I attempted to sink out of Desdemona"s grasp, but she had the hair on top of my head in her iron grip. Spots appeared and spread in front of my eyes, the blooming fungus of impending unconsciousness. I attempted to access my water elemental powers, but the neutral liquid in the crypt pools didn"t respond to magic. With my last reserve of strength, I grabbed her wrist, then kicked off from the side of the pool and flipped her in. She let go, and I grasped the pool"s lip and hoisted myself into the air.
I coughed the water from my lungs in a few searing bubbles, then laid my head against the side of the pool. Strong hands grasped mine and lifted me so I could flop out of the pool and on to the stone floor.
"You weren"t supposed to almost drown her," a familiar voice said from above me.
"Y
