Chapter 23
23
A nna found herself in a grotto. It was foggy, but she felt neither cold nor warm. In front of her was a large pond — almost a lake — that stretched into the depths of the rock cave.
She heard high-pitched singing that was so beautiful and so beguiling that Anna swayed involuntarily, as if she had drunk too much alcohol. She closed her eyes and rocked back and forth to the rhythm, which was amazingly haunting. There was just one female voice. It was a sad song, full of wanderlust and longing.
A gentle voice spoke. Where am I? How did I get here? Only then did she notice that she felt strangely light, almost as if she were floating. Was it a dream? She slowly opened her eyes.
A large tail fin appeared in the water, shimmering in shades of purple and green. With a quiet splash, it disappeared back into the water.
She recalled the captain's tale. Was this the cave of Meysandrine, the siren who saw more than others? When had the captain thrown the gold coin into the sea? How long had she been sleeping? Were they already in the East Sea?
What kind of pointless questions were these? She was here and had to make use of the time. Who knew when the dream would end or if she would be inadvertently woken up before she could speak to the siren.
Determined, she walked to the large pond until her toes were hanging over the edge of the rock, ignoring the fact that she was barefoot. Eagerly, she watched the clear, still water in front of her. She could see about a yard or two down, but there was no one there.
"Meysandrine?"
Her voice was no more than a whisper. She cleared her throat and called out her name again, louder and more confidently this time, and the water at her feet began to ripple gently. Small waves were moving across the surface, growing higher. Something golden glittered in the depths. It grew larger and came closer. Next to it, Anna saw green and purple sparkles when the face of a beautiful woman appeared. The next moment, she broke through the water, pushed herself onto a rock on the side, and sat.
Her glistening, waist-length hair was golden, and her eyes were the same color. She wore a gold bikini and bobbed her large tail, which sparkled in purple and green. Her skin was flawless and everything about her glowed.
Awed, Anna stood there speechless. She had seen some… fantastic creatures over the last few days but none this beautiful and perfect. The singing had stopped. Had she been the one singing? No wonder all ships' helmsmen chased the sirens mindlessly.
When the siren opened her mouth to speak, Anna inevitably held her breath.
"I heard you desire a divination, fairy woman." Her voice was melodious and bright, almost like a piece of music itself.
Meysandrine. It was her.
Anna nodded and finally found her voice again. "I'm told you can see more than the rest of us."
"That is true. When I look into your eyes, I know what question is on your mind." She closed her eyes. Anna thought about it. Shouldn't she formulate her request clearly? So the answer wouldn't be to one the countless irrelevant questions running through her mind? But the siren raised her hand as if she knew what Anna was planning. Meysandrine needed silence.
Mist rose from the water and enveloped the siren. She almost disappeared behind the thick vapor, but the golden hair and fin continued to shine through. Her upper body rocked back and forth and the veil thinned, and when Anna could see her head again, she was shocked. The siren's face was pale, her hair snow-white, and her eyes black. She raised her hands to the sky as if she were calling to someone before she put them back in her lap and looked at Anna.
"If you find your magic again, the fate of the fairies will change."
So, the two were connected. "For better or worse? And how…"
A violent whirlwind rose from the water and swallowed her words. It charged straight at her. She wanted to flee, but she couldn't move her feet. She was drawn right into the maelstrom and everything around her sank into darkness until she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.