return.
***
The sun began its daily journey over the horizon. Lavender and turquoise rays reached, streaking across the sky toward the clouds.
Frances’ home was perched along a rugged cliff, its white siding, green shutters, and red roof brightly greeting the sunrise.
I walked in and followed the sounds of rambunctious laughter and conversation coming from the end of the hall.
The smell of bacon and eggs wafted through the air and my stomach loudly protested.
Ray sat at the head of the dining table, his leg bouncing up and down. The other nixes were finishing up breakfast and a quick glance told me I needed to move.
“Could’ve left some for me,” I muttered.
I grabbed an empty plate, scooped up the last portion of scrambled eggs, and settled beside Ray.
Will eyed the last piece of bacon left on the platter. I snagged it before it disappeared.
A look of sheer contentment drifted across Holden’s face. “You snooze, you lose, Kendra.”
I swallowed. “I wasn’t snoozing. I was working.”
Frances’ home had a decidedly rustic feel with polished honey-wood floors and furniture, woven throw rugs in bright colors, and paintings of the coastline dotting the walls.
The door opened and Ian walked in, his eyes sunken and cheeks hollow.
My chest tightened. “How is she?”
“She didn’t want to leave. Healer sedated her. She’ll be out for the next few hours.” He collapsed onto the sofa and looked at Holden. “I ran into Prince Belicoux on the way over. He said he’s arranging for you to leave soon. Found you a place.”
Holden straightened. “Where?”
“Daniel Clavet has a remote cabin north of Haverleau. He’s there on vacation now and said he’d take you in.”
Grady absentmindedly stroked the white scar beneath his left ear. “Who’s Daniel?”
“Human doctor at Lyondale Hospital. He’s cool.” I paused. “You can trust him.”
“And the prince will make sure you have everything,” Ian added.
Holden focused on me. “Thanks.”
I nodded.
“The town is just…gone.” Ian sighed. “Tell me you found something.”
I showed him the note and explained the haiku to everyone.
“We found this note because of the syllabic pattern of the previous haiku. There has to be something here that points to what’s next.”
Another attack was no longer a question of if, but when. The clock had been reset and I needed to make a move before it stopped again.
“I don’t see any pattern in this text,” Ian said.
Tara leaned in and studied the verses. “Maybe the solution lies in the location itself. Where the text was found.”
Fortunately, Bernard, in all his hyper-organizational glory, had supplied me with extra copies of photos from the site.
We spread them across the table, seven sets of eyes poring over every detail.
The store was typical of Merbais coastal life. The inside was simple, wooden floors and a basic arrangement of unadorned furniture. A few thick blankets covered the sofa, and a threadbare rug of faded blue and red added a hint of color to the empty space in front of an old fireplace.
The furniture, while precisely crafted, was functional, the work of a craftsman rather than an artist. Judging by the lack of personal touches like photographs or other mementoes, Elise lived a quiet life alone.
Grady picked up a photo and squinted. “What’s that say? In the frame hanging on the back wall?”
“Looks like a poem.” Will leaned in and read. “On the eve of birth, with night falling across the sky in inky waves, dreams of futures past shine like jewels. I awoke to find myself with hope nestled between sun and moon, even as I stand between water and land.”
“Pretty.”
Holden shot me a funny look. “You don’t know it?”
I bristled. “I’m sure you’ll tell me.”
“It’s an ancient ondine folksong. Most mothers sing it to their kids.”
Well, that explained it. Naida Irisavie wasn’t like most mothers.
“Hey look, it’s an
***
The sun began its daily journey over the horizon. Lavender and turquoise rays reached, streaking across the sky toward the clouds.
Frances’ home was perched along a rugged cliff, its white siding, green shutters, and red roof brightly greeting the sunrise.
I walked in and followed the sounds of rambunctious laughter and conversation coming from the end of the hall.
The smell of bacon and eggs wafted through the air and my stomach loudly protested.
Ray sat at the head of the dining table, his leg bouncing up and down. The other nixes were finishing up breakfast and a quick glance told me I needed to move.
“Could’ve left some for me,” I muttered.
I grabbed an empty plate, scooped up the last portion of scrambled eggs, and settled beside Ray.
Will eyed the last piece of bacon left on the platter. I snagged it before it disappeared.
A look of sheer contentment drifted across Holden’s face. “You snooze, you lose, Kendra.”
I swallowed. “I wasn’t snoozing. I was working.”
Frances’ home had a decidedly rustic feel with polished honey-wood floors and furniture, woven throw rugs in bright colors, and paintings of the coastline dotting the walls.
The door opened and Ian walked in, his eyes sunken and cheeks hollow.
My chest tightened. “How is she?”
“She didn’t want to leave. Healer sedated her. She’ll be out for the next few hours.” He collapsed onto the sofa and looked at Holden. “I ran into Prince Belicoux on the way over. He said he’s arranging for you to leave soon. Found you a place.”
Holden straightened. “Where?”
“Daniel Clavet has a remote cabin north of Haverleau. He’s there on vacation now and said he’d take you in.”
Grady absentmindedly stroked the white scar beneath his left ear. “Who’s Daniel?”
“Human doctor at Lyondale Hospital. He’s cool.” I paused. “You can trust him.”
“And the prince will make sure you have everything,” Ian added.
Holden focused on me. “Thanks.”
I nodded.
“The town is just…gone.” Ian sighed. “Tell me you found something.”
I showed him the note and explained the haiku to everyone.
“We found this note because of the syllabic pattern of the previous haiku. There has to be something here that points to what’s next.”
Another attack was no longer a question of if, but when. The clock had been reset and I needed to make a move before it stopped again.
“I don’t see any pattern in this text,” Ian said.
Tara leaned in and studied the verses. “Maybe the solution lies in the location itself. Where the text was found.”
Fortunately, Bernard, in all his hyper-organizational glory, had supplied me with extra copies of photos from the site.
We spread them across the table, seven sets of eyes poring over every detail.
The store was typical of Merbais coastal life. The inside was simple, wooden floors and a basic arrangement of unadorned furniture. A few thick blankets covered the sofa, and a threadbare rug of faded blue and red added a hint of color to the empty space in front of an old fireplace.
The furniture, while precisely crafted, was functional, the work of a craftsman rather than an artist. Judging by the lack of personal touches like photographs or other mementoes, Elise lived a quiet life alone.
Grady picked up a photo and squinted. “What’s that say? In the frame hanging on the back wall?”
“Looks like a poem.” Will leaned in and read. “On the eve of birth, with night falling across the sky in inky waves, dreams of futures past shine like jewels. I awoke to find myself with hope nestled between sun and moon, even as I stand between water and land.”
“Pretty.”
Holden shot me a funny look. “You don’t know it?”
I bristled. “I’m sure you’ll tell me.”
“It’s an ancient ondine folksong. Most mothers sing it to their kids.”
Well, that explained it. Naida Irisavie wasn’t like most mothers.
“Hey look, it’s an
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