Dev could hear splashing behind him. Muffled snorts. And occasionally a flash of dragon fire illuminated the water around him. Despite his angry lungs, he pulled himself down farther, hoping no part of his body or clothing would be visible. Wishing he could hold his breath for longer, like Thisbe and Fifer and Seth had said they could do. He knew that the pressure in his chest and the black spots in front of his eyes would only become worse with every throb of his heart. He could feel the need for air pulsing angrily in his face, his neck. He couldn’t tell if his arm was holding on tightly anymore. He couldn’t feel his feet at all, and it seemed like his body was floating up to the surface, though he tried his best to sink. No matter what, though, there was no way Dev was going to stand up or even turn his head for another breath. It was a miracle the dragons hadn’t seen him the last time.

If Dev was about to die, it would be on his own terms. He’d rather drown than be eaten by a dragon. He’d rather suffocate than go back as a slave to the Revinir. As long as he could convince his body not to panic and rebel, the better his chances of getting through this.

Eventually the blackness overtook him. His arm loosened on the underwater branch. His legs slacked and his feet lifted and he breathed water into his lungs. The rest of his body popped up to the surface as he writhed and choked and rolled down the river on the current until it deposited him on the opposite bank in a heap.

A Study of One

When Fifer awoke early the next morning, she remembered that she was the head mage. Then she remembered what she’d had to do to get there, and a wave of nausea washed through her. Even though putting an end to Frieda Stubbs had been the right thing to do in order to save all of those people from the remote rooms, it was still hard for Fifer to admit that she’d done it. She’d traded a single life for many, which seemed like it would be an easy decision, but it wasn’t. Logically it made sense. But part of her wished the events of the previous day had all been a dream. Or… more like a nightmare. She blew out a quiet breath and sat up. Mostly she was glad Aaron and Clementi and Samheed hadn’t died of thirst. She had to focus on that.

She stretched and saw Thisbe still asleep in her bed. At the sight of her, the memory of their fight came rushing back, and Fifer’s already unsettled stomach tied up in knots. Was it possible that today would be even harder than yesterday? With so many things up in the air and so many conflicts to resolve, Fifer wasn’t sure where to start.