Breakwater

by Catherine Jones Payne

  When I reached the statue of Eliana, I found myself face-to-face with Cassian.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “You frequent city center?” I asked Cassian.

  “Not usually.”

  “Are you here to chase me down and demand things that don’t exist?” I crossed my arms.

  “What’s going on?” Alexander asked.

  Cassian’s navy hair waved in the current. He ignored Alexander and addressed me. “No. I have it on good authority that you’re eloping and leaving the city soon.”

  I glanced at Alexander. “Word spreads fast. Maybe I didn’t need to tell my mother after all.”

  Alexander smirked at me. “I’m sure the conversation would’ve gone better if she’d heard it from someone else first.”

  I sighed. “What is it, Cassian?”

  “My employer would really like that tablet, Lady Jade, if you have any ideas on where it might be.”

  Alexander looked from Cassian to me. “Would someone please explain something to me?”

  I squeezed his hand. “I’ll tell you when we’ve left the city. Trust me.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck but nodded.

  I turned to Cassian. “What’s on this mysterious tablet?” I phrased my next words carefully. “I still haven’t figured out what Felix would be so desperate to hide.”

  “My employer believes it is the reason Anna was murdered. If Tor was willing to kill for it, it suggests that it is damaging to his family.”

  I squinted at him. “You know more than you’re saying.”

  He chuckled. “In my line of work, that’s always likely.”

  Alexander grunted.

  I raised my chin. “Perhaps if you could reveal who your employer was, I might be more inclined to speculate as to where such a tablet might’ve ended up.”

  He gazed at me. “If you want to do right by the naiads, you won’t leave the city without handing over the tablet. Felix is selling naiads, Lady Jade. And the king cannot move against him without proof.”

  I pursed my lips. “Are you saying that the king is your employer?”

  “I am not.”

  “How do I know you’re not working for Felix?”

  He hesitated. “It’s a fair question, I suppose.” His gaze darted to Alexander. “Suppose I tell you—”

  “Thus says the king!” a crier’s voice interrupted him. “In order that justice be served in the face of the uprising in the naiad quarter, sanctions are hereby handed down on the naiad population in Thessalonike.”

  Alexander and I looked at each other, our brows furrowed.

  Sanctions? Not expulsion? Felix had just been trying to torment me after all, I decided. I wasn’t surprised. It was just the sort of thing he’d relish doing.

  The crier continued, “From this day and for a period of one year, a curfew shall be enforced in the naiad quarter. Any naiad found in violation of the curfew while within the boundaries of Thessalonike shall be subject to a fine of twenty drachmas. Naiads shall not gather together in groups of more than four in any public space or private house.”

  Alexander tightened his lips.

  “And naiads will no longer be granted admittance to the main section of the city except on business for a mer employer.”

  My body chilled. “Did he say what I think he just said?” I murmured.

  “We’ve got to go to the quarter,” said Alexander.

  I nodded, but my whole body felt numb. I looked at Cassian. “Yes. It really looks like the king is going out of his way to protect the naiads.”

  “If I could just—”

  “I’m busy,” I snapped. “But if you give me a very compelling reason at a later time, I might hear you out.” My gaze drifted to the sandy bottom of the canal. “Let’s go,” I said, tugging on Alexander’s arm.

  Alexander and I found Pippa in the growing crowd on Camford Canal.

  “I thought you’d come,” she said, opening her arms to hug me. “Everyone’s in an uproar, as you can imagine.”

  “The murderers in the Guard should be held accountable,” I said, “not the naiads.”

  Alexander pressed his hands together. “But that’s not how the world works.”

  Pippa remained quiet.

  “What will you do?” I rested my hand on her shoulder.

  She hesitated. “That’s what we’re gathering together to find out.”

  “In defiance of the new law?”

  “Well, we can’t very well hide in our houses, can we?” she said. “Some of the Guard—soldiers known to be more loyal to Tor than to the king—burst into houses and dragged naiads into the canals to kill them.”

