“And what’s wrong with my voice? Why do I hurt? What happened today?” I continued to ramble


    “Today?!”” Master Keinughed. “Ciara, you have been feverish and delirious for nearly two day cycles.


    Brothers, bring it more to drink and something to eat.”


    I sat in stunned silence as they bustled around getting me food and more water. I took what they gave


    me gratefully although my throat was really sore. I could not figure out what they were talking about.


    My most recent memories were shbulbs of nightmares: the deep dark ck, a slimy pink tentacle,


    and their irate faces floating over me.


    It took a while for the memories to solidify in my mind. As a rush, the timeline came back to me.


    My eyes went wide when I realized. I nearly choked on what I had been eating. It hadn’t been a bad


    dream. I had been in the ocean, way out in the ocean. Something had grabbed me. I had been pulled


    under and I had been drowning.


    ninjanovel


    Hurriedly I looked around and grabbed the closest man to me. He felt real. Master Evan felt like he


    always did, hard muscle and warm skin.


    He was looking at me curiously.


    Tears started to streak down my face when what Master Bane said made sense. They were going to a


    lay a whip on me for what I had done. I retched and tried to keep the food and drink down. The root


    from before was presented to me and I took it.


    “Please Masters,” I whispered, “how many times will you Lash me?” I was really crying now.


    Master Christof wiped my face before he answered.


    “It depends on how honest you can be with us. If we are satisfied we may not Lash you at all,” he


    said cooly.


    My head bobbed up and down and they Laughed at my gesture.


    “How did you escape, Ciara?” Master Damien asked.


    I answered them with absolute honesty. I told them I liked to dive outside the cove to explore. Without


    missing a detail, I described the hole in the grate. They watched me stoically and I rambled on without


    thought.


    They heard about the current and agreed when I told them it had changed. As the ringed moon moved


    though its cycle in the sky, so did the current. Everyone in the room was already aware of that.


    Master Damien calmly asked how long I had been going out in the ocean.


    Their faces didn’t change as I told them since the first day at the Keepers. I apologized profusely. They


    just ignored me.


    I asked hesitantly what the mark on my leg was.


    Master Evanughed, “You are Like us now,” he said pointing to the mark on his shoulder.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    “Yes,” I insisted, “I understand we both have tattoos, but where did minee from Masters?”


    “You were grabbed by a creature in the ocean, we call it a fleint. It grabs it’s prey and drags it down,


    consuming it once it gets to the bottom. It is shocking you were not grabbed sooner. They are


    everywhere outside the currents. The tentacle releases chemicals into it’s prey.


    In you those chemicals must mark the skin,” Master Bane answered.