Chapter 36

ELSA

“Go away!” Elsa screamed at the merfolk. “I hate you! Go away, you bastards!”

Their eerily human laughter continued.

“Leave me alone!”

“LEAVE ME ALONE.”

Elsa stiffened. That had been her voice. It was dissonant and reverberating—almost electronically tinged—yet it had clearly been her voice. Only it hadn’t come from her.

It came from the two merfolk.

It’s the carbon dioxide, she thought. The buildup is making me hallucinate. Merfolk can’t speak, you goose.

The merfolk were still there, in the pool, their glowing blue heads visible in the dark.

They were silent.

See! It’s all in my head. Thank God.

Thank God? Carbon dioxide poisoning isn’t anything to thank God for, El. Sooner or later it’s going to lead to unconsciousness and then death.

Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing. It would be peaceful. I’ll simply…fade away. That’s certainly a better death than drowning, or worse, being eaten alive…

So is that it? Is that your decision? You’re giving up? Whatever happened to not going gentle into the good night? To raging against the dying of the light? You’re not a quitter. You’ve never been one. Yet now you’re simply going to throw in the towel?

No. No, I’m not. Of course I’m not. I’m going to get into that water. And when the merfolk come for me, I’m going to fight tooth and nail, and I’m going to take at least one of the ghastly things to the grave with me.

Then do it, now. No more putting it off.

I can’t leave Marty…

He’s not waking up! He’s as good as dead already! Stop making excuses!

Elsa clicked on her light and zigzagged it across the still pool. The merfolk had disappeared below the surface.

Or were they ever there? Had she imagined them just as she’d imagined the voice?

She aimed the light at the rock next to Marty’s head, indirectly illuminating his face.

“I need to go,” she told him. “I’ll bring back help. I won’t be long. You’ll be okay—”

He moaned.

“Marty!”

His brow furrowed and his eyes moved beneath his eyelids a moment before he opened them. His pupils were dilated, and he seemed confused. He pushed himself onto his elbows. Blinking, he frowned at his wetsuit. He finally noticed her. “What…?” He cleared his throat. “Are we…?”

“We’re in the lava tubes beneath Demon Island,” she explained quickly. It felt as though a year had passed since she’d spoken to him last. “Do you remember what happened?”

Grimacing, he raised a hand to the back of his head.