A Haunting Melody: The Golden Lyre

25 | Where Hot Rose Sand Awaits

Rose ripped her hand away and walked towards Peisinoe, "Yes, mother."

Astrid didn't move. The whole Cathedral was surrounded now. Even she couldn't fight so many Sirens at once.

"Walk with me," Peisinoe said calmly, addressing Astrid.

She stepped forward hesitantly.

"I won't kill you. If I wanted you dead, we wouldn't be having this conversation," Peisinoe smiled.

Astrid knew when to cut her losses. She walked up to her and stood beside her. If she wanted to kill Peisinoe, she would have to play the long game.

"Since you were the one who so kindly decrypted the poem for us, why don't you tell all my daughters what is happening," she said, gazing up towards the big, round, stained-glass window.

Astrid noticed a pink beam of moonlight streaming in, landing on the steps leading up towards the front section of the Cathedral.

Astrid swallowed hard, "the light from the Harvest Moon is being concentrated through the centre of the window," she began, "I suspect it will activate a switch when it passes over a certain point... but you already know that."

Peisinoe gave her a knowing smile, "show me the switch," she licked her lips.

Astrid looked at the front section of the Cathedral. An intricately woven rug depicting Saint Peter had been carefully laid out on the wooden floor. She followed the pink-tinted beam of light and saw that it end on the rug.

Slowly, she bent down and pulled the rug away from the floor revealing a large golden plaque with a small disc made of clear quartz, set into the centre of it.

As the light drifted onto the disc, a distinct clicking sound rang through the building, followed by a heavy scrape, as the plaque lowered deeper into the floor and slide to the side.

Astrid could see the beginning of a staircase going into darkness as she peered into the large opening in the ground.

"Very good," Peisinoe gave a satisfied smile as she watched the opening get wider and wider.

Just then, the doors burst open and in charged a large group of Hunters, led by Timothy and Peter. Astrid couldn't think of a single time in her life that she had been more grateful to see their faces than she was right now.

As chaos ensued and the Hunters and Sirens broke out into an all-out battle, Astrid took the opportunity to quickly swing her leg out and knock Peisinoe off of her feet.

Peisinoe hissed at her as she pinned her down and drew her dagger from her belt. Astrid raised the dagger, ready to plunge it into her heart, but was stopped by a hard kick to the ribs.

She was thrown off of Peisinoe and gasped for air and she held her ribcage. She had definitely broken a few by now.

Daniel helped Peisinoe up and she quickly grabbed Daniel under the arms and lifted him into the air. Her large wings leaving gusts of wind in their wake.

Before anyone could stop her, she had flown out of the building and escaped to safety.

Before Astrid could take off after her, she sensed someone behind her and turned around to see Rose taking a step into the darkness and disappearing down the staircase.

Astrid knew that she would have to be the one to stop her and quickly descended after her into the dark tunnel.

The sounds of fighting quickly became muffled, the deeper Astrid walked down the stairs. The walls felt damp to touch and she could feel that the steps were gradually becoming narrower, the deeper she went.