CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
Calista
The rain felt incredible after suffocating in the stifling humidity. Muck from the swampy marsh dripped off in clumps, blooping into the deeper water filling the corridor. I pulled on the vines that shackled me to the wall. It no longer reminded me of Astaroth, rather it reminded me too much of the sticky web I fell into and cocooned myself in trying to escape desiccation. I could still feel the coarse, barbed hairs on the spider’s legs as it crawled over me, probably because they were sticking out of my skin like a pin cushion. I shivered, expending the last of my adrenaline, and sagged against the wall, thankful that human-sized spiders didn’t exist on Earth. It would be safe to say the majority of humanity would consider it grounds for Armageddon and set the world on fire. I thought I had escaped until I sunk into the quicksand and slowly made my way acrossthe pit. Who knew that giant spiders could walk on water without sinking? Not me. I was certain I had the upper hand, but it was on top of me before I could move even a foot in any direction, flinging its thick hairs at me.
The vines loosened, and I splashed into the thigh-high water, almost losing my footing. I plucked one of the pesky needles from my neck with a wince. Hair splinters. I was covered in them. They pulled uncomfortably against the skin on my legs as I struggled to move through the water. Instead, I focused on getting the ones off my upper body. Itchy red bumps decorated my arms and chest like a bad case of chiggers. No matter how much I scratched, I couldn’t reach the itch deep in my skin. The rain only made it worse.
“Where did the realm take you?” Astaroth’s voice echoed in my head.
I focused on the song and started humming to block him out. The more he talked, the louder I sang until I felt his fury thrumming through me, along with the sky rumbling. I couldn’t move quickly in the water. It was almost to my waist now and walking through it was zapping the last of my energy. Swimming was the only option if I wanted to stay ahead of him. With a push, I frog swam down the corridor, listening for direction as the downpour splashed water in my face.
After making it a way, I flipped onto my back and searched for Astaroth. When the lightning flickered in the sky, I spotted him atop a wall further back, shoulders hunched to the shower of rain as he stalked me. Of course, he would find an easier way while I struggled. I tried to push off the ground for momentum, but was shocked to find it was deeper, nearly coming to my chest. At this pace, he wouldn’t have to jump down when he found me. I’d float right up to him.
I took a deep breath and dropped below the surface. The deafening rain dulled to a soothing roar, allowing me to hearthe realm sing. Like in the frigid arctic waters, its resonance was eerie and ubiquitous.
Right.
Kicking my feet, I put my hands out and felt for the wall and an opening and almost missed it. There was a slight current now, making it difficult to maneuver. Vines wrapped around my arms and pulled me through. A moment of panic overwhelmed me when they didn’t release me immediately, but they let go as I drifted farther along. I did my best to follow the song since I couldn’t pinpoint where it was, bobbing to the surface frequently for air before descending into the watery soundscape. It was quickly overpowered by the rush of the water.
Worried, I planted my feet and stood to get air. The water rushed against me at neck level. Astaroth leaped from one wall to another bringing him closer to the corridor I was in. I continued with my head above water so I could keep track of him. One moment he was there, the next he was gone. I floated on my back until I caught sight of him pulling himself on top of the wall where I was.
I took off, swimming as fast as my weak limbs could propel me. When I looked over my shoulder, Astaroth was running along the wall to catch up. My heart skipped wildly, giving me another dose of adrenaline I needed to get away. I dove and kicked and listened for direction, but I could barely hear the song. It sounded like the music that would keep me awake at night when I tried to sleep but was really only playing in my mind.
Please, I’m so close, I thought to myself as I surfaced.
The water moved faster, shoving me off my feet and along the corridor. A deep vibration made me look back. Astaroth paused for a second before blipping along the slick wall at breakneck speed, shouting my name.
A massive tsunami like wave crashed around the corner headed straight for me. I searched for an opening but couldn’t stay close enough to the wall. The pressure of its arrival kicked the current up and kept pulling me under. Astaroth dove ahead of the wave, using the momentum to get to me. His arm wrapped under my breasts and pulled me up. I sputtered and choked as I clawed at his shoulders for leverage.
“Hold still.”
He spun me back around and tried to shield me, but not before I saw the tower of water crashing down on us. Astaroth locked his limbs around me as the current forced us into the undertow. We toppled in the water, banging against the bricks around us. One second, he was wrapped tightly around me, the next I couldn’t feel him at all as I fought the current. I couldn’t tell which way was up or down at first, but when the sky lit up, I kicked my way to the surface.
The air nearly seized my begging lungs with each gasp. Walls rushed past as the flood whooshed me through the corridors. If I didn’t want to drown, I needed to get out of this raging river. The next time the water sucked me around the wall, I grasped onto a vine and began pulling myself up. I couldn’t do it in gym class, and I couldn’t do it now with how slimy they were. I wrapped it around my wrist and tried again. It moved and started to pull me farther up until I gripped the top of the wall. Panting, I hoisted myself onto my elbows and kicked my leg up several times before I caught the ledge with my toe. I laid there, thankful for a strip of land, even if it was only two feet wide.
Run.
I raised my aching neck, wondering which way, and knew exactly where to go. The opposite direction from Astaroth jumping walls to reach me. My jello legs didn’t want to cooperate. They shook as I got my footing.
“Don’t you dare move,” he growled in my head.
I wasn’t listening to him. I was already shuffling along the top of the wall, trying to keep my balance as the flood swept by on both sides of me.
Faster.
I took a deep breath, focused on the wall ahead instead of the water below, and forced myself to run.
“I will lock you up until you forget who you are!”
His declaration ripped open a piece of me I hadn’t reconciled with yet. The heart of the young girl inside me loved him unconditionally and promised him forever. A forever of forevers with a monster. Tears blurred my vision and were washed away by the rain that threatened to destroy us.
Thunder rolled above as he gave chase. I could feel his intensity and promise thudding closer. He would do exactly what he said. Astaroth was done with my resistance. Now, he was going to do it his way. That terrified me.
The hairs on my body rose and my ears clogged as the air charged around me. I pushed harder and debated on jumping in the water, but I wasn’t the tallest target on this wall. He was. Then it struck, bright and white and blinding with a painful, whip-like crack of pressure that popped my eardrums. The wall shuddered, and I stumbled to my knees. Behind me, the stone crumbled to bits and disappeared in the flood as easily as my tears vanished in the rain.
Astaroth skidded to a halt, arms out to balance himself. The disbelief on his face spoke volumes. He backed up, but I didn’t wait to see if he cleared the chasm. The wall shook and that was enough to push me on. It split beneath my feet, the crack spreading faster than I could run. The entire wall was going to fall. I glanced back at Astaroth trying to make ground, but the wall fell apart beneath him with every step he took until the water swallowed him again.
The corner column loomed ahead. Regardless of his comment, guilt ate at me for leaving Astaroth behind after he saved me from the tidal wave. He was fae. Strong and resilient. He could survive almost everything. I couldn’t, and yet I’d made it this far. I wasn’t stopping until I made it home. Kaiden will help me come up with a game plan. We’d find Gina and defeat Astaroth.
