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

sea urchin shell. It was packed with squid ink and sealed with kelp paste.
Vr ă ja had given it to her along with the transparensea pebbles and the Moses potion.
    Astrid’s eyes lit up. “An ink bomb!
Perfect!
” she whispered as she took it from Becca. She peered out from under the table again. “I’m going to draw the
death riders away from the door. Stay here until the bomb goes off, no matter what you hear me say. Then cast the pearl and swim for the door. Ready?”
    Becca wasn’t, but she nodded anyway.
    Astrid took a deep breath. She swam out of her hiding place and along the floor. When she reached the back of the hall, she rose over the stalls.
    “Hey! I surrender, okay?” she shouted. “Leave these mer alone!” Her hands were raised, but she’d tucked them behind her head to hide the ink bomb.
    Becca watched from under the table, her heart in her throat, as the death riders advanced on Astrid.
    “Where’s the other one?” their sergeant shouted.
    “What other one?” Astrid asked, affecting a confused look.
    “The other mermaid! We know she’s here!”
    Astrid shifted her eyes to the ceiling. “Hurry, Becca! Swim!” she shouted.
    Understanding dawned across the sergeant’s face. “She cast a transparensea pearl!” he shouted. “She’s up by the ceiling and heading for the door! Don’t let
her out!”
    Becca stayed put, remembering Astrid’s instructions not to move until the bomb went off. The death riders hovering in the doorway swam toward the ceiling, spearguns drawn.
    That’s when Astrid struck. She hurled the ink bomb to the floor with all her might. It exploded with a deafening bang, spreading a thick, choking cloud of squid ink through the hall.
    Astrid dove to the floor and raced to the exit, streaking past Becca. Becca was on her tail instantly, following her as she zipped past stalls, crates, and frightened merfolk.
    It was as dark as night inside the hall now, but the ink cloud hadn’t drifted all the way down to the ground yet. Becca could just make out where she was going. Astrid veered left, then
right, and then the doorway came into view. She put on a burst of speed and streaked through it. Becca was right behind her. She was almost out when a pair of rough hands grabbed her. She and the
death rider tumbled out of the doorway together. In her frightened state, she’d fogotten to cast the transparensea pebble.
    “Where are you going? No one leaves!” he barked at her. His eyes roved over her face; they took in her red hair. “It’s
you
!” he said.
    “Let me go!” Becca said, struggling to break free.
    But the death rider only tightened his grip. He opened his mouth to shout for help…and never saw the punch coming.
    Astrid slugged him so hard he was out before he even hit the ground.
    Becca, wide-eyed, looked from the unconscious merman to Astrid, but she was already swimming back to the market hall’s doors.
    “Give me a hand!” she shouted, swinging one closed.
    Becca grabbed the other door and slammed it shut.
    Each door had a curved iron handle on it. Astrid unbuckled the sharkskin belt she was wearing, looped it through the handles, and knotted it tightly. A split second later, both mermaids heard
thumps and yells as the death riders tried to pound their way out.
    “That belt won’t hold forever,” Astrid said, backing away. “Come on, Becca, let’s go.”
    Becca hesitated. This wasn’t part of her plan. Only moments ago, she’d been so angry at Astrid, she’d refused to even swim out of the village with her.
    I don’t trust her,
Becca said to herself.
I don’t even
like
her. She’s difficult and rude…
    …and brave,
a voice inside her countered—a voice that always pointed out things that Becca wished it wouldn’t.
She just saved you from being captured.
    “Look, Becca, stay here if you want, but I’m going,” Astrid said, eyeing the doors. The pounding on the other side of them was getting louder. Villagers were starting to