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Are you going to be all right? I asked her Not that I was stopping The idea of Mark throwing a pulht of the ocean was killingme to faster and faster speeds

Go, she answered I’ll catch up

Within uredover it, I dived deep and hid aain, but it was better than last time--either because it wasn’t fire coral or because I was slowly beco immune, as so --this was a good place to wait for Mahina and to try to figure out what tricks the sea witch had up her sleeve

Where’s Tiamat? Mahina asked when she found me

I’m not sure I know she’s close--I can feel her It’s like this darkness is pressing in onit hard to think orany chances with you

At that liest creatures I had ever seen swae, pointy ears, and s, mismatched scales Bunyip? I asked Mahina

Yes She shuddered

In the back of nored hiht now and one ame over

We barely dared to breathe as they passed by us, armed with spears and obviously on patrol But once their backs were to us, I started weaving h the coral in an effort to stay undercover while I followed theuring it was pretty obvious

They’ll catch us

Or they’ll shohere we need to go I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to just swim up on Tia us into a trap?

Do you have a better idea? I demanded

No, she huffed But I really don’t want to die today--can I just throw that out to the universe?

I think the universe is aware

The bunyip continued on their path, giving every indication that they were oblivious to us following the us into an ambush In a perfect world, I would be able to scope out the situation before going in blind I was more than aware that probably wouldn’t be the case--here, but hope springs eternal

Kona I called hiain

What? he roared Where are you?

Sorry We were hiding from the bunyip

I felt him recoil Where are they? he demanded

Where are you? I countered Are you out in the open ocean or are you in a cave?

About a mile past the reef, there’s a sunken ship She has us in the hold, at the bottom And, Tempest, she has hundreds of soldiers in and around us just waiting for you Bunyip and the sharks, plus the others

I figured I paused, then spoke to both hi my friend to be in on the conversation as well You say you’re a mile north of the reef?

Yes But there’s no way for you to sneak up on us I told you that already You have to go, try to get out of here before she realizes you’re close