champions. Perhaps it’s brought on by the trident pieces.”

“Then they can have visions of me too.”

Kai yelps when she sticks her finger again, but she doesn’t stop.

“I doubt it. In the Vale of Tears, the outside world exists but with a

thin separation and at a different pace. Life goes on here forever,

while only seconds pass in our home. Only one is unaware.”

“Like a two-way mirror. So when we go back home, Kurt and Nieve

will be able to see me.”

“It only happens when you dream?”

I nod, rubbing my aching head. “So far, yes. I can’t control it

either.”

She smirks. “Then try not to fall unconscious.”

“Real funny.”

“Perhaps Isi can help.”

“Yeah, they were really helpful to Dylan and me when they sneaked

up on us.” I run my hand on the soft animal fur on the bed and think

of the Naga. Where do creatures like that come from? How do a lion and

a dragon and a serpent get together to make that beast? How do half

humans and half fish? Then I count. One, two, three, four beds. They

were expecting us.

“Tristan,” she says in that warning way of hers. Like I’m the one

being unreasonable.

“Did they greet you with bows and arrows?”

“They did. But they can’t be too careful, Tristan. That terrible

creature is out there. We tried to go with them, but they told us we’d

slow them down. But they’ve kept us safe. They gave us this tent.”

“Not many tents to go around?”

“Many of the river people don’t have beds.” She bites the thread

then restrings it. “They sleep in the river. If they sleep at all.”

“Makes sense.” I don’t want to come right out and say, “Hey, I

don’t trust these people.” For all we know, they could be listening to

us, and as of now, I don’t know where the Exit sign is.

“Did they know Dylan was out there with that beastie?” I ask.

She doesn’t respond because she knows that they knew. That they

left him out there. So much for their hospitality.

“The warriors are making a bow for Brendan,” she says lightly.

“They’ve even let me look at their scrolls.”

“When I go to new places, I also love to check out the library,” I

say. Not.

She has a curious look in her eye. “It’s the best way to learn

about your hosts. Through their history.”

“What have you learned so far?”

She smiles. “Tristan-there’s an oracle here.”

We’re silent, looking at the silhouettes that pass in front of the

tent like our own black-and-white movie.

“The trident pieces have been found,” I say. “Does it matter?”

“When one of the five oracles is dead, and another is trying to

shape our future to her own liking? I’d say it’s worth a small

conversation.”

“I’m tired of chasing them.” I sit up. “All I want is to drive

this pointy end through Nieve after I get the staff and Layla back.”

“And Kurt? Will you be able to do the same to him?”

I open my mouth to answer the same question I’ve been asking

myself since I found out who Kurt was-what it would mean for us.

“I beg your pardon,” Kai says. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

I let it go for now. “Is time moving back home?”

“The way I understand it, if we go back now, seconds will have

gone by. How do you say, ‘Take it easy, dude’?”

I laugh. “I can’t take it easy. Not ’til this is over. How can

Brendan go to a pool party at a time like this? Let’s snoop around.”

“Snoop?”

“I have a feeling Chief Yoda is hiding something from me.” There,

I said it.

Kai gives me a sideways glance, like she’s expecting watery shapes

to materialize and take us away. But she doesn’t disagree. “I can’t. I

can only look at their archives when one of the elders is there.”

“Then I have to snoop around myself.”

She snaps the needle from the thread. “My work is not as good as

Blue’s is”-she catches herself- “was.”

I strap the leather across my chest and over my shoulder then

sheathe my weapons. “Fine. You read. I explore. I’m serious Kai. My

merman senses are tingling.”

She gives me a small smile. I want her to see what I see, beyond

the hospitality and land of paradise. I want her to be careful.

“I’ll see you then.” I grab a fruit from the tray of supplies.

It’s as hard as an apple, with deep violet skin.

“Tristan,” Kai says. It’s the smallest of movements, her head

cocked to the side, as if she’s playing with her hair. But her eyes

are steely, warning as they look to me then to the outline of a guard

standing outside our tent. Totally betraying the smile on her lips as

she whispers, “Whatever you do, don’t eat that.”

Rule number one: Don’t eat the purple fruit.

Got it.

Rule number two: Don’t underestimate the book nerd.

Rule number three: Don’t act suspicious.

Sure, I’m making these up as I go along, but if we’re going to

survive the Vale of Tears, I have to play along with whatever games

they’re setting up.

As I walk, more and more villagers seem to turn into their

translucent selves, hiding behind trees or just standing with their

moving eyes and guts showing. I swing by the elders’ tent to see if

the oracle is in there, but when I peek my head inside, it’s empty. A

warrior sees me and starts advancing on me so I smile like I got lost

and keep walking.

There’s a main square where people trade everything from food and

cloth to weapons. Fuzzy green things that look like coconuts and

dozens of leafy greens. Linens and silks and shields made of copper

and wood. I don’t spot the purple apples from our tent.

I walk through the aisles and pick up an arrowhead. When I touch

the tip, I yelp as it pricks my skin even though I barely touched it.

The vendor chuckles as I put it back and walk away.

Rule number four: Don’t. Touch. Anything.

A pretty girl tempts me with a string of honey-colored beads. “For

your heart’s desire.”

They remind me of Layla’s eyes.

“I don’t have any money.”

She shakes her head. “Trade.”

I pat down my body, but I have nothing to trade with. Nothing that

I’d part with.

The girl takes my arm, her touch soft as feathers on the scales on

my forearms.

“They turn to sand.”

She shakes her head again. I’m starting to think that she thinks

I’m a moron. “Yes?”

“You can try, I guess.”

Then she plucks two of them. It stings as much as the time I let

Layla manscape my eyebrows. The river girl holds one scale on each

earlobe and smiles.

“That’s a little gross,” I say, but I take the glass bead necklace

and wrap it around my wrist twice until I can give it to Layla.

“Where’s the armory?” I ask her.

“That,” she says, “I will tell you for a kiss.”

My tongue is tied and I back away slowly, realizing that half a

dozen girls materialize behind her and burst into giggles.

An old woman one stand over sucks her teeth. She beats a stone

over a fresh leather hide to stretch the material. “Armory is down

river. Watch your head.”

•••

I follow the river until I get to a clearing in the woods. The sun

is blocked by long weeping trees, like a natural barrier for the

warriors training within. I try to approach slowly, wishing I were

part ninja in addition to the whole merman thing. But with every step,

I’m keenly aware of stray branches snapping under my feet, and for a

moment, I let myself think of Gwen and her pink smile while telling me

how clunky legs were.

She’s not wrong.

An arrow hisses past my ear the minute I step into the clearing.