.

"Help, Rhea. Sophia!" he shouted.

He will ruin my fun. I picked up my speed, and I backed Marcus into a corner. He was now within my grasp. The thrill of the chase fuelling me as blood pumped throughout my tense body. I jumped towards him, hands outstretched. Just one touch, just one, and he would be mine. My body stopped midair, and I flew through the air. Thankfully, the soft sofa caught my fall, and I quickly got back on my feet, ready for another chance.

"Out of my way!" I yelled at Rhea. I charged straight for Marcus, but she quickly came between us and gripped both of my hands.

"Let go!" I screamed.

I struggled within her firm grip as I could feel my heat, my desire, flowing from my body and into Rhea's. She was absorbing my animalistic nature. She finally released me and I fell to the floor, panting. I felt like I had run a marathon in a few brief minutes.

"I'm so sorry, Marcus." I said between breaths.

"It's OK, I know it wasn't you." he replied.

"But it was, I was in control of all my actions, but I knew it was wrong. I just couldn't get a hold of myself." I said. "I'm just glad Rhea came in when she did."

I looked up at her, expecting to see fury across her face, but she looked down on me with a sympathetic look.

"What's happening to me?" I asked her.

"You are stretching yourself far too much, Ellie. You need to rest, your emotions are erratic and you need to control them." she explained.

"But how?" I asked.

"You'll just have to give it time." she replied.

"Yeah, I just need to rest." I gave out an enormous sigh.

"You have been through a lot, Ellie." added Marcus.

"Don't worry. I'm sure that if you get enough rest, it won't happen again." Rhea said.

Before I could reply, something flew past the door and landed with a yelp. The three of us rushed out of the room and out into the hall to see Sophia sprawled across the tiled floor. Rhea hurried over to her and I looked towards whatever had caused it. Naaz stood there with one hand outstretched and a book under her arm.

# Chapter Fifteen

"What is the meaning of this!?" Rhea's voice was harsh and demanding.

"What does it look like? The scales have tipped in my favour. I'll let the leeches have the scraps when I'm through with you." Darkness scattered out of Naaz's hand and it headed towards Rhea.

I tried to warm Rhea, but it was too late. The darkness had found its target and shattered the ground below. Dusty tiles were uprooted from the ground and thrown in various paths. I tried to find cover, but the blast was too powerful and I went rolling across the floor. The house's foundation shaken, I didn't think it would last, not if there was a showdown between two Demi gods.

"Rhea!" I called.

The smoke dispersed around Rhea. There wasn't a scratch on her. Sophia lay beside her, trying to catch her breath. Rhea stared at Naaz, her face full of pure rage.

"That's borrowed power, is that from you new master?" Rhea spitefully asked.

Naaz's eyes widened, "Powerful isn't it." Naaz descended the stairs with the same disgusting grin she loved so much. It showed how evil she truly is.

"You come into my home and beg for refuge? You are so pathetic. What else could I do? Then, I get an offer to turn you over. How could I refuse?"

"After what we've been through together!?" asked Rhea.

"It was too easy. I will kill all of you, but they want the Siren. But let's start with your lackey first. I didn't get to finish her." Naaz's sights set onto Sophia.

"You won't touch her!" roared Rhea.

Around us, the air felt thick, and it got harder to breathe. Rhea's motions were a blur and something white lanced its way towards her opponent. The air shimmered in front of Naaz and the jet of light rebounded off her and towards the walls, destroying part of the house. Pieces of brick and plaster tore off and flew towards us. I had time to hide quickly behind one pillar.

"I thought I taught you better than that?" she laughed.

Naaz dropped the book and held both hands up into the air. Her hands formed into claws and there was darkness working between her fingers. From within the floor, something was trying to break free. Pillars of darkness escaped from the ground and they were heading our way. Marcus and I ran from the imminent destruction, we wouldn't win at this rate, I stopped and faced the darkness as it headed for me.

"Ellie!" shouted Marcus.

I didn't have time to answer him. I roared at the snaking darkness and one by one they shattered like glass.

Rhea she sent out a wave of electricity that sparked along the way towards Naaz.

Sophia limped towards us. "We need to help her!" she yelled.

"There's nothing we can do, they are Demi gods, they are too powerful, they would kill us!" Marcus said.

Another explosion sent ripples through the floor. He was right, what could we do. We don't stand a chance against her.

I watched as Naaz pushed forward her hands. The darkness slithered onto the floor looking for its victim. Rhea slowly backed away from it, but it struck out, latching onto her arms and legs. It lashed out, seizing her. Rhea fought against the darkness, but it slowly coiled around her. I couldn't let her die out there. I had to do something. From within, a burst of courage fuelled my body, and I rushed out to meet Naaz head on.

"Ellie, don't!" shouted Marcus.

I stood in her path. I was not letting her hurt Rhea anymore.

"Move, child!" Naaz snapped.

"You won't hurt her anymore, you bitch!"

Naaz's eyes were wild. She pushed out with her hands and she was ready to harm me. Before I could act Marcus grabbed me and we both hit the floor, I quickly moved away but my eyes caught a scarlet pool starting to form on Marcus's t-shirt.

"Marcus!" he had been hit on his right side, blood was now trickling down from his wound.

"It's nothing?" he mumbled.

Naaz laughed at his pain. I then spun around to greet Naaz head on.

I closed my eyes and felt all the anger and hate that I once felt long ago. I channelled it and released it towards Naaz. She brought out her hands, but the force came too quick. I drove her back, crashing against the wall.

"You bitch!" she spat. "I'll send you to Barbus in pieces!"

Naaz soon got to her feet and threw ribbons of darkness into the air. They weaved and spun throughout the air, looking for its target. I stood there, captivated, while they dived straight for me. I squeezed my eyes shut, and I hoped for the best. I waited for the destruction to rain down upon me, but nothing happened. Slowly, I opened my eyes to see Sophia in front of me with a barrier erected around us.

