No one moved. They both seemed to be waiting for me to go first. I wondered if they thought I was too weak to keep moving. The hole in my lower back seared, but my mind, for once, was clearer than ever.
I grabbed my crossbow and the single bolt. It would have to do.
Neither Lysi nor Spio had weapons.
“We’ll steal some, first chance we get,” said Lysi, reading my expression.
I took her hand. Her pulse beat a rhythm of fear—but there was something else in her aura. Excitement.
I gave her a tremulous smile.
We slid into the water and eased into the open, checking for signs of life and finding we were alone.
In the distance, headed towards Utopia, was the serpent’s immense presence. Adaro kept her long body undulating at depth, hidden.
My stomach churned to think what would happen if that helicopter knew exactly where the serpent was.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE - Lysi
Plan in Flames
“Found one.”
Spio returned with the end of a fishing net. It trailed so far into the distance that I lost track of it. He’d cut off most of the buoys so it bobbed below the surface.
We helped him reel it in. I tried not to let Meela catch me stealing glances at her. She acted as though she wasn’t in pain, but I knew from experience how debilitating an iron burn was.
Meela growled. “Who do people think they are, leaving litter like this?”
“It was technically still in use,” said Spio.
I cast my senses into the distance, searching for the other end. “Were they trying to catch every fish in the Pacific?”
“Possibly. I had to rescue a dolphin from it.”
Meela pursed her lips.
Catching a flare of red in her eyes, I grabbed an end and started swimming. “You can wage war on fishing nets later. Come on.”
We dragged it along. It weighed more than I’d anticipated.
My rescue in the Ice Channel had inspired us. Maybe there was nothing big enough to snag the serpent, but a trap of this size would at least slow her down.
“How do we make sure the serpent goes towards it?” I said, still unsure of the details of Spio’s plan.
“Remember that time you acted as bait to lure the sharks away from the frenzy?”
I looked at him sharply. “What, you want me to be the bait that lures the serpent away from Adaro?”
“Bait?” said Meela, voice rising in pitch.
Spio gave her a thumbs-up. “Don’t worry, buddy. She’s done worse.”
“Has she?”
“Well, no. But covering yourself in blood while you’re beside a bunch of sharks in the middle of a feeding frenzy counts for something.”
“Sure, but—”
