“So you did live there,” I surmised.
“Yes, but that was nearly twenty years ago. After my death, my mother insisted that the island was cursed. She told everyone a story about me becoming possessed by evil and attacking her.
She told them it was self defense. She said she was scared of what I might do to my sister. I would never hurt anyone! Especially not my sister!” she shook her head, “Mother knew that. She would never accuse me of something that cruel. That’s why I believe it was The Reaper all along.” A stray tear ran down her cheek as sadness took hold of her again. “My sister would talk to me at night. I think it made her feel better. I tried to talk to her but she didn’t hear me. And then they left.”
“You had a sister?”
“A twin sister. I called her Cissy. I don’t know what’s become of her.”
“I’m so sorry Bianca. And even though you may not believe me, I understand what you’re going through a lot better than most. I know how it feels to be alone.”
“But I don’t feel so alone now. I…I followed you here. I didn’t want to be by myself anymore.”
“As far as I’m concerned you are always welcome here,”
“Thank you,” she grinned and then became solemn, “but it’s not safe for me to be around you. Nadia will find me. And then she will find you.”
“Nadia already knows where I am. And besides, I’m not scared of her,” I lied.
“But that’s the thing - you should be. You have no idea what she’s capable of. As you witnessed with me, she can possess ghosts. She can control us; use us.”
“She can’t control me. She can’t use me. And I’ll do everything I can to protect you from her.”
“But you can’t fight her! She’s immortal! She’s strong! That’s why you have to hurry and make the journey before she finds a way to ruin it for you!”
“You know about me?” I asked with surprise.
“Yes. You’re the next leader of the Tydes. I’ve heard Nadia talk about you,” she glanced down at her hands and then back at me through her lashes, as if afraid she’d anger me. “She’s not very fond of you and she doesn’t want you to fulfill your destiny.”
“I’ve definitely gathered that, I just can’t figure out why.” I rubbed a hand over my face in frustration.
“I was a Siren,” she whispered.
“What?” I looked up at her with astonishment.
“I was a Siren,” she repeated tentatively, “I never knew anyone in the other Orders. Your friends? They’re Tydes too?”
“Yes,” I confirmed, and she smiled shyly again.
“Can I be your friend?”
“Of course you can, Bianca. You’ll always be my friend.”
Chapter 20
My alarm clock was in the process of burning a blue 2:13am into my retinas as I wondered for the hundredth time how I was going to coax myself into falling asleep. After Bianca left, I crawled under my covers and tried to pretend that all was right with the world and I had nothing to worry about. Unfortunately I wasn’t good at lying to others and I was especially not good at lying to myself. To ward off the blue glare of the clock, I reached over and turned on the small lamp sitting on my nightstand. Not sleeping for the next week was not an option, so I needed to think this through.
Although my journey was in one week, I liked to think that the first part of the journey was all falling into place. I felt pretty good about it, all in all. It was the part where I had to aimlessly wander around the Underworld by myself that was chewing at my conscious. Several things were reinforcing that fear. The fact that neither Priscilla (nor any other Siren for that matter) had made a threatening appearance or tried to slash my throat in the middle of the night was at the forefront of my mind.
Something about their absence was extremely unsettling. I knew that Priscilla hadn’t forgotten about me or my journey, and regardless of Keto’s warning, Priscilla wasn’t the type to just sit back and watch. I was afraid she still had her hand in this somehow.
The other issue weighing on my mind was Nadia. She shows up out of the blue, crashes the seance, haunts my nightmares and steals the souls of innocents on the side. What did she have against me? What difference did it make to her if I fulfilled my destiny or not? Finn’s speculative comments sounded in my mind. She was possibly the next leader of the Nymphs. Was she power hungry? Did she not want an equal to compete with? I was definitely still missing something. I just wished I wasn’t stuck in my bedroom, allowing my thoughts to make laps inside my head. And then it dawned on me.
Reveries. I wasn’t stuck! I had learned how to control them! Instead of being the sitting duck, waiting helplessly for Nadia to turn up again, I could go find her. I could seek
Adrenaline began to shoot through my already alert system as I considered what I was about to attempt. Could I do it? What if something happened? Finn wouldn’t be there to save me or wake me up. But I couldn’t always depend on him to fix my messes. I needed to practice on my own, too. And what better way to practice than to go searching for my arch nemesis? I mean, what could go wrong?
Well…besides everything.
Before I had the chance to talk myself out of it, I turned over on my back and closed my eyes. Without Finn to run his fingers through my hair, I decided to listen to my own breathing instead. I took deep and slow breaths, listening to the sound of the air rushing in and out of my lungs; all the while willing my soul to separate from my body. It took longer than it did on the island, but eventually the numbness shadowed my mind. I turned my focus inward and immediately felt the dizziness. I fought the urge to steady myself and open my eyes. Instead, I concentrated on the spinning and the freedom that I felt. I began sinking, sinking, sinking…and then I stopped.
