In these walls I held a past, one that I don't regret unlike a lot of the memories I have. It held both good and bad memories, it had the memories of hiding when Marcus would come home drunk, but also the memory of picking flowers with Sage. It didn't look like much anymore but it seemed to look almost knew inside. I brought the girls here because I knew soon I would have to go back home and carry on another war. At least here would be the last place Helen would find them while I was away, or at least that is what I hope. Still, something inside of me said that wasn't the only reason why I brought the girls here. Perhaps it is the memories that lay dormant in the walls or maybe it is just the look of home. Either way, this is where we would be staying until found, or until the War begins.

I walked out to the back part of the house and stood on the porch. It was a wide open area and the next house was miles away, it was a great place to have the girls stay and build up their fighting skills before facing Helen. I now knew that each girl was able to unlock a higher power than themselves so now that is what I was focused on.

You appear to look lost.

I turned to see Teakkin walking out from the back door. This time she was dressed down in shorts and a shirt. She put her hand on my shoulder before handing me a beer bottle and standing next to me. We both looked out at Nerobel, Amarilys, Miranda, and Hadassa training.

Not lost, I'm in thought.

About their powers I presume? I've been thinking, maybe not as much as you, but what if strengths aren't just what mood you are in. What if one of their strengths is something that they can do.

What do you mean?

Last night, I awoke to a noise outside. It was your sister tossing knifes at a tree and hitting the same mark almost every time. What if for you, Miranda, and hadassa it is your feelings but for Amaryllis and Nerobel, its something they do.

I turned to Teakkin and took a drink of my beer. Looking over the bottle I swallowed hard and turned back to the girls.

I don't think it matters if it is emotions or not, Lainey told me we didn't have much time and the clock was ticking down. Honestly, I don't think we have very long before Helen begins this war. She has had enough time to join an army together, one bigger than us. I just hope that before the time comes we are ready.

Ready we will be.

I leaned back on a railing that fenced in the porch from the ground. My eyes shut and my breathing slowed. I was starting to feel the pressure from being their leader and carrying the world on my shoulders. In some aspect, I wished this was over.

I'll be leaving tonight, I want you and the others to follow Nerobel's direction while I'm gone. I have other things I need to do and they aren't here. When I get back we will be leaving.

Where?

To the ocean, I assume that is where Helen is going to want to take this war anyway. We can't keep running and waiting. Helen wants me to join her side so I can have her take over the world, the problem is she doesn't have me and that is what this will be over. She wants me with her or dead so she can find someone else to do with the what she wants.

I let out a sigh before opening my eyes. Before I could turn back to Teakkin she grabbed my hand and pulled me out onto the steps. I felt my body being pulled across the cut down corn stalks and rocks. Once she let go of my hand, she walked into the woodland area that was around the house. She looked up to the sky and took in a deep breath before looking over at me.



I missed the feeling of sun on my skin. I've been hiding from Helen for a while now, I'm not supposed to be alive.

Ya, what did you say about her killing off your people?

Teakkin smiled before walking over to a pile of rocks and picking one up.

It was a few years ago, Helen had made a deal with my mother but instead of keeping to what she said, she killed off everyone in the area. Where you went to see her, it used to be full of houses for us. She cast a veil on it to hide it and thus enraging me. It isn't important anymore however, now all I care for is to see her put in her place.

She tossed the rock and it bounced between two trees before falling to the ground. Teakkin walked over the rocks before stopping and looking down at something.

Why didn't you just bring back your people Teakkin? You can control the dead and bring people back to life can't you?

I can control the dead's bodys. They are not living, they are not breathing, it is an illusion. As for bring people back from the dead, I can do so much just not the way you think. I also can not put ones essence back into their body if they have a certain kind of essence. It is also against our nature to do so, it disrupts the flow of life and death.

