Page 34

“How’s it going?” Liora added.

Ria smiled as they came into view. “How did it go with the Naiads?”

Liora groaned. “I don’t know.”

Asterion frowned. “You were there for a couple of days.”

“Exactly. And I still don’t know what happened.”

“They don’t seem to agree on anything,” Maldenis shook his head. “We asked where we could find one of their elders and were given four different answers.”

“Five,” Liora corrected.

“The fifth was a pond.”

“It was apparently a very important pond.”

Ria laughed. “Did you at least find out anything useful?”

“Some. They’ve noticed strangers around the waterways, but no one could agree on when they first appeared or what they looked like. One Naiad swore they were hunters. Another said they were merchants. Someone else insisted there hadn’t been any strangers at all.”

“Helpful,” Asterion muttered.

“Very.” Liora shook her head. “We tried talking to a girl who supposedly saw one of them near the eastern streams, but no one knew where she was.”

“How do they not know where she is?” Ria asked.

“Depends on who you ask. She ran away, she’s staying with relatives, she went exploring farther downstream.” Liora shrugged. “Apparently, the children wander between waterways all the time, so no one seemed particularly worried.”

Ria frowned. “How long has she been gone?”

“A week. Maybe two. We got different answers about that, too.”

Ria caught the concern on Asterion’s face. The mention of missing children and possible hunters had clearly put him on alert. “Where exactly are you taking Korinnae today?” said Asterion.

“We’re meeting my mother,” said Maldenis.

Asterion raised an eyebrow.

“She’s in Alindale on official business with the Guard,” the basilisk explained. “There’s a harvest fair in the city today, so she suggested we bring Korinnae along. Thought it’d do her some good to get out of the house.”

Liora nodded. “The rest of Melora’s team will be there too,” she grinned. “And Elian.”

Asterion’s expression remained carefully neutral, but Ria caught the almost imperceptible tightening of his jaw before he smoothed it away. Had she blinked, she would not have seen it at all.

“Relax,” she teased. “She’ll be safe.”

Asterion shot her a flat look. “I wasn’t worried.”

“Mmm.”

“You imagined it.”

“Of course I did.”

Maldenis chuckled under his breath while Liora looked unconvinced.

Just then, Korinnae came racing down the stairs with a small tote bag bouncing against her side. “I’m ready!”