Page 17 of Siren's Gift

Wait a second…

I frowned. The Avyssos was outside Naftes’ territory in a sort of no-man's land. Why were they this far out? Had they visited the sea witch? For what purpose?

There was nothing else down that trench but her lair, and I highly doubted my father would approve a visit. He wouldn’t have sent anyone else, either; he would have gone himself if a visit was necessary.

The siren guards swam in my direction, and my heart pounded against my ribs. It would be just my luck getting caught by my father’s men on my very first return to the sea. Slowly, so as not to cause a disturbance in the water, I scooped sand onto my tail, hiding it from view as much as I could.

As the guards edged dangerously close to my hiding spot, I closed my gills to avoid releasing bubbles. The ocean seemed to hold its breath with me, the only sound the echo of the sirens’ haunting song.

Any moment now, one of them was sure to see me. They were scouring the ocean around them as if looking for something—or someone. There was no way they could know I was coming today, but an eerie sensation still prickled across my skin. Something felt off about this encounter, like it was planned.

Had Demetrius laid a trap, after all?

I pressed my body against the coral, wincing as its sharp edges dug into my skin, and prayed that the limited shadows would conceal me.

The guards swam overhead, their eyes scanning the surroundings, and for a moment, I believed I had escaped their notice.

But then one guard paused as if sensing something amiss. My heart lodged in my throat as the siren turned in my direction. A ripple of uncertainty passed through his expression.

This was it.

I was caught.

CHAPTER 9

Bree

My satchel jiggled, and Finley stuck his head out. He blinked once at me before communicating telepathically:Did you forget I was here?

I clamped a hand over my mouth to keep from letting out a laugh. I hadn’t forgotten he was with me, but I had certainly forgotten about his unique magic.

The axolotl shivered and the arcane sigils along his body glowed blue within the satchel. A moment later, we both disappeared from view.

It wasn’t true invisibility, though. More of a camouflaging like a chameleon. We blended in perfectly with the coral and sand, and I remained motionless, hoping beyond hope that his concealment spell would shield us from the sirens’ scrutiny.

The guards hovered above us, their gaze settling and lingering on the area where we hid. Fear coiled in my stomach as I questioned the wisdom of returning to the ocean, of risking exposure to the very beings who guarded these depths.

Seconds stretched into agonizing minutes, and then, as if deciding there was nothing amiss, the siren guards resumedtheir patrol and their song. The melody faded as they swam away.

Breathless and grateful for the narrow escape, I waited a few more minutes until they were completely out of sight. I could ask Calypso about their appearance, but I had a strong suspicion that whatever response she gave wouldn’t be the truth. I wasn’t even sure I’d get the truth about the talismans, but I had to try.

I pushed my thoughts toward Finley:Okay, let’s go.

He released his spell, bringing us both back into view. Then he wriggled deeper into the safety of my satchel. I pushed myself off the ocean floor and flipped my tail a few times to shake off any remaining sand.

I swam for the trench’s edge as quickly as I could and dove into the depths. The water grew darker and colder as I descended.

As I approached the entrance to the sea witch’s home, I spied two sand sharks among the coral—the witch’s creatures. Like the last time I’d arrived, their black eyes glinted in the limited light that struggled to penetrate this far below the surface. Each beast remained unnervingly still as if waiting for an opportune moment to strike.

Behind them, a series of tunnels designed to deceive and disorient intruders led deeper into the witch’s lair. Although I had been here twice before, a troubled feeling crept over me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

I was older now and supposedly wiser. Making a deal with the sea witch—anotherdeal—had to be on a list of bad ideas somewhere. Maybe even the top of a list. I should know better than to push my luck.

But I couldn’t turn back now. I had to do this, if not for me, then for Marissa.

I squared my shoulders and passed through the archway of dead coral. The gnarled white fingers reached toward me as I entered the tunnel’s darkness.

Glowing phosphorus glistened along the coral walls, and a few fish darted close to the light, their bright hues easy to spot. The pulsating light cast a blue tint on my skin, adding to the otherworldly atmosphere.

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