Caterina unveiled her full wingspan, casting a wide shadow across the rocks. "Hang on, child." She was above me with a single beat of her feathers, her talons gripping my shoulders. I was too stunned to protest.
Caterina's mighty wings pushed my auburn hair in every direction. We dove over the edge of the cliff before an updraft sent us skyward again in a frenzied swirl. My head spun—sheer terror transforming to joy. A instant later, we swept into a crevasse between the rocks, revealing a bizarre cave framed with drooping stalactites. "We are here," said Caterina, sitting me down gently. I gasped as my eyes adjusted to the light.
"Oh, mind the bones. So many bones. Most are quite old. Not to worry." Said Caterina, quickly turning into a small blackbird. She hopped onto my shoulder as if to comfort me. Somehow it did.
The bleached remains of countless children ringed a pool so blue it could have been full of sapphires. A wispy mist floated above its still surface, illuminated by a single shaft of light cutting through the surrounding stone walls. I peered into the crystal-clear water and was shocked to see the bottom of the basin, hundreds of meters below.
Caterina hopped off my shoulder and transformed back into a woman. Her garment somehow sank beneath her flesh, revealing a strong, lean body. She leapt into the water without making a splash, disappearing for a moment before rising from the depths. Her lean arms stretched along the lip of the pool as she flashed another toothy smile. "Feels nice. Come, child—into the water."
I removed my linen dress and jumped in without hesitation, surprising myself. The water was pleasantly warm, like a hot spring. Sharp tingles poked along my flesh. It was almost painful for a moment until the sensation became entrancing—serene and macabre all at once. I leaned against the edge of the pool directly across from Caterina and imitated her relaxed pose.
Caterina laughed, and it was contagious. "Strange skinny girl. I like you."
"I like you too, Caterina." I meant it, despite my lingering fear.
"Feels good, yes? This is when I would boil you if I were hungry."
I winced. "But, you're not hungry, right?"
"Right, not hungry," she said with a chuckle.
I kicked my feet around. The water felt weirdly dense, almost like thin mud. The more I moved, the more pleasant the prickles on my skin became. I wasn't even thinking about the skeletons anymore. "Did you put a spell on me?"
"No, the pool is just this nice," replied Caterina. "Do you wish for a spell? I have some magick but not much. Not anymore."
"No, that's fine," I said, confused.
YOU ARE READING
ALOJA: The Journal of Pteridophia Anteres Lumina
Fantasy-A TALE FROM THE SECRET SEA- As a child, Pteridophia washes up on the shore of a small village in Catalonia, a stranger in a strange land. Just as her isolation becomes unbearable, a forbidden object high atop a towering sea cliff beckons to her, se...
