Serene Of The Sea

39. Power

Everyone was awake when I returned, their expressions showed uncertainty. I let my features remain strong.
Elena was looking rather glum, I could feel her fear.
Feel it? Yes, I could feel it. Like a string of colour. What kind of power had I unlocked?

"So tomorrow we move out," Blake breaks the silence, scratching the back of his dreads awkwardly.
"Yes," I reply, surprised at my strength, "Whatever happens after tomorrow, we stand together."
Elena visibly relaxes, "Thank Poseidon! I thought you were going to flake out on us!"
I shake my head, "No. I just needed to think."
I feel Psy prodding at my new power, unable to find a way in.
I release a small amount so he can communicate.
"Serena, what happened to you?" Psy sent, a feeling of curiosity, or fear towards my sudden surge.
"I honestly don't know. I was angry, then I couldn't put my powers away."

"Us leaving this place is a good thing. We can't do anything stuck in this prison," He doesn't seem upset at all.

"But I don't know where they're sending us. What if there isn't a way?"

"Then we're doomed as a species anyway," He finishes, breaking the contact.
I let my own defences reform.
Why did it always fall to me?

I was being watched by the group. Their fates were becoming entwined with my decisions. Which made things more complicated. It was easier when I only had to think about my own well being. Now my own fate ceased its meaning. I couldn't be selfish anymore. I would have to watch out for them. Not only as their leader. But because I had become quite attached to them. They were good people.

Everyone sat on their beds. All hopes of rest completely gone. I wasn't sure how much time had passed since the jungle, but I knew it was coming soon. At least I had no belongings to worry about. Just the uniform on my back.

"Where do you think they will take us?" Elena asks, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"My guess is as good as yours. But I do know that whatever we may face, I think we're ready to do it as a team. We're stronger together," I comforted, seeing my words calming her.

Idris was fiddling with a knife. I searched and found the tense emotion surrounding him. So much fear beneath the cool facade. I knew nothing I could say would ease his anxiety. I would have to do right by him. He needed to be protected the most.

As my eyes wandered the room they found themselves resting on Psy.
He was slightly clearer to my eyes now. I guessed it was due to my new found skills.
His face was scarred. He must have received most of his wounds in siren form to get scars like that. Most wounds can be healed otherwise.

His eyes were fixed on me. They were green too, like emeralds. I was surprised to find his expression sad. Such power as I had felt from him, I had assumed he was in control of his emotions. But it made sense, you don't have to hide your expressions when no one could look at you, we were all here because we were damaged. Or being here had made us damaged. Either way, same result.

He didn't seem to be aware that I was seeing him more clearly. I wondered what thoughts were running through his head. It appeared to me as though he were sizing me up. It was clear he wanted me to help him divert from world disaster.  But it wasn't some side rebellion this time, this was a whole nation of siren going to war. How were a couple of weavers supposed to stop that?
Of course I wanted to try. There were better ways to control the humans pollution, annihilating them was definitely not going to solve the problem.

His eyebrows started to crinkle. Then they raised in question. I shrugged and nodded, showing him that I could in fact see him. For a moment shock flitted across his roughly scarred features, but my calmness quickly turned it into a bemused frown.
"Interesting," his voice halts the room. It's a deep raspy baritone, like a thirty year old chain smoker. Except he is young, far to young to be bearing all those scars.
Blake's eyes widen, "Psy? Did you just speak?"
"I didn't know he spoke? Did you know he could speak?" Elena bursts.
Blake moves closer, still unable to look Psy in the face, "What's interesting Psy?"

I can see the irritation, he had not meant to talk out loud. Somehow I felt that had been partly my fault.
He rolls his eyes, "I didn't speak because I had nothing to say," he sighs, itching his light stubble, "And what's interesting is Serena appears to have expanded her power."

"I noticed that too!" Elena confirms.
"But what does that mean?" Idris speaks lazily, but he can't hide his true emotions from me anymore, "Are you like Psy now? I can look at you just fine."
"I don't know," I speak honestly, "I just feel like my energy is too big for my skin. But I can feel emotions from the people around me. I can't stop it."
Everyone grimaces at that, knowing that I'm aware of their discomforts for this place was something quite personal. Having that broadcasted could get a siren in trouble. And trouble made sirens disappear in this place.

I wondered if Aella had told her mother I had succeeded in the jungle. Would I still be being sent out so soon if Athena knew?

"Serena?" Elena asks.
"Yes?"
"What was it like? With the rebels?"
Everyone got excited then and I found everyone but Psy crowding around my cot.

"Oh," I wasn't sure where to start. I had never really spoken about my time there since leaving, "Well, there's not much to tell."

"Oh come on!" Blake exclaims, "Just start from the beginning. How did you end up there in the first place? I mean, we all heard stories but I want to know if any of them are true."

I cleared my throat, it was harder that I had expected, old emotions reemerging, "Well. I had escaped from the palace because I saw Kai's house, Kai was the one who had saved me from life on land, on fire. We had had an argument which is why I was in the palace under The Queens training.
But when I got to the house they were all gone. My mother was waiting, who I had been told was dead. She was very much alive. She and her partner knocked me out, taking me to the rebel city."

Everyone was sitting forward, enthralled.
"Your mother was the rebel leader??" Elena gasps.
Blake shushed her, "Continue."

"When I woke up I had initial amnesia. The nurses there assumed that if I didn't transform, my memories might remain lost. Therefore I would be compliant. My memory came back. So I used fake amnesia to survive there until I could find my friends. It took months. But I uncovered another group of rebels among the community who agreed to help me. From there we formulated a plan to overthrow my mother. We succeeded, but not without loss. I returned to Senima, and wound up here."

"That's awful. To be made to come here straight from that situation," Elena gasped, "I wouldn't be as stable as you are if that were me!"
"I mean damn!" Idris contributed, "Guess I respect you a little more now."

"It's time," Psy stops the conversation in its tracks. Something about his voice demanded respect.
We all knew what he meant. No one needed prompting. We were up, preparing to move on towards our new chapter.