A Siren's Choice (Book One in A Siren's Series)

Chapter Twenty-One: Bad Girl

Nerissa

Silently and yet swiftly, I make my way through the dense forest, being extra careful of snapping sticks and stepping on any dry leaves, making sure I don't make a single sound, so she can't detect me. My wings are safely tucked away inside my back, so that they are out of my way and out of sight.

I have flown pass this particular island numerous times, but I have never once set foot on it until now, never had a reason to since everyone knows that this place is deserted. And yet she is here somewhere. Why?

Why come here?

What reason does Callia have to be here?

Ever since Callia had knocked on the door of the Odele's house over a week ago, wanting to see Proteus, I just knew something was up.

When I had first answered the door Callia had seemed fine, I guess, but when Maris had told Callia that Proteus was not home, and that he had gone off somewhere to think.

The look of fear that had entered her eyes, the way she had seemed to stop drawing air into her lungs, the way her heart had stuttered in her chest before it had set off so fast like it had been about to run right out of her chest; and just like that it was gone. Like she had placed a mask over her face.

Maris hadn't notice it, but yet again Maris misses a lot of things.

But I had seen it, all of it.

And I had become suspicious as to what she was hiding, what secrets had laid behind that mask of hers.

And my suspicions had grown more so when she had quickly shouted out her goodbye, spun on her heels and sprinted off into the trees like beasts from the darkest depths of Tartarus where chasing after her.

After that day I had been watching Callia from afar whenever I got the chance.

And over this past week I have noticed her state decline. Whenever she thought she was alone, she would drop her mask, her facade, and her eyes would drastically dim, showing a great amount of pain in their light blue depths. Especially these last few days, she looked utterly defeated, resigned to some fate that was bestowed upon her.

Earlier I had watched as she had trudged out of her house like the weight of the world pressed against her shoulders, threatening to squash her. She had glared up at the bright blue sky like she was cursing its very existence.

Then she had leapt into the sky, and I decided to pursue her from afar, but truthfully I don't think it would have made much of a difference if I had been flying right beside her, for over this past week she has been so completely distracted with whatever is plaguing her, that she has not once noticed me following her, watching her.

When we had gotten to this island, she had slowly started to descend into the centre of it, so I decided I would fall back just in case she saw me.

And that's why I'm trekking through this stupid forest, when I could be doing far better things, but I just can't seem to turn back, I just know she is up to something; and I must find out what exactly it is.

I finally make it to the end of the tree line to find a large clearing that contains an old rundown cottage in the centre of it. Holding my breath, I strain my ears, and listen to the sounds around me. And I find two heart beats on the other side of the cottage, further in the trees.

Who does the second heart beat belong to?

Who else is out here?

Deciding to stay in the tree line so I won't be seen out in the open, I take the long way around until I'm on the opposite side. I walk further through the forest, towards the two heart beats, and what sounds like rushing water. A waterfall maybe?