I took a few steps to Teakkin before realizing what she had been looking at. A bird lied dead in a group of leafs in front of her. I walked closer, seeing that Teakkin was about to bend over. She put her hand over the bird and what seemed like a thin piece of hair came from her fingertip and latched onto the bird. Teakkin cocked her head to the side before pulling up and watching as he bird flew around and landed on the rocks only inches from us. She smiled and the bird gave out a tweet.

I control the dead in order to fight. I thought you were with Helen when I saw you all in the woods, your eyes changed and you seemed to have the essence as her. I thought you were out to attack me, so, I sent the fallen of a wolf pack after you.

Speaking of wolf, have you seen Cameron? He wasn't here when I woke up this morning.

He said something about leaving on the way here, I no clue where he went however. Oh, but he did leave you this. I forgot to give it to you on the porch.

Teakkin pulled out a piece of paper and showed it to me. It was what Lainey had given me, it was similar to a map when she did, however, Now it had words and markings on it. I looked up at Teakkin before grabbing it from her hand. Cameron must have found out what it was to...or who it was to. My eyes danced around the paper reading everything until I stopped on a name. Ligea.

I thought it was to treasure or something, he left after giving it to me saying it was important. Something about your bloodline.

I know where it leads.

I looked back over at the bird hopping around on the rock before looking back at Teakkin. She looked over at the bird before closing her hand allowing the bird to go back to it's deaden state.

I'll be leaving soon, I need you to do me a favor however.

Sure.

Watch the girls, when I get back I want you to tell me moods and such so maybe we can find out if you are right about it being more than just their moods to look out for extra power.

I walked off, leading back to the house. Teakkin had been with us four days and it was hard to say if she could be trusted. Leaving her with what I guess you could say it was a test. As for me, I had to follow this until I met Ligea. If Cameron was right, this is going to lead me to the woman who started my blood line.

---------------------------------

Leading me out pretty far, at last I got to where Cameron was telling me to go. I pulled over on the side of a dirt road and looked out at a few trees. The look of this little group of trees looked dark and almost musty. I got out of my car, slamming the door behind me, and put my hands on my hips looking over the small group of trees.

Why did I have to come with you?

Arthes's voice called from behind me. I turned to face him, getting a ugly look, and rolled my eyes.

Because if I am not around you all the time you run off. I can't have you going back to Helen and saying anything now can I?

I smiled and turned back to the trees and began to walk to them. Arthes followed shortly behind me before stopping still in his footsteps right before entering the trees with me. I turned back around to see him slightly shaking and looking up at all the trees.

What is your problem?

I don't like the feeling of this place.

Come on.

I walked back to him and grabbed him by his shirt. Once we got into what seemed the be the middle of the trees, I felt him grab his shirt back. I looked over the small paper before turning in a full circle and looked around.

Well, I don't see anything. Looks like you're feeling was right for once.

A sigh of relief left Arthes's lips before a abnormal sides bird swooped down. Me and Arthes ducked before looking up at where it went. I began to follow it before feeling Arthes pull on the back of my shirt.

Why are you following it?

Normal birds don't look like that.

Killer ones do, let us go and come back later when the sun is rising.

Look you little troll, I have people to protect and things to learn and you are going to have to drop your little leprechaun balls and step up. God you are almost as bad as half the men at work.

I pulled Arthes by the shirt once more but not far. The same bird swooped down once more but landed on a old branch in front of me and Arthes. A gasp left his lips and I couldn't take my eyes off what I was seeing. Before us sat a woman with the head of a woman but body of a bird. Was this Ligea?




Arthes, it has been some time has it not.

Li...Lig...Ligea.

Who is this?

Mandii, I'm part of your Siren blood line.

Arthes ran behind me and pulled on the back of my shirt. I began to swat at him before moving closer to the woman.

Helen wants to...

I know what Parthenope wishes to do.

Parthenope?

That is Helens real name, I assume you have also met with Leucosia, she now goes by Feline or Lainey.

Uh ya.

Well then, why did you come to me? It appears to me you are doing fine. I do not see Parthenope with you so I assume you didn't chose to ruin the world as it was. However, something did bring you here, what?

