The Mermaids Madness

body.”
    “I can save your queen and my granddaughter both.”
    “I have a better idea. You’ll help Snow to save Beatrice, and then I’ll let Danielle decide whether or not to let you live.”
    Morveren spat. “Why should I agree to that?”
    Without looking, Talia sent the knife into the meat of Morveren’s tail, near the stump. Morveren’s scream hurt her ears even through the beeswax. Raising her voice, Talia said, “Because Danielle has an overblown streak of mercy, whereas I take a very dark view of people using magic to ‘improve’ their children.”
    “My people will remember you as a devil,” Morveren said, clutching her tail. “One who damned us all.”
    Talia’s smile was cold enough to make both mermaids flinch. “I’ve been called worse. And anything has to be better than that silly Sleeping Beauty tale.”

    Tiny feet dug into Danielle’s ribs. She groaned and rolled over, trying to make room for a child who, despite his size, had somehow managed to claim well over half the bed for himself. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, balancing on the edge of the mattress. Armand lay on the opposite side, his position equally precarious. Danielle dimly remembered carrying Jakob into the room late last night, but she couldn’t recall when Armand had finally come to bed.
    Sleep was a losing battle, but she tried again. Moments later, she heard the privy door creaking open. “She stole it!”
    The indignation in Snow’s voice brought Danielle fully awake. Stifling a yawn, she climbed out of bed and crossed to the doorway. “What?”
    “The knife. Talia took it.” Snow waved a crumpled piece of paper in Danielle’s face. Her clothes were rumpled. She hadn’t even taken the time to change before coming to see Danielle. Her eyes were shadowed, and she still tended to squint.
    Danielle pried the note from Snow’s hand and held it to the light of Snow’s choker. “She says to meet her in the chapel when you wake up.”
    “That’s another thing! She put me to sleep!”
    Danielle glanced back, but neither Jakob nor Armand had stirred. Taking Snow by the hand, she dragged her out into the hallway and shut the door. “She should have made you sleep longer. You’re grumpy.”
    Snow drew herself up. “I am not! I’m trying to save Beatrice’s life.”
    “So am I.” Danielle waited a heartbeat, watching Snow’s eyes narrow with suspicion. “Talia took the knife because I told her to.”
    “I told you I could—”
    “You were exhausted,” Danielle said. “You’re still hurt. I’m amazed you made it up that ladder.”
    “I stopped to rest a lot,” Snow admitted. She snatched the note back and crumpled it into a pouch on her belt. “Where did she go?”
    “To get Morveren.” Danielle peeked back into the room while Snow fumed. Armand and Jakob were both still asleep. “Wait here.”
    She stepped inside and dressed as hastily as she could, while Snow fumed.
    “I’ll get her for this,” Snow was muttering when Danielle returned. “The next time she smokes that pipe of hers, I’m changing it into a newt.”
    “Aren’t you the one who used magic on Talia to get that knife in the first place?” Danielle asked.
    “That’s right, tease the cranky sorceress. Don’t think I’m letting you off the hook either. It’s going to be newts for everyone.”
    Danielle fastened the clasp of her cloak as they walked outside. Dew covered the grass of the courtyard. She waved to the gardener, who was already up and pulling slugs from the young shoots.
    “Slugs might work, too,” Snow said thoughtfully.
    “Tell me the truth. Could you even read those books you had out, or were you too exhausted?”
    Snow stuck out her tongue.
    Incense made Danielle’s eyes water as she stepped into the chapel. She spotted Talia at the front of the church. Beside her, Morveren rested on the steps which led up to the altar. Lannadae was here as well, curled up next to her grandmother.
    “She shouldn’t be here with Queen Bea,” said Snow.
    “Father Isaac agreed it was safe.” Talia pointed to one of the incense burners. “The potion should work on undine as well as humans, so she can’t use her magic against us. This place is as safe as her prison on the Phillipa . Safer, really. Even if she tried to escape, where is she going to go?”
    Danielle frowned. There was a fresh bandage on one of Morveren’s tails. “What did it take to persuade her?”
    “Talia and I have already spoken of her