Page 9 of From the Mouths of Sirens

“The Sea Witch does,” Adda replied in a whisper, leading Saoirse past the final level of the library and out into the streets of Kellam.

“She will help you.”

5

SAOIRSE

Saoirse stared up at the enormous wall that served as the barrier between the Fretum and the rest of the Maeral Sea. The ocean was cold and dark here, and if not for the torch of undying flames that Adda held at her side, Saoirse could barely see in front of her. She scanned the ugly slab of stone that jutted out from the sea floor and extended upward as far as the eye could see.

From the view of a ship floating on the unruly waves above, the barrier would still reach high into the sky, bursting from the sea like a mountain in the middle of the ocean. Though she had never seen it in person before, Saoirse knew that the wall was several feet thick, impenetrable and unforgiving. Carved upon the surface of the stone, crude markings and indiscernible graffiti littered the great wall. There was a gravity about the boundary wall, a pull that was both seductive and mortifying. There was no escaping once inside.

“Here we are,” Adda said coolly. Saoirse wondered how many times the High Elder had been to the Fretum. A twinge of suspicion flickered in her chest as she watched Adda from the corner of her eye. But she was desperate to be free. She couldn’t afford to be cautious now.

Adda swam to the base of the wall, leading Saoirse all the way to the sea floor. The water pressure grew as they descended into the depths, and Saoirse’s head began to pound. They stopped just above the sea floor, where an enormous trench dove even further into the earth. The ravine was completely black, bleeding like an open wound in the sea floor. Heart thundering in her chest, Saoirse watched as Adda felt around the stone wall. Mumbling something under her breath, Adda smiled to herself, seeming to find what she was looking for. Adda placed a hand to the wall, fitting her fingers into an indention in the stone. Saoirse gasped in awe as the stone around Adda’s palm began to glow with ethereal light, spreading out in a ripple across the barrier. Gradually, the shape of a door became pronounced in the stone, outlined by the threads of light that shot out from the keyhole. Adda looked over her shoulder at Saoirse, a calm smile on the High Elder’s lips.

“Only the Order of Elders is able to access the Fretum,” Adda explained. “Not even our great King Angwin may open these doors. Our handprints are remembered by the stone, every curve and wrinkle. This is by far the securest prison in Revelore.” Saoirse only nodded with acknowledgement, her eyes fixated on the glowing door that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

Adda pushed on the door, and it opened with a rumble of stone that reminded Saoirse of thunder on the horizon. The mouth of the Fretum was as black as a starless sky. Adda glided through the doorway, her robes trailing in her wake. Saoirse followed her, looking at the doorway overhead as she passed through. The dense stone walls of the prison were at least six feet thick. As the cool waters of the Fretum enveloped her, an eerie feeling pounded through her blood. In this darkness, the ocean felt different. Ancient. Evil.

The door abruptly swung closed, melting back into place as if never there. A chill went up Saoirse’s spine. There was no turning back now. Adda clutched her hand, perhaps because she sensed how terrified Saoirse was or simply because she was the only one who knew the way. The Elder pulled her downward, descending into the abyss with a confidence that suggested she had been here many times before. With the torchlight’s illumination, sharp ridges of rocks and cliffs slowly came into focus, haunting shadows following as they passed. All around them, Saoirse detected shifts in the water as huge forms drifted through the waves above and below. Every now and then, she glimpsed a huge tentacle or spiked tail gliding through the darkness. Although she couldn’t see the beasts that made such ripples through the water, she knew that they were massive, bigger than the whales she saw near the reefs. She was thankful she couldn’t see them, for if she could, she would probably turn back.

“Don’t worry,” Adda said over her shoulder, “they won’t come near. They are afraid of the light,” she added, gesturing to her torch. “Some have never seen flames before.”

Although the ridges and cliffs of the Fretum seemed nonsensical at first, Saoirse realized that a set of crumbling stairs wove through the craggy landscape. It seemed that Adda was following the deteriorating steps, keeping close to them as they swam through the darkness. Skeletons of creatures and the bones of Mer seemed to be scattered on every surface, evidence of the terrifying beasts who dwelled in the Fretum. The gnarled bones accumulated on the jagged sea floor like piles of fresh fallen snow. Saoirse prayed Adda knew what she was doing.