The darkness stabbed at the dome, but they vanished one by one. Sophia turned to me with a faint smile. A tiny amount of blood came down from her nose and she fell to her knees. Quickly, I rushed down beside her and reached out to pick her up, but I snatched back my hands before it was too late.

"Are you OK?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just overdid it a little." she replied.

"That's enough!" Rhea screamed behind me.

Her body showered itself in a radiant white and the darkness latched on, evaporated into smoke.

"You want another round?" asked Naaz.

"I will end this!" she yelled.

Rhea punched the air in front of her, Naaz twisting through the air. Finally, crashing down on the hard floor. Rhea's eyes now locked onto Naaz's, flaring a bright crimson. It was the darkness. I could see it clear as day. She lifted Naaz into the air again and pulled at her limbs until Naaz screeched in agony.

This was too much, even for Naaz. "Rhea, stop it!" I screamed.

Rhea continued with her torture with glee. "Enough!" I screamed.

She finally turned to me with sweat dripping from her. Rhea nodded and released her hold on Naaz and she fell to the floor. She was just barely alive. Marcus carried himself over to Sophia and picked her up while holding his wounded side. Rhea and I crept towards the broken woman. She was panting, and she was bleeding.

"Why did you do this?" Rhea asked.

"Why? Because whatever is out there wants her, and when it does I don't want to be standing in its way." she replied.

"I'm sorry that I have to do this." Rhea whispered.

Rhea was about to deliver the finishing blow when Naaz quickly pushed out with her uninjured hand. Darkness flooded Rhea's body, throwing her through the air, cutting and slashing at her skin.

Rhea fought against the rapid darkness that tore at her porcelain skin. I watched as her body glowed with a warm ebbing light that I came to love, and soon the thick darkness evaporated from her body. Naaz made her move, and the book flew into her bloodied hands.

"He will destroy you all." Naaz left with her last words into a cloud of darkness.

# Chapter Sixteen

"Is everyone all right?" I called out.

Everyone remained silent. Did that just happen just now? Did Naaz betray us? Was it all a lie? I looked around the destroyed hall, Sophia and Marcus lay on the floor amongst the debris. I rushed up to Marcus, who gave a slight smile once he saw me. His shirt was red with his crimson life force. He had lost quite a lot of blood. I could tell he was in pain, but he tried not to show it.

"Are you OK, Marcus?" I asked him, but he ignored the question.

"Who was Naaz talking about?" He asked.

"Marcus!" I yelled, "are you OK?"

His eyes then refocused onto me. "Yeah, I'm OK, are you?" but I knew he was lying.

"Rhea!" I called.

She made her way to Marcus and placed her hand to his side and healed him. I watched in amazement as his skin slowly knitted itself back together.

"Thanks for saving me." I said.

"It was nothing." he gave a weak, brief smile.

"What the hell do we do now then?" asked Sophia.

"I don't know, but I think we should get the hell out of here." I replied.

We all stood around Rhea, waiting to get the hell out of here. The front entrance doors erupted. We were all thrust back, losing our grip on each other.

I weakly opened my eyes only to hear a loud ringing throughout my ears. My hazy stare looked around to see the front of the building was destroyed, scattered around us. The familiar snarls and groans brought back the fear I thought I locked up tight. Slowly, I picked myself up, but I fell back down as the room spun around me. I heard a voice. The familiar grunt that forced chills up my spine.

"I told you I would find you!" Barbus yelled throughout the half-destroyed hall.

Marcus shot up from the floor and unleashed his sword from its sheath and headed into the crowd of leeches, hacking and swinging with perfect precision.

"Marcus!" I called after him, but he was deep within the leech horde.

Sophia rushed down beside me. "Come on. We need to get to Rhea." she said.

Leeches surrounded Rhea, but she was too weak to fend them off. I rushed to her side and shrieked at the creatures, sending them spiralling off throughout the air. Sophia and I grabbed onto Rhea and helped her to her feet, but two leeches rushed us head on, ready for the kill. Rhea reached out weakly and sparks of ebbing light flickered from her fingers. It struck the snarling leeches straight through the chest, but it didn't kill them. I screamed at them, tearing into them, finishing what Rhea could not do.

"She's too weak." Sophia said.

"We need to get out of here, now!" I yelled.

I looked behind and saw Marcus fending off many leeches. He had a few scratches on his face and arms.

"We need to help him." I said.

We placed Rhea against the wall and I rushed back to Marcus, ignoring Sophia's words behind me.

"We need to leave!" Marcus had more cuts to his face and his arms.

Three leeches prowled towards us with their claws outstretched. Marcus took one swing and disembowelled the leech in front. I made sure Marcus wasn't in my path and screamed. The creatures sprayed up into the air, landing down with a crunch. I looked over and saw Barbus. He watched with interest as we made our way through the leeches. He took the opportunity and joined the fight.

They caught me off guard as a leech behind me sliced at my skin. Marcus heard my screamed and quickly slashed down the leech behind me.

"Marcus, we need to leave now!" I said while clutching my wound.

He agreed, and we rushed back towards Sophia, who was with Rhea.

"Barbus is here and we need to move, now!" I quickly told them.

"She's too weak." Sophia said.

"We need her." commented Marcus.

I turned towards the sizeable group of leeches and saw Barbus swiftly making his way towards us. If I didn't do something, then we would all pay the price. I decided that I would not run away from him anymore; I rushed off towards him, roaring at any leeches that came my way. I felt lightheaded, but I pressed on.

"Ellie!" shouted Marcus.

"Hold him back, Sophia." I called over my shoulder.

I stood in Barbus's path, ready for anything.

"I told you I would find you." he said with a disgusting smile on his lips.

"You won't have me!" I yelled out.

