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“Oh, shut up!” I spin the steering wheel sharply to dodge a large rock. “We don’t want to just drive up on them, do we?”

Raid removes his hands from his temples to grip his knees. I’m sure the bumpy ride isn’t doing his head any favors. I reach over to pat his arm.

“Hands on the wheel!” Raid shouts.

I shoot him a glare. “Who’s driving?”

“Hell if I know.” Raid braces one hand against the dashboard. “Never seen you act so reckless before.”

“Never had reason to.” I focus on my surroundings. The rock pile that covers the first cavern lies off to our right, the entrance hidden by a dip in the landscape. I can just see light flash off the metal roll bars of one of the rovers. “Going around.” I raise my voice to cut through the sound of rushing air. “Alternate entrance. Dace and I found it.”

“When you went for that swim?” Raid’s body is jolted into mine.

“Yeah.” I spare him a quick glance. His left eye is swelling. “That kiss … ”

“Never mind.” Raid slides away from me, his words brighter than his expression. “I’ve kissed other people too.”

I suspected as much, but hearing it stated so bluntly makes the muscles of my heart contract. “Well, sure.” I lean forward, peering at the landscape before me while I studiously avoid Raid’s eyes. “Anyway, we’re almost there.”

My foot hits the brake as I spy a circle of stones—the upper edge of the open-air pool where Dace and I discovered one of the Selks’ food sources. The sudden stop slams Raid’s knees into the dash.

He lets loose a colorful riff of popular obscenities.

“Sorry.” I jump out of the rover. “Need any help?”

“No.” Raid climbs out of the passenger side of the vehicle. “Safer without your assistance.”

I add a few choice words of my own before taking his arm. “We have to climb down. Okay?”

Raid stares into the depths of the vegetation-clogged pool. “Okay. But you walk behind me. If I fall, no use knocking you over too.”

“Just hug the rock wall,” I say, guiding him to the steep path that zigzags along one side of the natural well.

We make our way down, placing one foot in front of the other with a precision born of fear. I don’t know if Raid’s as terrified as I am, but I notice the blanched knuckles on the hand he slides along the rock wall.

Reaching the bottom, Raid expels a loud breath and slumps to the ground. “Now what?”

He looks terrible. The bruise glows purple against his skin, which has been drained of all its natural color. I kneel beside him. “Now we swim.”

Raid narrows his good eye into a slit. The other eye is now almost closed. “Never mentioned swimming. Don’t know how.”

“Neither did I. All I’d ever done was play around with virtual sim stuff. I know you’ve done the same.” I lightly rest my hands on his shoulders and examine his face. “But I can go by myself, if you want.”

“Hell no.” Raid brushes away my hands and struggles to his feet. “Where do we jump in? Here?”

“Uh, no. We can walk for a bit.” I direct him toward the passage that leads to the second cavern. “There’s another pool, further on. Bigger and not quite so … cluttered.”

“That’s good. Not looking forward to picking seaweed out of my teeth.”

I swallow a laugh and pull a solar light from my emergency pack. “It’s fresh water, loco mío.”

“Save the lessons for later.” Raid sticks close to my side as we move through the tunnel. “Hard to see.”

I shine the flashlight and illuminate the trail before us. The path is strangely smooth, as if many pairs of feet have trod it before us. Is it only the bodies of the Selk that have polished these stones? I shiver, though it isn’t cold in the corridor. “It’s brighter up ahead.”

“Good,” says Raid, as we step into the larger of the two caverns.

A cluster of Selk rest on the bank. At our approach, they turn their dark eyes on us. There’s interest, not fear, in their stares.

“Hello.” Raid steps forward, holding out his hand.

The Selk rise, pressed up against one another in a solid wall of sleek brown fur and searching snouts.

Friends
. I force the thought forward.

Raid’s frozen in place, facing the barricade of Selk. I move close to his side. “Remember, let their thoughts flow over you. Don’t fight it,” I whisper, as I survey the numerous pairs of eyes watching us.

“Above.”

The concept rings clear as a bell—a bell with a clapper that slams the inside of my skull. Out of the corner of my eye, I watch Raid clutch his head with both hands. But he, like me, remains on his feet.

“Yes, from above.”
I eye the Selk to see if this thought holds any meaning for them.

“Air. Light. Above.”

