“An underground entrance? Gotcha,” I said, slipping off my leather jacket and tucking it away in the hedge. “Very clever of Fiat. The water’s bound to be cold, but we should be able to handle a quick dip. You lead, Cy, and we’ll follow.”

Cyrene shed her coat and hat, wading into the water with a sharp exclamation. “Chilly!”

“We’ll warm up as soon as we’re out of the water,” I told her, about to follow when Maata grasped my arm.

“May . . .”

“Hmm?” I turned back to look at her. Her face was troubled as she watched Cyrene dive into the cold water of the lake.

“I . . . there’s something you should know about silver dragons.”

“You can’t swim?” I asked, making a wild guess.

“No. We don’t like water. It’s not our element.”

“Cy!” I called out softly.

Cyrene’s head popped up out of the water, making her look like a blue-eyed seal. “What’s the holdup?”

“How far under is the entrance?”

“About fifteen feet. You can hold your breath easily.”

“If you held on to me, do you think you’d be able to hold your breath long enough for us to make it through?” I asked Maata, not sure at all how long dragons could go without oxygen. Cyrene was practically a water breather, she could go so long without it, and I had inherited some of that ability.

“It’s not a matter of holding my breath,” Maata answered, looking worried. “It’s the fact that it’s water.”

“I know you don’t like to play in water because your element is earth, but does that mean you can’t get near it at all?” Gabriel didn’t seem to mind the shower we’d taken together, although I noticed he didn’t linger at all in it as I might have done.

“No,” she admitted, but she watched the water warily as if she expected it to reach up and strike her. “We bathe and such.”

“Then you can do this,” I said, turning my back to her. “Grab hold of my belt with one hand, and follow as close as you can. If you get into trouble, give me a yank and I’ll help you out.”

“May—” she said, resisting as I started for the lake.

“Either you come with us, or you stay here,” I said, not really wanting to leave her behind. I didn’t doubt that I could handle any situation I came up against, but there was definitely strength in numbers, and only a fool would go charging into an unknown situation alone.

She muttered something that looked like a prayer and touched the silver necklace bearing the sept emblem that she always wore.

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” I said, pulling her into the lake. “I promise.”

She grimaced, fighting me every step. “I’m the one who’s supposed to be protecting you.”