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They are bringing me back down

They know

CHAPTER 19

How do they know?

Did Nevio figure it out soive myself away? Did someone notice that the shroud came open or see me move?

I want to pull the shroud closed, but I can’t risk it Perhaps they shut the gates for another reason Maybe it’s not ht in a current as the water swirls toward the floor My head bobs under, and water floods into h, and I choke,far toothat in the whirl of bodies going down, no one will notice the hly on the bottoate cha there as haphazardly as the rest of the bodies

I didn’t evenminutes, I rest there on the floor, surrounded by corpse-filled shrouds, trying to keepto the last of the water drain away

Peacekeepers takeand put lassedand a table and two chairs inside, nothing more But the chairs are beautifully carved and made of wood, true treasures fros in a holding cell?

They don’t give h the vents feels icy I stand in the middle of the room in ht

Maire co her

She looks neat and tidy, her hair braided in a way that reminds me of how Bay and I wore ours on that day in the teh Maire’s hair, and her clothes are neatly pressed "Raise the teerous voice "Bring her dry clothes Now"

Then she turns to me "They’ve sent me in to talk with you," she says "Sit down"

I stay standing I don’t want to obey her And I don’t want to ruin the chair Salt water on that old wood--I can’t bring ate you," Maire says, "to find out why you tried to go up through the floodgates I told them that it wasn’t necessary to question you That you sio Above because you

"You’re very quiet, Rio," Maire says "Is there anything you’d like to tell us?" She gestures to the mirroredat the back of the roo

I knohat Maire wants me to say

I’m not sure if I hear it in her voice or see it in her eyes, but I know She’s not co

She wants me to say that I’m a siren

In front of her In front of whoever watches froive h all this tiuard appears at the door with the clothes Maire requested--shirt and pants, underclothes, socks, and they’re all dry I want to wear them so badly that my teeth chatter There’s a blanket, too Maire holds it up to screen me from the