The Mermaids Madness

kelpies. Approach too closely, and we’ll use them.
    The crew cheered as the kelpies fell back. Some of the undine still clung to the side of the ship, bracing themselves with their knives and spears. A few crossbow shots soon rid the ship of those hangers-on.
    “Did I hear thunder?” Snow yawned as she approached Danielle. She looked around, staring first at the three Hiladi sailors who sat dripping by the mast, then at Captain Varisto. She studied him for a longer time, taking in the muscled lines of his chest and arms, until Danielle cleared her throat.
    “What? I’m allowed to look.” Snow yawned again, then reached into her shirt and pulled out a slender green bottle. “Besides, I thought I should let you know. My dead friend here says Morveren’s on her way to Hilad.”

CHAPTER 16

    D ANIELLE HELD HER CLOAK TIGHT against the night air as the Phillipa raced to intercept Morveren. Though hours had passed with no sign of the mermaid, Snow assured them it wouldn’t be much longer.
    “Looks like they’re trying again,” Hephyra shouted. She picked up a barrel and hurled it at the nearest kelpie. Their pursuers scattered in all directions. Talia raised a spear, but Hephyra shook her head. “No need. That was an empty.”
    So it had gone throughout the night. Time after time the kelpies would draw close, only to flinch back as Captain Hephyra hurled another barrel into their midst. At these speeds, even Talia had trouble hitting the barrels with her spears. More exploded than not, and the kelpies learned quickly. They fled from the barrels whether they exploded or not, so Hephyra had begun tossing empty barrels as well in order to preserve their supply of black powder.
    All too soon, the kelpies resumed their attack. The skies had begun to lighten, making it easier to see the kelpies as they swam parallel to the ship, drawing ahead and closing ranks to form a living blockade.
    “Hold on to something,” Beatrice said, pulling the wheel left.
    The Phillipa threaded its way between two kelpies, close enough to strike the one on the starboard side. The ship shuddered, and the kelpie honked in protest, and then they were through. Guns thundered as the crew fired a quick broadside. Given how little powder remained, Hephyra had ordered only half the guns loaded. It was enough. The crew cheered as one of the kelpies fell back, bleeding from the chest.
    Such exchanges had their cost. Four men had fallen to undine spears, and nine others had been wounded. The foreyard was cracked from the last time they had rammed through the kelpies.
    Beatrice sagged back into her seat. The ship’s carpenter had secured a tall chair in front of the wheel, nailing the legs to the deck. The queen appeared ready to pass out, but still she steered the Phillipa through the waves.
    “How much longer can they keep this up?” Danielle asked. “The poor kelpies must be ready to collapse.”
    “Some of them have,” said Snow. “A second group joined them a while back.”
    Danielle rubbed her eyes. She hadn’t even noticed. Living with Jakob had helped to prepare her for sleepless nights, but between the explosions and the honking cries of the kelpies, she felt tense enough to shatter at the slightest blow. “What about Morveren?”
    “She’s getting closer. She’s moving almost as fast as we are.” Snow clutched the green bottle in both hands. “Faster than I expected. I wonder if she found kelpies of her own.”
    “Is that one of Morveren’s trapped souls?” Danielle asked.
    “I borrowed it. I’m close to being able to re-create the jars.” Snow held the bottle to the light of the rising sun. “I can’t actually communicate with the soul, but I can feel Morveren through it. The wax she used to seal the cork is mixed with a bit of her spit and blood. She’s commanding all of her souls, using their strength to power her magic.”
    “To do what?”
    Snow shrugged. “I’m sure we’ll know soon.”
    Danielle stretched, grimacing as her armor dug into her shoulders. She longed to remove it, but Talia had insisted. The hardened blue leather was molded for a taller woman, one who hadn’t recently given birth. She reached beneath her cloak, trying to loosen the straps and buckles.
    “Let me.” Snow handed the soul jar to Danielle, then moved around to fix her armor. She pulled Danielle’s cloak aside and began yanking various straps.
    Snow wore similar armor, though hers was white and better fitted to her body.