Just offshore a sea turtle swam through the crystal blue waters around Sawaiki. From the rocks where she sat, Namaka could feel the turtle, could feel the fish, could feel the children surfing atop the waves, trying to master their boards. Over the past two days, the villagers of Puna had already begun to reconstruct their destroyed homes, to rebuild the boardwalk that would once again support them, connect them to the sea. The ocean was almost as much a part of the islanders as it was of her, and she was a mermaid and the Sea Queen.
Except, much as the Sawaikians loved the endless Worldsea, now they had reason to fear it, even if they did not yet understand those reasons. Farther offshore, leagues away in the great reef, the mer city of Mu had fallen to the he‘e. Once, Namaka had thought the octopus people near mythical and far removed from humanity. All that had changed. Now, through their betrayal of Mu, and through Hiyoya, she knew the he‘e controlled much of the Worldsea behind the scenes. Their motives were hard to guess, their very thought patterns and speech alien. But she had to assume they intended to dominate all the Worldsea.
She would need to liberate Mu, and soon. But before she could spare time for such things, a more immediate crisis on Vai‘i demanded her attention.
Hi‘iaka was dead.
They had to save her.
The Waters of Life might do so, but every moment wasted reduced the chances for restoring Namaka’s youngest sister.
“You’ve been staring at the ocean for an hour,” Upoho said. The wererat had arrived that morning—Namaka had sent for all their allies to come here, to Vai‘i, so she and Pele could begin this search in earnest.
“I’m absorbing Mana.” On visiting Mau‘i she’d briefly soaked in the Sacred Pools to replenish the energies she’d lost fighting first the taniwha and then Pele. It was hardly enough. “I cannot say what ordeals lay ahead of us. The first time Pele and I found a spring of the Waters of Life, it lay deep underground beneath the mountains on Uluka‘a. And it was guarded by a he‘e.”
Upoho clucked his tongue. “Locals have some fish roasting in the imu. Come eat. Then we can all discuss things. No use worrying on an empty stomach.”
She glanced at him, wincing again to see the scarred ruin of his missing eye. Pele had done that. She had maimed Namaka’s foster brother in her desperation to rescue Lonomakua. But then, maybe Namaka should never have abducted someone so dear to Pele.
Namaka allowed Upoho to guide her back to Puna, toward the palace Pele had taken over. Namaka’s younger sister now reigned here, though Namaka had gathered the place had once belonged to the woman’s advisor, Naia. If the former queen held any bitterness over the loss of authority, she hid it well.
Slaves laid out meals in both the men’s and the women’s houses within the palace, and Namaka joined her sister in the women’s house, along with Naia. Upoho left her to head to the men’s hut where Makua and Moho—a visceral dread crept into her mind to even consider the spirit, a Flameborn—were no doubt resting.
Beyond, Lonomakua had taken over another house to hold Hi‘iaka’s body. The kahuna engaged in continuous chanting to keep her soul from fleeing into the dark of Pō, aided at times by the sorcery of Kapo. The mermaid part of Namaka could feel it—the distortion in reality their actions created, a psychic reverberation through the currents of Pō, leaving her ill-inclined to venture near to that house. Despite her desire to speak with Pele’s kahuna and push him to reveal his secrets.
“We are disadvantaged this time,” Pele said around a mouthful of poi. “We don’t know this land nearly as well as we did Uluka‘a, nor have anywhere to start. My best suggestion at present is to consult the local kāhuna.”
Namaka frowned at that. Naia—or Pele, perhaps—had sent out their head kahuna, Kamalo, all around the district trying to send the souls of the fallen lest they linger. Everyone had more than their share of work to rebuild this place.
She slunk down across from her sister, ignoring Naia, unable to suppress her glare. All of this had happened because of Pele’s betrayal of their truce. Her sister had made a habit of betrayal, hadn’t she? Indeed, she had murdered Leapua, and that Namaka could never forgive. Still, Namaka had agreed to work with Pele to save Hi‘iaka. Their youngest sister meant more than their grievances.
Pele seemed to take no notice of Namaka’s dour mood, though, swallowing before blathering on. “Kapo’s been here far longer. She spent most of that time on Mau‘i, enough to believe the Waters of Life don’t lay there. There are powers, she tells me, on Lana‘i. Strange powers from Pō and beyond, things men have feared since coming to Sawaiki. On Moloka‘i as well, sorcery seems stronger. I hesitate to head to either island whilst things remain uncertain, so I expect to consult all the kāhuna in Vai‘i first. I’ve already sent messengers calling any who would come in friendship, even from the old dynasty.”
Namaka sat in silence, watching her sister prattle on. She cared very little for the dynastic struggles between the prior immigrants to Sawaiki and those more recently come from Kahiki. The part of her that remained Nyi Rara longed to join the mer who had fled Mu and go to their aid, but she could not abandon Hi‘iaka.
Naia motioned to the plate of ahi poke set between the women. “Please, eat. You need your strength.”
That much was true, though Namaka was now more accustomed to eating fish raw. And alive. Still, she grabbed the fish and bit off a great chunk of it, head and all, savouring the look on Naia’s face almost as much as the overcooked flesh. Even Pele was staring at her now.
