Chapter 33 · Harpooned from the Sky

"Get off her!" Cassian drove his shoulder into the deck as the magnetic harpoon slammed through the iron plating beside Lyra's head.

The impact threw sparks across her face. Her blindfold had torn loose, and one silver-gray eye stared past him without seeing anything. The other eye was shut tight against the shower of hot metal.

"Cassian," she said, calm enough to make him want to shake her. "The upper hull just locked to something."

"You noticed?"

"I felt the ship scream."

A second harpoon punched through the deck behind them.

The whole submarine jerked sideways. Cassian's cheek hit the floor. Lyra slid three feet toward the open maintenance trench, her fingers scraping for a grip on the ridged steel.

He caught her wrist.

The pull nearly tore his shoulder out.

"Let go," she snapped.

"No."

"You'll go over with me."

"Then stop making stupid suggestions."

Above them, the hull groaned. Magnetic chains tightened with a deep, ugly thump. Their submarine had breached the surface only minutes ago, but the sky-dreadnought had found them before the crew could seal the outer vents.