  “Barbaric,” spat Alexander. “It really was a massacre, then.”

  “But we already knew that,” I murmured. “We just didn’t know the extent.”

  He scowled. “Well, now we know.”

  The crowd swelled, its discontented murmur growing with every passing moment.

  Finally, Tryphaena—Queen Tryphaena, by rights, I reminded myself—hovered a few feet above the sandy coral to address the crowd, her waist-length white hair billowing around her.

  “It seems we are at an impasse with the crown,” she said, her voice cracking. “If we are no longer to be admitted to the part of the city in which the mer live, we cannot even bring our grievances to the king. It pains me to say that this break with Thessalonike must be made quickly and permanently, lest more devastation be wrought upon our people.”

  “So what must be done?” a dark-haired naiad called to Tryphaena.

  “That is up to this crowd to decide. But I recommend that we leave Thessalonike behind and seek friendlier waters.”

  Someone grabbed me from behind.

  “What’s a mer doing in the naiad quarter today?” a male voice hissed in my ear.

  Pippa turned and pushed a sandy-haired naiad off me. “Jade and Alexander are friends of our people.”

  Alexander looped his arms around my shoulders and glared at my assailant.

  The sandy-haired naiad shoved Pippa backward. “No mer is a friend of the naiads. Not really. Besides,” he said, looking at me more closely, “it’s her fault all this happened.”

  I’d have preferred him to punch me in the stomach.

  “So you think Tor should have gotten away with murdering my sister?” Pippa demanded.

  He shrugged. “Maybe she was in on it. Maybe it’s been a plot this whole time.”

  Pippa rolled her eyes. “If you believe that, you’ve been snorting too much puffer fish tincture.”

  I tried to ignore the belligerent naiad and focus on Tryphaena’s conversation with the crowd. But I couldn’t help watching out of the corner of my eye.

  After another heated exchange with Pippa, the naiad stalked away. But I still couldn’t relax. I’d had enough of being accosted in crowds, and in a sea of naiads, my tail and fin couldn’t help but draw attention. I pulled Alexander’s arms around me more tightly.

  A young woman holding the hand of a small girl called out, “Where will we go?”

  Tryphaena looked at her. “I don’t know. I suggest we travel along the coast in the direction of Marbella. Perhaps we will find an accessible river system along the way. If no such system presents itself, Marbella may take us. If that fails, we must set out across the deep ocean in search of a new place to call home.”

  Murmurs ran through the crowd.

  “Such a journey is dangerous. We must accept in advance that we will lose some of our people along the way.”

  The young woman picked up her daughter and clutched her to her chest.

  “But,” Tryphaena continued, “at the end of it, we may be lucky enough to find ourselves in a place where we can thrive. We’ve told ourselves for years that we’re getting by, but in reality, this place is killing us one by one.”

  “What if we all die on the journey?” a male naiad called.

  Tryphaena turned toward the speaker. “What if we all die here? The mer have b
een growing more and more antagonistic every year. If it’s already come to a massacre in the canals, what hope do we have for our children?”

  “We could fight back,” he replied. “They’re afraid of our water-casting for good reason. If we band together, they can’t stop us.”

  Tryphaena shook her head. “I will not condone a course of action that leads inexorably to slaughter. We are powerful, but the mer outnumber us, and a civil war will devastate our people.”

  Pippa started playing with the edge of her watery, ethereal dress.

  I leaned toward her, breaking out of Alexander’s embrace. “What do you think?” I whispered, reaching back to squeeze Alexander’s hand.

  She bit her lip. “I know I thought about coming with you before, but I really don’t think I can do it again.”

  “Can’t do what again?”

  “Flee my home in search of . . . what? The hope that there might be something better on the other side? What if it’s not better? What if it’s worse? Or we all die along the way?”

