Witch Song (Witch Song #1)

Chapter 13

13. UNBINDING

 Shivering, Senna drew her shawl closer as she stared at the rain pounding her window. She made out Pogg's warped shape slogging through the soggy grounds. Putting her book down, she rubbed her tired eyes. Two months had come and gone since she'd sent Joshen away.

Pogg dropped his catches at Senna's feet before stomping up the stairs. She watched him go and shared a look of concern with Bruke. Though she had only been on the island a few months, she had learned Pogg's volatile moods were often associated with the sea's turmoil. As Bruke tore into another chewy starfish, she lifted her long green, velvet-like dress that she thought might be a Witch uniform and eased up the stairs. At Pogg's room, she leaned against the door frame. "What's Espen done now?"

A shrill trilling erupted from Pogg's mouth. Senna forced herself not to flinch. She hated when Pogg did that. It grated her ears and frayed her already tattered nerves. It ended abruptly and she found herself unwilling to breach the silence for fear of triggering his keening again.

To pass the time, she counted the number of times Pogg rocked back and forth. She'd reached thirty-eight before he spoke, "Pogg not wants to scares Brusenna. Pogg angry becauses Dark Witch hurts sea." He clicked his tongue. "Meddler! Meddler! Meddler! Changes things not to be changed! Ocean rivers not flowings in right places. Sea turtles not reaches beach for eggs. Baby turtles dies! Warm water turns cold; cold water turns warm! Meddler!"

Senna shook her head. "How do you know all this?"

"Turtles tells me."

She straightened up. "Turtles?"

"Yes. Yes. And whales says warm water too colds for babies, cold water too warms for food."

Senna felt an epiphany creeping along on the edges of her mind. "You can speak to the other sea creatures?"

"Yes. Yes. Creatures speaks."

"All?"

"Air breathers speak. Not water breathers."

Her heart pounded inside her chest. "Do they know where Espen is? Where she's keeping my mother?"

Pogg's eyes went wild. On all fours, he scampered past her as fast as she'd ever seen him move. Hiking up her skirts, she flew after him. Outside, she didn't even pause to pull her shawl over her hair. Water sheeted down on her head and slogged up from the ground as she ran.

The wet made everything cling to her—clothes, hair, shoes. Within minutes, she was as drenched as if she'd dunked herself in the ocean. Thinking it some kind of game, Bruke raced ahead and then waited for the two of them to catch up before taking off again. Senna reached the cave in time to see the ripples from Pogg's plunge in the water. She paced at the edge of the pool. Waiting. Waiting.

If Pogg was right, the sea creatures might know where Espen was. Maybe she could sneak up on the Dark Witch and immobilize her before she could retaliate. Water dripped from her hair and rolled down her face. She brushed it away in annoyance. Wringing out her shawl, she draped it back over her shoulders and wished she'd worn something warmer and more watertight. Finally, she resorted to practicing her songs.

Bruke had long ago given up any hope of fun. He curled up at the edge of the cave, only an occasional whine escaping him as he dreamed. Senna's stomach growled as the light began to fade. Still, she couldn't bring herself to leave the pool.

Pogg appeared suddenly, triumph on his face. "Whales says evil songs comes from land of red flags."

Senna closed her eyes as a flame of hope flickered, warming her. But it didn't last long. The men of Tarten bore red flags. The color of blood. The color of the conqueror. They were no friend to her country—hadn't been since they failed to conquer Nefalie decades ago. Hiding among them was brilliant.