That’s odd, Becca thought. Most mer would toss off a quick canta prax spell to whirl the silt away. Astrid’s method was time-consuming and made the water in the cave cloudy. When it finally cleared, Becca spread her blanket out.
Astrid dug in her pack and set out the food she’d bought. In addition to the squid eggs, she had a ripe marsh melon, oysters, and some silt cherries. Then she sat down.
Becca awkwardly pulled the water apples and crab eggs she’d bought out of her own pack and placed them on the blanket, embarrassed that they were all she had to contribute.
“Oh, wow, water apples. My favorite,” Astrid said, picking one up and biting into it.
Becca knew it wasn’t true. If they were Astrid’s favorite, she would’ve bought some. But still, it was a nice thing to say. And—coming from Astrid—a surprising one.
“Have some squid eggs,” Astrid said, offering a clump to Becca.
Becca broke off an egg sac and popped it into her mouth. “Mmm. So good,” she said, sitting down across from Astrid.
“Eat tons. I bought too much and don’t want to carry it. I shouldn’t shop when I’m hungry,” said Astrid, still munching on the apple.
Becca doubted that was true, either. She had the feeling that Astrid knew she didn’t have much money and was being careful not to make her feel bad about it.
Becca frowned, perplexed. This considerate Astrid and the Astrid who’d risked her own safety to rescue Becca from the death riders didn’t square with the Astrid whom Becca had met in the Iele’s caves. Becca wondered if she’d misjudged her. Well, whether she had or hadn’t, she definitely owed her a thank-you.
“Hey, Astrid…”
“Mmm?” Astrid replied, swallowing a bite of apple.
“Thanks for getting me out of the market. I’m really grateful to you.”
Astrid gave her a rueful smile. “You shouldn’t be. I nearly got you captured.”
“What do you mean?” asked Becca, puzzled.
“If it wasn’t for me, you could’ve gotten out right away. All you had to do was cast your transparensea pebble.”
Becca remembered how Astrid had refused the pebble. “I still don’t understand why you wouldn’t.”
Astrid looked away. “Like I said, they don’t work on me.” Her brusque tone was back.
“But—”
“Tell me about the Iele,” said Astrid, changing the subject. “What happened? Why aren’t you still with them?”
Becca saw that Astrid wasn’t going to answer her question, so she answered Astrid’s instead. She told her how Markus Traho and his troops had found the Iele’s cave, and that she, Sera, Ling, Ava, and Neela had narrowly escaped by diving into a mirror that Vr?ja kept in the Incantarium.
“So that’s how you ended up in North Atlantica so quickly,” Astrid said. “I was wondering how you caught up. It’s taken me weeks to swim this far.”
“Vadus was a creepy place. I was scared I’d run into the mirror lord the whole time, but he must’ve been busy elsewhere. A couple of vitrina showed me a way out…after I gave them about a thousand compliments,” Becca said, shivering at the memory of the quicksilver world.
“What about Vr?ja? Did she escape, too?” Astrid asked.
“I wish I knew,” Becca replied. “It’s all I’ve been thinking about ever since I left. I hope to gods she’s all right. The others, too. I haven’t heard anything for so long. I’ve tried to convoca them, but I haven’t had any luck. Which is really worrying. My magic’s grown stronger so I ought to be able to do it.”
Astrid had picked up an egg sac. She lowered it again. “Your magic grew stronger? Really? How?” she asked, clearly curious.
“We did a bloodbind before we escaped,” Becca explained. “Ever since, I’ve been able to understand languages I’ve never been able to speak, cast awesome illuminatas, and do lots of other spells, too. I think it’s because I have some of the others’ blood in me now.”
“Wow. That’s really cool,” Astrid said, a wistful note in her voice.
“Yeah, it is. But if my magic’s strong enough to do a decent convoca, why can’t I reach the others? What if it’s because they can’t be reached? Because they’ve been captured or…or worse,” Becca said, her voice fraught with concern.
“Lots of things affect songcasting, Becca. The tides. The moon. The presence or absence of whales. Everyone knows that.”
Becca nodded, unconvinced. She worried about her four friends constantly.
Astrid must’ve seen her feelings on her face, because she said, “They’re smart, Becca. Tough, too. They made it all the way to the River Olt. They can make it home.”
“You almost sound as if you like them,” Becca said, a reproachful note in her voice. She still didn’t understand why Astrid had left the Iele’s caves, and she still felt angry about it.
“I do like them,” Astrid replied. “I like you, too.”
“Then why didn’t you stay with us?” Becca demanded.
“Because.”
Becca snorted. “Because? That’s so weak, Astrid. What’s the real reason?”
“Because I couldn’t, all right? Because things are really complicated,” Astrid said testily.