As one, the Scarus tribe rose from their crowded positions and began to file out of the chamber. At first, I only noticed them exiting in rows of ones and twos from the two entrances we’d used. Then, due to the speed the space was emptying, I saw them pouring out of holes and doorways spread throughout the space, even near the pinnacle of the swirling ceiling. Once more, I was overwhelmed at the vastness of the tunnels cutting through the volcanic island.
In less time than I would have dreamed possible, the space was empty, save for the four of us, Nalu, Akamaii, and Laban. In the bright light of morning, and in the absence of the mass of bodies, the room looked even more cavernous than it had when we’d first arrived less than twenty minutes before. Even the shell-like opalescence of the room wasn’t enough to distract from Akamaii. I knew this was it—the information that would tell us whether or not our quest had any hope.
The queen turned to Laban.“You must leave too.”
Laban hesitated for only an instant, no show of emotion playing on his face.“Yes, my queen.”
Nalu moved forward as if to assist him to a rising position, but he waved the younger merman off.
Laban was still visible just outside the entrance when the queen looked at Lelas and Nalu.“You must both leave as well. There are things I must share with our visitors”—she grimaced—“with the others that are not beneficial to the Scarus tribe as a whole.”
Nalu nodded instantly and began to swim away but made it no farther than an arm’s length before he realized Lelas wasn’t following.
For the first time since I’d known her, Lelas looked pained, her eyes flickering from Nalu to the queen, then back again.“Despite what Wrell and the others may believe, though I have found my lifemate, I am not abandoning my tribe or the quest. I do not mean to show disrespect, my queen, but I am committed to seeing this journey through.”Though she spoke to Akamaii, she never looked away from Nalu, her eyes pleading for understanding.
The queen looked on the verge of replying when a vision interrupted her. Lelas and Nalu were in the cylindrical room, closely inspecting the bird in the glass sphere. Beside them, a young, fair-skinned mermaid rapped on the glass with a small finger. She had the dark-red tail of the Scarus tribe but the blonde hair of her mother.
Lelas’s hand rose and covered her heart, and Nalu returned to her side. Through heavy-lidded eyes, she addressed Wrell.“Have you become a prophet today, friend?”
Wrell didn’t reply, only repeated the vision, this time with a sense of desire, of longing.
Lelas gave a small nod.“Yes, that is more than I dared hope for, but that may still be a reality. After we have done all we can to change our tribe’s fate, I can return to see if such a vision could become reality.”
Akamaii’s voice was stern but not overly harsh.“No, my dear. You may not. The knowledge I will offer to aid this journey is one that only a Scarus queen may have. I will soon share it with Ewalani, and it will be her burden. No other in our territory may possess it. The truth may be too much of a temptation, though I believe Moheetla has given the Scarus enough strength to overcome.”
The queen’s gaze left Lelas and turned to Nalu. It was clear he was asking her something in private. From the concerned expression on Lelas’s face, she was no more privy to it than the rest of us. Finally, the queen shook her head.
“The choice is yours. Whether you are Nalu’s mate or not, you are free to choose your own path. It is not mine to dictate. However, once chosen, you may not alter your course.”
Lelas’s blue eyes grew huge, as if finally comprehending what the queen was truly saying.“If I continue on with my tribe to help end the capture of mers, I may no longer return as Nalu’s mate.”
Again, Wrell showed the young, blonde Scarus mermaid. His own sense of desperation washed over us.
Lelas gave him a sad smile.“Thank you for your love and concern, Wrell, and I trust there is a way for me to one day meet that lovely daughter you conjure.”She returned her attention to the queen.“And Nalu, if he stays here and then joins me later, may he return as he wishes?”
The smile Akamaii gave Lelas seemed genuinely regretful.“No, there is no middle ground on this matter. The tribe is more important than one mated pair, even if it is the only mating I have been witness to.”
Panic settled over Lelas. Even if I hadn’t known her so well, I would have been able to see it. She looked like she was being torn in two.
“I will go with you.”Nalu’s voice was strong and steady. He reached out to pull Lelas to him.
She resisted, unwilling to give in to his embrace.“No. You cannot leave your family, your tribe, for me.”
“You are my family. Where you are is where my tribe is—whether it be made of hundreds or just two.”
Akamaii looked at Nalu in shock but quickly regained her composure.“Truly, the lifemate is as powerful as the legends tell.”
Lelas began to protest, but the queen cut her off.
“What is done is done. The choice has been made. Nalu—”
“Lelas, why do you not take a moment to truly consider? Think of the life you can build here. Our hearts will break without you but also revel in your joy.”
I was shocked at Therin, that my paint-by-number father would dare interrupt the Scarus queen. Much less contradict her. Akamaii, judging by her expression, was as surprised as I.
Lelas’s gaze swept over us, pausing longest on me, before returning to Nalu.“I am sorry, my love, but I must see this through with my family. It will kill me to part with you, but I see no other choice. I cannot let them risk their lives alone. I have lost those I love too…”She glanced toward the queen, a question in her voice, before looking back at Nalu.“I will not ask you—”
Nalu cut her off and turned to the queen.“Where my mate goes, so must I. May I say my farewells to my family?”
