Kael shakes. The intense anticipation vibrates off his solid frame in heavy, electric waves, churning the dark water around us.
I unstopper the small glass vial. My fingers tremble against the smooth glass.
"Open," I whisper.
He parts his lips. I tip the single drop of clear, heavy liquid onto his tongue.
He swallows, the muscles of his throat working hard.
For one agonizing moment, nothing happens. The silence of the Silt District presses down on us, heavy and absolute.
Then, Kael's eyes go wide with pure panic.
He grips his own throat. His fingers dig deep into his gray skin, right over his vocal cords. He thrashes backward, his powerful tail kicking up a blinding cloud of silt and rust. The magic is no gentle healing. It's a burning excavation.
I drop the empty vial and lunge for him.
"Kael!" I shout, grabbing his wrists. I pull his hands away from his neck before he can tear his own skin open. "Look at me! Look at me, it's the magic working!"
He can't hear me over his internal agony. His broad back arches sharply. His powerful tail whips against the iron wall, denting the rusted metal. I wrap my arms tight around his broad shoulders, using my entire body weight to anchor him to the sea floor. I press my chest against his, holding him through the convulsions.
The pressure in the water shifts. The terrifying drop in gravity right before a trench quake.
His mouth opens wide in a silent, agonizing scream. The water around his jaw ripples with distorted, compressed energy.
Then, the heavy dam breaks.
ROAR.
It is no simple word. It is a physical tear in the fabric of the water. A guttural, wet, dominant sound vibrating the rusted iron pipes all around us, shaking the loose rust free in a blinding red cloud. The sheer acoustic force hits my chest like a physical blow, pushing me backward in the water.
He coughs, retching up a swirling cloud of black bile into the silt. The physical manifestation of the venom leaving his body.
He slumps forward, devoid of energy.
I catch his heavy weight. We sink together into the soft, swirling silt of the alcove floor.
He breathes hard, his chest heaving against mine in ragged, exhausted gasps. I hold him close. I run my trembling hands down his broad back, smoothing my palms over his rough pale skin. I stroke his wet hair, pulling the strands away from his face.
"You're safe," I whisper into the dark, my voice shaking. "It's over. You survived it."
We stay tangled together in the dirt for a long, quiet time. The adrenaline drains out of my blood, leaving a heavy, profound relief in its wake.
Kael rests his forehead against my uninjured shoulder. He takes a slow, deep breath.
He eventually tests his throat.
It starts as a low, rough hum. The sound vibrates directly against my collarbone. It is broken and scratchy, mimicking two stones grinding together, but undeniably real.
He clears his throat, a wet, heavy sound.
He lifts his head. His dark eyes find mine in the murky gloom.
"Vaelis," he rasps.
Hearing my name spoken in his true voice stops my racing heart. It's deep. It's familiar, and resonant. It holds a dark, grounding gravity.
Tears prick the corners of my eyes. I reach up and cradle his strong jaw.
