Sea Spell (Waterfire Saga #4)(15)

Vallerio digested Mahdi’s words, then nodded approvingly. “I like your thinking,” he said. “I’ll have death riders continue to harass the Black Fins, but no large-scale attack. Not yet.”

Mahdi forced a smile. Relief washed over him. He’d bought the Black Fins more time. He’d kept them safe. That was why he was here in Cerulea, why he’d gotten close to Lucia and her parents, why he risked his life every minute of every day conducting this dangerous charade.

But his relief was short-lived.

“In fact, I like the way you think so much, I’m sending you to Guldemar,” Vallerio said.

“For what purpose?” Mahdi asked. His fins were prickling, but once again, he hid his true feelings.

“To get him to break with the Black Fins. Bribe him, Mahdi. Threaten him. Do whatever you have to do, but make him see that it’s in his best interest to ally himself with us, not Serafina,” said Vallerio. “I want you to go tomorrow.”

“That’s a wonderful idea!” Portia trilled.

“I’ll leave first thing in the morning,” Mahdi said. His smile was still in place, but inside he was cursing Vallerio. The last thing he wanted to do was talk Guldemar out of helping Sera.

“Excellent. Now,” Vallerio said, focusing on his map again, “after we take Qin, I think we should—”

His words were cut off as the door to the stateroom opened and Lucia entered, in a swirl of lavender sea silk.

“Darling!” Portia said warmly.

Lucia smiled brightly. Too brightly. It made Mahdi uneasy.

Over the past few weeks, she’d been slipping out of the palace at night. Mahdi didn’t know where she went. He’d tried to have her followed, but she always lost the tails. Bianca had always accompanied her, but one night only Lucia had returned. When asked the next day about her friend’s disappearance, she’d professed to know nothing.

Mahdi had noticed a change in Lucia ever since she’d started making these trips. She’d become more hot-tempered, but oddly, her eyes had grown colder. The eyes are the windows to the soul, the goggs said, and Lucia’s were full of shadows.

Lucia kissed her mother and father, then swam to Mahdi and took his hands. “I’m so glad you’re here with my parents. I have the most wonderful news!” she said. “I’m moving the date of our wedding up! We’ll marry in two moons’ time. During the next syzygy.”

Mahdi’s heart nearly stopped. He couldn’t speak. Luckily he didn’t have to. Lucia kept talking.

“We spoke about this once before, Mahdi, remember?” she said. “You were worried about the instability in the realms, and my safety. But my father is putting that behind us, so I see no reason to wait any longer. I want us to be married.”

“This is rather sudden,” Vallerio said.

Portia echoed her husband’s concern. “Lucia, we’ve already announced the date. It’s official. We have a guest list. Leaders from other realms are invited. I really don’t think—”

Lucia spun around. Her smile was gone. Her eyes were hard. “I don’t care what you think, Mother. I’m the regina here, not you, and this is what I want,” she snapped.

Portia, surprised by the menace in her daughter’s voice, took a stroke backward. She and Vallerio glanced at each other. He seemed equally taken aback.

“I—I guess we could have a private ceremony,” she finally said. “For family and friends. And keep the state ceremony on the agreed date.”

“Whatever,” Lucia said dismissively. She turned back to Mahdi. She must’ve glimpsed something in his expression that she didn’t like, for her eyes narrowed. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “Aren’t you happy?”

Mahdi wasn’t. Far from it.

He knew that when he sang the first note of his marriage vows, the dangerous game he was playing would be over. If a Promised mer sang marriage vows to anyone but his or her betrothed, the vows would fall flat. Lucia, Portia, and everyone else at the ceremony would discover that he’d Promised himself to another, and it wouldn’t take them long to figure out who it was. Vallerio would throw him in the dungeons, if he didn’t put an arrow through his heart.

Mahdi also knew that he had to give the performance of his life now.

He raised Lucia’s hand to his lips and kissed it. “I’m beyond happy,” he lied. “Our wedding day can’t some soon enough. Why not tonight?”

Lucia flushed with pleasure. “That’s too soon!” she said, laughing. “The regina’s wedding requires a syzygy, remember? Be patient!”

“I’ll try my best,” Mahdi said, smiling at her.

“Can you come for a swim through the gardens?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Later, I promise. Your father, mother, and I are busy protecting your realm. And you know that nothing is more important to me than your safety.”

Lucia nodded. She kissed his cheek, then swam out of the room.

Portia watched her daughter go, an expression of misgiving on her face. “Never mind Qin,” she said, as guards closed the door after Lucia. “Thanks to Lucia’s news, it’ll have to wait. What we need to do, right now, is kill Serafina, before she brings all our plans toppling down.”

“But the Black Fins aren’t a threat,” Vallerio protested. “We just discussed this!”