Nico swallowed. “There’s one other way.” He glanced at the seething, spiraling pool.
Opal’s eyes nearly popped from her head. “Are youkidding?”
“What choice do we have?!”
Splintering sounds above. Time was running out.
“It’s okay,” Emma said, voice trembling. “We’ve done it before. I’ll go first.” She turned to the vortex, all color draining from her face. “Best not to think too long.” With a yelp of fright, Emma launched herself into the pool.
The Darkdeep froze, pulsed once, then spasmed in a fiery bloom.
It took several seconds for Nico’s vision to clear. “Who’s next?” he shouted.
Tyler growled deep in his throat. “Not cool, man!” Squeezing his eyes shut, he threw himself into the raging water.
Nico felt a lurch like a record skipping. Tyler was gone.
Nico could see the whites of Logan’s eyes.He’s not ready for this.If Logan went in totally panicked, what would happen? What would the Darkdeep read? “Opal, you’re next.”
Something cracked overhead. A spine-tingling roar boomed into the chamber.
“No more time.” Nico felt a sudden, strange calm. “Opal, go on.”
Opal glanced from one boy to the other. “You two better be right behind me!” She dove into the water and disappeared. The pool shuddered, then whirled like a tornado.
Logan was staring at the Darkdeep with a look of horror on his face. His gaze snapped to Nico. “You go next. I … I’ll be last.” Nico saw that his hands were shaking badly.
“Sure thing.” Nico put a hand on Logan’s shoulder. Felt the tension of his muscles. “Just be sure not to hit the drainpipe on the way down.”
Logan gave him a wild look. “Drainpipe?”
Heavy feet slammed onto the stairs.
“Yeah, that one.” Nico pointed into the whirlpool.
Logan leaned forward to see.
Nico shoved him in the back with both hands and watched Logan plunge shrieking into the inky black depths.
A murderous snarl. Hot orc breath on Nico’s neck.
Nico hurled himself after Logan with a wail of pure terror.
“Psst, over here!”
Nico’s eyes snapped open. He shook his waterlogged head.
He’d gone through the Darkdeep. They all had. Whichmeant they should be outside in the pond. He tried to remember what the trip had felt like, and discovered he couldn’t. Where the memory should be was only … static. Fuzz and white noise.
Opal reached down and tugged Nico’s shirt. “Come on,” she whispered. “It’s not safe.” She gathered him into a sprint for the tunnel entrance.
At the foot of the rise, Nico spotted Emma, Tyler, and a fuming Logan Nantes.
“We’re gonna talk about that shove,” Logan said darkly, water coating his hair.
“Whatever.” Nico felt only relief at seeing them all alive. “Let’s get off this island.”
They stole to the tunnel mouth, encountering zero figments along the way. Nico was about to relax when Opal gasped, a hand shooting to her mouth.
