FULL NOVELXO Chapter Chapter Twenty
While Wallace had broken through the surface with a lot gasp as if he was running short of air, the mermaid was very much silent in comparison. Half of her face was still in the water, only her eyes hovering above the surface as she observed Wallace’s dramatic movements. They were emerald green, the same color as her scales and it reminded Wallace of Paige’s beloved signature color.
The thought of Paige only caused Wallace to frown, his body sinking back beneath the waves dejectedly.
“You came to the lagoon alone,” the mermaid said. Her voice wasn’t perfectly clear. It was masked over by the faint sound of bubbles as they trailed out past her lips as she spoke. “Are you here to have your request granted?”
With the way she spoke, Wallace might’ve even thought that the mermaid already knew what his request would be. Her eyes glittered with intrigue, almost daring Wallace to prove her thoughts right. It seemed like Paige was right. Mermaids most certainly knew everything about the island. There was no best-kept secret that could escape their ears.
“Then you know what I’m about to request?” Wallace asked, swimming a little closer to her without even noticing.
The mermaid only smiled. “There’s nothing I don’t know about Neverland. However, there are so many other things I can tell you. I can even predict your future and tell you if you will live a long life. I can see who you’ll marry, predict what you’ll do in a few decades’ time. I not only know about the things happening now but I also see the things that will happen in the future. Are you sure all you want to know is a simple location?”
As Wallace predicted, the mermaid indeed knew his question before he even asked. She was right. All he wanted to know was a simple location, a simple hiding place.
“Yes.” Wallace nodded grimly. “Tell me where she is.”
The mermaid sighed. Her smile seemed rather disappointed, her forehead wrinkled and eyes soft with an edge of sadness.
“Very well.”
Gesturing to a separate exit to the cave, one that was mostly hidden underwater, she made a beckoning gesture before diving under. Wallace followed suit, dipping his head under the waves only to see the mermaid swimming towards the small gap, twisting her body so that she could pass through swiftly. He followed, his movements awkward compared to her fluid ones but he got through nonetheless.
When he made it to the other side, there was only the large vast ocean that greeted him. The sand was barren of corals and reefs, driftwood and remnants of old shipwrecks tucked under the golden grains. The water was much deeper than Wallace had anticipated, especially since it was connected to the pool of water so close to the Neverland Orphanage, which was situated atop a mountain.
“Where is this place?” Wallace questioned, bubbles floating out from the corner of his mouth.
“We call it the Pirates’ Cove. Nothing grows here. It is the sea of the dead.” Pointing a single finger directly ahead, the mermaid spoke again. “Swim ahead. There’s a small barren island north from here. On it is a cave filled with treasures. That’s where Paige is.”
“Pirates?” Wallace echoed, flabbergasted. “Is she captured? Is she in danger? Why would she be in the treasure trove of pirates?”
Ignoring his question, the mermaid turned back towards the cave. Right before she ducked back under, she shortly glanced back with a grim, taut smile.
“That is something for me to know and for you to find out. Remember, Wallace. Only one question and you’ve used it to find her.” Receding further back into the cave, only the mermaid’s head was visible now. “Beware, Wallace. There are far more dangerous things than pirates in Neverland.”
With her ominous warning still hanging over Wallace’s head, she ducked back in and disappeared, leaving a trail of bubbles in her wake. Wallace gulped, clenching his jaw before turning back to face the direction the mermaid had pointed at. All the while, all he could hear was the wild thud of his chest, echoing madly in his ear.