Riley POV
"What is all of this?" I breathed, turning to face Elder James and Jaxon, who merely smirked at both Marigold and me, looking unsurprised by our presence as they looked behind us at all the cages and the miserable creatures contained in them. "What have you done to them all?" I demanded, finding my voice, while they simply blinked at me, unfazed by the anger coursing through my veins.
"I would have thought that it was pretty self-explanatory, Riley" Elder James's voice was quiet as several more people came flooding in behind him, dressed in white coats, their eyes gazing at us with fascination "This is a research facility that has been put to good use in discovering and recording the various differences between our species and others."
His tone was smug, as though it was something to be proud of.
"Why?" Marigold's voice was shaking. "Why are they locked up like this? This isn't right, this is...."
Jaxon moved so fast that Marigold barely had time to blink, plunging a syringe into her thigh as she opened her mouth wide and made a strangled sound, her eyes bulging before she crumpled silently to the floor, Jaxon's eyes gleaming with satisfaction as he looked down at her with a grin.
"Marigold" I shouted, my own eyes beginning to blaze as I faced them.
"Bring the girl." Elder James was quiet, but his tone was filled with authority.
He glanced at me as Jaxon smoothly approached. "You can try and fight us, but it will only endanger Tiana more" he warned as I hesitated.
"Where is she" I hissed "She wasn't in this room and I didn't see her in any of the others."
He smirked. The elevator opened behind the men and a woman came out, dragging a dazed-looking Tiana with her. I sucked in a breath. Tiana stared blankly at me. There was no recognition on her face, no signs she knew me at all. I could see needle marks on her arm and there was a collar, a different one around her neck. It was silver and ominous-looking.
"You bastard" I choked out, Jaxon taking hold of my arms while I stood there debating "What have you done to her?" I demanded icily.
"We haven't done anything too extravagant, at least not yet," Elder James said, looking at Tiana with satisfaction, "A few simple blood tests, some sedation, and, of course, we had to trail the new collars we created, thanks to Jaxon's help and assistance."
The collar. Jaxon helped them create new ones. I stared at Elder James in horror. "You planned this from the start. You had no intentions of punishing Jaxon did you?" I accused him as Jaxon let out a soft laugh "You wanted his information and his help."
"Of course we did. We couldn't let him be punished for trying to force some sirens into being compliant. Your species is a danger to us all, he merely did what was right" Elder James said snidely. "You've been driven to the point of extinction, and yet your kind still fights to survive. It's infuriating," he sneered.
One of the scientists passed a silver collar to Jaxon, who took it with a gleam in his eyes. I struggled and pulled away.
"Put the collar on Riley" Jaxon's voice was soft, mocking as he looked at me, while Tiana continued to stare at everything near her with a dumbfounded expression "Unless you want Marigold and Tiana here to die right in front of you?" he added smoothly.
I was already drawing water around me, prepared to battle, but at his words, Elder James pulled a large dagger out of his jacket and moved, putting the tip to Tiana's throat while she stood there, offering no resistance. He pushed in hard, a sliver of blood trickling down her throat as I watched slightly panicked. Marigold remained unconscious on the floor and wasn't any help to me at all. Whatever Jaxon had given her had knocked her out cold. I hesitated.
"Unlike you Riley, I have no compunctions about killing an innocent child" Elder James spoke as he kept the knife at Tiana's throat, "in fact, she wouldn't be the first I would have killed, just to ensure you're listening to me. I happen to know that you're quite fond of this girl. Could you live with the image of her throat being slit in front of you forever? With the knowledge that there was nothing you could do to save her? Can you live with the guilt of knowing she died because of you?" he prompted, a smile on his face that sent shivers down my spine.
He had me. I knew he wasn't bluffing. Tiana was my weakness. I couldn't see her throat being slit in front of me. "Tiana" I cried, attempting to get her attention, but she didn't so much as glance my way. I felt a lump in my throat. "Tiana" I screamed, and then I dropped the water, letting it fall to the floor and spread.
"Wise decision," Elder James said with a twist of his lips "Jaxon, the collar" he urged.
