Page 20 of I Dream of Dragons

“The hells you say.” She hacks and wheezes some more. “Why aren’t you even coughing like me? Whatareyou? Why didn’t you drown?”

I bite the inside of my cheek. “I have good lungs.”

“I don’t believe you. You’re not…” She shoves at me, half-sinking again. “You’re not human! Get away from me!”

“Wait…” A frilled back swims past us, and I grab her, haul her back. “Wait!”

I don’t expect her to kick me in the leg—the same leg that bore the brunt of the poison in the first trial, the same oneshredded by the eel today. A hiss escapes me and black dots dance in my eyes. I let go of her and go under as I try to process the pain.

Dammit.I swallow water, my body sluggish in switching to my gills, and I panic. I beat my arms, splashing as I surface again, sucking in a wheezing breath.

And that splashing gets the attention of the owner of the frilled back.

That should be the most concerning thing right now, but it’s the look on Amaryll’s face that gets me. A hardness I hadn’t seen before.

“I’m sorry. I need to win this and get back to my daughter.” She kicks her feet and starts swimming toward the platform, taking the key with her.

I watch her go. I could take the key from her easily. Drag her down deep and wait until her grip relaxes and the light leaves her eyes.

But there’s no way I’m doing that. Harming her. Killing her. I understand her reasoning. Can’t hold it against her.

So I need to find another tower to climb. Another key to take.

And first of all, I need to escape the sea serpent coming for me.

The sea serpent wastes no time in opening that huge maw and lunging at me. With a curse, I throw myself to the side, sinking and resurfacing. Struggling and thrashing.

“Stop!” I shout, searching for my power inside of me. “I said,stop!”

Simple commands, putting as much force behind them as possible. I should be able to halt the serpent just with that but it snaps at me again and I dive to the other side, barely avoiding getting shredded.

Stop, dammit.

But my magic is still dormant.

Really, Amphitrite? Still not lifting the spell? Did you send me here to die—again?

I should be terrified of the sea, of the water and all it hides, but I’ve embraced it. It has become my element. Only now it fights me and it makes me feel as if I have no element anymore to call my own.

I twist and turn in the water, forcing my legs to propel me underneath the serpent. I know these creatures, even if I currently can’t command them. They have a strong fin on their underbelly and I go for it.

I grip it, hold it hard so it won’t slip out of my grip, and let the serpent carry me along.

I just need a moment to think, and since breathing underwater is now feasible, I might as well take advantage as I’m ferried through the arena.

How will I climb the tower?

Could Remi bring me another key?

Where is Jai?

The serpent rips me through the flooded arena, past schools of jumpfish and majestic moon-eels, through groups of tritons fighting over a dolphin carcass and a knot of amorous sea snakes.

Nobody notices me hanging under the serpent like a remora.

To my left I see the underside of the various towers, great white circles, and further, the much bigger mass of the platform, a dark, ominous nimbus in the troubled water.

The serpent carries me to the edge of the arena where the wall extends down into the depths. We narrowly avoid a collision with the wall, the serpent whipping around so fast I almost slip free of my sole handhold, the fin stinging the inside of my fingers and my palm. But I cling on.