“Oh, go jump in the ocean!” Mina snapped.
She watched in surprise as the smile fell from his face. His eyes took on a hint of golden glow, he climbed the railing, and he jumped in.
“Uh, Mina, you need to tell him to swim out now. You can’t give an order without clear directions.”
“Oh right.” She ran to the rail and saw that he’d sunk beneath the water. She couldn’t see him. He was too far down.
“Swim! Come back to me,” she demanded. A few seconds later, Kino’s head popped above the surface, and he swam back and quickly crawled up the rope ladder.
Mina stepped away from him and had to break eye contact as she worked on releasing him. It took a few deep breaths before his eyes returned to their natural color.
“I could have killed you.”
“Naw, I’m a siren. I can breathe underwater.”
“But what if I told you not to?”
Kino’s brown eyes went wide. “Well, um, yeah. Don’t do that.”
“I won’t.” Mina looked at the sky and saw that the sun was setting. “I probably need to go and wait at our spot in case Nan and Charlie get there.”
“Don’t let her go alone. We’ve been here too long in one spot. She’ll need a guard.” Ternan gave a look to Kino.
“Got it. I’ll grab Reef and Genni.” Kino took off, and a few minutes later returned with two more sirens, plus Nix and Ever. Reef was tall and slender with bright blue eyes and blue highlights and marks. Genni was short with red hair and warm honey-yellow eyes and marks, very catlike in appearance.
Ever and Nix had plenty to say about Mina’s natural look, and, after a few barbs, they quieted their jokes. Their comments didn’t faze her. Still, Mina worked to replace her glamour. It flowed over her easily. As she worked the illusion, so did the others. Genni’s hair and eyes became dull, Reef’s bright blue eyes turned a dark blue, and his highlights faded and disappeared. Their clothes shifted into casual shorts and plain shirts.
Mina led the way off the docks and down to the pier. It was weird to be flanked by her guard. With the addition of three extra guards, Ever and Nix seemed to be even more on edge. Ever was making sure she stayed on Mina’s right to prove that she was serious in her duties as Godmother.
Mina slowed when they got to the meeting spot and stayed back, hanging out of the way as she watched the people coming and going. She had to tell Kino, Reef, and Genni to relax, because their serious facial expressions were too noticeable.
Kino relayed the plight of the animals in the aquarium, and Reef and Genni were appropriately appalled. Mina caught them whispering to each other and shooting looks in the direction of the aquarium. They were plotting something, but she didn’t know what. Every part of her wanted to walk over and confront them, but now wasn’t the time. Too many people were watching them.
“It could just be their natural good looks that shine through despite their glamour. Something about them still has that otherworldly feel,” Ever whispered.
Even getting there early, Mina had them wait for an hour and a half. “I guess they aren’t here yet. We’ll come back tomorrow morning. I can’t stay here any longer and draw more attention, or Teague will find me.”
As they were walking back, the sun was finally setting, and Nix stopped to stare at the water. Ever noticed and asked him what was wrong.
“I don’t know. I just feel unsettled.”
“What do you mean?” Mina asked.
“Well, when I was a nixie, I could always tell when other water beings were around. It’s sort of like that but different. I think it’s that I’m on the human plane, and it feels different.” He stopped and looked out across the water to stare at a stone building on an island. “I’m sure it’s nothing, but that place is really giving me the heebie-jeebies.”
Mina followed his gaze and realized he was pointing to the famous prison turned landmark.
Alcatraz.
Chapter 29
“Alcatraz.” Mina pondered the word and eyed the prison again. It was surrounded by water. It would be the perfect hiding place for a sea witch. Especially one bold enough to change her name to an anagram of Alcatraz. It was her calling card. Anyone clever enough could find her.
Taz Clara resided on Alcatraz.
This time, it was Mina who stopped moving along the pier. Ever had to grab her arm and pull her along. Could it be? What were the chances that destiny would bring her to the doorstep of the very banished sprite? She couldn’t let the opportunity pass her by, though she doubted that Winona or Ternan would let her go. They wouldn’t risk losing her, so how else would she make it there if not on her own?
Back on the ship, the island wouldn’t leave her mind. No matter what she did, she found her eyes straying to the water. When it was time to sleep, she continued to lie there with her eyes open, staring at the wall and the swaying hammocks.
She judged it to be around two a.m. when she slowly slid out of her hammock and tiptoed above deck. She paused and saw that there were two sirens on guard. Her palms were sweaty. She waited for the tall male siren to walk past and slowly stepped in front of him.
She pushed all of her will on him. “You never saw me. Go about your duty, but you don’t see me.”
She waited, holding her breath. After a moment, his eyes and face relaxed, and he walked past her. She sighed, slipped down the gangplank, and made her way over to the other side of the pier. Her plan was to try and steal a boat to make her way out to the prison, but she saw someone moving through the darkness on the pier. She froze until she recognized the silhouette.
It was Kino.
The way he was slinking made her suspicious, so she followed him. Sure enough, Kino made his way back to the aquarium, and two others joined him in the darkness—Reef and Genni. Kino went to the back door and, with a small inaudible bark, blasted the double doors off of the frames. Alarms rang out, and all three ran inside the building.
Mina rolled her eyes and went charging after them. Kino split off from the other two. Mina followed him as he went through the back storage areas and made it to the front of the exhibits.
“Don’t worry, my friends, I’ll have you free.” Kino opened his mouth and a high pitch came forth making the closest exhibit explode. The saltwater flowed forth, bringing a school of jellyfish toward Mina’s feet. She tried to get out of the way for fear of being stung.
“Kino, stop!” Mina called. “You can’t do this.”
The male siren turned to stare at her. His eyes were filled with pain. “I can’t let them live like this. They need to be free. No one should live as a prisoner. No one.” He whispered the last two words.
“I know this is hard for you. I understand, but this isn’t your world. There are rules to follow. You can’t just come into a place and start blowing it up.” She tried to speak calmly, despite the blaring alarm.
Kino ignored her and moved over to the largest tank. Inside, she could see the sharks swimming in frenzied circles, upset by the sound and the vibration of the last blast. He laid his hands against the glass and placed his forehead against it. “They’re so beautiful.”
“And deadly. Please, step away from the glass. The police are on their way, and if we don’t leave, we’ll be arrested.”