He added that last part as an attempt to soothe me. Instead, I held my arms tight against my body, afraid to move. My first experience inside the jet stream was a not so distant memory.
I tried to let my mind go blank, but I couldn’t. I kept thinking about this crazy mission and what it meant for the merpeople of Tritonis. Recalling the kindness I received there, it strengthened my determination to help them.
The theater replayed in my head, one scene after another. My mind lingered on how New Year’s Day was a time of melancholy for the sprites. The poor sprites who feared leaving their homes.
Then there were the humans as mere playthings for the Trackers. The thought left me sick and again forced my family into the forefront of my mind.
That was how the next couple hours progressed—my mind constantly jumped between my family, Blake, what lay ahead, the sprites, and everything I’d learned thus far.
When it was time to roll out of the jet stream, I was thankful for the escape from my own head. At this point in time, I didn’t care if leaving the jet stream brought me closer to danger. I yearned for a distraction from my thoughts.
Our exit took the same approach as our entrance. Clemente went first, then Adrian and me, and finally Natasha and Shamus.
We immediately fell into the same semi-circle formation with Adrian and me at the core.
The water looked different than outside of Tritonis. It displayed an array of colors from the rainbow instead of the more muted appearance of the northern Africa waters. As a result of the shallower water, it was brighter here too, which I liked. All in all, I saw an amplified distance.
My distraction came in the various types of fish sprinkled throughout the clear water. As we swam, a few captured my attention and I quickly picked out my favorite. This particular fish displayed shades of blue, red, yellow, and even hints of purple arranged in a tie-dye sort of way.
As I reached out to touch it, Adrian’s voice filled the silence. “It’s fitting that the chest would be near Portugal, off the coast of Graciosa Island.”
I broke my gaze from the fish, pulling back my hand. “Why’s that?”
“In Portuguese, it means ‘enchanting.’ I suppose it’s an appropriate location for a chest that can only be opened at the hand of someone who’s well, enchanted.”
Ugh.
“Great, so now I’m supposed to be enchanted too?”
Laughing, he responded, “No, but I think your affinities are.”
I’d just leave it at that. Time to change the subject.
“How much further do you think we have?”
“A little while more. We’ll take it slower once we get closer to the caves.”
“Caves? I don’t remember hearing about them during our strategy meeting.”
“The Elders sort of glossed over that since Clemente is leading the way. He has journeyed to the mouth of the cave before.”
I didn’t like being out of the loop, especially when I had a rather large role in this whole process. Slightly annoyed, I followed closely to Adrian as my eyes tried to take in as much of the scenery as possible.
“All right, we should start to slow,” Adrian commented, pulling me behind a large rock formation. “See up ahead, the orange coral?”
“Yeah?” I said, craning my neck and squinting.
“Well, if you push it aside, there’s a cave somewhere beneath it. Shamus and Natasha will approach it first to see if it draws any Trackers out.”
“What?! We’re using Natasha as bait here too? I thought that was only at the chest?”
Apparently, a lot had been discussed without me about this “simple” plan. I wasn’t happy about this new turn in events and slightly annoyed elevated to extremely annoyed, furious even.
“We need to keep you safe, Annabelle. Natasha knows what she’s getting herself into.”
“But maybe we can—”
“Shh, we need to be quiet and stay alert.”
Torture. That best described watching the shrinking backs of Natasha and Shamus as they approached the coral. I exhaled when they reached the plant, not even aware I held my breath. The coral was an expansive area and it took them a few minutes to determine the right spot.
I could appreciate the great lengths the Guardians went through to locate the chest. Not only were there countless miles of water to explore, but the chest also wasn’t simply out in the open. Thankfully divers rarely touched coral or the reef in an attempt to preserve it, taking humans out of the equation as far as finding the entrance to the caves.
Fortunately, the Trackers were nowhere to be seen. After Natasha pulled the coral aside, she motioned off to her left for Clemente to join them.
He emerged from behind another large rock formation and quickly swam toward the entrance. Once the situation satisfied him, he flipped his fin.
“There’s our sign,” Adrian said.
As we left our hiding spot behind, our vulnerability felt numbing. I waited with each stroke to be attacked, but an ambush didn’t come this time either.
Instead, a flurry of clicking greeted us at the mouth of the cave.
“Thanks, Clemente,” Adrian said. “We’ll be back soon. I hope.”
“What? Clemente isn’t coming?”
“No, he’s standing guard in case any Trackers show up. Besides he’s too big to fit through the tunnels.”
I quickly saw why. Moving in a straight line provided the only way the four of us fit. Once again, Natasha and Adrian sandwiched me in between, with Shamus leading the way.
There were tons of twists, turns, and tight spaces to squeeze through. We took our time and moved carefully, a solid fifteen minutes passed as we navigated the tunnels.
All of a sudden, it opened up, revealing a huge area. It was cavernous with various rock formations and countless stalactites and stalagmites jutting from the ceiling and the ground.
As my eyes assessed the room, I barely made out a square object on the ground in the midst of the stalactites.
The chest.
I launched into action.
