My stomach churned. So she didn’t care what we had to say about Adaro’s army. That was one piece of information rendered useless.
But why would she bring us here? She must have wanted to hear us out.
I tried to read her aura but got nothing. I felt Meela’s gaze on me like the sting of iron.
The queen inclined her head to the guards who’d brought us in. They backed away. She watched them until they disappeared back through the entrance, and then returned her attention to us.
“I hear he has the Host of Eriana.”
I opened and closed my mouth. So the queen had known about it.
“Yes, Your Majesty. It’s under his control.”
Medusa shifted, tail rippling on the current. “How is Adaro doing? Does he seem well?”
“Um …”Does he seem well?That was an odd question to ask of the merman who was violently seizing every kingdom.
Meela gave a low scoff, which I felt more than heard.
The queen turned her orange-brown eyes onto her. “How many have died at his hands?”
Meela glanced to me. I gave a slight nod.
“We don’t know,” said Meela. I was relieved to hear a gentle tone. “He’s been attacking the coast but we have no indication of numbers.”
“Surely, as a former human, you have some idea of how many of your people have been lost.”
I felt the jolt in Meela’s pulse. Her eyes flicked to me, and back to the queen.
The queen’s lips twisted, not quite a smile. “Where are you from, Metlaa Gaela?”
“Eriana Kwai.”
For a moment, the queen looked intrigued, even excited. Then she sank back in her throne, composure regained. “Do you know how to return the serpent to Eriana Kwai, then? Is there a way to lay it back to rest?”
Meela looked to me, lips pursed.
If it were up to me, I would have told the truth about passing control. But Meela would never forgive me for giving away this secret. I hoped desperately that the queen would help us without knowing the full story.
“Meela has to kill its master, Your Majesty,” I said. “For that, we need help.”
Medusa’s eyes narrowed. “Is there another way?”
“No, Your Majesty. It’s indestructible.”
She studied us so intently that I crossed my arms over my stomach. Did she know I was withholding information? Or was she considering whether to help Meela?
Finally, she said, “I do not agree with Adaro’s position on human relations, nor with the way he governs the Pacific. But I wish to target the Host, not its master.”
“It can’t be one or the other, Your Majesty,” I said. “They’re bound by blood.”
“The Host is the most dangerous force, here. That is where I am interested in focusing my efforts.”
I bit my tongue, suppressing my outrage. The serpent was only as dangerous as its master. Did she not realise how destructive Adaro had been before the serpent came into his power? How could she think he wasn’t the core of the problem?
“Even without the serpent, Adaro’s still about to destroy the whole coast,” said Meela, the words seeming to burst from her lips.
A flicker of confusion crossed Medusa’s face.
