Chained (The Siren Series #2) by L.A.Griffiths

long
deceased garden. As I walked down the stone stairs to get a look at
the once majestic garden, something struck the side of the stairs,
blasting smoke and stones up into the air. I slipped on the last
step and landed onto my back.
    “ Slippery little thing aren’t you.”
Naaz commented.
    I carefully picked myself up and saw Naaz
standing in her now long dead jungle.
    “ What is wrong with you? Why are you
trying to kill me all the time?” I asked.
    “ You mistake me, little one. I’m trying
to teach you.” Naaz replied.
    “ You call that teaching!” I said
pointing to the destroyed stairs.
    “ If I am to help you, I want to make
sure you know of your full abilities.”
    Naaz raised her arm and I quickly dived
across the garden, taking refuge behind a large stone fountain that
held green mossy water.
    “ You cannot hide all your life, Ellie!”
Naaz yelled.
    She’s right. I cannot hide from all my
problems all my life. Naaz struck the fountain again and again
tempting me to move. I quickly threw myself around the beaten up
fountain and screamed, tearing up the concrete floor. I had
surprised her, sending Naaz rolling up into the air and finally
falling into a dead flower bed.
    “ Sorry!” I yelled while trying to
suppress a giggle.
    Within a blink of an eye, she was back up on
her feet as if nothing has happened. She stared at me and smiled
her frightening grin.
    “ How was that?” I asked
sarcastically.
    “ Good, but I want you to do more.” She
said.
    More? What more could I do?
    “ I did tell you that I had a Siren?
Yes?” she asked.
    “ Yeah, you did, when you were trying to
strangle me!” I replied.
    Naaz gave me a sly smile and ignored the
comment. “Well, she used to do things for me. The little Siren would use her powers and lure many
people here that we used.”
    I didn’t want to hear her talk anymore.
    “ That’s enough, I don’t want to know.”
I said.
    “ Fine with me, but Siren’s can
influence without even touching, and that my dear I want you to
do.”
    “ But I’ve never done anything like that
before. How do I do it?” I asked.
    “ Close your eyes and concentrate.” she
said.
    I did as she said and closed my eyes. Did she
want me to do anything else? I felt stupid, standing with my eyes
shut tight.
    “ Naaz?” I called out but she didn’t
answer.
    Should I open them?
    “ Let go, what are you do-.” said a
voice. “Ellie?”
    I opened my eyes up to see Marcus standing
next to Naaz.
    “ What are we doing out here?” he
asked.
    “ Training.” said Naaz. “Now, Ellie,
make Marcus fall in love with you, while you are over
there.”
    “ Are you nuts?” Marcus
yelled.
    “ I’m not doing that!” I
said.
    “ You need to, you might need it one
day.” she replied.
    “ It could go wrong and I don’t want to
hurt him.”
    “ Look, she said she not doing it now
can I go back inside.” he said.
    Naaz gripped his arm as he walked off. “Don’t
you want to help Ellie?” she asked him.
    Marcus didn’t say anything, he looked at Naaz
and then at me. “Fine.” he said.
    “ Good.” Naaz smiled.
    “ But what if it goes wrong and-.” she
cut me off.
    “ It won’t, now close your eyes and try
to call upon that power you have inside you.”
    I closed my eyes again and tried to call upon
any power that I had inside me. Something pierced through the
darkness of my mind and a figure of a man came towards me. It was
Marcus, something wasn’t right with him. His eyes adopted a glassy
stare and I didn’t like what I was seeing, I didn’t like seeing him
like that. I wanted the image gone from my mind and quickly opened
my eyes. Marcus was now standing arms length from me with the same
stare I pictured in my mind.
    “ Mistress?” He said
nonchalantly.
    He swayed on the spot, waiting for his
commands.
    “ Turn him back, please Naaz.” I
begged.
    She nodded and placed a hand to his chest,
within a few minutes he blinked and returned to life.
    “ I’m so sorry,