“Lady Jade, are you alright?” His eyes narrowed. “You look ill.”
“Did you know Yvonna well?”
“Well enough to know she wasn’t the monster you think she was.”
My voice softened. “I don’t think she was a monster. She died trying to do the right thing.”
“You still blame her for trying to get Tor exonerated.”
I hesitated. “Yes, of course. But . . . I understand her better now, I think. She was never trying to be a villain. She had mistaken priorities. She’d have done almost anything to protect her son, and she let that push her to some awful decisions.”
Like blackmailing one of my best friends into testifying against me. The memory roiled my stomach.
We turned down another canal, swimming past a row of fancy houses made of the brightest coral the reef had to offer. My gaze swept across a garden of waving blue anemones that fostered a whole colony of orange-and-white clownfish, and I realized how desperately I needed to escape the city and go for a swim with my dolphin.
Maybe Pippa will come out with me.
When we reached my canal, a sad smile curled the corner of Maximus’s mouth. “I’m sorry I ever doubted your honesty, Lady Jade. I’m leaving soon—I’m on the security detail for an ambassadorial delegation to Marbella—and we’ll be gone for some time. I don’t yet know how long. I didn’t want to leave without admitting that I treated you abysmally.”
“That’s not true.” I cocked my head. “Even when you thought badly of me, you—”
“Did my job. But I was rude to you, and for that I’m sorry.”
I bowed my head. “Thank you. I know we haven’t seen eye-to-eye all the time, but I really do appreciate all you’ve done.”
We reached the threshold of my home, and I clasped a fist over my heart. “Go in peace. And I hope your trip to Marbella floats on a smooth current. Bring me back some Marbellan kelp puffs if you think about it. I like them even better than sweet puffs.”
He grinned. “I’ll see what I can do. Peace be upon you, Lady Jade.”
He swam away, and I fished the key from my wrap and let myself in the house.
“George? Pippa?” I called. Then I shook my head. George, our butler, hadn’t yet returned to work. Even though it had been years since she’d broken his heart, Yvonna’s death had devastated him. Mother had insisted he take the time he needed.
My little brother Benjamin waved at me from the table where he slumped over his breakfast. I ruffled his hair as I passed. “Best hurry up, urchin, or you’ll be late for school.”
He yawned and grumbled something at me.
“Hi, Jade.” Pippa emerged from the hallway that extended toward the back of the house. For her own safety, she’d lived with us since the massacre in the naiad quarter. “I’m surprised you’re back so soon. Is Cleo still with the king?”
I wrapped my arms around myself. “She’ll be there most of the day, I think. Is there anyone you need to see before . . . before everyone leaves?”
She bit her lip and shook her head. “I’ve said my goodbyes. Best to not drag it out.”
“Want to go swim with Kiki and me, then? Clear our heads?”
Pippa’s eyes lit up, but she hesitated. “Will I be able to get back into the city when we’re done?”
“Yes,” I said. “You . . . probably shouldn’t go out alone—just for right now. But together we’ll be fine.”
“Then let’s go.”
I glanced at Benjamin. “Don’t tell Mother?”
Benjamin shrugged. “Just be safe, okay?”
With relief pulsing through my veins, I pulled Pippa out the door and locked it behind us. She reached her hands back and cast a gentle current behind her that carried her forward at an easy swimming speed for me. Activity had picked up in the canals, and when we neared the city gates, we had to navigate a bustling thoroughfare teeming with buskers, stall shops, and dolphin-drawn carts.
My stomach growled as we passed a cart selling sweet puffs. I glanced up at the shimmering surface of the water above and then back at the sweet puffs.
Pippa smirked at me. “A little early for dessert.”
“Want some?” I asked.
“I won’t say no.”
I reached into the bag tied around my waist, pulled out two small coins engraved with the likeness of Eliana, the ancient queen, and handed them to the vendor. He gave two sweet puffs to me and two to Pippa, and we continued down the canal in silent contentment.
A brawny, dark-skinned merman undulated past me on the back of the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen. It was white, with two long, thin front legs and a slender mer tail, and it glimmered like its skin was covered in pale bioluminaries. Its jet-black, intelligent eyes met mine.
I stopped short, and Pippa ran straight into me.
“Oof.” She took a step back and dropped half of her remaining sweet puff to the seafloor. “What are you—” Her eyes locked on the creature, and she fell silent.
“Have you ever seen anything like that before?” I whispered. “It’s beautiful.”
“Yes,” she murmured. “Almost like it. A long time ago.”
We watched as it swam out of sight.
“What was it?” I gasped.
