Forever (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale 5)

“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.”

“I’d like to see them try. I’m too strong for them.” He smirked. But when he faced her, his smile fell again. “Can you not hear their cries to be free?”

Mina tried to listen, but her head was pounding. “No, I don’t hear anything.”

“That’s because you’re not trying.”

“I am trying.”

He didn’t seem to believe her and stepped away from the glass. More sharks came, now extremely interested in Kino’s movements. Maybe he could hear them, but she couldn’t let him continue.

Kino turned to the smaller aquariums, and he blasted out the glass. Small turtles and frogs fell to the floor. Mina didn’t think Kino had a strategy, he was too emotional—endangering the creatures more than he was helping them. She was grateful that—at least—he was attacking in bursts, so he wouldn’t bring the whole building down around them.

Mina had made it past the jellyfish and followed him down the hall until he stood inside the giant aquatic tube. He stared up in awe at the thousands of gallons of water surrounding him, confused at what he was walking through.