Page 6 of From the Mouths of Sirens

“Indeed, this was one of the treasures we took from the Vault of Wonders,” she confirmed to both Tormid and the crowd. Hushed whispers of approval shifted through the amphitheater as Adda continued moving down the line of prospective tributes.

If her memory served her correctly, Tormid’s Token was among the easier treasures to find. She clutched the dark pearl harder, blood thundering in her ears as she watched Adda prowl down the line.

“Please present your Token,” Adda ordered Sune, looking up at him with sharp eyes. Sune bowed, presenting a jade mirror to the Elder. His normally arrogant face was surprisingly humble, his eyes lowered in respect as the High Elder surveyed his Token.

“And where was this Token retrieved?” Adda asked, inspecting the mirror in the light.

“In a reef off the Coast of Delore.”

Adda raised an impressed eyebrow, the only indication of her emotion. “Indeed, this was taken from the Vault of Wonders,” The High Elder nodded. A faint smile of satisfaction flickered on Sune’s face as Adda moved to the next soldier.

The High Elder moved further and further down the line, examining the presented Tokens with meticulous precision. Every minute inched by like an eternity, the whispers of the onlooking crowd numbing out Adda’s voice. The High Elder’s words blurred together as she spoke with Aurelia, who stood only a few feet away from her. Saoirse suddenly felt like she couldn’t breathe. The numbing silence of the amphitheater filled her ears with a dull roar. She could feel thousands of eyes upon her, watching expectantly. Her heart was racing so fast that she barely noticed when Adda Carew was suddenly standing directly in front of her. Saoirse blinked several times, trying to get a hold of herself.

“Please present your Token,” Adda demanded through the haze.

Saoirse slipped her fingers into the leather pouch, feeling the cool pearl. Heart pounding, she pulled the treasure out and presented it to Adda. The Elder’s eyes grew wide with shock, as if she had never believed anyone would actually try to find the final Token. The crowd grew restless in the silence, craning their necks to see what Saoirse held.

Adda collected herself, cool composure quickly replacing her initial shock. A faint glimmer of approval shone in her eyes as she asked, “Where was this Token retrieved?”

“In Kaja’s Trench,” Saoirse answered, trying to ignore the collective gasps that reverberated through the amphitheater. Adda carefully took the dark pearl from her hand, handling the fragile treasure as though it were a serpent that could strike at any moment. When she held it up to the light, the crowd erupted into whispered conversation as they finally saw the dark pearl for themselves.

“This is more valuable than any treasure in all of Kellam,” the High Elder stated. “I confess that I did not expect it to be found. Unlike the rest of these Tokens, this pearl was not taken from the Vault of Wonders,” she explained.

Saoirse’s eyes widened, sudden confusion blossoming in her mind. If it was not from the Vault where did it come from? Panic seeped into her heart. If the pearl was not one of the Elder’s hidden treasures, the possibility of being selected as a tribute was hopeless.

“This pearl was lost a century ago, during the War of the Age,” Adda continued. “It has long been foretold that the pearl would one day be found.” Adda began reciting the riddle, her commanding voice echoing across the restless crowd: “As the moon, I shine full and round; my mysteries of creation abound. I am impenetrable as stone and ancient as titan’s bone. In a deathless cave I hide, biding my time for the right eyes.”

Adda turned back toward the rest of the Elders questioningly. One by one, each Elder nodded softly in affirmation. A chill crawled up Saoirse’s spine. When she had deciphered the riddle and ventured to Kaja’s Trench, she knew that the treasure inside was the most valuable on the list. But she certainly never expected this.

“That riddle was taken from one of our ancient texts, in hopes that the pearl might be found. Every decade, we have hoped that a tribute would one day present it. It seems that day has finally come,” Adda declared. “You must be one of the three tributes.”

Triumph and elation erupted through Saoirse, all apprehension melting away at the High Elder’s words. Excited exclamations flitted through the crowd as she proudly held up the pearl high above her head.

“Enough!”

The voice cut through the amphitheater like the crack of thunder. Saoirse went cold, her skin prickling at the sound of that voice. It was the voice that had told her no her whole life. Her father’s voice.

“No,” King Angwin continued, rising from his throne. The room grew dark and the ocean turned cold as the king rose from the elevated platform. The crowd gasped as the once-smooth waves around them grew choppy, the sea mirroring the king’s barely contained fury.

“She will not go,” Angwin ordered as he drifted down, his glowing gold eyes betraying his anger. Adda didn’t so much as flinch as the king sank to her level, her gaze unwavering.

“With all due respect, King Angwin, the Elders have decided,” Adda retorted. “It has long been tradition for the Elders to decide the three tributes of the Revelore Tournament. Saoirse has more than proven herself worthy to compete in the Tournament.”

“My daughter will not go to the surface,” Angwin’s voice boomed, the water around them trembling. “I don’t care how valuable that ancient pearl is. Run your games however you like High Elder, but my daughter shall not be a tribute in the Tournament. She is the sole inheritor of the crown and the hope of Elorshin’s future. She will not be slaughtered in some foolish game,” he commanded, turning his piercing gaze towards Saoirse. “And you,” he yelled. “What were you thinking venturing into Kaja’s Trench alone? You could’ve gotten yourself killed.”

Saoirse felt her skin flush with anger as she stared up at her father. “There is no one else better suited for this than me, Your Majesty,” she replied, fighting to keep her voice controlled. “I will represent my people well. I would give my life for Elorshin.”

“This is over, Saoirse,” Angwin murmured decidedly, his eyes suddenly distant and cold.

Without warning, her father launched several blasts of sea water at the undying torches strung across the amphitheater. The room suddenly went dark as the lights went out and the lumis squid scattered. The crowd screamed as the amphitheater darkened, scrambling out of their seats with haste. With one final sweep, her father blasted the dark pearl out of Adda’s hands, sending it hurling across the amphitheater and into the crowd.

“Come with me,” Angwin ordered, yanking Saoirse away from the group of Torqen soldiers. She tossed her head back around as he pulled her away, searching for Aurelia. She found her as the massive crowd dispersed, her blonde hair barely visible in the stampede of Mer. But just as she made eye contact with Aurelia, Saoirse was pulled into one of the long corridors behind the king’s throne, whisked away into the darkness.

4

SAOIRSE

“What were you thinking, Saoirse?” Angwin demanded, putting a hand to his forehead. “You could’ve gotten yourself killed.” He suddenly straightened and paced around his study in frustration. The cavernous room was huge, the ceiling dripping with giant mineral formations that hung like petrified icicles. The study was carved deep into the sea floor, lit only by bioluminescent algae that clung to the ridges of rock and coral. Saoirse stood at the center of the study, doing her best to keep her head held high. She didn’t regret stealing the dark pearl from Kaja. She would not be intimidated by the King of the Maeral Sea. She would stand her ground.

---