Beazil. Dane. Starla. Rip.
Not dead, but perhaps I should be. I’d be better off gone if my friends were all lost to me. But they had still lived when I last saw them. Dane was alive. Not Beazil. Surely not Rip, after the blow he’d taken for me. Juno’s spelled blade had frozen him, but the force was too great not to tear his flesh apart. I wasn’t sure about Starla or Marcum. The truth was, anything could have happened. We’d been winning. In a tight formation. And then disaster struck.
All because of those two treacherous Mers.
Not to mention my dastardly half-sister. I saw her dagger slide into Beazil’s eye, reliving that awful moment in excruciating detail. I felt my anger. My impotent fury. My rage.
I woke with a gasp, my back arching and my eyes wide.
“She’s saying something! Annaruth!”
Dane was by my side. I stared at him, frantically trying to get loose. The lovely High Priestess appeared by my bedside, joining Dane. She leaned over me, listening to my words.
“What is she saying?”
She leaned up, giving Dane a wry look.
“She’s saying that she will kill her, over and over again.”
Dane stifled a laugh. Annaruth wagged a finger at him.
“It’s not funny.” Then she bowed her head slightly. “Your Highness.”
I groaned, half paying attention. I pushed futilely at the straps that held me down.
“Get. These. Off me!”
This time, they both laughed. Annaruth waved her hand over my bonds, and they lifted away, dissolving into a sparkling dust that was quickly swept away in the water.
I glared at them both.
“Tell me.”
“Tell you what, Tri?”
“Tell me who is dead!”
“Get her something for her throat. She sounds awful.”
Annaruth nodded, bowing again, and left the screened-off partition. That was odd. I’d never seen her bow before. Dane looked at me, his smile huge.
“Well?”
He nodded, clearing his throat.
“There were quite a few casualties, Mer and familiar. They will be honored by the Elite during the naming ceremony.” I opened my mouth to tell him to hurry up, but he held out a hand. “None of your friends, or loved ones, are on that list.”
I blinked at him, opening and shutting my mouth like a fish.
“None?”
He shook his head, smiling.
“But Beazil . . .”
“He lost an eye, Tri. It was serious but he’s alive.”
I fell back on the bed, pale bubbles pouring from my eyes. I reached for him and he took my hand. I exhaled shakily.
“Starla? Rip?”
“Both alive. Starla was ferocious once she saw what happened to you. She saved my neck more than once.”
I smiled.
“She’s fine. She barely had a scratch at the end. Rip’s injuries should have been fatal, like yours. But they were able to save you both. He won’t be throwing spears anytime soon.”
I closed my eyes, still crying.
“Tri?”
“Yes?”
“I know she betrayed you, but—”
I knew he was speaking about Thalia. I knew it. I cut him off before he could say another word.
“Do not ever say her name to me again.”
“Okay. I just thought you might want to know what happened to her.”
I closed my eyes and nodded imperceptibly.
“She lost her arm. She nearly lost her life. And . . . well, she’s being sanctioned for what she did, bringing unmagicked weapons into the arena. Some wanted her put to death. I . . .”
I cracked my eyes open and looked at him.
“You what?”
“I argued for mercy. I didn’t think you would want her put to death.”
“You? But why would they listen to you?”
He looked down, then lifted his eyes to mine.
“Tri, there’s something I have to tell you.”
My heart started thudding. Something was wrong. He had lied about Beazil. Or Starla. Or— “You’re alive!”
Starla threw herself on me as she burst in without warning, hugging and squeezing me harder than I would have thought possible. She was stronger than she looked. I could barely breathe, she was hugging me so hard!
“Starla! Her wounds!”
I grimaced as she pulled away, touching my belly. It pulsed with agonizing clarity. Not drugged anymore then. Great. So did my back, though that was more of a stinging sensation. I winced, remembering the blade sliding into me. Then I remembered Jaynelle’s spikes as they pierced the flesh of my back through my tunic.
Ouch.
Annaruth was back, scolding a blushing Starla for not being gentle. She winked at me and then went back to looking stern.
“I’m sorry.” Starla turned to me. “I’m sorry. I’ve been so worried. It’s been days and there was so much blood—”
I must have turned green because Dane took one look at me and interrupted.
“Not helping, Starla!”
“When can I see Beazil?” I tried to sit up, grimacing in pain. “And Rip?”
Dane’s expression darkened somewhat when I mentioned the other Mer, but he nodded.
“Rip will be easier to manage. Beazil was treated and left the camp. No one has seen him since.”
“He will be back. I have something for him.”
I stared in awe as Annaruth opened her hand. A dazzling crystal eye lay in her delicate palm.
“Does it . . . work?”
She nodded.
“Quite well. He’ll see better than you or me.” Her eyes twinkled. “He may even see a bit of the future.”
All the talk of eyes made me gasp.
“Marcum! Did he make it?”
“He’s alive. And he is sure to be honored for his bravery.”
I exhaled in relief. Starla helped me sit up, plumping the pillows behind me.
“I only have one more question.”
Three beloved faces stared back at me expectantly. I had lived. My friends had lived. My familiar had lived. I was overjoyed. Other than seeing my friends and my familiar, I only wanted one thing. And I wanted it very, very badly.
“When can I eat?”
Chapter 23
The chosen Mers were dressed identically in flowing white robes. There were fewer than a hundred of them, out of the many thousands that had begun the Trials. There was only one row of us this time instead of two, since there was no longer an equal number of boys and girls.
I was at the tail end of the line, with only Dane behind me. Starla was much farther forward. Rip was a few spots ahead of us, sporting a sling that held his arm against his chest, with Marcum between us.
I was going to be assigned a position in the Elite today. All of us were. But it was my presence here that was hardest to believe.
Me. The lonely little orphan Mer with nothing but her wits. I had finished. I had survived.
Thalia was not in the lineup, though I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. She’d lost her arm to Beazil’s bite. He’d spat it out, not having a taste for Merflesh, thankfully. But I was sure she would cause trouble down the line.
I still couldn’t believe she had tried to kill me.
Not liking me was one thing, but murder? And with an illegal weapon on top of it. I knew she would be punished for what she had done. However, I had chosen not to know the specifics. I couldn’t think about it too much.
Today was the day I had waited my entire life for. I would enjoy it, at all costs. I would honor my father and my mother with my composure.
I would be dignity personified.
“You okay, Tri?”
I turned sideways to look at Dane.
“Yes, why?”
“You’re bouncing all over the place.”
I smiled sheepishly.
“Maybe I’m a little nervous.”
“Why?”
“Because we are all the way in the back! What does that mean? We’re going to have to wait the longest to know!”
He laughed at me.
“Silly Mer, it’s a good thing.”
“It is?”
“Yes. It’s almost certain that we are both going to be made Spark.”
“What?”
“Well, I’m not sure about Marcum, but they name Spark last. I can’t imagine they will choose me and not you.”
“Don’t tease me, Dane. You are certain?”
“Almost certain. And Tri?”
He suddenly looked worried about something. His blue eyes were more serious than I’d ever seen them. I immediately wanted to reassure him with a hug, but I held back.
No one wanted to be the Mer who hugged too much.
“Yes?”
“Try not to hate me, okay?”