“Just a short distance, and we should be through the portal.” Warden suddenly grins at me. “After all, if it was that easy, everyone would escape the Underhill.”
“I don’t think it wants us to escape.” I glance back at the shore where I’m sure, for a second, I see the outlines of multiple figures ranged around a much larger one, looking out to sea, before a wave of rain and cloud means I can’t see the shore at all.
“Then it hasn’t learnt the lesson from last time,” Warden growls.
HAZEL
Before I can reply to Warden, a huge wave washes us into the cave. I’m heading to the cave walls far too fast no matter how hard I kick out.
I am going to hit it, and Warden is nowhere to be seen. I do my best to slow my progress, but it’s no good.
I brace for impact.
Only none comes.
Instead there’s something tugging at my leg, pulling me under the water. I flail my arms but it’s no good. I can’t stay on the surface. I take one huge gulp of breath before I’m dragged into the depths.
My eyes sting, the water around me a haze, filled with bubbles from my thrashing. I think there is a shadow, a flash of light, of iridescence, of dark green skin. I kick hard at what’s holding me, twisting in the grip of whatever has my foot, and it gives way, releasing me to claw my way to the surface, where I gasp at the air.
At least until something grabs me from behind, one huge arm over my shoulder and across my chest. I shake the water outof my eyes, and it’s then I see Warden, stood in the surf of a beautiful white sand beach.
“Let her go, Shellycoat,” Warden snarls.
“This little creature is your mate, Brag.” The words sound as if they’ve been dredged up from the depths of the sea. “I saw you. Your treasure is my treasure now.”
Warden starts into the water but something dark and scaly rolls in front of him, spear-like spines breaking the surface.
“You will give her back, Beal. She does not belong to you or the sea.”
A harsh laugh. “Everything in the sea belongs to the Shellycoat,” Beal says. “Especially stray females.”
“I am not a stray female,” I growl, ducking out of his grip and swimming backwards away from him. “I don’t belong to anyone.”
The Shellycoat has coal-black hair which, despite being in the water, is sticking up, almost like two ears, or possibly fins. He smiles at me, with shark-sharp teeth, and it’s a smile I don’t think I ever want to see again.
A cape, or at least I think it’s a cape, of shells dangles from his shoulders, floating away in the water like jellyfish tentacles.
“You don’t want to make more of an enemy than you already have,” Warden says, tramping further into the surf, swinging his head and his horns.
As he speaks, the storm which I thought we might have left behind releases a sky-shattering spear of lightning.
Beneath me, something hard hits my behind. I open my mouth, water gets in, and I’m left spluttering and coughing as I’m lifted further and further into the air. Warden roars my name as I look down and see the distance between me and the sea. The tentacle, or is it a tail, under me belongs to Beal, and before I can do anything, it flicks me even higher before I tumble towards Warden, hoping I hit the water and not the sand.
At the last minute, I close my eyes. Perhaps I should accept my fate, perhaps I shouldn’t, but for this one moment, all I’m thinking is how much this is going to hurt.
My head hits first, stars bursting behind my eyes as I cry out with pain. For a moment there is water and there is sky, then, finally, there is a pair of strong arms and the scent of leather.
Warden.
‘Fyr-bæth - Here-Wulf - Wuldres Thegn - Gast-Bona - Sund-Hengest’
“What is that?” I ask as the strange words are carried away on the wind.
“It is nothing.” Warden glares at the sea.
I look for my assailant, the Shellycoat, but save for something which could be the flick of a forked tail or a fleck of foam on the churning sea, there is no sign.
“The Shellycoat will not bother us again,” he says, turning and trotting out of the water before placing me on my feet.