"You are mine!" he shouted throughout the broken hall.

My memories brought me back to the disgusting dungeons that once were my home. How every day I was abused by him and his foul creatures while they laughed and stood by, drugging me. This is where I say no to it all. I will be no one's plaything. They will not put me down by anyone.

Something inside me roared to life, and I felt empowered by it.

"No more!" I screamed.

My Siren scream hurtled towards Barbus while causing destruction along its way, ripping up the half-broken marble floor, the debris of the building tearing at him. My rage tore at Barbus, throwing him into a group of leeches back out of the building.

I rushed back to the gang. "I've bought us a few minutes, at least." I said.

They greeted me with silence. "What's wrong? We need to move!" I added.

"We have an idea." Marcus said.

"But it's too dangerous!" Sophia snapped at him.

"It's the only way we will get out of here!"

I looked over my shoulder to see Barbus slowly entering back into the hall with many leeches at his back.

"Fine, but she will not like it." Sophia took Marcus's blade from the floor. Quickly, she cleaned it with her dress and made a clean cut to her palm. I watched Sophia place her bloodied hand onto Rhea's upper chest. The crimson life force slowly seeped into her skin. Rhea awoke and looked at us with empty dark stares.

"What did you do?" I asked.

"It's called blood magic." Sophia replied, "but it's very dangerous."

"Rhea, can you hear me?" I asked.

Rhea's fiery eyes turned into pools of darkness. She wasn't the Rhea I once knew. We all took a step back, fearing what she would do.

"Sophia, what have you done?" I asked.

"What have you done?! This isn't who I am anymore!" Rhea cried.

"Siren!" Barbus barked.

"He's coming, we need a plan quick." I said.

Rhea stood onto her feet and made her way towards Barbus. The two of them met face to face and Barbus took a step back. He knew what she had become.

"So you've embraced the darkness again?" he asked.

"Only to protect the ones I love." she replied. Rhea's voice wasn't the way I remembered it, and it took on a darker tone.

Barbus rallied his leeches around and they charged towards Rhea. She did not move. She remained there, waiting. Closer the horde came nearer, but Rhea didn't cower.

"Rhea!" I screamed.

She finally clawed her hand into the air, pulling the leeches off of their feet. One by one the horde exploded into black ash, leaving Barbus to fend for himself.

"Darkness suits you." he said.

She didn't reply. Rhea brought out her hands and pools of thick tar-like darkness swirled out. It moved effortlessly throughout the hall, almost as if it were alive. Barbus ducked and dodged the approaching blackness as it flew into the air and dived straight down for him. Barbus channelled a crimson lightning, and it zipped its way towards her, but Rhea blocked by shielding herself in a barrier of darkness. Rhea laughed at his feeble attempts. She wore a wicked smile to fit the darkness that filled inside of her. She enjoyed toying with Barbus like his life meant nothing. Her dark tendrils latched onto him and brought him up into the air.

Rhea then fell onto her hands and knees, struggling against her inner darkness.

"Rhea!" Sophia rushed by her side.

"What's wrong with her?" I asked.

"It's draining away her life." Sophia replied.

The tendrils disappeared from Barbus's body and he fell to the ground. "No!" Rhea yelled.

She pushed Sophia away from her and was intent on destroying her target, no matter what.

"Marcus, take Ellie and leave now!" shouted Sophia.

"What about you?" I asked.

"I have to stay with her. I won't leave her."

"No, I don't want to lose anyone else." I said.

"Go!" she shouted.

"Ellie, we need to go." Marcus said.

"Sophia?" I just stared at her. She was serious. She had told her feelings on the matter and nothing I could say would change her mind. I didn't want to leave them. I felt like I was abandoning them, but Sophia's eyes filled with tears.

I reluctantly followed Marcus, but Barbus blocked our path.

"No!" growled Rhea.

A dark tendril snaked its way through Barbus's body, picking him up on the spot and throwing him away. Marcus and I carried on ahead, but something inside of me wanted to go back and help, but all of this was about trying to keep me safe. Everything that we've done would have been for nothing. I ran alongside Marcus and didn't look back.

Marcus and I reached the dead garden, and more leeches were waiting outside, ready to ambush us.

"There's just no end to them." I said.

They moved closer once they saw fresh prey.

"Get behind me." I said.

"I should say that to you." Marcus replied.

I rushed in front of Marcus and screamed at the oncoming creatures while Marcus hacked at them from the side.

"Let's go!" I yelled.

I ran through the fallen leeches with Marcus on my heels. We now arrived at the entrance to the grand building. The stone wall that covered around Naaz's residency was in ruins. We slowly walked along the bridge, hoping that it would not break and send us into a watery grave. Behind us, loud bangs and explosions filled my ears. I looked back and saw the building being destroyed from within. Blasts of red and black escaped from within the building, destroying it from within. I watched as an explosion so intense that it sent ripples along the ground tore the earth apart. I looked in horror as the building that I once took refuge in was now falling off the cliff and down into the unknown.

"No!" I screamed as I witnessed the horrible scene.

The bridge we stood, broke away. We hurried on over to the other side. I skidded and fell to my knees in tears as I saw the building with my friends in falling into the void. I felt sick to my stomach and I couldn't make the tears stop. From within the woods were more groans that I came to hate. Leeches were lurking in the forest, just waiting for easy prey. I picked myself up and stood my ground.

"I'm so sick of this!" I screamed.

My breathing was heavy, and I felt like I was ready to explode with rage. I used that anger to fuel my power. I screamed at the leeches and I uprooted them like flowers in an updraft. They hit against the trees, their bones cracking.

"Ellie?" whispered Marcus.

I turned my tear filled face towards him and for the first time in my life; I didn't know what to do.

"We need to go." he softly said.

"Go, go where!?" I yelled.

"We just have to keep moving." he replied.

