by Katie Dunn
Tam stepped aside and two men rushed over to me and tied me up with rough rope. A nasty smelling cloth was placed over my mouth which snagged a few hairs as it was tied behind my head. A tsking sound made its way over to me and Lydia appeared with hairs astray and charred clothes but sadly no burns. I really hoped my fire breath would have taken her out of commission. I noticed Laneli was not there so maybe I accomplished something.
“Take her back to the water room,” Lydia ordered the men holding me as she glared daggers that promised revenge.
I was roughly led down the hall by two Hunters while the others tried to catch and contain the escaped myths. This whole situation was messed up. These myths did not deserve to be locked up and experimented on. Tamara did not deserve to be a djinn slave to a crazy Hunter scientist. The only thing that seemed fair was the fact that I was here with all of them. If I didn’t make that mistake in calling Tam to the alley, then Laneli wouldn’t have figured out my best friend was a djinn. I deserved whatever torture they gave me.
Despite my gloomy thoughts, I felt anger simmering deep within my belly. I would release all those myths and my best friend if it was the last thing I did. I tried spitting out the foul-tasting cloth, but it only caused my tongue to taste more of it. I would have to wait to fight back once the cloth was removed and the guards were not securely holding me.
Movement from my left drew my attention. We already passed the cages so all I saw were locked doors. I could have sworn I saw something move in the shadows though, but as I peered into the darkness surrounding each door there was no other movement. I shook my head and faced forward again trying to figure out a plan to get out of there.
We reached the water room a moment later and one of the guards tightened his grip on my arms while the other keyed in a code to let us in. The guard holding me roughly shoved me forward into the room while keeping his hold on me. I had only been there for a few hours, but the water room was already familiar. The tank cast watery light onto the walls and the room echoed with the sound of dripping.
I was startled by a chair being slammed in front of me. The Hunter holding me forced me to sit while the other tied me to the chair. Once I was secure the Hunters moved to stand by the door, leaving me to stare at the slightly lighted tank of water.
It was interesting how this whole new life of mine started with water. A beautiful song and a swim caused me to become blessed for apparently the second time. Then, suddenly, I was at Myth Blessed Academy with one crazy thing happening after another. All because of water.
Movement from the side of the tank, near the shadows, caught my attention. This time I was one hundred percent sure there was something there. My eyes couldn’t focus enough to see what it was, but I was almost certain it was the same thing I glimpsed in the hallway. I glanced behind me at the two Hunters to see if they saw anything, but they stared straight ahead like good little soldiers. A moment later, shapes appeared in the shadows and my heart almost burst with happiness.
Elliot and Harvey stood camouflaged in the shadows near the tank. Harvey must have grabbed onto Tam in time when she transported me away then went to get back up when he figured out where we landed. I saw Elliot’s mouth move but I was not very good at reading lips. I frowned and tilted my head a little in confusion.
He mouthed the words again, this time with hand signals, “Are you ok?”
Since I couldn’t say anything back or use hand signals, I was stuck with using my facial expressions. I deepened my frown and glared at him, hoping he could read the what do you think sarcasm I was throwing at him.
Elliot held up one finger telling me to wait a minute and turned to say something to Harvey. Wait for what I had no idea. Plus, I really didn’t have a choice. I pulled against the ropes that held me to the chair but there was no give. I wished I could control fire with my hands like a normal fire myth blessed. I squinted, trying to see them better, but I could only make out their shapes. I would be surprised if the Hunters saw them, since they were on the other side of the room, but I still felt fearful for my friends.
Elliot turned back to me and I could see something like determination in his face, but the shadows made it unclear. Elliot took one step forward and my eyes widened in panic. He was going to step out from the shadows. I knew he could handle the two guards, but I was still worried. Before Elliot could step all the way out and announce his presence, the door to the water room opened and Lydia, followed by her djinn slave, entered the room. I shook my head at Elliot hoping he knew that I was telling him to stay back. Elliot and Harvey could handle a couple of beefy Hunter dudes, but they were no match for a djinn.
