“We’re doing everything we can,” Terrence answered.
“And I’ll tell you what our plan is, but first you need to tell me where you’ve been for the past month.”
Julia nodded. “That’s fair.”
Sierra and Gabe made their way to one of the maps with soldiers crowded around and immediately became involved with the conversation.
Julia and Terrence moved toward the back of the cave, where a log served as a bench, and they sat down.
“All right,” he said. “Tell me everything.”
She looked down at the dirt floor. “It started back in November when I became hypnotized in my sleep. I walked down to the lake in the middle of the night and woke up terrified. I tried to get back to the castle, but a siren stopped me.
Before I knew it, two more sirens appeared, and they dragged me into the water.”
Terrence leaned forward, clenching his fist. “Did they hurt you?”
“No, not exactly,” Julia answered. “They took me through a portal to Sirenity—that’s where most sirens live. I met their leader, and she told who I was and what Alexis was. After I returned and told my father, he, of course, became upset.
And because everyone sees sirens as a threat, he made me promise not to tell anyone.”
“I understand his reasoning,” Terrence said, “but I can’t believe he didn’t trust me.”
“He didn’t trust anyone,” Julia answered. “After that I started turning more and more siren. My eyes changed, and my hair changed.” She tugged on a lock of apple-red hair.
“And I wasn’t able to shapeshift into my werecat.”
“You can’t shapeshift anymore?” Terrence’s eyes became worried.
“No. Now that I’m full siren, I can’t transform. It’s a gift I’ve lost.”
“Julia,” he said, “I’m so sorry. Are you sure you can’t do anything?”
She shrugged. “Mr. Knightly gave me the same dagger from last year that helped me transform. He seems to think I can relearn the art, but that’s wishful thinking.”
When she said the words, it made a memory resurface in her mind. She broke things off with Terrence because she had to accept reality. She was cursed. She knew that, and she had ended things with Terrence because of it. But seeing him again changed her mind. Things felt natural and comforted with Terrence. Their hands were still connected, and slowly she turned to look at their intertwined fingers.
As if sensing her thoughts, Terrence nudged her. “What?
What’s wrong?”
“Terrence,” she said quietly. “I have to tell you the truth.”
Immediately his face became anxious. “You didn’t leave me because you’re a siren. There’s something else, isn’t there?”
She swallowed. “Yes.”
“Is it someone else?” His words sounded defensive.
“No,” she whispered. “It’s more complicated than that. I don’t know how to say this, but I’m cursed. I can’t be with anyone.”
Terrence raised an eyebrow. “You think you’re cursed?”
he asked skeptically.
“It’s not a question. I know I am. The siren queen told me.
Alexis is cursed too. That’s why things ended the way they did with my dad.”
“Things ended that way because Alexis is evil. You’re not evil, Julia, and you’re not cursed.” He seemed offended. “Is that why you broke things off with me?”
“I had to,” Julia said. “I don’t want to live a lie and pretend to have a life I know I can’t have.”
“Julia, you’re different than Alexis. And I don’t think you should’ve ended things so quickly based off one person’s theory.”
“It’s not just a theory. I asked an interpreter if I was cursed.”
Terrence took a moment before responding. “An interpreter?” He cleared his throat. “I can see why you believed it, but you can’t just give up so easily.”
She sighed. “Terrence, you’re just making this more difficult. Look at me. I’m a siren, and I’m destined to be alone.
I’m not going to drag you into this mess.”
“Listen.” He sat up straight. “First, we’re going to find your father and get him back safely. Then you’re going to finish school at Lockham—”
“But I’m suspended—”
“Then,” he said, cutting her off, “we’re going to be together.
We’ll break this curse. But I’m not letting you sabotage our relationship because of fear. I still love you, Julia. Getting your letter was,” he exhaled painfully, “torture. Then you went missing which killed me inside.”
She looked at him, happy with his persistence, but still doubtful. “I love you too, and I’m sorry things ended that way.”
He moved closer. “I’m not letting you go. I love everything about you.” He touched a piece of her red hair. “Siren and all.”
Eventually the night began to wind down. Sierra, Gabe, and Julia pulled out their blankets and found an area close to the back wall. The majority of the soldiers had dark mats, which they rolled out around the fire.
Terrence, being a captain, had to switch off doing the night watch. He and three other captains laid out mats closer to the entrance. Every so often Julia caught him glancing at her, smiling.
She couldn’t believe Terrence knew about her siren identity. After everything she put him through, he still loved her.
Maybe she could be happy as a siren after all—maybe.
The morning started early, and Sierra woke Julia by gently pushing her.
“I think the Soldier Union is going to move soon.”
Exhausted, Julia folded and put away her blanket. She glanced around for Gabe and saw him conversing with a group of soldiers.
“Are you okay?” Sierra asked quietly.
Julia rubbed her eyes. “Yes, just groggy. Why?”
“You were tossing and turning all night. You’ve done that both nights that we’ve been out here in the jungle.”
“Can you blame me?” she asked. “I’m on a wild chase for my father, and I’m sleeping on rocks. I’m surprised we’re sleeping at all.”