"What's the point, everyone keeps on dying, and you'll probably be next."

The hurtful words just kept flowing and I couldn't stop them. I needed to vent my rage on someone or something.

"Ellie, if I could, I would comfort you."

"But you can't, can you? Nobody can touch me!" I yelled.

"I know." he sadly said.

"Is this what my life has come down to, running for my life and getting everyone around me killed?" I took a deep breath, "If that is what life's got in store for me, then they can shove it!"

I wiped my face with the back of my hand and looked up at Marcus. I couldn't get him killed, and I didn't want that. Then an awful thought popped into my head, and I didn't know if I wanted to do it. I walked closer towards him, almost near enough to feel the heat that radiated from his sweat filled body.

# Chapter Seventeen

"I'm so sorry." I whispered.

Marcus gave me a confused look, but before he could realise what I had in mind. I snatched out and took his firm hand into mine. This was the first and last time I would get to hold his hand. At first, he put up a struggle, but I was too strong for him. I looked deep into his mind and saw how much he thought of me and how much he wanted to protect me. But what I was doing was to protect him. I took a deep breath and spoke the dreaded words.

"Do not follow me, forget my name and forget me." I said with tears in my eyes.

I let his hand drop from mine, and he wore the vacant stare that many wore before him. I took one last look at Marcus and turned my back on him, on it all. I walked away while trying not to burst into tears.

# Desire Preview

# Chapter One

I had left it all behind, all for my own selfish reasons. I decided that I didn't want to become the Siren that everyone desperately needed me to be; I was sick of it all. I had left my family and friends behind, and for what? I was all on my own and that scared me more than anything.

I stared back at my refection, checking my face for any impurities. Slowly, I was beginning to unrecognized the person who stood in front of the mirror. I pulled up my short skirt that tightly hugged my body, and slowly covered my lips with some cherry red lips gloss and then I was ready to go. From my bed I grabbed a small clutch bag that I " _borrowed_ " with a pair of black five-inch heels, anything over five should be banned. I could hardly walk in them.

With one last look around my small room, I exited and locked the door tightly. I had been living in this flat (well, if you can call it that) for a few weeks now. I found it by accident and I had nowhere else to go, so I used my Siren powers on the landlord to _persuade_ him to let me stay. To be honest, I kinda' like it. There were no leeches, no one asking for help, and that's what I needed in my life, normality. Double checking the door, I threw the keys into my small clutch along with a few notes squashed at the bottom. Steadying my balance, I descend the threadbare carpet in my five-inch heels. At the last step, the stairs groan. Before I can exit the building a familiar voice calls me from behind.

"You look nice." the voice calls out.

I sigh and turn to meet his gaze.

"You must have some money coming in if you're going out dressed like that." he says.

The man standing in front of me was my landlord. Now and then he'd remember that I need to pay my rent, which I had no money to do so. He stands in his doorway staring at me with his round full face and his nearly thinning hair. I saunter up to him, ready to snatch at his hand.

"Look, don't give me any crap by telling me you'll have it next time because I've heard it all before." he grunts.

"It's just that money is tight for me at the moment." I say while slowly creeping towards him.

"Yeah, yeah, but it looks like you've got enough money for a night out." the landlord says.

I ignore his comments and quickly snatch out to grab his arm.

"What are you doing?" he yells.

I slowly wait a few seconds before my powers take an effect. Within seconds, I can see the animalistic nature slowly rear its ugly head. I quickly act before he has any time to attack, and I close my eyes and focus on him. Every time I use my powers on him, it becomes easier and easier to get him under my control.

"I have already paid my rent and you do not have to ask me again." I whisper gently.

He gives a brief moan to tell me it has worked. I release his arm and leave, knowing he is staring vacantly as I exit through the door.

I stepped out into the crisp night, hugging myself for warmth. Every time I would try to exit I had to _charm_ my landlord, and I always felt guilty about it. Was it wrong? I just could not shake this deep feeling of guilt that enveloped me. If I had the money, I would pay him but how could I earn money, I thought about getting a job but I thought against it because of my powers and if I got caught on camera with one slip up that could be the end of me. I didn't want TV cameras hounding me every second of the day and I know that would happen, and I would be lying down on a metal slab while they have a look around in my brain.

No, I would have to continue with this until I could figure out something. A girl my age should not have to figure these things out on her own, I was still a child, but with me being one of the most powerful creatures in the supernatural word, I would have to play the game.

My body shivered all over as I didn't bring a coat with me and I never did, not after last time, I've learned my lesson. That night it was stolen by who, I do not know. I remember leaving it on a chair and when I came back from the toilet; it disappeared. It was a shame because I liked that jacket.

Slowly, as I walked up the road, I could hear the thundering music that brought my body to life. The familiar club was all lit up with its welcoming bright lights and signs trying to entice the many party goers inside. I watched as groups of girls laughing arm in arm went through the doors as the big brute of a bouncer nodded to each of them. I quickly joined in the line as one by one the crowd were asked to show some ID. Normally at this point I would sweat buckets, but this wasn't my first time here.

I could picture myself shaking at the knees a few nights ago while they questioned each person to show proof of age. I had nothing on me but a thin jacket on my back and a few crumpled up notes in my bag. As I came closer to the brick wall of a bouncer I brought out my shaking hands ready to strike.

The tall bald built bouncer looked me up and down. "ID please." he asked.

I just stared up at him as if his question was in another language.

"ID, please, Miss." he repeated.

I glanced over my shoulder to see a group of people heading towards me. Crap, crap. I felt like I wanted to run right then and there, but I stood my ground and snatched at his hand. At first he put up a fight, but I held on tight and had control of him within seconds. I told him I didn't need to show proof of my age, and he agreed and let me in. After that, it was a piece of cake and I easily blended within the crowd.

Now I had no nerves, and I walked up to the same bouncer.

