Seeing his target ahead, Korox grabbed another assassin by the back of his head and threw him aside like a child's toy. His men had surrounded and taken most of the other assassins as he stepped up beside the Matron and grabbed her by the throat.
'You are going to answer for this treachery,' he said, holding her in his powerful grip.
She took hold of his hand, but didn't struggle. Her touch felt somehow warm and familiar. She looked up at him, and he down on her, staring deep into her eyes. He recognized those eyes.
Pulling the veil from her face, he felt the sting of betrayal once more. 'Divian.'
'Yes, Korox.' The senator scowled at him, her eyes narrowing.
'It was you.' The king put the pieces together. He thought back on the mysterious attack only a few nights before. Vasser had saved his life from an unseen assailant. 'You were the one who tried to kill me in my own chambers. I thought you had been attacked, but it was you. You simply missed.'
She gripped his hand in both of hers, but she did not try to pry herself free. It would have been a useless attempt even if she had. His long fingers wrapped almost completely around her neck.
Korox shook his head, confused. 'Why? Why you, Divian? Why would you do this?'
'Because you are unpredictable and cowardly, Korox. You had to stick your nose into our business. You had to form the Magistrates and start an Elixir war.' Her eyes burned into him. 'Did you think I just wanted to be near you? That I enjoyed your company?' She shook her head. 'No, Korox. You had to be controlled and contained. And you played along so well. Pity it didn't last.'
Korox did not loosen his grip. 'What sort of magic spells give you access to my trust? What did you do to me?'
'No magic,' said Divian. 'Just a well-placed disease and a favor from a friend. A man grieving over the loss of his wife can be very easy to manipulate.'
Korox was struck numb, his hands trembling from the realization. 'You sent the queen into that tomb to die. You… you knew. You had this planned.'
'You should not have meddled, Korox. If you had just had the good sense to mind your own business-'
A huge explosion interrupted the Matron. It knocked the king off balance, making him stutter-step to stay on his feet. His hand slipped, but he grabbed the front of Divian's robe to make sure she stayed put.
The blast pushed back the other soldiers, some falling over, others covering their heads. The dead leaves and grass rattled as if caught in a heavy wind.
'We've won!' shouted a soldier, pointing at the docks.
Over Shalane Lake, the Obsidian Ridge had blown its top. A plume of smoke rose from a newly formed crater. Massive blocks of black stone rained down on the docks and the crystal blue water. Orange light spilled from inside, clearly marking the cracks and holes in the outer surface.
The entire thing lurched sideways, drawing gasps from assassins and soldiers alike. Then it dropped from the sky, crashing into the lake. The resulting splash sent a ring-shaped wave out in every direction. Air rushed from all the openings in the citadel, hissing and spitting out detritus, as the orange light was extinguished.
'Mariko!' The king watched the Obsidian Ridge as it sank beneath the roiling surface of the water.
When he turned back, Divian had disappeared, leaving only her robe in his hand.
It had taken them some time, but Mariko and Evelyne had found their way to an open archway at the edge of the Obsidian Ridge. They looked down at the clear blue waters of Shalane Lake.
'That's a long way down,' said Evelyne. 'You know how to swim?'
Mariko nodded. 'Yes.' It was the first thing she'd been able to say without the aid of the mimmio.
Evelyne smiled. 'Well then, what are we waiting for?
Let's get wet.' Grabbing hold of her nose, she leaped from the black stone ledge.
Evelyne grew very small as she plummeted to the water. Then she disappeared in a tiny little splash, far, far below.
Mariko waited until she saw Evelyne pop to the surface. Petting the mimmio on the head, she put it down and watched it scamper away down the passage. When it disappeared from sight, she stepped to the edge.
The next thing she knew, she was falling-not toward the water, but through the hallway inside the Obsidian Ridge. A huge, rumbling explosion rocked the citadel, and the ground dropped away. Mariko tumbled backward. Above her she could see the sunlight coming through the opening where she had been standing. She could see the clouds and the bright blue sky. -
Then the citadel spun sideways, and she collided with the wall of the corridor, then the ceiling, then the second wall. The view through the open portal changed from open sky to cleat blue water, and then the Obsidian Ridge clashed into Shalane Lake.
Mariko was hurled back down the corridor toward the opening. She hit the oncoming gush of lake water rushing in from the opposite direction. One moment she was flying through the air, the next she was submerged, being dragged deeper into the Obsidian Ridge by a wild current.
Slamming through corridors, Mariko nearly lost consciousness. With no air and no way to see, she was along for the tide, helplessly at the mercy of the rushing wave of water quickly filling the citadel. In those last moments, as she felt the need for air press against her chest and the panic of being carried off to die somewhere in the depths of this strange, awful place, her mind raced, looping over and over again on the same thought-
I must save Quinn.
Mariko closed her eyes, trying to calm herself and accept that she was not in control. She envisioned herself standing in the courtyard outside the palace, holding Quinn by the hand. She could see the cherry blossoms and the sun shining above her and-
Mariko landed hard on her back, shot from the passageway into a much larger chamber, one that had yet to fill completely with water but was quickly flooding. Scrambling to her knees she took in great gulps of air, gasping for her life. Looking up, she realized where she was. The current had carried her back to the very center of the citadel-to Xeries's throne room.
As she caught her breath, the water rose over her elbows. Getting to her feet, she slogged toward the dais, but the room lurched again. The entire chamber tipped sideways. Mariko slipped off her feet and was thrown forward.
Reaching out as she fell, the princess grabbed the back of the throne. Rushing water ran over her, dumping in from the passage that was now above her. It pounded her head, hands, and shoulders. She tried to duck behind the dais and the throne, using them to shield her from the rush, but the citadel was shaking violently.
Struggling to keep her head above water, she shouted out the words to a spell as quickly as she could. Her fingers were growing weak, and she was losing her grip on the throne. Below her, the room was nearly full of water. It wouldn't be long before she was submerged once more.
She felt her fingers slip, and she fell back, her feet, legs, and waist dropping below the surface. Throwing her arms out to her side, she slapped at the water, kicking and pressing just long enough to get out the final syllable of her incantation.
Then the roiling current sucked her below the surface.
Tumbling, Mariko let herself be carried away. She tucked her body into a ball, covering her head with her arms as she drifted to the bottom of the filling chamber. The current shoved her down and down, until she was once again slammed up against the obsidian walls.
The water at the bottom, though still moving, was much calmer, and Mariko allowed herself to unfurl. Everything around her was thick and wavy, blurred by gallons and gallons of water. She could see the surface, shiny and silver, high above, and she could see the movement of the water as it poured in from the passage beyond. She took a breath.
It was an odd feeling, not at all natural, and she had to force herself. The cold liquid poured into her lungs. The first one made her cough and gag. Her throat scratched, and her chest felt heavy.
Though her magic had given her the ability to breathe the water, it required a lot more effort than air-a lot more effort than she remembered. It took some getting used to, but she didn't have the time to let herself adjust. Quinn was likely drowning at this very moment, and she had to get to him. '
Pushing off from the wall, Mariko swam toward the corner of the chamber and the passage Quinn had described to her. She could only hope he would still be there, still be alive when she arrived.
Finding the crack in the floor exactly where it was supposed to be, she plunged in head first, descending
