The Silver Siren (28 page)

“
You can’t be serious,” I
said. The horror of their building another machine made me
cringe.

“
Even I know what my
future holds. Madness, pain, and darkness. I’m willing to go
through all that to stop the curse from passing on to another
generation. Do you really think I want to have children like Tomac?
Who are happy and beautiful one day and the next terribly insane? I
would give it all up to be free of my generational
curse.”

“
But you heard Xiven. Half
of the experiments failed. They ended in death.”

“
And the others ended up
empty shells. Both are preferable to my current destiny. Right now,
even death seems like a quiet and peaceful alternative.” Sevril
cried out, jumping up from his spot and pacing the room He fidgeted
with his shirt sleeve.

“
Thalia,” Xiven said. “We
are not asking you for anything. We aren’t asking for your
permission. We’ve already begun the process. You may not know it
because you haven’t been here that long, but Sevril’s already
changed.”

“
What? You mean you’ve
already started?” I turned and glared at Sevril, feeling like he
was a bigger traitor than Xiven. That he would willingly trust and
accept the help of someone who admitted to lying, kidnapping, and
torturing innocents.

Sevril worried the inside of his
cheek, let out a long sigh, and then pulled up his sleeves to show
me the black bloodied bandages that ran up the inside of his arms.
No wonder his arms were uncomfortable. “I doubt you would ever
believe me, but the episode Tomac had was tame compared to how mine
were even few short weeks ago.”

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from
Sevril’s arms. He willingly went under the machine, knowing he
could die, just to be free of his curse. A curse only now beginning
to plague my body.

“
It’s not the same as what
was done to you, Thalia.” Xiven tried to make an excuse to ease the
horrified look I plastered Sevril with. “The Raven figured out what
you were when the experiments started to work.”

I turned to glare at Xiven, my voice
filling with conviction. “Who is the Raven?”

Xiven shifted uncomfortably and sat
down on the stool again. “I’m not exactly sure.”

“
How can you not know?” I
snapped.

He bowed his head to stare at a spot
on the floor before he looked up to me. “I have a suspicion, but
it’s unfounded and quite unlikely that anyone will believe me. And
even if I did tell you, it won’t change what is to
come.”

“
And what is
that?”

“
The Raven wants the Denai
to be the most powerful race in the world. To make that happen, the
Sirens need to be destroyed.”

“
Well, the queen is
certainly convinced all of the evidence points to Sinnendor,” I
said.

Xiven’s head snapped up and he met
Sevril’s eyes. A silent pause passed between them, and I could
almost see the silent conversation.

“
Interesting and a bit
coincidental isn’t it?” Xiven asked. “The queen and her Denai are
hesitant to pursue justice for these horrendous deeds. They won’t
enter Sinnendor to find answers, even when—”

“
It’s not like that,” I
sighed loudly. “The Denai are not strong enough to enter into a war
with Sinnendor, and I doubt that even Queen Lilyana would sacrifice
any of their lives needlessly. Even though I’m sure if she asked
the Adept Council, they would do everything they could to help
her.”

“
So what? She could send
Calandry’s emissaries into Sinnendor? Why hasn’t she done so
already?” Sevril replied, crossing his arms to wait for my
answer.

“
Maybe she fears King
Tieren would think it a threat and attack Calandry in retaliation,”
I rushed out.

“
Listen to yourself. You
are basing this on a whole lot of what-ifs, for a queen and race
your clan doesn’t even like.” Xiven answered back, a quizzical
expression on his face.

“
I am listening to myself,
and I’m making more sense than you are. You suddenly show up in
Sinnendor of your own free will. You’re doing experiments to try
and remove all trace of Siren genes from the Prince of Sinnendor.
And all to save a dying race that you didn’t even know existed a
few months ago.” My voice rose loudly in conviction with each word
I uttered. It felt like my blood was rushing through my veins, and
I was finding it harder to control my emotions. I looked over to
Sevril to see if he shared my concern.