I chase everything else from my thoughts.
“Yes, humans. From above.”

“Below. Water.”

Despite my concerns, I feel a smile curve my lips. I sweep one hand before me to encompass the entire group of Selk.
“You. You live below, in the water.”

“Good. Above. Below.”

Raid nods. He points one finger at the Selk, flips over his hand and taps his own chest. His lips move as he obviously sends forth a thought.

I place my hand on his other arm. “What are you saying?”

He gazes down at me, his good eye shining as dark and liquid as those of the Selk. “Us. I said ‘us.’”

I stare into his battered face for a moment. “Us,” I say aloud.

“Us.”
The thought reverberates through my whole body as one by one the Selk waddle forward to form a circle around Raid and me.

“Now,” says Raid, taking hold of my hand. “We need to warn them.”

I take a deep breath and close my eyes. Focusing on thoughts of danger, of the need to move, to flee, I feel as if time has stopped. There is no past, no future, only now. Only the desperate need to communicate with these strange, wonderful creatures. To tell them of the threats to their existence. To save them.

Raid’s fingers tighten about mine. “I think they understand,” he says softly. “Maybe, just maybe … ”

A great tremor shifts the stone beneath my feet. “What the hell?”

“Blasting.” Raid wheels about, facing the far wall of the cavern. “The other cavern is just beyond that wall?”

“Yes.” The Selk slide to the lake edge and dive in, one after the other. I expect them to swim away, down one of their hidden passages, but instead their dark heads pop up, eyes fastened on us. They bob in the clear water, as if waiting.

Waiting for us to join them.

“Then we swim,” says Raid.

***

We sit on two of the scattered boulders and yank off our footwear. I glance over at Raid. “Sorry ’bout Kam. I know he was your friend.”

Raid tucks his socks into his boots. “We grew up together, and he was the only guy around my age. So yeah, we hung out. Not sure I’d call him a friend, though.” He gives me a slight smile before turning his attention to tugging off his jeans. “You, I consider a friend. And Emie. Kam was more like someone you deal with because you have to.”

“Never knew you felt that way.” I shrug off my jacket, surreptitiously watching Raid. I’m mesmerized for a second by the sight of his long, well-muscled legs. “Anyway … ” He stands, stretching his arms, and I look everywhere but at his face. “It’s too bad Kam’s gone off the deep end.”

“He was always ready to blow at the slightest thing.” Raid pulls his long-sleeved shirt over his head. He’s wearing nothing but his T-shirt and boxers now.

I catch myself staring and shift my focus to the lake, where the Selk wait patiently. “You should leave your T-shirt on. Water’s not really cold, but you’re already shivering a bit.”

“Might be shock.” Raid’s eyes focus on me like a laser as I slip off my jeans. “Or maybe excitement … ”

“Feeling better, are you?” I move swiftly to the edge of the water, scooting on the stone ramp to slide into the lake. When I surface, Raid is watching me. “Well, get in, then. Work off some of that … energy.”

“Just don’t let me drown before I get to see that outfit wet.”

“I make no promises.” I tread water as two of the Selk circle me. “But these guys will keep you safe.”

Raid grins, wincing slightly as he crosses to the water. After sliding down the stone ramp he grabs for one of the rocks edging the lake.

As Dace did for me, I give him a quick lesson. Just like me, Raid swiftly picks up the basic mechanics of swimming. Once he’s moving easily, I take off. As my arms sweep through the water, I think of Dace saying I was half-fish.

Dace and Emie—where are they? Are they safe? I picture my friends with guns pressed against their foreheads and increase the force of my strokes.

Many of the Selk swim with us, circling to match our slower pace. When we reach the far wall the Selk dive and disappear, one after the other.

I lift my head. “Under,” I instruct Raid, who looks nervous but dives anyway.

We surface on the other side of the wall. Raid sputters, apparently having swallowed some water. He treads for a moment to catch his breath.

“Okay?”

“Fine.” He glances around the chamber. “This is where we were before.”

“Yes.” I flip my braid, heavy with water, over my shoulder. “I’m heading for the shore.”

Raid nods and sets off, his strong arms pulling him through the water with little need of assistance from his legs. I follow, flanked by several Selk.

When we reach the shoreline, I glance back and notice the water creatures have taken up positions at various points in the small lake. The gentle motion of their tails keeps them upright, their sleek heads held high above the surface.

