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

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Did You, or Did You Not...

"Sometimes when things are falling apart, they may actually be falling into place" ~ Unknown.

Lia

The Council pull their hoods back together, revealing themselves. 

I can hear Nathaniel's loud heart as it gallops away inside his chest, just as my heart does the same.

Molpe is in the centre like always, with her long dark hair, streaked with grey is wound in a tight bun on her head, not one hair out of place. On her right is Thelxinoe, his silver blonde hair is shining like the moon in the soft glow of the lamp's lights, and his eyes are a striking bronze. Lastly on her left is Ligeia with her fiery red windblown hair that hangs freely to her shoulders, her dark green eyes are sorrowful as she strangely drops a backpack that I did not notice she had, at her feet.

Molpe takes a step forward, away from her fellow Council members, her hands clasped in front of her. Her very presence demanding the attention of everyone in the courtyard.

I wait with bated breath for her to speak, and when she does, her voice is powerful and carries easily, "Callia Para, it has been brought to our attention by a fellow Siren-", she pauses, turning her attention to Nerissa as she stands beside Thelx, and speaks in a very disapproving tone, "-One that should not be here-", Nerissa has the decency to lose her smug smile, dropping her head at the Council woman's gaze. Molpe directs her dark gaze back to mine and continues, "-That you've have broken many of our laws bestowed by our Goddess. Is that true?"

All eyes are on me as they wait for an answer to the question that they already know. 

Why else would I be here? 

Why else would I stand protectively in front of a human? 

Taking my silence as a good enough answer, Molpe simply moves on, and the questioning begins, "Did you, or did you not, Callia, complete your Rite of Passage?" 

Exhaling a deep shuddering breath, "I couldn't".

If Molpe is shocked by my confession, she does not show it as she simply moves onto the next question.

"Did you, or did you not save and then harbour that human boy behind you, on an island next to ours?"

"I did", I speak truthfully, putting everything out in the open, freeing me from all the lies and all the sneaking around, only for it to be replaced by an ever-growing dread.

"Lastly did you, or did you not expose your wings to this human and tell him our kinds secrets?" She studies my appearance for a moment before her gaze moves to a still unconscious Maris to a battered Nerissa, and back to me with disapproving eyes, "And also by the looks of it, attack other fellow Sirens too".

"I did show him my wings, but it was by accident. And as for telling our kinds secrets, I did no such thing. I had kept Nathaniel in the dark. He didn't even know what I was until a few hours ago", I explain to them as the fire in my nerves recede, and my body becomes weirdly light, numb even; like all of my nerves simply couldn't take the pain anymore and shorted out. 

But that's not all.

I can no longer feel my wing.

So even as my body sags in relief, I know that this is far worse. 

"Not until Nerissa found him", I announce, stunning them. 

All eyes shift to Nerissa as she stares darkly at me. The corner of my mouth twitches in satisfaction at the thought of Nerissa thinking that I would just simply stand by and let her get out of this scot-free after trying to hurt Nathaniel.