"Hey, Ellie." the tall bald bouncer said, "back again I see?"

"Yep, I just can't stay away." I replied.

"In you go, then." the bouncer pulled back the red rope and ushered me into the club.

"Thanks, Terry." I called back.

Terry and I started talking when some guy chatted me up and when he didn't get the hint he became angry, I was about to use my _powers_ but that's when Terry saw him and threw the creep outside. After that he's been kind to me ever since, and again the feeling of guilt crept up for using my powers on him.

I pushed open the heavy door and the booming music flowed throughout my body. Many of the people inside were dancing and drinking without a care. I made my way through the crowds of people, nearly bumping into a gang of girls with birthday banners strapped tightly around their bodies. I could see the bar in sight and quickly tiptoed my way through the masses of the dancing crowd. Soon I found a spot at the bar and waited to get the server's attention. Around the bar there were many people shouting their order over the booming music and handing over a few notes and even credit cards. Hoping not to get touched, I placed my hands onto the sticky bar. I then locked eyes onto a youthful woman to get her attention.

"What can I get you, sweetie?" she asked.

The server wore a t-shirt saying 'ask about our cocktails' in bright neon pink with her black hair pulled back into a tight ponytail.

"Can I get a vodka and lemonade, please?" I asked over the heart thumping music.

With a wink, she prepared my drink. Thank god she didn't ask for my ID.

My first time coming here I did the mistake of ordering a soft drink and the barman just stared at me like I was crazy. As I waited for my childish drink, I overheard someone orders a shot and the barman came back with something bright blue. I made the mistake of ordering the same thing and it didn't turn out well. An entire morning of throwing up in the toilet.

The woman came back with my drink and placed it onto the bar. This was it, I rifled through my bag to get the notes and I slowly shifted my eyes left and right to see if anyone was watching but they were too busy with their own thing. I held out the notes for the woman to take, that's when I carefully stroked the back of her hand. The youthful woman went rigid, and I spoke the words to her. For a moment it felt like there was only her and me in the entire room as I seductively instructed her.

"You will give me this drink for free." I said, and I knew it worked within second because her entire body rippled with pleasure. I released my control over her and took my 'free' drink with me.

As I drank the alcoholic drink I held in my hands, I eyed up the other partygoers. Many were throwing moves on the dance floor and downing their drinks quickly, all ready for another. I just stood at the side and watched, too scared to talk to anyone. Sticking out like a sore thumb, I quickly found a table at the far corner of the room and sat myself down. I felt like I was back in school, I just could not shake the feeling that everyone's eyes were on me. Was I right or was it all in my mind? Maybe it was just me, but the doubt was still there. Or was it the fact that I was in a nightclub and I was underage? As I listened to the rhythm of the music, I felt a weight plop down next to me.

_ Oh god, I'm I caught? I thought to myself._

I turned to greet my uninvited guest and was greeted by an attractive youthful man. This unknown stranger smiled at me and held out his hand. I stared down at it, remembering that I shouldn't shake it.

"My name's Ted, but my friends call me Teddy." he says as he smiles, showing a set of dimples on his cheeks.

"Um, Ellie, I'm Ellie." I say as I fumble my words like an idiot.

"I've seen you around here a few times." he comments.

"Yeah, I live just down the road." I reply.

"Oh, so you're a student?" he asks.

" _Crap, crap. Quickly think of something."_ I scream to myself.

"Yeah, I just transferred." I lie, "so are you in collage as well?"

He nods. "Studying can be hard work and sometimes we need to blow off some steam at some point."

"Yeah, I know a lot about blowing off steam." I said.

I quietly stare at him and sip my drink, trying to avoid the awkwardness between us.

He then quickly changes the subject. "So are you alone?"

_ Uh oh. I try to think of a lie._

"Um, I'm waiting for my friends, they should he here by now." I say as I pretend to scan the room for the imaginary people, "are you with anyone or are you on your own?" I ask.

"No, no. I'm with a group of people." Teddy points towards the direction of the dance floor. Through the dancing masses there is a group of people sitting at a table laughing and enjoying themselves. "You're free to join us?"

"Um, thanks for the offer, but I'll just wait for my friends." I reply with a brief smile.

The sweet talker that is Teddy gets to his feet. "Well, the offer is there at anytime. It was nice to meet you, Ellie." he says with a wink.

I watch him as he makes his way through the crowd and back to his friends. Quickly, I take a few sips of my drink to calm myself. Was I just hit on? No, can't be. No one hits on me, well whatever it was it felt nice. Slowly, an enormous grin made its way onto my face as I drink the last dregs of my drink and place it onto the table. My cheeks flooded with heat and I felt flushed. As I scanned the room again, I caught sight of Teddy watching me through the dancing crowd, our eyes connect for a moment and something stirred deep within me, a desire, not one of us dared to release our gaze until a dancer quickly killed our line of sight.

Swiftly, I shake off the magnetic attraction and stood up; I needed another drink. I grab my clutch bag beside me and went to the bar. I carefully fought my way to the busy bar, being careful where I put my hands. While at the poor lighted bar, I wait and franticly search for my lure of notes. I was about to be served, but a guy in front stole the bartender's attention away from me.

"Oh, I'm sorry, you go first." said the thief.

I turned to the man in question and revealed to be the silver-tongued Teddy.

"Are you stalking me?" I asked.

Teddy laughs. "No, honestly, I'm not." he says. "But are you stalking me?"

"Are you serious? Why would I stalk you?" I asked.

"Well, maybe because I'm handsome and a little charming." he replies.

"You really think a lot of yourself don't you?" I comment.

He laughs at my remark and rubs his chin. "No, I don't think. It's what other people have said to me."

"Have they now?" I said with a raised eyebrow.

I throw Teddy a smile and turn my attention to the bartender in waiting.

