Abbadon took a few last breaths, then with a deep groan, toppled onto the icy courtyard floor. As Astrid and the others watched, its chest sank. The eyes in its hands became sightless and dull. Its body, nothing but a hollow shell now, crumpled.
“You did it!” Sera said, throwing her arms around Astrid.
“We did it,” Astrid said, hugging her back. “All of us together.”
Becca and Neela slapped tails. Ling, pale as a sand dollar, managed to squeeze Ava’s hand.
And then the Carceron shuddered. A noise like a gunshot was heard overhead, as a crack opened in the roof’s glass.
“We’ve got to get out of here before the whole places crashes in on us,” Becca said.
“We can’t leave them,” Neela said, nodding at the pearls. “They need to go home. If the Carceron falls, we’ll never be able to find them again.”
“Ling needs a doctor,” Sera said, grimacing at the blood seeping out between Ling’s fingers. “Becca, can you get her back to camp?”
Becca nodded. “We’ll swim through the hole in the ceiling,” she said. “We don’t have time to deal with the maze, or the ghosts.”
“Good idea,” Sera said. “Everyone else, let’s move.” She cast an anxious glance at the ceiling.
Sera’s jacket, which Ling had pressed against her wound, was soaked with blood. Becca took off her own jacket and tied it around Ling’s torso. She looped one of Ling’s arms over her neck, then swam for the ceiling.
Astrid, Neela, Ava, and Sera swooped down to the bottom of the courtyard and picked up the pearls as quickly as they could. Ava felt for them with her hands. Astrid and Sera tore fabric from their dresses and made pouches out of it. Neela and Ava used their jackets. They all had to swim for cover when another crack snaked across the ceiling, but miraculously the glass held and they were able to resume their task.
“Ava, can you sense any that we missed?” Sera asked when they were done.
Ava shook her head. “We got them all; I’m sure of it.”
“Then let’s go.” Astrid gathered the corners of her pouch and knotted them. The others secured their pouches, too. Sera knotted Ava’s for her. Taking Ava’s hand, she swam toward the hole in the ceiling. Neela and Astrid followed.
The four made it through the jagged hole without any injuries and were turning toward the camp when another crack ripped through the ceiling. This one was too much for the ancient glass to bear. It imploded, lethal shards raining down over the courtyard and what was left of Orfeo’s tragic creature.
“We got out just in time,” Astrid said, leading the way back to camp.
The mermaids swam on in silence, then Sera said, “Will he come?”
“It depends how strong my magic was,” Astrid said.
“He’ll come. I know he heard you,” Sera said.
Astrid nodded. “I hope so,” she said. “Come on. We’ve got one more pearl to gather.”
SERA COULD SEE the anxious, upturned faces, mer and goblin, searching the waters over the Carceron.
Yazeed spotted them. He broke into a wide grin. “There they are!” he shouted, pointing.
Sera, Astrid, Neela, and Ava cleared the prison, then dropped down into the camp. As they placed the pouches of pearls down, their fellow fighters rushed to them.
“Did you—” Yazeed started to ask.
“We did,” Neela answered.
Yazeed’s whole body sagged with relief. He hugged his sister tightly. “I was so scared that you wouldn’t make it.”
“Really, Yaz?” Neela asked, clearly touched.
Yazeed immediately backstroked. “Well, um…what I meant is, I would’ve been scared. If I wasn’t so tough and cool.”
Neela laughed.
“Please tell me Ling’s okay,” Sera said, worry in her voice.
“She is,” said Ling, swimming up to the group. Lena was helping her. “I’m really sore, but I’m okay.” She lifted the clean shirt she was wearing. Black stitches ran in a jagged line across the bottom of her rib cage. “Twenty-two,” she said. “Lena did a great job.”
Lena smiled shyly, pleased by the praise. The two giant catfish behind her purred.
Kora and two of her Askari were nearby. “That will leave a beautiful scar,” Kora said enviously. She turned to Sera. “The monster…it’s really dead?”
“It is,” Sera replied.
Kora threw her head back and uttered a piercing, joyous victory cry.
She took her coral armband—notched for every Razormouth she’d killed—and put it on Sera’s arm. “Well done, sister Askara,” she said. She touched her forehead to Sera’s, then pulled her into a tight embrace.
Sera hugged Kora back, drawing strength from the fearless warrior. “Thank you,” she finally said. “We couldn’t have done it without you.”
She released Kora. Thousands of weary, battered faces were looking at her. They’d formed a semicircle in front of the Carceron.
Sera swam before them. “Abbadon is dead!” she shouted, raising her fist high into the water.