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“What?” she shouted in disbelief, her fury multiplying with every sentence from his mouth. “What are you talking about? What have you done?”
He did not reply, clamping his hand on the elf’s arm and hauling her from the room, the long chain dragging behind her.
Riella gritted her teeth and kicked the crystal wall with her tail. If she’d not been weakened by whatever foul sorcery he disabled her with, she would’ve quickly demolished the tank.
Going by his ominous words, she would grow weaker still. This would likely be her only chance to escape, as no one knew her location. The waves pummeled the rocks below, calling to her. If she could just return to the healing power of the ocean, away from this monster, she would regain her strength.
The crystal remained intact. Riella switched her focus to the manacles, pulling them with as much strength as she could muster. But the chain links were thick and she howled in frustration when they refused to budge.
To bolster her strength, she pictured Polinth’s smug face beaming at her.
With a grunt of hatred, she finally managed to rip both manacles from the tank walls, the heavy chains falling into the water with a splash. She cackled in delight and anticipation. Wrapping her fists in the chains, she punched the crystal wall, over and over again.
A fracture formed in the middle of the tank, splintering the smooth surface like a branch of lightning. Her freedom was so close she could taste it. With her next blow, the crystal broke apart with a deafening crack. Chunks of the wall crumbled to the cave floor and the salty water poured out, like a dam breaking. Riella squeezed herself through the gap, dragging the chains with her.
Polinth lurched into the room, the water washing over the hem of his robes. His smile had vanished. Behind him, Seraphine limped into the room, her gray eyes wide.
“No,” he cried. “You don’t know what you’re doing.”
Leaning on her hands, Riella angled her body toward him. “Yes, I do. I’m killing you.”
He backed up. “Please, listen to me. If you return to the ocean, you will die. Allow me to take care of you.”
The siren answered by flinging one of the heavy chains at him. The links hit him square in the chest, making him crash to the floor, winded.
Suddenly dizzy, Riella’s arms buckled. Her body ached all over and when she breathed, her insides felt too big and airy. Panic seized her. What was going on? If she didn’t return to the ocean soon, she wouldn’t survive.
Seraphine tugged at the long chain around her ankle, bolted to the rock wall. The siren grasped the chain and yanked, pulling the bolts from the stone and freeing the elf. If they could leave before Polinth recovered, they might have a chance of escaping.
“Let’s go!” said Seraphine, looking over her shoulder at Polinth, who clutched his chest and gasped. “Once he casts magic, we’re done for.”
The elf ran from the cave, her gait lopsided from the chain dragging at her ankle, while Riella pulled herself along the floor to the black rocks outside. The briny wind whipped her face. After the claustrophobic constriction of the tank, the air was refreshing.
Light from the torches cast a faint glow on the rocks. To the side of the cave, a set of rough-hewn stairs disappeared down the mountain. Beyond the edge of the cliff, where Riella would go, was only a long, long drop to the ocean.
“Will you be alright?” asked Seraphine from the top of the stairs.
“I will—” Her words were interrupted by an unprecedented jolt of pain in her chest, making her cry out. “Once I’m in the water, I’ll feel better.”
Inside the cave, Polinth rose to his feet, fixing his manic gaze on Riella. Seraphine was around the corner, out of sight. The siren steeled herself in preparation for the jump she’d have to make. Anything was better than staying here with him.
Seraphine melted into the shadows, hurrying down the stairs. Riella turned and pulled herself along the craggy rocks. Just before she reached the rocky overhang of the cliff, one of the chains around her wrist caught and jerked her backward.
Crying out in fear, she tried to free herself, but the end of the chain was wedged between two rocks. The harder she pulled, the more the chain became stuck. Polinth’s silhouette loomed in the mouth of the cave.
He lifted his arms and began to chant.
“No!”
The voice belonged to Seraphine, who’d come back for her. The elf darted from the stairwell and lunged for the stuck chain, wrenching it. The chain went blessedly slack on Riella’s wrist, liberating her.
“Jump!” shouted Seraphine, crouching on the rocks. “Jump now!”
Pain spasmed through Riella’s tail and her chest tightened. There was no time for hesitation. She pulled herself over the cliff’s edge, praying Seraphine could flee to the nearby stairs before Polinth cast magic.
But, a moment too late, Riella registered a flash of red light, followed by Seraphine’s piercing scream. The sound haunted Riella the whole way down, the force of the wind stinging her face and body.
The siren crashed through the surface of the seething water. Having expected relief, she was alarmed to find herself sinking rapidly. Another shock of pain wracked her body. She sank farther, the heavy chains making her drop like a stone.
