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A straea grabbed the door of the Watcher’s potion cabinet and ripped it free, sending bottles of potion and nets of brightly colored plants into the eddies snaking through the sea cave. The Watcher was missing, and she just knew the crone had gone off to aid the rebels.

“Traitors! All of them!” With a fist, she smashed a sealed shell, scattering obsidian powder and sea herbs into the water around her and General Venu, who remained still, his black hair floating around his stern features.

“And what are the fools playing at? They must know the Earth Queen will destroy them if I don’t do it first. Idiots! ”

Venu swam forward. “What about the balance?” His voice was quiet, as if he were trying to soothe her.

She bared her teeth. “There is no such thing. Not anymore.” Turning away, she swam back and forth through the Watcher’s sea cave, the dim light of glowing algae clawing to break from the absolute darkness of the corners. “The human is drunk on her power. Isn’t it obvious?”

Vines held a coral vase against the wall. She grabbed it, pulled it from its bindings, then slammed it against the scrying bowl in the center of the room. Glaring through the floating remnants at Venu, she stalked toward him. At least the fool held his ground.

“The Earth Queen has already taken back three-fourths of the land,” Astraea said. “She’ll reclaim the rest as soon as the sun rises, then set her gaze on what else she might control. Mark my words. There will be no end to it! I can’t understand why Lilia and her rebels don’t see the truth!”

“Perhaps if the Watcher is indeed with them, the crone will enlighten the rebels.”

“Lilia has lost what little mind she had. The Watcher could tell her the human will bleed the world dry, and Lilia would twist the information to suit her and her hapless pursuit of revenge. If I had known how she’d mourn those scars we gave her, I’d have simply cut her throat to spare us the trouble. ”

“You don’t think she acts based on her grief over Grystark’s death?”

“Lilia doesn’t have the depth of mind or soul to hold such a sentiment. What? You disagree?”

“Of course not, my queen.”

She snorted and swam out of the foul-smelling cave. One of Venu’s scouts rushed past the bed of wide-leaved sea palms and their glowing algae. The male bowed, kicking his feet out behind him in that new way the younger ones had.

Astraea grimaced. “What is it?” she asked as Venu came up beside her.

“Queen,” the scout said, “General. The rebels were seen heading toward our Blackwater well.”

Her lip curled. “They are in need of strength, are they? Been working spells to help the Earth Queen? Well, perhaps they are readying to attack us. Who spotted them, and how was it accomplished?”

The scout tipped his head, and his brow wrinkled, scales bunching. “I spotted them, my queen. I…saw them. I’m not sure what you want to know.”

She hit him with a glare, and he went still. “Were they attempting to hide their approach, going in one by one, using coral or fish or seaweed to hide themselves? Or did they head in brashly, all in one go with no cover?”

“All swam toward the well as a group in the open water.”

“Were they silent or speaking?”

“Speaking.”

“As I suspected. They think to draw me into the fight. If I believed Lilia was on her own, with only her pathetic band of rebels, I might only send a unit or two after them. Then the Earth Queen could surprise us with her dragon cohorts and take out those one or two units.” A laugh bubbled from her lips. “Venu, shall we interrupt their plans?”

“I would love to.”

“We will feign a rather large attack, then I’ll allow myself to be captured.”

“But why?” Venu glanced at the scout.

Astraea looked to the sea’s surface. They were so slow of wit sometimes. “The Earth Queen needs my blood, given willingly. She won’t kill me, and I will get close to her. Very close. Close enough to take the one weapon that has made her my near equal in power. I will steal the oaken sword.”