“I…” She swallowed, then tried again. “We never talked about our feelings.”
A flash of surprise crossed his face. “I didn’t think we needed to,” he said hoarsely. “Everything was natural.”
She stared at him, then shook her head. “I’m sorry I blindsided you, Braxtus. I really am. But I’m with Demitri now.”
His pain-filled eyes burned into her. “And your feelings for me?”
She cursed the heat on her cheeks, the tears she felt rising to her eyes. “I chose him.” She turned away.
She curled up next to Demitri’s sleeping figure. After a long, painful moment, she heard Braxtus quietly retreat.
25
IYANA
The darkness of the cave reached toward them with icy fingers.
They all cringed backward, and Iyana huddled closer to Demitri. She breathed in and coughed. If water could be dusty, this was.
“‘Coils of death guard the cavern where the globe of prisoners may be obtained. But a prisoner may remain,’” Kostas recited. “I think we’ll know the ‘coils of death’ when we come to it, but…”
“‘But a prisoner may remain’?” Iyana questioned.
Kostas grimaced. “That sounds like a trap to me.”
A freezing current washed over them, shepherding them toward the abyss.
She clutched Galene’s arm and felt her jump. “Are you doing that?” Iyana asked.
“No.”
Iyana shuddered. The darkness ahead seemed to retreat and advance simultaneously.
“Let’s just do this.” Braxtus started forward, but Kostas caught his arm.
Iyana had done her best not to look at Braxtus all morning, but she’d sensed the subtle shift in him. His brown eyes were still bloodshot, his face drawn, but his fear had settled into a hardness. A drive to get through.
He was reaching his breaking point—Iyana knew it. They had to finish this soon.
“Maybe we should make a plan first,” Kostas said. “We barely survived the last two tasks, and this one blatantly says it’s a trap—”
Braxtus groaned.
“We have to go in sometime,” Demitri pointed out, for once on the same page as Braxtus.
Iyana balked at the currents that pulled her forward, tightening her grip on Galene’s hand.
“We’ll be blind.”
Another current washed over them. Kostas shook his head, but Galene put a hand on his arm.
“I don’t think we can plan for this. I’ll be our eyes in there.”
He nodded and caught her hand, then let the water tow him forward.
Iyana reached out for Demitri, who laced his fingers through hers.
Kostas, on the other side, swam forward, grabbing Braxtus’s hand to finish the line. “Let’s just play it safe.”
“Galene said she could sense things just fine,” Braxtus mumbled, taking Kostas’s hand all the same.
As the light from the opening faded into a dim glow behind them, the darkness quickly became impossible to penetrate. Iyana swallowed, reminded of her pitch-black dream. They drifted forward, huddled together. A shiver trembled through Galene’s hand, and Iyana bit her lip.
“If it’s this dark the whole way through, the avyssos could be right under our noses and we’d pass it,” Demitri muttered.
“No, I have a feeling we’ll know exactly where it is when we get there,” Kostas said darkly.
“Wait!” Galene hissed. Iyana froze, watching the darkness ahead. “I see something, there!”
“What is it?” Kostas asked.
“A light. Don’t you see it?”
Iyana squinted through her lashes. “It’s pitch-black. I can’t even see you.”
“It’s right there! Look—”
“Maybe you have special powers of sight underwater, Galene, but the rest of us—” Demitri started.
“No, wait! I see it, too,” Braxtus said, cutting him off.
Silence fell. In the distance an eerie white point of light bloomed to life, then sank into nothing.
“What is it?” Iyana whispered.
“Let’s find out,” Braxtus said.
Iyana heard a snarl and Kostas snapped, “We’re staying together.”
She kicked quicker to keep pace with the others as they sped up, moving toward the light.
The flicker gleamed ahead of them again, but it seemed to flee their approach, leading them deeper into the cave with every soft glow.
“This is definitely a trap.” Demitri’s usually collected voice was tense. But what else could they do but follow? As one, the group moved faster, cold currents still washing over their backs.
