“WE GOTTA MAKE WAKE,” Yazeed said quietly, as he swam up behind Serafina. “If Portia Volnero hears you’re in the city, you’re chum.”
Serafina turned around. She threw her arms around Neela, and then Yazeed, and then introduced them to Coco. They were all outside the Kolisseo in the middle of a surging crowd of soldiers and civilians. The royal party had already left for the palace.
“Yazeed, I’m so glad you’re all right. Neels, what are you doing here? You’re supposed to be safe and sound at home,” Sera said.
“Home’s not safe anymore. Or sound. It’s not even home.”
“What do you mean?”
Neela told her that Portia had taken Matali City. Yaz explained that she’d also plundered the Matalin vaults and murdered the grand vizier, and that they’d hightailed it to Miromara to warn Sera about her.
“Plus, that thing we need? I got it,” Neela said, glancing around at the soldiers.
Sera understood. There were too many enemies around to speak freely. “That’s awesome, Neela. Likewise.”
“Excellent,” Neela whispered. “Have you seen any prison camps, Sera? Has Traho set any up here?”
“Camps?” Sera echoed.
“Save it for later,” Yazeed said. “We got here in the nick of time to find you,” he said. “And now we’ve got to get out again. Let’s go.”
“I can’t, Yaz. Not yet. I have to get Coco to safety first,” Serafina said.
“Principessa,” a voice whispered.
Serafina turned around.
“Niccolo!” she said, recognizing her friend and fellow resistance fighter.
“Smile at me as if I’m an old friend,” Niccolo said, smiling like an idiot himself. “And keep swimming, as if we’re going back to our old neighborhood. Don’t stop. Two Kobold soldiers are watching us.”
They all did as he instructed.
“Busted,” Yaz said grimly.
“I don’t think so,” Niccolo said. “The principessa looks so different now. I only recognized her because I’ve seen her in her swashbuckler clothes. And because she has Coco with her. Are you heading to headquarters?”
“Yes,” Serafina said.
“I thought so. That’s why I came over. Forget about it. It was just raided by the Kobold. We set off a bomb under the death riders’ barracks last week.”
“That was you guys?” Yaz said admiringly. “Nice work!”
Niccolo continued. “Yeah, it was, but now Traho wants revenge. The goblins are going house to house, looking for members of the…er, our friends. Most of us made it out, but Fossegrim, Alessandra, and Domenico didn’t.”
Coco bit her lip. She squeezed Serafina’s hand painfully. Abelard, sensing her upset, swam around her in quick, worried circles.
“Me…our friends…we’re all swimming separately to the pit—the refuse dump north of the city. We’re going to meet in the kelp forest on its western edge. We’ll wait until it’s dark, then head for a new safe house in the azzuros, the blue hills. You must join us. All of you. It’s too dangerous for you here.”
Serafina looked at Neela and Yazeed. They nodded.
“Thank you, Niccolo,” she said. “We’ll see you there.”
As soon as he left, Serafina told Yaz how to get to the kelp forest.
“Wait a minute, why are you telling me?” he asked. “You’re coming with us.”
“I’m going to meet you there. There’s something I have to do first. Do you have any transparensea pearls?”
“Why do you need—” Yazeed started to say. Then he shook his head. “No way, Sera. Are you out of your mind?”
“Give me a pearl, Yaz. I have to know if he’s part of this.”
“Sorry, fresh out.”
“I’m going anyway.”
Yaz swore, but he gave her a pearl.
“I’ll meet you in the forest,” Serafina said. “In one hour.”
“One hour,” Yazeed said. “Or I’m coming after you.”
“Please, Sera…” Coco said, her eyes large and fearful.
“I’ll be there,” Sera said confidently, smiling at her. “I’ll make it. I promise.”
As Neela led the child away, Serafina’s smile faded. She grabbed Yazeed’s hand and put something into it. He looked down and saw that he was holding a necklace with a big blue diamond in its center.
“Give it to Neela if I don’t,” she said.
SERAFINA, STILL VISIBLE, cautiously swam into the ruined stateroom of Cerulea’s palace.
She’d taken a secret passageway from the stables to get here. It was a risky move, but she didn’t have a choice. Transparensea pearls often wore off without notice, and she didn’t want to activate the one Yaz had given her until she was well inside the palace. It was an enormous place and she knew it could take time to find her uncle.