She shook Broomstick hard, but his gaze remained fixed on whatever heinous vision the water was showing him. She slapped him across the face. It did nothing to bring him back either.

Her lungs burned, reminding her that her time down here was finite. She hooked her arm through one of Broomstick’s and began to swim upward. He was more than twice her size, and the water had again taken on the thickened quality of jelly. Sora swam as hard as she could.

She lost her hold on Broomstick. His arm flopped uselessly, bleeding. Sora’s chest tightened painfully, desperate for oxygen, furious that she’d subjected it to deprivation again so soon.

She took both of Broomstick’s arms and draped them over her shoulder, hauling him piggyback. She kept kicking, lungs burning air faster because she was using so much strength in carrying him through the gelatinous water.

Her chest constricted just as she burst through the surface of the lake. Sora gasped while jerking Broomstick’s head above water, too. She didn’t know if he’d had time to cast a whale or sailfish spell. He wasn’t supposed to go into the lake. He must have fallen in.

Onshore, Sora straddled him and pressed the heels of her hands against his chest. She had to not only revive him but also get the water out of his lungs. Who knew what damage the lake could do if its effects were allowed to linger inside his body?

She pumped on his chest. Then she pinched his nose, sealed her mouth over his, and forced breaths into him.

Broomstick lay still.

She did it again. Pump pump pump. Breathe, breathe.

“I don’t know what you had to fight while I was underwater,” Sora said, taking in the shoreline and the remnants of what had obviously been an explosion. “But whatever it was, you beat it. And you won’t die now. You’re too good to lose to a bad dream.”

Sora forced a couple more breaths into him.

“Do you hear me, Broomstick? You will not die now.” She pumped harder on his chest.

Pump pump pump. Breathe, breathe. Again and again and again.

On the last one, he convulsed and started coughing up water.

“Thank the gods.” Sora gripped his tunic for a moment, then sat back to give him space.

Broomstick coughed as he pushed himself onto his elbow.

“How did you end up in the lake? Are you hurt? What happened?” Sora knew she should give him a bit longer to recover, but she couldn’t help it. She had to know.

“Monster . . . made of icicles,” Broomstick rasped.

Sora’s eyes widened. “Is it still here?”

“I killed it . . . I think.” Broomstick sat up all the way, but he immediately grabbed his head and sank back to the ground.

“Broomstick!”

“I’m fine. Just . . . head hurts.”

“Rest,” Sora said. “You can fill me in later.”