Reg groaned. “Next time we plan a trip, we are starting in the afternoon. Not the morning.”

  Sarah shrugged. “We’ll have to see.” She turned her head as the coffee machine trilled a happy tune. “That is your coffee.”

  Making coffee was not going to get Sarah off the hook for scheduling a quest for when Reg was normally still in bed and then forcing Reg’s compliance.

  But it was a start.

  Starlight was already in the kitchen and yowled a couple of times as Reg shuffled past him to go to the bathroom.

  “Where is Davyn?” Reg asked suddenly, looking down at her sleeping outfit. “Did you say he’s here?”

  “I left him at the big house. I didn’t know what kind of condition you would be in.”

  “Oh. Good.”

  Though it probably didn’t matter. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen her in shorts and a T-shirt, her usual sleepwear. That was how she had shown up to fight the forest fire.

  With Sarah hovering impatiently, Reg muddled through her morning routine of getting washed, dressed, and caffeinated. The cat was fed. Reg did not get the chance to check her videos and social media with Sarah standing there watching her like a hawk.

  “All right,” Reg said eventually. “Is it just the three of us? You and me and Davyn?” She looked at Starlight. “How about you? Do you want to come hunting with us?”

  Starlight stared at her without blinking. It was a definite “no.” Reg chuckled. But Starlight was probably right. A deep-sea cavern and some kind of tower in the sky were no place for a cat. Starlight would have to assume a human form, and he only seemed to do that when it was an emergency and there was no other way to help Reg.

  “Yes, it’s just us,” Sarah confirmed.

  Even when all they had been doing was going to the mountain to destroy a fairy blade, they had taken more people than that. And certainly when they had fought the witch doctor and the draugrs. But there was something to be said for staying lean and agile, and Reg’s instinct was that they needed to keep their company small.

  “I guess this is it, then. Do I need to bring anything?” Reg grabbed her big shoulder bag and started to jam things into it. She should probably have thought the day before about what she would need for the quest. She threw in a few granola bars and an energy drink. Maybe a hat? She wouldn’t need one for diving, but maybe when they went up the tower after the Pearl she would need a visor to keep the sun out of her eyes. But the winds would probably just blow it right off. She looked at Sarah for her advice.

  “Just bring yourself, Reg. None of us knows what we are going to need other than that. I’m not sure what good any books or magical artifacts will do. You just need yourself and your skills.”

  Reg sighed. It didn’t seem like very much. It seemed to her that any magical quest might hinge on having just the right tools along. A special dagger, ring, or talisman. How many books had she read where they had needed some special object at the climax of the quest, even if it were just something like the words of an enchantment or prophecy or a piece of chewing gum.

  “Come on,” Sarah encouraged, maybe sensing the inertia Reg felt, the inability to get moving. To actually start the quest.

  Or maybe she was just impatient.

  Reg motioned to the door, “After you.”

  Sarah exited the cottage, and Reg followed her, hefting her somewhat heavier bag up on her shoulder.

  Davyn was waiting at the house. He was standing still when they walked in the door, but Reg got the feeling she had interrupted his pacing. He smiled and nodded to Reg and didn’t criticize her for sleeping in and keeping them waiting.

  “Well, are we ready to begin?” he asked.

  Reg gave a nod. She wasn’t sure what they were up against, but she had prepared the best she could. She felt like she at least had an idea of what she was talking about after quizzing Theodore for half the night.

  “How clear was Corvin about where they hid the Tears of Poseidon?” Davyn asked. “There is… a lot of sea out there. I’m hoping you will be able to sense it like you sensed the other artifacts, but if it is far away…”

  “I got a bit of a picture when Corvin was talking about it. And I talked to Theodore about it. I think I know about where it is.”

  “How do you want to handle this? Do we drive and rent a boat? Is it in local waters or halfway around the world?”

  “Everything is close by. I don’t know why they kept everything in one area. When Francesca bound the witch doctor to the kattakyns, we sent them all around the world so that they weren’t all so close together. Anyone trying to get them together would have to travel all over the world to track them down. And when the enchantment wore off, it would take the different parts of his sah a longer time to migrate toward each other.”

  “Travel was… rather restricted a few centuries ago,” Sarah reminded her. “You couldn’t just hop a plane to fly anywhere in the world. You had to arrange for passage on a ship, and it took months to get around the world.”

  “And I don’t imagine taking priceless artifacts on a ship like that was very safe,” Davyn suggested. “Pirates and pickpockets and all…”

  Reg hadn’t considered how much society and travel had changed since then.

  “Besides, Corvin and Gideon were just young fellows back then,” Sarah pointed out. “It might not have occurred to them to separate the elementals. They didn’t think they would ever be freed and able to get back together. And being close by would allow them to check on the artifacts to ensure they were still secure.”

  All of that made sense. Reg probably should have thought of it herself. She returned to Davyn’s question.

  “Let’s take a car to the harbor,” she suggested. “And then I’ll see whether I can feel the vial. I don’t know whether I’ll need a boat or any other equipment yet. But… there is one problem…”

  They both looked at Reg expectantly.

