75

Salila

“They were what?” Teern thunders into my mind.

It sends a charge right through me, even though he’s leagues away. I right myself and tread water, dead center in the middle of the Oteb Bay. Morning light streams down as I try to explain. I should have made Rosie tell him, but she thought it would be better coming from me. “Um, Ash and Kaylin were taken prisoner,” I whisper mind-to-mind, as if that’s going to soften the blow.

“Prisoner?”

“Prisoners, with an s. By a Sierrak captain.”

“How?” he booms. Before I can answer, he lets loose an assault of curses that make my ears bleed. “How did you let this happen?”

“Me? Kaylin was the one with her.” I brush wild hair out of my face but the current pushes it right back at me.

“Explain.”

“It began with Ash being hustled out of the library and onto a Palrion ship. I thought it was official business, her being called back to Baiseen, or brought up-to-date. Some lander protocol with their wordsmiths. How would I know?”

Teern growls and I continue.

“I was on my way to tell Kaylin, but the next moment the Palrion ship’s gone and he’s streaming into the water, demon bent on tearing the ocean floor apart to find her. Rosie and I helped search, of course. And we did find her. Then it gets murky because Kaylin sent us back to watch over Marcus, thinking he could handle it on his own. Clearly an overestimation.”

“Go on!”

“After Whitewing, Marcus and company left for Asyleen on horseback, so we swam the long way around, to avoid the dead reefs. That’s how I discovered the Sierraks have Ash and Kaylin, no Palrions in sight. It seems they think Ash is an orange-robe caller from Aku, which is a bit of a problem. Obviously. I don’t know who they think Kaylin is, but rune bands have sapped his strength.”

“And you didn’t free them yourself?”

“They were on the docks by then, and you said not to be revealed, not to expose the Mar, not to sink any ships, not to let Rosie up.”

He waves my words away.

“I contacted you as soon as I saw.” I lift my palms. “Here I am.”

“All right. Enough. Where are they now?”

“Headed to Asyleen.” I take a breath. “And that’s not all.”

“There’s more?” His voice is chilling, knives down my spine.

“Atikis is on the move. He was in Whitewing where he snatched the Mummy Wheat whistle bone. I think he’ll be in Asyleen soon as well, but that’s yet to be confirmed.”

Teern snarls at me as if this is all my fault. “Get yourself to Asyleen. Free the girl before Atikis can question her and bring me all the whistle bones you can.”

It’s ever so much better in situations like this not to interrupt the Sea King with a question, but I have to be sure. “You want me to bring you Atikis’s skeleton or—”

“I don’t give a parrot fish’s ass what you do to his body. Bring me the whistle bones!”

“Fine, but to clarify, I’m to free Ash?”

“Is there something wrong with your hearing? Kill every one of that bone-gathering party, if you must, but retrieve the originals, and Ash. Do you understand? Bring her to me alive.”

“What about Kaylin?”

“It’s up to you. I’m done with him.”

Noodle kelp and urchins, is Teern ever in a mood. “Got it.” I take off, Rosie at my side.

“Wait!”

We glide to a stop.

“Rosie Red, you’re with me.”

Of course, just when I get used to putting up with her, she abandons me to do this all on my own.