Witch Song (Witch Song #1)

Chapter 16

16. TASTE OF BLOOD

 The turtle kept its word. Sea creatures flocked to Senna. She hovered in the water, listening to their tales. Dolphins, seals, porpoises, whales. Mammals seemed to have an affinity for her ... more tolerance, or perhaps they were more intelligent than fish.

 She'd heard nothing of land or other ships for days, so she was surprised when they mentioned another ship coming behind the Sea Witch. She hadn't been in the water long, so she decided to work her way in that direction. She moved at top speed, breaking the surface of the water as she plunged forward.

Joshen called after her, asking where she was going. But it wasn't like she could answer him anyway. She caught sight of the ship turning to follow her a moment before the fog swallowed it.

She hurried, not wanting to turn back to a human in the frigid waters. When she surfaced for breath, the fog was so thick she wanted to reach out and pull the film from the air. The sound of crashing waves startled her. She turned. A great hulking shape loomed out of the fog. It was coming straight at her.

Her heart pumping, she dove. The bow barely missed her. With groans and creaks, the ship passed overhead. She surfaced at the ship's side.

"Cap'n! Look, a seal!"

An unfamiliar man peered down at her. "Are we close to land?"

"No, sir. None we know of."

The ship was big, though not as large as Parknel's—but that only meant it moved faster. In gold, the words Gallant Green stood out against black and green paint. The cannon ports caught her eye, as did the heavy sails. It must have tacked onto the wind Senna had sung into existence.

The Captain pressed his lips together. "Hmm. Well, one doesn't usually see them this far out, but it isn't unheard of. Still, double the watch. I'd hate to smash against an uncharted island." Senna took a deep breath and allowed her nose flaps to close, convinced there was nothing more for her to learn.

But then a familiar voice growled, "I hate seals."

She jerked back just in time to see Wardof level a musket. She dove, her tail pumping madly. Searing pain ripped through her flipper. Less than a heartbeat later, she heard the gun's rapport. It was all she could do to keep her nose flaps closed as her whole body convulsed. With a whimper, she studied her injury. Dark blood gushed from the wound. She could taste it in the water.

Her seal senses screamed danger, overriding her ability to suppress them. Senna swam fast for the safety of her ship. But the harder she pushed herself, the more blood she lost. She grew weaker and worse, the water started to feel cold. She broke the surface and took deep, gulping breaths. Some instinct warned she needed to dive deep. But did she have time before she changed back into a human?

The instinct grew stronger, demanding she dive. Frantically, she searched for the ship, but it was nowhere in sight. She finally gave in, wasting precious moments as she worked her way deeper and deeper. It was so dark she had to rely on her keen sense of smell as she skimmed the bottom of the ocean. Then she saw why her instinct had commanded her to dive. A shark. Weaving back and forth above her as it searched for the source of the blood. Her blood. Lipless, its teeth—made for gripping and tearing—were constantly bared. Her natural enemy.

Senna put on a burst of speed she didn't know she had left. Somehow, she was safe below the shark. But she couldn't stay here much longer. And even as a seal, she couldn't hold her breath forever. Already, she could feel her skin tingling. She'd begin changing in moments.

If she stayed any longer, she'd die. Surging forward, she pushed for every ounce of speed she had. Her skin shivered. From the corner of her eye, she saw the shark dart at her. Her flippers turned into hands. She prayed to the Creators her tail would stay a few moments more.