“What is that?” I run to help her, the light of Ken’s glow not making it fully over to this side of the rock.
“Get that side,” she grunts as I clasp onto something colder than the rock under my feet.
The heavy object slips through my hands, feeling rough in parts. But, with Moyries’ strength, we move it beyond the massive rock.
“What is this?” My voice is quiet, not wanting Ken to hear.
I think we both know what it is in the light without either of us having to spell it out.
A long, thick chain with circular loops connected to more circular loops, similar in metal to the iron cage we were housed in. This one has a shackle at the end—big enough to fit the size of one Ken-shaped tentacle.
My eyes go to Ken, who I’ve noticed has gone unnaturally still.
Moyrie must also feel the sudden change in atmosphere within our space as she looks over at Ken.
“Mers are not my friends.”The words are deadly, and even though we need them, I finally breathe deep, knowing we have a way out.
“He’s just going to drag us through the water to where the mers are?” Moyrie’s voice is sceptical. I don’t blame her; neither of us can swim. We both almost drowned, so this isn’t exactly what either of us wants to do. However, Ken informed us there is no other way out—it is through the water or die down here.
I tried to ask him how long we would need to hold our breaths underwater. It was a fruitless question. How do you ask a fish how long it can live underwater? He didn’t understand.
So, we are hoping for the best.
The tether between Fury and me is still fried. Rivern and I have exchanged a few words. He told me he and Gideon were on their way. I responded that we were on our way to him, too. Since none of us knows where anyone is in this underground grotto, I told him to meet us where the mers are.
He was not happy about it, so we are keeping the line of communication open, just not telling each other what is really happening to stanch any extra worry.
I can feel his desperation to find me. It is written right there on his heart. It only rivals my need to see him.
I try my hardest to keep my head in the game, focusing on escaping this underwater jail.
“Ready?” I ask Moyrie, her tail splashing nervously along the surface behind us.
Together, we sit in the water, our legs crossed at the ankles, waiting.
“Ready,” I tell Ken, who is bobbing in the water aglow in blue light.
One suckered tentacle comes to wrap around my joined feet, the sensation creepy but comforting, due to the fact that I know it’s just Ken the kraken.
Before I’m pulled under, I take one deep breath, urging Moyrie to do the same. I told Ken before we started this that he had to go fast.
The cold numbs my limbs in the water, and I barely feel Ken holding my ankles. With his body alight in colour before us, I see him.
Upside down, it’s hard to sense direction. So, it’s a surprise when it suddenly dawns on me what Ken meant byup then down. I want to scream down the bond at Fury for putting us in this impossible situation, fear lancing me through as Ken bursts out of the water, heading for the suspended pool of water shimmering above us.
He pulls us along, our bodies exiting the water at the same rhythmas we are pulled into the ceiling lake.What else do you call water that is hanging above you like the sky?
Realising this is probably my last chance for air, I release my breath and suck another one in tight before we are pulled back into anotherpool, zooming towards our destination. He’s following my instructions, our bodies moving rapidly.
Everything is a blur of bubbled water, my lungs growing desperate for another breath, which I ignore.
Lightning fast, Ken makes a sudden turn in the water, diving back down.
This must be thedownpart.A nausea comes over my midsection, the burn in my lungs itching to gulp.
Until a blast of air rushes over my face.
This time, I don’t have my bearings enough to open my mouth for another breath before I splash down into another pool. The burn is desperate to take me down, my body tired and hungry.