Pippa cleared her throat. “The overlanders that lived on the banks of the Wye had mounts—horses, they called them—that were similar, but they had four legs, two in front and two in back, and no fishtail.”
I quirked an eyebrow at her. “Four legs? What would they do with four legs?”
She laughed. “I think it helped them balance. They’re pretty big, though not quite as big as whatever that thing was. I’ll draw a picture of a horse for you when we get back.”
I wanted to follow the creature, but we needed to visit Kiki.
We reached the city outskirts and passed under the gaudy coral gate that marked the boundary between the reef and Thessalonike. I recognized one of the members of the Royal Mer Guard standing watch at the gate—I’d gone to school with her.
“Artemis.” I nodded at her. “Has anyone new come through here recently?”
Her eyes sparkled. “You saw the hippocampus?”
“The hippo-what now?”
“A representative from the Neptunian Confederation passed through the gate a few minutes ago. He was a riding a hippocampus.”
“Tall merman on a majestic white creature?”
Artemis nodded. “I’d never seen one before, but he says it’s what all the Neptunians ride.”
I stopped, and my back stiffened. “Wait. The Neptunus Confederation?”
She shrugged. “That’s what he said. He was alone and said he had a message for the king, so we let him pass.”
I said goodbye to Artemis and worried my lower lip as Pippa and I moved away from the gate and onto the open expanse of reef.
“Well, I wonder what that was about,” I murmured.
“Who are the Neptunians?” asked Pippa, her eyes narrow.
I ran my hands through my hair. “No one. Not anymore. Not in two millennia.”
“Well, who were they?”
I glanced back at the gate. “An empire on the warpath.”
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Acknowledgments
It’s daunting to sit down and set out to thank everyone who’s made this book possible because so many people have supported and inspired me along the way.
Brendan—Your support has meant the world. You were so understanding when I said I had to quit my day job to focus on writing and editing, and you’ve never looked back.
Mom—You live for your children and grandchildren, and you encouraged and funded so many opportunities. You once purchased forty hardcovers to qualify me to go to a writers’ conference, and it was at that conference that I started making the critical connections that gave me a career in this industry. And who knew how useful swimming with dolphins would end up being?
Brittany—Thanks so much for being my favorite sister. I trust your judgme
nt implicitly, and your support over the years has been such an encouragement. Also, thanks for your last-minute catches in Breakwater!
Stephanie, Jessica, and Brielle—I love you ladies so much. You make my life better in every way.
My kitties, Mildred and Minerva—You worked tirelessly to introduce typos at every possible moment. I admire your dedication to walking on my keyboard.
My editors, Ben Wolf, Christabel Barry, Stephanie Guido, Jacqueline Frasca, Veronica Meredith, and Chelsea Tatum—I’ve relied on each and every one of you to make this novel work. Bit by bit you’ve taken this book from a messy, underdeveloped, inconsistent draft into the novel it is today. You’re the dream team.
Kirk DouPonce—The cover is perfect. I feel so lucky to have worked with such a talented artist, and I can’t wait to see what you do with the rest of the series.
Chris Bell—For all the advice and, of course, your top-notch interior design skills, I am so grateful.
Davis Bunn—If you hadn’t taken the time to sit down and troubleshoot my biggest writing hurdle, I don’t know that I would have ever finished the first draft.
Rachel—You were the very first writer to entrust me with editing a real book manuscript, and that launched the journey that made it feel possible for me to publish Breakwater. Your stories inspire me, and your prose is captivating. I’m so thrilled we’re both releasing our debuts this year.
Katie—Oh, what can I say in this amount of space? Your infectious positivity and desire to see those around you succeed makes the lives of everyone you touch better. You pretty much singlehandedly kept me in the indie publishing industry when it seemed easier to just work a day job, and I have adored each and every one of your stories.
My online writing communities, especially AfE, the blue monkeys, RWM, and Realm Makers Consortium—At varying times in this journey, you’ve kept me sane, motivated me, and pointed me in the right direction.
My co-conspirators—Andrew, Avily, Ben, Charis, Becky, Scott, Lindsay, Nadine, Sarah, and Teddi. You keep me on track, talk me down when I get in my own head, and always encourage me toward excellence. Let’s take over the world.
About the Author
Catherine Jones Payne is a Seattle native who loves the written word, international travel, crashing waves, and good coffee. Her earliest memory involves pulling up a rolling chair to her parents’ old DOS computer—while wearing a tiara, naturally—and tapping out a story of kidnapped princesses. By day, she’s the executive editor of Quill Pen Editorial. She lives in Waco, TX with her historian husband, Brendan, and their cats, Mildred and Minerva.
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Crosscurrent
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Breakwater Page 22