Chosen

long lost sister, but fifty? That wasn’t just a little intimidating; it was anxiety suicide.

“They have just recently learned of your existence due to the courage you displayed at Finn’s fight. They had their suspicions, but that night cemented them. You have no idea what this means to them.”

“She has to meet all fifty Nereids?” Phoebe gawked while I commenced to squirming in my seat. My eyes darted around the room; convinced it had just shrunk several feet. I was sure the walls were inching inward, seconds away from crushing us to death. Or maybe it was just the pressure of my destiny, pulverizing my heart into a million shards of glass. It was kind of hard to tell.

“Forty-eight to be exact. Keto will not be in attendance, of course, but with the addition of Stasia, their numbers will once again equal fifty,” Natasha explained. A barrage of questions suddenly assaulted my mind; all wanting to be heard at the same time.

“When do I have to go? How do I get there? Do I have to go by myself?”

“You will leave as soon as you are able to pack. Your transportation has already been taken care of, as well as any absences from class you may accrue next week should our trip be extended. I will be your escort.”

“What about…Finn’s body?” I forced out; pain evident in my strained tone. After Nadia had stolen his soul, his body was hidden on the Fortunate Isle where Natasha had been assuring its safety.

When we located his soul, he would need his body to return to. Although Natasha had suggested many times, I had refused to go visit it. I couldn’t bear to be in the presence of his soul-less body; lying there motionless and barren.

She straightened ever so slightly. “He’s being taken care of,” she asserted with a quiet finality that told me not to push for more information.

I glanced around the suite at my roommates. Phoebe was listening intently and rubbing Carmen’s arm while Willow was three seconds away from exploding with excitement. I could only imagine how much it would mean to her if she could come along. I surveyed Carmen and a surge of renewed hope filled my heart.

“I’d like to bring my roommates.” I watched Natasha cautiously, anticipating her disagreement. “The Nereids may be able to help Carmen.” Phoebe perked up at my words in surprise, and Willow’s heart shaped face beamed with hope as we awaited her answer.

Surprisingly, she nodded solemnly, “I was going to suggest that, myself.” She met the glowing eyes of Phoebe and Willow. “Your purpose on this trip will be to look after Carmen and support Stasia. She will need you.” I didn’t like the sound of that. I swallowed thickly as she continued, “I’ll explain once we’re on the plane.”

“Plane?” Phoebe squeaked.

* * *

Two hours and one outburst from Carmen later, we settled into the plush leather seats of the Sons’ jet preparing for take-off. I wasn’t sure what to expect of a private jet but this was a far cry from the commercial flights packed with hundreds of strangers. With seating for fifteen, the Sons’ plane was a class of luxury I hadn’t known existed. It definitely belonged in the same family as their yacht, with its sleek black exterior and aura of prestige.

“Make yourselves at home, girls,” Natasha advised as the plane began to roll. “We have a long flight ahead of us.”

The cabin accommodated twelve seats in all, or more accurately twelve leather recliners, one leather couch and several tables sporadically placed. Our grouping of six seats was set up in a very intimate way. Phoebe, Natasha, and I faced Willow, Carmen, and an extra seat that was being used as storage with several fleece blankets and neck pillows piled on top. Behind us was another group of six recliners followed by the bathroom. To my stomach’s delight, a small kitchen was located just outside of the cockpit. After skipping breakfast, I had a feeling I’d be raiding the small refrigerator as soon as the seatbelt sign went off. I surveyed the Wilmington International Airport from my small round window and tried to coerce the army of butterflies that had taken my stomach hostage to retreat peacefully. I wasn’t afraid of flying, but I wasn’t sure I was kosher with throttling over the Atlantic Ocean in a black tube of death either. One peek at Phoebe’s worried expression told me I wasn’t alone in my trepidation.

“Just how long is this flight?” Phoebe moaned.

“About thirteen hours,” Willow replied softly, acknowledging her discomfort. Phoebe swallowed and gripped her armrests for dear life, clearly afraid. I felt the jet slow and take a sharp left curve as we approached the beginning of the runway. I had heard somewhere that the most dangerous part of flying was the takeoff and the landing. I determined that little golden nugget of information wouldn’t do much to calm Phoebe’s nerves, so I kept it to myself.

“I think I’m going to throw up,” Phoebe whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut. I held my breath as the engines revved up and we lurched forward. The G-forces flattened our bodies against our seats as we roared down the runway, and I heard Phoebe gasp.

“Don’t forget to breathe,” Willow reminded her with a giggle. I watched the ground disappear beneath us as we ascended higher and higher. Eventually it leveled out at the appropriate altitude and the seatbelt light faded dark.

“See?” Willow chirped happily as she flipped open a ‘People’ magazine. “That wasn’t so bad.”

“Tell that to my stomach,” Phoebe muttered and then bent forward to make sure Carmen was comfortable. She hadn’t uttered one word since we’d boarded the plane, but she seemed to be examining our every move. An odd gleam in her eye gave me the eerie feeling that she wasn’t the only one in there watching us.

As solid land was quickly replaced by a wide expanse of ocean, we chose a movie to watch and devoured a lunch of packaged ham and cheese subs. With a full stomach and the hum of the jet engines surrounding me, I reclined my chair and leaned my head back.

The sound of hushed voices stirred me awake as the cold sand beneath me sent a chill through my body. A steady breeze played across my skin and through my hair, making me sit up with lightening speed. Where was I? What was happening? Several enormous, pale rocks were scattered around me, blocking my view of the rest of the beach. I scrambled to my knees and crept along the largest of the rocks; carefully peeking over its jagged edges in an effort to see the scene down the beach. The light of the full moon lit the backdrop with such luminescence, the white of the sand and rocks reflected back towards it; creating a glittering world enchanted by the sounds of the sea. The crashing of the waves several yards away muffled the voices enough so that I couldn’t understand what they were saying, but it didn’t stop me from finding out where they were coming from.

About fifty yards away a line of slumped over figures were shuffling towards the water, where three more figures stood at the water’s edge watching their reluctant approach. The moonlight glinted off the ankles and wrists of the moving forms, giving the appearance of shackles. To get a better view, I silently shifted behind another rock that rested closer to the water.

As I looked on, the captives were ordered into a semi-circle around the three additional figures. One of the three stepped forward and I got a glimpse of her as the moonlight shone down on her face. Unruly dark hair danced in the wind around a beautiful pale face as she stared down the captives. A long flowing dress blew around her as pieces of fabric around her wrists and ankles danced in the breeze. I was reminded of a silver fire, lighting up the night with its brilliance. She was magnetic, chilling, and I could physically feel her undeniable power. Who was she?

As she threw her head back and raised her arms, the captives all fell backward, landing limply on the beach in a heap of motionless bodies. Another of the three figures stepped forward and lifted her arms as well. A melodic singing filled the night and I instinctively threw up the walls around my mind in defense. But I soon realized it wasn’t a Siren’s song. This was different. She was simply…singing. I watched as something that hung from a necklace on her neck pulsed in rhythm to her song. It emitted an eerie pale light that lit up the even paler skin of her chest and face. It glowed even brighter, as all of the motionless bodies lifted off of the sand and hovered inches above, lifeless.

My eyes widened and my breath caught as the bodies collapsed once again, leaving lighter, transparent versions drifting above them. I placed a shaky hand over my mouth to hold back the panic at what I had seen. Their souls had been ripped from their bodies… just like Finn’s. That’s when I heard the muffled sounds of someone approaching.

I twisted around abruptly to catch an older man creeping along the same rock I had been hiding