Rogue Wave (Waterfire Saga #2)(32)

She thought of Mahdi, Cira, and Kallista. Had they escaped? Maybe she could make her way back to the Market Street safe house and find out.

She recalled the lethal darksong spell she’d cast against the death riders. She’d had no choice; she knew she’d do it again if she had to.

When the Praedatori had killed a prison guard in order to free her from Traho’s camp, Sera had been traumatized by his death. She’d felt sorrow for him. More death riders had died at the Basalt Street safe house. Because of her this time. But she felt no sorrow for them. She felt nothing.

I’m changing, she thought, and not entirely for the better.

There were barnacles on the underside of the table, glowing whitely in the darkness. She pressed her palm against their sharp edges. She wanted the pain. Wanted to know she could still feel something.

Voices drifted through her mind, hers and her mother’s.

Mom, can you just be a mom for once? And forget you’re the regina? Sera had shouted on the morning of her Dokimí

Isabella had smiled sadly. No, Sera, she’d said. I can’t.

Serafina had been so angry at her for that. But now she understood that Isabella had loved her people so fiercely she’d given up many things for them—including time with her family. She now understood that Mahdi loved the seas so much, he was risking his life to defend them.

Sera was beginning to see that love wasn’t pretty words and easy promises. Love was hard. It challenged you and changed you. It filled your heart and sometimes hardened it, too. Love demanded sacrifices. She’d made many over the last few weeks, and knew she would be called upon to make many more.

As she lay on her back, her palm still pressed against the barnacles, her stomach growled. It sounded insanely loud in the large, empty room. Sera was hungry and had no idea what to do about it. She hadn’t eaten anything more than a handful of reef olives and eel berries in days.

I’ll starve to death under this table, she said to herself. Years from now, someone will find my bones here. They’ll feel so sorry for me.

No, they won’t, a voice said. They’ll think what a total loser you were.

“Ling!” Sera said out loud.

Want a meal with your whine?

“Ha. So funny. Where are you?”

Close to the Abyss. Just thought I’d cast a convoca and check in see how you’re doing. Not so good, I gather.

“That would be the understatement of the century. I was chased by Traho’s soldiers this morning. At least, I think it was this morning. Maybe it was yesterday. Anyway, I also found out that the conchs we need are gone, Cerulea’s been destroyed, and my people—the ones who are left—are suffering badly. And what am I doing? Lying under a table.”

Any good news?

“As a matter of fact, yes. It turns out that I still love the merboy I used to love even though I’m in love with somebody else.”

What?

Sera explained. She told Ling everything that had happened since they had last seen each other.

Wow, Sera. Never a dull moment in Miromara. Seriously, though, the Traho thing sounds scary. You okay?

“I’m fine. It was scary. What about the others? Have you heard from them?”

Becca’s already crossed the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Ava’s in the Ceara Abyssal Plain. They’re fine. Baby is too, you’ll be happy to know.

“How could he not be? That monster-on-a-leash bites anyone who looks at him. What about Neela?”

Ling’s voice took on a worried tone. I can’t get through to her, Sera. No matter how many times I cast a convoca, she doesn’t answer. Have you heard from her?

“No, but then again, I haven’t tried to contact her. I haven’t cast a convoca since I failed back in the sea cave. I’ll try when I leave the Ostrokon. You can’t cast in here. The acoustics make songspells fall flat. Fossegrim, our liber magus, wanted it that way. He always said knowledge is its own magic.”

Serafina’s stomach growled again.

You sound like a sick walrus! Look, maybe you can’t overthrow Traho at this particular point in time, but you can get up and find something to eat, so we don’t have to listen to any more disgusting noises.

“How? I’m in an ostrokon!”

Doesn’t it have a TideSide? The ones in Qin do.

“Yes, it does! A little one on Level Four. I totally forgot! Ling, you’re a genius!”

Of course…am…careful, Sera….

“I’m losing you, Ling.”

…hear you…later….

“Yeah, merl. Later,” Sera said as the convoca faded.

Now that Ling was gone, the room seemed twice as large and twice as dark and Sera felt more alone than ever. Sighing, she swam out from under the table.

TideSides were small freestanding snack bars that sold drinks and finger foods. Serafina had visited the one in the Ostrokon whenever she’d stayed late to study, her royal guards trailing discreetly behind her. She swam to one of the listening room’s walls and took a lava torch down. The lava needed to be replaced. It was cooling, giving off only a dull orange light, but it still allowed her to see where she was going. She poked her head out of the doorway and cautiously looked up the spiraling hallway. It was empty and sad. There were no students in it now, no black-robed professors, no ostroki carrying baskets with conchs in them, shushing everyone.