"It's a tracker," he says, his eyes glinting with sadistic glee. "It's a precautionary measure."
With that, he spins on his heel and swags out of the room, leaving me standing there with my blood pressure skyrocketing. Great, now I'm some underwater pet with a goddamn tracking device.
I turn to Lucian, my eyes blazing with fury. "Well, isn't this just peachy?" I snarl. "Not only are we trapped down here with a bunch of fish-faced assholes, but now I've got this stupid necklace that turns me into a goddamn beacon."
Lucian shrugs, grinning. "Hey, look on the bright side. At least you'll always have a place to put your seashell collection."
I shoot him a glare that could freeze hell itself. Before I can retort, another Siren enters the room, a female with long, flowing hair the color of purple coral and eyes as blue as the deepest ocean.
"Calypso requests your presence at dinner," her voice like gentle waves. "You are to dress in the attire provided and join her in the dining hall to discuss your quest."
Fantastic. Sure, let's dress up and act like we're here by choice, not because we're prisoners in this underwater funhouse of horrors.
"Follow me," she says, clarifying that 'no' isn't an option.
I shoot Lucian a look, but he just shrugs and trots after her like an eager lapdog. I let out a heavy sigh, my shoulders sagging in resignation.
As soon as I am able, I'm burning this damn collar off.
As we make our way through the winding corridors, I can't help but marvel at the sheer beauty of it all. The walls are made of shimmering black pearls inlaid with glittering gemstones. Bioluminescent plants line the hallways, casting an eerie blue glow over everything.
But it's the view outside that takes my breath away. Through the glass dome, I can see the vast expanse of the ocean stretching out in every direction. Schools of brightly colored fish dart past, their scales glinting like precious jewels. In the distance, I can see the shadowy outline of a massive whale, its song echoing through the water like a beautiful symphony.
A pod of dolphins swims up, and the craziness suddenly melts. I'm pressing myself against the glass like an overexcited kid at the aquarium, my eyes wide with wonder.
Oh my god, they're so cute!
I've always been a total sucker for dolphins—they're such incredible creatures. Intelligent, playful, and affectionate. In high school, I was convinced my career path would be Marine Biology. But that all changed when I discovered I was adopted, leading me to choose genetics instead.
"Oh, hello there," I coo at the glass as if they can hear me. One of the dolphins swims closer and flips its fin at me, almost like it's waving. A pure and joyful laugh bubbles out of me. "Oh my god, did you see that?"
Lucian, just as captivated, is smooshed up against the glass right next to me, laughing and grinning like a fool.
"Ahem!" We both jump at the sound of the siren clearing her throat. "If you two are quite finished molesting the glass, perhaps you could follow me now."
Well, excuse us for having a moment of joy in this underwater prison. Rude much?
We finally reach a set of enormous double doors, their surface intricately carved with scenes of underwater life. The siren pushes them open, revealing a grand bedroom that seems to have been designed with human comfort in mind.
The room is a stunning blend of dark elegance and aquatic beauty. The walls are a deep, rich blue, reminiscent of the ocean's depths, adorned with intricate patterns that look like the currents themselves carved them. The floor is a polished black stone that seems to shimmer like the scales of a fish, and the ceiling is a masterpiece of swirling blues and greens, like the sea's surface on a stormy day.
The room's centerpiece is a massive bed, a frame made of what looks like driftwood, twisted and gnarled into an intricate headboard. The bedding is a lush, deepgreen, like the color of seaweed, with delicate, shimmering shells that catch the light like tiny stars.
On the other side of the room, there's a vanity table carved from a single piece of black coral. The mirror above it is framed with twisted, dark metal.
But perhaps the most stunning feature is the floor-to-ceiling windows that look out into the depths of the sea.
"You will bathe and dress for dinner. You will be meeting with Her Majesty," the female siren commands. "I will return in one hour to escort you."
It's all so formal, so civilized. This is not what I expected when I imagined meeting the Sea Witch. I had visions of some ancient, decrepit hag with a temper shorter than a sea urchin's spine, living in a lair that reeked of rotting kelp. Not this.
Lucian lets out a low whistle, his eyes bugging out. "Hot damn, this is some next-level bougie shit. So, who's calling dibs on the bath first? Or should we be good little eco-warriors and conserve water by doubling up?" He waggles his eyebrows at me, grinning.
I roll my eyes. "In your dreams, buddy. Ladies first, of course. And by ladies, I mean me, myself, and I."
I sashay into the bathing area, and holy mother of luxury, it's like stepping into a spa designed by Poseidon himself. The room is enormous, with a massive, onyx-colored clawfoot tub that looks carved out of a single, gigantic gemstone. The surface is so smooth and polished that I can practically see my reflection.
One wall is lined with mirrors stretching from floor to ceiling, each framed by eerie bioluminescent flowers. But the real showstopper is the open ceiling, topped with a glass dome that offers a breathtaking view of the open sea above.
