The Unkindest Tide (October Daye #13) - Seanan McGuire Page 0,123
She’s locked up somewhere, alone and scared, and they’re going to hurt her, and I can’t let them.”
“Dianda isn’t scared,” I said, trying to be reassuring. “She’s scary. Scary things don’t get scared.”
“Sometimes they do,” said Patrick. His voice was very soft. “Sometimes they get so scared they can’t breathe. Peter’s right to be worried about her. We have to get her back.”
“And we’re working on it,” I said.
“How?” Peter asked. “What are you doing, right now, to save my mom?”
I paused, long enough to count to ten and remind myself that Peter was still a teenager, and on the young side of teen at that, with all the impatience and insecurity of his age. Some things will never change.
Once I was sure I could be calm, I said, “Right now? This second? I’m waiting for the Luidaeg to come back with the one person I believe can actually dispute the treason charges with any authority, and I’m not antagonizing your uncle more than I absolutely have to. We brought you here so he couldn’t use you as leverage to make your mother plead guilty to the charges he’s trying to levy against her. She’s brave, and she’s fierce, and she’s terrifying, but she’s still your mom. If it was your life or hers, I’m pretty sure I know which she would choose. I know this goes against everything the Undersea teaches you, but sometimes you have to be patient.”
“Not everything,” said a voice from behind me. I managed not to scream as what I’d taken for a bush unfurled and straightened, changing colors as it did, becoming Kirsi. She looked at Peter with frustrated sympathy. “Merrow are hot and fast and angry. They lead us in part because letting them lead is easier than fighting with them. But when a Merrow and a Cephali go fishing, the Cephali will come back with the greater catch, because we know how to be still. We know when to be still. Have faith and keep your peace, young lord. Sir Daye hunts as a Cephali does. She will have her quarry, or she will make them pay for denying her.”
“I think I’m flattered,” I said.
“You are,” said Tybalt.
I returned my attention to Peter. “The situation sucks, okay? I’m juggling too many things at once, and as soon as we have Isla’s skin preserved, I need to go find the first mate and ask him whether there have been any other mysterious deaths. This may have been personal. It may also have been part of some kind of plot to panic the Selkies right before they’re supposed to repay their debts to the Luidaeg. I don’t know. I can’t know until I find out whether we have any more missing skins. So right now, I am helping your mother by not making things worse for her. All right? It’s the only thing I can do.”
“Fine,” muttered Peter sullenly.
Patrick put a hand on his shoulder. “We trust you.”
That was nice. I wasn’t sure I trusted me, under the circumstances. I was tired and sore and the memory of almost drowning was far too fresh in my mind. I was going to have nightmares the next time I tried to sleep, and poor Tybalt was going to be lucky if he didn’t wind up getting smacked in the face. Repeatedly. Sometimes love leaves bruises, no matter how hard you try to prevent it.
“Good,” I said gruffly, turning away. “Marcia? How’s it going over there?”
“I have almost everything I need.” She straightened to show me the bundles of green in her hands. A few of the stalks were crowned in tiny starbursts of flowers. I didn’t recognize most of them. “Once the basket gets here, I can put the skin in stasis indefinitely.”
Marshwater charms can be surprisingly effective when woven the right way, and Lily had been an excellent teacher. “All right. Can you keep things under control here?”
“You’re leaving before Quentin gets back?”
With the Beacon’s Home Selkies running around recognizing him, leaving Quentin in the courtyard seemed like the only way to avoid a truly awkward situation. I nodded. “We’ll move faster this way. Once we’re back and René’s done paying his respects to his sister, we’ll walk him back to the beach. Tybalt?”
“As my lady wishes,” said Tybalt, sounding quietly relieved. He fell into position next to me, and together, we walked out of the courtyard, away from the people I was still struggling to save, out into the Duchy of Ships.