Read Online Waterfire Saga, Book Four: Sea Spell: Deep Blue Novel, A by Jennifer Donnelly - Free Book Online Page A

Yazeed were at the near end, bent over the map spread across it. As she glanced at it, pain sliced through her brain like a ship’s keel through water. She couldn’t keep from wincing.
    Neela noticed. “Sera? What’s wrong?” she asked, concern in her eyes.
    Sera forced a smile. “Nothing. Just a cramp in my tail.”
    “Hey, Sera,” Des said, motioning her over, “take a look at the map. We need to talk about where to hit first. We can’t put it off any longer.”
    The last thing Sera wanted to talk about was that map, and the cowrie shells covering it. They were the reason for her headaches, the reason she hadn’t slept for days.
    “I…uh, I want to go over some other things first, Des,” she said, trying to ignore the throbbing in her head. “Ling, are you getting any closer to finding the spy? Please tell me yes.”
    “I wish I could,” Ling said regretfully. “I’ve had lots of Black Fins take turns at trying to solve the puzzle. The entire camp’s talking about the spy now, and the Arrow of Judgment. My plan will work, I’m sure of it. I just need more time.”
    Sera nodded, trying to hide her disappointment. “What about Sophia and Totschläger? Anyone see any sign of them yet?”
    It had been two days since Sophia, Totschläger, and twenty other Black Fins had left to rendezvous with the Näkki.
    “No news,” Yazeed said, “but that’s not a reason to panic. Not yet. They’re not due back until tomorrow morning.”
    “What about Ava and Astrid?” asked Sera. “Has anyone been able to convoca them?”
    “I tried several times today, but I couldn’t get through,” Ling replied. “The rocks here contain so much iron, they’re messing with my songspells. I’ll stay on it, though.”
    “It’s been days since we’ve heard from either of them,” Sera fretted.
    “Ava and Astrid are tough,” Becca reassured her. “And smart. They’ll make it.”
    Sera laughed mirthlessly. “So, besides Ava being lost in a swamp full of homicidal maniacs, and Astrid swimming off to meet the king of homicidal maniacs, what other insurmountable problems are we facing tonight?”
    “Soldiers,” Desiderio said. “Or lack thereof.” He’d been working with Meerteufel commanders on drilling the goblin troops. “The goblins are doing well on maneuvers,” he said, “but we still don’t have enough of them.”
    “How do we augment their numbers?” Sera asked, struggling to keep the strain out of her voice. She was so exhausted, she felt dizzy. And the ache in her head was getting worse. She massaged her left temple, hoping the others didn’t notice.
    “Refugees,” Neela replied. “All they talk about, from the minute they arrive, is how badly they want to go back to Cerulea and take on Vallerio.”
    Word was spreading of the Black Fins’ stronghold in the north, and mer were flocking to the Kargjord. Nearly two hundred had arrived today alone. Neela was in charge of seeing that they were all sheltered and fed. She’d put them in barracks under the protective thicket of Devil’s Tail thorns that floated above the center of the camp. She’d had to move some soldiers outside the thicket and into tents to make room for all the newcomers.
    “The refugees may not be enough. We may have to go back to Guldemar to ask for more troops,” Desiderio countered.
    Sera grimaced at the idea. She’d dealt with the difficult Meerteufel chieftain once, and it had been quite an ordeal. Returning to his court at Scaghaufen did not appeal to her.
    “We need more weapons, too,” Des added. “Even after the deal you made with the Näkki, we still don’t have enough. Not to equip all the newcomers. We’re low on ammo as well.”
    “We could solve the ammo problem
so
easily if we could just find a lava seam,” Yazeed said, frustrated. “There are two shipwrecks four leagues east of here. The hull from one alone, melted down, would give us thousands of arrows and spearheads.”
    “The goblins are awesome