Ileus was listening to Faris with a baited breath. His fists had closed so tightly that his knuckles were white. Faris took another bog swig and then wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
One of the serpents opened the sack, took the little unconscious girl out and transferred her into what looked like a casket. The winged woman touched the casket and it got encased with cerulean lights that danced around it." Faris licked his lips with his tongue. "The pure blood nodded. Others joined him in lifting the coffer and then they all walked inside the ocean with it. I don't know whether the girl survived or not…" He drank more.
"Did you see that winged woman again?" asked Kaizan.
Faris shook his head. "No, she never came."
"Did you see the girl in the casket coming out… ever?" asked Anastasia hoping that he did see.
He shook his head again. "No." He looked at the three of them with a curious glance. "Why are you asking about her? I don't think that she must be alive."
Ileus' face turned red, but Anastasia held his hand.
Faris continued. "Surviving in Zmjia is not possible. They live in the depths of the ocean and are very dangerous people. After the Queen of Draoidh chased them from the lands, they are always on a prowl to attack her or her people. And in that mission they have killed and injured thousands over the last two decades or more. The serpent shifters are unfriendly. So be careful. If you have come to retrieve that girl, then you are in for an impossible task. Go back and forget her." His gaze traveled to his favorite thing—the bottle with alcohol. He looked at them again and found that they were glaring at him. He cringed.
Ileus was barely holding himself when Faris mentioned that Iona might be dead.
Faris raised his eyebrow and said, "Do you want anything else? I don't know more."
"No!" Kaizan replied and got up from the ground.
"Do you know how to go to Zmjia?" asked Anastasia.
"Yes, of course," Faris rolled his eyes. "Everyone here knows how to get there."
The boy who was with them, interrupted. "Thank you Uncle Faris. We will leave now." He motioned all of them to get out of the shabby house and tossed yet another bottle towards Faris. Faris grabbed it immediately and gave him a grin that exposed his dirty yellow teeth.
When they were out, the boy said, "That old geezer will spread this conversation in the whole village and alert the lamias. He needs a steady supply of bottles to stay inebriated till you all go there and get the girl."
Anastasia gave the boy an appreciative glance. "Thanks for helping us," she said with gratitude.
"Anything for our esteemed customers," he gave them a smile and they all headed back to the inn.
When they came back, Ileus talked to Casux on how to reach Zmjia. "You will have to take a boat to Abra Heights. There is a staircase that takes you down from there into the depths of the ocean. The staircase ends soon and after that you have to rely on your instincts to reach Zmjia. But how are you all going to get inside the deep waters? We lamias can still swim underwater but that also to a certain depth, how are you going to manage?" he asked curiously.
"We will," came Ileus' stern reply that stopped Casux from probing further. "Who can take us to Abra Heights?"
"We have plenty of fishermen in our community, but no one really goes there. Though there is one, Madox, who can take you, but you have to pay him twice as much and he won't wait for you. He will come back."
"Then who will get us back to the shores?" asked Kaizan.
Casux shrugged. "You have to make an arrangement with him. I can't say…"
"Can you call him here?" asked Ileus.
"Of course!"
The group was seated in Ileus' room. Ileus was pacing the floor as Kaizan and Aiden were arguing as to who all would go.
"No more than four of us should go," said Kaizan.
"I will go," said Aiden.
"Me too!" Guarhal raised his hand.
"And you can't leave me here," said Tadgh.
"Me too," Darla grunted.
They started arguing like kids when Ileus interrupted. "Kaizan you should stay on the boat and wait for us. I will go with Guarhal, Tadgh and Aiden."
Kaizan growled. "No. I will accompany you, no matter what."
Ileus stopped and looked into Kaizan's eyes. "I don't want to risk your life."
"Nor do I," he snapped. "I have been promised to you and you know what it is if one of us dies? We both are going to live and die together!"
Anastasia was aghast. Then suddenly she remembered that Kaizan spoke like this because of the bond between them—one that was formed when they were just kids. What she didn't know was that it was so strong. "No one is going to die!" she lashed at them.
Ileus looked at Kaizan with exasperation.
An hour later, except three Mozia, all of them headed to the docks. Madox was waiting at the dock, eyeing their party with doubtful looks. He had never seen them here and suddenly the group wanted to go to Zmjia? His gaze scanned them briefly before settling on Anastasia whose face was mostly covered by a hood. She had pulled her hood over her face for as much obscurity as possible according to Ileus' instructions.
"I will take two boats to Abra Heights," he said pointing at the other boat with a man sitting inside. "We are going to take you all there. I will leave one boat with you all and come back. The tides are high today, and we will be rowing the boats slowly. Hope you aren't in a hurry," he said with a worried look. "And the fare will have to cover the cost of my boat, because I am not sure if the boat will ever come back."
"How long will it take to reach Zmjia?" Ileus took a small bag of gold coins that was tied to his belt.
Madox smiled when his gaze went to the bag and saw Ileus scooping out money from it. As the coins dropped in his palm, he said, "We should reach there by mid-afternoon." He closed his fist around the gold coins greedily and tucked them into his pouch. "And if the weather is fine, we should arrive earlier."
Ileus instructed his people to start loading things on the boat. Ada had packed two big baskets of food for all of them. He held Anastasia's hand and helped her on the boat. Others stepped in the second boat. "Are you sure you want to go with us?" said Ileus. "You can still stay back," he added with a frown.
Ileus' offer surprised her. "No sweetheart," she said. "I am not going to stay back and wait for you at the inn." His voice carried a note that made the hair on her neck stand.
"Then promise me that you won't use magic over there. You will get exposed otherwise."
