Descendant of the Deep (Siren Song: Book One)

Chapter Three: Cocelia

     I awakened in a dark place that reeked of seaweed, my wrists still bound and my mouth gagged. My black hair swirled around my face, tickling my sore cheeks. I could already feel a bruise from the throbbing pain in my left cheek, a reminder of being punched unconscious. I tried to tear myself away from the wall I was leaning up against, but it was no use. I was bound to one of the support poles. The room was very small and seemed to sway back and forth, suggesting that we were moving. My breath quickened. Where was I going? How far away was I from the cliff, from home? My mind was swirling with questions when a merman swam through the entrance, a strange stick in his hand.
     I screamed through the gag, cursing him with colorful language that I hadn't dared to use at home. He turned around and stared at me, trying his best not to look afraid. Though I didn't know why he was so scared, it brought me great pleasure to know that my captor was terrified of me.
     He steadied himself and straightened out his light blue tail. With a deep breath, he began talking.
     "We're going to make this simple. You see this detector in my hand," he motioned to the price of wood in his hand, "this will determine whether or not you're a siren. If you're not, we'll take your gag off. If you are... Well..."
     Siren? What was he even talking about?
     He swam up closer to me and held the stick out in front of him. I tried to scoot away from him, but there was no where to go. A green mist washed over me, enveloping me in a bubble of fog. I squeezed my eyes shut and held  my breath until I heard the bubble pop. A rough hand removed my gag.
     "There? All done."
     "What was that? Where are we going?"I demanded, my hands balled into fists.
     The merman chuckled. " That was a siren detector. We've been having a bit of a siren issue lately, and that was a precaution we take with all Mer entering the Open Ocean. We will arrive in the capital in a couple of hours."
     "WHAT?! I CAN'T GO IN OPEN WATERS!! MY MOM-" I froze. Ruby. She would be wondering where I was, and after my disappearance at school... Would she think that I ran away? And my clothes were at the top of the cliff hidden in the undergrowth, suggesting that I had hurled myself off of the edge.
Panic grew inside of me. I had to get back. I couldn't let her find those clothes and come to an awful conclusion. Knowing her, she would feel responsible, and I didn't want to put that kind of misery on her.
I desperately tried to free my hands. "Please! You have to let me go! I'm not a siren, you know that now, so release me!"
The merman looked down in what almost looked like shame. "I'm sorry. We can't let you go. Your ability to transform into a human has grabbed the Queen's interest. There's nothing we can do now."
     I protested loudly until I got the attention of the bronze- finned merman. The second he swam into the room, the blue-tailed man stiffened.
"Officer Taron," the man said, his kind face suddenly indifferent.
I snorted. "Taron? What kind of name is that?"
I could tell from the way he bristled when I said that that my comment was not appreciated.
"Speaking of names, I don't believe we got yours." Taron snarled.
I straightened up. "Britta."
Taron nodded and turned to the man. "Did you test her, Rowan?"
He nodded. "Yes. It came back negative, so I I took her gag off-"
Taron grunted in disapproval. "She may not be a siren, but that does not make her safe. You were a fool to allow her to speak."
I looked up. "Excuse me, but I'm still here."
"Quiet, girl", Taron snapped, turning back to Rowan. "If you wish to keep your job, you will do exactly as I say."
Taron didn't have the right to belittle Rowan in such a way. "I'm sorry, but if my information is correct, Rowan operates under the Queen, not you."
Taron shot me a poisonous look. "Gag her." And with a swish of his tail, he exited the room.
Looking defeated, Rowan grabbed the gag in his hand.
"Wait. I know you're just following orders, but before you shut me up, tell me where we are going."
Rowan sighed. "I told you. Open waters."
I nodded. "Yes, but where in open waters?"
     Rowan looked around to make sure Taron was out of earshot. "Cocelia. The capital, just as I told you. We're going to the palace to meet with the queen."
     My mouth hung open. I'd already been told that the Queen had an odd interest in my abilities, but meeting her face-to-face? My stomach flipped. What was going to happen?
     My heart longed to be back at home, where I was the only mermaid, and my life was close to normal. But with every sway of the room, I knew I was getting farther and farther from the coast. I doubted I could even find my way back at this point if the option to swim away presented itself.
     I sat there, gagged and consumed by my thoughts until I heard the sound of a large mass of people. Laughter rang through the the water, and the muffled voices of conversations created an atmosphere that would have seemed cheery if not for the situation. For these people, this was a normal day. For me, it was far from that.
I heard the creak of metal gates opening, and suddenly, we were moving again. I dared not breath. We were here. Cocelia.