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  “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 a
t 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 behind moments before. Although I was in plain sight, he didn’t appear to notice me. Even more disturbing, he was moving straight towards me. I tumbled backwards when I struggled to maneuver out of his way. Yet again, he refused to look in my direction. I scooted backwards as I kept my eyes locked on him. Why did he seem so familiar? Suddenly, the pale woman from the beach was standing before us, now glaring at the man with scorching rage. She too failed to see me; only feet away.

  “You should know you cannot hide from me,” she hissed at him with a sickening smile. A suffocating freeze descended upon me at her presence. As her face began to glow once more, I squinted down at the source of light hanging from her neck. A clear glass ball hung from a necklace, but what caught my attention was what was inside the ball. What looked like a floating ball of light danced within, pulsing brighter as if connected to her heartbeat. Her silver eyes flashed as she wrapped her hand around the man’s neck and lifted him off his feet in less than an instant.

  “NO!” Adrenaline shot through my veins and I lunged forward, only to land hard on top of the unsuspecting Willow.

  “Hey! What…?” Willow made a valiant effort to catch me but after crashing down on top of her, I slid clumsily to the floor of the airplane; heart racing and gasping for breath.

  “Stasia?” Natasha urged. “Are you alright? What happened?”

  I looked up into her calm blue eyes and took a deep breath, “Just a bad dream…” my voice trailed off and I studied the carpet below me as I realized that had been no dream. That had really happened. My eyes snapped up to hers again as she helped me back into my seat. I endured the spike of my pulse as the scene came back to me. “It was a vision! She was hurting him! Oh! All of those poor people!”

  Willow leaned forward in her seat, concern written all over her face. “What people? Who were they?”

  “I…I don’t know.” I managed as my shoulders sagged under the weight of my foresight ability. It wasn’t much help when it gave me no clues, nothing to go on as to what was happening or where I was! “Okay, let me think,” I rubbed my temples in concentration, “I was on a beach and there were at least fifteen people. They looked like they were being held against their will. And then there were three others – singing, and-- and they got separated from their souls! She had him by the throat…but I don’t…I don’t know who she was.” My weak excuse for an explanation was met by blank stares and questioning faces.

  After several seconds of confused silence, Natasha sent me a warm smile as she prepared something in what looked like a coffee maker, “It will come, dear. Sometimes visions are simply that -- visions. There is no way of knowing when they are or if they are something you should interfere with. As you become more experienced with them, you will be able to discern their meanings. But it cannot be forced. I remember when Finn started having them…” She diverted her eyes quickly as sadness washed over her features. I watched as her lower lip began to tremble. I stood and placed a hand on her shoulder.

  “We’ll find him, Natasha,” I declared with intensity. She met my determined eyes as a tear ran down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away and cleared her throat.

  “Let’s discuss Cyprus.”

  Chapter 3

  “Cyprus?” We all turned our heads tentatively as Carmen came to life. Although Willow had helped her dress and get ready, her dark hair was now matted against her head and the circles under her eyes had become more pronounced. The English muffin we attempted to feed her before we left had ended up all over Phoebe’s clothes. Apparently spitting out your food was now a literal concept to Carmen. With unwavering patience, Phoebe simply handed Carmen a napkin and disappeared into her room to change while I wiped up the floor. A bib might be in order if we made her eat on the jet. I wasn’t sure the Sons would appreciate a fresh layer of food on their stunning carpeted floor.

  “That’s right!” Phoebe’s face instantly lit up at Carmen’s voice; however unearthly it may have sounded. “Stasia’s going to meet the Nereids! We might even get to meet who we’re descended from! Isn’t that awesome?”

  “Awesome…” Carmen repeated thoughtfully, as if she were trying to figure out the meaning behind the word. Her entire body stiffened without cause, and she stubbornly glared out of the window before returning her attention to us. I caught a flash of her trace just below her ear and held back a surprised gasp. Instead of the usual black color, it was now a glistening, bright red hue. Phoebe’s excitement faded as Carmen’s dark brown eyes shifted hard and became fixed on Natasha.

  “You’ve regressed.” Carmen’s ghastly tone shadowed her normal voice, which made my skin crawl.

  Natasha visibly piqued at her accusing tone, but hid it easily behind her relaxed demeanor. She set down the IPad she had been working on and patiently clasped her hands in her lap. “Carmen - you need your rest, dear.”

