Every time my reed starts to lose oxygen, we discover two more planted below. I can’t imagine what it’s like in the tunnels where five or six people are fighting for these lifesaving devices.
Everything about this infuriates me, but I focus on swimming and conserving my energy. My outrage can come later.
Finally we grab another set of reeds just as the tunnel empties into a large body of water. The flow of water drags my white-blonde hair in front of my face. Kicking like mad, I swim into what I assume is the lake of sorrows. Strings of lanterns glowing with golden magic are all around us, providing more than enough light to see everything.
As we come out near the bottom, slimy reeds of grass tickling my arms, a flash of silver catches my eye. I assume it’s a fish until a semi-translucent tailfin slides across the sand, undulating gently in the current.
Selkie. Sucking on my oxygen reed, I take slow steady breaths and try not to freak out. If my heart pumps too fast, I’ll use the oxygen too soon, and the surface of the water is at least fifty feet above.
Mack sees the selkie too. She points, nodding her head. Her dark hair floats around her face like a shadowy halo, and bubbles stream from her nostrils.
Other students begin trickling from the holes all around the lake floor. Most don’t have reeds. Some are clutching their throat, their eyes wide, and I’m glad we took the long tunnel.
Mack pushes off the sandy bottom, torpedoing toward the surface. I follow, kicking hard and fast as I savor the last dregs of my oxygen, forcing myself to take a breath every twenty seconds.
My lungs burn, and I know I can make the surface with oxygen to spare, but the cautious miser living inside me refuses to use up the last of my oxygen until I’m sure I won’t need it.
Excitement amps up my heart. We’re going to be one of the first ones to surface. Take that, mean girl who locked me in.
She and I were going to have words soon. Once I break the surface and take my place beside Mack, who has just now breached the water. Thin patches of ice float beside her. The lanterns must also warm the water.
Something makes me glance down. As my eyes adjust to what I’m seeing, injustice overwhelms my senses.
The girl with the lavender hair, the one who couldn’t swim, struggles near the sandy bottom. When she said she couldn’t swim, she must have meant she couldn't swim well, because she’s managed to claw and fight her way into the lake.
And she could probably paddle her way to the surface . . . except the mean girl who trapped me in the cage swims by, same two boys in tow, and rips the oxygen reed from the other girl’s lips as I watch.
Lavender hair grabs at her throat and flails, her eyes all-white saucers.
No way in hell I’m going to watch her drown. Without a second’s hesitation, I dive, shooting straight for her. The others are now all passing me on the way to the surface, and my heart sinks. I’m going to lose.
But I’d rather lose than let someone die.
By the time I get to her, the girl is entangled near the bottom in the long red and green sea-grass. The girl’s eyes lock onto mine. I rip the reed from my lips and shove it into her mouth. Then I grab a fistful of her sleeve and give a hard kick, propelling us to the surface.
I make it maybe two feet when a shadow passes over us. Before I can look up, something slams into me from above, knocking every bit of air from my chest.
The impact yanks the girl from my grasp and sends me tumbling end over end into the sand. I fling my arms straight out and wave them for stability as I try to get my bearings. Dirt and silt cloud the water, camouflaging whatever hit me.
But I already know what it is. Selkie.
The word shoots straight terror into my veins. A flash of silver and red to my right. One glance and my heart stops, a scream dying in my throat.
The creature is hideous, a strange blend of fish and human. Overly large inhuman onyx eyes are set inside a white face with two holes where the nose should be and gills under the jaw. Reddish-translucent fins stick straight out over her ears, her thick tail covered in silver and blue scales and ending in blood-red plumage.
But I’m focused on the huge gaping mouth set with rows and rows of serrated teeth.
Grinning, the selkie shoots straight for me. I try to punch her but underwater I can’t get any real force, and my fists glance harmlessly over her slick flesh. Her mouth yawns wide as she plunges her teeth straight for my throat—
Suddenly bright red light blooms between us. The selkie halts, peering with those big oily-black eyes at something on my chest. I glance down, shocked to see my pendant emanating radiant red light.
The selkie drags her gaze from the pendant to my face. I take advantage of her pause and strike out, the heel of my bare foot glancing off her tail. The action startles her and she darts into the maze of grasses before disappearing.
My lungs are on fire as I shove off the ground toward the surface, kicking as hard and fast as I can. I find Lavender haired girl floating ten feet from the surface, and my heart clenches. She’s motionless. Eyes closed. Shafts of light from above highlight the vibrancy of her hair swirling around her slack face.
Using every bit of energy I have left, I grab her arm and drag her to the surface. She doesn’t move, doesn’t kick or struggle or anything.
Not good.