The Perilous Sea (The Elemental Trilogy #2)

“I have been in her parlor. I have seen the maelstrom symbol on her drawer pulls,” said Kashkari. “I know she is an agent of Atlantis. But Atlantis has many agents, and not all of them are loyal to the Bane.”


“I have seen nothing from Mrs. Hancock that would suggest she is not extremely loyal to the Bane.”

Kashkari’s face fell. “I’d hoped that you knew something about her that I don’t. That perhaps she is sympathetic to our cause.”

“Your cause, not ours,” Titus reminded him, pointedly.

“But Amara told me that Atlantis considers you an adversary. She said Atlantis also believes that you are harboring an elemental mage as powerful as my uncle had been.”

Amara must be the one who had crashed the party at the Citadel, the one allegedly engaged to Kashkari’s brother.

Titus made his tone dismissive. “A misunderstanding that got out of hand. When the elemental mage brought down a bolt of lightning, I got on my peryton and went for a look. Agents of Atlantis reached the spot with me still circling overhead and they have hounded me ever since.”

“I see,” said Kashkari carefully.

“But you need not worry that anything you say here will find its way to the wrong ears. I might not have the same ambition as you, but I have no love for Atlantis and will not stand in your way.”

Titus was about to head for the door when he remembered something. “Mind telling me why you were late for school? Knowing what I do now, I imagine you were not stuck on a nonmage ship in the Indian Ocean.”

“No, I was in Africa at my brother’s engagement—his fiancée’s family moved to the Kalahari Realm several generations ago and even in Exile they did not relocate far from the Kalahari.”

“So the woman really is your future sister-in-law?”

“I’m afraid so.” Kashkari’s gaze wandered briefly to the photograph from the engagement fête. “In any case, there we were, talking. Amara related what she’d thought of as heartening news, that Madame Pierredure had emerged to distribute armament and know-how to mages in several realms who were secretly planning attacks on Atlantean installations.”

“When in fact she committed suicide years ago.”

“In our home, no less—she and my grandmother had been friends at school and she had shown up at our door after the rebellions had failed. We told Amara everything. The next few days were a blur—that was what delayed my return to Britain.”

Titus nodded. “And is there a particular reason you chose to tell Fairfax about your prophetic dreams?”

“Fairfax is an odd case. I was hoping you’d be able to tell me more, since it was always understood that he was your friend. But while I know he had never been here before the beginning of last Half, what I cannot decide is whether you put him here, or whether Atlantis put him here and you must do your best to tolerate him.”

Titus stared at Kashkari. He worried about many things and concocted endless possible scenarios to defend against, but it had never occurred to him that anyone would see Fairfax as a possible agent of Atlantis. “Why do you think Atlantis put him here?”

“Because for two people who are supposed to be friends, sometimes you certainly seem as if you can’t stand each other.”

Sometimes Titus forgot the great falling-out between himself and Fairfax at the beginning of Summer Half. The divide between them had seemed an abyss—completely unbridgeable. Which they nevertheless managed to bridge.

Did this mean there was hope for them this time as well?

“Have you mentioned your suspicions about Fairfax to anyone, anyone at all?”

“No. However he arrived at our midst, he has been nothing but helpful all around.”

Inner beauty. That was what the boys had responded to in Fairfax from the beginning, her kindness, her comfortable company, her easy acceptance of them as they were. “I would go on saying nothing of Fairfax.”

“I understand. And Mrs. Hancock?”

Mrs. Hancock was a very different problem. Titus had no intention of ever trusting anyone with the maelstrom symbol on her drawer pulls. “Let me ask around.”

They bade each other good night and Titus walked to the door. As he was about to let himself out, however, Kashkari spoke again. “Your Highness.”

Titus did not turn around. “What is it?”

“You may say nothing of what you believe, Your Highness, but remember my powers,” said Kashkari, his voice quiet and cool. “I have seen who you are, and that is the only reason I have risked my life and the lives of all those I love by telling you the truth. Someday I hope you will return that trust.”





CHAPTER 21