YA Fantasy-A masked noble, a huntress who speaks with her prey, long lost sisters, magical beasts, a monster lurking among them

The ships arrived in the morning, so early that the mist hadn’t cleared from the water, but Adriana de Romola had been awake before even then. For a month, she’d followed wind patterns and storm watches, and plotted their course on a map so crinkled and smudged from restless fingerprints that its geography could no longer be determined. Her efforts had paid off, though, because she’d accurately calculated their arrival to the very minute.

As the dawn rose, Adriana angled the telescope out of the sun’s light. Three ships in total drifted slowly in the water. Black and green flags snapped in the wind. She pressed closer to the eyepiece, as though physical nearness would enhance the view. Except she knocked the telescope from its perch.

She scrambled to fetch the instrument as it rolled beneath a small sitting bench behind her. A quick glance-over showed no damage befell it, though Adriana probably wouldn’t have been able to tell if it had. The telescope had seen better days. Its brass had long since dulled, and with the focus knobs half-corroded, it was a wonder they still turned. Even the mount Adriana set it back upon lacked one of its original legs. A tower of worn leather-bound books propped it upright in front of the compass window.

She turned back to the ships, now stalled just where the sea met the lagoon. How big Musan hulls were, Adriana noted. If they went just a little farther into the shallow lagoon, they’d disturb Maelstrom.

Adriana lifted her head. She didn’t need a telescope to see the dark shadow lurking beneath the water. Perhaps it was childish to name a giant sea serpent, but Adriana had spent countless moments at this window. She couldn’t have ignored the beast’s movements while she spied on the city if she’d tried. And maybe she felt a small sense of commiseration for it. It was trapped under the lagoon. She was locked in a tower above it.

But not for long. She peered back into the telescope. The key to her cell awaited on one of those ships.