The Siren Depths Read Online Free PDF Page A

moved here, but she still hated “trouble.” Which she apparently defined as any member of the court doing anything that caused her to notice they existed.
    Pearl took Heart’s claw in her free hand and drew it across her palm again. This time the blood came, and Heart carefully caught a few drops in the little bowl.
    Jade held out her hand as Heart stood and came to her. Despite her air of annoyance, Jade managed a smile at Heart as her blood was drawn. It was Moon’s turn next, and Heart drew her claw more gently across his groundling skin.
    He watched his blood drip into the little bowl, mingling with Pearl’s and Jade’s, and felt his heart beat a little faster.
    Heart might have felt his pulse pound through his hand. She gave him a quick, reassuring smile, then stood to carry the bowl back to the stone vessel waiting at the center of the circle. She shifted to her groundling form as she knelt, picked up a copper ewer, and poured a little water into the bowl. She swirled it gently to mix with the blood, then poured it into the larger stone container.
    Merit and a couple of the other young mentors shifted from their groundling forms, took more of the small bowls, and began to move among the other Arbora, bypassing the infertile warriors. Moon wasn’t sure how they decided who to pick, but suspected it had something to do with the different bloodlines in the court. Another Raksuran thing he had no idea about.
    After a few moments they carried the bowls back to Heart. She took each, mixed the contents with water, then added them to the stone vessel. That was Moon’s blood, mixing with the blood of the rest of the court, and possibly it should have been a significant moment. Moon just felt nervous.
    Heart poured the last bowl, then leaned over the vessel to study the result. Merit and the other mentors joined her, their expressions tense with concentration.
    The chamber grew profoundly silent as everyone waited. Jade tapped her claws on her thigh. Moon felt someone breathing on the back of his head and twisted around to find that Chime had risen to a crouch, craning his neck to try to see into the vessel. Moon elbowed him and he reluctantly subsided.
    Finally, Heart said, “The signs are favorable for new clutches at the end of this season.”
    It sounded like good news, and there was a pleased murmur from the watching Arbora. Moon was the only one close enough to hear Jade hiss under her breath. But Heart was frowning, and Merit gave her an uneasy glance. The other young mentors looked confused and uncertain.
    Pearl’s voice was tightly controlled. “And what else?”
    The chamber fell silent again, this time in anxious anticipation. Heart said, slowly, “Someone watches.”
    Everyone froze. Oh no, Moon thought. Jade’s claws stopped tapping. Heart looked up, belatedly realizing the effect those two words had had. “Not the Fell! Not like before. I’m not sure…I don’t think this is even about our court. It might be another court we have contact with.”
    “It might be a shadow of what happened before,” Merit said, still concentrating on the bowl. “It’s definitely not about us.”
    “Not the Fell, and not us,” Jade repeated, as a wave of relief passed over the court and everyone breathed again. Moon rubbed his forehead and managed not to growl. They hadn’t needed that scare, brief as it had been.
    Pearl’s spines shivered in barely controlled irritation. “Anything else?”
    Heart looked into the bowl again and said reluctantly, “There are signs for…some upheaval.”
    “How much upheaval?” Pearl asked.
    Heart shook her head slightly, still studying the swirled pattern of blood and water. “Not…terrible upheaval.” There was a nod of agreement from Merit. “But…the course will not be smooth.”
    Pearl frowned, considering that. Jade said, “That’s usual for our court, isn’t it?”
    There was another stir, this time of amusement. Pearl made a dismissive gesture. “We’re