Page 112 of Love & Heart Braking

“He’s weak,” Devereaux said, checking my tank. “We need a more direct route out of here.”

He took the map that Bain extended to him and rolled it flat. “Lerome is set to pick us up from here.”

When Soleil saved our rescue mission from Fenton’s leadership, she’d told us to exit at a different point in case our entry point was discovered. The intended exit was far closer to the dungeons, and Soleil and Lerome would be there to help me, Gug, and Maligni get away. Devereaux, Fenton, and Bain were fast and would follow on foot.

“Let’s get out of here,” Devereaux said, tucking the map into his belt.

Gladly. I hadn’t thought past finding Maligni, but now the desperate urge to escape was itching under my skin.

We slipped into the cold water one at a time, Bain and Gug swimming at the back with the daemon.

I kicked behind Devereaux, keeping close to him through the last few turns I’d taken to get here. Instead of turning right into a branching hall, he swam straight. Honestly? I already felt miles safer for being out of that dungeon dead end. At least out in these halls with the sky above us through the muddy layer, we stood some chance. Out in this part, the mud overhead wasn’t even that thick.

Safety was near. I could feel triumph at my fingertips.

Devereaux halted suddenly, reaching back to stop me. Bain grabbed the others, and everyone pressed into the seaweed.

My heart hammered.

What did he see?

The wall against my back tremored, and Devereaux squeezed my hand. Then the wall did much more than tremor.

The whole hall was shaking.

Devereaux jerked my hand up twice, and I craned to look upward, gulping in an unintended mouthful of air when a tentacle flopped into the water from the land above.

Ceres, claim me.

There was a kraken directly over us.

I couldn’t help digging my nails into Devereaux’s skin.

The tentacle drew upward and disappeared from view again, clearing the mud over us. I could just see the silhouette of a bulbous head above water.

What was he doing? Did he hear us somehow?

Did Develin and Imosae know we were in here somewhere? Were they trying to flush us out like boggarts from an attic?

I jerked at a loud splash, then nearly lost my head completely by screaming as a pale object dropped into the depths. Red tinged the water, and for a bizarre moment I thought it was food coloring.

When an unblinking Fenton floated right before me, I did scream.

Blood poured from him, curling in wisps around the huge puncture wounds in his chest. He bobbed to the surface, and Devereaux pulled me into his arms as best he could. I coughed as a tiny bit of water slipped under my mouthpiece, but survival kicked in, and I got my breathing under control.

Fenton was dead.

Was he? He hadn’t moved at all. He had to be.

Bain was kicking for the surface, and I jolted into action. Soleil had been with Fenton too!

The unicorn was out of the water. Untangling from Devereaux, I kicked upward. He shot ahead of me, gesturing for the rest of us to wait yet again.

This time I just couldn’t.

I popped above water, ripping out my mouthpiece. Roars and screams rent the air. The very ground shook with the heavy movements of the kraken.

Those we’d left in the water joined us.

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