Part of Your World (Disney Twisted Tales) - Liz Braswell Page 0,78

anything, or try to stop us."

"Good pomt. So what do we do?"

It didn't even cross her mmd for a moment to trade Grimsby for her father. Throwing an innocent under Ursula's chariot for her own gam would make her no better than the sea witch herself.

"Well, when I said 'we,' I really meant 'you.' The carriage leaves for Ibria tomorrow. It will stop in the market to pick up other packages for delivery beyond the kingdom at midday and leave from the tavern at one o'clock. You could waylay it with your storm powers and grab your father, and no one would be the wiser! At worst they might think it was the work of a highwayman looking for gold."

"I can't," Ariel said gently, although she was amused by the image: Queen of the Sea and Highway Robber. "My powers don't work on land. Only water. Just like hers."

"Oh." Eric's face fell. His lower lip was stuck out a little. It was a tiny bit childish but terribly endearing. She almost felt bad that her godlike powers had presented this limitation to him.

"Couldn't you...stay m the sea.. .and direct a single, tiny wave or wmd to hit it?"

"It's not that precise. And it's less like shooting out a bolt with my trident than encouraging the powers of nature to do something of their own accord. It's not... neat. But if it's just one or two men in the carriage, I think I can manage, with some help from my friends."

"The seagulls?"

"Also my...mermaid charms." She smiled. Too bad Sebastian won't be there to hear me, singing like a siren. "Trust me, we can do it." "Perfect! By this time tomorrow it will all be over."

"And I will have my father back!" Her heart leapt. There was still going to be a happy ending after all.

"And then we can get rid of Vanessa," Eric said. "The sooner, the better. She's far more dangerous than I ever realized."

"It's a plan," said Ariel. "All we need to do now is carry it through!"

"Absolutely!"

"Great!"

"Good!"

"Excellent!"

A moment passed as they smiled at each other. Another moment passed, somewhat awkwardly. And then a third.

"...All right, then! Good luck! Hopefully when we next meet you'll have your father back!" Eric blurted out. "Yes! That will be great!" Ariel replied enthusiastically. They shook hands and parted.

I hope Eric feels as stupid as I do, Ariel thought grumpily.

She entered the town late the next morning, and kept her headscarf close around her.

The market was different today—different vendors selling entirely different wares. In Atlantica it was always the same people selling the same things to the same people, only a slight variation with the seasons. It's Red Kelp Festival Day7 Oh, it s the Incredibly Rare and Beautiful Blue-Tipped Anemone Spawning Day! Oh! It s that guy who makes those little wood earnings of the gods out of shipwreck material!

Actually, those were pretty great, Ariel allowed. She owned at least a dozen of them.

Jona flew above her, occasionally landing on a roof when it was convenient. Several dozen gulls circled close by. Ariel hoped they wouldn't be necessary; she didn't want to draw attention to the situation. With any luck she could just distract the coachman, maybe sing a siren)- tune or two to mesmerize him, then grab the package. And then she could return to her kmgdom triumphantly, her father m hand, and it would all be over.

The carriage pulled up behind the tavern precisely at ten. There was only one driver.

Easy, the Queen of the Sea told herself.

But the driver was staring at her.

Leering at her.

In a strangely familiar way.

Ariel fell back, suddenly realizing who it was.

Run! she told herself. Somehow she didn't.

The door to the carriage creaked open, pushed from inside by the footman—who was the driver's twin. Out stepped Vanessa.

For just a moment, Ariel saw Ursula. Grinning and sharp-toothed, surrounded by her waving black tentacles. All predator, all evil. Sharks killed to eat. Ursula enjoyed the pain she caused.

Then the moment was over and the princess of Tirulia stood there, "disguised," wrapped in a long, flowing shift that made her look like an actor playing a foreign priestess m one of those operas Sebastian conducted from time to time. Her eyes were large and doe-like, but her smile was vicious and exactly the same as the sea witch's.

Ariel felt a cold rage settle on her shoulders, and the world narrowed down until it was just the two of them.

"Were you expecting something from the postman, maybe?" Vanessa purred,