A Song Below Water

Effie thinks she blacked out at the protest, finding herself in deep in the woods. She remembers the sea of protesters, then seeing a water mirage, and then everything turning gray. She shouts for Tavia and her friends until she hears a sound in the woods. Tavia is in the trees, and Effie rushes over while Tavia screams for Gargy to take her back. Tavia is shaken, and Effie comforts her as she admits police collared Camilla Fox. Effie sympathizes with her, and Tavia believes she’ll be collared next, but she’s “so tired of shutting up” (173). Effie thinks collaring won’t happen to her, and Tavia says, “I don’t want to use their hate of me against someone else. I don’t want to deny what I am, Eff” (173). Effie is jealous that Tavia knows her identity and embraces it now. She then explains that they’re in the miles-wide nature preserve, that Gargy brought them there, and that he’s her protector. Tavia urges Effie to call for him, and she yells for Gargy’s help. 

The gargoyle flies in, but tells them that he can’t bring them home yet, for their safety. The girls recover on his back, sharing their secrets, like Tavia meeting her grandmother in water and Effie’s growing feelings for Wallace. When Gargy eventually brings them home, Mama Theo is there, looking broken and worried. Isabella, their classmate, is reported missing on TV. The screen flashes to the man at Effie’s mother’s grave, who has been turned to stone. Effie is horrified, asking what happened, but Mama Theo won’t tell her, so she believes the sprites are after her again. Finally, Mama Theo shouts, “It’s not the sprites, Effie! It’s you!” (181). Effie swears she didn’t stone the man or do anything to Isabella. Mama Theo denies this; she believed a siren, Tavia, would protect Effie from a mysterious “him,” and forces Effie to come home. Though Effie pleads with her, Mama Theo still won’t tell Effie what she is.

Effie fights to say goodbye to Tavia as they’re separated, crying for Tavia to Compel Mama Theo to stop. Tavia’s father puts his hand over Tavia’s mouth as she cries. The girls’ families finally let them share a teary goodbye and embrace; the girls whisper that they’ll meet at prom in a week.

Tavia calls Effie multiple times, but she always gets her voicemail; Mama Theo likely took her phone away. After Effie doesn’t come to school for days, Tavia is worried and sorrowful. Her mother Geneva comforts her, stating she’s always opposed her father and “should have said something” instead of staying quiet— but they’ve only tried to protect her (184). Geneva apologizes, then says, “A part of me al­ways wor­ried what might hap­pen to si­rens if they’re too afraid to speak. I don’t want you to be afraid. It’s crip­pling” (184). Tavia tells her about the Camilla Fox rally and how she believes she failed Effie. Her mother is proud of her, amazed by her courage, and reassures her that she was Effie’s loyal sister. Geneva says all adults are afraid, and this is why Mama Theo took Effie away. 

Tavia considers the “he” in Mama Theo’s speech and thinks it’s Effie’s missing father. Effie couldn’t be the one stoning people in the city, as some happened during the protest, so Tavia believes Effie’s father may be responsible. She types Effie’s symptoms into Google, and then gargoyle protectors, which leads her to the Hidden Scales, the mermaid tent at this year’s Renaissance Faire.

As Tavia researches, Gramma calls her through indigo waters, and Tavia is transported to the indigo place. She’s surrounded by water, and Gramma points to a replica of Effie. Gramma tells Tavia to use Awaken on Effie. The vision ends too quickly for Tavia to try. 

Effie doesn’t return to school, though Tavia wants to tell her about the siren song that should “end the mystery” (191). On the news, more stone statues appear in Portland. Sirens are blamed, with selective footage from the protest—not of Camilla being silenced or other police brutality. There is a gray blur, Gargy, and a wavy mirage of Effie underneath. Tavia knows the water mirage Effie sees is real now. 

On prom night, Tavia dresses in a Cinderella-style gown, her hair styled beautifully. Her father compliments her and shares that he never liked Priam (even if he was an eloko). For once, Tavia enjoys their talk. 

At the courtyard for prom, Tavia looks for Effie. She spots Naema and Priam, looking like the perfect couple—except Naema is wearing a dampening collar around her neck.

Effie endures days of being locked in her room by her great-grandparents. Her hair keeps moving on its own, and her scalp and skin are dry and itchy. She tries to decipher clues from Mama Theo, including her mentions of “I thought you wouldn’t change if I kept you apart” and “Minnie said he’d leave you be” (197). Effie thinks Gargy could be her father, but this doesn’t make sense. Gargy hasn’t been around since Effie moved back to her great-grandparents’ house. She also realizes Mama Theo knows what she’s changing into, since she said she thought she “wouldn’t change.”

Effie pounds her fists against the door, yelling that Mama Theo is the monster, not her, and that she’s known the truth all along and won’t tell her. Paw Paw asks Mama Theo to let Effie out, but she disagrees and warns Effie that chaos is happening outside, and that they need to protect her. Effie says she doesn’t care. Mama Theo walks away. 

Wallace knocks on her window, asking if they’re still going to prom. Paw Paw lets Effie out of her room, then gives the couple a ride to prom. They see police tape and stone statues, which worry Effie, though she knows she can’t be the cause of these statues. Paw Paw tells them that everything will work out, which Effie realizes means he knows the truth too, despite her only being angry at Mama Theo. 

Effie and Wallace meet Tavia at prom, embracing and catching up. Naema harasses them, but Effie notices her collar and shouts, “Why would you wear a fake collar to prom? [...] You’re supposed to be on her side” (206). Naema argues that she’s dating a cop’s son and perhaps the collar isn’t fake, which sickens the girls. Tavia talks to Priam to gain closure. Naema verbally attacks Effie, accusing her of kidnapping Isabella and being the siren who is turning people to stone. Their classmates watch their argument, as Effie’s hair wrap falls off and her twists come alive. Wallace asks if he wants him to protect her, wrapping his arms around her.