Sea Spell (Waterfire Saga #4)(78)

“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 ap? piatr?s. 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 forehead, 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 ap? piatr?, 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.”

She smoothed his pajama top and fastened an open button. “At least, I hope we are.” She paused, then said, “Back when we were with the Iele, Vr?ja asked me to help the others believe in themselves. She said that’s what a good leader does. Ling, Neela, and Becca have changed. They do believe in themselves now. I think Astrid does, too. Getting her magic back has given her the confidence she needed. But I haven’t succeeded with Ava. Help Ava believe the gods did know what they were doing. That’s what Vr?ja said. But Traho took Nyx’s ring from her, and he killed Baby, and I think she’s lost faith. In the gods, and in herself. And nothing I say or do makes any difference. I wish I knew how to help her.”

She gently lifted Mahdi’s head and fluffed the anemones underneath it.

“Desiderio’s staying here. He’ll be in charge in my absence, with Fossegrim as his advisor,” she continued. “I’m glad I’m leaving the realm in such good hands. Yaz is coming with us. Astrid’s meeting us there with two of the talismans. I hope.”

She took Mahdi’s hand in hers. “They’re so brave, all of them, so tough, so smart. But this thing—Abbadon—it’s made of immortal souls. How are we supposed to destroy what the gods have made immortal? Vr?ja gave us this task; she believes we can carry it out…but how? Am I leading one hundred thousand soldiers into a justified battle, or straight to their destruction?” She smiled sadly. “I wish you could tell me.”

Sera sat for quite some time, saying nothing, just holding Mahdi’s hand and gazing at his face. “I have to go,” she finally said. “We leave at dawn. I have no idea how I’m going to sleep tonight, but I guess I should try. Before I go, I have to tell you something. I—I don’t know if I’m coming back. I don’t know if you’ll be here if I do. All I know is that I love you, Mahdi, with all my heart. You were ready to give your life for mine. Maybe you already have. But you are my life. Remember when we Promised ourselves to each other? Maria said something, right before the ceremony.” She leaned over and kissed his lips. “I believed her then. I still do. Love is the strongest magic.”