The Senate
1593 Words
Sarah
Another prison. Again? I was shackled this time and the cold metal stung against my burnt wrists. My head ached as I sat up on the thin mattress. Why does this keep happening to me?
I walked to the metal bars, at least there was a guard this time. Maybe I could get answers.
“Hello? Where am I?”
“Senator Fayron will be arriving soon to talk to you”
“I need medical attention”
“Senator Fayron will be arriving soon to talk to you”
“Is there anything you can tell me?”
“Senator Fayron will be arriving soon to talk to you”
“Okay, when will he be arriving?”
“Senator Fayron will be arriving SOON to talk to you”
“Well thanks, you’ve been very helpful”
“You’re welcome”
At least he finally changed his answer. Who was this Senator Fayron? What even was a Senator? I needed so many answers. What was Tyson? What was I?
At least I had an idea of what Tyson might be. My father would tell me stories when I was young, of men that could transform into beasts. Does his family know about it though? Do these people that have me locked away know about it?
“Sarah?”
I spun around back towards the metal bars. A slender elderly man stood; hands folded neatly in front of him.
“I am here to answer your questions”
“Who are you?”
“My name is Senator Fayron, I am part of a senate of twenty individuals that are voted in to control the world's decisions”
“So why haven’t I heard about it before?”
“The same reason why you don’t know about any of the magical world, it is kept secret from humans”
“Then why are you telling me”
“Well you’re not human now are you”
I looked at him bewildered. He gave me a curt smile before continuing.
“Not completely at least”
“Then what am I?”
“That is what we have to find out. We have an idea, but we need to make sure”
I shook my head at him. This was too much.
“I know this must be a shock to you, we can continue this later if you need time”
“Where’s Tyson?”
I hadn’t seen him since the fight. I hated the idea that he could be locked up like I was. Well, he had locked me up multiple times so part of me wondered if he should at least have a taste of it… No that was a ridiculous thought, I would be worried sick.
“He is fine, he was transported back to his family. You may get to visit him after we sort through all this mess”
I breathed in relief. At least he was safe.
“Okay, what ‘mess’ is keeping me here?”
“That is a bit more difficult. We have to keep you here until we know what you are, we have suspicions, but we hope for your sake that they aren’t true”
“What are your suspicions?”
“I can’t say at the present”
“What would happen if they are true?”
“I can’t say that either. All I can tell you is that we will have to put you through a certain number of tests to confirm anything”
I raised my eyebrow at his answer, only receiving a bored shrug in response. I guess not all my questions would get answered. I had enough of listening, I needed time to think.
“Anything else?”
He sounded so bored; I instantly knew I didn’t like this man.
“No, thanks. Will I be able to ask more questions later?”
He sighed at my question and pursed his lips; guess he didn’t like me much either.
“Perhaps, I am rather busy”
He gave a quick nod before turning on his heels.
“Wait!”
I had almost forgotten one of the most pressing issues.
“My injuries, can I at least have some equipment to tend to them?”
“No. That will be part of your first test”
He hadn’t even turned to face me before briskly walking off. I should have asked more about the tests, but I doubted I would have gotten any useful answers. It seemed like it was in my best interest if I didn’t pass them.
What did they think I was? This must have to do with what happened to Derek’s men, that energy. He spoke of the magical world, so I guess that would include whatever Tyson was. A werewolf? How many other magical creatures are there? How are they secretly controlling the world?
So many more questions flooded my mind, but I couldn’t help as I sat down, too tired to think any longer. The pounding in my head only got worse the more I began to stress. But how could I sleep now I’ve learnt the entire world that I know was a lie?
My thoughts brought me back to the night of Tyson’s engagement dinner. My stomach turned as my mind was plagued with the memory; he could be back home right now planning the wedding with his fiancé. No. Focus. Something the man had said during his speech. He had mentioned their packs. As in wolf packs? This must have been what Tyson was so desperate to explain to me that night. Did he know what I was? How many of these magical creatures are there? Well if they controlled the world's decisions there must be a large amount.
My head spun faster. I needed sleep if I wanted my head to recover, maybe later I could work through the questions again. The mattress was so dusty, and the thin blanket provided barely any warmth in the cold dungeon; but despite how uncomfortable it was I fell straight to sleep as soon as my head hit the yellowed pillow.
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Tyson
“Where did they take her?”
Tyson paced back and forward in the large war room. He hadn’t stopped moving since The Senate had taken Sarah.
“For the last time, I don’t know. Explain again what happened so we might figure out why”
King Jeremy’s voice was calm. Tyson sighed, rubbing his head as he turned back towards his father.
“I was fighting through the men, making my way towards her when something caught her eye. She paled instantly, but when she went to scream”
“Yes”
Tyson shook his head, still confused.
“It was insane, like a harmony of screeching voices. The men around me instantly fell and writhed on the ground. My wolf had to retreat but once in human form, I was unaffected. The ground shook, the buildings crumbled. The men. Blood poured from their ears, their noses, their eyes. It seemed as if it came alive and wanted to escape the sound as much as my wolf had, through any means possible. As quickly as it had started, it stopped. But before I could reach her the council had already arrived and started dragging her away.”
King Jeremy nodded in contemplation.
“What do you think it was? Maybe she was a witch? It is not unheard of for a magical being to be raised by humans.”
“No”
Tyson’s heart sank as his father shook his head, still in contemplation. He just wanted an answer, he just wanted his mate back.
“The council wouldn’t have taken her if she was just a witch. Plus, we could all smell that she was human. There is no way that a halfling could be that powerful”
Tyson finally sat, defeated into one of the large war room chairs.
“They arrived too quickly. Someone must have been keeping tabs on the girl. No one from the human villages would have been any wiser, so they must have started tracking her during her stay. Who had access to her?”
Tyson straightened. Perhaps they were getting somewhere after all. Hope brought new energy as he began thinking back.
“Only mother, Mathew, our maid Julie, the butlers, Isabella and Luther saw her for a split second, and me. No one else.”
“Are you sure?”
Tyson shook his head, trying hard to remember. He had made sure that her contact had stayed to a minimum. Unless…
“No, when she first arrived, she was injured”
Guilt flooded through him at the memory of the damage he had caused. The fear when she was lying lifeless on the floor.
“I called a witch to aid with her recovery, she had some experience with humans in the past”
“That might be something. Witches have a keen sense of others' magical abilities. If she sensed something, it is possible she could have reported it to The Senate”
Tyson jumped up at his father’s words, eager to follow the new lead.
“She lives close to the Eastern human village; I’ll grab Mathew and head there now”
“I’m coming with you”
King Jeremy stood, grabbing his long coat before briskly walking past his son. Tyson could tell his father regretted acting so hastily at the news of his son’s mate. The idea that the king was so determined to get her back filled him with a new sense of hope.
After Sarah had left, Tyson had confronted him. Safe to say the king had been left with much to think about. Tyson was no longer his obedient, naïve son.
Finally, on the same page, they headed off together to find a way to bring his mate home.
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Sarah
Loud scraping woke me. I slowly turned, head still aching, and placed my feet on the cold hard floor. Senator Fayron was back, dragging a small metal stick along the bars of my cage.
“Good morning, I have a delivery”
He sounded as bored as ever as he passed his leathery hand through the bars. In his palm sat an old music box, the paint was chipped, and the wood cracked. On top sat a rolled parchment, neatly tied with twine.
“What is this?”
I rubbed my eyes as I groggily got up and walked towards him.
“Why…”
He waved the box towards me, urging me to take it from his hand. I roughly accepted it and he stepped back from the cell.
“It is your first test of course”
- Writer
