surprisingly. My grandson is honored to have you as a companion.”

Both our faces go red.

“You should tell him that,” she says half jokingly.

He puts something in her palm, and she closes her fingers around

it. She doesn’t look at it, but she smiles her brilliant smile and

thanks him.

“Marty, thank you again for the gift.”

“Aw, King. No shiny dagger?”

My grandfather frowns at him for a moment before turning to us one

more time. “Now, a fortnight will come and go, so I suggest you head

back. As king, I cannot interfere with the champion, so I suggest you

learn as much as you can from Kurtomathetis.”

“I’ve got to grab some of our belongings,” Thalia says. “Layla and

I will meet you at the ship. King-” Just when I think she’s going to

bow down and curtsey, she runs up and gives him a tight hug. He holds

her and smooths her hair like a father would to his own.

We start going down one tunnel together, but the girls make a

right and we keep going straight toward a tiny white light.

When we’ve reached the mouth of the tunnel, it is dusk.

“It’s a wondrous sight,” says the king.

“Does this mean we get our summer back?” It’s a tiny thing to look

forward to.

My grandfather laughs. “Yes, the wall is down.”

“But won’t humans be able to detect it?”

He shakes his head. “The barrier is still there, but you can only

see it if you’re on the other side. Magics of that size are gradual.”

Marty points to the shore. “Well, there’s our ride. I can’t wait

to get this sand out of my-shoes.”

I laugh. “Yeah, shoes.”

He gives one low bow to my grandfather, takes off his baseball

cap, and shakes his matted brown hair. “From the members of Betwixt, a

gracious farewell. From myself, a wicked awesome good time.” He jogs

back to the ship, his boots sending up clouds of sand behind him.

Kurt and I turn to my grandfather. I don’t know what to say,

really. I want to stay longer and ask him to tell me everything. I’ve

never had a grandfather. I’ve watched Layla with her two grandfathers,

both of them tiny and wielding their canes like angry swords and

giving her money to put into a college savings fund. When you grow up

without grandparents, it’s like you’re missing a link to a past you

didn’t even care you had until you have to sort through it to

understand who you are. I want to know, and there is too much to know.

My grandfather’s enormous hands come down on our shoulders.

“You’re both in very good company.” He walks back through the trees

until my eyes can’t follow.

H er name was Lola -”

We’re sailing in the warm night breeze. Marty’s singing at me.

“ She was a showgirl -”

Layla and Thalia are getting navigation lessons from Arion, who is

clearly smitten with the two prettiest girls in the whole world.

“Marty?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t forget who has a new, shiny dagger in his backpack.”

Marty makes a zipper motion over his lips and leans back against a

wooden barrel, wriggling his toes. His heavy, black leather boots are

beside him, along with his shirt and his hat. He calls out, “Hey,

Arion!”

Arion pulls on the braided ropes and sails, and swings as close to

us as the black ropes that bind him will allow.

“What is it now , Master Marty?”

“I like that. Master Marty. Sounds official. So you got any more

of that seaweed ale? It’s not so bad now. The grassy aftertaste kind

of goes away.”

Arion’s cool composure is evaporating. His bushy black eyebrows

furrow. “There’s more below deck. Please, have as much as you’d like.

Just beware of the urchin brothers.”

At the mention of the little urchin guys, Marty shakes his head

and leans back. “I think I’m good. Are we there yet?”

“Soon. Very soon,” the captain says, turning back to his post. I

think he mumbles something like Not nearly soon enough .

“Yo, Kurtomawhatsis?” says Marty.

“Just Kurt is fine,” Kurt says.

“What’s your story, man? Why does the king trust you so much?”

Kurt shrugs. “My father was on his council. My father built the

Glass Palace. My mother was part of the queen’s court when she was

still alive. She was like a sister to Lady Maia, Tristan’s mother.”

“Ahh. ’Splains it.”

“What’s your story?” Kurt asks in return. I don’t know if it’s the

seaweed ale, which is as good as it sounds, or if he’s just gotten

comfortable, but Kurt is almost friendly. “What are you? I can’t smell

you, and the king already asserted that you’re not human. You’re no

vampire or werewolf. You’re no fey. You’re not a witch.”

“There are a bajillion otherworldly creatures out there, Kurt, my

man. Maybe I’m a mega-vampire-werewolf-creature mix with fairy

powers!” Marty tries to stand, but we hit a small wave and he falls

back.

“Not nearly as cunning,” Kurt whispers to me. “Besides, the ale

affects you like a human.”

Marty taps his temples with his index finger and winks at us.

“Smart man.”

“But you’re not human,” I repeat.

“Yes, Champion Tristan Hart.”

“Stop drinking that shit. It got Layla in enough trouble.”

And there she walks into the conversation. My foot tastes rather

nasty.

“How was I supposed to know I was drinking a mermaid roofie? I

won, didn’t I?”

I think of Elias’s fiancйe. The black film over her eyes. Kurt

said not all mermaids have powers. Maybe it was just the light. But

how else could Elias lose?

“I thought you were dead meat, ladybird,” Marty says, pulling her

down so that she sits on his lap. I don’t know what it is about Marty,

but he’s easy to be comfortable with. She doesn’t even smack him the

way she would’ve smacked Angelo or one of the boys.

“I don’t know what you were thinking,” Kurt says, “challenging

Elias like that. And you. You’re a champion. There are things you’re

not supposed to do. It’s a wonder the entire court didn’t get into an

uproar.”

“Oh, they had an uproar,” Layla goes. “Your grandfather just put

an end to it right away. After two of the guards pulled you out,

another two went back to look for Elias. No one knew what happened.

His girlfriend was screaming, ‘ I want him dead! I want revenge! ’

about you and went crazy.”

“She’s hot, too hot for a creep like Elias,” Marty says.

“Does she have any magic?” I wiggle my fingers.

“No. It would’ve been common knowledge if her family still had

magics. The king decreed that those who still do must make it known.”

Kurt eyes me curiously. “Why do you ask?

“No reason.”

Thalia swings from the mast deck to the main deck on a rope. She

crashes between her brother and me. “She’s not very nice. Then again,

I wouldn’t be nice either if my father had promised me to marry

Elias.”

Part of me feels ashamed. I know I didn’t like Elias. But I didn’t

kill him. He was alive. I know he was. Hell, if he hadn’t passed out,

he would’ve probably killed me.

“Did you tell them what you are yet?” Thalia says, looking from

Marty to us.

His eyes go wide and he stares at her. “That’s so uncool,

ladybird.”

Thalia giggles, her green hair flying all over my face as we ride

against a small wave and strong wind.

“Well?” I’m waiting.

“I’m not going to tell you.” Thalia puts a finger to her lips.

Marty looks more relieved.

“It’s not my fault I’m cleverer than you all.” Thalia stands. She

holds on to the side of the ship and looks out at the night. The

barely there sliver of moon casts a silver glow on the water. There’s