Emily Windsnap and the Siren's Secret - Liz Kessler [38]
I flinched as though her words had hit me. I didn’t speak, though. I waited for her to continue.
“We’re stuck here. You’d probably figured that much out for yourself. We don’t know why, and we don’t know how. And after all this time, we don’t even know when.”
Morvena swam toward Amara. “Come on, it’s not the girl’s fault,” she said. “Let’s —”
Amara shook her off. “And not only that. Every one of us has been stripped of our singing voice,” she went on. “Do you know what that means to a siren? To the best sirens known for miles and miles around?”
“Amara, you know we weren’t the best,” Morvena said. “Melody was the best. We backed her. It’s not —”
“That’s right. Stick up for Melody, just like you always do. Not that she ever bothers to stick up for herself nowadays.”
“She doesn’t even show herself nowadays,” Nerin added.
“Too good for us, isn’t she?” Amara sneered.
“Come on, now. Let’s not fall out,” Morvena said. “I thought you wanted to find the young siren.”
Amara turned away with a swish of her tail so sharp it was like a scythe slicing through the water.
“You’re right. We’re wasting time,” she said. “Let’s help the others.”
“What about the girl?” asked Nerin.
Morvena broke away from the others. “I’ll see to her,” she said quickly. “You go ahead. I’ll follow.”
The sirens exchanged a glance. “All right,” Amara said finally. “Put the child somewhere safe. We can deal with her later.” With that, the three of them swam away. Morvena nudged me in the opposite direction. “Come on,” she said.
“What do you mean, you’ll see to me?” I asked as we swam up to the top of the clearing and along a dark ledge that ran the length of the walls.
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to hurt you,” Morvena said. We swam along the ledge in silence, swimming past dark holes and caverns all the way along.
We passed a low cave with jagged rocks hanging in its entrance like a jail door. Green stone walls were decorated with pink ferns dangling down like a feather curtain; ledges with fat pillars stood on either side, and stone hills sloped down, lined with pillars and rocks in a hundred different shapes and sizes.
Morvena stopped in front of a large opening. “We’re here,” she said. “Come on.” She swam into the recess. I followed her to the entrance and looked around. Huge purple leaves fanned out around the sides. Bushy green moss formed spongy seats in one corner. A jelly-like bed ran along one side. A large rock was piled high with what looked like homemade jewelry made of driftwood and stones.
Morvena indicated for me to swim inside. “This is my room,” she said as I looked around. “Stay here.” Then she smiled at me. It wasn’t the way the others had smiled. She wasn’t snarling. “You’ll be fine,” she said. “Just wait here.”
“And what if I don’t want to stay here?”
Morvena smiled again. “Then don’t,” she said sweetly. “But I’m afraid you won’t be able to get out. This is as pleasant a place to wait as any, until you can leave.” She looked down, and her tail swished nervously in the sand. “If you can ever leave,” she added.
I didn’t reply, but as she swam away, her words gradually sank in. If I could ever leave? What did she mean?
The more I thought about it, the worse it looked. The lost sirens had been here for years and years, according to Shona’s teacher, and now I’d joined them. A cold shiver shot through me as I realized what I’d done.
I’d found my way in here, but getting out seemed impossible. And unless Shona managed to perform some kind of singing miracle, it looked as if there could only be one conclusion.
I was going to be trapped in here with them forever.
My stomach growled. How long had I been here? I wished I’d at least had some breakfast before coming out. Too bad I’d forgotten the loaf of bread I’d bought for mom. I’d left it on the counter — I’d been too shocked, and too desperate to get out of that shop. I doubted very much that my new friends were going to provide a banquet for lunch.