67. Zendaya

Chapter 67

Zendaya

I yell Enzo's name through the mind link, one heartbeat away from diving into the Amkhuti to succor him.

Silence.

Why is he so silent?

"Mádhi?" Fallon calls out. "Antoni's convulsing. Kanti's blood—mine—it's not working. Lazarus even tried a crystal, but?—"

"Not now, Fallon! I cannot deal with a stranger right now. Not when Enzo?—"

"Enzo's a Serpent, Daya. He's not going to drown." Kanti's reminder does nothing to appease me.

I whirl on her. "How about you fucking jump in?"

Her gaze tightens. "With a bunch of new zombie Serpents? Hard pass."

"You're immortal," I hiss.

"Yeah." She pops a shoulder in a shrug. "But I can still be tortured, so again, no thanks, chacha."

"What about your grandmother? Don't you care about her?"

Kanti must suck in her cheeks because they dent. "She's resilient."

"She didn't have time to stripe her neck," I say.

Kanti grimaces. "At least she won't be conscious if the Serpents decide to snack on her. Actually, why don't you talk to them and ask them to locate her?"

New Ones, can you hear me?

Yes. It's Alexei who answers. We can hear you.

I snare my lip. Although glad for the sound of his voice, I wasn't calling to him. Everything all right? I ask, since he's listening.

When Alexei says, Sort of , my poor heart almost fails.

I knead the scar on my neck. What do you mean sort of ?

We're playing cards with Ceres, and naughty Cruaih keeps stealing the cards and chewing them up. When Alexei chuckles, I think I might expire from relief. Will you join us soon, Day?

Yes. Very soon, my darling.

Is something wrong? Intuitive child.

No. Everything's fine. I inject as much litheness as I can muster into my tone. Let Asha win a round. She's a terribly sore loser.

Ha. She totally is. I'm convinced she's encouraging Cruaih to snatch the cards.

I smile, but it trips off my lips when I call out—yet again—to the Mahananda, and I'm met with silence. "Abrax!" I yell to my guard, who stands on the opposite embankment, gaze pinned to the Amkhuti. "Go check on the Mahananda please."

He doesn't question why I want him to pay it a visit, or what exactly I'm looking for. He merely turns on his heel and races through the palace gardens.

My pulse whooshes against my eardrums, amplifying the feeling that something's off. It agitates my blood, unlike the Amkhuti that lies flat. Too flat. No tusk, no bubble…nothing disturbs its surface.

No. That's not true.

I catch the flash of silver scales.

A palm-sized fish seesaws on its side. Not just one. Hundreds, as though the sinking ship has stunned them. But they're not stunned…they're dead. I can feel it inside my blood as though I were connected to all aquatic life.

"Cathal!" Agrippina's shriek stops my heart.

I whirl just as my mate stumbles into me, sending us hurtling over the cliff's edge. As we fall, I see the tip of a black blade sticking out of his chest.

"You killed the true queen!" Lazarus cries out, rubbing his palms as though glad to be rid of me. "Zendaya isn't the leader we want!"

I try to shape Fallon's name and the word "help," but both transform into a strangled breath when I catch her shoving Agrippina into the watery trench.

As I stare at my Serpent's flailing arms and streaming blue hair, at her saucer-wide eyes and slack jaw, I yell down the bond, Alexei, tell Asha to ward your wing and to let no one in! Not even if they look like me. Not even if they look like Fallon.