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The pale-haired mermaid looked up as Merletta entered, and their eyes locked. Tish looked startled, and for a moment, Merletta thought her friend wasn’t happy to see her. But Tish’s features softened into a smile, and she rose from her seat.
It quickly became clear, however, that there wasn’t going to be an opportunity for private speech. When the other apprentices realized they were looking at the Tilssted trainee, they all began speaking at once. Merletta felt overwhelmed under the onslaught of their questions and eager approval, sure she didn’t live up to whatever they thought she was. One voice rang out clearly above the others.
“Letitia, you didn’t tell us you’re friends with our Tilssted trainee!”
Everyone turned to look at Tish, Merletta with them. A flush spread across Tish’s cheeks, and she cast an apologetic glance at Merletta. Merletta felt a sinking feeling in her stomach that she couldn’t fully explain. Once again, she had the sense that her childhood friend wasn’t entirely pleased about her visit.
Tish didn’t answer the accusation, just swimming forward to address Merletta personally, although they couldn’t really avoid being overheard.
“It’s good to see you, Merletta. It’s been too long. I didn’t realize you were coming today.”
“I’m sorry,” said Merletta, still feeling thrown. “I shouldn’t have barged in without arranging it with you.”
“Don’t be silly,” Tish said quickly. “You’re always welcome.”
Merletta searched her friend’s eyes, wondering why the words didn’t feel sincere. “I’ve chosen a bad moment, though. We can catch up another time.”
She’d half expected Tish to deny it, to tell her to stay, but she didn’t. Merletta somehow managed to say goodbye around the lump that had unaccountably risen in her throat. She waved in a friendly way to the rest of the group, and swam out of the building as quickly as dignity would allow.
She told herself she was being foolish. Tish was in the middle of something, fully ensconced in the life she had with her fellow apprentices, and it was natural for her to be rattled by the sudden appearance of someone from an entirely different sphere of her life. Merletta would be discomposed if Tish floated into one of her training sessions with Agner.
But she couldn’t quite make herself forget the hesitation in Tish’s eyes. Where did it come from? Tish was her oldest and truest friend. She’d never been reluctant to range herself alongside Merletta back when Merletta was a hotheaded orphan with no friends or status, and an unhelpful habit of scratching everyone’s scales the wrong way. Why would she not want to own their friendship now that Merletta was a Center trainee, and apparently known and admired in Tilssted?
It was with a heavy heart that Merletta ducked into a nearby kelp farm. She didn’t know what she would have said to Tish—she still wasn’t entirely sure how much she should tell her—but it was still disappointing not to have the chance to say anything at all.
Her preoccupation wasn’t so great that she forgot to be careful. She only emerged into the uncultivated kelp forest once she’d satisfied herself that she wasn’t being followed, or even observed. As when she’d entered the triple kingdoms after her month on Vazula, she had to wait some time for a big enough break between guard patrols. At least she now understood the reason for the extra guards, given the rumors about humans.
But once she was clear, she disappeared into the gloom of the deep water in no time at all, flipping her tail as she headed for Vazula. It was liberating to finally be out of the triple kingdoms, and her spirits rose as she swam. It was impossible not to feel more cheerful when surrounded by open ocean on all sides. She directed herself upward, not quite breaking the surface, just enjoying the sparkle of the sunshine and the warmer water.
The route was familiar, and soon her heart surged with excitement as the ocean floor began to slant up to meet her. She emerged into the sunshine, feeling her throat open as her mouth filled with air instead of water.
There it was, Vazula. Gleaming like something from a dream, too good to be real. It was the sight of freedom, and it beckoned to her.
She splashed her way into the shallows, surprising herself by the strength of her desire to regain her legs. Despite the time it had been since her last change, she flopped herself onto the sand without hesitation, welcoming the prickling sensation that told her the switch was beginning.
Within moments, she was sitting on the shore, gazing fondly down at two brown feet, already caked in wet sand. Using her spear for support, she pushed herself shakily to her feet and straightened her snakeskin-like purple covering.
She took one step toward the rocks, then another, smiling as her body remembered what to do. It seemed she hadn’t lost any of her progress, and that was encouraging. One leg ached a little as she put her weight on it, and she paused to examine the smooth skin. A bruise was blooming on the upper part of her right leg, and she touched it with fascination. She distinctly remembered receiving that resounding blow from the blunt end of Oliver’s spear the day before. Interesting that the injury to her tail had transferred to her human form.
But enough distractions. She set her face toward the edge of the jungle. Using her legs was just like her other training. If she wanted to get good at it, she would need constant practice.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Despite the captain’s prediction that the waters would be impassable by the second sunset of their voyage, it wasn’t yet midday on their second day when the three cousins were alerted to something unusual by sudden shouts from on deck. The waters had grown steadily rougher as they traveled east, and the constant lurching had begun to wear on them all. They’d been holed up in Heath’s tiny cabin, the boys playing a game of chance while Bianca continued to manipulate the wind from afar. She looked weary, but she was cheerful, and certainly seemed to have gotten the hang of her task.
All three of them froze at the cry of alarm sounding from above them. They exchanged a look, then leaped to their feet in unison. Heath was in the front as they surged up onto the deck, and he had no need to ask anyone what had caused the shouting.
The water to the ship’s starboard side was churning alarmingly, the roar growing louder by the second. He ran to the railing, followed by the twins, and his eyes widened in horror. Not far across the surface of the ocean, and drawing steadily closer, was a thundering, fast-flowing spiral of water. The noise was nearly deafening now, and huge white crests were being thrown into the air as tides collided.
“The maelstrom!” he gasped.
The phenomenon was so much larger than he’d realized from the air, and so much more terrifying. He couldn’t even see the other side of it, and he could feel the way the current was drawing them inexorably in.
“You knew about this?” Brody’s furious roar was almost drowned out by the sounds of gushing, churning water.
“I saw it when I flew over, with Reka,” Heath yelled. “But we shouldn’t be passing close to it like this. We’re much too far south!”
He caught sight of the captain, standing grim-faced beside the helmsman. Heath hurried toward them, his feet slipping on the wet deck as the ship slanted terrifyingly down toward the giant whirlpool.
