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“I happen to like the girl. I saved her once from you, didn’t I?” He grinned.
Fair enough.Hades didn’t have time for William’s prattling; he urged the horse to a canter and followed after the disappearing figures of Sal and Eloise.
Sal was moving toward the Thames. There must have been a boat waiting for him to escape. There could be no other place for him to go to. Everywhere else he’d be caught way too easily. The streets were narrow, and Hades grazed his knees against the brick buildings as he cantered after Sal.
For a moment, Hades lost Sal and Eloise. He panicked, urging the horse to go faster. He reached the docks and looked around. His horse puffed impatiently and stomped in place.
Where in the hell did they go?
A boat pushed off the dock, catching Hades’ attention. He jumped off the horse and ran toward it. Damn it! Why was he taking Eloise with him?
Hades reached the bank and trained his gun on the boat. There was no way he was making a clean shot. He cursed in frustration.
“Sal!” he screamed.
Both people in the boat turned to look at him.
“Keyon!” Eloise yelped and in the next moment, Sal threw her overboard.
Hades ran into the water and dove in just as the shot rang out.
Where had that shot come from? Who were they shooting at? Hades did not know, nor did he care.
He broke the surface, his eyes on Eloise. She held on top of the water for a few moments before disappearing below. Her petticoats were probably weighing her down. She resurfaced again for a brief moment before being pulled down. Hades dived again, splitting the water with his strokes and propelling himself forward.
Hades resurfaced, hoping to see Eloise floating nearby, but she was nowhere to be seen. He dove again, looking for her body in the murky water. He continued diving in and out, searching for any sign of Eloise to no avail.
Cold overtook his limbs, making it difficult to move. His clothing weighed him down, and his tired mind was begging for him to give up.
If Eloise dies, what do I have to lose?
He kicked his feet and floated to the surface, gulping the air. It was not the time to give up. Not yet. Not until he saw her lifeless body with his own eyes. He had no right to give up on her until then.
He disappeared below the surface one more time. This time, he noticed something light floating below. He swam closer, relief overtaking him. It was Eloise.
But relief quickly turned into concern, as she didn’t move.
He grabbed her by the waist and held her close to him as he propelled them up. He broke the surface, frantically breathing in the air. However, Eloise still hung lifelessly in his arms.
Hades moved toward the dock, silently begging for Eloise to wake up. He couldn’t lose her. Not now. He had just found her.
Garric and William grabbed Eloise and tugged her onto the dock as Hades reached them. He quickly climbed up and scrambled toward Eloise.
“I shot the bastard,” Garric said. “‘E fell off the boat and never resurfaced. I’m certain ‘e’s dead.”
Hades nodded without looking up at Garric. Sal had gotten what he deserved, but that did not interest him anymore. He needed Eloise alive.
He lay her gently on the dock and patted her, looking for her pulse, begging her to breathe. But it seemed like he’d been too late, yet again.
“No,” he whispered. “You cannot leave me like this.”
“Try breathing into her,” William said.
“What?” Hades turned toward him.
“She needs air, but she can’t get it because of all the water, so you need to breathe into her.” He grimaced. “Look, I told you I have a friend who was in L’Académie des Sciences. He said that you can breathe life back into people who’ve drowned.”
Hades turned back to Eloise, watching her lifeless features.
