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Hisdown into a blissful state of unconsciousness so he didn’t have to feel the excruciating instant of pain when his body sed in a sudden rush of intense cold and wetness

Water engulfed his as he instinctively sucked in air at the shock of impact As he felt his feet slas--he sputtered and coughed, his instincts trying to prevent hi hirab hih the water

But not up--not toward air

The ar the sandy river bottom

Paul had one rew very dark

Tick shot into the open air away froht of countless fangen everywhere The air was full of the wings More crawled and ran across the grounds, an endless aro or what to do, Tick frantically searched the sky and the ground for any gliht his eye One of the Windbikes, in the river

And no sign of anyone near it

His heart sinking faster than he could ever fly, Tick slaround

After swi river exited the Leht toward the surface, dragging both Sofia and Paul in her arine how her two little friends were doing, if they still lived

Her head broke through the surface with a loud splash; she sucked in thebreath of her life Even as she did so, she pulled up with her ar Paul and Sofia’s faces above the water line

Mothball’s heart alhed and sputtered for air With an inexplicable laugh, she dragged them to the side of the river where she helped them cli and sucking, spitting and sucking Sofia see in slow, deep breaths as she looked around, her eyes wide

They stood next to the river in a long, dark tunnel that delved in one direction for what seeht On the other side, the river disappeared under a thick stone wall, flowing outside the castle wall Next to that stood the huge wooden doors they’d seen fro in enough light to prevent the in complete darkness

"This is where those creatures calad they’re out there, now," Mothball e belt loop where she’d stuck it for safekeeping

Paul had recovered enough to stand up, his chest still heaving as he fought to catch his breath "What happened to Tick and Sato?"

As if in answer, they heard Tick shout from outside the doors "Mothball!"

His Windbike had flon from somewhere above; he hovered just outside, Sato on the back

"Wait athe bike"

"Quick!" Mothball yelled, ignoring Paul "Get in ’ere!"

She saw Tick obey ih the narrow space between the half-open doors Even as he did, Mothball grabbed the long ropes hanging on the inside of the huge slabs of wood that served as handles to pull them closed