23

Kaylin

For the love of the sea, these landers…

I pull Belair up onto the shore where he staggers, finding support against the tree. “Hike to the bottom. We’ll meet you there.”

I push off the bank and stream underwater, kicking hard. In seconds, I’m at the edge of the falls and take a quick look at what lay below. It’s decent—plenty of water in the churning pool. Like a leaf in a stream, I glide over the lip. A heartbeat later, my feet smack the surface and I plunge into the depths. The sound is deafening until I sink toward the bottom of the gorge. There, an eerie silence surrounds me, the roar of the falls muted by an ocean of water over my head. I shoot for the surface, searching for the others. Ash is there, treading water, safe. Relief floods me, a feeling completely novel. One of many new sensations experienced since we met. Was that only six days ago? Luckily, she’s not a bad swimmer, my lass. Can’t say the same for the rest of them.

I dive back down and find two shadows; one swims weakly for the surface, the other drifts in the current belly-up like a dead fish.

Piper is closest but out of air, her face stricken. I circle her waist with one arm and rise. She gasps when we break the surface.

“I’ve got Piper,” Ash calls over the roaring falls as she reaches me in two strong strokes. “Find the others, please.”

I dive straight back under, flowing downstream with the current. Marcus isn’t hard to spot, his heavy coat open, floating around him, hair fanned, blood inking the water from his phantom wounds. I drag the Heir of Baiseen to the surface and search for Ash. She’s on the bank, sleeves rolled up, supporting Piper. She storms to the shore when she spots me. Piper staggers after her.

“Samsen?” I ask as I bring Marcus to her.

Piper’s dark eyes are wide, her breathing fast. “I can’t see him.”

I disappear back under the water. The lowering sun cracks through the clouds and sends beams of light into the crystal depths, turning the gorge emerald-green. There, on the rocky bottom, a glint of gold shines, and I sweep it up before letting the currents take me downstream. Samsen’s farther along than I expect, clinging to a rock, unable to pull himself out of the water.

“Piper?” It’s the first thing out of his mouth.

“She’s resuscitating Marcus. Everyone else is fine.”

He tips his nose toward his left shoulder. “I’ve come into a bit of strife.” His arm hangs unnaturally low. “Can’t pull myself out.”

I boost him onto the boulder. “Let me look.” I take his left hand and lightly rock it up and down. “You never learned to swim?”

Samsen starts to explain and then cries out as I traction the dislocated shoulder joint back into place.

“Blood and guts of the mighty Er, that hurts!”

I nod agreement. “Better now?”

“Maybe.” He rolls it and struggles to his feet.

We make our way down the other side of the gently sloping boulder, through the reeds, and onto a grassy bank. Tangles of vines and weeping willows make the way slow going, but in time we are back upstream to the others.

Ash is with Marcus where he lies on his side, coughing up half the river. Piper runs to us, opening her arms and burying her face in Samsen’s chest. Her serpent has its fangs in Belair’s shoulder, as he leans against a tree. Ash turns to me with a look as fierce as knives.

“Are you well, lass?” I’ve not seen this expression on her face before.

“No thanks to this escape route of yours.”

I lock onto her eyes. They are more turquoise now than ever, like the waters of Tutapa. I start to smile but curb it. She’s in no mood for fun. “A difficult twist in the path, I agree, but we’re safe, for now.”

“Safe? You call this safe?” Her voice goes up an octave. “We lost our gear, travel documents, records, seal, supplies, coin for passage to Aku, the horses—peace be their paths—and there is no time left to make it to Capper Point. Do you realize what this means for Marcus?” Her eyes well.

“We can still make it if—”

“I thought everyone was dead.” Her tears overflow, the anger giving way to fear.

“Lass…” Somewhere in the depths of my chest I feel a twinge. “I didn’t mean to—”

“I thought you were dead,” she whispers.

“You see it is not so.”

A neigh in the distance stops us all short. The sound blasts from across the water and I turn toward it, half expecting a line of Aturnian bows pointed our way. But it’s Marcus’s horse, her black coat dripping wet and turning blood red in the sunset. She stands on the far side of the river. “Ah, the horses are back.” I smile. “Things are looking up.”

The mare remains long enough for Marcus to call to her. She tosses her head, rolls back on her haunches, and bolts away. Behind her streaks a flash of gray and frost-white through the trees.

“And there they go.” Ash sits in the grass, hands over her eyes as if she can’t bear to watch. “Samsen, can you call them?”

He shakes his head. “Not unless there’s a ford. Otherwise they’ll be swept away.”

“We could search for one…” Her face comes up with a start. “Kaylin? What did you mean when you said we are safe for now?”

“As I hear it, Aturnians aren’t known to give up the chase. We need to keep moving.”

Marcus struggles to stand. “How long do we have?”

“Depends on that ford.”

“Best guess?” Samsen tests his shoulder.

I scan for the fastest way out of the river valley. “With luck, we’ll be on a sloop to Aku before they know which way we went.”

“And without it?” Ash asks, taking the hand I extend and allowing me to pull her up.

I don’t release her right away, the proximity like a sweet southerly breeze over cresting waves. “You should know by now, lass, luck is one thing I’m never without.” I give her a wink and let go, following Marcus to the edge of the river. From deep in my pocket, I fish out his medallion and hand it over. “Your family seal, I believe? Could help when we land on Aku.”

He grips it tight, rubbing his thumb over the engraving. “How did you get it back?”

“Like I said to the lass, I’m never out of luck.”