Enough to set every nerve in my body to vibrate.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to do what I had when I’d created that long, silver spear against Sabyn. I visualized what I needed from my magic, and then I let the power loose.
I spun like a top at high speed, my flexed fingers tunneling into the earth so fast that I covered yards in mere seconds. Like a drill bit going into wood, I twisted my way through the tunnel at an amazing speed, going and going and going until Mahina yelled, Stop!
I fell to the ground, exhausted and more than a little dizzy.
How did you do that? Mahina asked incredulously. I’ve never seen anyone spin that fast in my whole life.
I have no idea. I just know I don’t ever want to do it again. I clenched and unclenched my fists, trying to stretch out the cramps in my fingers.
Now what? she asked.
I looked straight up, visualizing what might be above us. Now we find out how close we actually are.
She looked pale. What happens if we come up right in front of them?
We duck?
You are really on a roll today. An absolute riot.
I do what I can.
Before I started digging my way out, I decided to try one more thing, just to see if I could get a bead on where exactly we were. Kona? I called again.
Tempest? Where are you? It’s been forever!
Yeah, well, I’m a little busy. Say something else, will you?
What do you want me to say?
You sound closer.
So do you. Where are you? He also sounded terrified, but I didn’t tell him that—especially since I knew his concern was all for me.
I’m not exactly sure. Is Tiamat still with you?
Yes, along with a few of her henchmen. Please, don’t do anything stupid.
A little late for that, isn’t it? I was crawling along the tunnel while he spoke, trying to find the spot where he sounded the loudest. Keep talking, I told him.
What are you doing, Tempest?
Trust me. How’s Mark?
He’s still out. Or, like me, he’s pretending to be. I’m not sure.
Are you both tied up? Or locked in somewhere? How is she holding you?
We’re chained to iron posts.
Of course they were. It wasn’t like Tiamat wanted to make this easy for me or anything.
Okay, I told him, I think that’s the best I’m going to get. I’d crawled about forty feet back down the tunnel to the spot where he was at his absolute loudest.
What does that mean?
It means close your eyes and relax. I’ll be there soon. I injected a lot more confidence into my voice than I was feeling.
Tempest, please. He sounded broken, defeated, completely un-Kona-like. I don’t want you to do this. Do you hear me? Don’t make me watch you die, please. I love you and I can’t—His voice broke.
Tears filled my own eyes, but I batted them away. It’s going to be fine, I told him huskily, knowing I was lying but not caring. Because I hadn’t come this far to turn back without even trying to save him and Mark. I love you too. Be ready.
Tempest! Tempest, no!
I cut the connection completely, slamming a wall up in my mind so I wouldn’t hear his desperate pleas.
This is it. I turned to Mahina. Are you ready?
Oh yeah. Can’t wait.
We tunneled straight toward the surface, using the small energy blasts again as I didn’t want to take the chance of going too fast and blowing right onto the surface. I could feel the consistency of the dirt changing, getting wetter, and I knew we were close.
Taking a deep breath, I reached for the backpack I’d given to Mahina for safekeeping. Pulled out the knife I’d stuck there a few days ago. This is for you, I told her, sending as much energy into it as I could. Within seconds, the blade burned hot enough to raise blisters. It’s not much, I know, but—
She knocked me with her shoulder to shut me up. Hey. It’s fine. I figure I’m going to spend most of my time ducking behind you, anyway. Besides, I have a few tricks up my sleeve. She gestured to her own backpack. Now, get out of my way.
She shouldered past me.
I grabbed on to her arm, horrified. I’m going up first.
Really? Have you never watched any of those human cop shows? You’re the one who can blast people at a thousand yards, so you need to go up second. To cover me.
Mahina, there’s no way I’m letting you do that.
You don’t have a choice. She reached her arms above her head and, using every ounce of strength she possessed, plunged straight through the thin layer of dirt at the top of the tunnel and onto the ocean floor.
Chapter 32
I piled out of the tunnel about two seconds after Mahina, arms extended and energy blasting in all directions. I dropped two of the shark-men before I even had a chance to look around and figure out where we were.
But the second I turned, I realized we couldn’t have picked a worse spot to come up if we tried. Kona and Mark were nowhere in sight, although the ship Kona had spoken of was only about five yards away. That was actually the good news. The bad news was that we had somehow managed to emerge in what looked like the middle of a strategy session.
Sabyn, the traitorous bastard, was at the front of a group made up of bunyip and shark-men, while a half-human, half-snakelike sea serpent stood a little bit to the side, speaking to another group of bunyip. Her top half was human and as beautiful as Tiamat’s, except this creature’s hair was long and black, while her skin was honey colored. A Polynesian version of the sea witch? I wondered as Mahina hissed, Scylla.
Our eyes met across the expanse of ocean, and I watched as hers widened in surprised comprehension. She went for a spear that was stuck into the ocean floor right next to her, but I had already created a spear of my own and now hurled it straight at her chest. With a cry of rage, she jumped out of the way, but not before it took a huge chunk of skin, muscle, and scales off of her hip.
I turned to face a smirking Sabyn and his crew, but Mahina was already lobbing a series of what looked like homemade grenades straight into the middle of the group. As they scattered, she grabbed my arm and yanked me toward the ship. We made it behind the bow just as the first one exploded, followed by detonations of the other two.
Shock waves ripped through the water, and when I peered around the corner it was to see numerous bunyip and shark-men lying on the ground. Some of them were in pieces, and those that weren’t still didn’t look like they were going to be getting up anytime soon.
What the hell were those? I demanded.
Something I’ve been working on for a while. I’ve only ever detonated one before, so it’s nice to see that it worked. Although I am curious about the range—the blast wasn’t quite as powerful as I was anticipating.
Can we be curious later? You know, when our lives aren’t depending on how fast we move? Scooting back from the ship, I took aim at the hull and let loose a massive energy blast that ripped right through the thin sheets of metal that made up the bow of the twentieth-century warship. Let’s go, I told Mahina, heading through the hole I’d created.
I glanced behind me in time to see Sabyn break free from the chaos outside and head straight for us. A few feet behind him was Scylla, a murderous look on her beautiful face.
It was definitely time to get moving.
Once inside the ship, Mahina wanted to pause and get her bearings, but she hadn’t seen what was coming. Move it, I shouted at her, locking my hand around her wrist and dragging her forward. We were in a room filled with machines—pumps and gauges and strange-looking metal contraptions that looked like they had once been important.