Sea Spell (Waterfire Saga #4)(54)

JUST FIVE DAYS TO GO, and I’m out, Mahdi thought.

It was less than a week, but it seemed like an eternity. Five days of enduring Lucia’s smile, her touch, her kisses. Of listening to the boring gossip and cruel jokes of her friends. Five days of dancing attendance on Portia. Of listening to Vallerio’s plans to raid more villages, enslave more citizens. Of hauling Black Fin sympathizers out of their hiding places while on patrol. Five days of enduring Traho’s suspicious glances. Of trying to keep up the pretense of being loyal to a pack of murderers.

He was with them now, some of the very mer he despised. He, Lucia, and their court were swimming through the palace gardens. Some courtiers were talking about the wedding, others about the party he was going to throw the night before. Lucia was bragging about wedding presents they’d received.

Hang on, he told himself. Smile and nod. You’ve done it for months; you can do it for a few more days.

His escape had been planned weeks ago. Currensea and clothing, as well as the location of his first safe house, had been hidden in a sunken yacht east of the city. When Mahdi got there, he would learn the location of the second one. He would move from one to the next until he’d made it all the way to the Straits of Gibraltar, where he’d rendezvous with Sera and the other Black Fins.

“…and my cousins sent the most incredible set of goblets you’ve ever seen! There are ten of them, pure silver and studded with amethysts. An aunt sent a solid gold lavalabra that’s nearly as tall as I am….”

Lucia droned on, bragging about the tribute she’d received, as her lackeys oohed and aahed. When she finished, she pulled Mahdi away from the rest of the court, until they were out of earshot. Then she turned to face him, biting her lower lip. Her eyes sparkled darkly.

“I have a gift for you, Mahdi,” she declared. “An early wedding present. I wanted to wait until after we were married to give it to you, but I just can’t! You’re going to love it!”

Mahdi set his thoughts aside and smoothly slipped back into the role of besotted husband-to-be. He’d recently doubled down on the compliments and public displays of affection.

Smiling, he took Lucia’s hands in his. “Sorry, Luce,” he said, kissing her, “but I already got the best present in the entire world…you.”

Catfish calls were heard from the male courtiers. Lucia flapped a hand at them and pulled Mahdi farther away. “Hold out your hand and close your eyes,” she commanded.

Mahdi did so, and Lucia placed a small object on his palm.

“Now open them!” she said.

The color drained from Mahdi’s face when he saw what he was holding. He could barely breathe. It was a delicate ring made of shell—the ring he’d carved for Serafina.

“Where did you get this?” he asked in a strangled voice.

“I took it off her hand. Right before I had her killed!” Lucia said happily. Her blue eyes were so dark now, they looked almost black.

“Lucia,” Mahdi whispered, “what have you done?”

She leaned in close to him. “I just told you, Mahdi. I killed Sera. She’s gone. And you’re free. You were under a terrible enchantment, and you didn’t even know it. Serafina cast a songspell over you to make you think you were in love with her. To make you spy for her. But now I’ve broken the spell and saved you.”

“You…you murdered Sera?” Mahdi said. He felt as if she had just crushed his heart with her bare hands.

Lucia’s eyes narrowed. “You lied to me, Mahdi. And to my parents,” she said. “All this time, you’ve been helping the Black Fins. Feeding them information. Spying for them. I understand. Because I know what Sera did. But I’m not sure my father would…if he were ever to find out.”

Mahdi nodded woodenly. He understood the implied threat.

Lucia’s expression hardened. “You’re not upset, are you?”

Summoning all the strength he had left, Mahdi pulled himself together. He had to play along. Lucia was pure evil. If she’d known about Sera, what else did she know? That Yaz was alive? Neela, too? He didn’t care about his life anymore; it was over. But others might live or die depending on what he did next.

“Yes, I am upset, Luce. Upset that you’ve given me a better wedding present than I could ever give you!” he said, smiling.

Lucia, seeing that he’d been teasing her, swatted him.

Mahdi pulled her close. “Thank you,” he said. “I mean it, Lucia. You not only freed me, you did what your father and Traho and all the death riders together couldn’t: you eliminated a serious threat to our power. With Sera gone, no one can question your claim to the Miromaran throne, or your right to be my empress.” He kissed her lips. “Five whole days. How am I going to make it?”

Lucia’s lips curved up, and she melted into him. “I’m so happy that you’re happy, Mahdi. I was so worried that you had feelings for her. Before I realized that she’d enchanted you, I mean.”

“Don’t be silly,” Mahdi said tenderly, stroking her face. “You’re the only one I care about, Luce.”

“I care about you, too, Mahdi. So much,” Lucia said passionately. “Sera didn’t. She didn’t care if her enchantment got you killed.”

As she spoke, she pulled something out of her pocket. It was a chain made of dark metal, small but heavy. Before Mahdi even knew what she was doing, she’d looped it around his neck, slipped the hasp of a tiny padlock through both ends, and clicked it shut.