I turned back to Arthes and lifted an eyebrow. His teeth began to chatter as I turned back to Ligea with an eye roll.

I want to know a lot of things, but lets stick to what I need to know so the world won't end. For starters you can tell me why Helen wants to end human life and everything else that is here.

Ligea dropped down to another branch before looking up at me. A sigh left her lips before she turned her head to the side.

You know the story of how we came to be, you know that my sisters moved away from the woods and thus adapted to the life they chose. There was a reason they left, it was me. We all lived in the woods and would lure hunts men to us with song. Once they were in the woods we would watch them die of not only hunger, but attacks by animals. We did it only to those we knew had secrets hidden from the wifes they left at home. You see, we did not return the child to Persephone due to Haides finding a way to kill us and killing our fourth sister. Once we did not return, we were banished, so we continued to reap vengeance on those who were unfaithful and deserved to be punished.

So it is true, you have three sisters and one was killed.

Yes. Once all was said and done, my sisters missed the water that we once were apart of. Before becoming handmaidens of the goddess Persephone we were nothing more than sea nymphs. However, when we were made into birds to go after Haides we were unable to go back to the ocean we once loved. So time passed on and they left while I stayed to land, not by choice however. At first I had gone with them, we sang songs to lure in sailors and watch them die, that was until Orpheus. He plugged the ears of his men so they could not hear our song and thus was able to reach us on a few rocks. He came and covered our own ears to stop our songs from playing. We went on days on the ship with him covering our ears, when we stopped for a moment my sisters had enough and flew into the water below to die, instead, it returned them to a sea nymph form. I stayed on land and fell in love with Odysseus, but with him being only human, he died while I stayed alive.

How did this drive Helen to wanting humans to die?

She believes it is his fault that we all were separated, when in truth, what tore us apart was our differences. Helen wanted the water while I missed land. Our middle sister followed Helen because she promised to keep her safe. Helen despises the human race and everything but Sirens because she looks to herself as a god due to us being made by a god. She believes in a world run by Sirens and populated by Sirens because she looks to Humans as the waste of the world.

So all this because you fell in love with a human?

That is what I have come to believe.

Thats bullshit. Just because one person did something you didn't like doesn't mean all of that kind should be destroyed. What about defeating her? Do you know how to do that any easier than why Lainey told me?

You will not like what I have to say. When a woman turns to a Siren it is from pain and hurt. When you turned, you had your one and old child taken from you by someone who you see as sure evil. The cycle repeated itself with you and since you had my blood, it was easier for you to turn. Mandii, you can defeat Helen but you will have to turn. Once you do, you will have as much power as an original and be able to save the world.

But at what cost? When I go into the mode of being a Siren I don't look at things as I do now. I don't care who I kill as long as I am the one who stays alive. You are telling me that to save everyone I have to change into a monster!

My voice echoed and Arthes backed up.Ligea dropped her head for a moment before looking at me with a stern look.

If you think you will turn into a monster, then you should have a killer at the ready. I don't wish for you to kill my sister, I wish for you to just stop her. You will have to change Mandii, if you think that is what you will become is something horrid, you better have someone ready to kill you on sight. You can either save the people you love and die or watch everyone die so you do not turn into this monster that you think you will become.

A felt the heat in my body start to rise. I would have to change completely to save everyone...I would have to die. I closed my eyes and turned from Ligea. Anger rushed over my face, I could tell due to Arthes backing up away from me. I turned back to Ligea before speaking.

Then I will die.

With my last word I turned away from her and began to walk away. Before I had gone to far I heard Ligeas voice.

I would also learn to not be so open to everyone, my own sisters turned on me one day, why shouldn't one of those girls? In fact, it is true someone in your group already has turned on you, you are just unaware of it.

My heart stopped and eyes widend. If what she spoke was true, everything would be at risk.

Who?

Someone you know very well, or, so you think.