Sierra didn’t look convinced. “But you’ve been talking too. Saying Caleb’s name and stuff.”
Just as Julia opened her mouth, a memory of her night’s previous dream ran through her mind. A blurry image of Caleb racing toward her filled her mind.
“Oh my gosh,” she said, recalling her dream. “I think Caleb’s trying to reach me. Through my dreams.”
Sierra opened her eyes wide. “That’s right. He’s a dreamwalker.”
“Do you think he’s found my dad? What if he needs help?”
She spoke so fast that her words came out jumbled.
“I’d tell Terrence,” Sierra said, looking nervous.
Julia started walking across the cave when Gabe appeared next to her. “Hey, I think we might have a lead. The captains just got word from—”
“Caleb?” Julia asked.
“Yeah.” His eyebrows furrowed. “Good guess. Apparently Caleb and Scarlet think they’re right on the Guild’s tail.”
Julia felt her heart speed up. “What did they say?”
“They’ve been more on the west side of the coast looking for the Guild. Someone was careless, and they found a trail.
It’s about a day’s journey from this point—”
Julia exhaled angrily. They were way too far behind the Guild.
“But,” Gabe continued, “we might be able to set up a portal, if Caleb gets our message in time.”
Julia left Gabe’s side and found Terrence in the middle of the cave looking at a map. She pulled on his arm, and he stepped away from the group.
“How are you contacting Caleb?” Julia asked.
“We have a two-way parchment with him,” he said.
“There’s a delay, and now we’re just waiting for his reply to see if he can set up a portal. Hopefully he and Scarlet can find a safe source of water—”
“Captain Daniels!” a soldier called out. “We’ve received a response.”
Terrence flipped around at the mention of his name and sprinted to the soldier. Julia followed, a lump in her throat.
What if the response was bad? What if something awful had happened to her father or Liam?
“He said they’ve set up a portal for us at their exact location. It’s ready for us to move through.”
Terrence’s eyes ran over the shiny black, cursive words.
“Which means we move,” he announced loudly. “NOW.”
The cave became a tornado of soldiers moving around quickly packing and preparing to move on. Within three minutes, they were ready to go.
The cave became empty, except for one basin, which stood in the center of the space. It looked like a large silver cauldron filled with water. Large enough to stand in, the basin would serve as a portal.
Gabe and Sierra stood next to Julia.
“They take that cauldron with them everywhere,” Gabe said. “Just in case they need to create a portal.”
“Amazing,” Julia breathed.
Terrence stood up tall near the basin and cleared his throat until the cave became silent.
“Once we go through,” he called to the other soldiers, “we will meet up with soldier Glyndor immediately and perform a full circle invasion. Marquette, Thomas, and Heeton, do you understand?”
The other captains replied in unison. “Yes.”
“Julia, Gabe, and Sierra, you’ll need to be near the back.
Marquette, you lead the way. Let’s move.”
In a single file line, each soldier stepped into the large basin and disappeared into the portal. Julia would have normally found the scene amusing, if she wasn’t stressed beyond measure.
As the cave emptied, Julia neared the basin for her turn.
She stepped into the knee-deep water, and the cave vanished as the portal enveloped her.
Darkness faded, and she heard waves crashing around her.
Before Julia could climb out of the water, someone grabbed her arm, lifting her onto the sand. She caught her balance and looked up to see Caleb.
He held onto her arm as he took in her face.
“Julia?” he asked shocked. “Is it really you?”
She smiled. “It’s me.”
Caleb hugged her so tightly, she lost her breath. His arms wrapped around her back, pulling on her long, red hair.
“I was so worried,” he said. “I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again.”
Julia bit her bottom lip. “I know. I’m sorry.” She couldn’t explain why, but she felt like crying. As he held her, she had to bury her emotions. This wasn’t the time to become hysterical.
Caleb released her but held onto her arm. “Are you okay?”
She exhaled a pent-up breath. “I will be. Once we find my dad and Liam.”
He nodded. “I know. We’ll move quickly.”
“But where’s Scarlet?” Julia glanced around until she saw his mother standing in the water, talking to the incoming soldiers.
Scarlet glanced at Julia and nodded, acknowledging her. “Julia,” Caleb said quietly. “As incredibly happy as I am to see you, I am also furious with you.” His last words came out strained.
She stepped away from him. “We don’t have time for that now, Caleb. I’m glad you’re all right too. But let’s move.”
Sierra and Gabe rose out of the ocean and stumbled onto the shore, followed by Terrence.
Both Luke Marquette and Terrence approached Caleb, addressing him.
“Thank you for your work, Glyndor. How far do you think they’ve gone?” Luke asked.
Caleb looked off into the distance. “I think they’re about three miles west of us. And we need to move immediately.
What’s the plan?”
“A full circle attack,” Luke answered. “But these two will need to stay out.” He jutted his head toward Julia and Sierra.
“Although, if they don’t recognize Julia, it could really help us.
