“You are doing fine.”
Colyne’s voice reached her from somewhere in the distance. A gust of wind pummelled her body and merged with the storm building in her ears.Focus, she ordered herself. But her eyes refused, and then her body started to shake.
And the world began to fade.
“Colyne!”
At the panic in her voice, Colyne leaned to the side until he could see her face. Her skin had grown chalky white. “Marie? Marie, look at me!”
She didna respond.
“Hold on. I am coming up.”
Above him, her body sagged.
Why had he listened to her? He never should have allowed her to attempt to climb down. As he started to cradle her body against his, her right hand lost its grip; she fell.
Colyne caught her hand.
Barely.
Now dead weight, she dangled at the end of his arm. The muscles in his injured shoulder screamed as he strained to keep hold. “Marie?”
“Colyne?”
At her weak whisper, his heart pounded. “Do nae move!” His grip on her was precarious at best.
A thump sounded near the hatch above. Another bump echoed inside the hull farther away.
The guards must be searching each crate. Thank God they’d nae made it back and tried to hide.
Marie moaned. Then, as if becoming aware of her precarious position, with her free hand she lunged for the rope.
The ladder lurched violently to the left.
“Colyne!” She clawed for a better grasp. “I cannot hold on!”
Her fingers within his slipped. “Stay still!”
Raw terror filled her eyes. “I am losing you!”
To brace himself, Colyne jammed his boot against the side of the rung. With the ladder swinging wildly, he missed. Off balance, he lunged to catch a rung as he fought to keep hold of Marie.
Her arm flailed. On a wild grab, her free hand caught his leg.
The ladder twisted violently.
Colyne lost his grip. Air, sharp with the tang of salt, rushed down his throat as he plunged straight down, Marie falling at his side.
“Help me!” she screamed.
“Keep hold of my hand when we—”
Cold water enveloped them with a roar, the force tearing her away. Bubbles streamed around him in a sheet of broken white and erased her from his view.
Colyne used his hands to slow his descent and then kicked to propel himself up. Water exploded around him as he surfaced. Gasping for breath, he scanned the blur of waves building beneath the wind’s brisk flow.
Where was she?
