Page 124 of War Hour

A snicker of laughter chirps out.

“Ah, you don’t want to come see for yourself? Don’t be disrespectful now.”

The water slaps against the rocky walls, swirling asitmoves within the small pool. Inching forward, I creep the length of the path, heart pounding fearfully in my chest. When I’m a few feet from the end, I can see her. It.

Damp black hair clings to her face, which is concealed up to her eyes under water. I can’t see the color of her eyes, only the whites of them that contrast with her grayish tone. It reminds me of being out in the cold too long during Falland’s snow season, and my fingers and lips would tinge blue.

Her head creeps out of the water when she sees me, giving me a wide smile.

“Okay, I’m out here, aren’t I?” I ask, gesturing with wide arms. “You said you’d tell me what you are.”

Light shines in the creature’s eyes as she cackles loudly, “Questions to be answered. I never said whose.” Her smile taunts me as I glare over the edge at her. I’m about to yell when she continues. “But I shall answer so that you may Trial.”

A long tail swirls beneath her as she swims to keep herself at the water’s surface. It flicks beneath her smoothly. “I am a Calkli, distant relation of the siren family. We still desire to drag people to our depths, but we give you the chance to win your life.” She giggles softly, bubbles erupting near her mouth. “Never saw the fun in singing songs, all the fun is in the fight.”

When her words don’t goad the desired reaction, her brows furrow tightly before continuing. “I’ll ask three questions and then you’ll answer. Only tell the truth, and you can ask me any question you’d like. We Calkli are all knowing, you see.”

“I just have to tell the truth? What happens if I don’t?”

“Lie to a Calkli, and you’ll be drowned at sea... or here in these depths.” She purrs out her words. “It would be nice to have a friend with me while I wait for my next visitor. There’s been so many today the water almost isn’tdeepenough.”

I slap a hand over my mouth to stifle the whimper that escapes. A wave of nausea hits me when I think of how many Untrialed have likely died here today.

“I can do that.” I reply with a hint of anxiety leaking through. The Calkli notices but only gives me a haunting smile. She hums a low sound before whispering her question.

“Why did you and your sister grow up without parents?”

My eyes widen, and my mouth falls open at the mention of Cenna, stomach plummeting to the ground at my feet. My tongue suddenly feels too dry, sticking to my cheeks and teeth. How could she know—she claimed she is all knowing?

I thought when she said I would need to answer three questions, it would be a riddle to solve, or a test of my intelligence. But this is personal.

This would be a test ofme.

There isn’t a single question I wouldn’t be able to tell the truth. Not a single secret I hold is worth my life. Through gritted teeth, I push out the words that I’ve been pushing down for a long time. “Our parents were forced into Trialing before I was old enough to remember.”

The Calkli barks out a laugh, and my eyes flick to hers. The bright whites of her eyes are swallowed in black, leaving dark pools that surround her iris. “Lies drip from your poisonous tongue. Not off to a good start, are you?”

The stones under my feet crumble, and I feel the ground under my right foot give way. Losing balance, I fall backward, moving my way back as the crumbling rock follows me.

Backward until my back is pressed into the sharp blades. My heart races when I feel them pierce through the back of my shirtuntil they break the skin. I gasp, arching away from the pain. I try to move forward, give myself an inch between myself and the deadly objects, but the stone continues crumbling, until the heels of my feet hold my weight, and my toes hang out over the ledge.

The Calkli dodges the falling stones and circles the remaining ledge. Eyeing me as I grip the pointed objects to hold my balance. The cool trickle of blood seeps down the small of my back, collecting from the multiple entry wounds spanning my back. Even my hands sting from my grip on the sharp points, but falling now would end far worse for me.

Breathing heavily, I gasp for each breath of air greedily, the entirety of my lungs having been emptied. “What? That’s the truth. It was the truth!” I yell to her, voice shaking. Flashes of their faces flicker through my mind, and I wince slightly, trying to shake the emotions.

“I know all, know more than you. I do not ask to learn but to bask in your answering.”

Another image of them, whispering, yelling. From the day they were taken.

“Taken says that they wish to have stayed, but yours couldn’t say that, could they?”

Her words feel like a sucker punch to the stomach. Of course they wanted to stay. They were my parents. We were their children.

A hazy memory is clawed from a place rooted deep in my mind. Clinging to Cenna’s hand as we watch our parents marching up to the Trial hall. They’d “be back for us,” they promised.

A cold air sweeps down my spine, and I stiffen.

We were theirchildren.

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