UNEDITED: Our Forbidden Love

32: Starley

None of the sharks I was calling were answering.
Please! I need you at the left hand side outskirts of the city! Hurry!
No reply. But, contradicting the evidence in my head that said otherwise, a shark arrives. I look at it dead in the eye and nod, telepathically connecting the pathways needed to communicate with that shark and that one only.
Don't hurt her, just scare her and give us time before they get here.
Yes ma'am.
"Starley," Weedy breathes.
"What?" I ask innocently, "not a fan of sharks?"
"No, I'm not, how'd you know that?" I shrug in response because in truth I didn't know that and just took a wild guess at what she might be scared of, a shark was the first creature I thought of. Unnoticed by neither Alex nor Weedy I use my wrist screen to alert my dad of our location. He'd be able to help, he'd know what to do. Weedy had done something illegal and he was probably the best option, being the rule-keeper and all.

Alex and I keep all eyes on the shark which is now advancing towards Weedy under my orders. Hurry up Dad. I could tell the shark was beginning to grow impatient with all the waiting. I rip my eyes away from Weedy and the shark and look at Alex. His green eyes flicker to me and I wink, trying to tell him that I have this under control. He looks confused but I face back towards the Sea Witch before I can tell him anything else.
Circle around her now, please. He won't be far away.
I hear the shark's acknowledgment of my order and he bends his body to swim around Weedy, terrifying her further.
"Now everyone just calm down." His voice bounces off the invisible air walls around us, deep and booming. "Starley, seriously? A shark?" I turn around to face my father expecting him to be angry but surprisingly there is no sign of anger on his face. I lift one shoulder in response and then let it drop. His eyes move from me to Alex, where they stop. He runs his eyes up and down his body, taking in all magical readings from him.
"Stonal child," he says, nodding. I watch Alex's face turn into one of surprise. He wasn't expecting that.
"Look, Daddy, can we please just get the Sea Witch out of here. She broke one of the laws," I say, growing impatient, just like the shark.
"Well, you're one to talk about breaking rules," he shoots back, turning to me again.
"No, Daddy, not a rule. A law. She possessed him," I explain. He rolls his eyes, something he wouldn't dare do in-front of the Government and something Bubbles and I rarely see at home. He clicks his fingers on one of his hands. Coral and two other scouts swim out from nowhere. They just sort of appear. The two scouts swim up to Weedy as I dismiss the shark and grab her forearms. Coral attempts to move forward and talk to her but she's too fast.

A jet of sparkly, black magic shoots from Weedy's open palm and hits Coral. My eyes instantly dart to Daddy, his only connection to mum apart from his daughters. He's still trying to process what happened. Then I look at Coral. A large black spot is on her chest where she was hit. The dark magic is slowly spreading through her veins, turning them a crackly black, burning out the purple. I swim to her. I try to put my healing hands on her chest to stop the spread but she stops me, grabbing my wrists.
"No," she says, rushing to say all that she wanted to say. "This would kill you too. She's too strong." My eyes start to prickle. I still try to fight against her grip of my wrists as I watch the black magic keep flowing through her body. It's consumed over three-quarters of her body now. Instead of fighting, I use my brain and stop and begin channelling healing magic through her wrists. Instead of healing, the black magic moves quicker throughout the veins and it's energy burns me. I break free, leaving Coral; burnt, black-veined, dead.
***
The first time I'd been inside Government house but really, I didn't want to be there in the beautiful building. It was large and I can't imagine how it was built at the beginning of our time. Behind the door that I was sitting next to were the now nine keepers of the city, all discussing what was to happen. Surely they all thought I was to be punished for leaving the city, however I'd solved the Stonal Family mystery something I knew Piper was thankful for. I knew my dad would've been sticking up for me alongside Piper, Liliana and usually Coral. But due to the absence of Coral, there was most likely only three Government members who were for me and not against. Across the corridor were two seats that were filled; one with my older sister, the other with my boyfriend. We were forbidden to talk until a member came to 'collect' me. I could tell that Alex was just mainly confused. He'd seen and experienced quite a lot in the past few hours. Bubbles just looked disappointed. She sat slumped in her chair, arms crossed not looking at me and avoiding eye contact with Alex. Breaking yet another order today, I speak.
"Sis, can you stop looking so pissed off? I've literally done nothing to you."
Her eyes look up to meet mine but her body posture does not change and she ignores my request. If possible, she looks more angry.
The lock clicks and I feel the presence of a Government member step out of the room. I turn to them. It's Lilliana. I relax slightly and give her a small smile which she returns.
"They're ready for you now," she says, opening the door and I take one last look over my shoulder at my sibling and boyfriend before stepping inside after her.

My first thought: the room is dark. Well, certainly darker than the corridor. A large circular table is placed in the centre of the room and ten chairs are positioned around it, evenly spaced out. The ten chairs around the table are all filled, minus one which would've been Coral's. My heart aches seeing her chair empty. The chair closest to me is filled by Liliana, Health-keeper; the next going clockwise is filled by Piper, Data-keeper; the next is my father, Rule-keeper; the next is Hailey, Key-keeper; next is Rhylee, Peace-keeper; next is Binah, Government-keeper; the next chair is empty, usually filled with Coral; next is Whitney, Criminal-keeper, though with her striking aqua coloured hair, she certainly doesn't look like someone who deals with our city's most dangerous people; next is Lucas, Commodity-keeper; and the circle ends with the Job-keeper, Cameron.

I awkwardly wait at the doorway, waiting for further instructions. Binah gets out of her chair and swims to me. She takes both of my hands in hers and uses them to lead me to a chair in between her and Rhylee that definitely wasn't there before. I would've noticed if Binah had had two empty chairs beside her. I sit down. All nine pairs of eyes are on me.
"Okay, now, we can begin with the proceedings. Obviously we have Telepaths here and also Flickers so please tell the truth and nothing but the truth. I will be running the investigation," Binah says, calmly and friendly. Despite her friendly manner, my bones are rattling inside me. My hands are shaking.
"Did you and the Stonal child break the unbreakable law?"
"No, we did not." Relieved sighs wash around the circle, particularly from Piper, and I watch Hailey and Rhylee, the two Flickers in the Government confirm my truth.
"Why did you go to the Sea Witch instead of confronting the Government first?"
"She was the first person I could think of. I didn't think of anyone else who could help." Again, Hailey and Rhylee confirm.
"Why did you break our rules?"
"I love him. If Piper can break the unbreakable and still be in our Government, I don't see why I couldn't break the rules for my own love." My statement seems to hit home for a few of the members and they turn to Binah and nod.
"Thank you," she says. What? That's it? That was the whole investigation? Normally investigations are so much longer. "We would like you to take the open position on the Government as Scout-keeper." I literally choke on air. I look to my dad who is smiling as wide as he can.
"Sorry, what was that?"
"We want you on the Government, Starley."