Read Online The Mermaid's Madness by Jim C. Hines - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jim C. Hines
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faster, pushing sideways, then jabbing a knife at Lannadae’s stomach.
“Talia!” Danielle waded deeper into the water. “That’s enough.”
Talia hesitated. Lannadae shot to the rear of the pool, surfacing with another rock.
“Both of you, stop.” Danielle stepped between them, her heart pounding. She watched Lannadae’s hands, waiting for the telltale twitches that would signal another attack. She had trained with Talia long enough to defend herself, but her reflexes would be slower in the water. “Nobody is going to hurt you.” She glanced at Talia, who scowled but didn’t argue. “We came here for Beatrice.”
Lannadae kept her rock raised. Her tails were bent in opposite directions on the bottom of the pool, allowing her to match Danielle’s height. “I don’t understand. Why would Beatrice tell you about me? Has my father returned yet?”
“I told them.” Snow raised her hands, either to show she was unarmed or because she was preparing a spell, Danielle wasn’t sure. “These are my friends. Talia and Danielle. Beatrice trusts them.”
Lannadae stared at Snow, then pulled herself up to perch on a wide shelf of stone, watching them all.
She was similar in appearance to Lirea, with the same long, split tails. Her scales were redder in color, and the fins on the sides of her legs seemed fuller, though perhaps the spreading of her fins was simply a sign of fear. She appeared roughly the same age as Lirea. Blue and yellow jewels sparkled on tiny braids in her matted hair.
She was plumper than her sister, though still thin compared to the other undine Danielle had glimpsed. The winter had eaten away at the thick layer of fat that would have protected Lannadae from the cold. Her skin was pale, tinged with blue.
Snow’s choker brightened as she studied Lannadae more closely. “You haven’t been eating enough.”
Lannadae slapped her tails against the water. “Bring me something that hasn’t been dead for three days, and I’ll eat that.”
“The undine only acquire that blue-green pallor through poor diet,” explained Snow. “We brought as much food as we could last fall to prepare Lannadae for her hibernation, but—”
“Why did you bring them ?” Lannadae demanded, staring at Danielle and Talia.
“Because we need your help,” Danielle said. “Beatrice was attacked yesterday. By Lirea.”
Lannadae dropped into the water. Turning to Snow, she asked, “Is that true?”
Snow nodded. “Beatrice is still alive, but she’s not well. Lirea stabbed her.”
Lannadae dove beneath the water and stayed there. “It’s all right,” Snow said. “She does this when she’s afraid. She’ll come out soon.”
Danielle looked around the cavern. Several books sat on a crude shelf chipped into the rock. Gifts from Snow, brought down from the library? She couldn’t imagine Snow risking her precious books to the water. Even from here, Danielle could see that the leather covers were heavily stained, the pages swollen from moisture.
“Beatrice gave them to her,” Snow said. “I did my best to protect the pages, but . . .” She shook her head, her disapproval obvious. “I’ve already had to repair the bindings on two of the books.”
The air smelled of seaweed and old fish. Bones and cracked shells littered the rock to Danielle’s right, along with a tarnished knife. A stone flute lay tucked against the edge of the cavern. A pair of open barrels had been crammed into a nook near the back.
Talia climbed out of the water and picked up the knife. “This came from the palace kitchen.”
“Beatrice brought a number of supplies when Lannadae awoke last month,” Snow explained.
“How did they bring those barrels in?” Danielle asked. “Beatrice couldn’t have hauled those down the seagate stairs by herself.”
“There’s a tunnel below the water, at the very bottom of the staircase.” Snow pointed back toward the narrow cave. “It’s only visible at low tide. Beatrice and
“Talia!” Danielle waded deeper into the water. “That’s enough.”
Talia hesitated. Lannadae shot to the rear of the pool, surfacing with another rock.
“Both of you, stop.” Danielle stepped between them, her heart pounding. She watched Lannadae’s hands, waiting for the telltale twitches that would signal another attack. She had trained with Talia long enough to defend herself, but her reflexes would be slower in the water. “Nobody is going to hurt you.” She glanced at Talia, who scowled but didn’t argue. “We came here for Beatrice.”
Lannadae kept her rock raised. Her tails were bent in opposite directions on the bottom of the pool, allowing her to match Danielle’s height. “I don’t understand. Why would Beatrice tell you about me? Has my father returned yet?”
“I told them.” Snow raised her hands, either to show she was unarmed or because she was preparing a spell, Danielle wasn’t sure. “These are my friends. Talia and Danielle. Beatrice trusts them.”
Lannadae stared at Snow, then pulled herself up to perch on a wide shelf of stone, watching them all.
She was similar in appearance to Lirea, with the same long, split tails. Her scales were redder in color, and the fins on the sides of her legs seemed fuller, though perhaps the spreading of her fins was simply a sign of fear. She appeared roughly the same age as Lirea. Blue and yellow jewels sparkled on tiny braids in her matted hair.
She was plumper than her sister, though still thin compared to the other undine Danielle had glimpsed. The winter had eaten away at the thick layer of fat that would have protected Lannadae from the cold. Her skin was pale, tinged with blue.
Snow’s choker brightened as she studied Lannadae more closely. “You haven’t been eating enough.”
Lannadae slapped her tails against the water. “Bring me something that hasn’t been dead for three days, and I’ll eat that.”
“The undine only acquire that blue-green pallor through poor diet,” explained Snow. “We brought as much food as we could last fall to prepare Lannadae for her hibernation, but—”
“Why did you bring them ?” Lannadae demanded, staring at Danielle and Talia.
“Because we need your help,” Danielle said. “Beatrice was attacked yesterday. By Lirea.”
Lannadae dropped into the water. Turning to Snow, she asked, “Is that true?”
Snow nodded. “Beatrice is still alive, but she’s not well. Lirea stabbed her.”
Lannadae dove beneath the water and stayed there. “It’s all right,” Snow said. “She does this when she’s afraid. She’ll come out soon.”
Danielle looked around the cavern. Several books sat on a crude shelf chipped into the rock. Gifts from Snow, brought down from the library? She couldn’t imagine Snow risking her precious books to the water. Even from here, Danielle could see that the leather covers were heavily stained, the pages swollen from moisture.
“Beatrice gave them to her,” Snow said. “I did my best to protect the pages, but . . .” She shook her head, her disapproval obvious. “I’ve already had to repair the bindings on two of the books.”
The air smelled of seaweed and old fish. Bones and cracked shells littered the rock to Danielle’s right, along with a tarnished knife. A stone flute lay tucked against the edge of the cavern. A pair of open barrels had been crammed into a nook near the back.
Talia climbed out of the water and picked up the knife. “This came from the palace kitchen.”
“Beatrice brought a number of supplies when Lannadae awoke last month,” Snow explained.
“How did they bring those barrels in?” Danielle asked. “Beatrice couldn’t have hauled those down the seagate stairs by herself.”
“There’s a tunnel below the water, at the very bottom of the staircase.” Snow pointed back toward the narrow cave. “It’s only visible at low tide. Beatrice and
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