Serafina hesitated, wary of revealing her plans. “Well, we—” she started to say.
“Oh, of course you are! Everyone’s going. Isn’t it wonderful? He’s coming back! Principe Vallerio, the high commander! He’s heading straight into the city and there’s going to be a big betrothal ceremony when he gets there. To make up for the one that never happened.”
“There is?” Serafina said, astonished.
“Yes! In the Kolisseo. Vallerio’s riders have been going village to village, ordering every merperson within two leagues of Cerulea to attend.”
“The high commander sounds very confident. His army must be a powerful one,” Serafina said, trying to get as much information from the mermaid as she could.
“They say it’s fearsome. Much bigger than Traho’s. The death riders must be terrified. I’m sure they’re packing their bags as we speak, and I say good riddance.” The mermaid handed her a room key. “Here you go. Room Four. Sleep well.”
“Mahdi must know all about this!” Coco said excitedly, as soon as she and Sera were in their room.
“I think you’re right,” said Sera. “He must’ve deserted Traho and told Vallerio that he was only pretending to be on the invaders’ side.”
“He must’ve told Vallerio about you, too,” Coco said. “Your uncle knows you’re alive and that’s why he’s having the betrothal ceremony! As soon as they take back the city, you and Mahdi can do a proper betrothal. Just like you were supposed to do before Cerulea was attacked. We have to get back to the city, Sera! You have to be there! Mahdi and Vallerio are going to be waiting for you!” The little merl was nearly bouncing off the walls.
“And you have to get some sleep. We have five leagues to cover tomorrow.”
She gave Coco some of the food Elena had packed for them. Coco gobbled it, then fell into bed. Abelard snuggled next to her. Seconds later, both Coco and her little shark were fast asleep. Serafina locked the door, turned off the lights, and crept into bed herself. Not that she was able to sleep.
At Elena and Carlo’s, Mahdi had said that Vallerio was seen in the waters off Portugal. That was four days ago—he might be nearly as close to the city as she was now. If that was so, then as soon as tomorrow, she and her uncle might be reunited. She could barely believe this happy turn of events.
Sera closed her eyes, and for the first time in a long time, she fell asleep with hope, not fear, in her heart.
Finally the tide was turning back toward peace.
“I’M SO GLAD you’re not dumb, Yaz,” Neela said.
Yazeed shot her a sidelong glace. “I thought you were going to say dead.”
“That, too.”
“Hey, thanks.”
“You really had us fooled, you and Mahdi. We had no idea you were Blu and Grigio. We thought you were just a couple of idiots.”
“That was the idea.”
Neela looked at her brother. “I’m actually going to miss him.”
“Who?”
“The old Yazeed.”
“He’s still around,” Yaz said. He affected a vapid expression. “Merl, you look fresh to death in that dress! Wanna go to the Sand Bar tonight? The Nepp Tunes are playing. They have the best kombu smoothies. They’re like, totally seagan,” he said.
A second later, the vapid expression was gone and the Yazeed Neela now knew was back. A Yazeed with a hardness to him.
“Wow. You know, that’s actually kind of scary, Yaz. I had no idea you were such a good actor.”
“And I had no idea you were such a good songcaster. Can you try a convoca again? I really need to talk to Mahdi.”
“Sure, but I need to stop and sit down somewhere. The last two times I tried, it was a total fail. I’m hoping it was because I was tired.”
“I see a place down there,” Yaz said, pointing to a hollow under a coral reef.
He and Neela swam to it. Neela sat down for a moment, caught her breath, and tried her hardest to cast a convoca, but once again, she failed.
“You’re beat, that’s all,” Yaz said.
“No, it’s more than that,” Neela said dispiritedly. “Vr?ja told us our powers are strongest when we’re all together. The convoca’s one of the hardest songspells there is. I can’t seem to cast it without the others near me. Come on, Yaz, let’s get going. We’ve got to find Mahdi and Sera.”
“Rest for two more minutes, then we’ll swim again,” Yaz said. He sat down on the silty seafloor and leaned his back against the coral, but didn’t close his eyes. He just stared ahead, a grim expression on his face.
Neela and Yazeed were on their way to Cerulea. They’d been swimming for days, stopping to sleep for only a few hours each night. They’d left the palace as fast as they could after Khelefu had been murdered. They’d wanted to be well out of Matali City when their transparensea pearls wore off.