Between the Sea and Sky Read Online Free PDF Page B

begin. Esmerine knew from talking to the traders that many winged people worked as messengers, because they could travel faster than a horse or a ship. Esmerine supposed the work could have taken him to some far-flung direction. But it couldn’t do much harm to look for him, at least.
    She didn’t know how to go about leaving, that was the trouble. Besides the fact that her parents would never give their approval, she had promised Merry she’d help her practice for her school theatricals that week. She was the eldest sister now, and it seemed there was always so much to be done. Her family needed her.
    One day, she was at the market with her mother and sisters when one of the traders came back with a rumor about a mermaid wife in Sormesen.
    “I don’t know if it’s your girl,” the man said. “But I don’t know of any other merwives in Sormesen. They said the girl was beautiful but looked unwell, and that her husband was taking her to live in mountain country.” He gave her mother a meaningful look. “They don’t like the mermaids they steal to be too close to the sea. They think it makes ’em homesick.”
    Esmerine’s mother stopped moving. She seemed afflicted by a sort of paralysis whenever anyone talked of how miserable Dosia might be. Esmerine and Tormy each took her by a hand and led her away.
    “Oh, gods, gods, gods. It’s Dosia, I just know it,” she was muttering, and her hands started to play with her shell necklace.
    “Mother,” Esmerine said. “It’s all right.”
    “If she had only resisted her impulses!” Mother cried. “She never would have been taken! And now she’s moving farther and farther away. I can’t bear having my girl so far away, and not even knowing —it’s the not knowing that’s going to send me to an early grave, I tell you!”
    Merry’s eyes were huge and alarmed, as if their mother might really perish from her grief. Esmerine didn’t think she would, but something had to be done.
    “We have to bring her back,” Esmerine said decisively. “Mother, please! Listen to me. I could go on land and find her. We know she was in Sormesen, and that she went to the mountains. If I could just get some information—”
    “Esmerine, that is ridiculous. What if—what if it isn’t even her? It could be a siren from another village.”
    “You know it’s her.”
    “And you can’t walk. I know you and poor Dosia used to play at it, but real walking—it’s too much.”
    “I know I could. I used to play with Alander for hours. The pain isn’t so bad, and I’m good at it. I can even climb trees. I could go to Sormesen and—at least I could bring word.”
    “We haven’t the money for clothes and carriages and—”
    “I’ll sell all my bangles and hair beads and shells and I’ll sell that statue Dosia gave me for my debut. I don’t care about any of it. I just want to see her again.”
    Esmerine stayed calm. Her mother always responded to calm people, likely because she had such trouble keeping calm herself.
    Her mother took Esmerine’s hands and squeezed her fingers. “You really love your sister.”
    “Don’t we all?”
    “But … we can’t just—go after her.”
    “We can too. There is no reason why I can’t at least try. We’ll regret it the rest of our lives if we don’t try .”
    “Yes, we will. You are right about that …” Mother looked over her shoulder, as if searching for something. She sighed again. “I don’t know what to do. I can’t lose you both … but if Dosia needs us … Your father is hopeless on legs. The traders are absolutely useless.”
    “I know,” Esmerine said, trying not to sound impatient. “That’s why I have to go. I’ll be careful. My siren magic will keep me safe, should anyone try to hurt me. I’ll find Dosia.”

Chapter Six
    Esmerine thought her father would never let her leave, but even he admitted it would be reasonably safe for her to go to Sormesen and ask after Dosia. Besides, none of them would have