“A cage?” Sera said, outraged.
“I got the ring, and then Traho got me. He took it. He was going to turn me over to Vallerio, but a friend rescued me. We’ve been making our way to you ever since. Sera, may I introduce another queen? Manon Laveau, the swamp queen of the Mississippi.”
Sera had been so overjoyed to see Ava, she hadn’t noticed that others had swum into the room with her.
Sera bowed to Manon, who returned the gesture.
“I would also like to present Jean Lafitte, Sally Wilkes, and the Countess Esmé,” Ava said.
The ghosts all bowed. Sera’s eyes widened at the sight of them.
Manon saw her fear and laughed. “Don’t you worry, cher. They’re not shipwreck ghosts. They know better than to suck the life out of folks.”
Sera relaxed. “Thank you for saving my friend,” she said, taking Manon’s hand.
“You’re more than welcome, but honestly, it wasn’t no scales off my tail, as they say in the swamp. Ava’s a good soul, and I’m always happy to mess up a bully’s plans, and Traho is one mean bully.”
“He was,” Ling said. “He’s one dead bully now.”
Manon shook her head regretfully. “That’s too bad. My boys will be disappointed. They were fixing to make mincemeat out of him.”
She must’ve brought bodyguards with her, Sera thought. Traho must’ve gotten on their wrong side, too.
“Ava, did you say that Traho had Nyx’s ring?” Becca asked.
Ava nodded sadly. “Baby got it from the Okwa Naholo. We were on our way out of the swamps when Traho found us.”
“Traho probably passed it on to Orfeo,” Sera reasoned, crestfallen to think that Orfeo had two talismans now.
“Speaking of Baby, where is that little beast?” Neela asked.
“Dead,” Ava said sadly. “The death riders killed him.”
“Oh, Ava, no!” Neela cried. “I’m so sorry!”
As Neela, Ling, and Becca comforted Ava, Sera attended to Manon, asking her if she would like something to eat.
“Child, what I would like is somewhere to rest my old bones. It’s a long way from the Mississippi to Miromara. Maybe you have a nice little shack somewhere where a swamp queen could put her fins up?”
“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.”
Sera placed a gentle hand on Ava’s arm. “We’ll figure it out. Together.”
It was at that very moment, when they were united and supporting one another, that they heard it. A voice, inside their heads.
“Merls? Are you there? Can you hear me? Please say something! It’s me, Astrid!”
“ASTRID!” SERA CRIED, overjoyed to see her, but terrified they’d lose the connection to her. “We’re here! All of us! Can you see us?”
Astrid held a finger to her lips, then said something, but Sera and others couldn’t understand her. She flickered and faded.
“Focus, people, focus!” Nee
la ordered.
The five mermaids all joined hands and concentrated on Astrid.
“—can’t talk long,” Astrid said, her image suddenly vivid and sharp. “His servants might hear me and tell him!”
“Merl, look at you!” Neela said. “I barely recognize you. That is one invincible outfit! And your hair!”
Astrid looked down at herself and smiled wryly. “That’s what happens when you have a reincarnated death-mage for a stylist.”
She was wearing a fitted black dress and a beautiful pearl bib necklace. Her blond hair was sleek and short. Squid ink lined her eyes; silvery-blue ground mussel shell dusted her eyelids. Rings of obsidian and garnet glinted on her hands.
“Where are you?” Becca asked.
“In Shadow Manse, Orfeo’s palace,” Astrid replied.
“Are you okay?” asked Ling.
“I’m fine. Look, I don’t know how long I’ve got, so”—she gave a wary glance over her shoulder—“I need to convey the essentials. Fast.”
“Go ahead,” said Sera. “We’re listening.”
“Orfeo’s got the ruby ring. I’m going to take it, and the black pearl, tonight. And then I’m going to haul tail for the Southern Sea. Meet me there.”
“Astrid, how? This is Orfeo we’re talking about,” Ling said. “He has powerful magic, you know? He might see this coming.”
“I have magic now, too. Orfeo cured me. We’re super tight.” She smirked, then added, “At least that’s what he thinks.”