The light vanished. They kept moving forward, unsure of what else to do. When Galene winced, Iyana realized she’d been tightening her grip on Galene’s hand.
“Watch out,” Galene said quickly, but there was a thud and a grunt.
Braxtus, who was presumably in the lead, grumbled, “Too late.”
“I’m sorry. It’s harder to feel the currents in enclosed spaces.”
“Dead end?” Kostas asked.
Iyana released Galene and stretched out a hand, completely blind, and felt the smooth surface of the wall. “Where did the light go?”
Another gleam answered her question, this one bluer. Everyone turned to see a tunnel, the muted light breaking through swaying reeds that grew all the way to the ceiling. Galene took Iyana’s hand again.
Iyana let herself be pulled through the slippery reeds. The tunnel twisted around a few corners, but the light, now constant, led them on, glinting off the smooth black walls. They finally rounded the last corner, and Iyana caught her breath.
The entire cavern was filled with shining, swaying creatures. Algae and sea sponge lined the reflective floor, faintly illuminating the scattered rocks around them with different hues of blue and purple. The twisting eels and fish could only be distinguished by the random stripes of pale light that marked their presence. Long shadows were cast in every direction, but despite this, Iyana judged the size of the cavern to be as big as the arena, and everything was glowing, moving, whirling gently through the mysterious currents.
“What are they?” Kostas asked.
“Luminescent creatures,” Galene breathed. “There shouldn’t be this much life in so much darkness—it’s evidence of unnatural power influencing this place.”
Iyana glanced at the others. Their faces were lit up by the ghostly, pale light; it was an eerie image that raised the hair on her arms.
“They don’t … they don’t seem dangerous,” she said, releasing her grip on Galene.
“They can be poisonous,” Galene cautioned. “The eels especially.”
“They’re not attacking us.” Demitri narrowed his eyes at them.
“Look at the size of that thing!” Braxtus pointed at an eel. It rippled as it moved, the stripe of light on its side almost three times the length of Iyana herself. She shivered, and the whole group huddled closer together.
“I don’t see any more tunnels,” Galene said, “so the avyssos must be in here somewhere.”
“Let’s get looking.” Braxtus glanced around, then dove toward the reeds and coral on the cavern floor.
“Stay close!” Kostas ordered.
Galene and Kostas swam up high, looking for shelves and crevices where the avyssos might be hidden. Iyana moved to the wall to start along the edges. Demitri stayed nearby, doing his own search as Iyana trailed her hand along the stone. It had patches smooth as glass and others that were rough and jagged. She hissed as a particularly sharp edge pricked her finger.
Below her, Braxtus glanced up at the sound, then away again. He’d been giving her space, but she felt his presence like a physical weight.
She moved around a section of wall that jutted out. The rock here was smooth again, but had thin rivets lightly carved into it in some kind of pattern, almost like …
The wall shifted beneath her hand, restricting and flexing. Iyana pulled back as the scaly side of
something enormous slid past her.
“Demitri,” she whispered, throat tightening.
The dim light glinted off the thick, round body that was a good six feet high. As it trailed by, the body grew thinner. Her eyes darted in the direction it was moving.
“Demitri,” she hissed more forcefully.
A hand touched her back. “What—?” Demitri cut off as he saw the thing.
She could barely voice her question. “Where’s the head?”
Demitri grabbed her arm and drew her backward. Iyana grunted as her back hit something.
The small, light-giving creatures darted away into nearby hiding places, darkening the scene.
Very slowly, they turned around. Her heart stopped.
Two large, milky eyes glinted down at them from a diamond face. Spines rippled over the creature’s head and down its powerful, slick body. The jaws opened, revealing rows of long, needle-sharp teeth, each thick as an arm. A forked tongue snaked between them.
“Iyana!” Braxtus yelled.
The sea serpent lunged.
Iyana screamed, kicking back. Demitri swung his twin swords. They rang against the serpent’s teeth as they snapped down just shy of Iyana.
There was a roar, and Braxtus launched into her vision, raising his shield and ramming hard into the beast’s head. The serpent reeled back, coiling, then lashed at Demitri.
