flesh-eating merrows?”
“She’s not going to do it here.” Frederik throws out his drink
cup. “We’ve got our patrols up. I’ve called our allies in Staten
Island and on the Jersey Shore and warned them to post guards.”
“I’m going to double ours, to be safe.” Rachel conjures her
crossbow from smoke. She turns to a group of the landlocked. Points at
the green sumo wrestler and the guy wearing the Hurricane Gym tank.
“You two. Names?”
“Monty,” says the sumo.
“Alligash,” say Hurricane Gym.
“Come, you’re with me.”
The room shakes as they follow the Red Menace out onto the
boardwalk.
I rub my itchy eyes. Other than my concussed naps, I can’t
remember the last time I had solid sleep. I’m too wired. Too crazed.
In my mind, I can picture Nieve waiting for me. She’s got Layla. She’s
got the nautilus maid. The full moon is tomorrow, and I’m running out
of time. She’s got the upper hand, and she’s not going to give it up.
The next move is on me.
“Guys, I think I should go to Nieve alone.”
A dozen eyes fall on me instantly. Swords clink in practice, and
there’s even some hushed laughter and the buzz of conversation. Then
in seconds, my friends are up in arms around me.
That’s suicide, Cousin.
That’s why we’ve joined forces!
Yeah, you said yourself that we’re stronger together.
What good can come of you dead before you reach her?
“Hold up,” I say, making a T with my hands. “Just because I’m
going to go into Toliss alone doesn’t mean that I’m going to stay that
way. I’m going to raise the Sleeping Giants. Then I’ll have my power
boost. I’ll signal you guys, while you wait ready for the attack. If
we march up to Toliss together, it’ll be ten times harder to get into
those tunnels.”
Ewin rubs the tusk on his chin. I wonder if it’s lucky, like a
Buddha belly. “Your proposed plan is sound.”
“Still-” Kai starts, but when all eyes turn to her, she stops.
“Still what?”
“It would be useful to see what Nieve and Kurt are up to. The
barrier was to block them from seeing you, not the other way around.”
“The two-way mirror,” I say. “I have to be asleep.”
“Then, by all means, Sleeping Beauty,” Marty says.
Ewin rubs his hands together. “I can facilitate this with a single
blow.”
I push myself back. “We are not turning me into a punching bag.”
Frederik kneels in front of me. He’s usually looking down so I
never see him this close up. His eyes are so black. A thick fringe of
lashes bats at me, like someone hit slow motion on his face.
“Tristan,” he says, “now it’s your turn to trust me.”
I’ve never been hypnotized by a vampire. My eyesight is blurred at
the edges. I’m inside Toliss Island, in the king’s chamber. Nieve is
swimming in her pool again. She takes a silver fish and gnaws the
flesh down to the bone. When she’s finished, she throws it onto a
rotting pile.
Then my heart beats faster as Gwen walks in with Layla.
I feel like I’m stuck in a glass case where no one can hear me as
I shout her name. Layla!
She is free and her hands are untied-after all, where is she going
to run?
She stands with her back to the polished white wall, looking back
and forth from one of her captors to the other. Then she surveys the
room for anything she can use as a weapon.
“Layla, was it?” Nieve says playfully.
Layla stays silent. She balls her hands at her sides. Her knees
are scraped and bruised. Her arms have tons of tiny cuts that are
fresh and red. Her browns curls are wild, and her amber eyes are
defiant.
I wish I could burst out of this dream and save her.
“Let’s try a new game, shall we?” Gwen combs her fingers through
Layla’s hair, and Layla tells Gwen to do something incestuous to
Nieve.
“Now,” Nieve says, “is that the kind of mouth the heart of the Sea
Prince should have?”
“You really want to talk about mouths, Snaggle Tooth?”
Layla, don’t, I think. Please, please don’t. I’m going to come for
you. Just hold on.
But there’s no stopping her. Nieve points a finger at Layla and
she flies back against the wall. Her head makes a hard cracking noise
that coils my insides.
“This isn’t a new game,” Layla murmurs, though she’s probably
seeing stars.
Nieve motions for Gwen to pick her up. She does and has to hold on
to her for a few minutes before Layla shakes the dizziness.
“I already told you,” Layla says. “I don’t know where Tristan is.
You took me, remember? If you’re supposed to be this all-seeing bruja
, why don’t you just see him?”
“I lost him for quite a while,” Nieve says calmly. “But it’s okay.
My Gwenivere found him, didn’t she?”
Gwen says, “Yes, Mother Queen.”
At that Layla’s head snaps up.
“I see that has gotten your attention,” Nieve says. “Now, you’re
going to tell me what Tristan wants with the nautilus maid, or you
will know the true meaning of pain.”
“Do you think I’m afraid to feel pain?” Layla asks.
As long as I’ve known her, Layla has been fearless. She stands up
to cops, to teachers, even to her dad when he’s being unreasonable.
Most of all, she stood up to me, always calling me out when I did
something wrong. But this is just stupid.
“I’ve already told you,” Layla shouts. “I haven’t seen him! I’ve
been with you!”
“I don’t think she’s being honest,” Nieve says. Something flickers
in her eye-a signal.
Gwen holds her hand up and sends a shock right through Layla’s
body. I can see Layla tremble with it. She grimaces when it’s over and
spits blood at Gwen.
“I always knew Tristan was an idiot to trust you.”
Gwen seems to like that. She runs her hands all over her body and
says, “Can you blame him?” She bats her eyelashes and giggles. “He
does have the softest lips.”
That’s a lie. I’ve never kissed Gwen.
“But as long as you’ve known him, he has been that way, hasn’t he?
Always chasing girl after girl while you wondered why he never looked
at you. I mean, really looked at you and said, ‘You are everything I
need.’”
Don’t listen to her! I shout, though she can’t hear me.
Layla doesn’t say anything. She stares at Nieve’s cold, white-blue
eyes.
“Tell me, dear girl,” Nieve says, changing her tone. “And I’ll
make sure he is spared. I’ll make sure you two can be together
forever.”
“And how do you guarantee that?” Layla asks.
“I’ll make you into one of us.”
Gwen looks almost as startled as Layla. As me. Is that even
possible? It can’t be.
“Really?” Layla looks hopeful for a moment. “You can do that?”
“With the power of the full trident to magnify my own magic, I can
do anything.” Nieve lifts herself out of her pool and sits on the
ledge, showing off her scales. “It is a wonderful life, being part of
the sea. My Gwenivere tells me you are a fantastic swimmer.”
Layla lets herself smile. “I’m okay.”
“Mother-”
Nieve sends Gwen a death glare.
Gwen turns around and faces the wall to compose herself.
“But first, you must tell me what he wants with the nautilus
maid.”
Layla comes closer to them. “My head hurts. I’m a little hungry.”
Nieve lifts her chin at Gwen, whose gray eyes are angry little
storms.
“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” Layla asks. And I know