Page 29 of I Dream of Dragons

“Wake up.” I shake him and his head falls forward, his chin hitting his broad chest, wet black hair flopping on his pale brow as he sinks again. “Come on, Jai. Wake up!”

Feet treading water, I slide my arm under his head to keep it above water, and reach to push that dripping hair out of his eyes.

I never realized how badly I need to see his eyes. I find myself cradling his face to me, thinking.

If his kiss broke part of the spell trapping me, couldn’t another kiss break him out of this cursed sleep?

Looking for excuses to kiss him. I know. But also it feelsright, like the thread of an old tale weaving its magic through me.

His lips are still blue, and they are cold when I touch my mouth to his.

I was wrong. Thisisfunny, that I should feel cold for the first time in so long and it’s his lips that jolt me into feeling it.

But it works. His mouth opens a fraction and a choked sound leaves him.

I only have time to pull back when a convulsion goes through him, shaking him. A cough rattles his chest.

Then he’s hacking and spewing water. So much water. He swallowed half the arena going down.

I never thought I’d be so glad to see someone puking his guts out.

The waves keep crashing on us and I have to tear my attention off him to assess our situation. Our lives are still in immediate danger, and the problem of scaling the platform remains. All thought of saving the others is discarded in the face of our own problems.

“Can you summon a drak to take us up there?” I ask him.

But he’s still coughing, choking on the water in his lungs. His dark eyes are glazed, and pale shards glimmer in them. Does almost dying keep Phaethon at bay?

I put that thought on hold. Not sure what it may mean. Right now, we have to get out of the sea.

I start swimming toward the platform, pulling Jai along by one muscular arm. It’s slow going, and despair licks at the edges of my thoughts, when a familiar voice bursts into my mind.

“Need help?”

I jerk.Remi?

“In the flesh. Oh, someone is glad to hear from me.”

I glance up, trying to locate him.Iamglad, butcanyou help?

“No faith, I swear. Tell me how.”

I have no idea. Just… help?

Amusement flickers through.“I see. Just help. That’s kind of vague, if you must know.”

Remi, stop chatting and do something. We’re about to die!

“Aye aye, captain.”

I still can’t see the darakin, and I wonder how much stock I can put in his reassurances. After all, he’s right. I’m not sure how he can help.

Meanwhile, Jai has stopped coughing and is floating barely conscious beside me, my arm around him the only thing keeping his head above the water.

“Jai. Can you hear me?”

He blinks. His face is white.

“Good. You’re still in there.” And I can’t deny the relief that floods me. “Are those shadows of yours any good? Can you summon them to get us up there?”