I made it about three feet before Adrian frantically grabbed my leg. “What on earth do you think you’re doing?!”
Through clenched teeth, I whispered back. “Natasha already risked her life once getting us into the cave, I think it’s only fair that I take it from here.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
Natasha softly laid her hand on my arm. “Really, I’m okay. I want to do this. I need to do this.”
Just then, Shamus piped in with a few low barks.
Pointing to another large rock, Adrian led me in its direction. “Okay, we’ll wait over there where we’ll be concealed.”
“But—”
This time, Natasha’s cool blue eyes pierced into mine. “Please, Annabelle. Let me do this.”
Resigned to the fact that I was forced to wait on the sidelines, I followed Adrian, all the while watching as Natasha and Shamus cautiously descended to the bottom of the room.
So far so good, I thought. There were no signs of the Trackers, even after they reached the chest.
At this distance, there was little way to tell Natasha and me apart. Shamus also shielded the chest at such an angle that I couldn’t decipher her movements.
That was when all hell broke loose.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Out of nowhere, the Trackers emerged like a swarm of bees. My mind couldn’t process it all fast enough before they closed the distance to my friends. I quickly scouted the scene and counted eight Trackers, a mixture of selkie and merfolk.
Adrian grabbed my shoulders, pulling me to face him. It broke the trance that fastened my eyes on Natasha and Shamus. “Now is our chance. Stay close behind me. We need to get you to the chest.”
Without further hesitation, he grasped my hand and yanked me from behind our newest hiding spot. “I need you to be very careful, Annabelle. And remember, no matter what happens, get the coins and get out of there.”
I nodd
ed, I think. I still couldn’t break my eyes from my friends. Natasha had pulled a sword from the sheath draped across her body and met the attack. Shamus positioned himself next to her, trying to shield her blind side with his body.
The first blow hit Shamus and sent him flying. It came out of nowhere. His concentration lingered on the Trackers approaching from head on and his left side, and failed to see the one who circled around to his right.
Pulling a sword, another Tracker prepared to take a swing at Shamus. Knowing the outcome if the Tracker made contact, I shot a water current at the evil sprite, knocking the weapon from his hand. Shamus scurried back to an upright position. Meanwhile, Natasha’s sword met the sword of a Tracker. They outnumbered her two to one.
As Adrian cleared a path for us toward the chest, I concentrated my efforts at shooting currents at one Tracker after another to slow their attacks.
By incapacitating them with my thoughts, Natasha knocked both down, although two more quickly took the place of the fallen Trackers.
It was complete chaos.
My head swiveled back and forth; trying to help whichever friend was in greater need at the time.
Finally, we reached the chest.
“Hurry!” Adrian screamed.
With regret, I tore my mind away from the battle and focused on the chest. It didn’t look like anything out of the ordinary; just an old brown box without any inscriptions or even a lock.
But as soon as I placed my hands on it, I knew it was special. A tingle shot through my body and I yanked my hands away. I knew the chest was made for me. It called to me.
Maybe I really was the “Second Alpha.” No one had ever opened this chest, and the prophecy said only the “Second Alpha” would be able to.
Laying my hands back on the chest, I’d soon find out. There wasn’t time for this debate inside my head… what it meant if I was the chosen one.
With my eyes squeezed shut and my breath held, I shoved.
The lid broke away from the chest, releasing a cracking sound.
Before I could look inside, a selkie struck me in my side. The hit knocked the breath from my lungs and I gasped for air.
When I turned to face my attacker, I fumed. This sneak attack, and the assault against my friends, was maddening. It sent my mind into overdrive. I directed my next current toward the selkie who hit me. It was a scream that sent him tumbling into the darkness.
Without wasting another moment, I propelled myself back to the chest to peer inside. Instantly, confusion set in. There weren’t any coins. The chest only revealed a stone tablet.
“Adrian! I don’t see any coins!”
Turning my head toward him, my heart sank at the sight of him fending off two Trackers. Vengeance fueled my current, knocking them into the darkness. The loud thump I heard as their bodies hit the wall of the cave left me satisfied.
“What?!” Adrian said as he joined me at the chest.
“There’s only this thing. There aren’t coins in here.”
“Just grab it. We need to get the hell out of here!”
Reaching in, I barely lifted the tablet. It was made of solid stone, but I managed to drag it from the chest. The weight of it slightly lessened after I repositioned my hold into a bear hug.
“Come on!” Adrian encouraged.
Swimming with the tablet proved to be difficult, but I pushed forward toward the entrance of the room.
One glance to my left told me the tides of the battle had shifted. The sound of steel hitting steel and anguished cries suffocated the room. There were too many Trackers for Natasha and Shamus to handle alone.
Suddenly, another blow sent Shamus flying to the ground where his body went still.
The Trackers then turned their sights on us.
Adrian pushed me from behind. “Go, go, go.”
I tried to swim faster, but the weight of the tablet was too much. I used the notches from its engraving to dig my fingers in for a better grip. Still, my pace didn’t quicken.
“I can’t!” I screamed back.
Adrian jumped into action without responding, blocking a blow from a malevolent selkie that was meant for my head. By redirecting the Tracker to his side, he thankfully avoided most of the impact.
