The Misadventures of Annika Brisby (36 page)

sirens

Land was finally in sight, if it could be called that. Menacing, jagged rocks poked out of the water that threw itself in suicidal torrents against them. Wrecked ships lie stranded in the shallow waters further ahead, victims of the perilous sea. Talvi was sitting alone at the platform on the end of the deck, watching the approaching black rocks astutely. Annika looked down into the water, which had transformed from a deep dark abyss to an entrancing shade of greenish-blue. She stared at the water, hearing it call to her again. It was stronger than the other night when she’d woken up to its call. It was singing a low tune over the water, so enchanting that she wanted to dunk her head underneath the surface and listen closer.

“Do you hear that?” she asked Talvi, but he was ignoring her. She rolled her eyes a little and walked next to Nikola, where he was hearing it too. His eyes were closed and his head tilted from side to side, letting the sweet notes caress his ears. He looked to be in ecstasy.

“It’s calling us again. You can hear it louder than before, can’t you?” he trembled. Unlike his typical state of being, this time his voice was laden with emotion.

“Where’s it coming from?”
she asked.

“It’s in the water. Look,” sighed Hilda, who’d appeared by her side. Annika looked down and was startled to see a group of faces underneath the surface of the clear aqua water. The most beautiful women were singing under the waves, with teal and turquoise hair billowing out around them. Their skin glittered in what had to be the smallest scales, and fins replaced what might have been their outer ears. Their bodies moved in slow motion, twisting and turning with beguiling movements. They held out their finned arms towards Annika, Hilda, and Nikola, beckoning to them as they sang their eerie, yet captivating song. It washed over Annika’s ears as though the very notes were making love to her eardrums, falling in cascading echoes that mesmerized her to the point that she couldn’t move. She couldn’t look away from the faces, or turn her head away from the song.

“Cover your ears!” Captain Kovachev yelled in the background. “Get below deck!” But the three of them didn’t budge even though the undead sailors rushed frantically about the deck, trying to steer the ship between the rocks and shipwrecks on either side of them. The eerie melodies were in everyone’s head.

“Nikola, get below deck!” Finn yelled as he grabbed Annika and Hilda firmly around their waists. He managed to drag them away from the edge of the ship even though they struggled to escape from his strong arms. Justinian and Sariel were close at his heels along with Zaven, who was carrying Runa over his shoulder while she fought a glimpse at the source of the enchanting music. Annika tried to look in the direction of the seductive song, but Finn was forcing them down the stairs and into the kitchen where Yuri and the others were waiting for them. Konstantin and Justinian stood with their backs to the door, blocking the others from trying to escape. Zaven held Runa tightly as she squirmed, afraid to let her go. Finn’s eyes darted around quickly, counting the heads.

“Where’s Talvi? And Nikola?” he asked nervously. He ran to the door but Justinian and Konstantin wouldn’t let him pass.

“It is too dangerous out there. You know this, Finn.”

“Konstantin, you
have
to let me out! They’ve gone after the sirens! They’ll drown themselves trying to swim after them!” Finn yelled. The vampire didn’t budge. Finn grabbed a handful of his curls in each fist and screamed in frustration, before clawing at the door like a madman. It made Annika nervous to see Finn so hysterical; it was so unlike him, but the siren song was so alluring, so enticing that she only wandered over to the tiny porthole, looking for a way to open it. Even Konstantin was having a difficult time remaining composed as Finn fought against him, but luckily the door had been locked from the other side by Kovachev’s crew. The sailors were shouting and dashing around overhead as Silef shouted instructions. It sounded like someone had gone overboard. Yuri and Runa started to cry and there was a distinct feeling of dread in Annika’s stomach as she stood on her toes to look out the small window. She would have crawled out of it, if it hadn’t been impossible to open.

An eternity seemed to pass as they crept nearer to the land and out of the range of the infatuating song. Silef opened the door and everyone ran out; Finn and Yuri frantic to find their brother, and Justinian equally as desperate to locate his own. They were relieved to see the two young men safe on deck, sitting near the main mast in a large puddle. Talvi looked sullen as ever, with his wet hair clinging to his face. Nikola wore almost the same expression. Justinian knelt down in front of both of them.