“That was quite a ruckus you caused back there,” Lydia scolded, oblivious to the two powerful myth blessed in the corner. She appeared in my line of sight and bent down toward me, smiling. “We got all the myths locked back up, but it was a bold move on your part to try.”
I rolled my eyes since it was the only thing I could do. I tried to put up a brave front but, on the inside, I was terrified of what her punishment would be.
“Before we continue, someone would like to say something.” Lydia crooked a finger at someone over my shoulder.
I craned my neck to see who it was, and my stomach dropped. I knew it was too good to be true that she was gone. Laneli stepped up beside her mother and glared at me. If it wasn’t for the fact that I was tied up and gagged, I would have laughed until my stomach hurt at Laneli’s missing eyebrows and singed clothes and hair. Even then, I couldn’t help the mirth gleaming in my eyes and the shakes in my shoulders as I tried to hold back the laughter.
My humor immediately died when pain suddenly radiated out from my jaw through my face to the top of my head. I shook my head to focus and saw Laneli standing over me with a clenched fist.
Her fist flew toward my face again and all I could do was close my eyes and brace for impact. The second punch knocked my head back and blackness threatened to take over. When I opened my eyes, I glanced behind Laneli and saw Harvey’s shape restraining Elliot’s shadowed shape. I shook my head at them to tell them to stay put then regretted the movement as sharp pains tore through my skull.
“Let me do it.” Laneli held out her hand to her mother. “I want to see her suffer,” Laneli hissed.
She reminded me of a snake with that hissing and the venom she so obviously held against me. If I didn’t know any better, she could have been a lamia myth blessed. I blinked a few times, trying to focus on the two women.
Lydia smiled at her daughter and handed over a pink pill. I narrowed my eyes at them, instantly suspicious of that pill. It looked innocent enough but Laneli was the one holding it which automatically meant something was wrong, and she had just said she wanted to cause me suffering. I did not want any part of that. Laneli smiled at me in a way that I expected fangs to drop down out of her snake mouth. Laneli must have hit me hard for me to have so many snake analogies however, they were accurate.
“If you sing or spew your filthy fire at me, your little friend here will snap your neck,” Laneli threatened as she gestured to Tam.
I just sat silent and glared at her. I did not know if Laneli’s threat was true, especially since Lydia needed me for more experiments, but I figured I should take it to heart. No need for snapped necks today.
Laneli yanked at the knot of the gag behind me and pulled the cloth away, taking a few of my hairs with it. Tears stung my eyes at the sharp pain from having hair roughly pulled out, but I figured it was better than a snapped neck. Laneli leaned over and squeezed my cheeks, forcing me to open my mouth. Her other hand, holding the pill, drew nearer and my heart started to race. I assumed the pill wouldn’t kill me, but in my experience, experience being from movies, that pill would not be good to have in my system. I tried to move my head away from her hands, but her grip was strong.
“Stop struggling,” Laneli gritted out as she attempted to hold my head in place. When I didn’t listen, she slapped me, causing stars to dot my vision.
&n
bsp; I hissed at her and twisted my head sharply, so her hand was near my mouth. Without thinking, I bit down as hard as I could, and liquid filled my mouth. I thought her blood would taste like copper, but it tasted sweet.
Laneli screeched, dropped the pill and stumbled back, cradling her hand. “Kill her,” Laneli screamed at Tam.
My eyes darted to my friend and I saw a small smirk on her lips. Relief washed through me at that smile. My friend was not completely gone. Tam ignored the request making me wonder who really had control over the djinn. Lydia tsked at her daughter then strode over to the pill and picked it up.
“You shouldn’t have done-” Lydia started but was cut off by Laneli gasping in pain.
We looked over in time to watch Laneli crumple to the floor and writhe in pain. “Make it stop, it burns,” Laneli cried out.
Lydia rushed over and knelt next to her. I couldn’t see Laneli very well since Lydia blocked her, but I caught a glimpse of a swollen hand with two puncture wounds.
