Page 65 of Edge of Wonder

Sebastian took hold of the tile and turned it over. On the other side was the outline of a key. “Alice, I think you’re right.” He dropped the tile and picked me up, spinning me in a circle while I laughed. When I landed on my feet, he pressed a kiss to my forehead. “That’s my girl. See, we’re not going to die inside a teacup. Your tombstone is going to say: died of old age while taking a nap.”

“Stop talking about my tombstone. You’ll jinx me.”

He winked as we knelt on the floor, studying the markings. I moved a couple of pieces and found two squares that fit together. It was back and forth, sliding the tiles into place, only to backtrack when something wasn’t right.

“Doesn’t it seem kind of odd, though?” Sebastian mused as I continued to arrange the tiles. “This challenge is tame compared to the last one.”

“You weren’t the one chased through a hedge maze by a knife-wielding executioner,” I said, satisfied when a corner of the puzzle came together. I reached up to move the topmost tile. It was hard to slide, nearly stuck, and I pushed my weight into it.

The tile gave way with a loud click.

Sebastian scowled. “I did not like the sound of that.”

Along the edge of the cup, what looked like plugs popped out of the floor. They formed a ring around the puzzle. Something hissed and water gushed upward through the holes. It soaked the floor, stretching outward to fill the bottom of the cup. The water covered our shoes and quickly deepened.

I lost sight of the puzzle in the swirling water, but it just kept coming, flowing in through the holes at a terrifying rate. Sebastian lunged for the plugs, trying to slam them closed, but they wouldn’t budge. He looked back at me, the water already rippling around his calves.

“So about the challenge… Not to rush you or anything. But this is going to be a problem.”

Chapter 22

Sebastian

In a matter of minutes, the water had climbed to my knees. It wouldn’t take long for it to reach the ceiling. I knew the challenge had seemed too easy, but this was overkill.

I waded through the pool to Alice’s side. The puzzle was a rippling blur beneath the surface. We were going to have to finish it underwater. I gripped Alice’s shoulders. Her eyes were glazed as she watched the water inch to her thighs.

“Look at me, not the water,” I said, shaking her gently.

“It’s not going to stop, is it?” There was a razor’s edge to her voice, with panic seeping in around the edges.

“No. It’s not. But we’re going to keep going. We’ll take turns. Come up for air when you need it. Don’t stay down too long.”

She took a deep breath as if she could fill her lungs in advance and not have to worry about it later. The water slithered around her hips. It was cold; an icy jolt to the system that made her teeth chatter.

“Take off your boots,” I said, reaching for my own. “It will make it easier to swim. Maybe that dress, too. It will weigh you down.”

Alice scoffed, but she was already undoing the laces on her bodice. “You’re just trying to get me in my chemise again.”

“Trust me, I’d prefer if we were in different circumstances.”

Her sodden gown sank beneath the water, and she kicked away her boots. Crossing her arms over her chest, she shivered.

“Come on, Alice. We’ve been through worse. I’ll go first.” I inhaled a breath and lowered myself into the water, pushing myself down the few feet to the puzzle. I tried to analyze it for a couple of seconds. We couldn’t risk undoing any progress. I found where she’d left off and slid a piece near the top. It was hard to move the tiles underwater, but with enough force, they snapped into place.

I looked for my next move, blinking against the water pressure. One piece we’d already connected wasn’t lining up. With a mental curse, I rearranged those tiles, sliding them around until they finally fit. My lungs burned, and I kicked myself back to the surface.

The water was up to Alice’s shoulders. She gave me a determined nod, then slipped below. I watched her swim to the bottom, moving swiftly, sliding tiles into place. Dread tightened inside my chest. We didn’t even know if solving the puzzle would stop the water. What if there was another part to the challenge? There wouldn’t be enough time.

But this had to be it. I wasn’t going to let Alice die today. Not after we’d come this far or after the way she’d looked at me when I told her what I got out of our partnership. For a few seconds there, I thought she was going to confess something herself. I was oddly disappointed when she didn’t. Not that I expected her to praise the ground I walked on or anything, but I wouldn’t hate it.

Icy water climbed up my neck. Alice popped back up, sucking in air. She was treading water, no longer able to touch the floor.

“I think we’re close,” she shouted, out of breath, and struggling as nerves wore her down.

“Remember how I told you last time not to look down?”

She nodded.

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