The Mermaids Madness

me.”
    Snow squinted in the light. “What happened?”
    “You were hurt,” Danielle said. “We’re going to take care of you. We’re almost back to the ship.”
    “I remember the tower ...” Snow started to say more, and then her eyes widened. Before Danielle could react, Snow turned her head and threw up. She would have fallen from the kelpie if Talia hadn’t grabbed her.
    “Sorry.” Snow closed her eyes and lay back.
    “It’s all right,” Danielle said in the same soothing tone she used when Jakob was upset. “We’ll be at the Phillipa soon.”
    “My head hurts.” Snow tried to sit up again, but Talia held her in place.
    “That’s because Lirea’s air spirits hit you with a tower,” said Talia.
    “Lirea.” Snow closed her eyes. “She’s awfully angry. She shouldn’t have been able to feel my spell.”
    “Just rest,” said Talia. “Try not to move.”
    Snow nodded and laid her head back against the kelpie. Her lips were pale, and her eyelids kept fluttering open. “Talia?”
    “I’m right here.”
    Snow smiled. “My head hurts. What happened?”
    Danielle’s stomach tightened. She looked at Talia, whose face was taut. Danielle forced a smile. “You’re going to be fine, sweetie.”
    “Oh.” Snow appeared to consider this. “That’s good.”
    “Talia, why can’t she remember—”
    “I don’t know.” Talia wouldn’t look at her. “Sometimes when the head is hurt . . . she needs to rest.”
    Danielle turned back to the Phillipa . They were close enough now for Danielle to see the crew scrambling about, preparing for an attack. A heartbeat later, she realized the crew was getting ready to attack them .
    “Wait!” Her voice barely carried over the noise of the water. She pulled one arm out of the harness and gripped the loop with her hand. “Hold Snow.”
    “I’ve got her,” Talia said, slipping both arms around Snow’s body.
    Fear overpowered the cramps in Danielle’s arms as she hauled herself higher on the kelpie’s back, climbing the bony ridges and praying he didn’t make any sudden turns. When she reached the base of his neck, she grabbed another of the harness’ loops to brace herself and drew her sword. She waved the blade through the air, turning it so the glass caught the light of the rising sun. The crew thought they were undine, but no undine carried a glass sword. Nobody did, save the princess of Lorindar.
    Below, Snow giggled. “You’re naked.”
    “That’s because somebody insisted on turning us into mermaids before we left.” Danielle kept her body hidden behind the kelpie’s neck the best she could, but continued to wave her sword until the crew stopped pointing weapons their way. She whispered silently to the kelpie, who slowed as he neared the ship. Danielle could see large fishing nets in the water, presumably lowered to fight the undine.
    Captain Hephyra hopped onto the railing. Thrust through her belt was a thick, unfinished bludgeon of pale wood. “I hope you’re not planning to keep that thing as a pet!”
    “I know that kelpie!” said Lannadae, crawling up beside Hephyra. “I remember when he was just a hatchling!”
    Danielle guided the kelpie between the nets. Hephyra tossed down a rope, which Danielle and Talia looped beneath Snow’s arms. Talia grabbed the rope with one hand, using her other arm to keep Snow steady as Hephyra hauled them both on board.
    “Be careful,” Danielle shouted. “She’s hurt.”
    Hephyra didn’t appear to strain as she pulled Snow and Talia up. Lannadae was waiting with blankets, and soon it was Danielle’s turn.
    “Did you get what you needed?” Hephyra asked.
    “We have Lirea’s knife.” Danielle climbed over the rail, and Lannadae threw a blanket over her shoulders. Most of the crew were too busy preparing the ship for battle to ogle the three women, though Danielle did see one gunner walk right into the capstan.
    “What about Lirea?” Morveren crawled out of the cutter. “What happened to my granddaughter?”
    “Snow couldn’t control her,” Danielle said. “The air spirits—”
    The fins along Morveren’s legs slapped the deck. “I warned her! Finesse, not power. The stronger the spell, the easier it is to detect. She pushed too hard!” She peered into Snow’s eyes, and her fins rippled again.
    Snow groaned and pulled away. “Will someone please make the ship stop spinning?”
    Danielle tried to smile, but inside she was feeling more useless with every passing