Chapter 1 #3
She could have retorted but decided against it and instead stifled a yawn. This brute wasn’t worth it and she needed to save her energy for more important things like how to get out of this mess.
It was one of those days where it was cloudy but still oddly bright and she had to squint as they walked through the grass.
She was right about one thing; there was a small lake nearby.
Not one she was familiar with, but it would be enough to get her strength back and maybe figure out where The Mystic was located.
Possibly summon the ship too. The idiots.
They should have known not to bring the pirate queen near a body of water.
It would serve them right if she escaped for their foolishness.
There was still something odd about the situation though.
Rafe prodded Finley’s shoulder again as they walked toward the lake. “Where’s the prison?”
Exactly her thoughts. Outside of the lake there was nothing around them to be seen. No buildings or people or anything. She shook her head.
What kind of joke was this? Were they expected to walk to the prison?
Finley’s heart fluttered. Another example of what idiots they were.
It was better when Finley was in the wagon and couldn’t see where they were going.
Now she surely would be able to escape and find Ai.
Even if there was no indication of where all her belongings had gone to.
It was a problem for another time. Ai had to be the priority.
The chain connecting her and Rafe together gave a harsh tug and Finley stumbled a few feet as the guard led them to the lake. He walked forward until his feet hit the water then kept going. As though he intended to walk into the lake itself.
Was the prison underwater? How perfect.
The guard looked over his shoulder. “I’ve been told to keep you alive, so you might want to hold your breath.”
Rafe scoffed. “Hold our—” But before he could finish his sentence the escort gave another rough tug of the chain and they plummeted into the water.
The cold lake water felt like a breath of fresh air.
The moment Finley found herself underwater her skin sighed with relief and energy filled her body once again.
She couldn’t enjoy it though because their escort kept swimming deeper and deeper into the water without any regard for the charges dragging behind him.
Behind her, Rafe flailed and struggled against the chain, making the journey harsher than it should have been.
Finley’s chest tightened. She might have been able to hold her breath longer than most but even she would need to get fresh air in time.
Was this man leading them to drown? But that didn’t make sense.
Why would he be going along with them? If Finley had been dispensing the punishment they would have been tied to a rock or brick or something else that would have dragged them to the bottom of the lake.
And he’d said they needed to stay alive.
“Would you stop yer struggling?” The man called over his shoulder, a trail of bubbles escaping his mouth as he spoke.
He could speak under the water.
A sharp pain struck Finley in the neck and she pressed a hand to the injury. Where flesh should have been her fingers sank into deep slits in her throat. As she struggled to keep from screaming air filled her lungs. Gills. She’d grown gills.
Rafe gasped and stopped his flailing. “What in the deities’ names…”
So he had them too. Finley looked toward the escort and swam along. This was far too interesting now.
“Finley, I don’t like this.”
“Of course you wouldn’t, you don’t like anything fun.” If she could figure out how this magic worked, the possibilities were endless.
“You think this is fun?”
“It’s interesting and that’s enough for me. Don’t you want to know more?”
“I want to be on solid ground.”
“Poor puppy doesn’t like a little bit of water? My dog I had as a child never liked to take baths either.”
Rafe only responded with a growl which made Finley chuckle of all things.
They reached a landing deep beneath the lake that Finley never would have imagined was there in such a small body of water and the escort led them into what could only be described as an underwater cave.
A cool green glow filled the space and grew brighter the farther into it they walked.
All along the walls were ancient drawings and etchings depicting the god Colma and his followers.
Did this used to be a temple? It had been ages since Finley had stepped foot inside one.
But what greeted them at the end of their journey shocked her even more than anything else she’d encountered.
A small group of people were gathered. Two of which who looked far more like Finley than she cared to admit.
Her fists balled and for the first time she attempted to break free of the chains.
“Oh fuck,” Rafe muttered.
Amelia stepped forward, her blue dress swaying with the water in gentle and elegant waves. Her blonde hair floated around her in a soft cloud. “Hello cousin. How good of you to join me.”