He swung away just in time, swiping again, but the creature twisted its muscular body around them, cold scales pressing Iyana against him. Demitri jerked his arms up to avoid cutting her, then put his forearms on her shoulders and shoved her down. She slipped free of the crushing body, watching it tighten around Demitri.
All light was blocked out by the giant serpent, and horror closed her throat. Coils of death.
Somewhere above Braxtus yelled, Galene shrieked, and Kostas’s bow twanged. There was a small opening as the snake whipped around, and Iyana struck out, pulling one of her spikes free.
I’m no good underwater with my spikes. I can’t throw them here.
Galene came into view, her scimitar in her fist, but it glanced off its hide as it crashed into her, shoving her into the cavern’s wall. She cried out at the impact.
Kostas fired arrow after arrow, shooting absurdly close to the creature for maximum impact. His quiver was almost empty by the time it moved, releasing Galene. The motion gave Demitri enough room to wiggle free, and he dove out of sight.
The sea serpent went for Galene again, but Iyana felt the swell of the currents as Galene pulled on them. She kicked off the wall to dodge, the water accelerating the beast forward. The serpent rammed into the rock, and Iyana had a flash of Galene’s Immortality Trial.
The creature backed up, its pale eyes giving a haunting glare.
Iyana kicked forward and slammed her spike down with all her strength. Her bones shook as the steel hit scales and ricocheted off.
Galene shot through the water, her scimitar poised to plunge into the beast, but again the scales deflected it like armor.
“We can’t pierce it!” Iyana yelled, swimming away as the serpent thrashed.
“Of course,” Galene groaned.
It swung its head and snapped its jaws at everyone in reach. Kostas and Braxtus focused on its head, Kostas firing into its mouth and Braxtus swinging his sword at its eyes.
“Where’s Demitri?” Kostas cried. “We need him!”
Iyana looked around frantically, but Demitri was nowhere in sight.
Galene swam up to its side and put her shoulder against it. Then she wedged her scimitar between two scales and shoved.
The beast roared. Iyana had to cover her ears to stop her skull from rattling. The serpent whipped around.
“Get ready!” Demitri yelled, and Iyana turned to see him swimming up along the wall. “There’s a passage down there, behind that coral.”
He didn’t finish explaining, just hefted his javelin, aimed, and threw it. It spun through the water and sank deep into the serpent’s eye.
The jaws tore open as a shriek like Iyana had never heard shook the water.
“Come on!” Iyana grabbed Galene’s hand, and the two of them dove for safety.
Braxtus kicked ahead of them, searching for what Demitri had found. “Down there!” He pointed at the crevice, plenty big enough for them, but too small for the monster. They kicked for the chasm, Kostas swimming up behind them.
Braxtus waited by the side, waving them in, but Iyana stopped, looking back for Demitri. He was struggling to get past the thrashing creature, jabbing it with his javelin.
“Get in!” Braxtus shouted, but she didn’t move.
Demitri finally struck free. The beast jerked its head in pain but lunged after him.
“Move!” Demitri shot past them into the crevice, followed by Braxtus. Kostas dragged Galene in, and Iyana threw herself after them.
The gaping mouth slammed against the wall behind them, teeth caging the opening like bars.
26
GALENE
Jaws snapped at the entrance. Iyana squeaked, pushing herself deeper in, up against Galene, and they wiggled farther into the tunnel.
The solid walls were far too close to Galene’s shoulders.
Reaching up, she felt the ceiling barely a hand’s width above them. She shifted forward in the darkness, but ended up pressed against Kostas, Iyana closing the limited gap behind her. “I don’t like this.”
“Would you rather be back with the sea serpent?” Braxtus’s muffled voice drifted to her.
Galene’s heart quickened, and she found herself pushing at Kostas. “Move.”
“I’m trying.” His voice showed his surprise at her sudden demand. He inched forward. Her discomfort mounted to panic as the walls seemed to close in. Despite logic telling her otherwise, the possibility of being stuck in that tiny place forever seemed far too real. Her breathing accelerated.
