Sea Spell (Waterfire Saga #4)(63)

In the magical light of the moon above.

My heart is my own, to keep or to give,

I pledge it to you, for as long as I live.



Lucia’s voice, clear and beguiling, rose into the water. But instead of joining hers in perfect harmony, Mahdi’s voice fell flat.

He stopped singing, confused. He looked around self-consciously; his hand went to his throat.

Lucia’s eyes widened. In the chapel pews, guests turned to one other, exchanging looks or whispering behind their hands.

Mahdi coughed and tried again, but his song was tuneless, and his voice as harsh as a gull’s. How can this be happening? he wondered wildly. It shouldn’t be. It couldn’t be. Not unless…

“Sera’s alive,” he whispered.

Lucia heard him. Her smile disappeared. “She’s not. There’s no chance she survived, trust me.”

Vallerio, Portia, and the rest of the wedding guests were too far away to hear what Lucia and Mahdi were saying.

“What’s wrong?” Vallerio called out. “Why aren’t you singing your vows?”

Mahdi barely heard him. Happiness flooded his heart. “She’s alive. Thank the gods!”

“Mahdi, you don’t mean that,” Lucia said, as if speaking to a small child. “You don’t know what you’re saying. Sera enchanted you. You only think you’re in love with her.”

Mahdi ripped the cord off their hands. He backed away from her. “Sera didn’t enchant me. I Promised myself to her freely and willingly.”

“That’s not true!” Lucia said, her eyes flashing with anger.

As Mahdi looked into those eyes, his happiness shattered and fear took its place—fear for Sera. Lucia had been shocked to learn that she was alive, which can only mean that she’d left her for dead somewhere. He unbuttoned his jacket so he could get to his gun.

“Where is she, Lucia? Tell me!” Mahdi demanded. “What did you do with her?”

“Mahdi, stop it,” Lucia begged. “Please.”

“What the hell is going on?” Vallerio thundered.

His voice brought Mahdi up short. Mahdi reached for his gun, remembering what he’d come here to do, but instead of pulling the weapon from its holster, he stopped. The minute he fired on Vallerio, he was a dead man himself. And then who would help Sera?

He had to tell the guests the truth. Some of them might be loyal to Sera. They might help her.

“Serafina’s alive! The true regina of Miromara is alive!” he shouted. “Vallerio killed her parents, but he didn’t kill her! Lucia imprisoned her. Find her! Save her!”

Some of the wedding guests gasped. Other’s pressed hands to their chests. “Is this true?” a merman demanded.

“Serafina’s alive? Where is she?” a mermaid cried.

“Mahdi, please!” Lucia begged. “You’re ruining everything. I can’t save you, we can’t be married, if you don’t stop saying these things.”

Mahdi shook his head. He couldn’t keep up the charade any longer. “Don’t you get it? I’d rather die than marry you.”

Lucia’s face changed in an instant. Hatred darkened her features. “Then you will!” she hissed.

“Lucia, what in the gods’ names is going on?” Vallerio shouted, approaching the altar.

Lucia backed away from Mahdi. She pointed an accusatory finger at him. “He’s a traitor!” she shouted loudly. “He’s spying for the Black Fins! Seize him!”

Traho fumbled for his gun. Mahdi grabbed for his own weapon. Traho aimed first. Mahdi braced for the shot, for the searing pain of a spear ripping into his flesh, but it never came.

Instead, there was a blinding flash of light, and then a deafening explosion. Mahdi clapped his hands over his ears. The walls of the ancient temple shook. The windows imploded. There was a roar from above, the sound of something heavy giving way. Mahdi looked up.

The last thing he saw were the beams of the ancient temple’s roof, plummeting toward him.





SERA AND FOSSEGRIM were preparing to follow Alítheia out of her lair and through a tunnel when it hit.

There was a deep boom, and then a shock wave so strong that it shook the walls and knocked Sera down. Her head smacked against the floor. Dazed, she pushed herself up and looked around.

Fossegrim had also been knocked down. Alítheia was on her back, legs clawing at the air.

With much clanking and pounding, she righted herself, then scurried to the iron grille that covered the entrance to her den. Sera helped Fossegrim up, and they both followed her.

“What was that?” Sera asked. “What’s happening?”

“I wish I knew, child,” Fossegrim replied weakly.

The three looked out of the grille. Almost immediately, Alítheia drew back. “There isss much light,” she said fearfully. “Which meansss much lava.”

As Fossegrim, still dazed from the explosion, sank back down to the den’s floor, Sera hooked her fingers through the bars of the grille and angled her body this way and that, trying to get a better view. She saw more bursts of light. Heard more explosions, as well as screams and shouts, bellowed orders, the neighing of hippokamps, the blood-curdling roar of dragons.

Her head was still swimming. The noise, the light—none of it made any sense.