Sirens by Darcy Pattison

Author:Darcy Pattison [Pattison, Darcy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781629440798
Publisher: Mims House
Published: 2017-10-01T04:00:00+00:00

17

Aberforth Hills

December 24

Ruby skimmed over the waves, her sails singing. A north wind blew cold, but Mom and Jake were sheltered behind a screen, with blankets available as they wished.

Edmund Frisk proved to be more than a capable cook in the tiny galley. He brought up a tray of steaming tea with cream, sugar, and scones, followed by bowls of Scottish oatmeal with brown sugar and raisins as toppings. Jake ate three bowls and only stopped because he didn’t want to appear rude. Mom seemed to be perfectly at ease, but as the morning wore on, Jake worried. Ruby was heading far out to sea.

He went to the head—the bathroom of the boat—where he had some small measure of privacy, and pulled out his cell phone to check the GPS app. As he suspected, they were heading in the direction of Aberforth Hills, the underwater city they had seen before. Good. Maybe he’d get some answers.

Finally, about noon, Ruby slowed, and Captain Bulmer dropped sails.

“Where are we?” Mom asked. “Will someone join us here?”

“We’re going swimming,” Bulmer answered. “We’ll need to put on our scuba gear. Do you want a wet suit or not?”

Mom rolled her eyes. “It would’ve been nice to know that I’d be swimming. I would have worn a swim suit.”

She had just had custom-made a long-sleeved swimsuit with the arm-pits cut out so her gills would have access to the water. She’d been anxious to try it.

“We took the liberty of buying you a new suit,” Bulmer said apologetically. He held up a black suit identical to the one she had bought.

So, Jake thought, they’ve been following every move we make. He took an uncertain breath. Who were these people? Why had they monitored them so closely? None of this sounded good.

Bulmer also handed Jake a bundle with a swim suit and wet suit vest. Taking it, Jake’s hands shook with worry.

The captain stepped aside to allow the Risonians to go below deck to change clothes.

Downstairs, Jake whispered, “We’re at Aberforth Hills, the underwater city. We’ll get to see it.”

Mom nodded soberly, “We’ll meet whoever lives there. And I think we’re in for a surprise.”

A few minutes later, they joined Bulmer and his men. They would leave only Edmund Frisk to man the sailboat.

They dove. Cold hit Jake for a few moments until his magma-sapiens blood took over and the temperature seemed normal. Bulmer and his troops all wore headlights, but the streams of light barely penetrated ten feet ahead. He kept Mom in sight, lest there was another trap planned. But Bulmer and his crew just kicked deeper and deeper until—

The light from Aberforth Hills started in a slow, gentle, distant glow. Soon, however, Bulmer and his crew turned off their headlights and swam directly for the light. Jake watched Mom and tried to see it from her point of view. She’d been raised in an underwater city on Rison, and when she took Jake for visits with his grandparents, he’d been able to explore some.

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