Filed To Story: Traded To The Lycan King Novel (Colette & Merikh) by MG Wattsons
“And their kind has the time to scheme and plan wars hundreds of years in advance.” I murmur his words, making me think.
“Exactly.” he says. He moves the tools he was using away, putting them on a table to the side before he feels the skin around the wound on Merikh’s back. I watch as he pushes and prods at him when I feel someone come up to my side.
“Brent…” I say, my mind whirling with everything he has said and trying to recall what happened in the conference room.
“Mmhmm?” he hums in response, inviting me to continue.
“How did the barrier go down?” I ask him, and he freezes, his eyes snapping up to meet mine.
“What?”
“The magic barrier. The one you have supposedly been placing up and taking down when commanded by Caspian…it was supposed to be up, suppressing everyone’s abilities, but yet…”
“I did not bring the barrier down,” he says, alarmed.
“Then who did?” I ask him. “Who else has the ability to do it? As far as I know, you are the only wizard here…right?”
“That is true, but there are ways to break it, ways that don’t require me to bring down the spell.”
“And how many people know how to do that?” I ask him, watching as he grows increasingly more uncomfortable.
“Here? Not many…” he admits, then his eyes grow wide. “Just myself, maybe Elm; as it is a nature related thing. And Ezrah.”
“What?” I swallow the growing bulge of fear in my throat. “Ezrah?”
Yes, he has the abilities to bring it down, though I highly doubt-”
His words drone on, sounding like nothing in my ears as I try not to hyperventilate. Did I send my father off with the enemy? Had Ezrah really fooled us all so well and planted himself here? It would make sense, all the ‘letters’ being in the right place at the right time. Ezrah is with them, whether he is the leader or not. I don’t know. All I know is that I have to get to my father.
Now.
Itear from Merikh’s side, praying he will forgive me for leaving him to heal on his own for a moment. There is a flurry of shouting behind me as I stumble into the wall at the turn and scramble up the stairs, trying to make my way to the room meant only for sirens.
My lungs burn in the frantic panic of getting to them, my skin crawling with worry. The second I hit the landing, I sprint down the long narrow hall, past the two doors on my left and slam into the only door on my right-hand side. My fingers wrap around the brass doorknob as I shove, but it doesn’t budge.
It’s locked. I j i g g l e the handle, then slam my fist into the door, making the oak rumble. My foot flies out, kicking the base as I hear something from beyond the door, but I am past being cordial and calm. What the hell could Ezrah be doing in there to him?
“Let me in!” I roar, my hand aching from striking the wood so hard until finally it gives way, splintering and I use my wolf’s strength, shove the door off its hinges. I scan the room, searching for Ezrah, ready to strike at him with everything I have, but I freeze when I see him exit the bathroom and blink at me, shocked.
“Colette?” Caspian calls to me, alarmed, and his voice filled with concern. “What is it? What happened?”
My jaw falls open as Nook at the man calling my name. He is transformed, his hair slicked back and his skin a luminescent blue with gills on his neck. As he seems to glide closer to me in the water, his webbed fingers reach for the marble ledge and I gasp as he pulls himself up onto the side. His massive scaled tail glimmers from his mid torso down, his side more defined and matching his gills.
It’s one thing knowing I’m a siren, it’s another witnessing what that means.
“Y-you’re okay…” I whisper, looking from him to Ezrah, a spark of confusion in his eyes. Ezrah places his hands in his pockets, watching me closely.
“I told you I would take care of him.” He furrows his brow, then his eye light up like he has solved a puzzle.
“Right…” I stammer, looking back at Caspian as he tilts his head.
“Is Merikh alright?” he asks, his voice sounding warbling as if he is gargling water and peaking at the same time.
“Uh…” I pink the bridge of my nose, trying to make sense of everything happening. “Yes. He will be fine. It’s just that…”
“What?” Capsian asks.
“The magic barrier was down and I talked to Brent and he said only a few people have the abilities to take it down.”
Ezrah exhales and shakes his head.
“And you assumed it was me,” he says.
Inod, guilt seeping into me. Was I wrong in assuming it was him? Or did I just get to him before he did something? It could also be possible Ezrah is playing the long game. Pretending to be on our side, even though he is just waiting for the right moment.
ZOMA
I haven’t decided I shrug, choosing to double down.
He arches a brow in amusement and then he chuckles, nodding to the door I just hammered through. He walks out, and I see him stop waiting for me. I stomp out after him, glancing at my father, who pulls his full tail from the water and swings to the side before I step over the broken door.
He looks at me, no judgment or anger in his eyes. And he releases a sigh.
*I apologize for whatever I have done to make you think I would ever betray the council,” he says. I cross my arms over my chest and lick my teeth, trying to control my emotions that are admittedly all over the place.
The council is dead now.” I say. “Everyone has gone their own way.”
He scoffs.