Jorie, taller than this brethren by at least half a foot (I had not seen many of the Mer having taken their home in this realm, but of the ones I saw, and the ones I knew on land, I noticed that Jorie was taller, broader and more powerful of frame than all of them), and thus, he bent his head so the mermale could have his ear.

In short order, he jerked upright in a manner that had both my husband and I tensing.

Or it could have been the expression on his face.

Either way, it caused Aramus to rap out, “What is happening?”

Jorie’s gaze came our way, and when he spoke, his tone had softened.

“I am sorry to say, the war in Airen to free their females has begun in earnest this day.”

“Oh, my gods,” I breathed.

“The rebels cornered your friends on a mountainside. The Regent’s troops were outnumbered at least ten to one,” Jorie went on.

My heart lurched.

Aramus immediately grasped my hand and started dragging me to the door, which would take us to the island in the middle of the grotto, which was, as far as I could tell, a part of Jorie’s palace.

“We must get to land. Then to my ship, for we must make haste to Cass,” Aramus declared.

“They won,” Jorie called.

Aramus stopped dead.

I ran into him.

And we both woodenly turned back to Jorie.

“Who won?” Aramus asked, his voice dead.

“Your friends.”

His fingers tightened so deeply around mine, the bones in my hand might have broken, if my fingers weren’t tightening so deeply around his.

“They’re alive?” I asked, my voice husky.

“There were losses, but the Prince of Airen and the new Queen of the Nadirii were not amongst them,” Jorie reported.

“Do you know aught else?” Aramus asked.

Jorie shook his head.

I tipped mine back to catch my husband’s gaze.

“We must send ravens. Cass may need you to engage. He may just need you. Thus, we need to get home,” I told him.

He nodded and began to drag me again.

“We will all go to them, together,” Jorie decreed, and again, Aramus and I stopped and gave him our attention. He continued, “There are rumors the King of Firenze is at the battlefield, with his wife, even though this couldn’t be so, as yesterday, they were in Wodell and Cassius and Elena are at the base of the Night Heights. But regardless, I won’t meet my sister here, in Amphite, not anytime soon. So I go with you.”

“Then come along and don’t dally,” Aramus bid.

However, I was stuck on what Jorie said.

“How do you know so much?” I asked.

“Mer have powers,” he answered.

“I know, I am Mer,” I reminded him. “But that doesn’t answer my question.”