Rogue Wave (Waterfire Saga #2)(17)

Sera was stricken by guilt. “It was because of us, wasn’t it?” she said. “Neela and me. The duca died because of us.”

Filomena shook her head. “No, child. They know you escape and still they kill him. They want information. They think the duca have it.”

The talismans, Serafina thought.

“Please, Filomena, it’s very important,” Serafina said as gently as she could. “The men who came here, did you hear what they said?”

Filomena pressed the heels of her hands against her brow, as if she’d like to pound the memories out of her brain. “The one man…he have sunglasses,” she said.

“Rafe Mfeme,” Serafina said.

“Yes. He shout at the duca. Same thing, over and over. He beat him…an old man, a gentle man…” She dissolved into tears again.

Serafina took her hand. “What did he say?”

“He say, ‘Where is it? Where is Neria’s Stone?’ And the duca, he tell him he do not know. But Mfeme, he no believe it.”

Serafina swore silently. Now she was certain that Traho knew what the talismans were. He’d told Mfeme and sent him after them. But how did he know? Not even the Iele knew. Had he gone to Atlantis and found Lady Thalia? No, he couldn’t have. Thalia had said she’d been alone ever since the island was destroyed.

“Did Mfeme say anything else?” Serafina asked.

“No, but he take something—a painting. Of Maria Theresa.”

Serafina remembered the portrait of the beautiful, sad-eyed infanta of Spain in her sumptuous clothing and magnificent jewels. She’d drowned centuries ago, when her ship was attacked by pirates.

“Do you have any idea why?” Sera asked.

Filomena shook her head.

Serafina had one more question. It took all her courage to ask it. “Do you know what happened to the Praedatori? One of them, Blu, was badly wounded.”

“No. There was big fight. Some Praedatori are hurt. Some are killed. There are bodies in the water. I cannot look at them. I am sorry.”

Her voice broke off and Serafina knew she couldn’t press her any further.

“Thank you for telling me all this, Filomena,” she said. “What will you do now? Will you stay here?”

“Si, si. The duca’s son, he come from Roma soon. He is duca now. He ask me to stay.” She squeezed Serafina’s hand. “But you, you go now, Principessa. It is not safe for you here.”

Serafina hugged her and was about to say good-bye when Filomena said, “Oh, Principessa, I forget! The duca, he leave something for you.”

She hurried out of the room, then returned with a small wooden box. “He give this to me. The night you and the Princess Neela come. After you go to bed. ‘In case something happen to me, you give this to the principessa,’ he say. I hide it in my kitchen under tomatoes.”

Serafina opened the box. It contained twenty gold trocus coins and a small conch. She held it to her ear. The sound of the duca’s voice made her heart clench.

My dearest Principessa,

I’ve received news tonight. Your uncle is alive and was seen at the Straits of Gibraltar. My source says he is indeed heading to the North Sea to seek an alliance with the Kobold. We must wait with hope to see what the days ahead bring.

If something happens, if I am taken or killed, do not go home. Go to Matali. The Praedatori will escort you and the Princess Neela to the palace. The Matalis are stalwart friends of Miromara and will offer you sanctuary. If you will not heed my advice—and I fear you will not—know that Cerulea is a very dangerous place. Do not allow yourself to be seen. There is a safe house in the fabra. 16 Basalt Street. The password is starfish.

Be brave, Principessa. Be wary. Trust no one.

Ever yours,

Armando





Serafina lowered the conch. Her Uncle Vallerio—her mother’s brother and Miromara’s high commander—was alive. Happiness and hope flooded through her. If he succeeded in his efforts with the Kobold, he’d be able to assemble an army and take Cerulea back. The sea goblins were fearsome fighters. If anyone could force the invaders out, they could.

Serafina’s happiness abruptly dimmed, however, as the memory of Ava’s vision—the one they had shared when Ava had cast a convoca in the caves of the Iele—returned to her. In it, the goblins had been her foes, not her allies. She’d seen herself on a battlefield, moving soldiers into position. On the other end of the field was a goblin army. One of its soldiers had crept up behind Serafina and swung an ax at her.

Sera told herself that there was a simple explanation. There were four goblin tribes—the Feuerkumpel, the H?llebl?ser, the Meerteufel, and the Ekelshmutz. Perhaps one of them had sided with Traho, and it was that tribe she’d been preparing to fight in the vision.

“You go someplace safe now?” Filomena asked.

“I’m going to Cerulea,” Serafina replied. Despite what the duca had advised, she knew it was what she had to do.

“How do you get there? The Lagoon is full of soldiers. You never make it like that,” Filomena said, pointing at Serafina’s swashbuckler outfit. “If you swim through Lagoon, you must look like Lagoona.”

Serafina cast an illusio songspell. Her hair turned pink.

“No,” Filomena said. “Now you look like anemone.”