Becca dimmed the waterfire so they could get back to sleep. Ling and Neela returned to their seaweed beds. Sera remained where she was, distraught. Astrid stayed by her side.
“She’ll never make it out alive,” Sera said. “One frail mermaid against gods-know-how-many death riders. Did you see how thin she looks? I should have been truthful with her. Maybe then she would have left the swamp.”
“What do you mean?” Astrid asked.
“I didn’t have the heart to tell her that Orfeo has the black pearl,” Sera replied.
“It’s good you didn’t tell her, Sera. She needs hope,” Astrid said, returning to her bed.
Sera laughed bitterly. “Hope isn’t going to get us that pearl,” she said.
No, it isn’t, Astrid agreed silently as she curled up in the seaweed.
But I am.
LUCIA CIRCLED THE MALIGNO, the skirts of her gown swirling around her.
It was after midnight. She’d led the creature out of Alítheia’s den and into the ruins of Merrow’s reggia by the light of a weak illuminata spell.
“You’re so beautiful,” she whispered, running a hand across the maligno’s back. She marveled again at the cheekbones, the strong jaw, the broad shoulders, the powerful blue tail—all exactly the same as Mahdi’s. The only difference was in the creature’s eyes. They had no light. But that didn’t matter. By the time Sera looked into them, it would be too late.
Lucia stopped in front of the maligno. She held up a small conch. “Speak the words exactly as I told them to you,” she said.
The maligno opened its mouth and in Mahdi’s voice said, “Sera, it’s Mahdi. I’m near the Karg, in the Darktide Shallows. I couldn’t send this news with Allegra. We’ve got big trouble. Vallerio’s heading for the Karg. He’s got twenty thousand soldiers with him. He’s going to attack. There’s more to tell you, but I can’t come into the camp. There’s a spy in your midst and I don’t want to be seen. Come to the Shallows. Hurry, Sera. Please.”
The maligno spoke with urgency and fear, but all the while, his eyes remained empty and cold.
“Very good,” Lucia said when he finished.
She tucked the conch into the breast pocket of his jacket, then she held something else out to him—Sera’s jacket.
The maligno took it in both hands and pressed it to his face, scenting it for traces of its owner, as a shark scents the water for blood.
Lucia unbuttoned the maligno’s jacket, tucked Sera’s inside, then fastened the creature’s jacket again.
She snapped her fingers, and a huge, ugly black sea scorpion crawled out from under a toppled pillar. Its sting would cause instant paralysis, but it didn’t sting the maligno. It climbed its tail, crawled up the back of its jacket, and settled on its shoulder.
“Go to the Darktide Shallows. Send the conch to the mermaid Serafina, then wait for her. When you’ve captured her, bring her to me,” Lucia said. She smiled, her eyes glittering darkly, and added, “Alive.”
THE FIRST LIGHT of morning broke across the Kargjord, stealing into the command cave’s entrance and waking Serafina. She was exhausted. Worried about Ava, she’d barely slept a wink.
As she opened her eyes, she realized she wasn’t the only one who was up. Someone else was making small, hushed noises, as if trying not to wake the others.
Sera raised her head and saw that it was Astrid. She was sitting up in her bed, quietly putting things into her backpack.
As Sera watched, Astrid put on her coat, picked up her backpack, and left the cave. It was barely dawn.
Where’s she going at this hour? Sera wondered.
She followed, being careful not to disturb Becca, Neela, and Ling, and found Astrid sitting on a rock. She was softly playing the notes of an illuminata songspell on her whalebone pipe. A light, drawn from the sun’s first rays, formed near her. Sera swam over and sat down next to her.
“Cool trick,” she said.
“Thanks.”
“Leaving us again?” Sera asked.
Astrid snorted. “I’ve been trying to leave you ever since I met you. I never seem to get very far.”
Sera smiled at that.
Having made a good illuminata, Astrid put her pipe down. “You’ve changed. A lot. You’ve become an amazing leader,” she said.
Sera was surprised, and pleased, by Astrid’s praise. Compliments were not something Astrid Kolfinnsdottir lavishly bestowed.
“I don’t know about that,” Sera said.
“I do.”
“Thanks. I’m trying. I keep hearing Vr?ja’s words in my head. After you left the Iele’s caves, I sat down with her.”
“Let me guess…to complain about me,” Astrid said.
“Pretty much,” Sera admitted. “While I was with her, Vr?ja told me that to lead, I needed to help the others. I needed to bring out the best in them. She said I have to help Ling break through silences, and help Neela believe that her greatest power comes from within, not without. I have to help Becca believe that the warmest fire is the one that’s shared, and help Ava believe that the gods did know what they were doing when they took her sight.”