The Siren's Secret

by Heather Ostler

  “I have breakfast for both you girls,” she said, setting down the tray. “You two are looking worn. You have to eat.”

  Julia thanked her and took a bowl of oatmeal from the tray.

  “So there’s no word from the Soldier Union?” Sierra asked, taking a spoonful of food. “Did they have any luck finding the portal?”

  Scarlet looked at the gray clouds outside their window.

  “No. I’m afraid I haven’t heard anything.”

  Julia finished eating and glanced at Scarlet’s bag. “Hair dye?”

  “And contacts,” she answered. “We’ll need to put the color in before you shower though. The ceremony has been scheduled for eleven o’clock.”

  A soft rain began to beat against the window, and Julia shuddered. “Let’s get started.”

  Sitting on her desk chair in their large, marble bathroom, Julia watched Scarlet do her hair. She brushed out her long, red locks, and then pulled a dark bottle out of her bag.

  The bottle of hair dye didn’t smell bad, luckily, and Scarlet drenched Julia’s hair until it looked like a black mess.

  “Don’t worry,” she said, “it will lighten after it’s washed.

  After Scarlet finished, Julia turned on a hot shower and rinsed out the hair dye. Black color swirled around the drain and then finally turned clear. When she stepped out of the shower, it took a moment to get used to the new color. She looked more like her old self, but with a hint of red.

  It took another thirty minutes to dry her hair, put in the contacts, and begin her make up.

  “We’ll just keep everything simple,” Scarlet said. She twisted Julia’s hair into an elegant bun while Sierra applied a white eye shadow to her eyes.

  Julia became quiet and tried her best to keep calm. She felt so helpless and frustrated. She’d secretly hoped that the Soldier Union would have found her father and saved him and Lancer before she walked down the aisle.

  “Okay.” Scarlet plucked a diamond pin from the counter and stuck it in Julia’s hair. “I think you’re ready.”

  Sierra stepped back and admired her makeup job. “You look beautiful.”

  Turning around, Julia stared into the mirror. Her smooth, dark hair looked fantastic in the formal bun. Her makeup looked white, simple, and just slightly shimmery. They had done an amazing job, but Julia had a hard time concentrating.

  Scarlet kneeled down next to her. “Julia,” she breathed.

  “It’s not too late. You don’t have to do this.”

  Julia peeled her eyes away from her reflection to look at Scarlet. “I know,” she whispered. “But it will be okay.”

  She stood up and gave both Sierra and Scarlet a small hug.

  “It’s time.”

  Scarlet nodded and led Julia up to one of the classrooms while Sierra carried her dress on the hanger.

  Sierra helped Julia climb into the wedding gown, while Scarlet slipped away to finalize things. When she returned a moment later, she held a pouch in her hand.

  “Luke gave me this. There are two wedding rings. I’ll hold on to them until they are to be exchanged.”

  Julia smoothed out any wrinkles in her skirt and took a deep breath. “Okay.”

  “There’s under ten people in there. It’s safest just to keep the ceremony small.”

  “Is Caleb in there?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Scarlet said. “We’re all going to support you, Julia.

  You are incredibly brave, and I appreciate your strength.”

  “Thank you,” Julia said. “Okay. Let’s go.”

  She walked out of the classroom and waited for Sierra and Scarlet to enter the larger room and take their seats.

  Taking each step slowly, Julia shuffled across the hall and entered the room.

  The large classroom had a high ceiling and a window that took up the whole side of the wall. Two rows of white chairs faced the window, and a small platform had been placed in the front.

  As Julia first entered the room, the audience stood. Four soldiers were on one side of the room, and Caleb, Gabe, Sierra, and Scarlet sat on the other side.

  Everyone looked pleasant and gave a small smile as Julia walked past—everyone except for Caleb.

  He was dressed in his formal soldier uniform, but he didn’t look at Julia. He stared forward out the large window, which raindrops splattered against.

