Too late. A pale arm reached out of the water, grabbed him by the collar, and yanked him overboard. He hit the surface with a splash, choking and gasping as icy water filled his lungs. He managed a breath before another pair of hands latched on to his ankles and tugged him downward. He kicked his legs, trying to break free, but the hands gripping him were like manacles.
His ears popped, and spots danced behind his eyes. His lungs burned with the need for air. And then a bright streak lit up the water, and the creature holding his ankle let out a garbled scream. Abigail snatched Hugo’s arm and tried to pull him upward, but the sea witches had other ideas.
They swarmed around Abigail and Hugo, hands grabbing at them, silvery bodies a blur. Several held spiked tridents that looked sharp enough to pierce armor. Then suddenly the mermaids let go, retreating back to form a circle around them. One mermaid swam forward, her long red hair flowing behind her. She offered them each a prickly sea cucumber with a strange mouthpiece made of carved shell and gestured to put the opening to their mouths.
Abigail put her lips around it and then turned to Hugo, shoving the odd thing to his mouth.
Breathe, she motioned to him.
What’s the point? Hugo thought. The sea cucumber wasn’t going to breathe for him. They were going to die, here under the water. He only wished he could have said a proper goodbye to his parents.
Abigail punched his arm, and he dragged in a breath, prepared to gag on seawater, but instead, precious air filled his lungs. The shell sealed around his mouth in a tight suction, and funny little tentacles tickled his lips. The sea cucumber was like a filter, dragging in water and sending out tiny air bubbles. It made a gurgling sound when he inhaled, but if he took shallow breaths, there was air.
Another mermaid swam up and put his glasses back on.
The red-haired mermaid beckoned them to follow. Two grabbed Abigail and Hugo on either side, pulling them along with powerful flips of their tails. Now that Hugo could breathe, the scientist part of him wanted to see everything. Glowing tendrils of kelp rose from the seafloor, casting a neon-green light that bathed the schools of colorful fish and seahorses swimming around. A snapping eel poked its head out of the seaweed, revealing spiny teeth, and then retreated when the mermaid jabbed her trident at it.
Abigail nudged Hugo’s arm and pointed. Up ahead, a dome rose from the seafloor, growing larger as they drew near. Inside, an underwater city sparkled in the dappled light with flashes of pink coral and gold-tipped spires.
The mermaids swam through a small round opening and popped up on the other side in a shallow pool. As they stepped out of the water, their tails divided into two legs; the scales faded, leaving only faint ridges along the backs of their arms and legs. Attendants waited with robes, which the mermaids knotted around their waists.
Hugo surfaced next to Abigail, pried loose the sea cucumber, and took a deep breath. They climbed the steps, handing the sea cucumbers to the waiting attendant.
“Are you all right?” Abigail shook the water out of her hair.
Hugo wrung out his shirt. “Fine. What is this place?”
The mermaid with red hair spoke up. “Welcome to Zequaria. I am Amarina. Come, our queen awaits.”
“Who is your queen?” Hugo asked.
“Queen Capricorn, the most powerful creature of the seas.”
Hugo frowned. “What about Aegir? Isn’t he the god of the sea?”
Amarina whirled, poking a finger in his chest. “Do not speak that name again if you wish to keep breathing.”
Abigail put a hand on his arm. “We’re sorry. We won’t do it again.”
Amarina led them down a path lined with rock ponds. Pink starfish and giant red lobsters crawled in one. In another, a purple octopus looked up at them with one eye before darting away to hide in a small grotto.
Mermaids clustered in small groups, whispering to each other, eyeing the two kids with curious looks.
“Why are there no mermen?” Hugo asked.
“Our queen does not permit it,” Amarina said. “You are the first male to step foot in Zequaria in centuries.”
The path wound among small buildings all made of pink coral. It ended in front of a tall structure much grander than the others. Instead of coral, tiny shells inlaid into the plaster made this building sparkle. Twin spires rose up to the ceiling of the dome, their tips dipped in gold. Amarina led them up a broad set of polished alabaster stairs into an entryway two stories tall. A chandelier made of conch shells hung from the ceiling. Amarina knocked lightly on a set of double doors before opening them into a spacious round room.
A mural made of inlaid sea glass depicted a large green snake wrapped around the entire room. Where the tail met its mouth, it had swallowed it. In the center of the room, a woman with emerald hair sat on a large throne carved out of whale bone. Two mermaids stood guard on either side, gripping tridents with wicked sharp points. The woman wore a mother-of-pearl crown that glittered with precious stones when she moved. She was beautiful, but her eyes were hard as venadium steel.
“My queen”—Amarina bowed low—“I present to you the children we rescued in the sea. Children, this is Queen Capricorn, ruler of the seas and supreme leader of all sea creatures.”
“Tell me your name, child.” The mermaid queen ignored Hugo and spoke directly to Abigail.
Abigail dipped into a curtsy. “Abigail Tarkana, Your Highness.”
The queen’s eyes lit up. “Ah, the sea has brought me a gift,” she said, smiling. “Calista has spoken highly of you. She says you possess a strange magic.”
“Calista spoke of me?”
The queen fluttered a hand. “I hear things. Tell me, this Vertulious, is he as powerful as they say?”
“Powerful and perfectly awful.”
“How is it he came to leave his spellbook?”
Hugo spoke up. “We unlocked the magic in Odin’s Stone. He was able to perform a transformation spell with its power.”
“I see.” The queen drummed her fingers on the arm of her throne. “Do you think he could be put back into the spellbook?”
Abigail frowned. “I don’t see how. I threw it into the sea.”
Capricorn snapped her fingers, and a young mermaid hurried forward with a tray covered in cloth. She pulled the cloth back, and Abigail gasped. “That’s his spellbook. How did you find it?”
“What falls into the sea belongs to me,” Capricorn said airily. “You didn’t answer my question. Could he be sent back into his spellbook?”
Abigail looked to Hugo. “I’m not sure how.”
“He put himself there once,” Hugo said. “I imagine he could do it again, if he had no choice.”
“Interesting.” The queen waved the book away. “Tell me, children, what do you want in the land of the giants?”
“We wish to ask Thor for his hammer,” Hugo answered, “to stop the witches from going to war.”
The mermaid laughed. “The god known as Thor will not help mere children such as you.”
“I am not a mere child—I am a witch.” Abigail drew herself up. “And a descendant of Aurvendil, who was known to Thor. I will make my case, and I will get his help.”
The queen eyed her for a long moment, weighing her words. “So you wish to fight against your own kind.”