A/N Photo above of the siren's cave. 
Happy Reading!
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One hundred and five seconds and counting . . . Emery still couldn't get her body to move. The fear rooted her to the earth. The grass felt like it wrapped around her ankles, creeping up her body with paralyzing strength. 

Nothing could make her move toward that cave. Its darkness seemed like an invitation from death itself. There was no logical reason to go in, except . . .

The image of a fiery redhead popped into her head, his freckled cheeks and dimpled grin warming the chilling fear in her veins. 

If she didn't get that amulet, she'd be placing him in danger. 

Seth's memory tore apart the hold the ground had on her, and she was able to move again. Her body still trembled, but she'd gathered enough control over the shaking limbs to stand up. Kiate dipped its beak under her arm, helping her regain balance. 

Emery stroked the griffin's feathers. "Thanks, Kiate," she whispered, trying to put the griffin at ease, even though she felt weak in the knees with terror. 

A light breeze blew around Emery, wrapping her in the smell of lilies. The air pulled at her clothing, blowing the fabric in the direction of the cave.

It wanted her to go in.

"Wait here," Emery told the griffin. Though she'd barely gathered up the courage to go inside, she took it one step at a time. One foot in front of the other . . . Step, step, step, and then . . . water . . .

The edge of the pool stood an inch away. Its blue had lost its attractiveness; now it only resembled a watery grave where warped monsters dragged you inside.

Emery gulped nervously, eyeing the platform just a foot away from her. Just a small hop and she'd be closer to the amulet—closer to leaving this place too.

Her foot tested the stone, poking it with the tip of her sandal. It seemed entirely stable, grounded to the bottom of the seemingly-endless pit.

With one big, shaky breath, she hopped lightly over the water. Both feet landed on the gray stone, making her shoulders ease up the tiniest bit. Emery kept her chin high, her gaze focused on the cave entrance. She only briefly glanced down before stepping onto the next platform, and the next, and the next one after that. 

When she was halfway through, the ground started to move again. 

Emery kept a solid stance, taking deep—yet, inevitably quick—breaths as she peered over her shoulder. The first platform sunk under the water; the second one quickly followed. One by one, they were drowning her way back, and soon enough, they'd drown her. 

Emery started forwards once more, her feet flying from platform to platform without caution. The sinking picked up its pace, catching up to Emery as she neared the cave entrance. 

The last platform sunk just as Emery stepped on it. A blood-curling scream erupted from her throat as she splashed into the water. In between the tumultuous rush of the waterfall and the earth tremor, she barely recalled how to swim. Her hand grasped the solid rock in front of the entrance and attempted to heave herself up. The crashing water obstructed her view forward, but by feeling alone she managed to find a sunken crevice in the rock, where both her hands had better grip. 

Something like silk caressed her ankle. The violin softly resumed its music, sending Emery into a panicked state. Her hands gripped the rock so roughly she was afraid her fingernails were going to pop out of their nailbeds. Her muscles tensed as she pulled herself up. As soon as the flat, solid ground came into view, she shifted all her weight to one side of her body and swung her arm up. Her skin slapped against the rock, stinging and prickling all throughout her arm. 

The silk-like thing swam past her again. Her fear sent a rush of energy through her and she managed to drag herself up and away from the water. Only when she'd crawled well-away from it did she stop and cough up the nauseating bile that had accumulated in the pit of her stomach. 

The violin faded, accompanied by a deep, joyous laugh. Emery wiped away any remnants of vomit before she glanced back. Her way back to Kiate was gone. She could only go deeper into the cave now. 

After making sure nothing had fallen out her soaking-wet satchel, Emery began to journey into the dark. Her steps were careful and calculated, her hand always stuck to the wall on the right for support. The floor was wet and covered in a thin sheet of teal moss. 

It wasn't soon before she reached the part of the cave where the light of day didn't reach. Emery tried snapping her fingers, trying to produce a fire that could help her see. No fire came; only an orphan spark flew out of her hand and flickered out before it reached the slippery rock. 

Emery gazed ahead and noticed the faint glitter of something gold and blue. She walked further in and was relieved to find the moss had begun to glow under a thin stream of water that grew wider the more she walked in. Dainty lilies and daffodil-like flowers shone at the edges of the stream like golden sparkles. 

The tunnel apparently came to an end, when after a slight curve, she found a large opening. Columns and cones of rock stuck out from the ceiling and floor on of the large, cavernous space. Water cascaded out of the walls in sparse streams, all leading up to a big pool in the middle—the pond. 

Emery let out a small gasp when her eyes met the small clump of metal amulets on a small rock pedestal.

The siren's amulet!  They were smack in the middle of the pond, which looked a few feet deep. She'd have to swim . . . 

Emery weighed her chances. Something had obviously led her here. There existed the possibility that the pond was connected to the waterfall outside. The man-like thing she saw under the water could be in this pond. Maybe it wanted to kill her or maybe it was toying with her. 

