Artemis's Arc

Chapter 9 of 9

The passage bent and opened into a wider chamber. Cold air moved across Artemis's face, and he heard water before he saw it. The butterfly's light spread over a still, black pool that filled the cave floor from wall to wall. A narrow ledge ran along the right side. On the far shore, something small and pale flickered above the surface. The girl let go of his coat and pointed. "Look." It was another butterfly, or something like one. White wings, thin as paper. It skimmed the water and rose, skimmed and rose. Their own butterfly lifted from the key in his palm and drifted after it, drawn. "Wait," Artemis said. He stepped onto the ledge. The stone was slick. The girl followed, close at his shoulder. The pale thing dipped low over the middle of the pool. Their butterfly followed, and the light went with it, and Artemis leaned to keep it in sight. The ledge gave under his boot. He went in sideways. The cold hit his chest and drove the air out of him. He heard the girl cry out, and then a smaller splash, and then nothing but water in his ears. He kicked. His coat pulled him down. He clawed at the wall and found no grip, only wet stone that slid under his fingers. His head broke the surface. He saw the girl thrashing an arm's length away, mouth open, hair over her eyes. "Hold on to me," he tried to say, and swallowed water. He had never learned to swim. Neither had she. He caught her sleeve. She caught his collar. They pulled each other down. The light above them shrank. His chest burned. He kicked once more and his boot found nothing. The girl's grip loosened. He thought, absurdly, of the woman with dark hair, and of how he had not found her yet, and of how sorry he was. Then the water lit up. A silver shape swept over the pool — a bat, blind-eyed, wings shining like oil on water. Behind it came a boy. He was small, black-haired, barefoot, and he moved through the water like he had been born in it. He hooked an arm under the girl's arms and kicked her toward the ledge. He came back for Artemis. His hand closed on Artemis's wrist and pulled. Artemis's knees struck stone. He dragged himself up, coughing, and hauled the girl the rest of the way. She lay on her side, breathing in ragged pulls. The boy climbed out last and sat back on his heels, calm as if he had done this before. "You're Marcus," the girl said, when she could speak. Her voice cracked. "You're my sister's — " The boy nodded once. He looked at Artemis. "The bat knows the way out," he said. "But the pool isn't done with you yet."