  “When I get close to the water, I… am not exactly myself.”

  Davyn had seen this up close and in person at least once before. A look of understanding came over his face. Sarah was mystified.

  “Not yourself?” she repeated tentatively.

  “Because of the siren thing,” Reg said, embarrassed to bring it up. “When I get close to the water, and get the sea spray in my face or step into the ocean… I might not be able to control myself. If Davyn is close by, or another man… well…” She shrugged, her face hot. “I need to know that you’ll make sure no one gets too close. I don’t want there to be… an incident.”

  “Of course,” Sarah agreed. “Oh, forgive me for not understanding. I didn’t even think about that. I was just thinking how much of a benefit your siren abilities would be.”

  Reg appreciated that Sarah had considered Reg an asset rather than a liability. A flush of appreciation joined the embarrassment already heating her cheeks.

  “I will stay well back,” Davyn promised. “And we will help to keep anyone else away from you.”

  Reg nodded. “Yeah, that would be good.”

  Davyn also had a gift for invisibility, but Reg suspected that would not be any help at all. She would still be able to smell him and would know that he was there. Despite his gift, she could still see a shadow where he was. An ability that was probably tied to being able to see spirits and other things that remained hidden from normal people.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Reg felt like they should have packed better for the trip, even though they were only going to the harbor. It felt significant, like something that deserved a big send-off. As it was, there was no luggage to load into or on top of the car. They simply climbed in and fastened their seatbelts.

  Davyn drove. He probably felt like he wasn’t doing enough on this mission if his only function was staying out of Reg’s way.

  Reg wasn’t sure what his role in the quest would be, but she was sure they would need his knowledge and skills at some point. He was a lot more experienced than she was.

  It was fairly quiet at the harbor. Reg looked up and down the line of boats. A few were occupied with fishermen coming or going but, mostly, the boats were silent. It was probably late for those who got up early to fish and too early for those going out on pleasure trips. Reg had not appreciated being roused from sleep so early, but the timing was not bad.

  “Okay.” Reg took a deep breath in and let it back out. The tang of salt air filled her senses. The sun sparkled on the surface of the water, too bright, making her want to dive deep down to where it was darker and there was more to explore. She had always wanted to go diving in clear water filled with brightly colored fish and coral. “Let’s go down to the end, away from the boats.”

  “To the beach?” Sarah suggested.

  “No, there will be more people there. Where there are no boats and it is too deep to wade. I want to be able to slip into the water without attracting attention.”

  She wouldn’t want someone calling for an emergency rescue because Reg dove into the water and didn’t come back up again. With her siren powers, she should be able to stay under the water for as long as she needed to. Certainly longer than any normal human.

  “Down there, then,” Davyn said, pointing. “I know a good place.”

  They drove a couple of miles farther, and Davyn pulled into a little corner of beach with large rocks, where the water was the dark azure of the deep. It was quiet, isolated from the rest of the coastline by dense trees and large rocks. Maybe a good make-out point, but not much good for much else, other than what Reg was about to attempt.

  “Looks good,” she told Davyn. “This is perfect. You’d better stay in the car.”

  He sighed and didn’t argue. Of course he wanted to get out and participate but, as soon as Reg touched the water or got spray on her face, he would be in danger.

  Reg opened her door and climbed out of the car. Sarah got out as well. They walked toward the rocks at the water’s edge. Gulls wheeled and mewed far overhead.

  “Tell me your plan,” she told Reg.

  “Dive down here… swim to the point where I can access the underwater keep. Find the Tears of Poseidon.”

  “That’s pretty basic. How are you going to get past the various wards?”

  “I did some research on hydromancy.” Reg didn’t bother mentioning Theodore. Sarah could imagine Reg having spent the night poring over magical tomes if that made her more comfortable. “I should be able to get past most of the wards just by being part siren. The Oceanids… mostly, they don’t have anything to do with sirens. They stay out of each other’s way. This is my territory, so they can’t claim that I am somewhere I shouldn’t be. Wards that are aimed against humans won’t be effective against me. Probably.”

  “But the Oceanids have been tasked with protecting the Tears. You can’t just walk in and take the vial.”

  “Yeah. I have some ideas. I’ll just have to experiment, see what works.”

  Sarah shook her head in disapproval. “This is foolish. You do not have a solid plan. You don’t understand what you are facing.”

  “You can’t go down there, but I can. Any human would have to wear a dive suit and would be susceptible to all kinds of problems—equipment failure, hallucinations, disorientation—but I’m not going to have any of those. It is safe for me. Yeah, I’ll need to figure out how to get past the Oceanids, but I’m pretty good at talking my way past guards.” She mustered a smile for Sarah. “Lifetime of talking my way around the rules.”

  “Well, you are very good at it,” Sarah admitted. “But I don’t think you are prepared for what you will face.”

  “Do you have any advice?”

  “If you need help… call on someone. I don’t know what you are going to find down there, but if Corvin and Gideon set it up, then there must be a way for humans to survive for at least a short time. A chamber filled with breathable air. Some kind of way station. A way for them to check on the integrity of the prison. You can call on one of us if you need help.”

