Chapter Twenty
When Serena, Murphy, and Kai return to corridors of Society, it is nearly empty. Serena is beaming—the archery training was successful. Not that she hit any of her marks, but in that she avoided all the books.
The trident training was much more difficult. Her wrist is sore from the numerous amount of times Kai made her catch the three-pronged spear and rotate the full weight of it around until it comes to rest, straight up and down at her side. She doubted many werewolves would be throwing tridents at her in The Dry, but didn't say as much. She was working to impress Kai more than anything else.
After Murphy excuses himself, Kai turns to Serena. "Shall I escort you home?" he asks.
"To the orphanage," she answers. With all her things still on display in the Great Hall, her cave will be more barren and uninviting than ever.
"As you say," he winks, slipping his hand under the crook of her elbow.
She looks down, heat crawling up her cheeks.
"What?" he asks.
"Nothing," she glances at him. "It just feels like we are on our way to a formal dance."
"Well if we were, you'd be the belle of the ball, for sure."
"I don't think so," says Serena. "I'm no good on my short-webbed toes." She brushes them across the rough cave floor as they walk.
"Just for the record," he squeezes her arm. "I like your webbing. It's not long, almost extending to the end of your toes like Isadora's, or that old oyster gardener that likes following me around."
"That's an age thing," Serena says.
"What?" Kai frowns.
"The older generations have longer webbing while the middle-aged maidens have webbing that extends only to the second knuckle. Then there are the maidens my age—we all have shorter webbing, it is barely even there." Serena stops for a second, willing herself to shut-up. It's as if she is encouraging Kai to check out other maidens—or at least their feet. "I suppose if you took exact measurements, you'd find the Temporal Caste breaks all sorts of records when it comes to webbing length."
"And why do you suppose this is?" asks Kai.
Serena pauses in the corridor, waiting for a pair of maidens to pass. She can't help but notice Kai does not even glance at their feet. After they are well out of earshot, she looks up at Kai. "It is because the Undine are evolving. Nature is preparing us for life in The Dry."
Never having spoken those words aloud before, not even to Mariam or Rayne, Serena holds her breath waiting for Kai's response.
"Don't mention that to the old crones," he smiles. "Can you imagine their response?" His voice goes up a notch, imitating that of an elderly maiden. "These are my grandmother's grandmother’s hands. They have not changed. Evolution? Not for the Undine."
Serena laughs. By the time it dies out, they are alone in the corridor.
"So…this is what you do in your spare time," Kai raises an eyebrow at Serena. "Have you discussed your theories with anyone?"
"I sort of tried to tonight, with the king. But he has other things on his mind."
"You're not lying about that," Kai says, taking her hand.
Serena allows it, and they hold hands the rest of the walk. It feels like guppies are fluttering around in her stomach, and she prays to Poseidon that she doesn't trip and fall. When they turn the corner, sounds from the orphanage assault them. It is loud, and not just the calfling kind of loud—things breaking, squawks and cries, fighting. These rooms haven't emitted those sounds in years. This time there are pots and pans clinking, teapots whistling, Rayne shouting orders, and others responding.
Serena and Kai slow their pace. Neither want any part of those sounds. Serena squeezes Kai's hands.
"Get another pot boiling!" Rayne's voice rings out from the kitchen.
Serena and Kai stand back from the door, leaning only slightly to look in. They don't want to attract any more attention than they must.
Zayla, one of three helpers there, is rooting through the cupboards. "There are no more."
"Well, we can't let the skies fall because of that." Rayne has her hand on her hip, sauce dripping from a spoon in her other hand. "Fetch a dirty one from the sink."
Zayla shrugs, retrieving a pot, pockmarked with dried stains from the previous sauce.
"You'll have to wash it, of course," shoots Rayne over her shoulder.
Zayla freezes at the jab, shoulders tight and bunched up around her neck. But she picks up the soap from the counter.
"Assembly is over?" Rayne turns her attention to Kai and Serena.
Kai nods and Serena shifts on her feet. She realizes they are still holding hands and she blushes, unlacing their fingers from each other so she can cross her arms over her mid-section.
"Good," says Rayne. "You can help with the food for Assembly tomorrow."