Or both. 

Either way, there was no exit in sight. She could attempt her chances with the amulet or attempt to swim back to Kiate. Neither was particularly tempting. 

"Decisions, decisions," a deep voice—flowing like the water itself—rang out, bouncing off the stone walls in a chilling echo. Emery brought out her pocket knife in a second, baring its blade. 

"Who are you?"

"Who are you?" it retorted, the voice coming from behind her—or to her right? She couldn't tell. "You're the one in my home, about to steal one of my amulets."

Emery turned and turned, the water splashing at her heels whenever she moved too quickly. She couldn't see it. 

A single drawn-out note resonated around her. "Stop it with the violin," Emery whispered through clenched teeth. 

"Fiddle," it corrected, finally making an appearance from behind a stone column. The man's teal-like skin shimmered in the water's light. Though his complexion shone like fish scales, he apparently had human skin. His hair cascaded over his shoulders like flaxen silk. 

The man's body was entirely bare—the only accessory being the treen fiddle pressed against his neck and its bow held in his fist. 

Emery stared as he pressed his bow against a string, playing out another long note while he bored his golden eyes at her. "Curious. . . ."

"What is?" She kept her grip tight against her small blade. Without her fire, it was her only defense. 

"I can't play your song." He dropped his arms, his tall figure stepping into the water, right across from her. 

She didn't know what that meant, but she was glad he was curious. That meant he wanted answers and, hopefully, that he needed her alive to get them. 

"What's your name?" he asked her, taking a seat on the rocky shore that led up to the amulet pedestal. Emery could feel her cheeks flush as he displayed his naked body without an ounce of shame. 

"Emery."

The strange creature spread out its features into a blinding grin. Without the water's distortion, they no longer looked horrifying, but rather charming and pleasant. However, she knew better than to be misled by his appearance. "E-me-ry," it spelled out, lifting the fiddle under his chin to play a single phrase. He stopped once more, letting out a sigh. "Very curious. . . ."

"What's your name?" Emery asked. 

It stared at her for a few moments, unmoving like a Grecian statue. "Fosse Grim or Fosse if it's easier," it answered, tapping the tip of the fiddle bow against his leg. "What brings Vareus' gatekeeper to my home?" He pointed the bow at her, his eyes directed at her chest. 

The Song hummed when it was acknowledged. Its reaction startled Emery. She'd come to know it only hummed in good situations. This didn't look anything like a "good situation". The Song was going crazy, apparently. 

"I need a siren's amulet," she explained. 

Fosse pushed himself onto his feet, reaching a hand into the pedestal. The metal pieces clinked against each other as he pulled a single amulet out. "Why would you want this? You don't need it."

Theo never explained what it was for. She was entirely at a disadvantage here. Her pocket knife seemed like a toothpick to Fosse. He barely acknowledged its presence or Emery's obvious offense. So, she put it away and straightened up. "What does it do?"

Fosse raised a brow up, his features further expressing his fascination with her. 

"When Izoven asked me to compose the four Songs," he explained, throwing and catching the flat amulet in his hand, "she wished that they only be heard when the gates opened. The only recorded rendition of them is locked away in the boxes and keys of the gatekeepers. And, to the mighty Izoven's pleasure, only magic-born can hear it."

Emery furrowed her brows at his explanation. Though she was absolutely fascinated at this man and what he'd done, she wondered, "What does that have to do with the amulets?" 

He paid no mind to her question. 

"Of course, like all Izovenians, there comes a point where immortality grows stale. They've learned all they could learn. They've loved and lived through enough. Izoven was no different." He stopped to narrow his eyes at Emery. "Well, ease up and sit down. Don't you want to know this? Get comfortable and stop wondering about weaknesses and ways to kill me."

Emery flinched. "How did you—"

"—know?" he finished for her, "I'll get to that later."

Her curiosity for the story outgrew her suspicion of him, so she stepped away from the pond and took a seat on a dry-ish piece of rock. Not that it mattered, she was still sopping wet. 

"So, when Izoven finally—finally—made the decision to leave the realm, I took some . . . 'creative liberties'." He held an amulet up, the pool's light fracturing into glowing streaks upon his features. "Inside each of these is Izoven's symphony—the four songs playing together in perfect, ear-blessing unison. Anyone—human, siren, sorcerer, or otherwise—can listen to it."

"You went against Izoven's wishes?" Emery hated how childish she sounded asking that, but Izoven seemed like a pretty big deal around here. The entire realm was named after the woman. 

Fosse scrunched up his nose in annoyance. "Izoven was not a god. She can't smite me for wanting to share my creation as she did hers." 

The subject seemed to strike a chord, and Emery felt brave enough to push him further. "Some people view her differently."

"Some people are ignorant," he replied, dropping the amulet back in the stack. "Izoven was not a pure, benevolent being, and neither were her children. Vareus is the perfect example of how selfish and power-driven they could prove to be."

