“Like they don’t get storms in the winter south of here! Even if we went all the way to, like, Canada! What, you want to swim to Hawaii?” Jenna’s tone was contemptuous, and she wasn’t far at all from Luce now. “Go right ahead. Maybe you’ll pass Violet’s corpse on the way.”

“I’m still . . . kind of worried about Dana,” Kayley murmured, but everyone ignored her.

“Besides,” Samantha added as the tribe flowed past Luce, “like Anais says, it would suck big-time if we ran into some other tribe. They’d probably be all hung up on the timahk, and we’d have to deal with all their stupid issues. And Anais thinks the ships are going to come back this way in the spring, so it really makes more sense to just wait here . . .”

Then they were gone, except for what sounded like a single straggler. It was just what Luce had been hoping for. She could hear the half-stifled whimpering of someone trying to keep the others from noticing that she was crying. Cautiously Luce skimmed around her crag and peered out. It was Rachel, dragging against the rocks with her head lowered so far that the strands of her pale blond hair formed a kind of cage around her face.

“Rachel!” Luce whispered. “Keep quiet, okay?”

Rachel recoiled as if the water was grabbing at her. Her head swung wildly around before she spotted Luce and jerked again, her pale eyes bright with fear. Even the magical beauty that all mermaids possessed couldn’t save Rachel from looking a little mousy, Luce thought, and she felt an impulse to comfort her. Rachel was such a sad, scared, broken little thing. Tears gleamed on her cheeks, and her nose was running.

“Rachel! Don’t be scared. It’s just me, Luce.”

“Are you going to kill me?” Rachel squeaked. But she was whispering, too.

Luce was shocked. “Of course not! Rachel, I would never hurt you. How could you think that?” When Luce had still lived with the tribe she’d given Rachel singing lessons, held her when she woke from nightmares. “Why should Rachel look at her with that frantic, hunted expression?

“Because I . . .” Rachel started in surprise, then shook herself. “No reason. Except that you hate all of us, Luce.”

Luce tried to calm her rising impatience. “I was mad at all of you because of Catarina. But that doesn’t mean I hate you, Rachel! And I only hurt Jenna that time because she was trying to kill me.” Rachel wobbled from side to side as if she couldn’t make up her mind whether or not to dash away. “But you need to come with me for a few minutes,” Luce added sharply, staring hard into Rachel’s eyes. “There’s something I have to show you, okay? It’s really important.”