  I placed a hand on her shoulder. “Is Thessalonike worse than the river system was?”

  She pursed her lips and shook her head. “No. Not at the end. The river choked us out.”

  “Maybe this will be for the best, too.”

  She shot me a sharp look. “You want me to leave?”

  I looked at Alexander. “We want to come with you.”

  She glanced from me to Alexander. “No, you don’t.”

  “I’m serious. We can’t stay. My reputation is too badly damaged, and we can’t be together here. And really, we don’t want to stay. Not after what the Guard did. Not after how the king let it go.”

  “But Jade, you’ve never had to leave your home behind. You don’t want—”

  I ran a hand through my hair. “You’re right. I don’t want to go. But the city is choking me out,” I said.

  Shaking her head, she said, “You have no idea what it’s like. But—” Her gaze shifted from Alexander to me. “—I suppose that’s not really my business.”

  “So it’s settled,” called Tryphaena over the crowd. “We will move on and seek refuge somewhere beyond the walls of Thessalonike.”

  Excitement built in my chest. This is it. Escape from the city.

  Pippa’s shoulders slumped, and she looked down at the seafloor.

  As the crowd dispersed, I reached out for her. “What is it?”

  She shook off my hand. “I really appreciate everything you’ve tried to do. You’re trying, and that’s more than can be said for most of the mer in this city. But you really don’t understand how much all of this hurts. You’ve never lost a sibling. You’ve never lost your home.”

  I drew back, startled. “I’m trying to understand.”

  “I—I’m not angry with you. Not exactly.”

  “Then what’s wrong?”

  “You need to know that you’re voluntarily giving all of this up. You’re not the one being pushed out.”

  “No one here wants anything to do with me.” I hugged my arms over my chest. “I went to a party last night, and everyone snubbed me.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Tell me how much your feelings are hurt because posh people excluded you at a party.”

  I fell silent. “I’m sorry,” I said at last. “That really sounded condescending of me, didn’t it?”

  “Yup.” She offered me a wry smile. “You’re pretty good at that.” Then she reached her hand toward me. “I know you’ve lost a lot, too. I shouldn’t minimize that.”

  “I shouldn’t pretend it’s on par with everything you’ve been through.”

  We met in a tight embrace, and when we pulled back, I shot a grin at Alexander. “Let’s go with them.”

  “I’d like that,” he said, squeezing my hand.

  On our way back to my house, Alexander and I passed the canal Rhea lived on, and I hesitated.

  “I . . . I think maybe I should stop in to see Rhea. And offer her peace. I mean, I don’t want to be her friend. But it doesn’t matter if we’re really leaving. Maybe it’ll make the journey easier if I say goodbye.”

  He smiled at me, caressing my wrist with his fingers. “I think that’s wise.”

  We turned toward Rhea’s house, which lay along a row of small but well-maintained homes owned by nobles of lesser rank. I rapped on the door.

  A dark-haired naiad servant answered, and his eyes widened. “How may I be of service, Lady Jade?”

  I recognized him. He was the naiad I’d defended at the city gates the day Tor murdered Anna. “I’m here to see Rhea.”

  He bowed. “Of course, milady. I’ll let her know.”

  He closed the door, and I turned to Alexander. “It’s telling that I’m not granted admittance to the house.”

  He tucked my hair behind my ear. “You’re doing the right thing.”

  The door opened again, and Rhea floated toward me.

  “Hi Rhea,” I said in a small voice.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice quiet. She played with the ends of her hair, twisting the strands around and around her fingers.

  “Good to see you, too,” I said, wringing my hands together. “I came to wish you peace.”

  She swallowed. “Why?” Then she caught sight of Alexander over my shoulder. “Alexander. Um, hi. It’s good to see you.”

  I grabbed his hand. “I know Yvonna threatened you.”

  Her gills flared, and she gripped the doorframe with white fingers. “You do?”

