She struggled on, her fins shuddering with the effort. “Gone off course…must have,” she mumbled.
She had aimed for Cap de Creus, a rocky outcropping of land near Spain’s border with France.
“Should have been there by now…”
“Oh, Principessa!” the infanta suddenly cried. “Can you smell it? Juniper! Bay leaves and roses! Oranges!”
“Why aren’t we there? Gods, help me…please…” Serafina begged.
“Palamós!” said the infanta. “I remember it! I came here as a child!”
Serafina’s head was spinning. She was so weak, she didn’t realize they were in the shallow waters of a deserted beach. She swam on and her head broke the surface. Gentle waves lapped around her chest. But it wasn’t over yet. The infanta had to break her tie with the sea. She had to put a foot on dry land. And Serafina had to get her far enough out of the water to do it. With the last of her strength, she heaved her body onto the beach, then handed Maria Theresa out of the waves. The infanta stepped onto the shore and at last it was done. She released Serafina’s hand and walked out of the surf.
“I’m home,” she whispered. “Thank you, Principessa. Oh, thank you!” She kissed her palm and blew the kiss to Serafina. Then she turned and walked on, her head back, her arms outstretched to the bright blue sky, laughing like the girl she once was. Her body glittered now, became a million points of silver light, and then crumbled into a fine, shimmering dust. As Serafina watched, the warm Spanish winds swept her away, until all that remained was the echo of her laughter.
Serafina could barely breathe now. Her exhausted body was failing. She tried to push herself back into the sea, but she didn’t have the strength. The ghost had taken too much from her. Her chest was hitching. Her face was turning blue. She collapsed on the sand and rolled onto her back.
The sun blinded her. She closed her eyes, knowing she was going to die there.
Knowing she had failed.
And then she felt hands on her.
They were pulling at her. Her body was being dragged over the rough sand, inch by inch. It was the terragoggs. They were dragging her out of the water to put her in a tank. That’s what they did to sea creatures.
Sera struggled, but didn’t have the strength to fight them. The infanta had taken too much from her. Please, gods, don’t let the humans take me. Let me die, she prayed.
But no, she was being dragged into the sea. She suddenly felt the life-giving water all around her body. Her head went under.
“Serafina!” A small, worried face smiled at her. “We’re not too late! You’re alive!”
“Coco?” she rasped. “How…how did you…” She couldn’t finish. She was back in the water, but breathing was still so hard.
“The conch! The one you were listening to in the Ostrokon before you left. After you swam away, I picked it up and listened to it. I figured out that you were going to the Demeter, so I followed you!”
“By yourself…How?” Sera asked, coughing.
“No. I went for help.”
“Serafina…Oh, gods, Sera, what have you done?”
Serafina knew that voice. It was Mahdi. He’d pulled her back into the water. He had her in his arms now.
She smiled at him. “It’s okay.…I found it.” She was gasping now.
“It’s not okay. Look at her, Mahdi! I’m scared!” Coco said.
“Take a breath, Sera.…Just take a deep breath.”
“She’s turning blue!” Coco cried. “Do something, Mahdi!”
“Come on, Sera…stay with me.…Don’t do this, Serafina! Breathe! Please, please breathe!”
NEELA FOUGHT like a tiger shark.
Her attacker had dragged her off the current and down behind a coral reef. He was still behind her, his hand pressed to her mouth, his arm around her waist, squeezing her tightly.
This filthy death rider is not getting the moonstone, she thought wildly. He’s not.
She whipped her tail back and forth, battering it hard against his. She grabbed his arm and dug her fingernails into it. She sank her teeth into his hand.
“Ouch! Quit it!”
Quit it? Neela thought. Since when do death riders say “Quit it”?
“Neela, it’s me, Yazeed!”
Neela stopped moving. Her attacker released her and she turned around. Her hands came up to her mouth. The boy in front of her was thin and weary-looking, but he was Yaz.
“Oh, my gods!” she said, throwing her arms around his neck.
She’d nearly beaten her brother to a pulp. Now she hugged him so hard, he could barely breathe.
“I’m sorry, Yaz! I’m so sorry! I didn’t know it was you. You’re alive!”
“I was,” he grumbled.
She let go of him and swam back a few strokes, her hands on her hips. “Where the hell have you been all this time? Why didn’t you let anyone know you’re okay?”
“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later.”
“Why did you grab me just now? You scared the silt out of me!”