Chapter 23: Chapter 23: The Bargain

Hours later after I’ve washed, changed, and forced myself to eat, I hear a knock at my door. Before I can answer, the guards open it and one of them walks in.

“We have orders to escort you downstairs,” he says.

“What?” I reply, getting to my feet.

“Please just come with us,” he says gently as if he’s pleading with me not to make a scene.

I shake my head, confused, but walk out anyway.

What the hell is this? Is this Helos? Is he still sending me away? Is that what this is about, that he has had his fun and now he is packing me off?

I feel my anger rising. My fists are clenched as I walk, and I realize I’m being taken to the same room I stormed into yesterday.

To the Council.

We wait outside. Evidently, they’re waiting for the right moment to beckon me in.

I snarl, pacing, growing more and more furious.

I can feel them. There are more today. More men, more kings, more warlords.

I think the whole damn Council might be in there, and that thought makes me tremble because these men have the power to decide my destiny, to control everything in my life.

If they choose to, these men could subjugate me, lock me away, do horrible things to me, and I know more than half of them would be considering it if they thought they could get away with it.

But Helos won’t let them.

I’m sure he won’t.

Even now, even in this moment, I trust him. That whatever this is, I trust that he will keep me safe. That he will protect me.

And I’ll admit a small part of me hopes that that is what this is, that Helos is claiming me now, making his intentions clear to the entire Council.

Only my head is already whispering that this is a damn funny way of doing it.

As the doors open, I steel myself for what is to come and walk in.

Helos is standing again. The entire Council is standing. All their eyes are on me, but I don’t see any of them.

I only see ~him~. Standing in the middle. Barely meters from me.

Fear rips through me and my body trembles as his eyes lock with mine.

I can’t breathe.

I can’t move.

I’m paralyzed on the spot.

My mouth is so dry I couldn’t speak if I wanted to. My heart is pounding so loudly in my chest that I can feel my blood thumping through every cell of my body.

My airway chokes, and I gasp, but no sound comes out.

I’m suddenly back to the pathetic, mute, broken thing he made of me.

He is here. Right here.

And from the look on his face, he can’t believe what he is seeing.

He runs his eyes over me, taking in my body, taking in my curves, but most of all, taking in the color of my hair.

The blue that tells everyone what I am.

That tells him now what he didn’t know before. That he’d had a siren the whole time and yet he’d been oblivious.

I think my legs might collapse. I feel them start to give way. He moves toward me and I whimper loudly.

But ~no one~ stops him. Not even Helos.

He grabs me, pulling me into his body, and I collapse, wanting to fight, wanting to claw at him, but my body won’t respond. My body won’t do anything but tremble as my panic overtakes me entirely.

“Lord Issar,” Helos says loudly.

I try to focus on his voice, but I can’t look at him. I can’t look at anyone. I shut my eyes, wishing I could desperately shut it all out.

“I have what I came for,” Issar states.

“You do not,” Helos snarls.

“The girl is mine. I paid for her. I bought her. She belongs to me,” Issar shouts.

“That was before we knew what she is,” another king states.

“Irrespective of that, you attacked another member of this Council. Do you really expect to be rewarded?” Helos growls.

Issar yanks my head back, running his nose against my neck and into my hair. Smelling me. “She is my reward.”

“Enough,” another king says. “I’ve had enough of this whole business.”

“Why does Issar get to keep the siren? Surely, we should all be allowed to enjoy her?” a warlord asks.

I hear Helos snarl at his words and I open my eyes at the sound.

Am I foolish to think he might save me?

“Let her go,” Helos says, looking back at Issar.

“Not unless you agree to my terms,” Issar states.

His fingers are digging into me. His stench is on me. I try to struggle, but he holds me so tight that it has no effect.

“You are not in a position to negotiate,” Helos states.

“No, King Helos, you are not in a position to negotiate. You may lead this Council. You may be a king, but you cannot beat me in this.” I can hear the smugness in his voice. He thinks he has won.

And in my heart, I fear he really might have.

Helos narrows his eyes. His face is furious, his eyes are deadly, and then he looks at me.

I beg him, I plead, I do everything I can silently through that one look I give him, and he sighs.

I watch as he shuts his eyes and then opens them, focusing back on Issar.

“We agree,” he says quietly.

“To ~all~ my terms?” Issar asks.

Helos nods.

“And that the girl is mine?” Issar continues.

I don’t need to look to know he is smirking.

Helos doesn’t look at me; he glares right back at the warlord.

~Don’t agree~. I beg desperately in my head as I stare at him.

~Please don’t.~

~Please~.

“Yes,” Helos says and my heart literally stops in my chest. “But you agree to deliver your end of the bargain first.”

“As you wish. I will do what is necessary and then I will be back for my prize,” Issar replies as his hands grip my body so tightly that I cry out.

I can’t look at them then, at any of them, and ~especially~ Helos.

My breath is coming so fast now, my chest is heaving, and my blood is pounding in my ears.

I can’t take air in. I’m breathing, but nothing is going in.

It’s like I’m drowning, fading, dissolving, and then the world goes dark around me as my legs give way under me.