The room shakes as they follow the Red Menace out onto the

boardwalk.

I rub my itchy eyes. Other than my concussed naps, I can’t

remember the last time I had solid sleep. I’m too wired. Too crazed.

In my mind, I can picture Nieve waiting for me. She’s got Layla. She’s

got the nautilus maid. The full moon is tomorrow, and I’m running out

of time. She’s got the upper hand, and she’s not going to give it up.

The next move is on me.

“Guys, I think I should go to Nieve alone.”

A dozen eyes fall on me instantly. Swords clink in practice, and

there’s even some hushed laughter and the buzz of conversation. Then

in seconds, my friends are up in arms around me.

That’s suicide, Cousin.

That’s why we’ve joined forces!

Yeah, you said yourself that we’re stronger together.

What good can come of you dead before you reach her?

“Hold up,” I say, making a T with my hands. “Just because I’m

going to go into Toliss alone doesn’t mean that I’m going to stay that

way. I’m going to raise the Sleeping Giants. Then I’ll have my power

boost. I’ll signal you guys, while you wait ready for the attack. If

we march up to Toliss together, it’ll be ten times harder to get into

those tunnels.”

Ewin rubs the tusk on his chin. I wonder if it’s lucky, like a

Buddha belly. “Your proposed plan is sound.”

“Still-” Kai starts, but when all eyes turn to her, she stops.

“Still what?”

“It would be useful to see what Nieve and Kurt are up to. The

barrier was to block them from seeing you, not the other way around.”

“The two-way mirror,” I say. “I have to be asleep.”

“Then, by all means, Sleeping Beauty,” Marty says.

Ewin rubs his hands together. “I can facilitate this with a single

blow.”

I push myself back. “We are not turning me into a punching bag.”

Frederik kneels in front of me. He’s usually looking down so I

never see him this close up. His eyes are so black. A thick fringe of

lashes bats at me, like someone hit slow motion on his face.

“Tristan,” he says, “now it’s your turn to trust me.”

I’ve never been hypnotized by a vampire. My eyesight is blurred at

the edges. I’m inside Toliss Island, in the king’s chamber. Nieve is

swimming in her pool again. She takes a silver fish and gnaws the

flesh down to the bone. When she’s finished, she throws it onto a

rotting pile.

Then my heart beats faster as Gwen walks in with Layla.

I feel like I’m stuck in a glass case where no one can hear me as

I shout her name. Layla!

She is free and her hands are untied-after all, where is she going

to run?

She stands with her back to the polished white wall, looking back

and forth from one of her captors to the other. Then she surveys the

room for anything she can use as a weapon.

“Layla, was it?” Nieve says playfully.

Layla stays silent. She balls her hands at her sides. Her knees

are scraped and bruised. Her arms have tons of tiny cuts that are

fresh and red. Her browns curls are wild, and her amber eyes are

defiant.

I wish I could burst out of this dream and save her.

“Let’s try a new game, shall we?” Gwen combs her fingers through

Layla’s hair, and Layla tells Gwen to do something incestuous to

Nieve.

“Now,” Nieve says, “is that the kind of mouth the heart of the Sea

Prince should have?”

“You really want to talk about mouths, Snaggle Tooth?”

Layla, don’t, I think. Please, please don’t. I’m going to come for

you. Just hold on.

But there’s no stopping her. Nieve points a finger at Layla and

she flies back against the wall. Her head makes a hard cracking noise

that coils my insides.

“This isn’t a new game,” Layla murmurs, though she’s probably

seeing stars.

Nieve motions for Gwen to pick her up. She does and has to hold on

to her for a few minutes before Layla shakes the dizziness.

“I already told you,” Layla says. “I don’t know where Tristan is.

You took me, remember? If you’re supposed to be this all-seeing bruja

, why don’t you just see him?”

“I lost him for quite a while,” Nieve says calmly. “But it’s okay.

My Gwenivere found him, didn’t she?”

Gwen says, “Yes, Mother Queen.”

At that Layla’s head snaps up.

“I see that has gotten your attention,” Nieve says. “Now, you’re

going to tell me what Tristan wants with the nautilus maid, or you

will know the true meaning of pain.”

“Do you think I’m afraid to feel pain?” Layla asks.

As long as I’ve known her, Layla has been fearless. She stands up

to cops, to teachers, even to her dad when he’s being unreasonable.

Most of all, she stood up to me, always calling me out when I did

something wrong. But this is just stupid.

“I’ve already told you,” Layla shouts. “I haven’t seen him! I’ve

been with you!”

“I don’t think she’s being honest,” Nieve says. Something flickers

in her eye-a signal.

Gwen holds her hand up and sends a shock right through Layla’s

body. I can see Layla tremble with it. She grimaces when it’s over and

spits blood at Gwen.

“I always knew Tristan was an idiot to trust you.”

Gwen seems to like that. She runs her hands all over her body and

says, “Can you blame him?” She bats her eyelashes and giggles. “He

does have the softest lips.”

That’s a lie. I’ve never kissed Gwen.

“But as long as you’ve known him, he has been that way, hasn’t he?

Always chasing girl after girl while you wondered why he never looked

at you. I mean, really looked at you and said, ‘You are everything I

need.’”

Don’t listen to her! I shout, though she can’t hear me.

Layla doesn’t say anything. She stares at Nieve’s cold, white-blue

eyes.

“Tell me, dear girl,” Nieve says, changing her tone. “And I’ll

make sure he is spared. I’ll make sure you two can be together

forever.”

“And how do you guarantee that?” Layla asks.

“I’ll make you into one of us.”

Gwen looks almost as startled as Layla. As me. Is that even

possible? It can’t be.

“Really?” Layla looks hopeful for a moment. “You can do that?”

“With the power of the full trident to magnify my own magic, I can

do anything.” Nieve lifts herself out of her pool and sits on the

ledge, showing off her scales. “It is a wonderful life, being part of

the sea. My Gwenivere tells me you are a fantastic swimmer.”

Layla lets herself smile. “I’m okay.”

“Mother-”

Nieve sends Gwen a death glare.

Gwen turns around and faces the wall to compose herself.

“But first, you must tell me what he wants with the nautilus

maid.”

Layla comes closer to them. “My head hurts. I’m a little hungry.”

Nieve lifts her chin at Gwen, whose gray eyes are angry little

storms.

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” Layla asks. And I know

exactly what she’s doing. She’s stalling. But for what? Oh gods,

Layla, what do you think you’re going to do?

“When I was young, I was still learning my powers.” Nieve likes

telling stories. She relaxes her pose, taking comfort in knowing that

if Layla were to run, she could fry her. “I was married to the rebel

Southern King. He liked to test my magic. He’d heard that my father,

the true king, could take human form with the blood and ink of the

ancient cephalopod. That everyone in our courts was branded with it,

with the symbol of the trident. It gave us the ability to shift out of

our beautiful tails and into those terrible things you call legs. But

not I.”

“It didn’t work on you?” Layla asks.