The Mermaids Madness

“You’d think I would have learned better than to trust witches by now.”
    “Morveren helped us find Lirea and that knife,” Danielle said. “We still need her.”
    “No.” Snow took a slow breath. “I want no more of her help. Leave her locked in the hold, or give her to Varisto. I can help Beatrice on my own.”
    Talia snorted. “You can barely walk on your own.”
    Snow pulled away from Talia and turned back toward the cabin. “We’re docking soon, and I’m still wearing the clothes I slept in. I have to change.”
    Talia followed, catching Snow’s arm. Talia’s anger was obvious, but she handled Snow as though she were porcelain.
    Danielle turned away, watching as Lorindar slowly grew in the distance. She stared at the docks until she spotted the fleck of red that marked Varisto’s ship.
    Talia had wanted to kill the crew of that ship. Danielle was the one who ordered them left alive, and now Varisto was threatening war against Lorindar.
    “I’m surprised they made it, given the damage we did,” Talia said, walking up behind her a short time later.
    “Do you think they’ve fixed their guns yet?” Danielle asked.
    “Don’t worry. He wouldn’t dare attack us again, not with a good twenty ships of Lorindar to either side.”
    Danielle looked down, watching the waves break against the Phillipa ’s hull. “If Morveren forced Lirea to kill her prince, that would explain why Lirea attacked Morveren so brutally and why she wouldn’t trust Lannadae, but . . .”
    “What is it?”
    “Lirea ambushed the Glass Slipper . She’s begun an offensive that could cripple the naval power of every nation around. At the same time, she’s brought new undine into her tribe, expanding her numbers beyond anything we’ve ever seen. Do those sound like the actions of a woman with a broken mind?”
    “Princess Whiteshore, is that suspicion I hear in your voice?” Talia shook her head. “I’ve fought Lirea twice. She’s strong, but she has no strategy, no tactics beyond rage and pain.”
    Danielle turned toward the cabin. “It makes me wonder exactly how closely Gustan’s soul is bound to Lirea.”

    Like the Phillipa, the Hiladi vessel still bore the scars of battle. Bright planks had been nailed into place and tarred to cover the worst of the damage. Armed men worked on the deck, replacing lines and mending sails. They had lowered one of their boats into the water at the back of the ship, where two men had been inspecting the rudder. Now they stood watching the Phillipa glide closer. Even from this distance Danielle could feel their anger.
    “I think they remember us,” Talia said, coming up beside her.
    The docks were packed more tightly than Danielle had ever seen. High tide was normally a busy time, but not one of these ships appeared ready to leave. Nor had the Phillipa passed any traffic on their way in, save for a pair of three-masted naval ships patrolling beyond the harbor. The storms had departed Lorindar with the Phillipa . Only fear of the undine kept these ships docked now.
    Captain Hephyra stood balanced on the bowsprit, one hand raised in an obscene gesture toward the Hiladi. Glancing over her shoulder, she shouted, “Lower anchors!”
    The deck vibrated beneath Danielle’s feet as the anchor chains played out. The Phillipa jerked once before dragging to a halt.
    By the time the crew had readied the cutter, Snow had emerged from the cabin wearing a green jacket trimmed with gold cord over a low-cut white shirt. A polished leather belt gleamed at her waist, matching her knee-high boots. She had kept the tricorn hat, though it didn’t really match the rest of her finery.
    “Are you up for climbing?” Talia asked.
    “I’ll be fine.” Snow waved them away and climbed down the rope ladder into the boat. She moved slowly but reached the cutter without incident. Danielle wondered if anyone else noticed the sheen of sweat on Snow’s face.
    “We have a welcoming party,” Snow said as Danielle and Talia joined her.
    Prince Armand waited at the dock, surrounded by a handful of guardsmen. His hair was a rumpled mess, and he seemed a little short of breath. Had he run all the way from the palace rather than waiting for a carriage? No, looking back along the boardwalk, Danielle could see several horses tied near the barracks.
    Her stomach tightened as she spotted Captain Varisto standing with her husband. He wore the same red sash as before but had changed into a bright yellow sleeveless