2 Deja Blue (25 page)

Yep. I’m
going to
barf.
I quickly leaned over the side and yacked up what was left in my stomach. Although, it wasn’t much since I had
pretty much
emptied it at the cottage before we left.
Anya quickly hurried to my side and
rubbed my back. I didn’t know w
hat the others were doing
,
and I didn’t care. I
dangled
my head over the side of the boat, staring into the
dark, cold
water swirling past, and prayed that I woul
dn’t royally screw up the next C
hallenge.

Chapter 25

The King tied the boat up to a
large
square wooden platform
, about
20
-
feet across,
floating out in the middle of Lake Superior. It had torches lining the edges that the Queen was now lighting. How she was lighting them, I don’t know. She didn’t have a lighter or matches or anything.  I looked around the platform and out into the seeming abyss. Huh. This torch-lit platform was definitely not normally here… I suppose
the
M
erpeople
set it up at night just for the
Challenge
. As if to answer my thoughts, Anya leaned over and whispered, “It’s enchanted. Nobody can see this platform floating here
…or us on it.
”
Ahhh
.
I nodded my head.

We stood around
waiting for something
to happen
. When all the torches were lit
,
the Queen step
ped to one side of the platform and
swept her hands over the water
while softly
chanting
words that I couldn’t make out.
She continued doing this while
walking slowly around the perimeter of the floating platform.
Suddenly, the surface of the water appeared almost clear. It was like we were looking through a brightly lit window, straight to the bottom of the lake.  Although it was still pitch-black dark outside, and the only light was from the moon, the water itself appeared
illuminated so that from above,
where we were standing, you could see clearly all the way down. Jeremy and I sucked in a breath at our mutual surprise. “Wicked,” Jeremy whispered under his breath.
I realized the Queen
had lit up the water so that all on the platform could view the competition clearly.
“Holy crap,” I muttered. It was endlessly deep.
It was quite the illusion, to see the dark, murky waters of the lake illuminated so clearly like this.
I saw all kinds of objects below, some were placed there intentionally for the
Challenge
,
and
some were natural
things
that forever lived on the bottom of Lake Superior.
The wavy, dark water fluttered over the depths of the underwater cemetery of forgotten objects.

The King spoke again, breaking mine and Jeremy’s silent, stunned revelry. “The
second round is the Challenge of the Rings. Hidden among the marked a
rea shall be three golden rings. The first competitor to find, retrieve
,
and return with all three of the rings shall be named the winner of the round.
” At this point, the King held up one of the rings so we could see what we were supposed to be looking fo
r. It was a flat golden ring
about eight inches in diameter. It
was shiny and look
ed
very much like the rings from the ring-toss game I used to play when I was a kid.
They looked heavy, like they had some weight t
o them.
Freya and I both nodded
,
and the King contin
u
ed, “
The sector in which the rings are hidden is marked with yellow flags. You must stay within the marked area. On my mark, you will begin. Competitors, ready
yourselves
.”
We
took our place at the edge of the wooden platform. My toes hung just over the edge, jittering with anticipation as I readied myself for the dive. We both squat
ted slightly, arms at our sides.
My
legs
fe
lt
as though they were about to erupt
with
all of the
contained
energy waiting to take off of the platform and catapult ourselves into the depths of Superior.
I blew out a few breaths
.
E
very nerve in my body
was
on fire, as if waiting to explode. I. Can. Do.
This.

The King held his
right arm high in the air again
and began the cou
ntdown from three.
His arm lowered quickly as he finally shou
ted, “One!” Freya and I dove in
to the
frigid
water
,
and I watched in awe as her legs transformed into
a
huge, emerald green tail
. S
he torpedoed
,
at lightning speed
,
ahead of me.
The water wasn’t as quite of a shock to my system as the first time, but
it
still stung and burned until all I felt was a numbing tingle throughout my body.
I fought to keep up with
Freya
.
A
s I approached the bottom
of the lake
, I began wild
ly
searching
for the three golden rings.
I
tried not to swim too fas
t, so as not to miss any of them
.
I saw a glimmer of a golden ring and raced to get it. As I
grabbed the ring
(which was heavier than
I expected),
I noticed Freya already had one dangling on her arm and was busily searching for another among the boat wrecks, sea weed and boulders strewn about.
I slipped the ring on my arm, as Freya had done, allowing me to continue to search. I saw another glimmer of gold
,
but as I went to go for it, I realized my lungs were at their full capacity and I needed air. I had no other choice but to swim back up to the platform, drop the first ring, and head back down to retrieve the second one.
Dammit! This was going to cost me valuable time. Anya was
right,
having to swim back to
the surface could cost me this
Challenge
. The
Mermaid
had the advantage over me here.
My chest was heavy and my lungs felt as if they were about to explode as I jetted myself back to the surface. I knew not to panic though. Bursting
to the surface
I gulped a huge breath of air and flung my ring onto the platf
orm. Jeremy hooted and hollered. He
started doing the cabbage-patch dance as part of his happy
celebration
while he chanted, once again, “
Ruby Blue,
Comin
’ on
t
hrough!
Toss those rings,
chuggachiggachoo
!
” He sang it more than
shouted
it this time. I think he was being a little more careful since he was precariously balancing on a small wooden platform floating in the middle of Lake Superior.
I was barely out of the water for
five
seconds
,
but I caught a glimpse
of
Anya and Brennan’s furrowed brows, as if they were scolding me for coming up for air so soon.
I swam back down and
I concentrated on speaking to them with my
Fairy
telepathy, “
What?! I needed air! So sue me!
”