I pull myself up and out of the water. Raid’s already crouched on the rocky shore, shaking out his black hair. He lifts his head and stares at the rock-studded wall, where something shifts amid the shadows. He leaps to his feet and runs toward the moving object.

It’s Emie and Dace, tied back to back. Strips of some material—it looks like the blouse Emie was wearing over her tank top the last time I saw her—are tied around their heads, covering their mouths.

I rush forward to pull the gag from Emie’s mouth while Raid does the same for Dace.

“Outside,” Dace croaks. “They’ve got explosives.”

“We know.” Raid fumbles with the knots in the ropes that bind Emie and Dace.

“Kam’s gone nuts.” Emie’s wide eyes look like sunken black pools in her ashen face.

“Seems like it.” I take her hand as Raid pulls the rope away. “Sorry you’ve had to deal with this alone. I should’ve been with you.”

“No, better you weren’t.” Emie stands, leaning on me for support. “Dace and Raid tried to fight them off, you know.”

I put my arm around her shoulders. “Heard you got a good jab in too.”

A faint smile curls her lips. “Made him sing soprano.”

Dace staggers to his feet. “Need to get out there and stop them.” He examines Raid. “Have any weapons?”

Raid runs his hands down his torso. His wet shirt clings to his skin, outlining every rib and muscle. “On me? No.”

“Me neither,” I say, plucking my soaked tank top away from my body. “But Calla was rounding up reinforcements. They might be here already.”

“How’d she know where to find us?” Dace looks from me to Raid and back again. “You provide directions?”

“Sort of,” says Raid.

I give Emie a quick hug before pulling my arm away. “Why’d they tie you up in here? It would make more sense to keep you outside with them.”

“Who says they’re acting like they have sense?” Dace shakes out his legs and arms. “Told us that we’d be bargaining chips if anyone showed up to try to stop them. They plan to blast the cavern entrance. Want to widen it, they claim. Not sure why.”

“You didn’t hear that part.” Emie runs her fingers through her hair. “You were in the other rover. Kam said they’d set blasts that could trap us in the cavern if anyone tried to interfere. He was boasting about how his uncle knew all about explosives.”

“But what’s the point?” Dace looks genuinely puzzled. “So they open up the cavern entrance. Then what?”

Raid’s expression turns solemn. “They need a wider entry.” He motions toward the lake, where several Selk bob in the clear water. “They want to be able to drag one of the sonic cannons down here. Set it off and what do you think it might do?”

“Scare them?” Emie’s gaze is focused on the lake. I realize it’s her first experience of the Selk. Her face, its warm brown tones restored, mirrors the same wonder and joy Raid displayed when he first encountered the water creatures.

“Or kill them.” Dace drums his fingers against his thigh. “That kind of weapon, using sound waves, could really hurt a creature like the Selk.”

We all turn to stare at the lake. Several pairs of dark eyes stare back.

Friends
, I think, sweeping my arm to include the four of us.

Friends. Good.

I reach for Emie’s hand as these thoughts ring through my head. She sinks to her knees, pulling me down beside her.

“Don’t fight it,” I whisper. “Let it ripple through you.”

She nods and, with my help, stumbles back to her feet.

“It gets easier,” says Raid, laying one hand on Emie’s shoulder.

Dace looks wistful. “Wish I could hear it.” He taps my arm. “Shouldn’t we do something about Kam and the others? See if Calla is here, at least?”

I turn to him. His expression is a portrait of determination. “Good idea. Let’s get you two out of here and see what’s happening on the surface.”

“Should we send the Selk away?” asks Raid.

“I’ve been trying to pass along that thought, but they seem determined to stay,” I reply, with a quick glance at the lake. The Selk stare back at me, barely blinking.

Dace has already crossed to the path that leads out of the cavern. “Come on, let’s get this sorted out,” he calls, striding forward as a great blast shakes the cavern.

“Get down!” I scream, but it’s too late. A cascade of rocks showers the path. One fragment hits Dace with a glancing blow, knocking him to the ground.

Raid’s feet barely appear to touch the ground as he dashes to Dace’s side. The clatter of stone hitting stone subsides. Emie and I reach Dace just as Raid sweeps the last of the rock fragments from his body.