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“Palla!” I squealed her name.
“Looks like I got here too late,” she exclaimed, setting me down with a pout.
“How did you get here?” I asked, noticing my friend’s waterlogged appearance.
“After the giant centipedes separated us from the group,” a claim that left me gaping, “Yaanik and I found a blocked underwater tunnel that, once released, shot us through those tunnels like flotsam.”
“Best ride ever!” Yaanik declared, coming to stand by my friend and slinging an arm around her familiarly. Palla didn’t cut it off. I was so happy for her.
“We had no idea where the raging waters would take us, only I guess the goddess was guiding them because, next thing we knew, we were shooting into the sky and I found you!”
A fantastic adventure that I looked forward to hearing. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“You’re not.” She frowned at my hands.
Oddly, I’d forgotten about them. A bad sign, given the throbbing had dulled significantly. The nerve damage must be great.
Before I could stare at them and lament their loss, Qynn appeared at my side, barking, “Don’t just stand there. Help me infuse these creams.” Qynn pulled two jars from her pocket. Trust her to bring skin care on a quest.
A glance showed Daksh conferring with Jord and his men. They pointed to the geyser. His gaze met mine. He arched a clear brow in question.
Was I fine? I would be. Soon as I helped heal.
I did my best to give the creams some magic without actually touching them with mangled fingers, aiming my intent—heal, heal, heal—like I did when stirring potions. It must have worked because I gasped at the end, drained.
Qynn slathered my hands, and instant cooling relief had me sighing. “Thanks.”
Before I could hug my mentor, the ground underfoot trembled. The floor tilted left, then right. The slowing jet of water sloshed along with it, rendering the stone slick. I would have gone down if not for Palla holding tight to me.
As we rocked and did our best to remain on our feet, Kya yelled, “We’re rising.”
“Course we are ‘cause stuff floats,” Palla muttered sagely.
I didn’t understand what she meant at first. The bobbing eventually eased before it fully stopped. The geyser had turned into a burble at the center of the fountain.
It appeared the worst was over. And we were definitely higher than before. It was Keen who climbed the arches and offered the most astonishing answer. “The city isn’t in a pit anymore. It rose with the water.”
“What are you talking about?” Kya was the one to grumble as she went for her own peek. “He’s right. The city is an island. The water formed a giant lake.”
Voices arose in a shared cacophony of astonishment. The idea of enough water floating a city as to make it an island… Well. We all wanted to see for ourselves. Palla and Yaanik ran off together, playing tag. Aber was shinnying another arch. Daksh stood below Keen, shouting up questions but keeping an eye on me.
Appreciated and not at the same time. I didn’t want to be coddled. I also wanted to be coddled. Don’t ask. I couldn’t explain.
Qynn leaned over the fountain, while Kya eyed the sky suspiciously. I didn’t blame her. Those dragons had been a nasty surprise. With Zuun gone, would the monsters disappear too? I still didn’t fully understand how the Ifrit woke in the first place. I could only hope he wouldn’t return.
I took a step toward an arch, determined to go see this lake, when a glint of orange caught my eye. My head whipped sideways to the charred remains of Oriz. The man who shouldn’t have listened to the voice in his head.
Amidst the charred remains—still apparently burning given ash flaked off—orange pulsed. I wasn’t the only one to spot it.
Jord kneeled and reached, his big hand about to grab hold.
I hollered, “Don’t touch that jewel, or it will infect you too!”
That led to the giant reeling back on his haunches. “It’s a sickness?”
“More like a possession.” I hurried over, explaining, “Zuun is inside that thing.”
“The ifrit from the song?”
