“He’s scared of her?”
“Perhaps. He clearly wants us to forget she exists. He might be worried that many who followed him to the Atlantic regret their decision.”
“Do they?”
“It is hard to tell. You know as well as I that no one speaks ill of the king.”
Her eyes drifted to the map, but they were unfocused.
“I want to get Medusa’s help,” I said. “I think she’s our only chance at defeating Adaro.”
Ephyra seemed to consider this. She nodded slowly. “Perhaps.”
Her agreement surprised me; I’d expected more resistance. Maybe I’d just spent too much time trying to convince Meela of the same.
“Meela doesn’t think so,” I said. “She’s being as stubborn as a barnacle.”
“Maybe she does not understand Medusa’s power.”
I shook my head. “It’s not about that. It’s about how long it would take to get there. I don’t know how to convince her it’s worth it.”
A shadow eclipsed the cave entrance, and we spun around.
“Convince whom of what?” said Dione, as she and several others entered the cavern.
“Family troubles,” said Ephyra with a graceful smile.
Dione looked at her a moment too long before saying curtly, “I see. Lysithea, may I speak with you privately?”
With a parting glance at Ephyra, I followed Dione out of the cavern. She led me to the surface—a place we could speak without being overheard. We breached to strong winds and a cascade of fat raindrops. Waves rolled in enormous, slow swells.
“Our meeting was cut short, but I wish to learn more from you and Meela.”
“We told you everything.”
She studied me, expressionless, the whites of her eyes stark against the grey sky.
“This news from Utopia requires my attention, but I will arrange a private meeting to debrief both of you in more detail.”
This intrigued me. Was she trying to negotiate an exchange of information?
No matter what Dione told us, information on how to control the serpent would not be up for exchange. Meela and I agreed on that much.
“That would be nice,” I said.
Dione nodded once. She seemed about to submerge, then stopped.
“Consider, Lysithea—” A tinge of red appeared in her eyes. “—that forging an alliance on half-truths and deceit would be most unwise.”
CHAPTER NINE - Meela
Blood of Eriana
I followed Nilus through the canyon to his family’s grotto. We kept glancing at each other with shy smiles. I was still trying to take in his appearance. Had his hair always been so dark, or did that change once he became a merman? His muscle mass had certainly increased.
I wondered what changes he noticed in me.
His daughters blitzed by us, giggling. Off on some imaginative adventure in the canyon, I was sure.