“I’m glad to hear you can sing again, Astrid, but you’ve been songcasting for what, a few weeks? Orfeo’s been at it for four thousand years. He has a slight edge,” Sera said, worried about her friend.
“Yeah, but I have a partner in this particular crime, and she has an edge, too. A big one.” Astrid smiled like an excited child, then said, “Sera, it’s Thalassa! She’s alive. Orfeo’s been keeping her prisoner, but she’s okay. She’s my teacher!”
Sera gasped. “Thalassa’s alive?” Her heart swelled with happiness. This was a miracle. She was certain Miromara’s canta magus had been killed by death riders. But her happiness was immediately pushed aside by anger. Thalassa was alive, yes, but she was in Orfeo’s brutal hands. “Tell her I’m going to bring her home, Astrid,” Sera said fiercely. “Tell her I’ll find a way.”
Astrid nodded. “I will, Sera. I promise.”
“Wait, Astrid, exactly how are you going to get the talismans?” Becca asked, always practical.
“Orfeo takes the black pearl off at night, and puts it in a safe in his room. The ruby ring’s there, too. I know because he showed it to me after Traho delivered it.”
“Why would he do that?” Ling asked.
“Because he totally trusts me. I’ve made him think I’m on board with his plan to free Abbadon and attack the underworld.”
“Okaaay,” Ling said, skeptical. “But he’s going to stop trusting you pretty quick when he catches you trying to steal his talismans.”
“But he won’t catch me! That’s what I’m trying to tell you! Thalassa taught me how to cast a superstrong somnio spell. I’m going to use it on Orfeo, make sure he’s sound asleep, and then figure out how to break the safe’s enchantment.”
Sera shook her head. “I don’t like this plan. Too dangerous.”
“Oh, okay. I’ll just reach into my bag o’ plans and pull out a different one, then,” Astrid said, rolling her eyes.
Sera gave her a look. “Does sarcasm really help at a time like this?”
“I know it’s dangerous,” Astrid said in a more conciliatory tone, “but it’s all I’ve got. And I’m doing it.”
“How long will it take you to get to the Southern Sea?” Becca asked. “Where is Shadow Manse?”
Astrid snorted. “The Black Sea. Where else?”
“Wow. That lumpsucker’s seriously hung up on black,” Neela said.
“It should take me about two months to get to the Southern Sea. Orfeo told me exactly where the Carceron is.”
“Where?” Sera asked excitedly.
“At the north face of Bleak Mount, on the Weddell Plain.”
“Astrid, that’s huge! It will save us weeks of searching, if not months,” Becca said.
“You’re welcome,” said Astrid. “I could get there a lot faster if I went through the mirror realm, but I don’t dare risk it. If Rorrim caught me, he’d turn me in in a heartbeat. He and Orfeo are close.”
“Funny how soul-stealing fiends tend to stick together,” Ling observed.
“Two months is tight to move a large number of troops, but I think we can do it,” Sera said.
“How many have you got?” Astrid asked.
“One hundred thousand,” Sera replied.
Astrid whistled. “I don’t know what Orfeo has, if anything,” she said. “But I bet it’s not a hundred thousand.” She glanced over her shoulder again. “Someone’s coming. I’ve got to go!”
“Be careful, Astrid!” Becca said.
“I will,” Astrid said. Then she looked directly at Sera. “I can do this. Have faith in me.”
“I know you can,” Sera replied.
And then Astrid was gone.
“Wow,” Neela said.
“We’re closer than we’ve ever been to uniting all six talismans, and defeating Abbadon,” said Sera.
“Or getting ourselves slaughtered,” Ling pointed out.
“Sitting here worrying won’t get one hundred thousand soldiers ready,” Becca said. “Getting to bed so we can wake up at first light and get busy, will.”
“True,” agreed Sera.
The five friends rose. Becca, Neela, and Ling already had rooms in the palace and knew how to get to them. Sera summoned Gianna to take Ava to hers. But before they said their good nights, they turned to each other once more. Astrid had found out where the Carceron was. She’d been training her voice. She might even be able to snatch the last two talismans. That was all good. The five friends sensed that they had a new advantage, and they were excited about it, but a new solemnness had settled over them as well.
