The Queen's Poisoner (Kingfountain, #1)(72)

Evie scratched her head, squinting. “Let’s make sure it’s still deep enough.”

They walked over to the ivy-covered door they had found last time, but when Owen stooped to trip the latch, he found it was already ajar. Had they not closed it last time? He couldn’t remember. They pulled the door open and started to descend the steps to the water’s edge.

“It’s lower than it was,” she murmured. “It’s down several notches. See?”

“Where’s the boat?” Owen asked. He’d noticed immediately that it was missing.

She whirled and looked to where it had been. “I don’t see it. Is someone down here, do you think?”

“Shhh!” Owen said, holding a finger up to his lips. He listened for any sound of trouble, anything out of the ordinary. There was nothing, and the only sight ahead of them was the empty water of the cistern brightened by the pillar of light from above. Who could have taken the boat?

“I think it’s deep enough,” Evie said after a while, growing impatient. She started back up the steps.

“Wait!” he called, running after her. He wanted to figure out the answers to his questions before they risked a jump, but he could tell she was eager to start swimming.

They reached the large hole looming above the cistern. The water was indeed lower, and Owen could see their shadows shimmering on the choppy surface.

“Ready?” she asked, reaching out and clasping his hand.

Owen nodded and let her count.

“Go!” she said, tugging on his hand and pulling him with her.

The wild frenzied feeling of plummeting reminded him partway down that he should be terrified, but then the shock of cold water met his face and he plunged into the depths. His feet touched the bottom of the cistern. His hand still gripped hers.

Owen opened his eyes and found himself surrounded by a pile of treasure. He felt a huge burst of excitement in his ribs as he stared at the sword hilts, the jewels, and the necklaces. Evie was tugging at his hand and trying to swim up, but he pulled back, not wanting to lose sight of the treasure. There was so much! But then he noticed something awry. There was a gap in the treasure, as if someone had dragged a rake through it. No, that wasn’t it. One of the chests appeared to have been dragged back toward the stairs. The dragging motion had cleared a path through the bounty and knocked other bits over.

His companion was yanking hard on his hand now, and when he looked up, he saw bubbles were coming out of her mouth, obscuring her face.

Owen wanted to stay down and figure out what had happened to the treasure, but they both needed to breathe. He pushed with his legs and they started toward the surface. As they moved through the water, a loud grinding noise filled his water-soaked ears.

When Owen’s face broke the surface, he gulped in a chest full of air to stop his lungs from burning. Evie was spluttering and paddling on the waters.

“Owen! Did you hear that noise?”

Owen looked and saw they were farther away from the stairs. In fact, they were gliding away from it at a fast pace.

“What’s wrong?” Owen asked, kicking around. The water was tugging them deeper into the dark cistern.

“Swim!” she shouted, and started paddling her arms and kicking with her legs. Owen began to swim as well, trying to reach the safety of the stairs, but the current was too strong. They were being sucked deep into the throat of the cistern. Fear made him forget the treasure he had seen down below.

There was light coming from the far end. He hadn’t seen that before. Was there an opening in the cistern? Then he heard the sound of rushing water, the sound of a waterfall.

“Owen!” Evie shrieked, realizing it at the same time he did.

The cistern was draining into the river.

The stairs were far away now, and the shaft of light from the opening was a pale spear in the darkness that was growing larger as the current pushed them farther and farther from safety.

“Grab a column!” she shouted. She reached for the nearest one, but her fingers slipped on the wet stone.

Owen tried to grab one too and his fingers managed to stick. He grabbed Evie’s wrist and clung to her, but the force of the waters pulled him away from the column and they were both swept into the current once more.

The maw of the opening loomed closer and they could hear the water spilling over its edge. Would they be able to stop themselves from going over? He didn’t think so, not with how fast the water was moving them.

“Owen!” she said desperately, grabbing his waist in terror.

There was nothing to hold on to. There was nothing to grab. The boat was gone. His mind whirled frantically, but then, with the shushing sounds of the water, he felt a stab of peacefulness. His mind opened to the possibilities, quick as lightning. He needed something heavy. Something so heavy the waters couldn’t move it.

The treasure.

“Hold on to me!” he shouted at her fear-stricken face. “Hold tight!” Instead of swimming against the current, he swam with it and went down. Flailing, his foot struck against something hard on the bottom. It was too dark to see, but he felt with his hands and discovered a handhold, the rung on a chest. He grabbed it tightly with one hand and felt himself slipping, so he grabbed it with both. Evie clung to his belt, holding on for dear life. He was running out of air, but at least they weren’t moving. The chest was saving them from being swept away. Why was there treasure on the floor? Who had left it there? How had someone dragged one of the chests away? Why?