“She doesn’t know you,” Sera pointed out gently. “Only the idea of you. Perhaps in time, she’ll learn. Your place is at the university. She’ll have to accept that.”

Agnes nodded, but there was no conviction in it, and even Sera herself did not believe her own words.

“A ship!” Errol cried out. “A ship is coming, Sera Lighthaven.”

Sera was on her knees in an instant. “Whose ship?” she asked. She saw a trail of lights in the water and listened to the other mertags, passing along the message in a chain of color.

“Ship, ship, ship,” they said. “Friend not foe, friend not foe.”

And then, “Family, family, family.”

“What are they saying?” Agnes asked.

“A ship is coming,” Sera said. She stood and peered out across the water and sure enough, in the distance but growing closer, was the outline of a mast blossoming with three sails.

Agnes scrambled to her feet. “The Renalt?”

“Family,” Sera told her. “That’s what they said.”

The mertags were swarming, their colors flashing wordlessly. The ship drew closer—she could see a flag flying the five stars of the Lekke and her heart seized up, but it was the Renalt who was after Ambrosine, and besides, the mertags were letting the ship pass. It was sailing very fast, its slender, narrow body cutting through the water.

There was someone standing on the prow, and as the ship came closer, Agnes clapped her hands to her chest.

“Matthias,” she gasped.

Servants came rushing out of the estate at the sight of the ship, calling out orders to each other, and someone ran to fetch Ambrosine. Sailors jumped down from the rails and landed deftly on the dock, Agnes and Sera stumbling out of their way so they could tie up the ship.

Matthias wore a slate-colored cloak and heavy woolen pants, high boots laced up over them. He had thinning red hair and very pale eyes and there was something distinctly educated about him.

He strode down the gangplank, cloak flapping in the wind. “Agnes,” he said, smiling broadly. “You made it.” He turned to Sera and there was a brief flicker of shock before he gave her a deep bow. “You must be the friend she told me about.”

“I am Sera Lighthaven,” Sera said.

“Matthias Byrne, at your service.” His gaze was keen as he took her in. “My mother must be ecstatic over you.”

“Matthias.” Ambrosine stood at the end of the dock, swathed in ermine, Hektor and a handful of Misarros behind her. The sailors parted to let her through.

“Mother,” Matthias said.

She looked up at his ship and her lips curled. “How kind of the Lekke to lend you a clipper. Such a nice reward for all your years of work.”

“The Lekke is very generous,” Matthias replied.

“What are you doing here?” Hektor demanded.

“Lovely to see you too, brother,” Matthias said.