The name of the banished king caused Emery's skin to prickle. "What exactly did he do?" she whispered, her throat growing tight with suspense. She'd been wondering what the banished king had done since she first heard his name. 

"The ultimate sin," he replied, his golden eyes glazing over with grief. "Genocide."

The word bounced around the cave with a vengeance, making Emery pale more and more every time the word reached her ears. "Wh—Why would he do that?" 

"Like all old, stubborn rulers . . . change seems like a threat to their authority. When none supported his ideals, he took matters into his own hands." His words were careful and practiced like he'd recited them before. "Greed and power are dangerous. No one should really live forever."

Emery felt light-headed. Her alliance with Theo suddenly weighed on her, feeling like thirty tons of guilt were dropped on her shoulders. Fosse no longer looked dangerous to her, compared to the prince waiting for her on Earth. 

Her leg began to shake with unrelenting terror. She'd obviously not thought anything through. She knew nothing! Absolutely nothing! 

She'd made a deal with the devil. 

Fosse's eyes widened at her actions. His gaze moved from her trembling lip to her shaking fingers before his figure disappeared in a blur of unshed tears. 

Emery could feel her temperature drop, her wet clothes feeling like ice against her skin. She pinched her eyes together and pressed her hands against her booming temples. 

This was way over her head. It seemed to make sense at the time—the deal. It was practical and useful, and he'd agreed! She assumed that the prince came from a dark past, but she never could have imagined that his father had done . . . that. 

A sob escaped her mouth without permission. She'd messed up . . . big time. 

"What is it?" she heard Fosse ask, followed by a loud splash. His figure sounded closer and closer, till she could feel water drip onto her toes. The smell of lilies was overpowering now; she realized it was him, not the water, that smelled like that. There was no need to look to know he was right in front of her. 

She didn't have the strength to kick him or run away. What was the point anyway? "Emery?"

"I need a moment. Don't kill me yet," she sniffled. 

The comment sent Fosse into a loud, boisterous laugh; it was pleasant, despite its overpowering volume. "I have no intention of killing you," his voice sneaked out in between chuckles. 

Well, she supposed he would have already done it if that was the case. "So, why trap me here?" Her hands rubbed against her eyes once before she set them down to gaze at him. Fosse had set his fiddle aside and was now perched at the shore of the pond like a mermaid, his forearms holding his torso up. 

"I want to know your song," he told her, pulling himself out of the water to sit next to her. "I have to know your song."

"I don't understand what you mean," she replied, her heart feeling like a sunken boat. She must've looked like a mess, by the way she could feel her hair drying up in uneven clumps, and her eyes swelling from holding in the tears. 

"You tell me your deepest desire, and I give you this. Deal?" Fosse gave her another grin as he leaned back, playing with the siren amulet between his fingers. 

"My desire?"

He clenched the amulet in his fist, his golden eyes never faltering from her own. She didn't know how, but his stare seemed to go deeper; it went past her human flesh. He saw things others couldn't. 

"It's not sex, or love, or fame . . . Or even immortality . . . What do you want?" 

Emery tried really hard to search for the answer, but all she could say was, "I don't know."

He clicked his tongue in disappointment, the edges of his mouth dragging down in a frown. "You have to want something. Everyone wants something . . ." his words faded off as he inched closer to her, his pupils dilating as he searched through Emery's face. 

"I don't know," she repeated, inching back. The scent of lilies was becoming intoxicating. 

"Fine," he grumbled, stretching his tall figure against the rock like it was the comfiest mattress in the world. "Your deepest secret then."

Emery contained her emotion, forcing her feelings to the very back of her mind. This was dangerous territory. Her face was entirely blank when she answered, "No."

"No?" Fosse pushed himself up by the elbows, his light eyebrows flying up in shock. He flashed the amulet toward Emery once more. "Don't you want this?"

"Yes."

"But you won't give me something in return?"

"I can't."

"So, so curious," he whispered, shaking his head in clear amusement. Fosse took a deep breath in, the glimmering skin on his chest expanding as he did. When he breathed out, the ground began to shake, startling Emery to her feet. 

The image of the cave falling on her and crushing her to death crossed her mind, while Fosse remained entirely calm. 

The pond rippled and loose pebbles rolled around her feet; everything else remained unaffected. The shaking stopped, and Fosse slowly stepped toward her. His cool hand wrapped around her wrist with feather-soft gentleness. He eased up her clenched fist to slip the amulet into her palm. 

Emery's lips parted in surprise. "You're giving it to me?"

"Yes," he answered, letting go of her hand and walking back. "You'll find your way back has been restored. Have a safe trip back to Bellenau, Emery." 

She didn't bother wondering how he knew she was from Earth. Instead, she took off in a sprint toward the exit, nearly slipping on the stream and moss twice before she got her footing. Fosse didn't come after her and sure enough, when she got the entrance, the platforms had been raised once more. 

It was time to go home.