  It became silent as Julia walked toward the window and looked at Terrence. He also wore his formal Soldier Union uniform, and he beamed as she walked toward him.

  Behind him stood a tall man that Julia suspected to be the lawmaker there to perform the ceremony. He had a long nose and wore a black suit.

  For some reason, when Julia caught sight of him she began to feel lightheaded. He stared at her intensely, and she stopped walking for a moment. She took a deep breath, but somehow felt as if the air didn’t make it into her lungs.

  “Julia,” Terrence said. “Are you all right?”

  She tried to answer but heard footsteps behind her. Julia turned to see two other soldiers enter the room.

  “I’m so sorry to interrupt,” the first soldier said, “but we need to speak with the captains immediately.”

  Luke and the older captain next to him stood up.

  Julia’s heart began to race; did they have good news or bad? The captains quickly left the room.

  Julia picked up her dress and ran after them. She didn’t care that she abandoned the aisle; she had to know what happened.

  Caleb and Scarlet were behind her in a second, and the captains stood in a small circle just outside the door.

  “What have you found?” Caleb asked. “Did you have any leads?”

  The first soldier looked from Caleb, to Julia, to Scarlet.

  “Yes,” he answered. “We found where the portal leads to.

  We know where the Guild is.”

  Julia gasped and put a hand to her mouth.

  “When are we going?” Scarlet asked.

  The soldier swallowed. “Immediately.”

  Scarlet turned around, ran back into the room as swiftly as she could in a formal dress, and stopped in the doorway.

  “The wedding is off,” she announced.

  Sierra stood up and ran out into the hallway next to Julia.

  “Does this mean they found them?” she whispered.

  “Yes,” Julia answered. “They found the Guild, and we’re leaving immediately.”

  Everyone left the classroom, including the lawmaker who looked thoroughly baffled. Scarlet quickly led him down the stairs, making up some sort of cover story.

  “Sierra,” Julia said as the law member left. “Can you go to our room and get my things? I need my dagger.”

  She nodded. “Where will you be?”

  “I need to talk to Terrence,” she said. “I’ll see you soon.”

  Sierra left her side, and Julia entered the empty room, shutting the door behind her.

  “Terrence.” He still stood on the small platform. “We can go and get Lancer and Liam now.”

  He nodded but looked disappointed. “So it’s over just like that, huh?”

  She stopped in her tracks. “Did you want it to keep going?

  We were being forced into marriage by the Guild. What did you expect?”

  Terrence shook his head. “Julia, I wanted to marry you. I still want to marry you. You’re not a little sad?”

  Now she felt upset. “Right now all I can think about is saving my dad. I don’t have time to fix our relationship. And no, I’m not sad—I’m happy. Now we can go back to how things were, not jump into something that doesn’t make sense right now.”

  “So the only reason you were marrying me was because of the Guild?” He parted his mouth slightly, looking insulted.

  “Yes.” She sighed. “You know that I love you, but I’m not sure if marriage is where we’re going to end up.”

  “Is this because of the curse?”

  “No. There’s more to it, but I can’t explain it right no
w.

  We need to go.”

  Terrence didn’t move. “It’s Caleb, isn’t it? There’s something going on between the two of you. I’ve always known he was in love with you,” he said, eyebrows furrowed.

  Julia’s face flushed with heat. “It’s not like that,” she retorted. “It’s something else.”

  “What?” he asked. “What’s going on? I feel like there’s always something that keeps us apart. If it’s not Caleb, then it’s because you’re a siren, or that you think you’re cursed. I keep telling you that I don’t care, that our love is stronger than that, but there’s always something. So what is it this time?”

  Julia bit her bottom lip. Every word he said felt painful.

  “I can’t tell you. I’m so sorry, but Caleb was told to keep it confidential.”

  “Julia.” Terrence shook his head. “I’ve broken so many rules for you. I’ve always been honest and told you everything.

  I did that because I love you.”

  She looked away from him. “That’s not fair. I love you too. That has nothing to do with it.”

