The thundering of wind and a massive pressure change in the air like an incoming storm roared toward us, and the water swelled. Our boat was propelled forward with a speed I could never match rowing. I crouched and cradled Belladonna to my chest. “They’re taking us in. We’ll get you to a healer.” Again, I could only hope I was not feeding her a lie. I really had no idea what was going on, but good or ill, we were about to find out.

The water shifted again and a mist rose, hiding us. I could see nothing ahead, nothing below. The fog grew so thick I barely could make out the lines of Belladonna’s face even though my head was tucked next to hers.

This was the fog that hid the Deep, and we were going through it.

Evaporating as quickly as it appeared, the mist was gone and all around, spires shot up through the water, glistening, lit from within. I counted seven that rivaled our Spiral for size on the exterior. Made up of coral and glass, the Deep glittered like diamonds.

Even with Belladonna’s life hanging on the line, I couldn’t help but stare at the beauty that unfolded. Ornate fountains rising thirty feet into the air pulsed with water and tiny fish that jumped and leapt as they cascaded into the wading pools lit with glowing phosphorescence. Brilliantly colored reefs made up the lower portion of the city. Pinks, blues, greens, and purples blended into one another. Though the lower buildings closest to the water were humble and simply made, the main portion of the island was built in a circular manner, tiered spirals reaching hundreds of feet into the sky. Each spiral glittered as though sprinkled with glittering jewels.

Our tiny boat drove through the waterway in the center of the city, stopping against a dock. A tall, whip-lean man waited for us. A man I knew and almost trusted.

When I’d met him, he’d been kind, and I could only hope that kindness was not false. He reached down and helped me out as I held Belladonna to my chest. “I recognized your voice, Lark. Otherwise, we would not have let you in.”

“No time for niceties. Someone’s pet took a chunk out of her leg.”

He nodded, his face grim. “Dark times, Lark. You have chosen to visit in very dark times.” Dolph led the way up the dock and through an archway that took us deeper into the city. “What are you doing here, Lark?”

“I’m here as the Ender for our ambassador and princess, Belladonna.” I didn’t want to say too much. I didn’t know if I could trust Dolph. I wanted to. He had taught me in the few short months I’d trained to become an Ender. But now he was on the other side of a divide from me—an Ender I might have to face in order to protect my charge.

I felt like I was playing a game with rules I didn’t know. Or maybe there were no rules.

Dolph didn’t ask any more questions, and a minute later, we pushed through a set of doors that led into the healers’ room.

The healers rushed forward, not caring we weren’t from their family. That was the beauty of a healer—they wanted to help, regardless of the family or race. I let them take Belladonna and lay her on a bed. Her blood splashed across the white sheets; a shot of color that stood out in a brilliant spray.

“We can wait outside. The healers will take care of her,” Dolph said quietly.

I shook him off. “No. I will wait here.” I swung my spear point down and leaned against it. “Thank you, Dolph. She would have died.”

His turquoise eyes met mine. “I know. That was the plan. Be wary, Ender Larkspur. You and your charge are most certainly not welcome here, no matter what you were told.”

I snorted softly as he left, and pulled the note out of my vest. Requiem wanted us here. Whoever he was. I crumpled it in my hand. Games of life and death, moves and countermoves, and goddess-be-damned politics. This was not my world, and I hated trying to navigate it. As I stood there, a sudden gratitude flowed through me for my upbringing. If I’d grown up in the Spiral with my siblings, I wouldn’t have been trained for this; perhaps it was a blessing wrapped in hardship I hadn’t seen. Sort of exactly what the mother goddess said not long ago.

Belladonna moaned on the table as the healers worked on her leg. They pieced it together quickly, and it hit me that the speed at which they worked spoke of dealing with shark bites on a regular basis.

One of the healers, a woman with the same green-tinged hair and webbed hands as Dolph, came to me. She was a little shorter than my six feet, but not by much. “Your ambassador will be fine, and now we must insist you go. She will be safe here.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.” I stared her down and waited while she struggled to pull herself together. My eyes, one gold, one green, disturbed people. They marked me as “other,” and “other” was not respected in our world.

“Ayu.”

“Well, Ayu, until my ambassador releases me to leave, I’m not moving from this spot.” I smiled at her, but I knew I was swimming in dangerous waters. Ayu’s eyes narrowed and two spots of bright purple bloomed high on her cheeks.

“I am the First Healer. Do you dare doubt my word?”

I continued to smile, though my words were anything but pleasant. “We were just attacked by someone’s familiars after being welcomed to the Deep. Forgive me if I don’t trust you.”

Her body jerked as if I’d slapped her. “Someone welcomed you?”

I shoved the crumpled note at her. She took it, smoothed it out, and I watched her carefully. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped as she read. Good sign? I didn’t think so.