“Yes, that’s the only reason,” said Sage, her voice a little tart. “So you can relax.”
Merletta looked at her friend in confusion, but whatever Sage was talking about, Emil evidently didn’t agree.
“If you expect me to be relaxed about Merletta deciding, without consulting anyone, to bring someone we’ve barely met into our…situation, then you don’t know me well.”
“You two keep squabbling,” Merletta interjected over the top of Sage’s protest. “I’m going to talk to Eloise.”
She drifted across the room as casually as she could, hoping that Emil was wrong to be nervous about the so-called widow. During her one meeting with Eloise, she hadn’t formed the impression that the mermaid was flighty, or likely to act rashly. But the news she was about to deliver would be enough to rattle even the most stoic of individuals.
Eloise had just passed out of earshot of Andre and his family, who were still greeting new arrivals, when Merletta approached her. The older mermaid’s face registered a brief look of surprise before she schooled her features into a more neutral expression.
“Merletta,” she said quietly, her eyes on the room at large as she accepted food from a passing server. “I thought after our last meeting that you would be cautious about approaching me in public.”
Merletta grimaced at the reminder of how Instructor Agner had followed her to Eloise’s house and all but ordered her to return to the Center.
“I have been cautious,” she said, her voice low and even. “That’s why you haven’t heard from me. But none of my instructors are here today.”
“That doesn’t mean no one’s watching,” said Eloise, her movements casual as she sucked down an oyster. “I’ve made some inquiries of my own since we last spoke, with interesting results. More than once I’ve been followed.”
Merletta pursed her lips. “Then I’m glad I asked Andre to invite me today,” she said. “It seems I was right that the opportunity to speak with you was too rare to pass up.”
“You asked Andre to invite you?” Eloise blinked.
The older mermaid’s expression once again told Merletta that she was missing something. It was on the tip of her tongue to demand why her request had been so outrageous, but she stopped herself. She didn’t know how long she and Eloise would remain uninterrupted, and she had more important things to talk about.
“If I tell you something extremely shocking, can you look outwardly as if we’re speaking of the currents?” Merletta asked matter-of-factly, her voice quieter than ever.
Eloise paused. “I believe so.”
“Are you sure? Because this is big. As in, so big it might—”
“After that opening, please don’t keep me in suspense, Merletta.” There was a bite to Eloise’s voice as she cut off Merletta’s ramblings.
Merletta pulled in a mouthful of water, then let it out in a slow, controlled stream.
“August is alive, and I know where he is. I can take you to him tomorrow. In fact, he’s expecting me to.”
For a long moment, there was silence. With possibly the most impressive self-control Merletta had ever seen, Eloise raised another oyster to her mouth and shucked it down.
“Where do I meet you, and when?” she managed at last, her voice sounding unnatural.
“There’s a special market day happening in the main square tomorrow,” Merletta said. “It will be chaos, full of people. I’ll try to hover near the central sculpture an hour after sunrise.”
“I will be there,” said Eloise curtly. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need a minute.”
Still impressively controlled, she drifted away through the crowd. Merletta turned to find Andre’s eyes on her, a question in their depths. She gave him the slightest of nods, and he drew in a long pull of water.
Another guest claimed his attention, and Merletta moved back toward her other friends. Emil’s expression was hard to read, but Sage was visibly strained.
“Well?” she asked, as soon as Merletta joined them. “How did she take it?”
Merletta shook her head slowly. “Let’s just say that if I was that good at controlling my emotions and reactions, my life would have been very different.”
“That sounds promising in terms of her ability not to blurt it out to the wrong people,” Sage said, with a hopeful glance at Emil. His expression was still inscrutable.
“She’s not going to do anything foolish,” Merletta said confidently. “She was cautious enough even to satisfy you, Emil. She knows people are watching.”
“I hope you understand what you’re doing, Merletta,” said Emil seriously. “Every time you embroil others in your secrets, you put them in danger.”