Aura [bxb]

Twenty-Three

Laken P.O.V

I could feel small shivers caressing it's way up my spine as I stared down at the man, my uncle, standing on the other side of the shielded gates. I was almost too shocked to see him standing there, almost sure that I was hallucinating from drowsiness. That was proven not to be the case after I rubbed my eyes clear of sleep. It wasn't me hallucinating, that guy was actually standing outside of the gate, staring at the mansion with an unbreakable gaze.

I was frozen in shock and confusion. Why was this guy here now? After the whole ordeal with Tristin shifting into his hunormous dragon form, I would have thought he'd have given up, at least for the day. The fact that he was standing outside of the mansion proved that he didn't know when to quit. A few hours ago, this guy had been here with a whole squad, and now, he stood alone. You'd think that after being sent away earlier that he'd know that the barrier wasn't going to go down. At least, I don't think the shield is going to go down.

What was even weirder is that he was just standing there. His arms were behind his back, or it looked like they were. He was standing in a military at-attention position. The only thing lighting the ground was the full moon overhead. The moonlight illuminated the area around my uncle brightly, which was the only reason that I was able to see outside. They seriously need to install security lights. I get that they probably think a magic shield is enough, but a few lights can go a long way.

I couldn't help but slowly get creeped out by the way he was standing. It almost seemed like he was asleep, as he wasn't moving anymore. His head didn't move to glance around the border of the mansion. He didn't walk closer to the gate. He stood motionless.

I knew that I should just return to Tristin's bedroom and wake him up. I know that I should have gone to him and informed him that my uncle was standing outside the gates. I probably should have done just that, but I didn't. Instead, another plan came to mind.

The barrier protected the surrounding gates. It wasn't like the guy could hurt me as long as I stayed on my side of the gate. If his friend was any proof of what the barrier could do, he will know that he should remain on the opposite side of the barrier, unless he wants to get flung across the lot too. I wanted to hear what he'd have to say, and I didn't want to be locked in a room while it happens, because if Tristin was aware of what was about to happen, then I would be locked in his bedroom while he dealt with the problem, which would probably be a temporary fix.

I pushed away from the window when I realized that my uncle wasn't going to leave. I made the rash decision to go outside and confront him. I wanted to know why he was hunting me down, the reason the king had an interest in ME?! I think I deserved to know something as trivial as that. I wanted to know if my mother was okay or not. I wanted to tell him to leave my mother and me alone, to go back to the sea.

I walked down the hallway with stealth and hesitation. I wanted to know more, confront the d*mn guy, but a part of me was afraid. This was one of the guys who broke into my home, has my mother hostage, is hunting me down. I may be safe behind the barrier, but what if whatever I said negatively affected my mother? I didn't allow myself to think that part through very much as I passed by Tristin's bedroom, even more careful than usual. If I woke Tristin up, then it would game over. There would be no way I could excuse why I was roaming the hallways without lying, and I wasn't a very good liar.

Once I was passed Tristin's room, I walked faster, wanting to get the first real interaction with my uncle over with. I never knew I had an uncle. Family wasn't ever something my mother mentioned. She didn't think something like relatives was worth mentioning. She treated the subject like it was a taboo. For the majority of my childhood, I assumed that family was just a mother and son, like her and me. I never thought about the possibility that I could have a father or grandparents out there.

Now that there was a family member around, I wish that they didn't exist. Funny how the tables can shift.

Why did the only other family I know about have to be working with someone who wants me to be kidnapped for who knows what? Because I was a siren? Something I have literally no control over? Or was it something else? Was there another reason that I was getting hunted down? I was beyond tired of being left in the dark. I bet Tristin learned something yesterday, and he hasn't informed me yet. I deserved to know more than I currently do, I'm already too naive and ignorant as it was, any more and I'd be full out stupid. I did not want to be known to be full out stupid.

I rushed down the stairs, thankful that none of the steps had some weird creaks. Once again, it was proved that this house was too quiet, but it was seriously beneficial for me.

Once I was off the stairs, I paused. I didn't know the first floor, but thankfully, the doors were a lot more obvious than the staircase had been. The large doors had stained wood finishing and looked to be more expensive than an entire month of rent. With my hand on the handle, I froze. I'm scared, but I don't want to let anyone know.

I pushed my fear down. I cracked the doors open quietly and stepped out of the mansion. The outside of the estate was just as pretty and bland as the inside. Stones were making up the pathway, but all the \rocks were the same exact shape. There were flowers in small identical patches, and all the flowers were white. There was no variety of colors or different types of flowers. It was all the same and bland.

Those patches made small little sections of the yard, but there were no trees, which provided no shade. I hurried down the pathway, walking carefully towards the gates. My uncle's eyes darted over towards me when I got closer. I froze. I hadn't seen him very well before, but I could clearly see that he was related to my mother. They shared similar facial features. They had the same color of eyes.

He tilted his head at me, examining me as well. I stopped right outside the gates, looking out at him with shielded eyes. I was on the defensive.

"So, you're my uncle?" I asked hesitantly. My voice seemed to scare him, him instantly going on the defensive. Sometimes I forget that mermaids both hate and fear sirens and that they are scared of my siren song.

"Your mother is my blood sibling, yes," My uncle said calmly, looking at me with a glint in his eyes. "You would have been a perfect nephew if you hadn't been born as a siren." He sneered at me through the gate. I flinched backward. If only he didn't hate me because of something I couldn't change, but I can imagine that he'd have something else to hate me for.

"So, you hate me for being a siren?" I asked, and when he gave a short nod. "You do know that I didn't ask to be born a siren?" I said without any hesitation. His eyes slanted more, and he looked at me with more anger than before. "Is my mom okay?" I asked carefully.

My uncle's eyes turned sharp with anger. "I would never compromise my sister's health, and besides, my king wants her back unharmed," He said as the barrier flickered, my eyes snapped towards it in shock — the sound of the gate doors opening slowly. I stumbled back, praying that the barrier would hold, but when the gentle color disappeared, and the gap in the gate turned big enough for him to slip in, I knew that praying wouldn't help me anymore.

I turned around, ready to run back into the mansion, but I slammed into another person's chest. It wasn't Tristin, though. It was one of the house guards, one of the ones who assisted during the original attempt. For a moment, I thought he was going to help me, but when his arms wrapped around my waist tightly, trapping me, I knew this entire situation wasn't going to end in my favor.

The sound of footsteps approaching from behind me was one of the last things I heard, as a sharp pinch could be felt in my neck.

"Good job, Renolds,"