Hey, so this work is to be a lot longer than I originally intended. I was planning for it to be about 75k words, but it's looking like it might be closer to 85k by the time I finish. (Yay, I'm finally in the target window for YA fantasy.) Â That means the window of finishing it will be a lot longer. I'm going to try to rectify that by resuming a Monday/ Friday updating schedule. I'm also going to try to make chapters longer. Anyway, enjoy!
Castor shook me awake.
"It's your turn."
I blinked in the light. My hands ached. I didn't want to row again, but that didn't matter. I took the oars.
I sat up straight, forcing myself to push us along with strong, even strokes. I wasn't a pirate because I couldn't handle a single dingy.
"You think she'll really be here?"
I nodded. He seemed to be overtaken by a nervous energy. It made me a tired just to watch him, hand fidgeting. He needed to sleep now, but I knew he wouldn't. If it were Ryan waiting for me, I wouldn't be sleeping. But I'd also be swimming, with Castor safe on land somewhere.
It seemed so limiting to be human, with no mix of anything else. But not so long ago, I would've been fully human in the blink of an eye. I took a deep breath.
I was about to make Castor row again when I saw the island. Made up of rough stones and high cliff faces, the island was inhospitable in every sense. Castor turned and looked. As soon as we could see the sand, Castor was out of the boat, rushing through the water. I rowed in until the boat wouldn't go any farther, watching him rush up the shore. I got out, pulling the boat on shore. The beach couldn't have been more than 6 feet from the ocean to the bluff. It would be totally gone when the tide came up.
"She's not here. We need to row around the island."
Castor nodded, his face somewhere between desperation and elation.
"You really like her, don't you?"
"I think so."
That was it, he was totally in love. More than he ever had been with me. Maybe he had known deep down we weren't meant for each other.
I missed Ryan.
I turned back to the sea. I got back in the boat. I left Castor to row, not that he seemed to mind. Not that he would've minded anything at that moment. He wasn't in the boat with me. I didn't know quite where his mind was, but a part of me wished I was there too.
I saw something. A cave. A siren's cave, with the opening underwater. The only indication it was there at all was an opening in the top, allowing for natural night. It would be perfect for anyone needing to regroup. Fish probably swam in, making for quick food.
I touched Castor's shoulder.
"Over there!"
I pointed, and he followed my finger. He rowed us over, with quick, short strokes.
"How do we get in?"
"We? I should go in alone. We don't know how thick the entrance is."
"No chance. I'm coming."
"Castor, I'm not going to let you drown for some stupid heroism."
"You don't get to decide that for me."
I looked at him. "Fine."
I hated when people were in love. It made them stupid, it made them reckless. I took a deep breath. Now I could have to make sure Castor didn't drown.
"You can swim, right?"
"Of course."
"Good."
I stood up, making the boat rock. I dove into the sea, letting the water fill my lungs. There was Castor staring after me.
I waited until the tingling was done before I swam back up.
"I always think you're drowning."
"Come on, pretty boy."
"Shouldn't we dock the boat somewhere?"
"I was going to."
"I'm staying in as long as I possibly can."
I shrugged. Castor threw me the rope that was attached to the front of the boat. I pulled it to the cliff, running the rope through a crevice in the cliff. I tied it off.
"It'll stay?"
"I grew up on the sea, of course it will stay."
"I wasn't questioning your ability."
"What were you questioning?"
"Can we no do this right now?"
I nodded. He pulled his boots off. I turned away as he pulled his shirt off too. When I turned back, he was smirking.
"Don't tell me you're embarrassed."
He leaned over, and I pulled him in. I held him above the waves until he started to swim in his own. He couldn't swim and sign. I lazily moved toward the opening of the cave. He was a slow swimmer. I'd need to pull him through if it were bigger than we expected.
"Ready?"
He nodded, taking in a deep breath. I dove under the waves, making for the opening. He was coming after me.
The opening had to be about three feet thick. He'd be fine. I resurfaced.
The cave was cramped, with only a thin ledge above the water. Caster emerged next to me, gasping.
"No one's here."
