They’re all listening now, but their eyes stray to the Lahon Maelstrom. The waters foam and bubble, marine life shunted into the twists of the vortex. Fish flail and jump up, only to disappear in a helpless gulp. A creature swallowing everything from below.
The whirlpool pulls us closer to its dark heart, and we stare into the abyss.
‘We have nothing to lose now except our lives.’
Sinigang claws into the deck to steady himself. ‘Well, some of us have been blessed with more than one.’
We all brace on the starboard side as the Maelstrom sweeps us up, leaning into the curve of the swirl. The world tilts and spirals. Like being in bed after too much palm wine. Stomach in knots and arms numb with exhaustion at the helm. Ris’s strong hands over mine.
Screaming. Wait, not from us. Wild yawning. Deep. Something long dormant finally awakening. Hanan waves her arms at me. I turn and the tree is moving. I blink away the salt spray. No, it really is moving. The branches creak, and it shivers itself awake, vines snaking and looping around itself. It rustles its leaves: forest greens, autumn golds, and blush reds. Its colours dazzle and sparkle, stunning and warding us off. The tree groans. The ship vibrates. Wood calling to wood. Holy Aistra, it’s like rowing up to someone on a boat of bones. No wonder the tree almost seems angry at our presence.
We can’t take our eyes off it. It rises up, engulfing the skies and blotting out the sun. Stretching. She’s a beauty. Almost kraken-like with its tendrils that curl and dance endlessly. It smashes against the water, brutal blows that ricochet and rock the ship. The branches attack us with such ferocity, we’re deafened by it.
The ship pitches hard, and Ris is tossed from my side, landing with a sickening crunch against the mast. I yell for her, trying desperately to reach her, but the ship is still unstable. I turn my attention to the helm, where the undead Askew and Pearl were bodying. They’re nowhere to be found, and in their place a pile of bones and viscera rolls around the deck. Their remains are joined by their fellow former crewmates and I recognise Big Red’s crimson britches, still hanging on to a pelvis. The skeletons rattle around the deck, knocking everything loose and acting as perfect obstacles for us remaining crew as we try to stay steady on our feet.
Hanan grasps Raina close, back in her trusty sling. Sinigang peeks from the opening of Isagani’s top as the poor thing grips Biba’s hand.
Fuck. It’s time to fly or die.
I scream as we go down into the abyss. I’ll confess I also piss myself. The water is a shock to the system. It clenches my heart and my throat and Paranish, I don’t even know if we can all swim.Saltsweptgoes under slowly, like dropping a pebble in a lake. It’s so smooth, a gentle caress after the noise and chaos.
Air. I have to have air. I don’t even see the others. I’m flailing, swimming, treading water frantically. I have to slow down. You know where’s the worst place to have a panic attack? Underwater. At least the cold soothes my anxiety, cooling me down. I kick and pump my arms. But which way is up? I follow the light, which is usually a good shout. Unless it’s a trick, false light reflected in a cave. I’ll take my chances. Either I’ll find the surface, or I won’t. If there even is a surface down here.
It is a light, but not sunlight. It pulses, and I startle back. Last thing I need is to get stung by a jelly. My body itches and swells just thinking about it. The light pulses again, radiant. Then I seeSaltswept. Oh, my love, you were a treasure. She’s dashed to bits, no good but for scuttling. She’s already disappearing from view, silt and debris obscuring my last look at her. Fool. Forget the ship, where in brine are your family?
The light fizzles out, just for a moment. Then it sighs awake again, and I follow it, a man on his last lungful of air. I’ve trained my lungs but they’re burning, involuntarily trying to choke down water. I reach out and feel flesh. It’s Hanan, hair around her like a halo. She pulls me closer and – kisses me. Wait, it’s more explosive. She pushes air insistently into my mouth. Paranish, is she helping me breathe? Now that I have something in the keg, I see she’s holding Biba and Raina, although the kids look passed out. Are they breathing? Fuck, we have to get them breathing. I try to prise them away, but Hanan shakes herhead. She is holding Biba’s hand, and their palms are glowing. Raina’s face shines like bioluminescence. It’s like they are clutching the sun between them. My lungs are still burning, but it’s a dull ache. As if the pain is distant, nothing to do with me. Then I see Biba is asleep. There’s something happening here I don’t understand. A powerful magic beyond anything I’ve seen. I won’t question it. Just get us out of here.
I try to speak and get salt water for my trouble. But Hanan understands me.Where are the others?
She drags us, an awkward bundle of limbs floating together. I see Isagani and Sinigang struggling with Ris’s unmoving body. The otter-cat yowls fiercely at us. How can he do that underwater? He swims quickly over, and we haul together. Hanan isn’t using her eyes, but something else to guide us. She moves us with purpose and Sinigang follows confidently.
I gasp monstrously into the air pocket. Breathing here for the first time feels like being reborn, like I’m being eaten from the inside out. Everything hurts, and I think I’m dying. We flop onto the hard surface. It could be rock, or the queen’s own bed for all I know. All I care is that there is oxygen, and my limbs feel like the weight of Paranish is crushing them. Eventually I crawl towards the other wet bodies, feeling and counting with my hands before my eyes. Wet matted fur. Lean strong leg. Soft doughy arms. Slender bony wrist. Cold smooth face. My crew. I scramble to my knees, dragging myself over to her.
‘Ris, can you hear me?’
Her lips are the colour of the ocean. She isn’t breathing. Her heart flutters, barely there. I pinch her nose and breathe air into her lungs.
‘You need to compress her chest, like this,’ Hanan says, moving to my side. She demonstrates, interweaving her fingers and miming pushing down on her chest. It’s deeper than I expected.
‘Continuous motions, like this.’
‘What if I break a rib?’
‘She’s already beat up from that fall,’ Isagani says quietly, voice so raspy I don’t recognise it for a moment.
‘What if you save her life?’ Hanan says, looking into my eyes.
We all sit panting, no one daring to move or look away. I push down hard on Ris’s chest. Three short sharp compressions and a silent hope, over and over again. Please don’t leave. Please don’t leave. Please don’t leave.
chapter fifty-four
ris
I jolt awake and clearmy airways all over Finlyr’s breeches. I’m coughing and spluttering, but he doesn’t care. He holds me close, squeezing me so tight I think he might shatter me. I start to cry, even though it hurts and my breath comes out ragged.
‘My ribs,’ I wheeze, pushing Finlyr away, my breathing shallow and laboured. ‘I can’t breathe.’
‘Oh fuck,’ Hanan says, and the air stills around us. I think it’s the first time I’ve heard the priestess swear.
