Chapter 34 Rose
When Rose woke up, the sky was bright and clear, the sun shimmering across a blanket of fresh snow. Better yet, Marino was knocking at the door of the cabin.
‘We were able to mend the hole in the hull,’ he said, when it swung open. His eyes were red-rimmed and tired, but he was chipper. ‘The Siren’s Secret is even stronger than it was before. We are ready to depart on your order, Queen Rose.’
‘The sooner the better,’ said Rose, getting quickly to her feet. ‘We must get back to Anadawn as fast as possible, so we can prepare to battle Oonagh. This time we will be ready for her.’
‘We certainly will,’ said Anika, striding in from the kitchen where she and Celeste had been having an early breakfast. ‘Though from here, I will be going my own way.’ They had all decided that Anika should return to Grinstad to gather the finest of her brother’s soldiers before coming to Eana to join the fight against Oonagh. With the combined might of Gevra, Anadawn and the Sunkissed witches, Rose was certain they could defeat Oonagh. And she had Daybreak now, too.
All they had to do was find her undead ancestor.
Celeste kissed Anika goodbye, then joined the others as they made their way back down to the strand, where the Siren’s Secret was already floating off shore. ‘We made the most of the high tide,’ said Marino, proudly. ‘We’ll have to row out to her.’
‘Allow me,’ said Kai, leaping into the rowing boat and nearly toppling it with his weight. He snatched up the oars. ‘I have the strength of ten men.’
Rose and Celeste rolled their eyes, but followed his lead, settling themselves at the back of the boat, while Marino clambered into the front.
‘Keep your eyes on the water,’ said Shen, drawing his dagger as he climbed in after them. ‘We now know Oonagh could be anywhere.’
Once aboard the ship, Shen and Celeste insisted that Rose go down to the captain’s quarters for safety.
‘I am just as capable of either of you!’ she protested.
‘It’s not about being capable,’ said Celeste. ‘It is about making sure we get you back to Anadawn in one piece. Eana needs you, Rose. Don’t let your pride get in the way of that.’
Rose pouted, but saw Celeste’s point, and was glad when her friend came to keep her company throughout the journey.
With the wind on their side and Marino’s magic stronger than ever, the voyage passed swiftly, and Rose was grateful for that, too.
When Dooley’s voice rang out below deck, calling, ‘Land ahoy!’ Rose burst out of the captain’s cabin and ran for the stairs, eager to see her beloved Eana once more. She went at once to the prow, revelling in the spray of the sea on her face and the wind in her hair. She could see Wishbone Bay in the distance, hear the squawk of the seagulls as they soared along the port.
She sighed, long and deep, relieved to be home once more. Safe in the arms of her kingdom.
Something struck the ship, and she wobbled on her feet. Rose looked down, alerted to a shadow darting by the prow. It became a shimmer, a flash of white in the waves, followed by the swish of a tail. How strange. Rose stared at it for a moment too long, even as her instincts told her to get back.
There came a sudden splash as the creature shot up out of the water. Rose gasped, realizing too late what it was. Who it was.
In the blink of an eye, Oonagh Starcrest scrambled up the side of the ship, grabbed Rose by the hair and dragged her down into the roiling sea. Rose screamed as she was pulled under, the water so sudden and cold it shocked the breath from her body.
The last thing Rose saw was Shen leaping from the side of the ship, but by then she was so deep in the sea, she knew he would never find her. She kicked and thrashed as Oonagh dragged her down to the seabed, and when there was no air left in Rose’s lungs and no fight left in her body, everything went black.