Gradually, the crumbling steps led to the ugly mouth of a cave, yawning open like the jaws of a hungry beast. Stalactites hung down like teeth, wickedly sharp and sparkling with minerals. Rotting vines dripped down from the ceiling, decaying in the dim waters. Saoirse wondered how the plants could even survive down there at all. There was something sinister about the cave as they swam inside, and a chilling feeling of dread crept along Saoirse’s shoulders. She couldn’t place why, but the cave felt alive. And angry. For the thousandth time, she wondered what she was getting herself into.

They swam through the tunnel, narrowly missing hanging stalactites and rocky overhangs. A cloying scent of rotting fish and decay filled the chamber, and Saoirse struggled not to gag. Adda seemed completely unbothered, her face serene and composed as they drifted through the horrid cavern. Bones were littered on the floor of the cave, stark white against the black water. Gradually, she could make out a dim light at the end of the tunnel, casting the chamber in a sickening green hue. Gooseflesh crawled across her skin as they drew near, and the stench grew overwhelming.

“You mustn't be frightened,” Adda whispered in her ear. “You must show yourself to be brave and worthy,” she added with an encouraging squeeze on her shoulder. “You must make her like you.”

Saoirse nodded, straightening her spine as best she could as they swam around the corner and into the green glow. The doorway was covered by a curtain of hanging vines, tangled together in a rotting web. Adda pushed through the vines, holding them up for Saoirse as they passed through. Much like the tunnel, the cavernous room was framed by huge hanging rocks and overhangs as sharp as teeth. At the center of the room, a great bowl of undying flames burned with green fire, flickering on the cave walls. Huge stone shelves were cut into the walls of the cave, vials of liquid and glass containers crammed on every surface. Thousands of books lined the walls, protected by enchantments.

“What is this place?” Saoirse breathed.

“This is my home,” a rich voice boomed from the opposite side of the cavern. Out of a dark pool of shadow, someone rose up.

Still covered by darkness, the voice called, “What have you brought me, Adda Carew?” The voice that echoed through the chamber was low and full.

Adda brought Saoirse forward, a gentle, reassuring hand at her back. “Princess Saoirse, daughter of King Angwin,” she declared.

Saoirse didn’t know where to look, her eyes fixed on the dark shadow at the corner.

“Ah,” the voice purred. It was a predatory sound. The figure drifted out of the shadows, green light spilling over the body of a beautiful Mer woman. The woman’s long, raven-black hair drifted around her like a cloud, hanging nearly to her knees. Her elegant dress shimmered in the light, woven with glass beads that chimed as she moved. The woman smiled at them, her bright red lips glossy in the firelight. Saoirse thought it looked like blood.

“And what does this offspring of King Angwin want with me?” the woman crooned. Her beautiful voice was laced with poison. She swam slowly over, prowling like a beast stalking its prey. The Sea Witch was morbidly captivating, her eyes framed by thick lashes and rimmed with coal. Her irises were black, blending into the dark center of her pupils.

“I have come to ask for help,” Saoirse willed herself to say, managing to stop her voice from trembling. She lifted her chin defiantly, hoping to convince the Witch that she wasn’t afraid of her.

“And why, pray tell,” the woman laughed, “would the daughter of the King want anything to do with my dark powers?” She was now floating directly in front of them, her black eyes all-consuming. “Surely your father would grant you whatever you wished.” She cocked her head to the side curiously, a movement more animal than Mer.

“I wish to compete in the Revelore Tournament. Elorshin must possess the Crown and conquer Aurandel once and for all.”

The Sea Witch blinked in surprise, then grinned. Her teeth were pearly white and sharpened to points. “Let me guess,” she drawled lazily, circling her with an evaluating gaze. “Father won’t let his precious princess become a sport for the Aura?” She traced a long, claw-like fingernail across Saoirse’s shoulder blade. She tried not to flinch as the woman ran her nail across her collar bone.

“He has forbidden me from becoming a tribute,” she admitted. “The Maeral Sea will not allow me to leave its waters. My father has ordered it to contain me.”

“Well, then,” the Sea Witch breathed, “you’re smart to come to me for help.” She turned her gaze to Adda, smiling at the Elder. “Thank you for bringing her to me, old friend.” Adda bowed, almost reverently. “Some call me Selussa,” the Witch offered, turning back to Saoirse. “Though you may call me whatever you like.” She placed a hand on her back, pushing her to the green flames at the center of the room. Her touch was cold, her fingertips like jagged shards of ice.

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