I jerked at the contact. “What are you—”
His fingers squeezed. “Hold still.” He looped a strip of leather about my wrist. A set of shearers hung from one end of it. “The blades are strong,” he said. “They’ll slice through the kelp like ribbons . . . and anything else you might come across.”
I winced but uttered no complaint as he tightened the strap around my wrist. His gaze moved from me to the water. I tossed the shears once in my hand, catching them. I clenched the worn leather, flexing my fingers around the grip.
I followed his gaze to the water, his earlier comment not lost on me. “What else might I come across?” I asked.
He stared at me again, his expression mild. “We’re not the only ones who like to feed on the kelp.”
A bleak smile twisted my lips and a short bark of laughter escaped me. Perhaps I had uttered a lie to Luna after all. Perhaps surviving the lake wouldn’t be the simple matter I insisted.
“You find that amusing?” Glagos murmured.
“That I would survive this long only to die swimming in a lake for kelp? Yes. It’s amusing.”
The young boy tossed me the net. I caught it in one hand. “Don’t forget that. You’ll need it.”
I looped the strap over my head and across my chest, securing the net at my hip, testing the opening where I would stuff the kelp.
I looked at Glagos. “It might help if I had an idea of what I’m up against?”
“Hard to say. Since the dark-out, the lake life has evolved to survive.”
“Haven’t we all?” I muttered dryly.
The boy nodded. “The eels are particularly nasty. Big as a boat, some of them. But you’ll see them coming at least.” He laughed. “They make this popping sound followed by bursts of light.”
Splashing could be heard in the distance as the other divers hit the water. I exhaled and studied the shore. The horizon bounced before my eyes as the boat bobbed. I’d promised her I’d be back tomorrow.
Almost in reminder, I spotted several dark dwellers trudging along the edge of the lake, their hunger a palpable thing as they looked in our direction, no doubt drawn by the lights of the lanterns. They stood sentinel, their bodies pale smudges against the dark.
As long as they stood there, we weren’t getting off this lake until next midlight. Gazing out at the dwellers, I vowed that this wouldn’t be a pointless risk. Leaving Luna. Coming out here. I wasn’t leaving Ortley without the necessary supplies.
I faced Glagos again. “I’m ready.”
“Here.” I took the contraption he offered me, turning it over in my hands. It resembled a pair of spectacles except with a leather strap that went around my head. “It’s dark down there,” he explained. “Darker than it is up here, but occasionally an eel will offer you a flash of light. When that happens these will help you see.” I tapped the edge of one lens.
“Tortoiseshell,” Glagos added. “Should keep water from leaking in and allow you to see.”
I tugged them on, wincing at the tight and uncomfortable fit around my eyes.
“Once you fill your net, we’ll be ready at the side of the boat to swap it out for a new one. The more you haul, the more you keep. Good luck.”
With a nod, I swung a leg over the side. I plunged into the frigid depths, opening my mouth wide in shock. Water filled my throat and nose. Bad idea. I broke the surface, sputtering and choking on the silty water.
Glagos peered over the edge. “Thought you could swim.”
“I can,” I gasped, swimming in place, still adjusting to the shocking cold.
“Swimmers usually don’t swallow the lake.”
The boy shooed his hand at me. “Go on, get to work.”
I glared at the little runt and resumed swimming. It didn’t take long to feel the silky tendrils of kelp that grew up from the depths of the lake bed brushing my bare feet. Readying my shears, I sucked in a breath and went under, headfirst.
I found a long rope of kelp and wrapped it around my fist, following it down until my lungs ached for air. When I couldn’t stay under another minute I cut the taut length of vine and broke through the surface, tossing back my head.
Sweet air filled my lungs as I stuffed the kelp into my bag, legs working under me to keep afloat. Something gossamer soft brushed my arm, and I tensed, slowing my tread. I studied the lake’s surface as though I could see within.
A sharp burst of pain flared along my side, and I whirled around in a quick circle in the water, attempting to escape it. “Ow! What was that?”
“Oh, did I mention the carp? They’ve developed a taste for flesh,” Glagos called down at me from the boat, an edge of annoyance to his voice, as though this shouldn’t give me pause.
I pressed a hand to my ribs, feeling a chunk of skin missing there.