Waterfire Saga, Book Three: Dark Tide: A Deep Blue Novel by Jennifer Donnelly Page A

replied. “But we had some, um, unexpected guests. I’m on my way home now.”
    Astrid’s eyes widened. “What happened?” she asked quietly.
    Becca arched an eyebrow. “Suddenly you care?”
    “Yeah, Becca, I do. A lot.”
    “Funny way of showing it,” Becca said, anger flaring inside her.
    “The others…are they—” Astrid started to ask.
    But Becca didn’t let her finish. “Dead? Alive? I have no idea. We were attacked. I don’t even know if they made it out of the caves.”
    Astrid winced at her sharp tone. “I’m sorry,” she said.
    “You’re
sorry
?” Becca echoed, incredulous. “You know something, Astrid? You don’t
get
to be sorry, and you don’t
get
to care. Not
after you abandoned us.”
    Astrid, who’d been looking at the seafloor, met Becca’s gaze. “But I
am
sorry, and I
do
care,” she said.
    Becca was surprised to see a deep sadness in Astrid’s eyes. She wondered at it, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it. “Look, I can’t hang. I only came here to get some
food,” she said. “Got homicidal maniacs on my tail, you know?”
    “There’s a rocky valley east of here. It’s on the way. My way, at least. Maybe yours, too. We could find an overhang there and eat lunch together,” Astrid ventured.
“You could tell me what happened.”
    Becca didn’t relish the idea of spending any more time with this merl. She had a plan and she meant to stick to it. “Sorry. I’ve got to make wake.”
    “Becca…”
    “Look, Astrid, I can’t. Okay? I really have to—”
    “Becca, be
quiet
.”
    “
What?
Why should I?” Becca asked indignantly. “I’m not the one—”
    “Becca,
please
!” Astrid hissed. She wasn’t looking at Becca anymore. She was looking past her, through the doorway toward the village square.
    Becca turned, following Astrid’s gaze, and gasped.
    Twenty soldiers dressed in black uniforms were heading for the market.

B EFORE BECCA EVEN knew what was happening, Astrid had grabbed her hand and pulled her under an empty table.
    “Death riders. They found out you were here,” Astrid said, her voice low.
    “How?” Becca asked, panicking.
    “Someone must’ve seen you and told them. You don’t exactly blend with that red hair.”
    “
Me?
What about
you
with the black-and-white tail?”
    “Do you want to argue? Or do you want to get out of here?” Astrid asked.
    A table went over. The loud crash made both mermaids flinch.
    “They’re already inside the market hall,” she added grimly. “Escaping just got a whole lot trickier.”
    And then Becca remembered something. “I have transparensea pebbles!” she whispered. “Vr ă ja gave them to me. We can cast them and escape!”
    Becca held one out, but Astrid shook her head. “It won’t work on me,” she said.
    “Of course it will. They work on everyone!” Becca insisted.
    “Not me. Cast one and go, Becca. Hurry!” Astrid urged.
    “No. I’m not leaving you.”
    Astrid, who was peering out from under the table now, turned back to Becca. Again Becca saw a terrible sadness in her eyes.
    “You
should
leave me,” Astrid said.
    “Why, because
you
left
us
? Just because
you’re
a lumpsucker doesn’t mean
I
have to be one!” Becca whispered angrily.
    “No! Because I can’t help you! Not in the Iele’s caves. Not here. All I can do is get you killed!” Astrid whispered back.
    “What are you
talking
about? What do you—”
    But Becca’s questions were cut off by more crashes as crates were upended and baskets dumped out. A farmer protested and was beaten. Becca started to shake. The death riders were swimming
through the market, getting closer with every stroke.
    “What else have you got in that bag? Anything?” Astrid asked.
    Becca could hear fear in her voice now. She rooted through her bag again.
    “I have a vial of Moses potion…” she said.
    “I have no idea what that is,” said Astrid.
    “Neither do I. That’s it…no, wait! There’s this…” She pulled out a large