“What happened, lads? Couldn’t resist those aquatic charms, could you?” he teased. Nikola buried his face in his arms in shame.

“
He
couldn’t,” said Talvi contemptuously, shifting in his wet clothes.

“The daft fool dove right in,” one of the wraiths called out.

“He’s lucky to have such a good friend looking out for him,” another added as he knotted a thick rope.

“No, he’s just lucky,” Talvi muttered bitterly. For saving someone’s life, he didn’t look pleased with himself at all. He stood up with his natural feline grace and took off his shirt, twisting the water out of it before disappearing down the steps to change.

“Nik, are you okay?” his brother asked. But Nikola wasn’t okay. He was mad at himself for succumbing to the sirens. And even worse, he couldn’t believe that the person whom he disliked the most had been the one to save him from drowning.

“Leave me alone, Justinian,” he grumbled with his face still hidden. “Just go away.”

Mesoyadna Bloodwoods

The ship had finally docked at its port and was purged of all its contents, from beautiful carpets to the extra passengers. The animals were antsy from being cooped up for so long that the men and Yuri took them to the edge of the merchant village while Sariel said her goodbyes to Captain Kovachev. Just as she was turning to leave, he removed his pirate hat and took something from inside the lining.

“When you are ready to return to the other side of the sea, just send this my way and I’ll come for you and your friends.” He handed her an ancient scrap of fabric, and she began to cry.

“You’ve held onto this all along?” she asked, her eyes glistening. He nodded sympathetically.

“I kept it to remind me of your bravery. Every time I find myself doubting a battle between Forneus or a crew of despicable pirates, I remember how you and I fought side by side that day.”

“But you should keep it,” she reasoned, wiping her nose. “I can send you another piece of my skirt.” Silef shook his head.

“It’s a powerful charm now; I’ve put so much positive energy into it. And with all the luck that it has brought me, I think you might need it more than I do,” he told her. Sariel embraced his wraith-like form before letting him return to his ship.

“Those Pazachi better watch out,” he laughed. “I’ve seen what you’re capable of.”

Annika and the samodivi quickly joined up with the rest of their group, who were all waiting near the edge of a forest. Aside from the fact that there were no houses anywhere near the woods, nothing about it seemed menacing to her.

“Well, it’s now or never,” Zaven sighed reluctantly. He appeared to working up his courage. “The Mesoyadna Forest awaits.”

“Make sure to keep moving at all times,” Finn instructed everyone. “This may sound incredibly simple, but take care not to stand still for more than a few seconds. Just keep a slow and steady pace, and watch where you and your horses step. We mustn’t become snared.” They disappeared into the tree line and soon the sound of the waves was gone, replaced by an eerie calm. They couldn’t move faster than a walk because the trees were so thick with overgrowth. Annika didn’t see what all the fuss was about. It did feel kind of creepy, and there was a faint stink of a dead animal somewhere, but it seemed to come from all directions. Some of the trees looked deformed, with bulbous trunks and twisted branches that hung down so low they had to dismount the horses and lead them through the obstacle course. Even the roots were coming out of the ground in some places, forming loops that tempted the most nimble of feet to get caught in them. Annika quickly saw that Finn’s simple instructions were going to be much more difficult to carry out.

Nikola was whistling a cheerful tune behind them as they marched along, while Talvi and Zaven walked in front of the group. After a couple hours of walking, Annika saw something white lying among the roots. When she walked closer to it, she saw it was the skeleton of a deer.

“Uh, hey, Finn,” she asked. “What’s wrong with this forest? Doesn’t Mesoyadna mean ‘flesh-eating’?”

“Yes, it does. Did I not thoroughly explain the reason why you can’t stop walking?”

“No. Will the trees eat me or something?”

“In a manner of sorts. They’re bloodwoods. But they don’t specifically eat flesh. They tap into the veins of warm-blooded animals with their roots and acquire their sustenance that way. The tendons and bones and organs are left behind to decay and remineralize the soil for when the saplings—”

“
Seriously
?” Annika stopped and looked at him, but he immediately grabbed her hand and jerked her forward.

“Yes,
seriously
!” he warned with a severe look. “It’s imperative that you keep moving. If you stand still for even a moment too long, the roots of the bloodwood trees will come searching for you. It’s a good thing we’re all rested up from the voyage, because we can’t stop to make a camp here. If we’re lucky it will only take us a day or so to get through.”

