Rogue Wave (Waterfire Saga #2)(62)

“Mahdi must know all about this!” Coco said excitedly, as soon as she and Sera were in their room.

“I think you’re right,” said Sera. “He must’ve deserted Traho and told Vallerio that he was only pretending to be on the invaders’ side.”

“He must’ve told Vallerio about you, too,” Coco said. “Your uncle knows you’re alive and that’s why he’s having the betrothal ceremony! As soon as they take back the city, you and Mahdi can do a proper betrothal. Just like you were supposed to do before Cerulea was attacked. We have to get back to the city, Sera! You have to be there! Mahdi and Vallerio are going to be waiting for you!” The little merl was nearly bouncing off the walls.

“And you have to get some sleep. We have five leagues to cover tomorrow.”

She gave Coco some of the food Elena had packed for them. Coco gobbled it, then fell into bed. Abelard snuggled next to her. Seconds later, both Coco and her little shark were fast asleep. Serafina locked the door, turned off the lights, and crept into bed herself. Not that she was able to sleep.

At Elena and Carlo’s, Mahdi had said that Vallerio was seen in the waters off Portugal. That was four days ago—he might be nearly as close to the city as she was now. If that was so, then as soon as tomorrow, she and her uncle might be reunited. She could barely believe this happy turn of events.

Sera closed her eyes, and for the first time in a long time, she fell asleep with hope, not fear, in her heart.

Finally the tide was turning back toward peace.





“I’M SO GLAD you’re not dumb, Yaz,” Neela said.

Yazeed shot her a sidelong glace. “I thought you were going to say dead.”

“That, too.”

“Hey, thanks.”

“You really had us fooled, you and Mahdi. We had no idea you were Blu and Grigio. We thought you were just a couple of idiots.”

“That was the idea.”

Neela looked at her brother. “I’m actually going to miss him.”

“Who?”

“The old Yazeed.”

“He’s still around,” Yaz said. He affected a vapid expression. “Merl, you look fresh to death in that dress! Wanna go to the Sand Bar tonight? The Nepp Tunes are playing. They have the best kombu smoothies. They’re like, totally seagan,” he said.

A second later, the vapid expression was gone and the Yazeed Neela now knew was back. A Yazeed with a hardness to him.

“Wow. You know, that’s actually kind of scary, Yaz. I had no idea you were such a good actor.”

“And I had no idea you were such a good songcaster. Can you try a convoca again? I really need to talk to Mahdi.”

“Sure, but I need to stop and sit down somewhere. The last two times I tried, it was a total fail. I’m hoping it was because I was tired.”

“I see a place down there,” Yaz said, pointing to a hollow under a coral reef.

He and Neela swam to it. Neela sat down for a moment, caught her breath, and tried her hardest to cast a convoca, but once again, she failed.

“You’re beat, that’s all,” Yaz said.

“No, it’s more than that,” Neela said dispiritedly. “Vr?ja told us our powers are strongest when we’re all together. The convoca’s one of the hardest songspells there is. I can’t seem to cast it without the others near me. Come on, Yaz, let’s get going. We’ve got to find Mahdi and Sera.”

“Rest for two more minutes, then we’ll swim again,” Yaz said. He sat down on the silty seafloor and leaned his back against the coral, but didn’t close his eyes. He just stared ahead, a grim expression on his face.

Neela and Yazeed were on their way to Cerulea. They’d been swimming for days, stopping to sleep for only a few hours each night. They’d left the palace as fast as they could after Khelefu had been murdered. They’d wanted to be well out of Matali City when their transparensea pearls wore off.

The first night of their journey, they’d sheltered in a sea cave. There, Yazeed had told Neela why he and Mahdi had joined the Praedatori, and she had told him about her nightmare, where it had led her, and what she’d learned.

“Yaz? I think we should get going now,” Neela said, rising. “Yaz? Yaz!” She snapped her fingers in his face.

“Sorry. You ready to go?” he asked, getting up. He still wore a dark expression.

“What is it?” Neela asked, not used to this serious, somber new brother. “Where were you?”

“Back at the palace. Watching Portia Volnero send our grand vizier to his death.”

“We can’t think about that now. Or Mata-ji and Pita-ji. We have to keep going. Find Mahdi. Warn Sera. Get help.”

“She’s going to pay for what she did, Neela. Khelefu was an innocent merman. He didn’t deserve to die.”

“Portia’s completely insane,” Neela said. “Her plan can’t work. How can she have Lucia crowned regina? Only a mermaid with Merrovingian blood in her veins can sit on the throne of Miromara. There’s only one of those, and it’s not Lucia. Alítheia is going to rip her head off.”

“I guess that’s some consolation,” Yazeed said.

“But how can Portia do it? That’s what I don’t get. She knows what will happen. How can she sit by and watch her only daughter be killed by a bloodthirsty monster?” Neela shook her head. “All this time, Sera and I were sure that Traho had been sent by Admiral Kolfinn, but it turns out Portia’s the one behind all of it.”