He looked at me and shrugged his
shoulders. “If he has an ulterior motive, so be it. I would rather
live a fully human life than a mad one.”

“
You’re pathetic,” I
shouted. “He could be plotting the destruction of all of us—your
grandmother, father, brother. Don’t you have any
loyalty?”

Sevril’s eyes blazed. “My loyalty has
always been that of the people of this land—no matter what their
race. I do this for them! So that they can have hope for the
future. A cure. Who are you to question my choices and
motives?”

I was stunned by the utter fury and
conviction that laced Sevril’s words. His eyes were dark with
anger, his hands clenched into fists. Even his hair looked as if it
stood on end in anger. I had, in that one moment, seen a glimpse of
the madness and power that lay sealed within Sevril. Here was proof
that he may have been the more unstable one.

My own vision became blurry with fury.
I knew I needed to leave and leave now, before I lashed out. I
stomped over to the barricaded door and began to forcefully shove
the trunk to the side. It was heavy and made a loud screeching
noise.

Xiven stepped forward to offer
help.

“
Get away from me!” I
yelled at him and whacked his hand. He moved suddenly, and I fell
onto my backside.

Instead of keeping a serious face,
Xiven started laughing. Even Sevril began to chuckle, their moods
easily tempered apparently. Mine was too far gone.

“
Stop laughing,” I said in
warning. I tried to focus on my uneven breathing.

The laughing continued and my hands
began to shake.

“
Knock it off!” I yelled
out loudly and stood up, my whole body trembling with the beginning
of the power again.

Sevril snorted which caused Xiven to
howl.

My ears burned red, my temper loosed,
and I couldn’t hold it in anymore. The anger at my situation, my
attempted assassination by Tomac. There’d been too much. I was
helpless in finding the solution to my disease, which is what I was
now calling it. I was more than frustrated over not knowing what
was happening with Kael and Joss. I shouldered guilt over not
saving the innocent Denai. It was too much for me to contain, and I
let it go with a throaty yell.

I opened my eyes and turned my wrath
on the trunk. The power seeped out like a trickle of water through
a fissure in a mountain side—escaping even though the rock tried to
keep it prisoner. That is how I described what was happening with
me. The Siren blood was too loose—too powerful—in me now. It
pounded at and weakened the Sinnendor barrier like it had when I
splintered the knife. Only this time I wasn’t afraid for my
life.

Just furious.

The trunk blasted into a hundred
flaming pieces, all of the contents scattered. Apparently, it had
been packed with books. Pages of paper fluttered to the ground as
they turned to ash. I looked at Xiven triumphantly between
half-closed eyes and smirked.

He just clapped his hands in joy. Then
he turned to Sevril and said, “You know she is showing you what an
unleashed Siren’s gifts are. It’s not too late to reverse your
process.”

Sevril stared at the blackened spot,
where his trunk had sat in front of the door. He shook his head,
“No way. That is too much power for one person to have. Especially
me.” Sevril’s eyes sadly left the carnage of burning books to give
me a pitiful look. “At least I’m sane enough to know
that.”

The smile fell from my
face.

Chapter 27

It
was easier than I’d expected to leave the castle.

I walked out of Sevril’s room. I
listened at every bend for the maniacal laughter of Tomac and
followed a group of servants out the front door. My remaining anger
fueled my determination as I stormed into the stable and demanded a
horse to be saddled. The stable master stuttered, bobbed his head,
and ran for a saddle. I was counting on my current palace attire to
curb any forthcoming questions.

A few of the Elite gathered outside of
the stables to watch my departure with interest. I ignored them, as
any lady of a royal house would, and acted impatient. I was
surprised when a very large destrier was brought out and presented
to me. By no means was he as stunning as Faraway, but he was the
largest horse I had ever seen. Sixteen hands tall and well
muscled.

