Deep Blue (Waterfire Saga, #1)(32)

“Because he believes the Iele are real. And he thinks that I might have some connection with them.”

“Sera?”

Serafina whirled around at the sound of the voice. “Neela!” she said tearfully.

In the dim light of a single lantern, she saw her friend, curled up on the ground. She was chained to another pole only a few feet away. Her eye was swollen and bruised. Her skin was a sickly gray-blue. Serafina rushed toward her instinctively but was brought up short by her own chain.

Neela sat up and reached for Sera, but she was too far away to touch her. Serafina flattened herself on the seafloor and stretched herself out as far as the chain would allow. She patted Neela’s tail fin with her own. Neela patted back.

“Did Traho do that to your face?” Sera asked.

“A soldier did it when I tried to escape.”

“Quiet in there!” a harsh voice ordered.

All three mermaids looked at the tent’s door. A guard stationed outside was silhouetted against the flap.

Thalassa held a finger to her lips. Sera and Neela nodded. “Traho will question you both tomorrow,” she whispered. “Prepare yourself. Have something to tell him. There’s no reasoning with him. He’s a madman.” She shook her head. “Attacking Cerulea over make-believe witches…brutalizing us over dreams and chants…it makes no sense.”

Neela stiffened. “What dream? What chant?” she asked.

“A dream I had about the Iele. In it, they sang a chant. Traho knows about it. I have no idea how,” Serafina said.

“Sera,” Neela said urgently, “what happened in your dream?”

“The Iele were chanting in a circle. And there was a monster in a cage. It wanted to get out. It almost did get out—”

“Abbadon,” Neela said. “The monster’s name is Abbadon. There’s an older witch. She’s the leader. Her name is Vr?ja.”

Serafina shook her head. “No way. No. Way. How do you know that?”

Neela, glowing a bright, electric blue, said, “Because I had the very same dream.”





“YOU COULDN’T HAVE. It’s not possible,” Serafina said.

“Except that it is,” Neela said. “Because I did. Remember when I told you—in the reggia—that I’d had bad dreams during the trip from Matali?”

“Yes, but you said you couldn’t remember them.”

“I was too embarrassed to tell you that I was scared of make-believe witches.”

“How does the chant go, child?” Thalassa asked.

“Daughter of Light, chosen one…” Neela began to quietly sing.

Serafina stopped her. “Mine was different. It started like this: Daughter of Merrow, chosen one…”

Neela joined her and they sang the rest of the chant together. Except for a few lines, the words were exactly the same.

“For me, when the chant gets to the find the five part, instead of One whose heart will hold the light, the Iele sing One who will rule from Merrow’s right,” Neela said. “That’s you, Sera. You’re descended from Merrow and the heiress to the Miromaran throne. You’re one of the five the witches were telling me to find.”

“And you’re one of the five they were telling me to find. I’m supposed to look for One who keeps the light,” said Serafina. “That’s you, with the blue light you give off.”

“Um, right,” Neela said. “Except for one thing—the Iele don’t want us to find anyone, because the Iele aren’t real. They don’t exist.”

Serafina was silent for a few seconds, then she said, “What if they do?”

“The invaders think they do,” Thalassa said. “Because of this chant, they’ve destroyed Cerulea and killed countless of its citizens. They’ll kill more. You heard Traho, Serafina. He said they’d destroy every city in every realm if that’s what it took to get the talismans.”

Dread gripped Sera. It was all starting to make sickening sense.

“You’re right, Magistra,” she said grimly. “And I think I know why. Kolfinn wants to free the monster. That’s what’s behind all of this. Remember the lines about the talismans? These pieces must not be united Not in anger, greed, or rage They were scattered by brave Merrow / Lest they unlock destruction’s cage. He’s trying to find them. He wants to harness Abbadon’s power.”

A cold rage flared inside her. The destruction, the bloodshed, the terrible suffering of her parents and so many innocent people…they were all because of one merman’s insane quest for power.

“Did you tell Traho anything, Sera?” Neela asked.

Sera shook her head. “I lied. I gave him made-up names.”

“What about the talismans?” Thalassa asked. “Do you know what they are?”

“I have no idea,” Serafina said.

“In the morning, when Traho questions you, make something up, or gods only know what he’ll do to you,” Thalassa said worriedly. “There’s no other way.”

“There is another way. We escape,” Neela said.

“How? We can’t get out of these collars. We need keys to unlock them. Which we haven’t got,” Serafina said.

“Keys,” Neela said thoughtfully, “or a pick.”