“A shack, no,” Sera said, smiling. “But I’m sure we can find some comfortable accommodations for you.”
She called for her maid. “Gianna,” she said when the mermaid arrived, “please show our guest to the abalone suite in the west wing. Have dinner brought for her. And please have some tea brought for us, too.”
“I’m much obliged to you,” Manon said, turning to follow Gianna. But before she could go, Ava reached for her, then hugged her tightly.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“You catch up with your friends now. I’ll see you in the morning,” Manon said gruffly, patting Ava’s back.
The ghosts chattered loudly as they left the chamber.
“A palace, a court, royalty,” Esmé said grandly. “At last I’m back with my own kind!”
Manon snorted. “If you’re a real countess, Esmé, then all those beads the goggs throw during Mardi Gras are real jewels!”
“Do you think this place is haunted?” Lafitte asked, looking around fearfully.
“Please don’t tell me you’re afraid of ghosts now,” Manon said, exasperated.
“Manon, where did those gators of yours get to?” Sally asked. “They were right here, now they’re not.”
A scream was heard from down the hallway.
“That’ll be them,” Manon said. “Probably cornered some fool saltwater mer who doesn’t know a gator from a salamander. Antoine! Gervais!” she bellowed. “You boys get over here!”
Sera’s eyes grew wide. “She brought alligators with her?” she whispered. “I thought she meant bodyguards when she said my boys.”
Ava nodded. “She did. The alligators are her bodyguards. Don’t worry. She keeps them under control. Mostly.”
Sera bit back a laugh. “I’m so happy you’re here with us, Ava. Sit down. You must be so tired.”
Sera’s maid returned with a pot of hot sargassa tea, plus bowls of candied barnacles, pickled snails, and salted sea cucumbers. The five mermaids flopped down on soft, anemone-filled sofas, on large sea-silk cushions scattered on the floor, or collapsed into luxurious giant clam chairs.
As they ate and drank, Ava related her trip in more detail. Sera told her about Mahdi. Neela, Ling, and Becca filled Ava in on the battle for Cerulea and the progress they’d made since taking the city back.
“And Astrid? Have you heard from her?” Ava asked, when the others had finished speaking.
“No,” Sera said. “Not a word since she left to find Orfeo. I can’t even tell you how scared I am for her.”
“So we don’t know if she has the black pearl,” Ava said.
“Or if she’s okay,” Ling said, stating their deepest fears.
“What do we do?” Ava asked. Sera heard a plaintive note in her voice.
“We go to the Southern Sea. Just as we planned,” Sera said. “The balance of power has shifted in our favor.”
“What do you mean?” Ava asked.
“Defeating Vallerio not only gave me my realm back, it gave Matali back to Mahdi. Emperor Aran and Empress Sananda were imprisoned by Portia, but now they are free again and ruling in his absence,” Sera explained.
“They’re my parents,” Neela cut in. “I told them about Abbadon months ago, and they didn’t believe me. But they do now, and they’ve sent troops to help us defeat it.”
“Ondalina sent troops, too,” Ling added. “And the Elder of Qin did also, out of gratitude to Sera for ruining Vallerio’s plan to take over his realm.”
“Orfeo had hoped to have control of the armies of Matali, Ondalina, and Qin through Vallerio,” Sera said. “He planned to use them after he freed Abbadon to help him attack the underworld, but those armies are ours now.”
“And our talismans,” Neela added. “All except two.”
“The black pearl and—”
“The ruby ring,” Ava said hopelessly.
The heaviness Sera had sensed in Ava earlier descended again.
“Ava,” Sera said, taking her hand, “you’re not yourself. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, mina. I—I’m just tired, that’s all.”
“No,” Sera said. “There’s more to it than that.”
A sob escaped Ava, and then another. “I failed you. All of you. And I failed myself. I didn’t get the ring,” she said, her voice hitching.
Instantly, the other four mermaids were out of their chairs, or off the floor, surrounding her.
“Failed us? Are you crazy, merl?” Neela said.
“You did get the ring,” Becca insisted. “Traho ganged up on you two hundred to one!”
“You did an impossible thing,” said Ling. “You survived the Okwa Naholo and the death riders!”
“Baby didn’t,” Ava said softly. “I miss him. I loved him so much. I had him since I was a tiny merl. I’ve depended on him for everything. How am I going to manage without him?”
“We’ll help you, Ava,” Neela said fiercely, squeezing Ava’s hand. “We’ll be your eyes.”
Becca took her other hand. “We’ll take care of you. We love you, Aves, don’t you know that? We’d do anything for you.”