Gideon’s head popped around from
behind him, and he handed me the reigns. My cheeks flamed red. I
was about to explain my actions but he just shook his
head.

“
You’ll need a reliable
companion to see you home.” He smiled wanly.

“
A suitable mare would
have been fine, but you give me a war horse. Why?”

“
I hope that you will one
day personally return him. But if it comes down to courage and
strength of will, there isn’t any finer than Loker.”

“
I may beg to differ.” I
said, again wishing for my own friend and companion. The leather
reigns of Loker in my hand felt like shackles being snapped around
my ankles. All the more reason to leave and leave now. “I should
leave. I should have left earlier. If I don’t, you may have the
whole Valdyrstal clan on your doorstep. Unanswered questions were
all that kept me here.”

Gideon came over and kneeled, politely
offering me the boost I needed to get up on the large beast. I
stared at the cupped palms he was offering me and hesitated only a
moment.

“
I’m assuming that since
now you are leaving, you’ve gotten your answers.” He adjusted the
stirrups on Loker to accommodate my shorter legs.

“
All but one.” I took a
deep breath and prayed for guidance. “Is King Tieren going to send
any more men to attack my village?”

This time Gideon turned red and rubbed
the back of his neck. “I’ve heard that your own family line is not
affected the way we are. I’m hoping that with time we can find a
cure to help King Tieren and his sons. And I think the answer lies
with you. You will see us again, hopefully under better
circumstances. We would like to see an understanding between the
two great families once again, because our future depends on it.”
Gideon pinched his lips in a solemn expression.

I supposed it was the closest I would
get to an answer. I didn’t wait. I spurred the horse on and headed
toward the gate before I lost my nerve, or before King Tieren had a
mood swing and I ended up back in the dungeon.

I neared the gate, and Gideon motioned
for the guards to let me through. Sitting straight and tall in the
saddle, I looked neither right nor left but continued on my
journey. Unlike the palace in Calandry, Sinnendor’s castle was
nestled in a small mountain range. The closest town, Merchantstown,
was a good three miles away and located along the river Sterling. I
could either take the main road into Merchantstown or bypass it and
head into the forest that lay south of the castle. I was hoping to
continue south and meet up with a road that would lead me back into
Calandry.

I could see barely see the outline the
Shadow Mountains from where I was, and I could envision King Tieren
staring out of his castle into that very mountain range and wishing
desperately for his sister’s return.

No wonder he became obsessed with
getting her back.

I spurred the horse forward toward the
trees, hoping that I could put some distance between me and the
castle before it became dark and Tieren sent Gideon back after me.
I didn’t really know whom to trust. It wasn’t long before I found a
path and followed it. Any time it forked, I took the road that
seemed to head south.

Hours passed and the sky darkened. I
couldn’t help but glance over my shoulder every few minutes,
looking for Gideon’s form or one of the Elite to come barreling
after me.

My stomach growled but I ignored the
rumbling until it no longer cried out in protest. I was cold,
shivering. By now I was fighting to keep from falling asleep. My
eyes grew heavy and every few minutes, my head nodded off to the
side. I would instantly jerk awake and stare into the night. I
couldn’t help it, I was mentally and emotionally exhausted, and
even my flight instinct wasn’t kicking in to keep me
awake.

I must have dozed off again, because I
awoke to something poking me in the side. Maybe I had rubbed
against a brambleberry bush. Loker stopped moving and the poke in
the side dug deeper.

I opened my eyes to the edge of a
sword pointed at my face.

Chapter 28

I
was instantly alert. It must be the Elite. Tieren must have sent
them back for me. My hand reached for a weapon but I came up empty.
The forest was unnaturally quiet, except for the whispers I could
hear from my ambushers. I couldn’t take my eyes off of the sword
pointed toward my throat, and I recognized the pain in my side as
another knife. I saw black shapes moving about, dark cloaks, and
more swords appearing.