  “Mother and Aunt Junia helped me put it all together. Listen, Alexander and I are engaged, and we’ll be leaving the city soon.”

  Her hand flew to her mouth. “You’re . . . what? How?”

  I continued, “And I just wanted to let you know that I don’t bear you ill will for what happened at Tor’s trial. I don’t know that things could ever have been the same even if I didn’t have to leave, but I didn’t want you to think I hated you for the rest of our lives.”

  Well, I do still hate her a little. But she didn’t need to know that.

  “You’re . . . engaged? To Alexander?”

  That’s what she finds shocking? “Yes. I am.”

  “Well,” she said, blinking. “I . . . Does this mean Tor is fair game?”

  I wanted to slap her, but Alexander squeezed my hand. “Tor has been fair game since the moment I broke up with him. But you should know he has a violent streak. Please don’t entrust the rest of your life to him.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “I’ll be the judge of that, but thanks for coming by. I appreciate it.”

  I paused. I’d humbled myself to reach out to her—to apologize—and she’d thrown it in my face. Skub.

  “Well,” I murmured. “That’s all. I’m sorry I bothered you.”

  I turned around and started to swim away alongside Alexander.

  “Jade!”

  “What?” I asked without facing her.

  “That was really immature of me. I’m sorry everything turned out this way.”

  I didn’t say anything.

  “You were a really loyal friend to me, and I shouldn’t have betrayed that. It eats at me, you know. Every day.”

  “Thank you, Rhea,” I said. I couldn’t turn around lest she see my chin quivering.

  “Go in peace.” Her voice cracked.

  “And peace be upon—” I couldn’t finish the sentence. I looked over my shoulder and made eye contact with her.

  She nodded and gave me a slight smile.

  A knock sounded at my front door, and I turned toward Alexander with my eyebrows raised. There were few people in the city I wanted to talk to, and almost all of them had keys to the house.

  He shrugged and mouthed, “Pippa?”

  “Maybe. Or maybe Mother or Benjamin forgot the key.” I moved to the door and swung it open.

  Yvonna floated in the doorway, her face peaked and a silver cloak covering her hair.

  I almost shut the door in her face. Instead, I crossed my arms. “
Yes?”

  She glanced up and down the canal. “Can I come in?”

  I glared at her. “What gives you the right to—”

  “Please.” Her voice raised a full octave. “You were right. I have something for you.”

  I glanced at Alexander, who shrugged. “Let’s hear her out.”

  Because she’s a conniving little shark.

  But I moved aside to allow her into the house. “You have exactly one minute to make this worth my time.” I shut the door behind her.

  Her voice returned to its normal pitch. “Now, I still think you’re a disloyal little harpy and that you treated my son abominably.”

  I reached for the door handle.

  “Wait.” She held up her hands and moved toward the table. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t diplomatic.” She lowered herself into a hammock chair and folded her hands on the table.

  “You can say that again.” Alexander drummed his fingers together, his eyebrows arching.

  Her gills flared. “What I mean to say is that I’ve disliked your methods, and we clearly approach life from two different sets of values. But there are some things I cannot overlook.”

  I joined them at the table as Yvonna pulled a sheaf of tablets from underneath her cloak and passed them to me.

  “I really did think you were lying about my husband’s . . . involvement in the naiad disappearances.”

  Alexander glanced between Yvonna and me, but he kept quiet.

  Yvonna straightened her back and stared at the blue coral wall. “But it made me think back to one or two things that didn’t make sense over the last year.” She steeled her gaze. “You and I may believe what we wish of each other, but I don’t think either of us can sit idly by while girls are being sold.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Ipicked up the tablets. “What are you saying?”

  “As I thought more about your accusation, I decided to look at a few of my husband’s business records.” She closed her eyes. “I found some things that shocked me. Horrified me. As a result, I’ve brought you some evidence you can take to the king. But I have one condition for you.” Her eyes fluttered open, and determination flashed in her gaze.