Page 63 of Golden Star

Slowly, the pressure in my lungs begins to ease.

The water isn’t crushing me anymore. It’s flowing through me, giving me what I need.

Air.

I can breathe.

My mother was smart, patient, and she loved fiercely,Riven says, with undeniable vulnerability in his tone.She was the best queen this realm has ever had. She was taken from us too soon.

Now that I can focus again, I remember what he told me in his room about his mother.

He said she’s the only person in this world who ever loved him.

And, judging by how he’s talking about her, she didn’t abandon him like my mom did to me.

She’s dead. Gone.

Forever.

And, in all the time I’ve known Riven—which, admittedly, hasn’t been long—I’ve never heard him sound so genuine. It’s like there’s actual warmth inside that heart of ice.

But now isn’t the time to contemplate this newfound depth of Riven’s personality.

Now’s the time to keep going with this trial.

So, with renewed strength, I kick downward, letting the water give me strength as I swim toward the glow of the key.

Sapphire

The deeper I go,the colder it gets.

But Riven’s words continue to echo in my mind.

Let your magic bring the oxygen to you. Don’t resist.

So, I focus on the water—on the way it fills my lungs without suffocating me.

Now that I can breathe, I’m more in control than I’ve felt since this trial started.

I need to do this as quickly as possible. Zoey’s up there, and who knows what’s happening to her? She could be freezing to death, waiting for me, terrified that I’ve already died.

But she has the amulet of warmth. She won’t freeze to death. It should be enough to keep her going for now.

So, I kick harder, reaching for my magic, begging it to help. And just like that, power rushes through me, creating a surge that propels me faster through the water.

That’s when I see it.

The key.

I swim harder, the current propelling me with each kick.

The glow gets brighter, and the key’s shape becomes clearer. It’s a simple silver key, the blue light beaming up from it like a spotlight.

I reach out and grab it.

It’s colder than the water around me, as if made of ice. The chill bites into my skin.

But I don’t let go. I grip it tight, turning to swim back up, and the propulsion boosts kick in again, the surface of the lake approaching faster than I thought possible. The hole is smaller now, but there’s still enough space for me to break through.

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