Philo Amarus's Arc

Chapter 9 of 9

Water hissed through a crack in the chamber wall. Philo turned, the pink flame still burning in his fist. The pond was pouring in fast, splashing across the stone floor. Eris stood on the far side of the rising water, her hair wet, her eyes steady. The chain lay heavy at Philo's feet. He pressed the flaming plug toward the crack, but the water pushed harder than he could hold. Eris did not move. She just watched him, waiting to see what he would do. Philo dropped the plug. He grabbed the chain instead and swung its heavy end into the crack, jamming the links deep into the stone. The pink flame caught the metal and sealed it shut with a hiss. The water stopped. Eris waded across the quieting pool and stood on the smooth tiles beside him. She did not say thank you. She took his hand. The swan's heart pulsed once behind them, steady now, as if the chamber itself had finally learned to breathe.