The Queen's Poisoner (Kingfountain, #1)(47)

“Hold on,” he said. He wanted to come down at his own pace. She shrugged and hurried to the edge so she could kneel down and stare into the abyss. Her eyes lit with wonder. “Look how deep it is!”

Owen frowned. There was no way he was going to let her enjoy it all by herself. He stiffened his lip and marched down to the edge. “Move over.”

She scooted to the side and their heads almost touched as they leaned in. He felt her hair brush against his. It made him feel . . . funny.

The cistern was half-empty. The waters rippled beneath them and he could see their own reflections warped on the placid surface. The chamber was deep, very deep. There were columns of stone and buttresses supporting it. There were numbers and little gashes carved into the column nearest the hole. The numbers meant how deep the water was and he could tell by the numbers at the top of the column that the cistern was just over half-full.

“There is a lot of water down there,” he announced.

The Mortimer girl brushed hair over her ear and gripped the edge of the cistern opening before lowering her head deep inside.

“Hello!” she called out, and her voice echoed. Owen thought she was insane.

“Why did you call out?” he demanded.

She pulled her head back up. “I wanted to see if there was anyone down there. Maybe there’s a water sprite!”

“Water sprites aren’t real,” Owen said stiffly.

“Yes, they are,” she contradicted.

“Have you ever seen one?”

“Just because I haven’t doesn’t mean they’re not real. Don’t be stupid, Owen. Of course they’re real. Papa said so. He said there is treasure under the deepest fathoms of the sea. Ancient swords that can’t rust. Magic rings. There’s another world there that we can’t see. The ocean is its own kingdom.” She looked him in the face, her eyes wide and sincere. “I’m not making up stories, Owen. It’s true. The people who drown are those who try to join the water sprites but fail. They fail because they’re afraid.” She gave him a determined look. “I’m not afraid.”

He looked at her, his stomach doing some twisting and turning. He admired her for her courage. Her fearlessness. And somehow, he knew what she was going to suggest before she announced it.

“Let’s jump in!”

Owen hastily rose and backed away. “That’s foolish!”

“No it’s not!” she laughed. “I’ve jumped from higher rocks into colder ponds than this. It’s fun!”

He could not believe his ears. “But how will you get out?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. The same way they get the water out. This is where the water comes in. I don’t see any chains or ropes, so there’s got to be another place where the water is drawn.”

“But you could drown!”

“I’m a very good swimmer. Can’t you swim, Owen?”

“I can swim,” he said, offended.

“Then jump with me!” she said, eyes blazing. She reached out her hand again.

His heart hammered violently in his chest, and his mouth went so dry with fear he felt he couldn’t talk. The fear crippled him, making his ears buzz and his knees weak. He could taste bile in his mouth. His eyes started to water.

The Mortimer girl watched him closely. Her excitement was still evident, but she seemed to sense what was happening to him. She walked around the drain hole and stood in front of him, nose to nose. Then she took his trembling hand in hers. “You’re afraid. I know. But you have to trust me, Owen Kiskaddon. The water is deep enough. We won’t get hurt. I don’t know everything that will happen, but we’ll find our way out. Let’s do it together! Jump with me. That’s how I did it the first time. With Papa holding my hand. It’s scary! It really is. But we’re going to have so much fun. Trust me, Owen! Trust me!”

He stared into her eyes, still unable to tell what color they were. He couldn’t speak. His tongue was too thick in his mouth. He was terrified out of his wits, but he didn’t want to disappoint her. For once, he wasn’t thinking of the risks or the odds of injury. There was just this moment, her warm hand in his, and his trust in her.

“We can do it!” she coaxed.

She led him back to the lip of the cistern. He stared down, and the water looked even farther down this time. It looked as if they were standing on Ankarette’s tower. He felt his stomach lurch. He was going to be sick.

She stood next to him, her hand linked with his.

“Are you ready?” she whispered.

Owen nodded violently, trying to swallow.

“Take a breath and hold it. On three.”

He felt as if his whole body would shake apart.

“One!”

This was madness. Why was he doing this?

“Two!”

He stared down at the water. He took a huge gulp of air and held it in his chest. He squeezed her hand as hard as he could, hoping it would hurt her.

“Three!”

They jumped.





CHAPTER TWENTY


Secrets





It was a long fall. Longer than Owen had thought possible. He watched the water rush up, but it still felt like they were falling. The buzzing, giddy thrill in his stomach went all the way to his ears before the water splashed and they went under. It was like jumping into a giant blanket. The cold water closed over him, smothering him, until his swelling lungs buoyed him to the surface and he came up spluttering. As he thrashed around, terrified and thrilled, the water began to drain from his ears and he could hear the Mortimer girl giggling.