  “I don’t need rest. I need answers.” Carmen’s timbre increased with creed as she stood up almost too stealthily. Her features appeared to age twenty years as her eyes became steely. I saw Phoebe shrink back into her seat as her fervor visibly rose. “She refuses to give us any. Will you refuse as well?”

  “She?” Natasha stood guardedly as the rest of us held our breaths. Carmen’s trace was now pulsing a deep burgundy, and I had a hard time taking my eyes off of it. It reminded me of a vein that bulged and moved to the rhythm of a pounding heart. I had a horrible image of it bursting open and spraying everywhere, but I quickly wiped that thought from my mind before we all had to revisit what I ate for dinner last night.

  “Why have you regressed?” she demanded of Natasha with a sneer. “Why have you chosen not to embrace your darkness, Natasha?”

  “My...darkness?” Natasha’s brow furrowed as she grasped the fire agate pendant hanging from her necklace. Carmen took a menacing step forward before crumbling to her knees, ravaged once again by the perilous screams audible only to her.

  “I can’t take it!” she screeched in her own voice again, eyes squeezed shut. “Make them stop! Make them stop!!”

  At the same time, Natasha and I embraced her and somehow managed to wrestle her safely back into her seat. I swept Carmen’s hair off her neck and watched Natasha’s concerned expression as she took in the throbbing red trace.

  “What’s happening to her?” I whispered frantically. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she shook her head in dismay and reached into her pocket for the vial of gray liquid. Even with the constant squirming, I was able to hold down Carmen’s arms as Natasha tried to force the sleeping concoction into her mouth. Unfortunately, half of it came back up and she bent her head down instead; clamping down onto my arm with her teeth. I automatically let go and she pushed me away with immense strength. I landed upside down on the other side of the plane, underneath a table.

  “Stop it!” Phoebe pleaded as she tried to pull Natasha away from Carmen. “What are you doing to her?!”

  “Phoebe, don’t!” Willow snagged Phoebe’s arm and pulled her back, just as Natasha succeeded in opening Carmen’s mouth wide enough to pour the liquid down her throat. I rubbed my leg where I could feel a bruise forming and Willow helped me back to my seat. After ensuring Carmen was out cold, Natasha sat back down and sighed with exhaustion. She met Phoebe’s distraught eyes with an unrelenting calm.

  “It’s a mixture of passionflower, valerian, and chamomile with a kick. It simply puts her to sleep. It is completely safe, I assure you.”

  “Then what’s wrong with her? Why does she sound like she’s possessed?!” Phoebe shouted. We were all frightened for Carmen and felt powerless to help her, but Phoebe was infinitely taking it the hardest.

  “I’m not sure, dear. It could be a number of things, but I need a second opinion.”

  “What if it gets wors
e? What if she hurts somebody? Or herself?” Phoebe countered, her panic lessening to frustration.

  “That’s where I will need your help,” Natasha disclosed with intensity, “but you will have to trust me. Do you understand?” Phoebe paused as she considered whether or not she trusted her best friend’s well being in the hands of Natasha.

  “Just promise me you’ll help her,” Phoebe conceded quietly, tugging on a strand of brown hair.

  “I will do everything in my power,” Natasha promised. Willow reached out and took Phoebe’s hand to comfort her.

  “Just let us know what you need us to do,” Willow told Natasha for Phoebe’s benefit.

  “Of course.” Natasha pulled four mugs from a cabinet and filled them for us. “I see how much you love her. Sometimes that is all it takes.” I hoped that I was the only one who could hear the doubt in her voice.

  “What is this?” Phoebe peered into her cup skeptically.

  “Mint tea with a touch of skullcap. The mint soothes your senses while the skullcap relaxes your muscles and calms your nerves.” I tentatively took a sip of the steaming liquid and closed my eyes as the refreshing taste of mint exploded onto my taste buds.

  “So you think the Nereids will be able to help her?” I questioned Natasha.

  “Not the Nereids,” she explained. “Charon. Which leads me to what I need to discuss with you. Our reasons for travelling to Cyprus are twofold. You will indeed meet your future sisters, but we also plan to execute another attempt to find Finn. Charon has already arrived on Cyprus,” she held my gaze, “and I took Finn’s body, along with Ricker, over earlier this morning.”

  “Wait. Finn and Ricker?” Willow raised a scrutinizing eyebrow. “How’s that even possible? Is that how…” She pointed back and forth between me and Natasha, putting the pieces together of how I was able to get to Finn’s fight as fast as I did, considering it was on the other side of the world.