Luce felt such an overpowering rush of longing that she wondered if Nausicaa was enchanting her. But no: the magic was all in Nausicaa’s words. It was in her promise of a new and passionate life, a life in which the mermaids would finally be truly free to create their own future. Luce looked at the soft gold-green shine trembling on Nausicaa’s skin. Luce understood how urgently her friend wanted to make this vision come true. Together they would certainly succeed, Luce knew, and for an instant she pictured herself fervently kissing Dorian goodbye. His lips devoured hers, and the trickling salt of their merged tears flooded her tongue . . .

No. It was a horrible idea. She and Dorian needed each other.

“Nausicaa . . .” Luce spoke aloud for the first time. The words stung her mouth, clawed at her throat; how could she keep going? “I can’t. You’re my best friend ever in my life, and I’d give almost anything to start a tribe with you, but I can’t leave. And I don’t see why you have to, either!”

The larval mermaid’s whimpering got louder. A long, shrill cry spiraled under the wind. The little creature was maddened by loneliness that nothing would ever heal.

“I have to leave, because—” Nausicaa stopped abruptly. “Ah, Luce. You are very dear to me. I would even call Dorian my true friend now, human or not. And I cannot bear to stay and see you destroyed by your love for him. Already yesterday I could sense that things between you two will not last much longer. However this ends—”

“It’s not going to end!” Luce insisted, too loudly. Just because Dorian’s brutalized heart was finally healing, did Nausicaa think he wouldn’t need Luce anymore?

Nausicaa didn’t argue, but the look on her face wasn’t calm at all now. A dark fire seemed to lick and needle at the inside of her skin. She gazed at Luce and then away into distances Luce could hardly imagine, as if centuries were scrolling along the far horizon. It was at least a minute before Nausicaa sighed and turned her stare back toward Luce. Luce could feel the gleam of those eyes entering her mind. She wanted to throw her arms around Nausicaa’s neck and stop her from going, but somehow she couldn’t move.

“I hope you will defy more than the gods,” Nausicaa said at last. “Queen Luce.”

Luce wasn’t sure what Nausicaa meant by that, but she didn’t seem to have enough strength to ask her. There was some kind of awful acrid smoke in her throat where her voice should have been. Nausicaa reached out and stroked Luce’s face.