The strangled look on Cid’s face suggests I’ve said something wrong.

“We’re just here to get the separation,” I explain. “Since Doe’s been ex—”

“Here, take the scepter,” Cid says, interrupting my explanation and thrusting the forgotten wand into Barney’s hand. “Go message bubble the palace that the princess is home.”

Barney looks like he wants to argue, but Cid adds, “That’s an order, whippersnapper.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Barney bows to me and then retreats to the guard tower. He doesn’t look one bit happy about being sent away.

Cid swims close and lowers his voice. “You should know, Princess, that His Highness has not made Lady Dosinia’s situation widely known.”

“Oh,” I say. “Okay.”

“Only his closest advisers and I know of her punishment.” He glances at the guard station, as if making sure Barney hasn’t emerged. “I think he would prefer that no one else in the kingdom be made aware of the exile.”

“Real y?” I ask, kind of stunned.

Daddy is usual y extremely open about his policies and decisions. Transparency is the key to respect, he always says. So why is he keeping this particular situation a secret?

He must have his reasons. He would never do something like this without careful thought and consideration. Maybe preserving Doe’s reputation for future suitors or something? That’s fine. I won’t be here long enough to have to watch my tongue.

“Is Daddy in his office?” I ask, wanting to get Doe’s separation over with and head back to Seaview. “We need to—”

The look of distress on Cid’s face freezes me mid-sentence.

“What?” I ask.

“His Highness is away from the palace today,” Cid explains as Barney swims out of the tower and back over to our group.

“Away?”

“He’s been gone since yesterday,” Barney adds. “He went to—”

Cid elbows him in the ribs. “We expect him back in the morning.”

The morning? Great. That means I’l be cutting it close on making it back in time for my interview, but I can’t start worrying yet. If Daddy’s not back first thing tomorrow, then I’l worry.

“Cool,” Brody says. “Does that mean I have time to look around?”

His eyes are wide and bright, and he’s looking around at al the sea-life-covered structures and underwater gardens with complete and total awe. Thalassinia feels so ordinary to me—it’s home—that I forget it’s entirely foreign to humans. This whole world of magic and mermaids and under-the-sea is like a shiny new toy for Brody, and I can’t exactly begrudge him some exploration. I always knew he was a water soul, born into the wrong world, so of course he’s thril ed to be here longer.

With night fal ing, I can’t exactly send him out on his own. I guess I’l have to play tour guide.

“I’l show you around,” I say with no enthusiasm. “Just let me go grab a snack from the kitchen.” The long swim real y works up an appetite.

Cid, who’s known me practical y since birth and can probably read my mind better than Quince, swims forward and says, “I would be happy to show the young man around, Princess.”

“But we’re on duty,” Barney says petulantly. “We can’t just

—”

“You’re head guard today,” Cid replies with a friendly smirk. “You guard. I’l tour.”

Barney glares at the scepter clutched in his left hand.

“Fine.”

I glance at Brody, who looks like he’s won the lottery, and then back at Cid. “That would be wonderful. Thank you.”

“My pleasure,” Cid says.

Then, with Brody swimming after him, Cid heads toward the palace. They haven’t gone twenty feet when Brody darts off to fol ow a school of blue-green queen parrotfish. Cid swims ahead for several seconds—probably giving his favorite speech about the history of the palace—before realizing his ward is gone.

As Cid hurries to catch up, I laugh. “He’s going to have his work cut out for him, Barney,” I say, trying to make the pouting guard feel better. “Brody is one of the fastest swimmers in the state of Florida.”

He looks somewhat pacified. My job here is done.

Since I’m going to be here overnight, I know exactly where to go. When in doubt or cleaning up other people’s messes, the best friend’s house is always the answer.

Chapter 7

s I swim up to Peri’s house, just outside the palace wal , I Abypass the front door and head directly for her window on the top floor. Floating outside her bedroom, I see Peri at her desk, bent over and working intently on a weaving project as her chestnut hair undulates around her.

She makes some of the most beautiful cloth the ocean world has ever seen. Her talent is obvious.

This one is made from various shades of green, rangingfrom the deep mossy tint of codium to the vibrant lime of sea lettuce, with shining strands of gold glittering throughout.

“It’s beautiful, Peri,” I say, floating into her room. “As always.”

“Lily!” she gasps, whipping away from her work and quickly jamming the cloth behind her. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s almost funny, real y.”

In a tragical y hilarious way.

I rol my eyes and twist my body into a corkscrew.