If they see a siren on our side—”
“Julia won’t be involved,” Caleb interjected. “She’ll stay a stretch behind. I’m sure Gabe can keep her and Sierra safely hidden and guarded. Right, Gabe?”
“Yes,” Gabe answered, gripping his sword.
Julia let out an angry sigh. “This is my father too. I want to—”
“No.” Both Terrence and Caleb answered at the same time.
“Fine,” she said. She’d make her own decisions once they reached the Guild.
“Let’s go,” Luke said.
Immediately the troop began heading quickly along the shoreline. All of the soldiers had their swords out, ready for an attack.
“Julia, let’s move.” Caleb reached out to take her hand, but Terrence stood next to her, already clutching it.
Terrence raised his eyebrows at Caleb. “What are you doing?”
Caleb clenched his jaw and dropped his hand, disappointed. “I guess I don’t know.”
Julia’s heart raced, and she didn’t know how to respond.
“What am I doing, Julia?” he asked.
She opened her mouth to speak, but thankfully, Scarlet cut her off.
“Hey.” She turned around from the group ahead of them.
“What are you guys doing?” Her eyes moved over them. “We don’t have time to stall. Let’s go.”
Julia let go of Terrence’s hand. “She’s right. We’re wasting time.” She moved away from both of them, heading toward the group.
The journey became longer than Julia would have liked.
She had a pain in her left foot, and her knees stung after walking on so many rocks. However, her thoughts were on one thing only, and she would make any sacrifice to save her father.
An hour later, the front of the group began moving into the trees, and the rest of the soldiers followed. They were obviously close. The trees along the shoreline were thick and provided a good hideaway.
Gabe, Sierra, and Julia ducked behind a large boulder in the jungle, and after a few minutes, Gabe peered around it.
“What do you see?” Julia asked breathlessly.
“I think someone’s coming.”
“Who is it?” Julia whispered frantically. “Is it my dad? Is it Alexis?”
He squinted. “I don’t think so. It’s a woman, but it’s not Alexis.”
Sierra sat up on her knees. “What’s happening now?”
Gabe held up a finger to his lips and whispered, “It looks like Captain Marquette is approaching her.”
Julia put a hand over her mouth, worried.
“They’re just talking, but Marquette is shaking his head.”
“Does she look dangerous? Is he going to be okay?”
Gabe became quiet for a moment until he peered closer.
“Is that a Clamore?”
“A what?” Julia asked.
“It’s like a microphone without the speakers, but much more powerful.”
Just as he answered, the air seemed to change around Julia. An unbearable ringing filled her ears for ten seconds.
She pressed both hands around her head and winced.
When the ringing stopped, the air became silent and a voice rang out.
“LISTEN CLEARLY.” The female voice sounded out strong and defiant, but it wasn’t Alexis’s.
“This soldier appears to be alone, but I know that’s not true. He also says Julia Levesque is not with your group, and I’m not sure whether that’s true. Either way, I have a message to relay to each and every one of you.”
Sierra and Gabe turned to Julia, wide eyed, and her stomach twisted as she listened.
“Alexis wants me to let you know that we do in fact have both Lancer and Liam in our control. They are both alive—
for now.”
Julia felt so tense; she couldn’t even move to breathe.
“If you want to see your soldiers again, you will heed these instructions.” The voice seemed to echo
a thousand times with each horrifying word. “Julia is to take the throne of Ossai and become queen. Once she is queen, she must publicly give up her crown. The throne will be in Julia’s hands to decide who will take over …” The voice paused for a moment, and Julia could almost hear the smile in her voice. “And she will give the position to Alexis. Once she has gone through these steps, Alexis will require one more favor of you. After that you have the Guild’s word that Lancer and Liam will both be released.”
Gabe shook his head next to Julia.
“And there is only one current way for her to redeem her position as queen. She must get married. She has forty-eight hours to finalize the ceremony, and then we will contact her for further instructions. Their fate lies within her hands.”
The deafening voice ended and the air became silent again.
Julia sat in shock for what felt like an hour.
“She’s leaving,” Gabe said, peeking back over the rock.
“She said something to Marquette. Probably telling him not to follow her. Looks like she’s heading for a portal.”
“She’s leaving that quickly?” Julia stood up. “There’s no way she’s going to leave without letting me see my father.”
Before Sierra could stop her, Julia began sprinting toward Luke Marquette and the Guild member.
“Julia, no!” Gabe hissed.
She shoved a branch out of her way and saw clearly where the Guild member stood on the shore.
“What do you think you’re doing?” another soldier called out. He tried to grasp Julia’s arm, but she dodged him.
The hooded Guild member walked into the water now.
Julia only had seconds before she disappeared.
Julia hurdled over a boulder feet away from the shore, when someone rammed her in the side. She skidded to a halt, so as not to tumble over, and felt arms wrap around her.
“Get off me!” Julia screamed.
“No.” Terrence held her firmly in his arms as she struggled.
“Terrence, stop. I need to get to my dad!”
“Julia.” He locked her in tighter. “It’s okay. We’ll save him.
But you running straight into the Guild’s hands will only make things worse.”
The Siren's Secret Page 21
