ELEMENTS: Acquiesce by Kathryn Andrews (snow like ashes series .TXT) 📕

“Out the way girl!” shouted Mr Kelly.

“Stop it!” cried Keeva. “You’re drunk!”

Mr Kelly struck Keeva across the face with the back of his hand. She gasped and cradled her face. Breck pushed her out of the way and Mr Kelly lurched towards him, brandishing the poker.

“No!” cried Keeva. “The gems aren’t in the ground!”

The men looked at her, stunned.

“Oh?” said Mr Kelly, turning his attention to Keeva. “If they’re not in the ground, where are they?”

Keeva trembled as tears fell from her eyes.

“Keeva, we’re about to lose everything!” exclaimed Mr Kelly. “We’re drowning in debt! Unless you want to go to the workhouse, you’d better tell me where they are!”

Keeva looked at Breck who subtly shook his head.

“Tell him,” said Connal.

Keeva’s chin wobbled as she spoke, “There are mermaids in Kilfearagh. The gems are from the mermaids.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” shouted Mr Kelly. “What nonsense has your mother been fillin’ your head with now?!”

“It’s true!” cried Keeva.

“Keeva, stop it,” said Connal, placing his hands on her arms.

“It’s the truth! Ask him!” Keeva glared at Breck and pulled her arms free of Connal.

“I don’t know what she’s talking about.”

“Liar!” shouted Keeva. “He’s in love with a mermaid named Cordelia. I’ve seen them with my own eyes, out on the reef. You wonder why he doesn’t bring any money home? It’s because he spends all his time with her.”

A drunken Mr Kelly took a few moments to process the information before speaking again. “Mermaid or not, you’re telling me you’ve seen a girl at the reef and she has the gems?”

Keeva nodded.

“Then what are we doin’ here? Get the torches lads, and rope. If Keeva’s right we’ll make a fortune if we catch her.”

While his cousins gathered hunting gear and Mr Kelly closed the tavern, Breck wasted no time in escaping through the back door and jumping on Misty’s back.

Misty galloped down the street so fast that people jumped out of the way. With her hooves barely touching the ground, Misty raced along the sea front towards the reef. Adrenalin pulsed through Breck’s veins as he hurried to warn Keeva of the imminent danger she was in, but when he arrived at the reef, she was not there. The fog had lifted and there was no sign of the mermaids as far as the eye could see. Breck continued riding across the cliff top in the direction that Cordelia always walked when they parted.

While Breck continued his search, Cordelia was anxiously waiting for her friends at the cove. It was almost dusk and the light was fading fast.

“This isn’t going to be easy,” said Lana, arriving at the cove with the twins.

“I know,” said Cordelia, unbuttoning her shirt.

In the half-light the mermaids swam silently along the coast, gliding through the sapphire sea. Cordelia’s friends were so preoccupied with their mission they hadn’t noticed the colour of her tail. Eventually they arrived unscathed at the base of Slate Island where heaps of dead men’s bones were lying all around, their souls forever lost in the waves.

“This must be the home of a monster,” whispered Nerissa, turning to the others with a terrified look in her eyes.

“They’re Sirens,” said Masika, “what d’you expect?”

“Shhh!” said Lana.

They could hear the ravens whispering in the wind but at the setting of the sun, the island became mysteriously quiet, just as Nerissa had said. The silence was strangely unnerving. In the moonlight, Lana and Cordelia swam around the island and out to sea to get a better view. They could see the hole in the side of the cliff, just as Cordelia had seen in the mirror pool.

“That must be where Flynn is,” whispered Cordelia.

It took every ounce of self-control for Cordelia to stop herself from calling out. They swam back to Masika and Nerissa.

“What did you see?” asked Nerissa.

“We think we know where Flynn is,” said Cordelia. “There’s a hole at the top of the cliff round the far side.”

“If we’re careful we can climb up the slope over there,” said Lana.

“Listen,” whispered Masika.

The Sirens were singing, their haunting voices sent shivers through Cordelia’s body.

“Something’s not right,” said Lana.

The mermaids retreated as far back into the base of the rock as they could while the Sirens loomed overhead. Waterfalls poured over their heads as the sea swell slopped into the crevices of the rocks and spewed back out again.

On the mainland, Breck had reached the lighthouse. All was quiet except for the dozen white horses feeding on the luscious green grass that blanketed the cliff top. A small fire burned by the horse shed where Rafe and Max were spreading new hay and he made his way over.

“Can we help you?” asked Rafe.

“Is Cordelia here?”

Rafe raised an inquisitive eyebrow and puffed out his chest. “Who’s asking?”

“A friend.” Breck glanced over his shoulder to see torch lights near the reef. “We don’t have much time.”

“You’re intruding,” said Max.

“Listen,” said Breck, “they know about Cordelia, they know what she is.”

Rafe squared up to Breck.

“They’re hunting for her,” said Breck, the nerves evident in his voice.

“You’ve lost me,” said Rafe.

“I know what you are,” said Breck, “I know what all of you are.”

Rafe and Max stood uneasy, their eyes filled with rage like wild dogs ready to attack.

“I knew she was trouble,” sniped Max.

“I’m different too,” said Breck, his mind fraught with worry.

Breck opened his clenched hand to reveal waves of bright blue electricity dancing through his fingers.

“He’s an energy carrier,” said Max.

Breck closed his fist and the blue glow disappeared.

“Who are they?” asked Rafe.

“I’m ashamed to admit I’m related to them,” revealed Breck. “My drunk uncle and his delightful offspring.”

“And you told them about us?” asked Max.

“No, not me. They don’t know about you. Will you help or not?”

“What do you need help with, Breck?” asked Mr Kelly through gritted teeth.

Breck lowered his head and squeezed his eyes tight. “You found me then.”

“Wouldn’t take a genius,” said Connal. “Misty’s fresh hoof prints led us straight to you.”

“I see you’ve got some fine horses of your own,”