  Reg nodded. There was a lump in her throat. She was sure Sarah didn’t particularly want to be trapped in an underwater cave with no way out except Reg’s abilities. What if Reg were injured or killed? Then Sarah would be trapped down there with no way out.

  “Thanks.”

  “Has it been long enough since you ate?” Sarah asked, looking at her watch. “You’re not supposed to swim for an hour after eating. You don’t want to get cramps.”

  Reg laughed. “I don’t think I’m going to get cramps.”

  “You could. Do you really want to risk it?”

  “Yes. I didn’t eat that much, and I’ve never had cramps when swimming in my life. It will be okay.”

  Sarah patted her on the arm. “Well… you be careful. Remember that we are here to help you. I don’t have your psychic skills, but I will listen for you.”

  “All right.” Reg swallowed. “See you in a bit.”

  She had dressed with swimming in mind. She undid the wraparound skirt and dropped it on top of one of the rocks so it wouldn’t be filled with sand. She had left her big shoulder bag in the car, so she didn’t need to worry about that being left on the beach. If she were a long time and Davyn and Sarah had to go for some reason, either because some beach patrol security company told them they had to leave or because they needed something to eat or a bathroom break, her things would not be left on the beach for thieves to paw through. She put her towel on top of the skirt and weighed them down with a rock so they wouldn’t blow away.

  The wind blew salty sea spray up into her face. Reg’s senses all immediately sharpened. She closed her eyes and reached out for the Tears of Poseidon. This was her territory. These were her waters. She was entitled to know everything that went on under the surface.

  It took a few minutes, and she couldn’t see it clearly, but she knew what direction to go. Reg looked at Davyn in the car, where he watched her carefully. She could not smell him with the doors and windows closed up tightly. She felt a pang of disappointment that Corvin was not there. She had claimed him as hers. Reg felt a longing to take him down into the water with her. She reached out her senses to try to determine where he was and what he was doing at that moment.

  It came as no surprise that he was still at home, shut up like a hermit. Studying his books and trying to avoid triggering any of his multitude of magical gifts. He raised his head for a moment as she reached out, then his hands clenched into fists and his face into a grimace of pain. She shouldn’t have reached out to him and risked triggering his own telepathic response. But she needed to know where he was and that he wasn’t waiting for her in the underwater caverns, waiting to see if she would show up to tamper with the Tears of Poseidon and the water elemental.

  Reg turned to wave at Sarah, then jumped into the water.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  She was home.

  Reg loved the pressure of the water on her skin and the stillness she felt when holding her breath. The tumult of voices in her head quieted, and she heard only the chorus of siren sisters happy to welcome her into the water. It was different from the silence she had felt when Corvin had taken away her powers—that echoing, empty chamber in her head; instead, she was filled with a sense of quiet and peace with the siren sisterhood singing quietly in the background. Not the discordant wails she often heard as they urged her to take actions she was unwilling to pursue. This was more like what she had imagined the sailors in ancient Greece had heard when they were lured into the water by the magical voices of the sirens.

  She pulled herself through the water with her arms and kicked with her feet, torpedoing through the incredibly clear water. She aimed toward the place where she knew the Tears were being guarded. The water was very deep, and she continued to dive as she moved forward, seeking the ocean floor.

  Then she entered a magical fairyland. This was what she had imagined years ago when her foster parents had gotten her a little swimming pool, and she would sit or lie on the bottom, dreaming of brightly colored schools of fish and the twisted and variegated beds of coral.

  She was far from the surface of the water, yet she could still see the light from the sun up above her.

  Schools of fish swam around her unafraid, as if she were one of them. Their scales shimmered like underwater jewels. Gentle currents caressed her skin, and Reg felt a sense of belonging she’d never found anywhere but in the water.

  She glided through the crystalline waters, reaching out again to find the vial that contained the Tears of Poseidon and the water elemental bound to it. She needed to keep her focus on her mission. She wasn’t there just to enjoy the embrace of the ocean and the beauty of the underwater garden.

  It took her a while to reach an opening into the underwater caverns where she knew the relic rested. Reg knew she was crossing a threshold as she entered the tunnel. It was more than just a physical entrance into the cave system. She had crossed a magical barrier, the first layer of protection around the vial.

  Reg looked around, wary, watching for an attack. Would it be the Oceanids right off the bat? Or would there be something else first, something smaller to test her or to deter those who were only exploring and not really after the Tears?

  The passageway was narrow. Not a problem for Reg, but for a big man or someone with dive gear, it would have been a squeeze. Most people would not go exploring a network of underwater caves like that without a guide or someone who had been there before. Even if they were small enough, most people would have found the space claustrophobic and turned back.

  Maybe that was the first test. Just having the sense not to explore dangerous places. The tunnel grew dark as she swam on. Reg trailed her fingers along the bottom, letting her other senses guide her. She found she could build a picture of the tunnel in her mind just by listening to the sound as she moved through it. Siren radar? That was cool and unexpected.

  Bioluminescent plants were sprinkled here and there, providing a soft glow. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness so that even the tiny bit of light provided by the plants was enough to guide her.

 

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