CHAPTER SIXTEEN

MELISSA

It’s just like skinny-dipping in Patricia’s pool, she told herself as she stepped into the water. Just colder.

Her toes slipped on the algae coating the pebbled bottom. Goosebumps prickled along her arms, but she kept walking. Somehow, the stillness of the surface made her want to slow her pace, as to not to disturb the water.

Her foot hit a rock in the water, and she stumbled forward. Her cut palms met the brackish water and she hissed. She cursed softly while rubbing the ache out of her toe and waited for the stinging in her palms to subside.

And no pool lights, she added.

With the lamps stowed in the barrels, her eyes strained to see in the darkness. The dim bioluminescence was enough to give her a vague idea of the landscape, but she struggled to make out details. Jahle seemed more comfortable in the low light. He wasn’t stumbling over rocks.

Behind her, she heard a grunt as Jahle lifted their makeshift boat and carried it to the water’s edge. When it hit the water, waves rippled out. She dragged the pontoon further into the water, and beckoned to Jahle.

“Are you certain this will work?” He eyed the lake.

“Don’t worry about it,” she said. “Just hold on tight, and I’ll take care of everything else.”

He hesitated. “We should lash ourselves together.”

Mel grunted. “It’ll be fine. Trust me.”

He keeps arguing and I’m going to drown him.

Grumbling, Jahle stepped into the water and waded out to her. While the water reached her knees, it hit him mid-calf. She walked out further, until the water reached mid-thigh, and helped Jahle lower himself onto the pontoon, the straps crossing his chest and the barrels floating behind him. Mel resisted the urge to giggle. He looked like a child with water wings.

The apprehension on his face kept her from doing so. His skin burned under her hands and his eyes flicked across the water like a dragonfly.

She patted his shoulder. “Hang in there, big guy. We’ll be across in no time.”

I hope.

She grabbed a strap and wound it around her arm and tied a knot. If she pushed, she wouldn’t be able to see where they were going. She waded forward, tugging the pontoon. Jahle used his feet to propel them forward.

The water rose, covering her hips and belly. When Mel reached the edge of the drop-off she stopped, staring at the line in the water where the pale pebbles underfoot seemed to vanish.

That’s the way to freedom.

That’s the way to home.

That’s the way to Jen.

Her fist tightened around the rope, and she stepped forward, letting the lake engulf her. She gasped as the cold water rose over her shoulders and splashed her face. The taste of the brackish water twisted her mouth, and the smell made her want to gag. The strap tightened and she yanked, pulling Jahle into the water. The freezing water didn’t seem to bother him.

Breathe through your nose. Keep moving. Stay warm.

It took effort to move the weight of the pontoon and her passenger. Jahle flailed his legs, trying to help, but the majority of the effort fell on her shoulders. The chill of the water seeped energy from her muscles, but she gritted her teeth and kept going. The short distance seemed to grow with every kick.

When her hand brushed rock, she crowed. “Now we’re talking!”

“How will we get underneath?”

She bit her lip. With the mollusks this close, the light was brighter, allowing her to see the wall. She had expected it to be smooth, but it was rough, dotted with crags. To her left, she spotted one with enough width to which she could fasten the strap wrapped around her arm. She hauled Jahle closer to the rock, and he grabbed it, keeping one hand on the barrels.

“Stay here,” she told him. “I’ll be right back.”

“Wait!” He grabbed her arm as she turned. His eyes were wide and the pale blue light made his ruby eyes gleam lilac. He opened his mouth, but closed it again without speaking. His eyes searched her face.

Mel reached out and cupped his cheek. The warmth of his skin drove the cold from her hands. “Hey, don’t worry about me. I’m tough.”

He nodded. “You are a fighter.”

“Damn straight!” She grinned.

Before she could change her mind, she darted forward and kissed him briefly, letting the warmth of his lips soak into her own. Under the saltiness of the water, she could taste him. The flavor warmed her to her heart.

“Here I go,” she said, trying to sound as sure of herself as she could. “Wish me luck!” Before he could answer, she took a deep breath, kicked off from the wall and dove.

The gleam of the mollusks shone through dimly, but Mel still had to peer through the darkness. She worked her way past Jahle, resisting the urge to pinch his butt as she swam by.

To her relief, the navigator had been correct. The wall dipped, ending in a jagged curve of rough rock. She had to watch her back and avoid scrapes. The saltwater would sting.

