Read Online Reunion by Kara Dalkey - Free Book Online

force the disorienting feelings from the prince-mind aside. He wanted to get away, to run back to his cave, to pretend this nightmare of a day was finished. But this girl clearly knew more about his mysterious illness. And if he was doomed to die, he wanted to know why. Corwin crawled over to the mysterious sorceress and put a hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
    â€œWe have to stop them. We have to rescue the prince,” she whispered.
    â€œWe?” asked Corwin, hoping she didn’t mean him. “Um, I—”
    â€œMy prince has marked you. I don’t know why. But we will all die if we don’t help each other.”
    â€œMarked?” Corwin looked at the sun-shaped welt on his palm. I must have gotten this when I picked up the shell, then.
    â€œYes, you now bear the Avatar’s mark. The prince’s blood is in your blood. That’s why we are joined. That’s why we will die if we don’t complete the Naming.”
    Corwin gave his head a slight shake. This was all getting too confusing. “Who are you and what’s going on?” he demanded. It was bizarre being near her. The other mind found her presence soothing, yearned for her to tell him everything would be all right. Corwin wanted to hear that, too, but suspected that was not what she would tell him.
    â€œOh. Forgive me,” she said, so earnestly that it would have been impossible not to. “My . . . name is Niniane. Of the Bluefin Clan.”
    Corwin tried to wrap his tongue around the unusual name. “Ninny . . . ninniya . . . what?”
    She gave him a wan smile. “Most people just call me Nia.”
    â€œOh. That’s easier. Nia. Well, I’m Corwin. And I’m not of any clan.”
    Nia’s face became somber. “I’m sorry to hear that. To be without a clan, without family . . . that’s a dreadful thing.”
    â€œI hadn’t noticed the loss, really.” As Corwin said it, he knew it was a lie. Fenwyck had been a poor substitute for the ties of blood and heritage that others had. As if sensing his inner sorrow, Nia put her hand on his shoulder. Corwin couldn’t quite make himself shrug it off. “I’ve done all right. Really. You don’t need to pity me. Cousins and brothers and uncles would be just a nuisance to me.”
    Nia winced and removed her hand. Corwin instantly wished she hadn’t. A faint smile appeared again on her face and Corwin realized she could read his thoughts, or at least his feelings. His face flushed hot as he blushed.
    Nia looked down at the ground, and Corwin knew she was pretending to ignore his embarrassment. He could also tell she was feeling nearly as ill as he was. Aha. So I can read her feelings, too. At least we’re equal in this . “Where are you from?” he asked.
    â€œFar away. A place under the sea.”
    â€œAre you a merrow, then?”
    â€œWhat’s a merrow?” she asked.
    â€œA mermaid?”
    â€œMermyd,” she corrected him.
    â€œClose enough,” Corwin breathed, his eyes wide. He now noticed the delicate, lacy, layered skin on both sides of her neck, which he had thought was part of her gown. She has gills like a fish! And her scent was pure salt spray and sea foam, her eyes the color of tide-pool depths. “Um, w-why have you come on land?”
    She frowned. “I was . . . beached here. There was a . . . battle . . . in my city. My grand . . . my father . . .”
    Corwin received a dizzying array of images of an underwater city, a merman with a knife, an old merman alive and holding a sword, the leviathan from the beach alive and swimming beside him. “Please, slow down. This isn’t making any sense.”
    Nia sighed and nodded in the direction the horses had gone. “Never mind. Now that I’m here, I have to follow the prince and complete the Naming.” She looked down at her