“Stay here if you want. But I—I have to go.”
I remove the metal braces on my forearms and the armor around my legs.
Odessa looks to the silent staircase behind us before her slate-blue eyes fall on my face again. Understanding sparks, and her face falls.
“Let me help you,” she murmurs, and unstraps my axe, holding it under her arm as she removes my chest and shoulder plates.
I take my axe from her, strapping it on my back, as she splashes through the water to deposit my armor on the stairs.
Determination thins her lips when she stands beside me again. “Let’s go.”
We wade deeper into the water. Higher and higher the warm sea rises. Before long, we’re swimming across the vast body of water that lies between us and the other side of the antechamber.
As we swim past one of the colossal foundation pillars, a ripple in the water slows our pace.
Odessa glances sidelong at me. “Are you sure they’re your friends?”
I nod. My chin bobs in the water. “I am of two places. Idirhalla—and here.”
Her eyes widen and she slaps the surface of the water with her palm. “I knew it. I can’t believe she didn’t tell me!”
My brows knit together. “She didn’t tell you either?”
Odessa shakes her head, her chin dipping into the water. “No. She was very vague about the assassination attempts and the answers they were seeking. I think she was trying to protect me in case word got out he was our enemy and there was a revolt.”
A large scaly head rises out of the depths before us and Odessa screams.
But its eyes narrow on me. Spikes of turquoise glow, lightening the darkness around us. I can barely make out the ceiling, or I guess it’s actually the foundation above us. Its sandstone shimmers in the turquoise light.
“My name is Lena,”—I reach a hand out towards the dragon—“and I need your help.”
It stares at me a heartbeat longer. Weighing and judging my words for truth. The slits of its pupils widen as understanding glimmers and it saunters over to us, slowly and steadily.
“Holy gods,” Odessa murmurs, as she floats closer to me. She grips my hand tightly under the water as we pedal to stay afloat.
The dragon sidles up next to us, lowering the side of its head in offering. A ride.
“We need to get to the gods. Can you help us?”
It dips its head the smallest amount. Relief washes through me. Thank the gods.
“Come on.”
Her mouth drops open in shock.
A stab of pain between my ribs has me gasping. She whirls towards me, reaching out.
“Are you okay?”
She looks at the sea dragon to make sure it stays where it’s at before glancing back at me.
“Lena, what’s wrong?”
The pain lessens. The stabbing turns into a dull ache.
“I don’t know,” I whisper. “We need to hurry.”
I latch on to the sea dragon, the smooth hardened scales not giving us much to hold on to. But as we straddle its back, I lean forward, holding onto one of the elongated turquoise spikes.