The darkness beneath her seemed to go on for eternity. She rolled onto her back, using the rock to propel herself along. She kept her focus straight ahead, peering through the dim light, looking for the other side of the wall. She didn’t linger on what her death might be like if she got lost.

End soon, she prayed. End soon. Soon. Soon.

When the rock above her began to curve back upward, she swam with renewed motivation. Her head broke the surface on the other side and her ragged breaths echoed through the cavern. It was larger than the grotto, and far darker. The mollusks here weren’t as tightly clustered, but Mel hoped that the way they curved on the far side of the cavern meant the land rose.

She doggy paddled for a while, resting. When her breathing was back under control, she made the trip back. It went faster than the trip out because she knew the wall ended. When she broke the surface, she realized she had traveled at an angle. Jahle was several dozen feet away.

Too easy to get disoriented under there, she thought, as she swam toward him.

“Good news,” she said through chattering teeth. “It’s not far. It’s doable. We just have to figure out how we're doing this.”

They decided to abandon the leaking barrel. It was already waterlogged and heavy. Mel let Jahle undo the straps, and when the barrel with their belongings was free, she tied it to herself. She left Jahle clinging to the wall, using the faulty barrel as support.

It took effort to get the barrel under the wall, but Jahle helped. His strength kept it submerged while Mel tugged it under the rock. On the other side, it shot out of the water like a bullet, dragging Mel along. She looped the straps around a rock, but her frozen fingers wouldn’t bend enough to let her tie a knot.

Gotta get out of here before I get hypothermia.

“Stay,” she commanded the barrel. “Good boy!”

She swam back for Jahle. Her muscles felt rubbery. She was losing too much heat and energy to the freezing water. Her teeth clattering, she extended her hand to him.

“C-c-c’mon,” she slurred. “Gotta go.”

He frowned at her. “You look unwell.”

“S’cold, s’all. Gotta be quick.”

He hesitated, his arms still wrapped around the rock. The scales on his shoulders seemed to be moving in the water, rippling as if a current stirred them. “How far is it?”

“Not far” she said. “Trus’ me.”

With a nod, he took her hand. The warmth of his skin made the ache in her fingers worse, but she drew him close, pressing her front to his back. He placed his head on her shoulder. His weight dragged her down, and she had to kick twice as hard to keep them afloat.

“Grab the rocks,” she told him. “Use ‘em to push forward. I’ll steer.”

He cradled his cheek against hers. “I understand.”

“An’ hold your breath. Let’s go.”

She counted them down and they submerged. Within a few kicks, she became aware of how heavy he was and of the exhaustion in her muscles.

C’mon, Mel. You got this.

She kicked weakly, her arms wrapped around Jahle’s broad chest. He extended his arms and grabbed the rock, pulling them along. She tried to keep them on a straight path. Jahle reached for whatever handhold looked the most promising, but Mel guided them with her legs, pushing against his thigh with hers when he wandered too far to the side.

When something brushed against her lower back, she shrugged it off. My shirt. Bit of algae. The delicate touch repeated. Debris. My imagination. Something firm and solid stroked her back. A harmless fish… Light glowed from below her. She peered around Jahle’s body.

A tentacle writhed in the water beside her face, as thick as her forearm. It moved sinuously through the water, the little hooks along its length swayed as it moved. Bioluminescent patterns flickered along its length.

Mel’s eyes widened.

What the hell is that!?

A second glowing tentacle curled around her body, exploring her belly. Mel tapped Jahle’s shoulder frantically until he turned his head. When he spotted the tentacle, his hands tightened on the rocks, and his face filled with horror.

Mel clung to him. Her throat closed up in fear. The tip of the tentacle found her chin, and she clamped her eyes shut, stretching her face away from its prodding.

Will it leave us alone?

Or is it looking for a snack?

The hooks dug into her skin, placing a dozen shallow cuts across her skin. She exhaled sharply, pursing her lips to hold in her scream, and bubbles burst from her nose. The tentacle tightened around her midriff, and began to tug, pulling her downward.

Jahle gripped the wall above, and she wound her arms around him with all her might. Where the hooks sliced her skin, the salt water burned, but she barely noticed as panic filled her mind.

The water pressed down on her, making her movements sluggish and ineffective. Her fingers couldn’t find purchase on his smooth scales. Her grip slipped, slipped… slipped…

No! No, no, no!

The tentacle yanked her backward, pulling her down to the bottom of the lake. Down to whatever creature lurked down there. Down to her doom. She watched in horror as Jahle’s shocked face grew smaller and smaller, and the surrounding darkness grew large enough to fill her vision.