Sea Spell (Waterfire Saga #4)(87)

Ava nodded. She was beaming. She released Sera’s arm. “I knew she was on our side,” she said. “I could feel it. I could see her, see the good inside her.”

Orfeo, in shock, turned his empty eyes on Astrid. “What have you done?” he asked, menace in his voice.

“It’s over, Orfeo,” Astrid said. “I’m not on your side. I never was. I just pretended to be to get you—and your pearl—down here, so that my friends and I could get the Carceron open and destroy Abbadon.”

“But we’re kin, Astrid,” Orfeo said, shaking his head in disbelief. “Your blood is my blood. Your magic, my magic.”

“Yes, it is,” Astrid said. “But my heart’s my own.”

As she spoke, she pulled her sword from its scabbard.

“You’re a fool!” Orfeo spat, his face flushing with rage. “You could have had power, respect, pride—everything you ever wanted.”

“I already have everything,” Astrid said. “I have the love of my friends.”

Orfeo turned to the Carceron. He rattled the gates. “Abbadon, this is your master calling! Come to me now!”

Another screech was heard, closer to the gates than before.

Astrid raised her sword. The muscles in her arms rippled with strength.

“Step away from the gate, Orfeo,” she said. “You want to destroy the world? You’ll have to destroy me first.”

Sera joined her. Then Becca did. Ava. Ling. Neela.

“No, Orfeo,” Sera said. “If you want to destroy the world, you’ll have to destroy us first.”





WITH A WARRIOR’S YELL, Astrid charged, swinging her sword.

Orfeo threw up a water wall instantly, deflecting it. Her blade hit the bars of the Carceron’s gate with a loud clang.

“Alítheia!” Sera yelled, rushing toward Orfeo.

But the spider was ahead of her. She scuttled to Ava and crouched protectively over her.

Neela, Becca, and Ling were right behind Sera, their weapons out, but before the four could even get close, Orfeo expanded his water wall, creating an impenetrable dome around himself and Astrid.

“Sorry,” he said with a wink, “but this is a family affair.”

“No! Orfeo, let her go!” Sera shouted. She dropped her crossbow and hammered her fists against the watery barrier.

“We’ve got to help her!” Becca shouted. She threw her shoulder into the wall. Neela fragged it. But their efforts were to no avail. The water was as solid as rock.

The four mermaids watched helplessly as Orfeo advanced on Astrid. He threw a vortex at her. The swirling water wrapped around the sword and pulled it from her hand. It thudded to the ground at his feet, raising a cloud of silt.

Without missing a beat, Astrid lifted her head and sang, casting a stilo spell. She launched the spiked water bomb at Orfeo’s head.

He batted it away with a swipe of his hand. As it exploded harmlessly against the side of the dome, he launched another vortex. Astrid tried to duck it, but it caught her and slammed her to the ground, knocking the breath out her.

She lay there, gasping for water.

“He’s going to kill her,” Sera said.

“Get up! Get up, Astrid!” Ling cried.

Becca was songcasting one spell after another, trying to break through the water wall. Ling was trying to help her, but nothing was working.

An ear-piercing roar ripped through the water then. It came from the Carceron.

“My gods,” Sera said. “Abbadon. Orfeo unlocked the gate. It’s going to get out! We need waterfire, quick!”

“I’ll cast it!” said Becca. She shot to the prison.

“Ling, Neela, stay here! Keep trying to break through the water wall!” Sera said. She picked up her crossbow and sped off to catch up with Becca.

“Hurry, Becca,” Sera urged. “Hurry.”

Becca was the best waterfire caster they had. Within seconds, she was chanting the songspell. But waterfire was notoriously difficult to conjure.

As Becca continued to cast, a pair of black horns appeared behind the gates. Under them was an eyeless face, a lipless mouth.

Abbadon was as terrifying as Sera remembered. It took all her courage to stay where she was, cock her crossbow, and aim it.

“Kyrios!” the monster howled. “Zh?! Dominus!” Sera knew these were words for master. Abbadon was calling to Orfeo.

“Becca, watch out!” Sera shouted.

An arm, sinewy and black, streaked with red, shot out from between the bars. A hand opened. In the center of its palm was a lidless eye. More hands grasped the bars. The monster started pulling on them. The gates opened wider.

Sera fired on it. Her arrow sank into one of its arms. Abbadon snarled but kept pulling on the bars. Ice cracked. The ancient gates creaked and swung inward.

“Becca!” Sera screamed.

There was a huge whoosh, and then searing blue fire shot up from the ground in front of the prison, all the way to the top of the gates.

The monster shrieked. It staggered away from the bars, back into the prison.

“Stay there, Becca! Keep the flames going!”

Becca gave a quick nod, still songcasting. Sera raced back to the others and arrived at the water wall in time to see Orfeo circle Astrid.

“Did you really think you could beat me? Me?” he asked.