After returning to the palace Tsunami debates telling her mother that she knows who the dead dragon is. In the end she doesn't get a chance because queen Coral is too busy with her council members. Tsunami, Coral, and Anemone retire to the queen's room. The next morning Tsunami and Anemone talk in private before the queen wakes up. They talk about their different upbringings and how neither of them like Whirlpool. Tsunami also discovers that Moray is their cousin. They return to the queen before she wakes up. They head to breakfast where there is no place for Tsunami. Coral has her sit in Tortoise's seat since Tortoise is currently guarding the queen's eggs. Tsunami accidentally embarrasses herself by eating before the queen gives permission. She wonders if Coral is deliberately trying to embarrass her publicly or if she is reading into something that isn't there.
The council meeting goes on during breakfast. Tsunami is shocked to find out that the schools exclusively teach Coral's scrolls, causing her to embarrass herself when she comments on this. The war council gives their report and speaks of chaos in the SkyWing kingdom. Everyone is shocked at this news and Tsunami admits she and her friends might have killed queen Scarlet. When Coral finds out that Tsunami was in the SkyWing kingdom she asks after Gill, a SeaWing who refused to fight and her husband. Tsunami admits she saw Gill but that he was insane and had to be killed. Coral is devastated by this news and reveals that Gill was Tsunami's father. Tsunami is upset and keeps her part in Gill's death a secret but she suspects Shark has figured it out.
Queen Coral is devastated at the news of her husband's death. Tsunami can't help but notice Moray (who keeps mumbling that there will be no more eggs) and Whirlpool acting weird. Coral dismisses everyone so she can grieve. Tsunami is in shock over the news that she killed her father. Whirlpool tells her it is time for her lessons. Underwater, Whirlpool has Tsunami copy the things that he is saying, but he refuses to tell her what he is actually saying. Frustrated with Whirlpool's poor teaching skills Tsunami leaves. She heads to the surface and finds a cave to go sit in and think things over. There she finds Riptide. Her first reaction is to be angry at him for lying about Webs being his father, but she has started questioning her first reactions and decides instead to talk to him. Riptide asks about his father - and he asks Tsunami to be honest. Tsunami finds herself forced to find good qualities in Webs and discovers that there actually are some. Respecting Riptide's wishes she also tells him some of the bad. Riptide teaches her some aquatic, including the phrase "I will protect you." Tsunami feels this is an odd phrase but Riptide feels she is the type of dragon who would protect. Realizing her mother is probably looking for her she tells Riptide she has to leave. Before she goes she asks him what something Shark said in aquatic means. When he tells her she realizes her friends might be in danger and takes off.
Once Tsunami gets underwater someone with armor on attacks her and throws a sack over her head. Tsunami fights them off, wounding them, and the other dragon swims away. Riptide finds her but she tells him she cannot stay and leaves to find her mother. Tsunami tries to talk to Coral but her mother keeps interrupting her about unimportant things. Finally Tsunami interrupts and tells her that an attempt has just been made on her life. Tsunami feels that the attacker is probably right there in the room with them and they should look for an injured dragon but Coral is too worried about her remaining eggs. Even though she sent Shark there earlier she wishes to go check on them. She feels Shark doesn't worry enough about the eggs as he seems to feel there is no assassin and that it is all bad luck. She insists they all leave for the deep palace at once and also mentions that Shark is Moray's father. Tsunami gets swept up in the dragons leaving. She remembers her friends might be in danger but finds she cannot go back to them. When they reach the royal hatchery they find Turtle guarding the door, eating. Coral enters the chamber and finds one of her eggs destroyed. Tsunami keeps seeing Moray giving dirty looks to Coral's daughters and wonders if Moray hates them or if she is just really protective of the queen. Tsunami decides she needs to protect Anemone and the last unhatched egg.
Queen Coral leaves and Tsunami realizes there must be a secret entrance into the room. Unwilling to leave the remaining egg alone she takes it with her. Whirlpool tries to stop her and flashes something at her. Mocking her earlier lessons with Whirlpool she simply flashes back the same thing at him, much to Whirlpool's annoyance. She takes off and follows the queen. She finds a furious Coral with Turtle. She is torturing the dragon and speaking to her angrily in aquatic. Tsunami doesn't know what Coral is saying but she can guess. Turtle tries to say something, gesturing to shark, but Coral is uninterested. She kills Turtle. Then Whirlpool swims up to the queen and tells her about Tsunami taking the egg. Coral tries to talk to Tsunami but Tsunami just says "I will protect" in aquatic over and over. Anemone looks upset at this and Tsunami realized what she just offered to do - and if she fails she could be killed too.
Okay. I wasn't completely sold on this book series at first but after these five chapters I am now hooked and cannot wait to find out what happens next. As I'm reading so many things seem obvious to me. Coral is surrounding herself with sycophants who are undermining her kingdom in the name of promoting their queen. Shark is clearly behind the murder of her children, probably so Moray can have the throne. And Whirlpool is in on whatever plot Shark and Moray have going on and clearly has no interest in teaching Tsunami aquatic. The discovery of Shark being Moray's father and that he feels the death of all the queen's children is just "bad luck" cinches it for me.
Meanwhile I am still frustrated with Tsunami, though I am warming up to her. She is clearly in love with Riptide (and since Clay had feelings for Peril I wonder if everyone will meet their future spouse) however she is dropping the ball when it comes down to her friends. But in her defense she did just survive an assassination attempt and is now determined to save her baby sister as well as the unhatched egg. She is doing the right thing by them, at least. And she still wants to be queen but I have a feeling she will come to the same realization as Clay. She might love her baby sister and want to protect her, but it is Anemone who should be queen. Aside from the obvious she was raised to be queen, I think Anemone would be more willing to make the sacrifices that need to be made for the kingdom. Meanwhile, after fulfilling her prophecy, Tsunami would be a wonderful force behind the throne keeping her sister safe.
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