Truthfully, punishment or not, Barclay was glad to help rebuild the Sea. He did love to be on the road, but they needed the time to train and grow stronger. Because despite all the celebration, this aftermath was different from the time the three of them had saved the Woods. The man who was responsible for so much destruction was still out there. And maybe it would be weeks from now. Maybe it would be years. But without a doubt, Audrian Keyes would strike again.

And Barclay would be ready.

The three apprentices boarded one of the boats and sailed out onto open water. As usual, Viola had brought along a book to study, and they each took turns quizzing one another while gathering seaweed.

“ ‘How many species of dragons are there?’ ” Barclay read.

“Ninety-three,” Viola answered, then shouted, “Mitzi! No! Don’t eat that! That’s supposed to be people food!”

Mitzi obediently spat out a mouthful of stringy seaweed, but she didn’t look happy about it.

“ ‘What is the capital city of the Tundra?’ ” Barclay asked.

“Permafrosk,” Tadg said. Viola shot him a competitive glare. They were tied.

Barclay grinned at the next question. They all knew the answer to this one. “ ‘What are the nine isles of the Sea?’ ”

“The ten isles,” Viola blurted, so fast the words spilled out of her mouth, “are Munsey, Dunsey, Coad—”

“Glannock,” Tadg cut in. “Slakey—”

“Orn! Kelli—”

“Veir!”

“Growe—I mean Trowe—”

“Croak!”

“AHHHH!” Tadg jolted and flailed out his arms, making the small rowboat teeter until it tipped over. All three apprentices shrieked as they went plunging into the ocean. When they each resurfaced, all of them netted with seaweed, Toadles sat at the top of Tadg’s head. His warty face curved into a smile, as though proud of the mess he’d made.

“And Roane!” Viola gasped out, not letting a little capsizing hold her back from finishing the contest. “Ha! I win!”

“I want to play against Barclay next,” Tadg said quickly. “Because then I’ll…” He hesitated.

“You’ll have the advantage, because I’m an Elsie?” Barclay finished for him and smirked. “Is it that hard for you to win otherwise? That’s just sad.”

“Hey! I was going to offer to let you have double points. I was going to be nice.”

While the three of them swam, bickering and laughing, a shimmering light began to dance across the water. They looked up. A parade of Polypops soared overheard, their tentacles waving like streamers. There must’ve been hundreds of them, all swimming across the sky.

Faintly, no louder than a whisper, bells tinkled. A message from the wilds.

The sound brought good luck, so the legends claimed. But it also brought a warning. Whatever path their futures took, that luck would be needed.

Because it wouldn’t be long before adventure came calling again.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS