The group of Mermaids from the Pod that Nixie and Lyla were sent with "find a new home" is being led by a Mermaid called Meredith. The pod has returned to Mako but has had no contact from Meredith's group.
The council grows suspicious so Veridia sends Rita to investigate (unaffiliated with the Pod.) Due to her relationship with Lyla and Nixie, she would be the least suspicious to turn up out of the blue. Rita speaks to Nixie and Lyla alone and finds out that they don't know the Pod is back at Mako. Rita then joins power with Nixie and Lyla and manages to 'teleport' them all back to Mako as Meredith would not have let them leave.
Meredith had some ulterior motive but I never got far enough to decide what that was and why she was keeping the group away from the Pod.
Meredith to Rita after Rita was brought to her "What do you think you're doing here?"
"I came to see Nixie and Lyla."
"How did you find us?"
"Some seals told me they'd seen a group of Mermaids about this way."
"Hmph."
A dark head surfaced beside Meredith.
"Rita? What are you doing here?" Nixie launched herself across the space between them and tackled Rita into a hug.
"I came to see you and Lyla."
They are taken to a cave to talk but the exit is guarded as Meredith is suspicious of Rita's sudden arrival.
R "What are you doing so far north?"
N "Looking for a new home?"
R "But you don't need to be anymore."
"What?" Nixie asked.
R "The Pod is back at Mako."
L "Wait what?"
R "They've been back a few months. The Council thinks you're on your way back, they think you're still out in the South Pacific."
L "Meredith said we were to keep looking for somewhere new."
R "This far north?"
N "How far north are we?"
R "Closer to Russia than Australia."
L "She's been lying to us."
R "You two need to come with me now. I don't know what Meredith's up to but it can't be any good if she'd been lying to you and the Pod. The Pod didn't know you were here."
N "Then how did you find us?"
R "Spoke to the Mermaids out in the South Pacific that the Pod stayed with, then asked some dolphins, then some seals and then Meredith found me."
L "Did the Pod send you?"
R "No, I came myself to see you two."
N "Does the Pod know you're here?"
R "Veridia does."
L "Does Meredith know that?"
R "I don't know, but we need to leave before she comes back."
N "There's no way to get out of here without Meredith seeing."
R "Give me your hands, I can get us out of here but I don't have enough power on my own."
Nixie and Lyla each took one of her hands.
"Close your eyes."
Rita let the power build up around them, the water in the cave starting to bubble with the ripples of Power. She focused her mind on where she wanted to be. Back at home. Back in the pool under her house.
With a slow exhale Rita released the power and the world violently jolted.