"What can I get you?" he asks.

"Can I get a vodka and lemonade, please?" I ask.

Before he can turn his back on me, I discreetly stoke his hand with mine. With one touch, I can see into his mind. The bartender is nothing special. His mind filled with worries of debt and wondering if his girlfriend of two years is cheating on him. I pierce into his mind with my own and slowly he's under my influence. I am about to tell him to give me another free drink, but with Teddy behind me it would become suspicious. I had to change tactics.

"You will give me this drink for free but tell me it has been bought by an admirer." I whisper softly.

I release my hold on to him, and he staggers off to fulfil my order. Within minutes of waiting he comes back with my alcoholic drink and places it in front of me and I pretend to take a notice that the bartender has told me it's from an admirer. While still pretending, I raise my glass to my imaginary buyer at the end of the bar.

"You're attracting quite the attention." Teddy comments.

"Yeah, I get it now and then." I smile.

"I see, but I don't blame them."

I feel my cheeks flow with heat again as Teddy stares into my eyes with a hidden hunger.

As he pays for his own drink, I watch him with interest. He definitely is my type, tall, strong and with a good sense of humour, cheeky but playful.

"You know that offer is still on the table." Teddy says.

I bring myself out of my head to answer his question.

"What offer?" I ask.

"The one to join me and my friends." he replies.

"Oh." I mumble.

I thought about joining him and his friends, or should I keep telling him I'm still waiting for my _friends._ I take the plunge and go for it.

"I'd like that, it looks like my so-called friends have left me hanging." I reply.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but its great news for me though." Teddy beams a cute smile.

I followed Teddy through the crowd of dancing masses to receive butt grope from an unknown dancer; I looked back, but no one owns up. I ignore the groping and follow Teddy to a table full of unknown inquisitive faces. I could feel my confidence shrinking, but thanks to the drinks I was more than ready for them.

"Hey, guys. This is Ellie." says Teddy.

The arched booth table erupted with greetings from the group. Teddy made his way to his seat while shuffling to one side for me. I sat down while all eyes were on me; I was the fresh meat, and I felt like I was about to be chewed.

"Hi." I waved.

Around the table were two youthful girls and another guy who laid back in his seat with his arms behind his head while the two girls sat close together sipping their colourful bright cocktails.

"These two lovely ladies are Amy and Kayla, well they're not really ladies." said the unfamiliar guy.

The nearest girl punched the smart mouth guy right in the arm. "Yeah, and this is Tommy." she replied.

"That will bruise now, Amy." Tommy said while vigorously rubbing his arm.

I tried hard to refrain, to burst out laughing, but a tiny giggle made its way out.

Teddy closed the gap between us and whispered into my ear. "They're always fighting, you wouldn't guess that they're a couple." he said as his fiery breath tickled my neck.

"So, Ellie, are you from around here?" asked Kayla.

I leaned over so I could hear her better over the heart pounding music. She stared at me with heavy lidded black eye shadow.

"Yeah, I go to college around her." I continued the lie.

"Ellie got ditched by her friends." Teddy commented. "I couldn't let her be on her own."

I turned to him with a scarlet face, and he just stared into my eyes. "Thanks." I mumbled.

While looking into each other's eyes, I could feel the hunger again, it was building up inside of me, what was this feeling that rapidity kept building.

Tommy interrupted our deep stare. "Hey, Teddy, get a room!"

I pulled away from him and my surroundings came back into view; I grabbed my drink from the table and took another sip.

"So tell me about yourself then, Ellie?" asked Teddy.

"Me?" I asked, "well, there's nothing to tell, really."

"Oh, come on, don't be shy." he said.

"Well, I'm kind of boring person, really." I replied.

"I bet you're not." Teddy commented.

Well, there was one secret that I had but I would not be blabbing to a complete stranger about me being a supernatural rare creature. He would think I was insane.

"Yeah, just a normal boring girl I guess."

"I don't believe that for a second." Teddy turned in his chair to give me his full attention.

"It's true, I'm just a boring run-of-the-mill girl."

"No, there is something about you I can't put my finger on."

"Yeah, and what's that then?" I ask.

"I don't know, but I really want to find out." he replies.

I needed to change the topic.

"Well, what's your ideal woman then, seems to me you know what you want." I asked,

"What if I said it was you?"

I swallowed hard. Did he really say that? What is it with this guy? I didn't know what to say to him. I tied my tongue up in knots.

"Come on, now I know that's a lie." I replied with a raised eyebrow.

From across the table Amy caught my eye, she was watching us with significant interest, like she's trying to figuring out a Rubik's cube.

"I'll be right back." Teddy said as he manoeuvred around me and away from the table.

I was on my own with these people I had never met before; I grabbed my icy drink with both hands and listened to the base pumping music. The two girls moved up from their seat and moved towards me. I shuffled to my left to make room for the two girls.

"So, Ellie, what do you think of Teddy?" asked Kayla

"Well, I've only just met him, so I can't really tell. He seems nice enough." I replied.

"Yeah, he's a genuine gentleman, he's quite taken with you isn't he." Amy commented.

"I guess, is he always like that?" I asked them.

"Yeah, he's a real charmer." says Kayla as she takes another sip of her brightly coloured drink.

"So how long have you known Teddy?" I asked them.

"Well, the three of us grew up together and we've been friends ever since." Amy replied.

"So how did you meet Tommy then?" I ask, pointing.

"Well, it was three o'clock in the morning and I hear a banging on someone's door, I open mine and who do I see slumped on the floor? Tommy, he was so drunk that he wondered into the girls' dorms and thought he was knocking on Teddy's door. God knows how he got in, but I took care of him and we've been together ever since." she said.

"You left out one important part." commented Kayla.

"Come on, Ellie doesn't want to hear about it." said Amy.

Now I was interested. "Tell me, what?" I asked.

