13
Mila and Ekon sat on the edge of a pool at the back of the cave. It had clearly been formed by ancient tools, each inch of hard-won stone carved by those who spent their lives in the dark, the sound of metal on stone ringing in their ears.
“Have you been down there before?” Mila asked.
“Many times.” Ekon ran his hand over the stone and into the water, his flesh shimmering, turning to liquid as he touched it. There was evident pleasure on his face, a sense of longing for the deep that Mila recognized. On Earthside, she fought the urge to swim, to call on her water magic and sink into the canal or the river or the ocean, because each time she used it, she exchanged a piece of herself with the shadow. But now, she could give in to her desire, sink into the blue, become one with the wave
