The Scream of a Siren

Battle wounds to battle scars.

" I told you to run damn it"

I didn't smile, I just stared at his face, his real face, it was there inches from mine, alive and breathing, solid and warm like it always was. But I couldn't tear my eyes away from the dull grey scars that now stood etched into his cheeks and one ran straight down his forehead and over his lips. I glanced at it, it was hard to take In. These scars would never fade away completely, Chad would be scarred forever because of what Caspian had done. I wasn't sure what I was feeling it was a mixture of disbelief that Caspian would do something like that and a nagging feeling that even with what he had done it didn't change how I felt. I still loved him and I was finally seeing what Chad had meant about loving Caspian being dangerous, but I had been prepared for that, I had been prepared to be hurt by Caspian. But I had never considered that he might hurt someone I cared about. I should hate him, I needed to hate him. He had tried to kill Chad and then left without even looking back, he had felt nothing when he had slashed my best friend open in front of my eyes.

" I hate him" I said in my mind, but even in my own mind I wasn't convincing. I had to be able to hate him.

Without a second thought I pushed my lips onto Chad's.

They left alive just like the last time, only this time I didn't expect to feel anything I just needed to prove to myself that I hated Caspian. But my stomach still dropped to the floor with the feeling of a million butterflies, Chad took a moment to react before he slipped his hand into my hair and began to kiss me back.

We stayed like that for a long moment before someone coughed.

We broke apart and I looked up to see Irwin blush bright red and look down. I smiled slightly and gently removed Chad's hand from my shirt and clasped it in my hand. His pulse drummed against my fingertips loud and steady. I was reminded of how fragile life was, that pulse that beat that I relied on so much could stop within a few short moments.

I still knew that I didn't hate Caspian, why did I still love the man who had tried and nearly succeeded to kill my best friend?

It made no sense even to me, but  I guess that was what love meant.

I sat on my bed cradling Cal in my arms, he was as light as a feather and seemed to float on my arms, his tiny hands clawed at the air, his hair was already showing on his scalp and his feet kicked at the air impatiently. Hunter was still sitting down the end of my bed playing with Eyre with his free hand, I could see his neck tort as he tensed his broken arm against the pain. Chad was pacing up and down the room repetitively, muttering to himself, the scars were all to real and I couldn't get used to seeing my best friend scored with angry white marks. Irwin was cleaning up Chad's blood of which he had lost a lot, it was a wonder he could still stand upright let alone walk up an down. Setas was standing in the corner glowering darkly at me.

" Irwin?" I asked.

" Yes?" he replied.

" How did you get Setas to do what you asked?" I asked him.

" Because Setas chose to be good, he spent his whole life up to eighteen doing good, helping people so that when he became dark the evil inside him wasn't so strong. That can't happen for those changed as babies but it can for those at eighteen. If Caspian goes dark chances are I will be able to control him, but knowing Caspian he's too pure to go dark. I needed Setas because when you turn dark your heart dies anyway so Setas has no hearts but anyone who goes dark can revive anyone who dies.... up to a certain degree, if the killer is too powerful the its beyond anyone to save them but dark ones are quiet special like that" he explained smiling at Setas who simply nodded in agreement.

" Oh" was all I could say.

Why give the power of good to those who know only evil, it seemed flawed in more then one way, but then again I had just witnessed Setas save Chad's life.

Irwin finished cleaning the floor and washed his hands before coming over to Hunter and gently touching his arm, it made a horrible cracking sound and Hunter yelped loudly. His arm flicked up at clicked back into place with a sound like wood splintering. Hunter looked down then raised his arm and waved it around, it was perfectly fine.

Irwin then sat down on the floor panting and white faced, he looked absolutely exhausted. Setas however looked perfectly fine even though I couldn't even begin to comprehend how hard it must've been to save Chad. Caspian had collapsed into a shaking heap after saving me but then he had said something about me being different, he had said that his chants didn't work on me. They had backfired on him but hadn't on Chad.

Suddenly I heard a tiny squeak come out of Hunter who was looking down at his hand with an annoyed expression.

" She bit me" He exclaimed turning to face me with a comical expression.  I stifled a giggle and watched as Hunter adopted a pouty kid face and little voice and proceeded to scold Eyre gently.

Cal was turning his tiny head from side to side observing Irwin who was talking to Setas in a hushed voice.

Irwin slowly approached and placed a cold hand on Cal's  cheek, he didn't flinch.

" I have to go back and check if Caspian has calmed down" he said softly.

' Thank you, for everything" I replied gratefully.

" It was our pleasure, I'm glad we could help you" He smiled and pulled back his hand, Cal began to cry.

Irwin and Setas climbed out the lowest window and jogged down the garden and into the trees. The sun had began to come up and the garden was bathed in a soft blue light. Outside the window a twig snapped and a familer voice said:

" Thank god, I thought they'd never leave"