Namaka crunched fish bones in her mouth and swallowed it all. Like a shark, she no longer required her food to be so carefully masticated as a human would. Knowing it was petty but unable to help herself, she intentionally left the shark teeth descended when she spoke. “Speaking with the kāhuna may offer some insight. I’d suggest consulting all kāhuna around.”
“I just said that,” Pele pointed out.
“Including Lonomakua.”
Pele shrugged. “He’s from Uluka‘a, like us. He might use his pyromancy to gain some insight, but I hesitate to distract him from his efforts to kept Hi‘iaka’s soul nearby.”
Maybe she should just tell Pele. Maybe it would save them all a lot of trouble. Except Namaka had to believe it would be better for Pele to hear it from Lonomakua himself. She thought of the man as a mentor, as more than that. Namaka could only imagine how she’d have felt if someone revealed to her that Milolii had not been who she claimed to be.
Namaka rubbed her brow. “Based on what we saw in Uluka‘a, it’s possible the Waters will have some connection to the sea.”
“So you want to search the whole godsdamned ocean for secret tunnels?” Pele asked. “I’ve heard the ocean is big.”
A conscious effort allowed her to keep from lashing out at Pele’s obvious provocation. As if the other queen actually had more reason to hate Namaka than Namaka had to hate Pele. “Considering all you’ve done, I’d learn to guard your tongue.”
“All I’ve done, Fish? All I’ve done?” The cook fire across from them flared, spewing embers that had slaves racing to clean them up. “I seem to recall you playing your part in our conflicts.”
“I didn’t seduce your husband! I didn’t burn out the eye of your foster brother! I didn’t murder your kahuna! I did not kill your fucking dog!” Namaka rose to her knees, hands curling into fists. There was not enough water here for this. She’d be at a severe disadvantage. “I. Did not. Betray the truce after fighting a godsdamned taniwha!”
Pele climbed to her feet, fingers twitching like she planned to summon the fires to herself. “It strikes me this alliance may prove difficult to maintain. That, perhaps, I’m better off solving this issue on my own, without your arrogance and provocations.”
Namaka glared at her sister. “I swore an oath of peace in Hi‘iaka’s name. I don’t intend to break that. But you may be right. Maybe we are better off on our own, each working toward a separate solution. You consult the kāhuna on land, and I shall seek the wisdom of elder mer.”
“Suit yourself.”
Namaka rose, shaking her head. “While you’re questioning kāhuna, maybe ask your precious mentor where he really comes from.”
“What in Lua-o-Milu does that mean?”
Baring her teeth, Namaka threw a final glare at Pele, then stormed from the house and to the palace gate. At the threshold, though, she hesitated.
Damn it.
Damn it!
She couldn’t just go dive in the ocean if there was a chance she could save Hi‘iaka. Grumbling, she made her way to the house where her sister’s body lay. The closer she got, the worse the psychic distortion grew. It echoed inside her skull like a discordant drum, leaving her brain hurting. Whether intended to keep spirits away or not, the ritual certainly had that effect.
Kapo was dancing the hula inside, perhaps giving Lonomakua the chance to rest in his own efforts. So far as Namaka knew, neither of them had slept in two days.
“Lonomakua,” she snapped. “Lonomakua!”
A moment later, the man slipped from the house and came out to face her. She’d half expected him to hide, avoid this confrontation. Maybe that wasn’t his way.
“You still haven’t told her,” Namaka said softly. She couldn’t take the chance of Upoho or any others overhearing. Tempting as it was to break Pele by revealing this man’s secrets, surely he had a reason for not telling her sister. But what reason? “Why in Lua-o-Milu haven’t you told Pele the truth?”
“Because she’s not ready to know.”
“Uh, huh. While you dither about what lessons she is prepared for, our sister’s life and soul hangs in the balance.”
The kahuna fixed her with his startlingly blue gaze. Blue as the ocean, almost glittering. He towered over her, too. So tall. “I know the stakes. I’m not sure you realise just how high they are.”
“Where are the Waters of Life?”
“I cannot tell you that.”
Namaka grabbed the sides of his face and yanked it down to her level, trusting in her mermaid strength. Maybe the man could have still overpowered her if he chose to, but he did not resist. A mermaid’s Voice could entrance men, sometimes even compel them to her will … but she wasn’t sure it would work on a kupua. She pitched it hypnotically anyway. “My sister needs you, kahuna. Firebringer. Whatever you are.”
Lonomakua jerked away and blinked once, giving no other indication of her power resonating in him. “The answers you seek are in Mu. You must uncover them yourself. I will keep Hi‘iaka’s soul from drifting off.”
Namaka frowned. “What the fuck happened to you? How did you become so callous?”
To his credit, now he winced. “It is not callousness nor any lack of empathy that stays my hand.”
“Then what?”
“Desperation. The need to align events as they must align to promote the best possible outcome, to avoid the mistakes of the past.”
Namaka flashed a mirthless smile. “If Hi‘iaka suffers because of your inaction, kahuna, I will come back here and I will eat you alive. And not before I tell your precious Pele all I know of you.”
