They hit water in one of the deeper channels between the rocks. Warm ocean water closed over Yamanu's head, and for a moment, Areana's grip loosened.
Then hands were grabbing them. Anandur's face appeared, pulling Areana free. Another Guardian took Tula, unclipping the carabiner.
Yamanu surfaced and turned to look for Areana.
She was treading water, but suddenly she started fighting her way toward the rocks, where Ryan and Arran were navigating between the jutting boulders, dragging a body.
"Navuh!
"Areana—"
"Please! He jumped after me. You have to save him!"
"He's already gone," Anandur said heavily. "No one can survive?—"
"He's not dead!" Areana clutched at her chest. "I can feel him here. He's alive. Please!"
"She's right," Ryan's voice came through the com. "Barely. I can't even list all that is broken, but he's got a pulse."
As they got closer, Yamanu could see the extent of the damage, and it wasn't pretty. Blood streamed from Navuh's nose and ears. One leg was twisted grotesquely. His chest rose and fell in shallow, labored breaths that sounded wet. His lungs must be shredded.
Areana made a wounded sound and tried to reach for him, but Anandur held her back. "Don't move him more than necessary."
"We can't take him underwater like this," Ryan said.
"Please," Areana begged, looking at Yamanu. "Please save him. I'll do anything. I'll help you. Just don't let him die."
Yamanu wasn't even sure Navuh could enter stasis in his current condition. He was too damaged, and the visible injuries were probably nothing compared to what was happening on the inside. But in case he entered stasis, it would be a shame to just leave him there and allow him to resuscitate once his body fixed the damage.
Yamanu opened the comms channel directly to Kian. "We have a situation. Tula slipped, Areana tried to catch her and fell. I caught both of them, but Navuh came charging out of nowhere, jumped after Areana, and hit the rocks. He's alive but in critical condition. Probably too damaged even for stasis, but you never know. Areana is begging us to save him."
There was a pause. "How critical?" Kian asked.
"Barely clinging to life. Multiple fractures, head trauma, and probably a lot of damage under the hood. I doubt he'll survive without immediate medical attention, but we can't transporthim underwater, and there is no way to get him back to the island even if we wanted to."
"Can you use the Zodiac?"
"Yes. But the immortal guards might see it. That is the reason we are diving to the submarine and not sailing."
"I know the risks." Kian sounded resolute. "We have to take him for all the obvious reasons. Get him to the sub and have Julian do what he can. Keep him deeply sedated, though. Everyone wears compulsion-filtering earpieces around him at all times."
"Understood."
Yamanu hadn't expected any other answer. Kian had immediately understood the implications of leaving Navuh to either die or enter stasis. If he died, Areana would be heartbroken, and Annani would never forgive them for leaving him behind. And if he entered stasis, he would heal and get back to ruling the island, but with a renewed vendetta for them taking Areana.
He would burn the entire world to get her back.
Anandur pulled the compressed Zodiac from his pack, yanking the inflation cord. The black rubber boat expanded with a harsh hiss.
"Sedatives first." Anandur pulled a waterproof medical kit from his gear. "He deserves to suffer, but we can't risk him waking up."
Areana winced but said nothing.
While Anandur prepared the injection, the others carefully maneuvered Navuh's broken body. It took all four Guardians to lift him into the Zodiac without causing more damage.
Navuh's skin glowed in the pale moonlight despite him not being particularly light-skinned, which made his body stand out against the black rubber of the Zodiac.
"Cover him with a tarp," Yamanu instructed. "Just make sure he doesn't suffocate under there."
