Ione’s eyes flitted to another smooth stone underfoot, passing harmlessly through the shield.“I think it’ll hold as long as I’ve energy to keep it up.”
“I don’t like your use of the wordthink.”
“I’m also not sure.”
She sputtered.“Ione!”
Ione flinched as another creature gambolled past them; an octopus, she surmised from the movement, the hint of legs.“You knew from the start that associating with me would be very sexy and dangerous.”
Lina let out an indulgent sigh.“Ididknow that.But if it wouldn’t risk distracting you, I’d be hurtling between sobbing and raging right now.”
“I appreciate you holding it in.”
Her arm tightened around Ione’s shoulders.“I appreciate you acting tough and unafraid.How long is this going to take again?”
Ione glanced to the side, at the black, underwater smudge of the cliffs.Just around the bend was Caelos’s bay, swarmed with Mahina ships.“An hour,” she said.“Probably.”
Another long sigh.But again her thumb rubbed a reassuring line up and down Ione’s arm, and her voice was fond as she described glittering fish, sea turtles swooping like gulls, kelp trees taller than buildings waving in the current.
They curved around the root of the cliffs, taking care not to slip on the wet tresses of seaweed coating the rocky ground.Not much longer, Ione repeated inwardly, her own thoughts growing louder than Lina’s soothing voice.Just one last bend, one last turn – but every turn revealed more black cliffs, more fields of undulating kelp and dancing fish.
Close.
They were so close.
Discomfort grew into agony; each step sent a charge barrelling up her spine.How long had they been walking?Even lifting her feet was a chore, made worse when the sea floor began to incline – incline!Towards the end, surely, please, gods – gradually at first, but then steeper.Their feet sunk into the wet sand; Lina moved behind Ione, palms on her back, pushing her upward.Talking, talking.There, a fish.There, a rope covered in mussels.There, a sunken rowboat.
“There!”Lina cried, pointing into the expanse of blue.“Do you see it yet?Beams, supporting the docks.”She squinted.“I think I can see the ships beyond – those shadows?D’you see?”She pressed into Ione’s back, helping her trudge up the hill towards the beach, her steps strong and certain where Ione’s were slow, tortured.
Water spurted onto their feet from tiny holes, not worth the extra energy to seal them.They were so close.They would make it.Ione measured each breath, each bone-searing step.The hem of her cloak slapped wetly against her ankles.
“You’re doing great.”
Was she?
“You’ve got this.”
Did she?
Push, push, push.Ione’s head pounded.Her arms shook.Unable to help herself, she looked up.Still blue, sunny but dense, solid.And still a long, long way to go if she were to lose control now.
“Almost there.”
Even Ione could make out the docks now, deep shadows beside them supported by thick, algae-coated beams.At the end, salvation: the beach, dry land.Lina was right.They were almost there.
But Ione was rapidly running out of steam.
“Lina,” she whispered, startling Lina into quieting.Ione licked her dry lips, tasting sweat.More and more water trickled in through slowly-widening rivulets.“We’re going to have to run.”
She didn’t respond, her fear palpable, her breath hot on Ione’s neck.And then she hoisted one of Ione’s arms over her shoulders, her other arm wrapping around Ione’s back, and pulled.
Seawater lapped at their ankles, their calves.Lina half-carried her, panting, kicking up water and muddy sand.The sea was lighter here, more sunlight filtering in, but Ione’s eyelids drooped and she moaned, losing her footing, barely hearing Lina’s curse.
Not here.Not yet.Ione gritted her teeth, reminding herself that Menon had not left her because she was weak.
She was strong.And she had promised, vowed to get them to Caelos.
“Stop,” Ione commanded just past the shadow of a rowboat, ignoring Lina’s incredulous cry.The docks, just beside them, were only a short way up.She disentangled herself widened her stance, lowering.“Trust me.”
