“My name is Mirella, and there’s something you need to know about me.”
He lifts his eyebrows.
“I tend to do the opposite of what people tell me to do, so no, I’m not going to forget about you. I think you should know why you’re in here. I won’t go into your head unless you give me permission to, and I understand if you don’t want me to, but—”
“Do it.”
“Are you sure?”
He gives a tight nod.
I close my eyes and reach out with my magic toward Echol. He resists my magical presence at first, but I keep pushing ever so slightly, and eventually, I worm my way inside.
His mind is cluttered, filled with all sorts of memories, but there’s one feeling that is dominating everything within him.
I’m innocent! I’m innocent! I’m—
How many inmates claim their innocent? How many actually are?
At least for now, it seems as if this siren might be the only prisoner here who actually is innocent.
Great. What do I do with this knowledge now?
Chapter Three
The siren tilts his head to the side. “Well?” he demands. “What did you see?”
“You believe you’re innocent,” I murmur.
Lucas scowls. “No. I don’t just believe I’m innocent. I am innocent! Did you see what the crime was?”
“How could I when you’re innocent?”
He deliberately blinks. “Wait. Does that mean…”
“Yes. I believe you.”
Lucas looks so relieved. His shoulders relax as if a weight’s been lifted. “You believe me,” he repeats softly.
“I do, and now, I need you to concentrate. Are you certain there’s nothing at all that you know about the crime?”
He’s happiness fades away as he slowly shakes his head. “I’ve been in here for a few months now. Trust me. All I’ve done is try to remember.”
“Is there a portion of your memory that is gone? A blankness?” I persist.
“I—”
“What is going on here?” a loud voice booms.
I jump and step away from Lucas’ cell. “Who’s there?”
A guard marches toward me. Another is hot on his tail.
The first glowers at me. “I’m going to have to ask you to back away from that cell,” he says firmly.
I swallow hard, not liking the way he’s giving me orders. He’s another angel, just like Portia, but he seems almost too gruff.
I hold up my hands to show I’m defenseless even though I’m really not. “Hello, guards. I was just—”
“She’s not wearing earbuds,” the second says to the first.
They both are, but the first seems to hear the second just fine.
“You need to get away from that cell,” he insists. “Immediately.”
“You don’t understand. He’s innocent!”
Lucas just shakes his head. “Mirella…”
“He’s tampering with her mind,” the second says.
“He broke the rules.” The first nods. “You know what that means.”
“What does that mean?” I cry as the two guards step forward, brushing past me and fiddling with Lucas’ cell. “What are you doing?”
Without any more words, the guards open the cell and grab the siren’s arms. Just like that, they carry Lucas away.
“Where are you taking him?” I demand, chasing behind them.
Echol is gagged, but I peek into his mind. Maybe I shouldn’t, but…
Echol, I’m sorry. I don’t know where they’re taking you.
Solitary, Mirella.
I gasp and halt for so long I have to run to catch up to the guards.
“There’s no reason for you to put him into solitary!” I shout loud enough that the guards should be able to hear me, but they don’t react at all.
I grab one's arm and slide to step in front of him, blocking his path. "Stop," I mouth because, at this point, they can't hear me, so why talk out loud?
“Get your hand off me,” he growls. “If you do not, you will have it removed.”
As in pushed away so I’m not touching him anymore? Or removed as in hand chopped off like they do in some parts of the world? I’m not even sure why my mind went there. Maybe it’s because I’m in a prison, and I can’t help feeling a bit like a prisoner myself.
I release the guard, but I don’t move. “Put him back in his cell.”
“You need to let us do our job,” the other guard says.
“No.”
I wince at the sound of Portia’s voice. The angel walks toward us, her iridescent armor glowing in the dim light.
“No. Mirella is one of you for the week. As a guard, as the one who has been interacting with the inmate, don’t you think she should be the one to place him in solitary?”
I gape at the angel. “No. Please. No. You don’t understand. He’s innocent!”
“And you don’t understand that he’s gotten into your head,” Portia says calmly. “Now, either you put the siren into solitary, or else you will fail, and do you know what failure means, Mirella Sharpe?”
I shake my head.
“It means that you will not become a paranormal executioner. Which do you value more? Your dream of following in your parents’ footsteps? Or the ‘freedom’ of an inmate who convinced two teenagers to kill each other?”
My jaw drops.
“Oh, he didn’t tell you what his crime was?” Portia asks sweetly.
I exhale and shake my head. My mouth opens to defend him, to explain that he didn’t even know what his crime was, but it’s pointless. I realize that now.
You don’t need to throw your future away for me.
But, Echol—
I don’t blame you. Besides, I’ve been in solitary before. It’s not that bad.
I open my mouth, about to answer him verbally before I catch myself.
The guards step away, and I secure a hand on the siren’s arm. I wish I didn’t recall the way to solitary from the tour earlier, but I do, and I march us along.
How is it ‘not that bad’?
I get to sing, and no one can stop me.
Despite my nerves and anxiety about getting him in more trouble, I grin. I can hear the smile in his thought.
But when I shut him inside the solitary confinement cell, I’m frowning. Lucas doesn’t belong in here, and I’m only a prison guard for a week. Seven days. That’s all the
