Ethan's eyebrow twitched as he watched Blackie vanish beneath the surface of the lake.
He considered it for half a second, no more, then plunged in after him. He had already completed his own trial, and if that damn feathered bastard was allowed to enter, then there was no reason he could not do the same. This was not about stealing Blackie's reward or interfering with his outcome. He simply wanted to see. He wanted to know whether the prize waiting below was identical to the one he had received.
From above, the lake looked like a slab of black glass. Beneath the surface, however, the water was astonishingly clear, clear enough that Ethan immediately spotted Blackie thrashing around like he had fallen into the wrong end of a nightmare. Ethan kicked forward and reached him in moments.
"Quit fighting it," Ethan said calmly. "The good stuff's down there."
