As I’ll ever be. But how are we going to fit this thing through those doors? Isn’t it too high?
We’re not going through those doors. Then she punched a button and the roof of the barn started to slide open. Here we go, she said.
A second later we were hurtling up, through the open roof and out into the ocean. How fast does this thing go? I demanded as we careened perilously close to the gossamer-fine electrical net that stretched over the top of Coral Straits. It functioned as a defense mechanism and a warning system.
Fast! she answered, and we shot forward at what I swear felt like warp speed.
How are we going to get through the gates? I demanded. Until I’d seen the net, I’d forgotten all about them. Both were new additions to the mercity, ordered by Hailana before her death. I’d argued against them all through the construction period, telling her that neither was going to work to keep Tiamat and her minions out and that if we weren’t careful they could be used against us. Hailana hadn’t believed me, and now, here we were living my nightmare. Sabyn was in control of the city and we couldn’t get out—not without frying ourselves on the specially designed net.
We’re not going for the gates. Too many guards, she said as we flew toward the outskirts of town. I was counting on you to do your little electric show and blast a hole in the fence big enough to get us out.
I can do that. I was weak, but I was going to have to find the strength from somewhere. There was no other choice.
Except we didn’t make it to the fence. Instead, the second Mahina hit the outskirts of town, she ran into a huge roadblock—one with enough guards and bunyip and weapons to stop a military co alition, let alone two girls in a homemade subbloon.
What do we do now? I said.
Why are you asking me? I’m the science geek. This whole scenario, this is your part of the equation.
Right. I rubbed my hands together. Awesome.
Do I detect a note of sarcasm? she asked as she slowed down and dropped closer to the ground.
What are you doing? Shouldn’t we be turning around, trying to find another way through?
The look she shot me was patently disbelieving. Are you kidding me? We don’t exactly blend in with the other traffic.
Of course she was right. As she slowed down even more so she could get into the inspection line, everyone was staring at us. The subbloon was a long way from the small chariots and people movers that we were in line behind, and I figured it was only a matter of minutes before the guards came over to see who the hell we were—and where we were going.
Which meant, if I wanted to get us out of this, I was going to have to think of something quickly.
I glanced around the subbloon. Do any of these windows open, or are they just to look out?
They all open—one of the perks of being able to breathe water. She gestured to a panel on the dashboard. We don’t have to keep it pressurized like a real submarine.
Right. Of course. Excellent. I reached over to the panel, played until I found the switch that opened the big window directly to the right of me. Water flooded the chamber, swept away the few things that weren’t weighted or tied down.
So, what are you thinking?
I’m not sure yet. What do you suppose is in that bag your dad packed for us?
A bunch of stuff. Why?
Any of those underwater grenade things you had last summer?
I don’t know. Probably. But, Tempest, there are too many people around. We can’t use—
I know. I know. It was just a thought. Chalk it up to the muddled brain. I looked around, eyed the distance between us and the checkpoint and the checkpoint and the fence. It wasn’t that far and if we were lucky …
Okay, I know you said this thing goes fast, but seriously, can you give me a top speed?
Top speed? Mahina’s eyebrows shot to her hairline. I don’t know, maybe one hundred miles an hour? A hundred and ten if I pull out everything she’s got?
Are you asking me or are you telling me?
Both?
I laughed. Okay. So they can still swim faster.
Only if they’re going at top speed too. Remember, these are mermen, not selkies.
I know. I closed my eyes for a second, concentrated on blocking everything out—Mahina, the guards, even the fear that had bile rising to the back of my throat—and concentrated on assessing my powers.
I didn’t want to be caught. I really didn’t want to be caught. For my sake and for Mahina’s. And our escape rested on how much power I could drum up.
I glanced down at the gray-lavender shade of my normally violet phosphorescence. I obviously wasn’t at my strongest, but for what I had in mind, I didn’t have to be.
Okay, one more question, I told Mahina. How long do you think it’ll take this thing to get up to full speed?
Ten, fifteen seconds, maybe. The fuel is pretty powerful and the engine—I held my hand up, stopping her middescription. I know. I know, she said. Save the design lesson for later.
Much later. Right now, what I want you to do is get out of line, start heading back in the other direction.
But we’ll look guilty! They’ll be on us before we can even try to hide.
We’re not going to hide. And they’re already on us. I nodded at the contingent of guards making their way toward us.
Mahina took one look at them and eased the subbloon up and out of line. I hope you know what you’re doing, she told me as she started to turn.
Wait! Can you go in reverse?
Yeah. She looked baffled.
Do that for about thirty-five or forty seconds. And then stop, give them a chance to close in on us.
Mahina did as I asked, her face full of trepidation. It’s a good thing I trust you, Tempest.
I know. I think we’re going to find out just how much you do, I answered as Sabyn’s guards and the Coral Straits military drew closer and closer.
What I wanted to do was tricky. I knew that, especially considering how many civilians were around. I didn’t want to hurt any of them; nor did I particularly want to hurt any of the military officers. After all, if we managed to fix things, I might one day find myself as their merQueen, and I really didn’t think killing a bunch of them was a good place to start.
Sabyn’s mercenaries and the bunyip, however, were on their own. They’d tried to kill me before, and in my opinion, that meant it was open season. Not that I was relishing the thought of hurting them, but I wasn’t going to cry myself to sleep either. My tender heart had suffered a lot of blows in the last year and it was time for me to grow up.
Tempest … Mahina drew out my name in a panic. I knew it was killing her not to move, not to do something, but the success of my plan counted on split-second timing. Not to mention my powers doing exactly what they were supposed to do. But I decided not to worry about the second step until I had the first step taken care of.
Okay, get ready to go, I told her. On three.
One. A group of fifteen or so guards stopped in front of the subbloon.
Two. Nearly twice that many bunyip made their way around my side of the craft while ten or so soldiers went around to Mahina’s.
Now, Mahina. Now! She hit the throttle and the subbloon shot forward at the same second I blasted an energy shot straight at Sabyn’s guards They went flying out of the way, no doubt injured by the shot, but at least they hadn’t been run over by our vehicle.
Tempest, there are people ahead! Mahina screamed.