Beneath the Waves (Ocean Song Book 1)

Chapter 38: Calder's Return

A sound caresses Serena's ears. A door opening, but she can't see where it is in the darkness of the room. The sound is distant, but it's undoubtedly a door beyond the one leading into this chamber.

For a minute she entertains the hopeless notion that help has finally arrived. But then she scoffs derisively. They've been down here for two days. Who's going to be able to find them down here?

In the darkness, she can here Pelagios shuffling about. He's been more alert the last few hours, and a persistent scraping noise had been coming from his direction earlier as well. A scraping that has long since stopped, leaving her to wonder just what it was he was doing over there. But when she would ask, he would just give her another of his vague responses and they would settle into silence once more.

And yet, the sound persists. Hallmar certainly wouldn't be coming to see them so late, so who could it possibly be? Hope fills her chest. Maybe, just maybe they'll finally be rescued. The door opens, and the dim light floods into the room.

When her gaze finally adjusts to the light she sees Storm standing at the entrance to their little prison of darkness. Relief floods her system. I guess Pelagios was right. She glances over to him now able to see him a little better with the dim lighting streaming in from the open door. He looks relieved for the most part as he tosses aside a sharped piece of stone. What the hell was he planning to do with that?

Though, truth be told, she never thought she'd see Storm again. And it begs the question as to how Pelagios seemed to know him.

Her question is quickly answered. "Honestly brother, you cannot possibly expect me to come save you each time misfortune befalls you," says an exasperated Storm as he picks through the keys he had stolen. "And to have dragged her into this as well?" He sighs. "What am I going to do with you?"

But Pelagios simply grins, uncharacteristically in Serena's opinion. "And yet you still came," he states pointedly. "And I did not drag her into this." Then he shrugs. "She landed herself here all her own."

Storm just sighs tiredly as he finally finds the correct key that fits into the lock. He enters her cell and quickly sifts through the keys again to find the one that'll unlock her shackle.

A satisfying click greets her ears, followed by the sudden weightlessness of her tail. Storm doesn't waste a single second, and proceeds to free Pelagios.

He frowns. "Next time I will not come. I have my own responsibilities."

But Pelagios smiles. "Of course. Thank you."

Storm just grumbles as he leads them out of the chamber and the passageway leading into it.

As they wait for some guards to pass, they're suddenly engulfed in a familiar green mist. The guards, seeing this phenomenon, begin to cause quite a commotion out of surprise. The guards move to apprehend them, but they're too slow. The three's surroundings warp and flash until they find themselves outside the perimeter of Lord Hallmar's home.

Before them stands Calder. Serena stares in shock while her companions try to gather their bearings. It's been so long since she last saw him, but she certainly wasn't expecting to see him again. And so soon. But his expression is grim, and she can sense something is wrong. Other than the fact that the nightmarish wedding of the century is to begin in a few hours time.

"Sorry to skip the pleasantries darling, but I require you to do something to forestall the coming disaster."

Before she knows it, she's nodding. After all, stopping this wedding means saving her and her brother's hides. "What do you need me to do?"

He chuckles nervously. "I need you to stop the wedding by challenging Delmara."

Her eyes widen, and her blood runs cold. "WHAT!"