"Fine." Amy said, "Tommy threw up on me, I had to throw my clothes away."

"Ah, romance at its best." commented Kayla.

I giggled to myself at the thought of it.

"Are you talking about me? I can hear my name being mentioned." asked Tommy.

"Only wonderful things." replied Amy.

The conversation had run dry. There was nothing else to say other than sip my drink. Before they could ask any more questions, Teddy came back holding a pristine metal bucket with both hands. He placed it down in the middle of the table and the group cheered like they had won a grand prize. I peered into the metal container. Sitting inside was a large bottle laying on a bed of ice.

"What's the special occasion?" I asked him.

"Does there really need to be one?" he replied.

A waitress carrying flute glasses approached us and set one down in from on me.

"So what are you celebrating?" the waitress asked.

Teddy was first to speak. "It's our first year anniversary today." he smiled.

_ What!?_

The friendly waitress congratulated us and returned behind the bar.

I turned to Teddy and before I could speak; he took the words out of my mouth.

"Was that wrong of me?" he asked with his big brown eyes.

Amy joined in on our conversation. "Aw, I think it's sweet, in a kind of stalker kind of way." she laughed.

"No, no, it's fine." I said.

Teddy pulled out the bottle of fizz from its bucket and carefully popped the cork, which made us all jump. The liquid flowed freely from its top, covering the table.

"Nice going, Teddy." yelled Tommy.

Tommy took the bottle out of his hands and studied the label in front.

"Jesus, Teddy. This is expensive."

"Well, at least it isn't the cheep shit." commented Kayla.

"Just fancied a bottle, that's all." he replied.

Tommy poured the sparkling drink into the flute glasses. Kayla came closer as if she wanted to divulge her deepest secret.

"Teddy's family is rich, they pay for anything for him, they even give him a large allowance each month." said Kayla.

"Wow." I replied.

Just as Tommy was about to pour into my glass I pulled it away. He looked shocked, like somehow I had offended him.

"None for me, thanks."

The group moaned in protest.

"Why not, Ellie?" Teddy asked.

"It's getting late, and this was fun, but."

"But, what?" Tommy says.

"Come on, Ellie, stay longer." asked Amy.

The four started to slowly chant my name, slowly picking up speed. "Ellie, Ellie, Ellie!"

A giant smile covered my face, and I accepted by sliding my glass towards Tommy. Something inside told me that this was wrong and to go home, but for once I told myself to shut up and have some fun.

"What harm could it do?" The famous last words.

Teddy smiled as I slowly sipped the free alcohol. The fizz tickled my taste buds as I swallowed the champagne. It tasted amazing, and it had a little kick at the back of my throat.

The party was now in full swing. I no longer felt awkward and shy around the group, I was made to feel like one of the gang and I loved it. The girls and I chatted about boys and other silly girl stuff. We commented on each other's dress, but the girls seemed most interested in mine. I didn't tell them that I stole it using my powers just that I got it for a bargain price. As the free champagne started to flow freely I felt my speech slurring.

"So do you do this for all the girl's 'en?" I asked with slurred speech.

"Not just anyone, only the girls I like." he answered.

"But you hardly know me." I replied.

"But that doesn't mean I can't treat you."

Teddy moved closer towards me and my heart pounded inside of my chest. I didn't know if it was the drink or Teddy but he continued to move closer until he was close enough to kiss me. He moved in for the kiss and I quickly pulled away, hating myself and for once I would have loved to have taken the plunge and just do it but, I couldn't.

"Sorry." I mumbled.

"No, I'm sorry, I came on too strong." he replied.

I was about to say the dreaded 'it's not you it's me' but I could never say that. I took a big gulp of my drink and refilled it.

"Are you OK?" Teddy asked.

"Yeah, fine." I replied.

"I'm sorry that I-." Teddy was interrupted by Kayla.

"O M G. I love this song, come on Ellie dance with me." Without paying her too much attention Kayla came over and quickly grabbed at my hand, uh oh.

With just one touch she was under my influence, Kayla bent down and kissed me straight on the lips, she lingered there for a few seconds while sensually stroking my hair. I pulled away breaking the connection, the three who had just witnessed girl on girl action had their mouths open in shock, then started wooing and whistling at us.

"Sorry, Ellie, it's the drink." she explained, "come on, I wanna' dance." I was expecting Kayla to go mad and blame me but she didn't, she shrugged it off like it never happened.

The three of us carried ourselves to the dance floor where the pounding music held everyone in a dance frenzy. We found a spot on the dance floor and I let the music flow through my alcohol fuelled body. We were dancing, laughing and making fun of each other's worst dance moves. There was the running man, and my go to favourite, the sprinkler. The other dancers looked at us as if we were crazy but the three of us laughed it off and continued with our very bad dance moves. I was having fun, and everything that I was running from disappeared from my mind. I didn't intend to be out this late and still be having fun at the same time, I hadn't had this much fun in a long time. I looked over at the boys who were talking to each other, now and then Teddy would watch me, smiling from ear to ear. I almost felt the urge to run up to him and drag him onto the dance floor to show off my very laughable dancing. I was now out of breath and started to feel very tired, my bed was calling to me and I was gladly going to answer.

"I'm going to go." I tried to say over the ear pounding music.

"Why?" Kayla asked.

"Tired." I replied.

"It was nice to meet you, Ellie." Amy said "we should do this again."

I nodded to her and made my way out of the club. I did think about saying goodbye to Teddy but it would have been very awkward between us. I didn't look back as the music began to fade gently into the background. The fresh air nipped at my bare skin like nagging dogs and I made my way away from the building but not before saying a goodnight to Terry the bouncer.

As I walked back towards my box room so-called flat I could hear someone shouting over the hum of the nightlife.

"Ellie!" it shouted, "Ellie!" the voice came closer and I turned to see Teddy jogging towards me.

