While he's distracted, I kick toward the echo I dropped, scoop it up, and then realize my situation has gone from bad to worse.

I see three shapes coming from behind Malakai, soldiers of his, by my guess. All three are holding magical weapons.

But there's something else. Something much more dangerous.

It wasn't them I sensed in the waters. The thing I sensed is far, far larger than them. And it's moving fast. At first, I think a cloud is passing over the lake far ahead that casts a deep shadow behind the three approaching student soldiers. But then it twists and moves in a way that shadows don't.

Two deep blue eyes suddenly appear behind the three figures, and the eyes make sudden sense of the shadow. It's a serpent with massive wings, and it's coiled and waiting behind the three students, its massive mouth opening slowly.

Malakai manages to get his bubbles back in place over his face. He looks triumphant for a moment, and then he must see the look on my face.

He turns, and a cluster of bubbles bursts up from his head. A scream, I hope.

Maybe I'm about to die, but at least I got the chance to see Malakai become so scared he screamed and broke his spell.

My smile fades when the creature—which looks like it's at least seventy or eighty feet long with wings at least that wide—explodes forward. The first student disappears, seemingly swallowed by the massive shadow of the beast.

It slithers out of view, leaving only a dark stain slowly spreading in the otherwise deep blue water. The other two students turn, see the blood, and begin frantically swimming for the surface.

Malakai turns from them and comes toward me, knife still raised.

Is he serious? Killing me is still his fucking priority?

Even as I see the shadow rush up from the depths again and aim for one of the remaining two student soldiers, I turn my attention to Malakai. I grip the water again with a power that feels like it's already running thin. I form a rope of thickened water and wrap it around his ankle, anchoring him to the ground.

I flinch as he flies toward me, then watch with surprise as the rope of water actually holds. He's jerked back just inches before he reaches me with his knife.

I make the rope extend, wrapping it around his legs and ankles, squeezing them together and pulling him down until he's stuck on the lake's floor.

My ragged breaths and my pounding heart roar inside the bubble of air I'm channeling around my head.

There's only one of Malakai’s allies left, and they've almost reached the lake's surface. I see them pass through a shaft of sunlight, temporarily revealing enough detail to make out it's a girl swimming in the white offering underwear. Whatever weapon she had is long since dismissed as she focuses on escape.