I waited for him to catch his breath and went back out, waiting for him to follow. When he resurfaced, he made a move for the boat. I moved in front of him.
"We'll be faster if we swim."
I put my arm around his waist. I'd have been faster without him, but we still moved faster than he ever would. We'd gone about a quarter of the way around the island before I saw another cave. The opening to this one looked like it'd be much deeper down. I let Castor swim away until he was facing me.
"I need to do this one alone."
He shook his head fervently.
"Castor, I don't know how deep it is."
He mouthed something. I assumed it was that he was coming.
"You could die."
He did some version of a shrug.
I sighed. He'd try to follow me if I left him. I knew it.
I grabbed his waist, waited until he'd gotten his breath, and dove under the waves. I went as fast as I could, breathing evenly.
There was the opening. Deeper than I thought. I made for it quickly.
The time ticked by. It'd been fifteen seconds and I was halfway there. Thirty seconds and I was at the opening. I went through it. The opening on the inside was narrow. Me and Castor could barely fit. I had to go slower to make sure we didn't end up skinning ourselves alive.
I looked at his face. He seemed fine. If I took longer than I thought I would, I wouldn't. I would make quick work of the trip.
I breathed in to calm myself. It'd all be fine. I knew it would. It had to be. We'd find Juniper and it'd all be fine.
I could see light. The opening got a little wider, so I swam for it with all my might. I wouldn't fail Castor. I wouldn't fail myself.
We broke through. It'd been close to two minutes. I held Castor fast. He gasped, holding onto me as though I were the only thing that existed. I looked around the cave. It was dim, not the kind of place Juniper would choose. But it had clearly been lived in. I swam Castor to a ledge he could hold onto.
"Castor? I don't like the look of this."
He was still gasping. I looked around. I wanted to get out as soon as possible. I had a sick feeling in my stomach, like I'd just eaten some fish that was a bit older than fish should be.
Castor was hanging on with one hand.
"Arriana, I hear something."
"What do you hear?"
"Bubbling. Singing."
"Oh no. Oh no."
He met my eyes.
"When whatever it is gets here, cover your ears. Understand?"
He nodded. I moved close to him, my hand around his waist again.
Then I saw the bubbles something was coming into the cave. Their cave. We were the intruders. I gulped. We were foreigners here. Sirens were incredibly territorial. I didn't want to be on the bad side of that.
I could see the figure now.
A woman emerged. She was the most beautiful figure I'd ever seen. Castor was covering her ears. She drifted over to us.
She grabbed Castors wrist and pulled his hand away from his ear.
I swallowed. My throat was tight.
What do you want?
She turned to me, her faces inches from mine. I caught a glimpse of her tail. It was that of a tiger shark, blending perfectly into her skin.
Her lips moved. I gulped again.
I'm Deaf.
She nodded. She pointed at Castor as though to ask if he was Deaf as well.
I shook my head. Was that a mistake? It felt like a mistake.
She leaned in and whispered in Castors ear. He seemed to press closer into me.
Castor started signing, his hands shaking.
"She says for me to tell you..."
"What?"
"Leave me and you can go."
"I'm not going to do that. Juniper would kill me."
I wouldn't say that I wouldn't leave him because I kind of liked having him around. We were about to die, so maybe I should've. Even in a situation like this, I couldn't stand to be nice. I was a terrible person, wasn't I?
He nodded.
He said something to the siren, and she leaned in again.
"She asked why you came."
I'm looking for my friend. Her name's Juniper, she has a red tail.
The siren looked thoughtfully.
Castor started signing again.
"She says she saw Juniper."
Where?
She spoke again, and Castor got to translating.
"She won't tell you. She says she took care of Juniper. Do you think she means...?"
"Juniper's probably fine. Siren's don't kill other sirens."
The new siren stared at me.
"She says Juniper isn't dead." Castor signed, the relief already creeping into his face.
I swallowed again. I had a very, very bad feeling. I looked at the new siren.
Where's Juniper?
And I never got my answer. The siren just stared at me, as though we were frozen in time. The only reason I knew we weren't was because I could feel Castor's shuddering breaths.