It was Sophia who voiced the terrible thing they were all thinking. “Maybe he already has the puzzle ball.”
Sera’s heart sank at this possibility. How would they defeat Abbadon without all the talismans? And it seemed that Vallerio was about to close in on two more. Mahdi said the death riders had set off on Tidesday—that was already four days ago. “We’ve got to do a convoca. Now. Ava and Becca are in serious danger,” she said, sitting back down.
“It’s too risky,” Yaz said. “The moon’s waning. The Karg’s bad for casting. Songspells don’t carry properly here because of the iron in the rocks. Someone could listen in.”
“I don’t have a choice, Yaz,” Sera countered. “They could be swimming straight into a trap.”
Yaz ran a hand through his hair. “Okay,” he finally said. “Give it everything you’ve got.”
Sera, Yaz, Neela, and Sophia all joined hands. Sera found that her convocas were tighter and stronger if she cast them as part of a circle. She sang the words of the songspell.
I send my voice
Throughout the waters,
Trying to summon
Merrow’s daughters.
Our minds are one,
Our hearts bloodbound.
Great Neria, help them
hear this sound.
But nothing happened.
“Come on, Ava,” she whispered. “Where are you, Becca?”
She cast again but still couldn’t get her friends. On her third try, she got a choppy image.
“Becca!” she shouted.
“Sera, Neela? Is that you?” Becca asked blearily. She’d been asleep.
“Yes!” Sera said. “Hold on…I’m trying to get Ava….”
On her fifth attempt, she succeeded. She was overjoyed to see Ava, but her happiness turned to alarm as she noted how gaunt her friend looked.
“Ava, where are you? Is Baby with you?”
“He’s here, querida,” Ava said.
“Good,” Sera said, glad to hear it. That nasty little piranha was Ava’s fierce defender.
“I’m at…off the…” The sound crackled. Ava faded, then came back.
“Listen, I have to be quick,” Sera said. “I just received bad news. Vallerio found out where Nyx’s ring is and Pyrrha’s coin. He sent troops to get them.”
“What? How did he find out?” Becca asked.
“I have no idea,” Sera replied. “I do know that the death riders left Cerulea several days ago. They’re on board Mfeme’s ships, which means they’re moving fast.”
“How long until they get to Cape Horn?” Becca asked.
Sera looked at Yaz.
“Five days max,” he said.
“I can beat them,” Becca said.
“Becca, what if you’re wrong? What if they capture you?”
“I can do this, Sera. I…”
Becca faded out, then came back.
“Be careful, Becca. Please,” Sera begged.
“I will…soon…okay? Signing off.”
And then she was gone. Ava’s image was fading, too.
“Ava, where are you?” Sera asked.
“In the mouth of the Mississippi. I’ve still got a ways to go to reach the Okwa Naholos’ swamp.”
“Not good,” Yaz said. “By my calculations, the death riders will get there in six days themselves, maybe five if they push hard. Get her out of there, Sera.”
“Ava, did you hear Yazeed?” Sera shouted. Ava was blurring.
“No! What did he say?”
“He said you need to get out of there!” Sera yelled.
Ava snorted. “And let Traho get that sick ruby ring? I don’t think so, gatinha. It’ll look way better on me than it would on him!”
“Ava, it’s too risky!”
“How many days have I got?”
“Six, then you also need time to get out of the swamp.”
Ava shook her head. “Sixteen? What are you worried about? That’s plenty of time!”
“Not sixteen, Ava! Six!” Sera yelled frantically.
“Lost you, mina…Don’t worry…can make it…”
The convoca faded. Ava was gone.
“Oh, gods,” Sera said, her voice breaking. “She’s chum.”
Sera was silent for a moment, as she tried to regain control of her emotions. Her mind worked its way back to the question she’d asked before.
“How did Vallerio find out? How? Of everyone in this camp, only we know the location of the talismans. I’ve kept it that way on purpose.”
“Maybe somebody cast an ochi on us,” Yaz ventured.
Sera shook her head. “There’s no way. This cave is swept for gandacs every day.”
“According to Mahdi, Baco Goga was seen around the palace,” Yaz reminded her. “You told us so yourself.”
“Yes, but he wasn’t seen here,” Sera said.
“He could have turned someone in the camp. That someone may have overheard one of us and reported the info to Baco.”
The mere thought of a spy in their midst sent a shiver through Sera.
Yaz saw it. “Where’s your jacket?” he asked.
“I have no idea. I’ve been looking for it for days,” Sera said distractedly.
Both mermaids had acquired new jackets after using their old ones to bandage Sera’s tail, but it seemed Sera had lost hers. Sophia unbuttoned her jacket now and handed it to Sera.
“I can’t take that, Soph,” Sera said.