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Ibsen hesitated for only a moment before nodding. “Certainly. I applaud your desire to expand your education.” But Merletta thought his gaze was a little wary as it rested on the junior record holder.
She saw Emil glance over at her and Sage. He had fallen into place behind the guard patrol. Merletta inclined her head invitingly, and Emil checked his pace for a moment before propelling himself forward to join them.
“So you haven’t been on one of these patrols before?” Sage asked, once he’d drawn alongside them.
Emil shook his head.
“Did you call this a containment patrol?” Merletta asked curiously.
“That’s the term used within the Center’s administration,” Emil said. “These disputes are now regularly escalating to violence, so the need for such patrols has become increasingly common.”
“So they call it a containment patrol because it’s a dispute over boundaries?” Sage asked innocently.
There was a pause before Emil replied. “Presumably.”
Merletta pursed her lips. She didn’t presume any such thing.
They were still in Skulssted, skirting around a large, cultivated tower of coral that formed the focal point of a public square. Tiny fish of a vivid blue were darting in and out of sight through the coral. Merletta didn’t recognize the area, but Emil obviously did.
He threw an enigmatic look at Sage as he said, “Look out for the blue rings.”
The comment surprised a choke of laughter out of Sage, and she glanced at the coral tower.
“Derek is such a brat,” she said, shaking her head.
She seemed to suddenly become aware of Merletta watching her in astonishment, because the brown of her cheeks became tinged with pink, and she hastened to explain.
“My cousin. He convinced me once that those little blue fish were blue rings, this type of poisonous—”
“Octopus,” Merletta finished for her. “I’ve see—heard of them,” she corrected herself hastily. She didn’t want to admit in front of Emil that she’d encountered the deadly creatures while outside the barrier.
“I’ve never seen anyone flip their tail that fast,” Emil commented. His expression was still so calm, it took Merletta a moment to realize he was teasing Sage.
“I’d forgotten all about that,” Sage mused, glancing back at the coral tower. “That was years ago. Both our families live close to here,” she added, for Merletta’s benefit. “Sometimes there are public events in this square.”
“Sounds nice,” smiled Merletta.
She reflected that they would probably be passing through her own old neighborhood soon, and that she didn’t think she’d be recounting any of her childhood anecdotes for her companions. But she refrained from saying so, not wanting to ruin the moment the other two seemed to be sharing. She cast a glance between them, swimming on either side of her, as they crossed out of Skulssted and into Tilssted. Emil seemed as unruffled as ever, but Sage’s face was still a little pink.
The guard patrol pulled ahead as they passed through the steadily grimier streets. Ibsen signaled for his class to leave some distance between their group and the patrol, and Emil stayed alongside the trainees.
They had almost reached the outer boundary of the city when Merletta noticed Sage wrinkling her nose. She raised an inquiring eyebrow.
“Sorry,” Sage apologized, looking a little ashamed. “The water just tastes…different.”
Merletta laughed, not offended. “If by different you mean dirty, then yes. It’s one of the things I like most about living in the Center. You get used to it, though. I honestly didn’t realize how bad the water was in Tilssted until I left.”
Sage didn’t answer, and Merletta quickly changed the subject.
“We’re in my old waters,” she said, nodding her head to their right. “The charity home where I grew up is just down there. And Tish’s shellsmith tower isn’t much further.” She lowered her voice, speaking mainly to herself. “I really must make time to visit her.”
“That’s the friend you spent your break with, isn’t it?” Emil asked unexpectedly. “She’ll be missing you, now you’re back in the program full time.”
Merletta threw him a startled look. Apparently her former classmate was more aware of her supposed movements than she’d suspected. Why was he so interested? Was he asking on his own behalf, or was he under orders, like Ileana? She found herself surprised by how much she wanted to trust him, but there was no way she was going to tell him where she’d really been over her break.
“Which one is the charity home?” Sage cut in quickly, changing the subject a little too obviously. “I didn’t realize it was this close to the boundary.”
Merletta saw Emil’s eyes pass shrewdly between the two mermaids, and she could have sworn his posture stiffened as his gaze rested on Sage. She was sure he’d noticed that Merletta hadn’t answered his question. Was he offended at the possibility that Sage was helping hide something from him? The other mermaid either didn’t notice, or pretended not to.
