Botanicaust

into the depths of the lake many times. He was an excellent swimmer. With the straw to breathe, he could wait out the burn operation. And if she turned herself in, maybe they ’ d finish flashing all that much sooner.
    She heard a whoosh of flame just before it singed the back of her hair. Levi grabbed her around the waist and launched backward into the water. Water filled her nose. She struggled, panic filling her as Levi ’ s powerful kicking carried them past the weeds, deeper into the lake.
    He released his grip and she flailed and sputtered. Her head broke the surface — a single gasp of air, and under again. She scrabbled at his leg as she sank, but couldn ’ t find a grip.
    In the city, she ’ d never learned to swim. Now, she clawed the water, biting the straw as if it were a lifeline, but only sucked in more water. Above her, the sunlight filtering through the lake backlit Levi ’ s treading feet.
    The slimy caress of weeds grappled her legs. Water burned her eyes. The light on the surface grew dimmer. Her feet hit the bottom. Thank God. She pushed off, reaching for the light, straw forgotten. Levi ’ s legs drew closer. She could almost touch him. Almost . She strained upward. Her momentum slowed. She thrashed, stretching for the surface as the light once again drew away.
    Her flailing twisted her end over end. Unable to right herself, she ended up head down facing weeds. Lungs about to burst, a tiny scream of bubbles escaped her lips. I ’ m going to die . No matter how she struggled, the surface remained out of reach. Her grasping hands shoved at weeds, tearing them from their roots, and the water buoyed her like a bit of flotsam. Through the swaying mass of leaves, she couldn ’ t find bottom. Sparks of light flashed around the edges of her vision.

    Levi tread water, sucking painfully small draughts of air through the straw. Orange light flickered through the water from all angles, and the fire ’ s muted roar vibrated beneath the surface. Hopefully the noise covered their initial splashing. Did these Blattvolk truly intend to destroy everything in sight? Just to keep him from escaping?
    He kicked harder to keep his head from hitting the surface. Treading water at this level was difficult, and he wondered how Tula was doing. He glanced about, but didn ’ t see her. The pool wasn ’ t large enough for her to be out of his sight. Had she turned herself in? The idea curdled his stomach. The air through the straw drew even tighter. A shadow at his feet caught his attention. He glanced down and saw Tula ’ s face rise toward him, straining toward the light, then in wide-eyed terror, sink.
    She can ’ t swim.
    Panic filled him. Why had he assumed she could swim? His throat and lungs ached from straining for breath, but he sucked hard on the straw one more time and then dove. She floundered upside down among the weeds, muck from the bottom drifting around her. An explosion of bubbles erupted from her mouth at the same moment her eyes met his. He watched the involuntary intake of water as her body demanded air.
    When he reached her, she clamped her arms around his neck in a death-lock. His legs churned water and he pried at her arms with one hand as he tried to propel them toward what he hoped was the safety of the bulrushes. His vision blurred as she choked off the blood supply to his head. Trying to remain calm himself , he seized her face in one hand to turn her to look at him. Her eyes rolled back into her head and fluttered closed.
    Grasping her wrist, he powered toward the edge of the pond. No time to worry about being seen. Darkness clouded his vision as he battled the compulsion to take a breath.
    His toes churned the muddy bottom as his head shot above the surface. Air burst from his lungs, and the sudden influx of air seared his throat. Debris littered the top of the water, and Tula floated beside him, face down. He lifted her head above water and bobbed closer to shore, gasping in the charred air.
    Between the blackened stalks of water-soaked bulrushes, the shoreline crackled with orange light. Ash filtered down like snow. Black smoke obliterated the blue sky.
    A voice from shore called a command that sounded like, “ Let ’ s go! ” Levi froze. A knifing cramp between his ribs doubled him over, but he held tight to Tula ’ s limp body, keeping her head up. Was she breathing? Even above the surface, the air seemed sparse.
    A clatter came from the rocks and he squinted against the