Page 52 of A Kingdom Restored

Indigo shrugged. “Did you want me to make a blood pact?”

“No, thanks,” said Sage dryly. “This may not be my first time outside the barrier, but I don’t think I’m quite ready to tangle with a shark.”

Merletta was still staring at Indigo. “So you’re just…changing sides?”

“Wouldn’t you, if you found out you’d unwittingly joined the side of liars and murderers?” Indigo demanded.

“I would,” said Merletta unhesitatingly.

“How unwitting was it, though?” Sage challenged, her usually pleasant brow darkened. Like the true friend she was, she was taking Indigo’s wrongs toward Merletta much harder than she’d take an offense against herself. “You were told to spy on a fellow trainee—to pretend to befriend her for the purpose of reporting on her without her knowledge. Can you really claim to be astonished to discover you were on the side of liars?”

Shame flitted across Indigo’s features. “That’s fair,” she said quietly. “And I should have known better. But I honestly thought Andre was doing the same. And I assumed that if someone so official was giving the instructions, it must be all right.”

Merletta let out a bubbled stream of water. Indigo was hardly the first to fall into that easy trap. Those in authority in the Center were practiced at taking advantage of their position of trust to manipulate well-meaning individuals into doing things they wouldn’t otherwise think were acceptable.

“But how can we trust you?” Sage asked.

Indigo gave a helpless shrug. “I don’t know. What can I do to prove I’m telling the truth? I suppose you’ll figure it out eventually, when I don’t report about this to anyone.” She gave Merletta a shrewd look. “Because something tells me that whatever the danger to the others on that land, you’re not going to make me disappear in order to stop me telling anyone.”

“You’re right about that,” said Merletta, with a touch of humor. “I’m not in the habit of murdering fellow trainees.”

“Did they really murder some of August’s patrol?” Indigo asked, her voice small again. “It’s hard to believe they’d go to those lengths.”

“Not so hard to believe,” Merletta said absently. “It’s nothing new. I’m pretty sure they murdered my parents for a similar reason, and that was almost two decades ago.”

“What?” Indigo looked aghast, but Merletta’s thoughts were elsewhere.

“Indigo, I don’t want to put you in danger, but if you really want a way to show that you—”

“Yes, I do,” Indigo cut her off. “I really do want to help.”

“Well, in that case, I think youshouldreport this. To whoever you used to report to.”

“What?” Sage stared at Merletta like she’d lost her mind. “Merletta, what are you talking about?”

“Don’t pretend it isn’t killing you, Sage, waiting for the blow to fall. I have to know what the Record Master is going to do about our disclosures yesterday. If Indigo goes to her contact to report this outing—or at least, a fictional version of this outing with just enough truth to make it credible—maybe she could get a clue as to what’s coming.”

“I suppose it might work,” said Sage reluctantly.

“I’ll do it.” Indigo was clearly struggling to fill in the gaps, but what she lacked in comprehension, she made up for in eagerness.

“Can you be convincing enough to fool them?” Merletta asked doubtfully. “I don’t want to endanger you by sending you in with a false tale.”

“I can do it,” Indigo said confidently. “Honestly, the most suspicious part will probably be approaching you to report back. They know I didn’t succeed very well in befriending you last year.”

Merletta gave her a wry smile. “If you’d been more like this instead of the overly friendly persona you put on every time I came into the room, you probably would have.”

Indigo flashed her a grin, then instantly sobered again. “Will you…will you tell Andre about this? Tell him I’m truly trying to help now?”

Merletta took a moment to answer. “I’ll tell him what’s happened today. I guess your actions will speak for themselves.” She fixed Indigo with a penetrating look. “You’re right that there’s no way for us to silence you that I’m willing to take. So we’re in your hands. Just know that more lives than ours might depend on you keeping the true story of this island to yourself.”

“I won’t carry tales,” Indigo promised. “I don’t want blood on my hands. I never did. Just tell me what you want me to say to the guard.”

The three of them thrashed out the best story to tell as they swam back toward the triple kingdoms. Merletta felt a pang of unease at the risk to Indigo. But then again, they were all in constant risk now. And she couldn’t deny that it lightened her heart to see Andre’s cousin come good when confronted with the truth of the Center’s tactics. It made her dare to hope that many of those currently carrying out the Center’s dirty work would make different choices if they knew what they were really part of.

She and Sage parted ways with Indigo before re-entering the triple kingdoms—Merletta just had to hope the younger trainee wasn’t exaggerating about being good at sneaking around, given she would be on her own when it came to getting through the barrier.

As Merletta and Sage approached the barrier together, Merletta caught a flash of movement and pulled her friend back into a clump of seaweed. The fronds waved gently around them, reaching high above their heads as the two of them peered through, toward the patrol paused at the border not far away. They were in conversation with a small group of merpeople on the inside of the barrier, the words too quiet for Merletta and Sage to hear.

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