Brennan’s voice roared between my ears, “
You did not! Now shut up and concentrate Ruby! Just get back down there and get the other rings.”
I shook off his scolding and gritted my teeth as I s
ped
through the water to the spot where I had seen the ring.
I grabbed the second ring and began frantically swimming around to find the third. I caught a glimpse of Freya
,
and she had two rings already too. I swam in and around the boat wreckage, then I circled back around a sec
tion of boulders and I saw it – the
third ring. I went to
grab it
but
it was wedged between two of the rocks. As I was wrestling the golden ring free, I saw Frey
a
’s tail shooting upwards, leaving a trail of bubbles behind. It’s now or never! I have to get this damn ring! I pulled with all
of
my might
,
and the ring broke
free. I slipped it on my arm and
swam after the
Mermaid
.
C
hasing her tail up the darkened
,
but magically lit cold
water
,
was disheartening. I had to overtake her. I closed the gap between us
to
just
a mere three or four feet. Just a little more and I
would be
there. I could see as she broke the surface
,
and my heart sank in my chest.
I did everything I could think of doing, but it was no use.
She was at the platform, and I was sucking her bubbles.
I exploded through the water a second after her, gasping for air and hanging on the side of the platform for dear life. Anya and Brennan were quick to my aid and hoisted me up onto the platform
.
E
xhaustion from the swim settle
d
into every bone.
Jeremy, Anya and Brennan knelt
protectively
beside me
,
and I caught Anya’s sympathetic shoulder shrug. I knew she wanted to say “I told you so,” but she was too nice to say it. Besides, I was thinking it already anyway.
Simon, Brennan’s guard, stood protectively near our small huddled group.
As I laid there feeling defeated and exhausted, the King stood proudly, puffing out his chest and announced loudly,
“I declare the winner of this c
hallenge
to be
the Water Court.”
The Queen
stood at his side and
held his elbow
. I sat up
and looked at the other spectators on
the platform.
Grobel
stood ston
y as ever,
and the
non
descript Simon
seemed unaffected as well
,
but
Bexin
and Celestine had worry etched into their faces and they
had
their hands locked in a death-grip, as if they held onto each other as tightly as possible, they wouldn’t be broken apart.

Scratch that.
More like
I
wouldn’t be able to break them apart
…with my lackl
uster show of holding my breath and swimming.
How lame.
I felt guilt wash over me and
,
once again, I felt sick to my stomach. Thankfully, I was pretty sure it was empty now, so I couldn’t imagine I’d
barf
again.

Not to be considered a poor loser, I slowly got up and walked over to Freya to offer a handshake of congratulations. She took my hand and smiled. “You rocked it out
,
Freya
,” I managed to smile
. S
he
politely
nodded and turned to get congratulations from the King and Queen. I turned to face my friends
,
and Jeremy spoke up, grabbing both of my hands, “
It
’
s
okay
,
girl. You
’ve
got the next one. You’re not out of this yet Ruby, honey.
Ma’lady
Blue
will
come through! I just know it!”
His smile and warm eyes were comforting.
I smiled at Jeremy’s pep talk, but I wasn’t so sure.

Chapter 26

The King announced to us that we had to travel to yet a third location hidden on the lake for the third and fin
al
Challenge
. After the Queen ex
tinguished all of the torches, we once again
settled into the superfast, all-
white speed boat to head to the last
site
.
  Silence hung heavily
in the warm, black summer night.  It all came down to this. Win or lose, two lovers’ fates would be decided. And it
was all on my shoulders.
My breathing was shallow and
fast
,
and I could feel my pulse quickening
,
knowing that I was speeding closer and closer to the final showdown.
I noti
ced Brennan whispering to Simon, but couldn’t hear what they were saying. I probably didn’t want to know anyway. I’m sure they were discussing how they were going to handle everything once I lost this challenge for them. Ugh.