Kai doesn't hesitate, taking three long strides toward Rayne and bowing before her. "I must return to my rounds, but I thank you for your sustenance today at Assembly. It was delicious."
After Rayne accepts his thanks, Kai turns on his heel and walks out. As he passes Serena, he whispers. "I won't be far."
"What about you? You gonna find some excuse to skip out?" Rayne flicks her spoon at Serena.
Serena licks her lips, glancing around the room. Four other faces tell her she'd better not, which is exactly why she does. "Sleep," she announces.
Rayne smiles. "Well—can't argue with that, can we now? A girl needs her sleep."
Serena nods once in appreciation, and keeps her eyes down. She doesn't need to see the angry faces of the rest—the goose bumps down her back give her an accurate image.
The noises in the kitchen resume under Rayne's steady guidance and Serena smiles. After several years of an empty orphanage, it finally has purpose again making food for Assembly. With Rayne at the helm, everything will fall into place just right.
Serena returns to the newborn room, this time ignoring the itchy cot and blankets, and hops up to the nanny crook. She curls into the hard rock of the foreign sleeping cove, wishing she had her hammer and chisel to work while she settled her mind. But, much like herself, they are hostages of the king and council. At least her mother's charm was spared, tucked safely away in a bodice of armor, held by Murphy for now.
Serena tosses and turns, counting out at least one hundred breakers in her head. Sleep doesn't come. Her mind is on her upcoming punishment—the visit to the werewolf camp. Serena hops down from the nook. Tiptoeing down the hall, Serena sneaks past the noisy kitchen and out the front entrance. She runs directly into Kai.
"Oomph!" he says as they both bounce back from each other.
"You again?" Her tone is sharper than Serena intended. She takes a deep breath, looking at Kai. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just—don't you ever sleep?"
"Don't you?"
Serena looks back to make sure no one sees them, then she kicks at the rocks by her feet. Kai has a point. "I just want to get my punishment over with."
"The king said you weren't to go until you've had training," Kai crosses his arms.
"Right," says Serena. "I believe the training we've had so far is sufficient enough to return to The Dry." And I need to get out of here. Please understand, she thinks. I need someone to understand.
Kai's face softens. His lips part, just slightly, and he scratches the back of his neck.
"Wait here," says Kai. "I have to get permission from the king, and…something else."
"What?"
"Your armor." He looks at Serena. "Just, wait. Promise?"
"Promise," says Serena, huffing. He'd better be quick, before Rayne finds her out here and puts her to work in the kitchen.
Kai disappears around the corner. Serena keeps an ear out for Mother Rayne.
"Psst, Serena—come on!" Kai beckons her to join him. He hands her the bow and arrow set as she does.
"That was fast…" she trails off as the rest of the King's Guard greet her in low voices. "What is this?" she asks, narrowing her eyes at Kai. She shrugs on her breastplate.
/> "It's your armor," replies Kai, tugging at one of her straps.
She can't tell if he is referring to the King's Guard or the breastplate.
The guards shift as they prepare themselves, and Serena spots the king, waiting in the water where the tide creeps in, arms crossed.
"What is he doing here?" she whispers.
Kai leans over, whispering back, "Murphy wants the entire King's Guard to escort you."
"So?" asks Serena.
"So?" Kai blanches, no longer whispering. "We can't leave the king unprotected. If all of us are with you, he has to be with you, too."
Serena bites her bottom lip. Maybe this was a bad idea.
The king is going to tag along. She looks around Kai toward his majesty. Does he resent having to do this? Or was it his idea? His demeanor gives no clue; he always looks angry.
Murphy steps forward. "Where are we headed?"
Serena looks from the king, to Kai, and finally to Murphy. "Forest Beach," she says.
Murphy looks over his shoulder at the king. King Merrick nods. He is definitely still running the show.
"Very well," says Murphy. "Lead on, we will follow. But take the long way."
"The long way?" Serena asks. She isn't aware there are two separate paths—the beach is a straight shot from here.
"Go north, out of the caves, then circle around the island to come back to the beach."
Serena frowns. That route leads over the most populated spots in the kingdom.
Murphy gestures with his arm. "Maybe sometime before the moon sinks?"
"As you say," Serena mumbles, heading toward the water.
