Page 33 of Little Shake of Salt

Marina’s bright hair suddenly surfaced and she held up her hand, the ring glinting in her grip.

“Get out of here!Marina!” I screamed.

They couldn’t see her—they couldn’t see her so if she was in the way?—

Panic gripped me, icy and unrelenting as I heard thethumpof the harpoon cannon. It hit the water right next to her and her scream split the air, her head bobbing back down.

No, no, no?—

I climbed up onto the rail, but a firm hand gripped my ankle. Ed was suddenly next to me, his face full of panic.

“I have to go!” I yelled.

Marina had been hit by the harpoon. Every muscle in my body strained, my heart pounding a thousand miles per hour. He didn’t understand that I had to get down there. I had to get to my mate.

“What the fuck are you doing? Get down?—”

The boat swayed again as a loud cracking sound seemed to split the earth. I took Ed’s momentary panic as my chance, and jumped off the side of our boat without a second thought.

I heard their shouts as my body plunged straight into the cold water. Blood clouded around me as I opened my eyes, surrounded by a school of fish, their bodies darting away. I looked down, seeing Marina sinking toward darkness.

No.I surfaced to suck in a breath and then dove back down, kicking with all of my might to swim toward her. The harpoon had pierced her tail, and she wasn’t responsive.

Marina.

I had to get to her. I had to get to my mate.

What if I never got to tell her how much I loved her?

What if I never got to tell her how much she meant to me?

What if she dies?

My lungs burned as I swam deeper and deeper, reaching for her. But she was heavier than me, and sinking fast.

I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t give up.

I could hear the thunder above, the world shaking. Marina’s blood stained the water, and my thoughts started to spiral.

If I didn’t get to her, I was going to drown.

Please . . .

Marina . . .

10 /BLOOD IN THE WATER

Marina

I groaned as I came to, my head throbbing.

A fucking swordfish had body-slammed me right as that harpoon pierced my tail, and it’d knocked me clean out. I winced as I looked down at my tail, sitting up. I was perched on a rocky ledge with scrapes along my back, but I was fine. A harpoon of this size was annoying, but not powerful enough to cause me long-term harm.

I ripped the sharp barb out of my tail and swatted the piece away, baring my teeth as blood billowed from the wound. It was already healing quickly, at least.

But Demi . . .

“Fuck,” I rasped.