The eel thrashed and writhed, its jaws snapping furiously as it tried to sink its teeth into Luce's arm. But Luce held fast, his muscles straining with the effort of keeping the limber fast moving creature immobilized.
Hurry!he urged, his mental voice strained.I don't know how long I can hold it!
Shaking off my momentary shock, I paddled forward and reached into the hollow. My fingers scrabbled over the rough stone, searching desperately for the box that held my powers.
Seconds ticked by, each one feeling like an eternity as the eel continued to struggle in Luce's grasp.
Finally, my fingers closed around the smooth, cool surface of the box, and I yanked it free from its hiding place with a triumphant cry. But my elation was short-lived as I caught sight of Luce's arm, the water around him clouding with tendrils of blood from the eel's vicious bites.
I got it!I tucked the box securely under my arm.Let's get out of here!
He released the eel and thankfully it didn’t attack him. As we moved away from the eel's lair, it darted back into the shadowsof the small cave, its sinuous body disappearing from view. I clutched the box tightly in my left hand, my heart still racing as we began our ascent.
But something wasn't right. With each breath, the air from my tank tasted stale and heavy, an acrid tang that burned the back of my throat. I glanced down at the gauge, expecting to see the needle still safely in the green. Instead, the readings sent a jolt of fear through me.
The air... it's been tampered with.I tried to keep the rising panic out of my thoughts.The gauge says the tank is full, but the alarms are going off for high CO2 levels.
Luce's mental presence wrapped around me, his calm steadiness a counterpoint to my growing dread.I noticed it too,he replied, his thoughts tinged with grim understanding.But it's lucky I don't need to breathe. And I know you don't either.
I blinked, momentarily taken aback. In the heat of the moment, I'd forgotten that little detail about my own physiology. Breathing was more of a comfort than a necessity.
Oh, yeah, right,I acknowledged with a flicker of embarrassment at my oversight.Old habits, I guess.
But even as I tried to rationalize it, a nagging suspicion took root in my mind. Who could have tampered with my air supply? And more importantly, why?
Jeanette checked our gear,I reminded Luce, my thoughts sharp with accusation.You don't think...
Luce's mental sigh echoed through my head.No. Jeanette would never do anything to harm me. There has to be another explanation.
I didn't reply, but the seeds of doubt had already been planted. Trust was a luxury I couldn't afford, not even when it came to Luce's closest allies. And she’d been a straight up bitch to me.
We continued our ascent in tense silence, the weight of unanswered questions hanging between us. The air quickly became foul, but breathing was too strong a habit to simply break, so I endured the odor.
The box was heavy for its size, a reminder of the powers I was about to reclaim.
As we neared the surface, the sunlight filtering through the waves above us, I steeled myself for whatever lay ahead. One thing was certain, I couldn't afford to let my guard down.
The moment we breached the surface, the box in my hand shattered, its fragile structure no match for the sudden shift in pressure. I watched in puzzlement as the diamond within, the vessel containing my long-lost powers, fractured into a thousand glittering shards.
"Oh crap," I muttered, staring at the remnants of the box as they sank back into the depths. Panic seized my chest, a suffocating weight that had nothing to do with the lack of oxygen in my tank.
Please, let the explosion incoming not hurt Luce!
20
LUCE
A blindingflash erupted from beneath the water's surface. I shielded my face with my arm as an ethereal glow illuminated Rissa's submerged form.
Her body convulsed as the power slammed into her like a tidal wave. Rissa's back arched, arms flung out to the sides. The water churned violently around her, forming frothy waves that lapped against the side of the boat.
I scrambled onto the boat and gripped the railing, knuckles white, heart pounding in worry as I watched. Was she in pain?
Rissa rose from the depths, ascending through the frothing water as if being pulled up by an invisible string. Rivulets streamed off her skin and clothes, which were remarkably dry despite being submerged moments before. Her head jerked back, raven hair whipping in an unseen wind.
It had grown more than a foot in a moment, hanging to her waist.
As she broke the surface, Rissa hovered above the waves, suspended in midair. Her arms remained outstretched, palmsfacing the sky. An aura of pure energy pulsed around her—shimmering tendrils of light that seemed to originate from within.