“A whole day?” she exclaimed in shock. “What if I have to pee?” Suddenly there was a snap and then a horrible noise of an animal in pain. Everyone turned around to see Yuri’s grey mare, which had fallen on the ground. The mare had gotten her hoof caught in one of the twisted roots and jumped in fright, which broke her leg. Yuri screamed and went to free her, but it was flailing about too violently for her to safely get close.

“Yuri, come away from there!” Finn yelled at his sister. “Stay calm! Keep walking!” he urged the others.

Sariel bounded over to where Yuri was struggling with the animal, and with a swift motion of her arms she sliced the mare’s neck, silencing her trumpeting cries. Yuri started screaming as Sariel tried to pull her away from her horse.

“You killed her! You killed her! Why did you kill my horse? I could have mended the leg,” she bawled.

“She was already dead, and you will be too if you don’t move!” Sariel shouted right back at her. But it was too late. The roots that had ensnared the mare were already rising out of the ground and working their way into the gaping wound in the mare’s neck. More of the roots had coiled around Yuri’s leg, steadily wrapping themselves up her ankle, then her calf, until they were almost at her knee. Sariel was desperately hacking at the roots, but found herself caught in them as well. Annika looked down and lifted her foot as a root had just barely curled around it. It wasn’t so strong that she couldn’t break it, but she leapt away quickly as it came after her. She saw little roots popping up all around the forest floor, and Zaven lifted Runa onto his back as he kept walking ahead beside his horse, not turning around. Finn looked to be in agony, pacing back and forth in uncertainty.

“Keep moving,” Konstantin growled. “I will take care of them, but you must keep walking forward!” He reached into his long coat and withdrew a curved sword, then walked briskly to where the girls were struggling. Annika was horrified, for now the roots had moved into the mare so deeply that it looked like a giant rust-colored snake was sliding into the gory flesh. Yuri screamed again as the smaller roots began to burrow under her jacket and into her flesh, attracted to the unhealed vampire bites that covered her body.

Konstantin’s sword whipped through the air and came down quickly, making a disgusting squish upon contact. With each blow to the roots, a spray of blood hit them. They writhed and shrank away, but twice as many replaced them. He diligently hacked at the roots until he had cut the girls free, but it was hopeless. As soon as he freed Yuri, Sariel had been ensnared. The moment he freed Sariel, Yuri was caught again. Annika watched in horror; she could barely see the little mare anymore. It had been encased by a cage of heavy roots absorbing her blood. She started to walk forward and fell to the ground. The roots had her by the ankle, and they were quickly wrapping around both of her legs. Talvi rushed over, cutting with his knife, and suddenly everything went ice cold.

She turned her head to the side and saw Nikola’s hands in the air. A white fog was coming out of them, swirling all around them. Her leg felt very cold as Talvi pulled on the vines, snapping them easily now that they were frozen stiff. The screaming had stopped and the roots had almost completely stopped moving too. As soon as the last vine had been severed, Talvi walked away from her. She looked up and saw why the bloodwoods had ceased their attack. The entire forest looked as though it were made of glass. The branches creaked with the weight of ice, creating a stillness around everyone. Konstantin had lifted Yuri’s shirt and was pulling out the few small roots that had found their way into her skin. Annika walked over to Nikola, where he’d fallen to his knees on the ground.

“What happened? Did you do this?”

“Yes, but it won’t last more than a few hours,” he sighed, rubbing his temple as if he had a migraine. “We best take advantage of it while we can, given that it’s still early in the day. We have far to go before we’re safe from the trees.”

They pressed on through the crystalline woods, and she found herself leading her horse closer to Talvi.

“Hey,” she said. He quickened his pace.

“Hey, Talvi,” she repeated. He looked sideways at her, still walking fast. Ever since their fight, he had worn the same expression. Sullen and almost cruel.

“I just wanted to say thank you for saving me back there.”

Even if they weren’t lovers anymore, and even though they had said horrible things to each other, she didn’t see why they had to despise each other. He clearly cared enough to save Nikola from drowning, and to save her from the bloodwood’s roots. He slowly turned his face towards her, but his reply wasn’t what she was expecting.

“You’re thanking the wrong person.”