“Galene?”
She pushed harder, a slight whimper escaping her lips.
“Whoa, Galene.” Iyana grabbed her shoulder. “We’ll be out of here soon. There’s got to be a way through.”
“You don’t know that,” she gasped. She couldn’t feel the open sea. In a state of near hysteria, she pounded on Kostas.
“Galene!”
She turned around. “I’m going back.”
“No!” they all cried, Iyana blocking her way.
“Galene,” Kostas tried again. She felt him shift, and then his arms wrapped around her.
Even the shock of his touch didn’t distract her for long. “Don’t hug me, get me out!” she protested, but he wouldn’t let go.
“All right, we’re moving. I’m going to get you out.” He wiggled, but she didn’t feel him move far.
She shook her head. “Get me in front,” she mumbled into his shoulder.
“What?”
“Get me in front!” Pushing him up against the wall, she pressed herself up to him, wriggling to get past, despite the sharp rock scraping against her backplate.
She ran into Braxtus, who pressed himself against the wall without comment, letting her somehow squeeze by his impressive build. Demitri, in the lead, gave a grunt of surprise, but she forced her way past him, too, diving forward. Her fingers trailed along the walls, and she willed the water to push her out. She inched through the tunnel, sometimes through spaces she was sure she wouldn’t fit through, let alone Braxtus and his shield.
Her head hit rock. Crying out in surprise, she reached out to feel the way forward. The floor had not dropped, but the ceiling had fallen dramatically. Panic began overpowering her again.
A moment later Demitri pushed her hips to the floor and shoved her forward. She shouted in protest, barely fitting into the tiny space he had crowded her into. Summoning what clarity she had left, she began pulling herself forward, clutching the rocks and inching her way through. Just as tears rose to her eyes, she saw a light.
With one last burst of determination, she angled herself to take advantage of the avai
lable space, braced her feet against the walls behind her, and pushed.
Pain clawed down her arms as she squeezed through the rocks.
“Help me!” she snapped, and Demitri’s hands returned to help her through. She tasted the ichor in the water, but her arms were soon free. Her hips stopped at the opening, the scimitar and daggers strapped to her belt not helping. Reaching to either side, she grabbed the walls and pulled, tearing her skin even more, but releasing herself from torture.
She went limp, hugging herself and breathing deeply. She heard pounding, and grunting, then, after a while, a crack as stone shattered. Her friends emerged from the black dust, and Kostas came to her side.
“Are you all right?” he asked. His fingers danced gently along her skin as he checked her wounds.
She managed a nod, suddenly realizing all she wanted to do was fling her arms around him. Everyone’s watching eyes made her pause. Iyana moved beside her, so she hugged her instead.
“You’re scared of small spaces?” Iyana asked. “I didn’t know.”
“Neither did I,” Galene mumbled. There weren’t many of those on the mountain. Just thinking about it made her long for home.
“Look.” Demitri gazed at their surroundings, wonder on his face. She looked up.
They were in another huge cavern, this one twice the height of the first. The water gleamed in the light of the small fish and eel, magnified by the millions of crystals that coated the rock walls.
Each of the crystals sent different rays of light glancing across the room. The floor reflected the colors off its black, obsidian surface. A tall, thick pillar rose in the center of the cavern.
Obsidian like the floor, scattered crystals and dark gray coral glowed and glittered over its surface. Seaweed sprouted from small cracks, and some seahorses darted into them. At the top of the pillar sat an enormous clam.
It was chalky white in the surrounding darkness, radiant ridges running over the top, jaws locked firmly together.
“Well,” Kostas breathed, “who thinks we’ve found it?”
Braxtus gave a weak chuckle that was quickly stifled in the silence.
“I’m going to get it.” Demitri pushed off the wall, propelling himself toward the giant clam. Galene winced as Iyana grabbed her arm, digging her nails harder and harder into her skin the closer Demitri got. She gently eased open Iyana’s fingers and took her hand in her own.
The Immortal Game Page 17