Red as Ruby

Chapter 33

The water was a deep, inky blue that seemed to swallow up the sunlight as it streamed through the surface. Caelie's breathing grew ragged and shallow, her hazel eyes filled with terror, as she clung to the side of the makeshift prison that we were held in. Open waters had always been her greatest fear, a vast expanse of uncertainty threatening to crush her rational mind.

"Caels, breathe," I urged gently, gripping her arm in an attempt to steady her. "Remember this is just a giant swimming pond." It was a desperate attempt to distract her, but the reminder of our childhood seemed to help a little. Her breathing slowed, but her eyes never left the dark water surrounding us.

"Th-this isn't a pool, Heloise," she stammered, her knuckles white from clutching the wall of the prison. "We're trapped. By sirens."

"Trapped" was an understatement. We were encased in some sort of magical underwater dome made of shimmering light that quivered with every futile attempt we made to break free. It was like trying to punch through a wall of molasses. And with each passing moment, the suffocating weight of the water pressed down on us, a constant reminder of how far we were from the world above.

"Maybe if we—" I started, but Caelie cut me off with a wild-eyed shake of her head.

"No! No more plans. Not until we figure out how to get out of here." She was right, of course. That was Caelie, always the voice of reason. Even now, trapped in her worst nightmare, she refused to give in to her fear. It was both frustrating and inspiring.

"Okay," I agreed, swallowing hard. "We'll just... we'll focus on getting out. That's all that matters right now."

"Right," Caelie nodded, her short curls plastered to her forehead with sweat. "We can do this. We just need to stay calm and think."

"Stay calm" was easier said than done. But I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and focused on the sound of our shallow breathing echoing around us in the dome. The metallic taste of fear lingered on my tongue as I tried to push down my own panic.

"I'm going to try and communicate with them," Anwen suddenly declared, her voice muffled by the water but still full of hope.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" I asked, my own voice wavering as I struggled against the impenetrable walls. "I mean, they're not exactly known to be friendly."

"Trust me," Anwen said with a wink. "I've got this." Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and began humming a tune that was eerily similar to the sirens'.

"Anwen, stop!" Caelie shouted, panic evident in her voice. "You're just making it worse!"

"Give her a chance," Kalara muttered, her eyes darting between Anwen and the now visible sirens approaching us.

But as the sirens drew closer, their song only grew louder, drowning out Anwen's attempts. Her face fell in defeat, and she shook her head. "It didn't work," she admitted, her eyes filling with tears. "I thought I could reason with them, but they don't want to listen."

"Snap out of it, Anwen," Liora urged, her face flushed from exertion. "We need to figure something else out, fast."

"Right," Anwen murmured, blinking away her tears. She glanced around, her gaze settling on the myriad of fish that swam nearby, seemingly unaffected by the sirens' song.

"Of course!" she exclaimed, her face lighting up once more. "The cow-fish! They must know how to deal with the sirens!"

"Fish? Really? That's your plan?" Damien scoffed, his arms straining against the wall.

"Are you serious?" I asked, also very skeptical of Anwen's plan. "They're fish, Anwen. What could they possibly do?"

"Hey, it's better than nothing!" Anwen snapped back, her optimism undeterred.