“Go get bandages and my medical kit,” Lydia yelled at the guards near the door. “Find an antivenom serum.”
I didn’t turn to see them leave but I heard the door close behind them. I was still tied to the chair and could only look on in horror as Laneli screamed in pain and writhed on the floor. How could that happen? There were no snakes in the room, and Laneli was completely fine a second ago.
Lydia turned to me with rage in her eyes and a little bit of fear. She stood up and walked slowly to me with clenched fists and her skin turned red with anger and worry. “What kind Chimera crap did you do?”
Chimera? She was accusing me of poisoning her daughter with venom, but she had to be wrong. I didn’t have a venomous bite.
Then again, a chimera was part lion, goat, and snake. I had been thinking of snakes wherever Laneli was concerned, so maybe…
“Tell me the antidote, you Chimera monster!” Lydia screamed at me and shook my shoulders. Her nails dug into my skin through my clothing making me wince.
“I-I don’t know,” I told her honestly.
I glanced at Laneli and remembered the sweet taste when I bit into her hand. Maybe that was the venom I tasted rather than blood. Would I never not have a surprising new gift? My stomach clenched with guilt over Laneli’s pain, but I had just wished her dead less than an hour before.
Maybe I was a monster after all.
“Djinn,” Laneli summoned, “make her pay for this.”
Tamara moved forward though she seemed to struggle against it. Purple smoke started to surround her hands and I could only imagine what would follow. She looked sorrowful but her actions continued to follow the order.
Lydia suddenly screamed in pain and Tamara froze as if her orders were halted. Lydia began to look ashen and the color leeched from her skin. I looked on horrified and unable to do anything as she crumpled to the floor in front of me. Harvey, cloaked in shadows, stood behind her with a glowing pink and blue orb in his hand.
I stared at him with wide eyes and mouth agape then at the glowing colorful orb.
Harvey shrugged. “Nalusa Chito,” he said then shoved the orb into his mouth. If I didn’t see it with my own eyes, I would not have believed her just did that. He actually ate the glowing orb he took from Lydia’s body.
I gagged and looked away from the frightening and sickening sight.
“Soul eater,” I whispered once I got my stomach under control. I slowly looked back at him, completely grossed out by his scary gift. No wonder Drakari continued to bring him along on missions. Despite not having a familiar, he was one powerful myth blessed.
Harvey had the decency to look embarrassed but immediately replaced it with relief when he saw Tamara. My friend had unfrozen and now looked clear headed. Killing her master must have released her bond. Harvey and Tam embraced, and I choked on a sob. We had her back and she was free now.
The doors burst open and five Hunters stormed through. They looked from us to the collapsed body of their boss and dove to attack Harvey who stood close to the door. Before they could touch Tam or Harvey, Elliot roared, and a column of fire raced toward the Hunters. Elliot’s skin was covered in black scales and his fingers seemed to be longer and sharper, almost like talons. Elliot picked up one of the men and tossed him at a wall as if his weight was that of a feather. Then he slashed out at two more, causing large gashes to appear on their chests. The other two Hunters stared at Elliot then their comrades and ran frightened from the room. I would be frightened too if I faced a dragon blessed in combat.
Elliot ran to me and quickly untied me. As soon as those ropes were gone, I was crushed against a solid chest and wrapped with dragon scaled arms. I held back my wince as my bruised cheek was smooshed against him and inhaled his campfire scent.
“That was the most frightening thing I ever had to witness,” Elliot breathed into my ear and held me closer.
“The whole Lydia and Laneli thing or Harvey’s new appetite?” I joked, trying to lighten the mood.
He leaned back and smiled. “Ya know? You are one tough myth blessed.” His smile almost made me cry because I never thought I would see it again, yet here it was. He rubbed my cheek with the pad of his thumb and his eyes darkened fiercely. His statement about my toughness and the anger simmering in his eyes reminded me of Laneli and how my toughness was just a defense mechanism.
