“Wait—where’s the python’s body?” Lily gasped, staring at the empty shore.
“Probably eaten by scavengers,” Jackson said calmly, as though the sight no longer surprised him.
“So… why did we come here again?” Lily asked uneasily, her eyes fixed on the still, glassy surface of the lake. The memory of yesterday’s chaos still made her skin crawl.
Jackson turned back to look at her. She was standing nearly thirty feet away from the water’s edge. He chuckled. “Why are you standing so far away?”
Lily scratched her cheek awkwardly. “I just… don’t want to get too close to it.”
“Suit yourself,” Jackson said with a shrug. “Wait here. I’m going in to take a look.”
“What? That’s too dangerous! Captain, don’t!” Lily’s fear overrode her hesitation. She ran forward to stop him as he kicked off his sh
