Secrets of the Sea

Chapter 21

Happy New Years you guys!!!! :D This year, I'm going to try my best to write more, and update more often. Here's an extra long chapter. Thanks SO MUCH for sticking with me and reading my book! It means a lot. :) Remember to vote, comment, and follow! And have fun paartyyiiiiiiinnnnnnggg!!!!!!!!

The Ruby Rose Public House was a large building, made out of the traditional stucco-bricks that made up almost the whole city. A double swinging door opened into a smoky room. Sailors lounged about with courtesans on their arms, and locals huddled together and muttered amongst themselves. A maid appeared in front of us.

            “Good day, sirs,” she murmured, her Dissirian accent pulling out the oo and rolling the r. She curtseying, looking at Peter through lowered lashes. I didn’t like it. Her flowery dress gracefully blew around her as she did so. If you looked at her from above, she’d look like a blooming flower.

            “Not particularly,” Peter drawled. “The sun is too hot and the ocean is nearly boiling.”

            I looked at him quizzically. What was he talking about? It was hot, but not as hot as I was told it could be. And there was no need to be rude.

            The maid smiled at Peter.

            “Right this way,” she said softly, and led us to the back. To my surprise we went through the kitchen. The cooks totally ignored us. If this was Meg’s kitchen, she’d be livid at strangers who thought they could just come and go through her work place. More maids dressed prettily in jewel toned dresses swept around us.

            Our maid led us to a long curtain in the back of the busy kitchen and pulled it aside for us, revealing a dark room. We entered and the curtain dropped back over the opening, muffling the racket of pots boiling and cooks yelling in a Dissirian.  

            “There is a trap door in the back,” the maid whispered. “Follow the hall it leads to and wait. He will be there shortly.” Then she ducked back behind the thick curtain.

            “It would be nice if they left us a light,” Peter noted drily. He and Dane shuffled forwards. I could see their dark figures through the little amount of light that managed to filter under the curtain.

            “Found it,” Dane grunted. He and Peter bent over a spot on the floor and lifted up part of the floor. A yellow glow emanated from underneath. The man let the door go and it thud against the back wall.

            “Hurry,” Peter said. Nat’aniel scurried forwards.

            “We have to drop all the way down?” He asked.

            I came up behind him and saw what he hesitated at. A tunnel, with torches lining the walls, trailed out of sight, but not before the 10 foot drop.

            “It’s shorter than it looks,” Dane said reassuringly.

            Nat’aniel glanced at me before hopping down the hole.  I looked over the side and saw Nat’aniel peering up at me.

            “That was actually sort of fun,” Nat’aniel said. I smiled down at him.

            “Your turn,” Peter said. I swung my legs down and pushed myself off the floor.

            A second later a burst of pain erupted from my ankle. I bit back a yell of pain and jumped to the side so Dane could jump down. Peter hurdled over right afterwards and the trap door slammed shut with a muffled thump. Torches flickered.