I stiffened, my body tensing as I felt Jaxon come up behind me. This time the collar was ice-cold as he snapped it into place. Small electrical pulses seemed to run through it. The silver burned, like before.
"Try and speak," Elder James said, narrowing his eyes.
"Fuck you" I spat and then felt the nauseating pain of electricity run through my body, sending me to my knees in shock.
"Ah, it works" Elder James nodded "Every time you try to speak or even utter a sound, you're going to be shocked by the collar. Try and sing, and the pain will be ten times what you just felt" he advised me as I went silent, glaring at him. "it seemed to be a better alternative than cutting out each and every single one of your tongues. I can even control the electricity if I choose, but that's up to me" he sneered, "and I can make it worse as well. How does it feel, Queen Riley, to be at my mercy?" he snarled, "siren bitch."
I opened my mouth and then shut it. Jaxon chuckled "It appears that our siren queen is lost for words" he murmured, "I think you might have had a cage ready for her sir?" he added, bowing his head respectfully while the scientists continued to watch, Marigold now being put on a stretcher behind me.
"Yes" Elder James confirmed with a sly nod of his head, "but I think it's imperative that we do a little research on her first. Discover how she differs from the other sirens and what makes her stronger than them, faster, and what caused her to become the Siren Queen. I want to know where she gets her strength from" he commented, creasing his brow "and I want to see if we can somehow harness it or use it in conjunction with other traits we have taken from other races. Perhaps we can create some sort of super hybrid" he laughed, "or at the very least we might be able to form a toxin that finally causes them to become extinct and be rid of them finally."
I felt sick. Like an animal that is about to be tortured or beaten by its master. Marigold was swiftly wheeled into the elevator and Elder James pushed Tiana towards one of the scientists. "Take her back to the room and let her sleep. She's no good to us in this state. We have to see what her reaction is to pain stimuli when she wakes up," he added, as fury swept through me.
The bastard was still threatening to hurt her, even after I had acceded to his demands.
I lunged forward, but Jaxon reached forward and grabbed me, yanking me backward as I flailed in his arms.
"Don't even think about it princess," he breathed in my ear, "you can't shift with the silver around your neck, and you can't use your powers with the electricity coursing through you. That reminds me" he growled, and I felt the sharp prick of something embed itself in my thigh, looking down in disbelief to see a syringe being pulled back by Jaxon "I think it's best if you're slightly sedated. Just to be extra cautious" he added out loud, speaking to Elder James, who looked at him in approval.
"Wonderful" he beamed, as my body became uncooperative and Jaxon moved to sweep me up in his arms as though I was as light as a feather ", take her to the room next door. Gerald," he turned to one of the scientists who adjusted his spectacles nervously, "you can come too. We'll need your assistance for this" he added as I tried to move and couldn't, "I have to be back at the pack in a few hours", the Elder added with a sigh, "but Jaxon will remain here now that he's no longer needed there. I want blood tests," he told the man as Jaxon began to walk through the room towards the back corner, towards a door I had not taken notice of before. "as many as you can do on her" he continued, "do a full medical check-up. I want to know everything about her and her kind. If she gives you any trouble, don't hesitate to use the remote and punish her. She needs to learn her place" he smirked as I glared weakly at him.
The door was kicked open by Jaxon, and we entered a room that had all sorts of machinery, a hospital bed in the center with restraints, vials and needles, restraints, computers, laboratory equipment. Anything and everything you could possibly need to perform tests on another person. Jaxon went straight to the bed and began to place me on it, hurriedly restraining my arms and legs down so that I couldn't move my arms or feet. He stroked my cheek. "You know, it's kind of a turn on seeing you weak and helpless like this" he commented wryly, as I tried not to shudder, "after Gerald here has done all his tests I think we might, get reacquainted again, Riley. I've missed you" he murmured in my ear as I moved my head away "and nothing would please me more than fucking you while your mate feels the pain of your betrayal" he added wickedly.
"After the tests" Elder James barked, rolling his eyes and then turned to the scientist "You may start now" he added, sitting on the nearest chair and smiling to himself.
I felt a terrible sense of foreboding as I lay there helpless. Something told me that I was not going to like what tests they were about to perform on me.