The Deepest Blue(96)

Garnah knelt beside her. “Not unless Belenian spirits kill with knives.” Nudging the body over, she revealed the hilt of a blade buried in the heir’s heart.

Mayara stared at the blade, seeing again the queen on the beach, dying. It was hard to breathe. Placing her hands on her knees, she tried to suck in enough air so that her head stopped spinning. It was like being underwater for too long, with dark bubbles popping in her vision.

This must have been Lanei’s plan. All of it. Murder a queen. Murder an heir. And all the while, see herself as the hero righting the wrongs of the world.

“We need to tell someone,” Mayara said.

Garnah snorted. “And be accused of her murder?”

“Lanei is queen now,” Roe said, her voice hollow.

She’s right. That’s what this meant. And if it were true, then an untrained woman was now the only one who could keep Belene safe . . . a woman who didn’t know what she needed to know to protect the islands. Mayara thought of Kelo and their village. “We have to find her before it’s too late.”

“Exactly what do you call ‘too late’? My mother is dead! This heir is dead!”

Gathering herself, Mayara straightened. “‘Too late’ is everyone dead. Come on. We have to deliver your mother’s message.” She made herself look at the heir’s body. “It’s my fault. If I’d left Lanei on the island . . .”

“She would have killed us,” Roe said.

“The spirits hadn’t killed us,” Mayara said. “We could have hidden from them and from her. All we needed to do was survive a few more weeks.”

“I’m the one who told you to remove the traps.”

“You wanted to save people.”

“Mayara—stop it. If anyone is to blame, it’s Lanei,” Roe said firmly. “And she’ll pay for it.”

“But you can’t touch her,” Mayara said. “She’s the queen. She’ll be defended by both soldiers and spirits. She’s a hundred times more powerful now that she’s linked to the spirits of Belene. Plus, we can’t kill her. Belene needs a queen. You felt it when all the spirits were wild.”

“Another heir will take her place,” Roe said. “She shouldn’t be queen. She’s a murderer. I don’t know that I believe her that she hadn’t killed before. She said she didn’t kill anyone in the first group. What if she was lying?”

“You still plan to murder her?” Mayara said. “Roe, that’s not you. You’re the one who thinks of others, not herself. You’re the one who believes in what’s right. You’re the one who always wanted to be a hero. I only wanted an ordinary life.” She was grateful that Garnah had stayed silent, watching them with a vaguely amused expression. Mayara focused just on Lanei. “She needs the information we have, about how to reach the Deepest Blue before the leviathans wake. We find her. We don’t kill her. And she makes sure the monsters stay asleep. Exactly as you promised your mother.”

MAYARA WRAPPED HER ROBE CLOSE AS THEY HURRIED THROUGH THE streets. She felt as if the blood she’d seen had stained her somehow, even though her eyes told her that the cloth was still crisp white and that she looked no different from any of the other Belenians on the streets of the city.

The bells still rang, but she barely heard them anymore.

I don’t belong here.

It hit her hard. On the beach, saying goodbye to Kelo, she’d been so certain that accompanying Roe was the right thing to do. But maybe this wasn’t a dive she should make.

This should never have been her responsibility. Except that she had been the fool who trusted Lanei, who believed she’d convinced her to go along with their plan . . . and instead, Lanei had been the one convincing Palia. . . . How could I have misjudged them both so badly?

Around them, the city was flooded with people. Shops were closed, and every islander was in the streets. Sugary candies were being given out from carts that would usually have held fruits, flowers, and fish—it was part of the Coronation Day tradition, to remind everyone that life can be sweet even while it can vanish as quickly as sugar melts on the tongue.

She remembered tasting the sugar drops years ago, when Queen Asana had been crowned. It hadn’t meant much to her then—the transition had been quick, and no one had died before the new queen asserted her dominance over the spirits. So it was just a nice treat. No lessons. Just sugar. That afternoon, she and Kelo had played on the rocks, poking at starfish in the tidal pools and watching the crabs scuttle back and forth. They’d been allowed to stay up late, and Grandmama had pointed out the constellations, naming them and telling stories about the leviathans whose bones comprised much of the islands.

She wondered if Kelo was remembering that day too. Had he eaten any sugar drops? Was he all right? Had he made it to the village in time? What had he told the others about the queen’s parents? She wondered if they were able to mourn while still hiding who they were.

She wondered who would be mourning the heir who still lay in her own blood in the grove. Another heir would be coming to replace her. She’ll be found soon.

The heirs wouldn’t allow the grove to be unguarded for long.

She wondered what they made of Lanei, an untrained heir as queen. Maybe one of them has already told her about the Deepest Blue. Maybe we’re worrying for nothing.