AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Flipping onto my back, I put my hands under my head, causing Squiggles to grumble slightly before he fell back asleep. “You’ll figure it out sooner or later,” I said to Kaga. “If not, your parents will force you into their legacy before you can blink.”
His deep laugh echoed through the room, and I flashed a delighted grin. “What about you?” he asked. “What would you do if you weren’t princess of the sea?”
I flipped onto my side, floating still, and thought about it. “I’m not sure. I want to see the world definitely. See more than the ocean I’ve lived in my entire life. Lessons and constant work don’t leave a ton of time to go far.”
“How much of the ocean have you seen?”
I sat on the bench, a healthy distance from Kaga. “Most of the villages, and the routes between them and the city. A few times to the island. That’s it.”
Kaga stared at me, a strange look on his face. “Sounds like we have something in common.”
With a snort, I shook my head. “Our similarities are too small to count. Find me when it’s significant.”
He raised an eyebrow, and I studiously ignored him, swimming to the gate. When I shook the metal, it wiggled even more. I pushed against the bars as hard as possible. It budged, but barely. I needed help. I leaned my forehead against the bars. Trapped in my life. Trapped in this cave, I thought to myself.
“Can you help me?” Asking for help wasn’t something I did, but I needed it. After a few seconds, I added, “Please.”
“Yes.” Kaga swam up next to me, putting his shoulder to the metal. We moved as a team, the hinges cracking under pressure. The whole side of the door scraped against the metal with an awful sound. Worried that it would alert the sea witch, we pushed frantically. Finally, there was enough space between the cavern wall and gate to swim out.
Swimming to the shelves, I grabbed a vial with yarrow in it. I handed it to Squiggles, who held it in one of his many tentacles.
I grabbed Kaga’s hand, tugging him with me as we swam out of the cavern. “Can you use your water dog again? We need to get out of here, quick.”
Kaga used his free hand to form the water dog again, who jumped around us happily. Kaga muttered in a language I didn’t understand, and the dog shot off. We followed him, staying close to each other. The cavern was dark, but there was enough light for me to see the dog.
On the far, far left of me, I heard an echo of conversation. The sea witch’s voice screeched as she yelled at someone about the moonflower pearl. No matter, we needed to get out, not analyze the cause of her fury.
At the cavern exit, I took the vial from Squiggles. Just as I was about to throw it at the watery barrier, dark ink surrounded my waist.
My heart hammered. I threw the vial at Kaga, the powder dissolving around his body as the ink drew me backward. It would protect him enough to escape. I yelled at him. “Leave!”
Kaga’s face turned stubborn, and he grabbed both my arms. He swam backward, the rush of water flowing under me.
“What is this?” came a voice from the shadows. The darkness cleared, and the sea witch’s face came into view. “Where do you think you are going, child?”
“Out of here,” I said, struggling against the magical bonds. It surrounded Kaga, wrapping around him in thin tendrils. He released me as the tendrils wrapped around his arms.
“No, you are not.”
“I think I am,” I said, my voice completely sure. “I have something you want.”
The ink paused, and we floated, not moving one way or the other. “I doubt that,” she said.
“Are you willing to bet your freedom on it?” I asked.
The ink started moving again, pulling us closer to the witch.
“Wait!” I said, frantic. “I can find it for you. The moonflower pearl.”
The ink stopped, and the witch stared at me, her perfect face sending shivers of fear down my back.
“How do you know about that?”
I lifted my chin. It’s not my fault her voice carried in the cave. I’d use whatever I heard to get us out of here. “Are you willing to make a deal?”
Her eyes narrowed, her piercing eyes staring straight into my soul. “What are the terms?”
“Our freedom for the pearl. Permanent freedom. You’ll never drain either of us.”