  “So let me guess,” Terrence said. “Lancer, Liam, and Caleb all know something about you, and I’m not allowed in the inner circle.”

  The rain picked up, splattering noisily against the window.

  “Terrence,” she began, “I just can’t tell you. I’m sorry.”

  He sniffed and looked up at the ceiling. “Yeah, I’m sorry too.” He turned, leaving Julia alone in the empty classroom.

  It took a moment before Julia could gather her thoughts.

  Had things just ended between them?

  Tears streaming down her face, Julia ran into the first classroom where she had changed into her wedding dress. She slammed the door and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

  Her makeup had smeared and her contacts stung her eyes.

  She squinted and quickly removed the brown contacts.

  Wiping her face of tears, she noticed that her hair color already looked different in the mirror. The brown had faded, and the red began to show through.

  Julia growled and tried to remove her gown. Synched up tightly in the back, she realized she’d have to wait for help.

  Impatient, Julia tore the dress apart as she stepped out of it.

  The beautiful gown became ruined within seconds.

  Once in regular clothes, Julia found Sierra at the top of the staircase carrying her dagger and holder.

  “Thank you,” Julia said, slipping the holder onto her leg.

  “Did you see where the Soldier Union went?”

  Sierra had her own bow and arrow fastened around her shoulder. “Yes. Gabe told me they’re meeting on the second level in room 209. I’d hurry.”

  Both girls sprinted down the stairs and skidded to a halt in front of room 209. The closed door was locked, and Julia had to bang ten times before Luke Marquette opened it. He seemed hesitant, but finally he held open the door just long enough for them to slip in.

  The curtains were closed in the dark room, and a glowing basin stood in the center.

  “Levesque.” The older captain stopped her before she could come any closer. “I’m sorry but this is a closed mission.”

  Julia scowled. “What are you talking about? I know you’re going to the Guild.”

  He looked unhappy. “Only captains and a select few soldiers are coming. We need the majority of the Union here.

  I’m sorry, but it’s just too dangerous to risk you coming near Alexis.”

  “This is my father we’re talking about. And besides having a siren who can hypnotize Guild members will be helpful for you.”

  She tried to move past him, but he stayed firm.

  “I’m afraid I can’t let you come.”

  Someone moved behind him in the dark, and Julia wished her eyes would adjust quicker.

  “She stays.” Now she could see Scarlet near the basin.

  “But—” The captain began to argue with her.

  “We’re wasting time,” she called. “Let Julia come. She’ll be able to help.”

  The captain looked livid. “Fine,” he answered. “But Ms.

  Artesia cannot.” He took a step toward her and she jumped back.

  “Okay,” Sierra said defensively. “I’ll go.” She hugged Julia and whispered, “Good luck.”

  Just as she let go, Luke escorted her out of the classroom and locked the door again.

  “All right then,” the older captain called. “Enough stalling.

  We leave now. We’ll hide in the jungle until dusk, and then we attack. Scarlet,” he said, turning to her. “You’re in charge of Levesque. I don’t want to answer to Lancer if something happens to her.”

  “I’ll take full responsibility, Captain Arie,” Scarlet answered in the darkness.

  “Let’s move!” The captain stepped into the basin and disappeared.

  Next came Luke Marquette, then three other unfamiliar soldiers, and then Terrence. He stopped before entering the basin and glanced at Julia. He’d never looked more distraught.

  She folded her arms and looked away from him.

  “Okay.” Scarlet stood next to Julia, her face glowing in the light of the basin. “It’s our turn.”

  Julia did a double take when she saw Scarlet’s dramatic change in appearance. At the wedding ceremony she had been in a golden gown, her hair in perfect ringlets. Now she wore dark green clothes, boots, and a sort of silver armor on her chest and shoulders. A sword hung from her hip, and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail.

  “Here,” she said to Julia. “I got this for you. Put it on.”

  She handed Julia an identical silver armor set for her.

