Meela slid a blade across the ice. I picked it up and began sawing the ropes.
“Hurry,” she whispered.
After a tense moment that felt like ages, the ropes gave way. I’d just begun hacking at the one around my waist when a shout rang from the gap in the ice behind me.
“She’s alive! Quick, grab on.”
I whipped around. Beluga’s fat head had popped out of the water. He extended a hand to me. For a moment I almost felt sorry for tricking them. Then I remembered he was trying to save me so he could collect his bounty.
The bag of guts caught his attention; he stared at it in bewilderment. I tried to angle myself to block his view of Meela, but it was too late. He had seen her.
Thetis popped up next to him. His jaw fell open in a mirror of his comrade.
“Pull her in!” he shouted, ducking back into the water.
The ropes jerked. I slid rapidly towards the gap, smearing blood in a bright trail across the ice.
I screamed, clawing uselessly at the bald surface. But the ropes cinched like a noose, and I had nothing to hold onto.
There was a sharp exhale, and one of the ropes snapped loose.
Meela was suddenly in front of me. Her fingers closed around my wrists, pulling me in one direction while the remaining ropes pulled in the other.
Another rope slackened. What was going on? Did she have her crossbow?
No, both hands were pulling me. So how—?
I looked over my shoulder and gasped. There sat my best friend, two unconscious mermen at his tail and a rock the size of a small child in his hands.
“That’s what I call two birds with one stone,” he said. “Or maybe it’s two cods with one boulder in this c—”
The ropes yanked hard. I slid from Meela’s grip, and she screamed. I caught a glimpse of Spio’s surprised face before plunging into the water.
A pair of arms dragged me under as soon as I hit the surface. I thrashed. The ropes tightened so painfully, I wondered if I wouldn’t be split in two.
Two splashes came overhead.
“Let’srock!” shouted Spio.
He heaved the stone, bludgeoning someone in the back of the head.
I caught a glimpse of Meela’s crossbow swinging by my ear.
Thetis seized my wrist. I aimed a punch at him, but the ends of the ropes tangled around my arms and blocked the swing.
In a blink, Thetis’ arm locked around my throat and he pressed something sharp to my temple.
“Stop!” he said, deafening in my ear.
Meela and Spio turned their attention to Nestor, weapons raised.
“It would seem you’ve hitrock bottom,” said Spio.
Nestor seemed to realise his comrades had been rendered unconscious, because he turned and fled.
“I said, stop!” shouted Thetis.
Meela either didn’t hear or did not care. She caught up to Nestor in three strokes and descended on him like an eagle with talons outstretched. Nestor roared as she wrapped an arm around his throat, locking him between her bicep and forearm. With her other hand, she raised my black longblade to his chin.
