Senera moved to each man and drew something on their foreheads. Looking at the other two, Kihrin saw the now-familiar air glyph and a new, different symbol.

“There is one additional problem,” Thurvishar said. “I can open a gate, but I don’t know where this palace is located. The bottom of Lake Jorat is rather a big place.”

“You only need to know the way out. I know the way in.” Senera concentrated and wove her magic. The portal she created opened onto something black, the gate’s normal mirror finish reflecting … nothing.

Kirin bet the watching Royal House wizards were giving themselves fits.

“We’re doing this right now?” Qown seemed surprised. He set his satchel down next to the table.

“Every second we wait, more people die,” Janel said.

“Why is the gate black?” Kihrin asked.

“Light can’t reach that far underwater,” Senera responded.

Since Kihrin had already resigned himself to ending up drenched, he walked to the portal. Halfway there, he turned back. “Hey, Janel.”

She looked up. The tension around her eyes added a decade to her real age. “Yes?”

“Kick that dragon’s ass. Somehow.”

Janel smiled. “I will. And you be careful.”

“What’s to be careful about? I’ve got the easy job.”

Senera held up the metal twig. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

“Oh! Thank you.” Qown grabbed the fake twig. He stared at it, and the metal began to glow—like sunlight condensed into one tiny portable object.

“We can all swim, right?” Thurvishar asked.

“If not, we’re going to learn.” Kihrin blew Janel a kiss and walked through the gate. The others followed.

Kihrin’s head stayed dry because the air sigil kept water from touching his face. But this proved more annoying than helpful. Instead of the visual clarity he might have gained by sticking his head underwater, it was as if he was “above” water, trying to see into the depths of a continuously moving pond. Kihrin had a hard time seeing, even with the light Qown created.

“This way.” The lake water muffled Thurvishar’s shout. The wizard tugged on Kihrin’s misha and Qown’s robes as he pointed toward the murky pillars in the distance.

They swam a ways, and Kihrin found himself thinking about the questions he should have asked earlier. Were there crocodiles in these waters? Sharks? Predators of any kind? He saw fish. Or in any event, saw the silver flash of a scaled hide, before a piscine shape made an abrupt about-face and swam away.

Brother Qown, also dissatisfied with the visibility, summoned several glowing mage-lights in addition to the glowing twig, lighting up wide swaths of the lakebed.

A palace lay ahead.