“Just swim as fast as you can!”
I struggled, knowing I’d never make it while I carried the tablet. I had a choice to make: either I got rid of the tablet or I got attacked.
Making up my mind, I quickly reread the tablet again and again, sounding out each word. The text was in Greek. I had no clue what I even attempted to memorize.
Then I let the tablet go.
It plunged toward the ground unnoticed, finally landing with a loud crack.
The sound stopped us all of our tracks. I took advantage of the distraction to shoot a current at a Tracker who managed to wrap his arms around Adrian’s neck.
“Get out of here!” he shouted once he was freed.
With desperation in my voice, I screamed back. “What about Natasha and Shamus?”
“Leave them! There’s no other way.”
Seconds later we reached the opening of the room. I had no choice but to keep moving.
The last thing I saw before I dove through the entrance was Shamus’ lifeless body and the Trackers with a strong hold on Natasha, her arms pinned behind her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
There wasn’t time to catch our breath before we escaped into the depths of the cave. The Trackers followed closely behind, and gained on us rapidly.
I allowed myself a mere moment to appreciate the hours and hours I spent in the obstacle course my first day of training before the Trackers forced us into the labyrinth of the tunnels.
The first part was a straight shot. Adrian and I could both swim fast, but we weren’t any type of match for the multiple selkie that pursued us.
As the distance between us diminished, I frantically bent in half to send waves of currents to slow the Trackers. Obscenities left my lips at the difficulty of swimming forward while simultaneously sending currents behind me. In the end, my efforts allowed us to flee the straightaway but didn’t provide any greater of a lead.
We quickly made a right turn, leading to a narrower part of the passageway that jutted up, down, up, back down, and so forth. Our smaller size and agility streamlined our movements to cushion our lead by a faction.
Instantly after emerging from the last dive, a decision had to be made. Left or right.
I swam along the left-hand side of Adrian and my instincts took me in that same direction. At the last moment, Adrian grabbed my arm and forced me to the right, banging my left shoulder against the wall.
I screamed out, sending the sound of my impact throughout the tunnels.
Cringing, Adrian shot me a look of sympathy but kept pulling me toward the right.
My collision slowed our pace, but we made another hastened right before the Trackers reached the fork in the tunnel. Thankfully, this allowed for us to momentarily escape the Trackers’ line of sight.
I couldn’t bring myself to look back to gauge if they’d correctly guessed which path we’d taken. Instead, my focus remained on swimming as fast as I could, wincing with every movement of my left arm.
For the next couple of minutes, we followed the winding tunnels. And with each passing second, relief that the Trackers had gone the other direction intensified.
That was when it happened. When our tunnel intersected with the tunnel the Trackers followed, time seemingly slowed down. I swore a sneer stretched across the selkie’s face as my gaze caught on him; something I didn’t think possible on a “seal.” Its hatred collided with me and I twisted my body to narrowly avoid a real collision.
As I looked over my shoulder, the Trackers altered their paths to follow ours. This time, panic flooded my body at the sudden realization of their closeness, time now speeding up. I knew the closest malevolent selkie gained on me, with two more right behind. And as the first moved within reach, his teeth snappe
d at my flippers just inches away.
“Adrian!”
I tried to send a current backwards, but I couldn’t concentrate my thoughts. The pain in my shoulder coupled with my exhaustion and the sheer terror of the chase was too great.
“Just a little more!” Adrian encouraged.
Looking ahead, I had no clue what he meant. There was a dead end in front of us: just a huge rock wall.
“Swim as fast as you can!” he shouted again.
A few seconds later, a small hole came into view in the upper right-hand corner of the wall. I prayed it was big enough for Adrian and me to squeeze through but not the selkie.
At that moment, a new emotion bombarded me. I could only describe it as hope.
Hope that we’d make it through before the selkie bit my flipper and sent me flying into the wall. There was no way I’d ever be able to control myself while moving at this speed.
I focused on the hole as I willed myself forward.
Just a few more feet to go.
Ten, five, three…
Then I dove through.
I was already rejoicing in my mind when my forward motion stopped. The selkie had latched onto my flipper before I fully disappeared through the hole.
“Adrian!” I yelled. “Help!”
Panic was written all over his face as he skidded to a stop, disappearing into a cloud of bubbles.
Only my head and torso stuck out from the wall, both my arms stretched to either side of the hole in an effort to prevent myself from getting pulled back through.
“Hold on!” he screamed as he rushed back.
He grabbed my shoulders and started to pull, sending a rush of pain into my injured one.
Adrian tried to keep his voice calm. “Kick, twist, turn, do whatever you can to break his grip.”
I did exactly as he instructed, and even added a primal growl for good measure.
I looked like a crazed animal.
Like a bullet from a gun, I burst free and into Adrian’s arms, sending us both flying.
We exchanged a silent “let’s get the hell out of here!” glance as the water slowed our momentum.
It was certainly a good thing the trackers would be forced to double back and find another way out because we needed all the time we could muster.
Sprite (Annabelle's Story Part One) Page 11
