Blood In The Water ~ Shadow & Bone

12

The island was cold, but that was exactly how Marina liked it. She loved living on the Volkvolny, but she had missed wading through freezing water and being sprayed by the tide against her legs. She did, however, notice the displeased expressions on the others' faces upon entering the cold cavern. Grevyen appeared to enjoy the water just as much as she did, but she laughed at Nikolai's uncomfortable expression.

The dripping of water from the ceiling of the cave made for a suspicious entry as the group looked around for any sign of the mythical beast they were searching for. Nikolai whistled quietly, and Marina met his eye as he waved her over. She carefully stepped closer to him, and he bent down to speak quietly to her.

"Tell me," he said softly. "Anything in the water?" She sighed and let her hand hover above the surface of the water, barely letting the cold brush her skin.

"There are holes in the cave floor," she murmured. "So be careful where you step. Otherwise, no." He nodded, but Mal wasn't so accepting.

"No, you can't tell?" he asked "Or no, there's nothing in there?" She looked back at him and shrugged.

"Whichever makes you feel more comfortable." Tamar chuckled.

"Comfort's overrated." Marina clicked her tongue, smiling as she agreed with the Shu twin. She felt a ripple in the water suddenly, and her face fell. She furrowed her brows, dipping her hand under the water as Nikolai watched her. He frowned at the expression she bore.

"Gayne?" he questioned quietly. He lowered his voice even more. "Lyubov?" Alina's eyes shot to him, furrowing her brows as he watched his gaze settle on Marina.

"It's here," Marina mumbled, eyes darting around the cavern as she drew a pistol from her belt. A sharp trill echoed through the cave, making everyone look around in a panic. As Nikolai's hand slowly wrapped around Marina's wrist to pull her back towards him, one of the men was suddenly pulled out of the water and through a hole in the ceiling.

"Drop the nets!" Nikolai ordered. "Aim to kill!"

"No, don't!" Alina countered. The group stilled, aiming their weapons every way possible.

"I couldn't see it," Mal muttered. Nikolai sighed and nodded.

"It's toying with us," he noticed. "Conserve your ammo or we'll be dry by the time we need it." Another of the sailors was dragged under the water, making Alina yelp as she backed away. Mal stepped forward, drawing eyes as he stared up at the ceiling.

"It can camouflage..." As he spoke, the illusion around the serpent faded, and it darted forward, diving under the water. Mal was quick to pull Alina out of its path, Nikolai doing the same with Marina. It went quiet again, before low growls echoed around the cavern. Marina held her pistol tightly as she scanned the area.

"It sounds like it's everywhere," Nikolai mused.

It emerged from the water faster than anyone could see, and though everyone went to attack, its teeth clamped down on the weapon in Mal's hands, pinning him against the cavern wall. Alina wasted no time in attacking it with a beam of light, and it released its hold on him, falling to the water, where it remained afloat. For a moment, nobody moved, until Nikolai slowly stepped forward and nodded.

"It's dead," he confirmed quietly. He sighed and moved carefully back towards Marina, lowering his head to look her in the eye. "Are you okay? I'm sorry I grabbed you." She hummed with a soft smile and shook her head.

"I'm okay, it's okay," she assured him. She placed a hand against his forearm, rubbing it gently. "Thank you." He nodded, and she stepped around him to address the rest of the group, focusing her gaze on Alina. "We need to get it out of here." The Shu girl was already watching her with furrowed brows, but she said nothing as she nodded. Marina manipulated a current beneath the body of the Sea Whip, gently pushing it out of the cavern as they moved.

"Rest until tonight," Nikolai instructed the group as they reached the Volkvolny. "We could all use it. We'll fuse the scales then."

The group wordlessly dispersed to the far corners of the ship, and Alina's eyes trailed after the Captain's Tidemaker as she disappeared towards his quarters. She couldn't help but notice that it was the Captain that followed her.