Lochmordra whipped his tentacles all at once, propelling him into the darkness of what Barclay realized was a tunnel. He was leaving for the surface.

The surface.

Tadg must’ve had the same thought, because he immediately summoned Mar-Mar. He and Barclay grasped onto the Nathermara’s back and hurtled after the Legendary Beast. Barclay knew that open water meant Hooksharks, Daggerfish, and who knew what else, but he didn’t care. His chest hurt so badly, he thought his lungs might burst.

They emerged from the tunnel into the ocean, where it seemed the other Beasts of Shipwreck Stretch had fled—possibly out of terror of Lochmordra. The Legendary Beast continued to rise higher, to the milky film atop the water. The boys followed.

The more they swam, the more Mar-Mar began to tremble. Lights like bolts of electricity shone beneath his translucent skin, and his body jerked from side to side. Barclay’s grip came loose, and he somersaulted through the water. But he didn’t look back. All that mattered was swimming as fast as possible toward the surface.

He broke through and gasped for air. Though not even two minutes had passed since they’d fallen into the pool, he felt as though he hadn’t breathed in lifetimes.

To his right, Lochmordra had yet to rear his head from beneath the waves but was instead flailing below the surface. Thankfully, he hadn’t noticed Barclay. In his frenzied state, he probably couldn’t notice anything.

The seconds ticked by, and Tadg had yet to surface. Worry settled like an anchor in Barclay’s gut. Could Tadg, who used water Lore, have accidentally drowned? Or what if the Hooksharks weren’t gone like Barclay had thought?

Barclay took a great gulp of air and dove.

He spotted Tadg instantly, still clinging to Mar-Mar’s back as the Beast sped in wonky patterns through the water.

Then Tadg let go. Or rather, he couldn’t hold on anymore. He drifted limply, then sank down toward the ocean floor.

“Tadg!” Barclay screamed, which was a useless waste of air, since Tadg was too far away to hear. Barclay frantically swam after him. Mar-Mar dove deeper, not seeming to notice his Keeper’s state. But once Barclay hooked his arms around Tadg’s shoulders—Tadg’s eyes were closed—Barclay saw that Mar-Mar wasn’t swimming without a purpose. He was covering himself in the glowing blue Firenekkies.

Barclay kicked back to the surface. He was slower without the use of his arms and from Tadg’s extra weight, and so, like in the race across the underwater rivers, he summoned a wind to propel him faster. They hurtled up—up—