The tunnel ended at a pair of locked iron doors. Once again they had the right key. Astrid pushed one of the doors open and cautiously peeked out.
She immediately knew where she was. She recognized the antique arms and armor decorating the wall and the quotations from Ondalina’s chief justices incised above the doorways.
“The Hall of Justice,” she said.
“Is that good?”
“It’s not far from the hospital, but we’ll have to be careful.”
Desiderio swam out of the tunnel and joined her.
“We’re lucky it’s nighttime. Usually, the hall’s packed,” Astrid explained. “We just need to find the passageway that leads us to the—”
Her words were cut off by a rumbling noise. It was the sound of voices singing, mer and Fryst—all so low and somber, they sounded as if they were coming from the center of the earth.
“It’s a dirge,” Desiderio said. “Somebody died. Somebody major, judging from the number of lamenters.”
Astrid knew that dirges for heads of state were sung by hundreds. Her whole body went cold. With a terrible dread, she listened for the name of the one being lamented.
The time and tide of life has ceased
A stalwart soul now begs release
A warrior prince both brave and true
Returns now to the vast deep blue
Wind and waves, his body take
While we our lamentations make
Horok, come at our behest
Take brave Kolfinn to his rest
“No!” Astrid cried out. “Oh, gods…no.”
She was too late. Rylka had gotten to her father before she could. She’d given him a lethal dose of poison.
Astrid tried to swim down the hall, swim away from the tearing pain, but she faltered and caught herself against the wall.
A strong pair of hands lifted her up. “Lean on me,” Desiderio said.
But Astrid pushed him away. She bent double, her chest heaving. The pain was going to overwhelm her if she didn’t find a way to stop it. And she had to stop it. Desiderio’s life—and her own—depended on it. Closing her eyes, she pictured the blue arctic water of Ondalina flowing into her, swirling all around her heart—and hardening into ice. That was the way she always stopped pain.
But this time it didn’t work.
She straightened. The emotion was too much. Grief and rage tore through her like a hurricane.
“I’m going after Rylka,” she said. “She killed my father and she’s going to pay.”
“Astrid, no. That’s suicide.”
But Astrid didn’t listen. She swam up to a pair of crossed sabers on the wall and yanked one free.
Des swam up to her, holding his hands out. “Astrid, put the sword down,” he said.
“You need to get out of my way, Desiderio,” she said menacingly.
But he didn’t budge. “Earlier tonight, Rylka accused you of poisoning your father. He just died. If she finds you, you’ll be charged with murder.”
His words pierced through the hurricane howl inside her. If that were to happen, she realized, even Ragnar couldn’t help her. The law was the law.
“She’ll lock you up in a dungeon cell. Like she did to me,” Desiderio continued. “She’ll turn everyone against you. We can’t stay here. Neither of us.”
“What are you saying? That I should just turn tail and leave? Abandon Ondalina? Do nothing about my father’s death?” she asked, her voice shaking.
Slowly, carefully, Des pushed the tip of Astrid’s sword down. Then he took it from her. Her hands dropped to her sides.
“What I’m saying is this: Your father was a warrior. Your brother is. You are. And a good warrior knows when to lose a battle so she can live to fight the war.
Astrid clenched her hands. Her mind started to clear. She remembered the terrible pain Desiderio had been in only hours ago when she told him what had happened to his parents. He’d managed to put it aside, and she had to do the same.
“We’re going to get out of here now, okay?” he said. “We’re going to go to the Kargjord.”
“The Kargjord? Why?” Astrid asked, alarmed. Everything was happening so fast. Part of her wanted to join the others, but part of her was still scared.
“Because that’s where Sera is. I need to be with her. To help her fight. And so do you. Didn’t you tell me that the witch—Vr?ja—wanted you all together? Didn’t she say you were stronger that way?”
“Yes, but…”
“But what?”
Astrid couldn’t tell him the truth. He wasn’t Becca. He wouldn’t understand.
“Okay,” she said softly.
“Good. We’re going. So you need to focus now, Astrid. Because I don’t know my way around the Citadel and you do.
“Yes. Right. Focus,” Astrid said. “We’ve got to swim out of here. As fast as we can.
Desiderio shook his head. “You’re not focusing. We can’t just swim out of here. We have no food. No animals. No weapons. Except this old saber. Rylka’s troops would catch us in no time.”