Scales push forward, covering her body as she enters. She tells herself to look straight ahead, and not glance at the king. Once the water hits her knees, she pauses, waiting for a surge in the current. When it comes, she jumps, pikes her body, and dives. By the time she has to arch her back to keep from hitting the ground, her legs have transformed into fins.
She doesn't wait or even turn back to see if the rest of the guard follows, preferring to leave the lot behind. When the entrance corridors leading to the Great Hall come into view, there are dozens of Undine flowing in and out of the caves.
Doesn't anyone ever sleep? Perhaps she isn't as different from everyone else as she thinks; or as they think.
As Serena nears, they slow to watch her pass, eyebrows raised. They aren't smirking and they aren't backing away.
Serena glances over her shoulder and the entire King's Guard comes into view. They have organized themselves into an inverted v-formation behind her, with Murphy at Serena’s left and Kai on her right. Her position, at the apex of the formation, is where the king usually resides when traveling…anywhere. Now, the king is perched in the middle of the group. He swims several spans higher where he is impossible to miss.
Buzzes and flutters arch through the ocean—the underwater chatter of Society, spreading news of an abnormality. The column moves past the entrance corridors just as a surge of Undine emerge. They scan the landscape, already aware of the excitement, then point up at the procession.
Just as before, too many eyes cause goose bumps to pop up along the back of Serena’s neck. It seems that every gawking Undine brings ten more bumps with them. Serena forces her eyes ahead, keeping her chin high.
None of this was my choice, she tells herself. They can think what they want.
She fingers her mother's charm fixed to her breastplate.
They leave behind the crowd at the cave entrances, drifting over the oyster gardens. More Undine watch, eyes widening in surprise at the procession behind her. Serena forces her gaze to the cages of oysters lining the bottom of the ocean. They serve to filter the water, removing algae as they feed. She relaxes a little more, the crowd of Undine isn't preferable, but it is no longer torture.
The column circles the island, and Serena leads the way back to Forest Beach, picking up speed. She is anxious to get this over with.
Angling her nose up and her fins down, Serena crests the surface in no time. She won’t take her usual precautions, surveying the empty beach from upstream then down. In fact, she isn't sure how far the procession intends to follow. Their presence alone would undo any stealthy measures Serena performs.
The sound of sputtering announce breaching Undine as they force their lungs to transform for a dry intake of air.
She looks over her shoulder, annoyed. Perhaps the King's Guard patrol route needs to include at least one stop in The Dry. That is, after all, where their enemies reside.
After all the sputtering ceases, Serena moves forward, hoping the waves breaking against the shore mask the sounds of the large group. To their credit, she does not detect one whimper when they transform fins to legs.
She steps forward, her deformed Undine webbing leaving pristine prints in the wet sand. The king, of course, stays behind in the water.
Once wet sand turns to dry, Serena stops. The column, still in formation, follows suit. The forest is loud with crickets, birds, and wind snaking through the trees, ruffling the leaves like feathers.
"What will you do?" asks Murphy, leaning forward into her ear so she can hear his whisper.
"Find my werewolf," says Serena. "I think he will help me get to the camp."
"And then what?" asks Murphy.
"I don't know." Serena shrugs. "Maybe…bowling."
"What's…bowling?"
Serena shakes her head. "I have no idea."
Murphy sighs. "I wish you'd wait until your trident training is done. Or at least until you can hit a mark with one of your arrows." He flicks at a shaft, sticking up out of the case on her back.
Serena turns, looking at him, trusting the rest of the guard to watch their backs. "I'm getting the feeling there isn't much time left, Murphy." She looks down at her feet, wiggling her stunted webbing into the sand.
Murphy smiles. "Okay, Serena Moon-Shadow. Off with you then."
She nods, turning back around. One deep breath, then a step toward the tree line.
Behind her, Serena hears the brush of armored scales coming together as the column of guards snaps to attention. Feet shuffling in sand tells her they are moving forward.
A loud thud from the ocean causes them all to turn. It is the thump of fins on water, a warning straight from the king. He pushes the majority of his torso out of the water, crossing his arms and staring Murphy down. The King's Guard is not to go any farther.
"It's okay." Serena puts a hand on Murphy's tense arm. "I've got this."