I waited as he came closer huffing and puffing. "Ellie."

"Sorry, I didn't say goodbye." I replied.

"It's OK, I just wanted to say _my_ goodbye." Teddy grabbed me around my waist and pulled me towards him. He had his opportunity and he took it.

Teddy kissed me on the lips and it felt good, he had taken me by surprise and I had to make sure that my influence didn't warp him. I tried to concentrate but kissing him felt so good and I didn't want it to end, but it had to. Teddy pulled me tighter until it hurt but I wasn't focused on the pain, it was the pleasure I was focusing on. His lips became more aggressive and angry until I could feel his desire embedded with my own. Our passion had intertwined with one another causing Teddy to pull my hair back and caress my throat with his warm wet tongue. I moaned with pleasure but something deep inside pleaded with me to stop, but I didn't listen to it, I never wanted the pleasure to end, but it had too.

I pulled away from Teddy cursing myself as I did. I had broken the deep connection between us and we both stared at each other in amazement at what just happened. I didn't know what to say I was lost for words.

"Wow!" Teddy finally said.

"Sorry." I replied.

"Why, that was amazing." smiled Teddy.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah, it was incredible. I've never been kissed like that before."

"I think I should go, it's getting late and I need my bed." I said.

"Can I walk you home?" he asked.

Teddy walking me home like the gentlemen he is would have been nice but there was no way I could contain myself, it was better if we parted ways here.

"Thanks, but it's only a short walk."

Teddy laughed to himself, maybe picturing us in a very naughty situation. "Yes, that's why it's better if I go alone." I replied to his laugh.

"Can I see you again?" he asked.

"Um." I began to think. Would it be so bad if we did meet up again?

I took the plunge and agreed. Teddy displayed the biggest grin I'd ever seen. "Well, tomorrow night then same place?" he asked.

"Yeah, OK." I agreed.

"Night, Ellie." he said.

"Goodnight, Teddy." I turned and walked away from him, ready to go home.

As I walked back home I thought about our amazing kiss, it was full of heat and passion, a true steamy kiss. A huge smile appeared on my face and I could not shift it, nor did I want to. I could still taste Teddy on my lips and my heart started to pick up its speed within my chest. He was right, the kiss was amazing and I wanted to go back for more.

" _Stop!"_ I said to myself. I shouldn't be crushing on guys at a time like this. Wait, but what should I be doing? Isn't this what sixteen year old girls do, crush on guys? But I'm not a normal sixteen year old girl am I.

The wind picked up and I place my arms around my ice cold shoulders while keeping my clutch under my arm. Behind me the noise of the club quietly faded into the background and I was glad to go home. The whole kissing thing was a whole new experience to me, even when Marc-. I had to stop myself from thinking of him. Marcus and I can never happen and I don't want that life anymore. I would only get him killed and that's something I could never live with, but now and then I would wonder where he is now and if even thought of me? I tried to put the past behind me, however hard it may be.

As I tried to shrug off my nagging self doubt I passed a dark alley where I could hear angry whispers. I stopped myself and tried to listen.

"Do you like doing this to me, how do you think it makes me feel!" said a harsh voice.

"Please, don't. I'm sorry." A frightened voice said in the darkness. "Let go, you're hurting me."

I quietly crept down the alley to get a better look at what was happening. Through the darkness there were two people arguing, one male and the other female. The guy had a tight grip on the woman's arm and clearly she was scared of him. I had to step in and do something, I just couldn't stand by and let this happen. I quickly thought up a plan to try and get close to him.

"There you are." I said to them as I walked down the alley. "I've been looking for you everywhere."

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm her friend, that's who I am." I replied.

"If she is your friend, I don't like the way she's talking to me." he said while gripping her arm tightly.

"No, I don't know her." she pleaded.

"You heard what she said, now leave." he said.

I wasn't going anywhere, not while this thug was hurting this woman. I breeched the gap between us and lashed out and gripped his hand. He struggled against me but within seconds I wormed my way into his pathetic mind. He went still and I whispered commands deep within his mind.

"You will never hurt anyone ever again." I said. I was about to finish with him but a deadly thought appeared in my head. "Go play in traffic."

The so-called man, took my words as law and walked back through the alley and towards the road.

"Where's Jack going?" the girl asked.

I turned to her and she walk out from the shadows, her eye liner was running down her face mixed with her own tears, she hugged tightly herself as she asked what had happened.

"He's gone to think about what he's done." I lied. "Come on, let's get you home."

This girl was clearly drunk, she couldn't walk in a straight line but I was no less sober then she was. As we made our way out of the dark alley a young girl came running awkwardly towards me.

"There you are, Sandra. I've been looking for you everywhere. I tried to speak to Jack but he totally ignored me, what happened?"

"She's very drunk I think you should take her home." I said.

"Yeah, come on let's get a taxi." she replied. The unknown girl shouldered Sandra and carried her towards the long line of taxis in waiting. As I continued my way home, I didn't even give it another thought about what I had done to that _man_.

Just a few more steps and I would be home. I pulled my keys out of my clutch and fumbled with them as I tried to get the key into the lock. The door opened wide open and I nearly fell head first, but I put my hands out just in time to catch my fall, I was a mess. I dragged my drunken body up the stairs wishing I had never drank that champagne, but how could I refuse? Finally reaching my door on the top floor, I unlocked the door and threw my heels off.

"Be gone, demons!" I shouted as I threw my shoes in the corner, "ah, freedom."

I could finally wriggle my toes after they were confined all night, damn shoes. Slowly I crawled on my hands and knees heading to the bedroom. Once the bed was in view, I jumped on it like there was no tomorrow, but it was a bad idea as the room began to spin before my tired eyes.

"I'm never drinking again." I said out loud before sleep could claim me.

# Desire Out Now.

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