I glanced over at her and saw that she had become still. My venom had moved through her system too quickly. I couldn’t hold it back any longer. I broke down and cried against Elliot’s chest. My friend had been a slave to a crazy scientist, I had been kidnapped and tortured, and innocent myths were held captive in a weird zoo-like facility, yet it was Laneli’s death that hit me the hardest. This whole time I was terrified of my siren side, but it was my chimera side that caused the most damage.
Chapter 17
Blessing or a Curse
Panda butted her little goat head against my shin, wanting my attention. I had been spacing out for the last couple of days, my mind replaying all the events from the facility, and I hadn’t been giving her the attention she needed.
We had called Dominic Drakari and the SMP once we dealt with the Hunter guards that night. I was numb after my crying session and ended up singing to anyone who came nearby, not caring about their free will at the time. I was already a monster so what was one more thing on my list. I effectively created an army of enchanted Hunters who I put to work freeing the caged myths. It was ironic that the Hunters who captured those creatures were the ones to set them free. SMP showed up shortly after and took our statements and helped get the myths back to their proper regions.
Knocking on my door alerted me just before someone opened it and danced inside. Seeing Marion brought me back to the present and I picked up Panda to stroke her fur. Marion looked happy and excited in her aqua ball gown. Her hair glittered in the light and her dress reminded me of the lake behind our dorms. For once her hair was down and laid curled against her back. She stopped dancing when she saw me at my desk and a look of pity crossed her face before she masked it with a smile.
“Why aren’t you ready yet,” she scolded me and glanced at my dress laying on the bed.
It was a beautiful and elegant gold dress with blue shimmers in it. The dress reminded me of my dual myths and that was probably what Tamara was going for when she magicked it into existence yesterday. She said she held no hard feelings against me and that the whole thing was not my fault, but I couldn’t bring myself to believe her. She had become a slave because I drew attention to her.
As if summoned by my thoughts, purple smoke filled the room and a djinn in a short frilly purple dress appeared in our room. Tamara rested her hands on her hips and glared at me.
“Why are you not dressed yet?” Tamara asked incredulously.
“That’s what I asked too,” Marion shouted and stood next to Tam, mimicking her hands-on-hips pose.
I grimaced at the dress on my bed. It had only been two days since I killed Laneli and I fel
t like I would be sick anytime I thought of her screams or swollen hand. I was about to let them down and say I wasn’t going but cold liquid suddenly engulfed my head. It poured over my hair and down my face causing my clothes to become soaked. I shrieked and stood up, dumping Panda on the floor as I tried to escape more water.
“What was that?” I spluttered in outrage.
“Now you have to change and get your head in the game,” Marion chuckled.
Marion and Tamara dropped to the floor in fits of laughter, clenching their stomachs at my drowned rat appearance. I couldn’t help the smile that came to my own lips and soon we were all laughing and rolling on the floor. It felt nice to laugh again and feel loved by my friends.
Fine, I would put on the stupid dress and go to the stupid dance. I stood up and held my arms open waiting for them to catch on. When they didn’t, I sighed and titled my chin up in fake haughtiness.
“It is only fit that you clean me up since you two are the ones to make me look like this,” I squeezed my lips shut, fighting the grin that wanted to break free.
The girls stared at me then stated laughing again. I put my hands on my hips and looked in the mirror. The grin finally broke through at seeing my drenched appearance trying to act tough.
“Alright, alright, but seriously, can you help me?” I held my arms out again and looked to Tam, our resident magical djinn.
She rolled her eyes but stood up and waved her hands at me, purple smoke following her command. As usual the smoke did not smell or feel odd as it surrounded me and as usual, something amazing happened in its wake.
I turned to the mirror when the smoke cleared and gasped at my reflection. I was completely dry and dressed in my ankle length golden dress that shimmered blue as I turned. My hair was done up in curls and pulled back so only a couple ringlets fell around my face. Tamara did a great job.