“Surviving on the swim, building an army, convincing Alítheia not to eat me, battling my uncle…it all feels like child’s play compared to what’s ahead of us,” Sera said.
Ava nodded gravely. “That’s because it is. Your uncle and Lucia were mortals with flaws and weaknesses that you could use to defeat them. But Orfeo’s immortal. Abbadon, too.”
“The Antarctic waters are going to make the North Sea feel like the Bahamas,” Becca said. “Food will be scarce. Some of the soldiers won’t make it. I wouldn’t be surprised if skavveners follow us the whole way.”
“We need to prepare our troops well, for sure,” Ling said, “but first we need to prepare ourselves. Because the hardest part of this whole thing is about to begin.”
“WELL DONE, CHILD,” Orfeo said, stepping out of the shadows.
He’d hidden himself at the side of the large wardrobe in Astrid’s room, well out of range of the convoca.
Astrid turned to him. “You heard everything?”
“I did.”
“Then you know she has one hundred thousand troops. One hundred thousand. They were supposed to be your troops,” Astrid said anxiously. “They would have been, if Serafina hadn’t beaten her uncle.”
Orfeo flapped a hand. “A minor inconvenience.”
“Minor?”
He smiled. “I’m touched by your concern, but your worry is misplaced. We’ll go to the Southern Sea with an army, too, Astrid—a powerful one. Have no doubt about that. And once I’m inside the Carceron, one hundred million soldiers couldn’t stop me.”
Astrid nodded, unconvinced.
“Practice now, child,” Orfeo advised. “Songcasting should be your only concern. Work on your stilos, your vortexes, your apă piatrăs. We’ll need them in the Southern Sea, and again when we march on the underworld.”
Astrid promised that she would, and Orfeo bade her good night. Before he left, he kissed her foreh
ead, then took her face in his hands.
“You are all that I hoped you’d be, and so much more,” he said to her. “I’m so proud of you. So proud of your strength, your talent. So proud to call you daughter.”
Astrid smiled. “If I’m strong, if I’m showing talent, it’s only because of you,” she said. “You gave me my magic back, Orfeo. I’ll never forget it.”
Orfeo looked pleased. He kissed her again, then left her room.
Astrid watched him go, then closed the door behind him. She conjured an apă piatră, and then a fragor lux, but her heart wasn’t in it and the spells fizzled.
“Betray my friends?” she whispered. “Or betray my blood?”
That was the decision she’d had to make. She hadn’t expected to find herself so torn when she’d left the Karg, but that was before she met Orfeo, before he gave her back her magic—and her pride.
Astrid had made the decision. Some time ago. Now she’d have to carry it out. And live forevermore with the consequences, whatever they might be.
She swam to a tall window and stared out of it, her thoughts, and her heart, as inscrutable as the night-dark waters.
“GOOD EVENING, Your Grace,” said the nurse as Sera swam into Mahdi’s hospital room.
“Has there been any improvement?” Sera asked hopefully, as she did every time she came to visit Mahdi.
“I’m afraid not,” the nurse said, shaking her head. “We’ve changed the anemone arrangement above his bed, though, so he has something fresh to look at.”
“Thank you,” said Sera, glancing up at the ceiling, where a new pattern of orange, purple, and pink had been laid out. Mahdi’s blank eyes stared up at it.
Is he seeing them? Sera wondered. Can he hear me? Does he even know I’m here?
She sat down on the edge of his bed and smoothed a lock of hair off his forehead. Sylvestre, draped around her neck, turned dark blue.
“We’re ready, Mahdi,” she said, sharing her day with him, as she did every evening. “Weapons, ammo, food…it’s all in place. We provisioned the troops when we were in the Karg, and Becca made sure everything was loaded into Marco’s ships, but we needed so much more. We only had twenty thousand soldiers then, and there are one hundred thousand bivouacked outside the city tonight. This is it, Mahdi. After all this time, we’re finally going to the Southern Sea.”
Waterfire Saga, Book Four: Sea Spell: Deep Blue Novel, A Page 23
