Deep Blue (Waterfire Saga, #1)(25)

“Bakmak! Bakmak!” the Mehteraba?i shouted. Look up!

Out of the night waters descended more mermen in black, hundreds of them, riding hippokamps and carrying crossbows. They fired on the royal enclosure and on the people. Jani?ari raced through the water to fight them off, but they were no match for their crossbows.

“To the palace!” Vallerio shouted. “Get everyone inside! Go!”

Two guards took Serafina by her arms and swam her out of the Kolisseo at breakneck speed. Two more swam above them, shielding her. In only seconds, they were back inside the city walls and safely under the thicket of Devil’s Tail. They continued on to the palace. When they reached the Regina’s Courtyard, the guards broke formation and hurried her inside.

Conte Orsino, the minister of defense, was waiting for her. “This way, Principessa. Hurry,” he said. “Your mother’s been taken to her stateroom. Your uncle wants you there too. It’s the centermost room of the palace and the most defensible.”

“Sera!” a voice cried out. It was Neela. She’d just swum inside the palace. She was upset and glowing a deep, dark blue.

Sera threw her arms around her and buried her face in her shoulder. “Oh, Neela,” she said, her voice breaking. “My father…he’s dead! My mother…”

“I’m sorry, Principessa, but we must go. It’s not safe here,” Orsino said.

Neela took Serafina’s hand. Orsino led the way.

As they swam, Serafina realized Neela was alone. “Where’s Yazeed?” she asked.

Neela shook her head. “I don’t know. He and Mahdi…they swam away. I’m not sure where they are.”

They swam away? Sera thought, stunned. While her mother, bleeding and in pain, was daring her attacker to come forward? And her father was sacrificing his life?

“Bilaal and Ahadi? Are they safe?” she asked.

“I haven’t seen them,” Neela said. “Everything happened so fast.”

The wide coral hallways of the palace, the long, narrow tunnels between floors—they had never seemed so endless to Serafina. She swam through them quickly as she could, dodging dazed and wounded courtiers. As she neared the stateroom, she heard screams coming from it.

“Mom!” she cried. Pushing her way savagely through the crowd, she streaked to the far end of the hall. A horrible sight greeted her there. Isabella lay on the floor by her throne, thrashing her tail wildly. Her eyes had rolled back in her head and red froth flecked her lips. She didn’t recognize Vallerio, or her ladies, and was clawing at her doctor as he tried to stanch her bleeding. Serafina knelt by her mother, but her uncle pulled her away.

“You can’t help her. Stay back. Let the doctor do his work,” he said.

“Uncle Vallerio, what’s wrong?” Serafina cried. “What’s happening to her?”

Vallerio shook his head. “The arrow—”

“But she pulled it out! I don’t understand…”

“It’s too late, Sera,” Vallerio said. “The arrow was poisoned.”





SERAFINA WAS CRAZED WITH FEAR.

“No!” she shouted at her uncle. “You’re wrong! You’re wrong!”

Vallerio’s tone softened. “Sera, the doctor’s certain it’s brillbane. He recognizes the symptoms. It only comes from one source—an arctic sculpin.”

“An arctic sculpin,” Serafina repeated woodenly. “That means—”

“—that Admiral Kolfinn has attacked us. The soldiers are wearing black uniforms—the color of Ondalina. They’re Kolfinn’s troops, I’m sure of it. This means war.”

Serafina pushed him away, skirted around the doctor, who was pressing a fresh dressing over Isabella’s wound, and sat down on the floor by her mother. She shrugged out of the costly mantle she was still wearing, balled it up, and put it under her mother’s head.

“Mom? Mom! Can you hear me?” she said, taking her hand. It was covered in blood.

Isabella stopped writhing. It was as if Serafina’s voice was a lifeline. She opened her eyes. Their gaze was far away. “Your songspell was so beautiful, Sera,” she said. “I didn’t get to tell you that.”

“Shh, Mom, don’t talk,” Serafina said, but Isabella ignored her.

“Everyone looks so beautiful. The room does, too, with all the anemones in bloom and the chandeliers blazing and your father and brother, don’t they look handsome?”

Serafina realized that her mother thought the Dokimí celebrations were taking place. The poison was affecting her mind.

“Why are you here, Sera? Why aren’t you dancing with Mahdi?” Isabella asked, agitated. “Why don’t I hear any music?”

“The musicians are taking a break, Mom,” Sera fibbed, in an effort to soothe her. “They’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“He loves you.”

Wow. She’s totally out of her mind, Serafina thought.

“I glanced at him once or twice. In the Kolisseo. You should have seen his face while you were songcasting. I’m happy for you, Sera, and for Miromara. The bond between our realms will be even stronger if true love unites them.” She grimaced suddenly. “My side…something’s wrong.”