His eyes didn’t leave mine. “Something like that. The trainees are struggling. None of them really want to be Enders. But they’re all we have. You and I are the only Enders in truth, so try not to get yourself killed.”
I laughed, expecting him to join me.
He didn’t.
He pointed to the globe at the water off the southeastern section of the North American continent. “This is where the Deep is situated. The humans call it the Bermuda triangle, and right now we can’t Travel directly to it.”
“Why not?”
“The civil war going on there is reaching a fever pitch and they’ve blocked anyone from Traveling directly in or out. Which means you need to go here”—he pointed at an island close to the Deep. Bermuda. Hmm.
“And once we’re there?”
“You’ll have to row out to the Deep and ask permission to enter.”
“Why do I get the feeling you aren’t telling me something important?” I put my hand out and touched the spot where the Deep was. The image grew until it took up nearly half the room. A swirl of mist hovered over it, blocking it from view. I pushed the image back, letting the globe return to its normal room-filling size.
“They may decide not to let you in. And if they do that, you could be in trouble.”
“Like try to kill us trouble?” I stared at him, watching for signs he held back. He didn’t.
“Yes. They might try to kill you, depending on the relationship between them and our ambassador who we believe is already dead, or at the very least, incarcerated in their cells, which are notorious for their own dangers.”
My first task was to find the ambassador. “Barkley is his name, isn’t it?”
“Yes, and they’re saying that whatever happened to him, and we don’t know the exact details, was an accident. But the ambassadors from the Pit and the Eyrie have met with ‘accidents’ too and are missing as well. At the very least, they are all out of contact with their families. Your father thinks they won’t dare harm someone of royal blood. But I’m not so sure.”
Suddenly dealing with Coal’s tantrums and staying close to home sounded like a far better idea than before.
“Too bad I don’t have a choice about this,” I said softly, reaching out and touching the globe. The water rippled under my hands and Ash nodded.
“You’re an Ender now, Lark. Choices are not something you’re given. Do as you’re told. Keep your charges safe. Protect our family.”
Seemingly so simple, yet I knew better. There was nothing simple about being an Ender.
Not a single thing.
CHAPTER 3
Ash drilled me on the ins and outs of the Deep, or at least as much as he could in the time allotted.
“The humans are afraid of the Deep, Lark, so you will have a hard time getting anyone to take you from the island into deep water. Probably, you will have to row yourself and Belladonna on your own.”
I frowned at the spot on the globe that was the Deep. Out in the water, the whole area was covered in a thick fog. I tried pulling the globe closer, but nothing more detailed came up as it should have. Ash stepped behind me. He reached past me, his arm brushing mine, and his body a breath from touching my back. I only had to shift my weight backward and . . . and what? He was my mentor, and I was a new Ender. Not to mention the disaster that was Coal in my life. Why in the seven hells would I complicate things further? Forcing myself to move away from him, I looked to where he pointed.
Spreading my hand out over the section of ocean that was the Deep, I dipped my fingers into the water. “Why are the humans afraid exactly?”
“Humans have a sense of survival and a lot of them have gone missing there. No trace of the boats, no trace of the planes—”
“You mean those flying contraptions?”
“Yes. The Undines don’t take well to people encroaching on their territory. They are the worst of us when it comes to strangers. There is something, though, that is not well known. The secret that no one spills unless you have to.”
I turned to face him. How much of my own world had been kept from me? Or was this just because I’d been a mere Planter? “What are you talking about?”
“The Undines have slaves. Human slaves.”
My eyes felt as though they would pop out of my head. “The mother goddess forbade slavery when she first created us. How are they doing this?” He had to be wrong. I’d been with the mother goddess and she’d even told me slavery was strictly forbidden, that it was an abomination.
“A loophole.” Ash stepped back and crossed his arms, which made his biceps flex and pop.
I shook my head as much to clear it as because I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “That can’t be right.”
“Technically, they get away with it because the humans are considered less than us. The mother goddess forbids us enslaving one another. Not the humans.” Ash lifted one hand and cupped my chin, stealing my breath. “And they consider half-breeds lower than humans. Be careful they don’t realize who you are, Lark. Everyone has heard about the Earth king’s weak, half-breed, bastard daughter. If they figure it out, you could end up someone’s pet.”
His fingers were warm and he slid them along my jaw. I couldn’t take my eyes from his. No, this couldn’t happen. With a quick jerk, I pulled away. “Then I’ll be careful. Thanks for the warning.”
He opened his mouth, and then closed it with a slight shake of his head. “If the Undines let you in, I doubt any of us will be able to come after you. You’ll be completely on your own. Do you understand?” There was a weight in his eyes that made it hard for me to keep his gaze.