  Quickly, Julia tied it on before stepping into the portal.

  As she began traveling through the darkness, Julia realized she’d lost count over how many portals she entered in the past week.

  Once she materialized through, Julia found herself in a dark, humid space. A soldier grabbed her arm just as she stabilized herself and pulled her behind a tree. She watched as Scarlet came through and darted next to her.

  “Where are we?” Julia whispered.

  Caleb appeared next through the portal.

  “We’re in the Kora Jungle,” she said under her breath. “It’s not even close to where we were before on the shoreline. The Guild has been moving for weeks now. I’m sure they didn’t have any idea how incredible Gabe’s skills were. He tracked down the portal from a water sample. Genius.”

  Julia watched two other soldiers appear out of the portal and dart into the jungle. “That’s Gabe for you.”

  One last soldier came through, and slowly the group moved toward each other, Captain Arie at the lead.

  Ten of them total stood behind a huge tree. Julia glanced around at the jungle, dark and eerie. Every last inch of the ground looked to be covered in leaves, moss, and branches.

  Hundreds of mossy trees trapped them into their area, and vines hung threateningly on every branch.

  A loud animal cried somewhere off in the distance, and Julia shivered.

  “We’ll have to stay close,” Arie said, eyeing each one of them. “The Guild isn’t the only danger here.”

  When a branch snapped closer, Julia tried not to look alarmed.

  “We have about two hours to find and locate the Guild’s headquarters before it gets dark.”

  Caleb moved over next to Scarlet and Julia.

  “Let’s move!” Captain Arie yelled.

  He and Luke led the way through the jungle. Instinctively, the soldiers drew their swords and followed.

  Everyone fell silent for the first fifteen minutes of the hike.

  Walking through the jungle plants became tedious, and the sun setting only made it more difficult.

  When a particularly loud bird called out in the branch above Julia, she jumped into Caleb. Without thinking, she grabbed his shoulder.

  “Easy,” he said, amused. “You do realize we’re heading toward the Guild. You’l
be facing much scarier things than birds.”

  Julia glared at him. “I was startled.”

  He eyed her dagger. “Are you ready for this? Have you thought about what you’re going to do when you’re attacked by a Guild member?”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  He sighed. “I don’t know why my mom said you could come. I wish you’d stayed back at Lockham. This is ridiculous.”

  Julia glanced around them; they were talking quietly enough that no one would be able to hear. Terrence was walking far behind at the back of the group, and Scarlet had moved forward by Captain Arie.

  “You have no right to say that to me. I’m just as much help as any of you. And we are talking about both of our parents here.”

  “I know you think you’re going to help, but I’m worried about getting Lancer and my dad out of there, and keeping my mom safe. Now I’m going to have to protect you—”

  “Don’t protect me,” Julia said. “I don’t need you to fight for me.”

  She tried to walk faster to move away from him, but he only quickened his pace.

  “What’s your plan of attack? Have you even been practicing shapeshifting? If not, I really hope that dagger is enchanted to help you.”

  Julia stepped over a large, rotting tree trunk on the jungle’s floor.

  “Well, I actually won’t be shapeshifting at all. That’s pre-cisely why I have a dagger.”

  Caleb raised his eyebrows. “What?”

  “I can’t transform anymore. When I fully turned into a siren, I lost the ability.”

  He glared at the ground in front of him. “That can’t be.”

  “Well, it is. That was one of the reasons I went to Sirenity in the first place. I’m not a werecat anymore.”

  “I don’t believe it.”

  Julia kept her eyes on the tangled pathway in front of them. “Of course you don’t. Just like you don’t believe that I’m cursed.”

  “Julia,” he said, determined, “you have to learn to shapeshift again. If you come face-to-face with another werecat, or any member of the Guild, that might be your only way to survive.”

  “I can’t,” she answered, irritated. “It’s not even an option anymore. I’ll fight with what I have.”

  “But that won’t be enough. They’ll have your head before you can even retrieve the dagger from your leg.”