Page 37 of Fated

Every instinct was screaming at me to run, to flee from whatever danger lurked below. But I forced my feet to stay planted on the muddy earth.

Ash rose to his feet, his body shifting into a defensive stance, scanning the water with the sharp calculating gaze of a predator.

The fear I’d seen in him in the cave was long gone, replaced by a calm intensity.

Minutes ticked by, dragging on in agonizing silence, with nothing happening.

Slowly, I moved closer to the edge of the lake where Ash stood.

“What do we …” I started, but before being able to finish, something silvery bobbed up from the water. I leaned forward, squinting to make out the object.

Then, another identical silver item surfaced next to it.

“What the hell?” Ash muttered, crouching and grabbing anearby stick. He fished out one of the objects, a metal tank, like the kind divers would use for oxygen.

He examined it, turning it over in his hands. Etched into the side of it was the phraseEnchanted O2and attached to the tank was a large plastic bag.

Ash unzipped it and began pulling out various pieces of … scuba gear?

I watched, bewildered as he pulled out a breathing mask, goggles, and other items I couldn’t identify. Then, he pulled out a small black wetsuit, holding it up in the air with a questioning look. “I think this one’s for you.” He handed me the suit.

I didn’t like where this was going.

Ash pulled one last item out of the bag, a folded piece of paper. He opened it to reveal a diagram of a smiling man wearing scuba gear, each part neatly labeled.

I stared at it, struggling to process the sight of it.

Ash then retrieved the second tank from the water, finding similar gear in its bag, except this wetsuit was much larger. “I think it wants us to put this stuff on.” Ash looked up at me.

“And are we going to do it?” I asked in disbelief.

He looked toward the horizon; the sun was beginning to peek over the treetops, casting a pale light on the murky water. “Unless you have any other ideas, I don’t think we have a choice.”

Swallowing hard, my throat tightened as anxiety crept in. I shook my hands at my sides as if I could shake away the nerves buzzing beneath my skin.

“It didn’t try to attack us,” he said quietly. “It didn’t feel threatening.”

I gaped at him, unable to believe my ears.

“That swamp demon—the one poking its head out of thewater, the one that looked like it was about to crawl backward on its hands and feet and eat us … You think it’snice?”

“I didn’t say it wasnice.”

Just lovely.

Ash’s eyes flicked back to the horizon, and he exhaled slowly. “In a few minutes, Agidius will arrive at that cabin and discover a missing healer and chief commander. We need to move.”

“Ok,” I said, and then Ash pulled his shirt off over his head.

“Oh.” I spun around quickly, staring straight ahead, my face heating up.

Behind me, there was the faintest chuckle. A few minutes went by, with no clue whether he was dressed or still half-naked, he was so damn quiet. So, I waited a bit longer.

Suddenly, without warning, his warm breath tickled my ear.

Then came his voice, low and playful. “Boo.”

I jumped, my soul nearly leaving my body. “Oh, my God! What. Is. Your. Problem?” I shouted in between smacking him with the wetsuit in my hand.

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