Newborough - Book Three

Ambush

Being one of the youngest in the family comes with a huge disadvantage. Right now, dad has forbidden me from being involved with the prison heist because of the last-minute planning. He got Emily to accompany me in the car while he meets Agent Krishnan. He also made sure to park the car far enough to be hidden yet near enough for a dragon to make a fly for it. 

Apparently if things do not go to plan, we might have to make a run and ditch the SUV before HQ discovers our identities. 

The car is full of awkward silence as Emily concentrates on extracting all information available about the secret HQ prison. Despite hearing news of Angra's fire, we have not spotted her anywhere near our surroundings. 

"So are you and my dad a thing?" I ask Emily as casually as possible, wanting to know if dad has a life outside of work and us. 

Emily's eyes bulge out in surprise and turn to look at me. I give her an innocent grin, waiting for her reply. 

"Of course not! We're just colleagues," she says defensively. 

I narrow my eyes at her. "Come on, don't lie. I've seen the way you've looked at him."

Emily blushes hard at my bluntness and decides to turn back to look at her screen. "I don't know what you're talking about, Melinda Caesar. And don't mention that to anyone!"

"How long have you known my dad?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Why not?"

"Because we work together and that's it."

"But he talks about you all the time!" I lie, hoping to get a reaction out of her.

Emily rolls her eyes at me. "Liar, Augustus doesn't talk about anyone."

"Darn it," I mumble, trying to get her to reveal anything. Emily's a tough cookie to crack. 

Just when I'm about to ask her more questions, fire appears out of nowhere surrounding the car. I sit there, frozen in fear until Emily screams at me to get out. I got out of my seatbelt and leave the car, only to be halted by the vicious flames. Emily is suddenly next to me, digging her nails into my shoulder as she looks around for a way out. 

"I'm going to shift," she tells me and then instructing me to hold onto her bulky laptop. Before she can do anything, the a part of the flames in front of me dies down. 

I see Polly, claping her hands slowly as if entertained by the freakshow. I have to remind myself that Angra is currently taking control of Polly's body since her eyes reflect the shade of flames. 

Emily instinctively puts herself infront of me, making sure that I am not facing the spirit directly. 

"I see you've decided to join the party, fishy," Angra says to me mentally, cocking her head to one side. 

"Are you here to break your sister out?" I ask curiously, peeking through Emily's shoulder.

Emily snarls at the spirit when Angra takes a step towards us. Her phoenix tattoo glowing noticeably. Angra looks interested in Emily for a moment before focusing at me.

"Spenta is a gentle soul," Angra tells me with a rare grieving look in her face. "She should have escaped when her host was ambushed by those low-class creatures. She decides to stay with her host and got themselves locked up! My sister didn't do anything wrong!"

This is unlike the Angra I've encountered in the past, but it makes sense that she's willing to only get necessary information from me. If she really wanted to, she could have possessed me just because I'm physically more powerful than Polly. 

Perhaps we are wrong to assume that Angra is the bad guy in this situation.

"HQ locked your sister up for no reason?" I question.

Angra suddenly looks annoyed at me. "Weren't you listening at all, fishy? My sister is good and she deserves to be free after milleniums of being stuck in that cursed lamp. I will get her out with or without your help."

"You're communicating with her?" Emily asks in obvious confusion, looking at me and Angra making a one-sided conversation. 

Angra smirks at me. "She doesn't know what you are, does she, fishy?"

"If you want our help, you'd want to be in her good side," I snap at the evil spirit.

This manages to sobers Angra up as she nods in seriousness. There's no doubt that she has tried to break into the prison before and failed. If HQ was able to lock her sister up, there's a high chance that she would get locked up as well. 

"I need your help breaking into the prison, shifter," Angra tells Emily, trying to not look dangerous. Emily looks surprised at how civil she sounds and I'm debating whether the spirit has serious mood swings.

"Why should we help you and not lock you up after terrorising cities?" Emily snarks back. She's in a defensive posture in case the fire-wielding creature decides to attack us. 

"Polly and I had major disagreements in the beginning of our bonding," Angra says drily. "My only goal is to release my sister and go back to spending the rest of my existence in slumber. Believe it or not, shifter, I do not intend to cause much destruction unless if absolute necessary."

I perk up from the additional knowledge. "So you'll leave Polly's body after your sister is free?"

"For the love of the universe, fishy, you really need to not repeat after other people," Angra says with a tint of dark amusement. "But yes, my only intention is to ensure that my sister's freedom is restored. Not to mention, my sister is in charge of protecting and maintaining the realm so her long absence could bring dire consequences to your realm. You're welcome."

Emily is silent for a long time before she sighs out loud in exhaustion. "I have to call Augustus and discuss about this thoroughly."

"There's no time," Angra snaps, seeing as her fire has always caught unwanted attention from passerbys. If we don't leave soon, HQ will be coming to investigate.

"Damn it," Emily curses and then leads us through the alleyways to get further away from the doomed SUV. Emily makes sure that she's placed in between Angra and I so that the evil spirit won't be near me. 

After hearing Angra's side of the story, it starts to make more sense. HQ does seem to make a habit of making enemies with things that are more powerful than they are. I really hope that I won't spend the rest of my life hiding who I truly am because of HQ in power.

"Augustus, we have a situation," Emily says behind me. I didn't even realise that she called dad. A few more turns and we've finally reached the prison perimeter. I spot dad's back facing us and I am about to call out for him when Emily throws me back into the shadows, out of sight. 

"FREEZE!" the loud boom makes me frozen as Emily shifts into a Phoenix and flies off to another direction, leading HQ away from me. Angra instantly abandons Polly's body, leaving my poor friend in the mercy of HQ. I watch the whole situation in fear as more HQ Agents comes closer to my hiding spot.

A foreign consciousness penetrates my mind, making me move my limbs in inhuman speed. 

"We have to leave, fishy!" Angra screams at me in my mind. 

A couple of HQ Agents yell. Footsteps are heard behind me. Angra's assistance gives me a boost in order to escape the organisation that threatens my existence. Angra is panicking in my head as we got even more lost in the alleyways. She thought all hope was lost when I smell the comforting smell of a river. 

"Over here!" an HQ Agent calls out to his team from behind me. 

Without hesitation, I shoot off towards my escape route and transform into my Siren self with no idea where to go.