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“Which one’s higher?” Daria asked. “That’s our choice.”
Charlie memorized the look of the area, drew a map in his head, and climbed back down. Whispered voices heightened in volume and it registered that two among the group were fighting again—and it didn’t take a genius to surmise who the two were.
“What’s wrong with you? Are you scared of a little rain this time?”
“It’s not that. There is something here. You need to release me.”
“If that’s your ploy to get out of your binds, then it’s not working.”
“I’m serious. Release me now.”
“I won’t fall for—”
Something struck the water and splashed it everywhere. The force of it sent them either stumbling back or flying. Then Diego was yanked down with a force that had him yelping, his eyes locked on Riva. Horror coated Riva’s expression before she dived in and the two disappeared. Before Oscar and Daria could dive in, too, Sona and Charlie were on them, seizing them and dragging them back.
“No. We have to go,” Sona hissed. Her scales were all over the place, glittering on her body and making her act all jerky. “Run!”
Charlie snapped into motion, half in bear form as he heaved Daria up and cut his way across the water. The current around them was still slow, but slivers of force interrupted it now and then, circling them like crazy. When one abruptly halted and made a beeline towards them, he pushed Daria up and off him.
“Jump! Branch on top of you.”
She sailed gracefully in the air, grabbed the branch, and landed on her face with a groan. He whirled to face the raging water, but scales wrapped around his waist and plucked him up until he was dangling in the air. He fought it, claws ready to strike, then heard the hiss beside him.
“Don’t hurt me. I’m on your side.”
Charlie ogled Sona, who was already on another branch with Oscar secure beside her. Her lower half had returned to its snake-like state and lifted Charlie further. A glance at Daria determined she was all right, so he shook his head.
“No. Lower me to the water.”
“Are you insane?” Sona asked.
“He can be, but he’s not insane now,” Daria said, already understanding. “Lower him.”
Sona looked at them like they were indeed insane, but something in his eyes must have convinced her enough. Deftly, she hung on to more branches while Oscar hung on to her and lowered Charlie back until his ankles were submerged in water. He stayed still and was left alone, but a few jiggles of his feet had movement starting all over again. One line became two, then more, and he spotted one already growing wilder than the rest. It surged up in the blink of an eye, then returned to the water.
“It’s them. We have to get them.”
“Then get them,” Daria snapped.
The calmer lines went to strike while Charlie shouted.
“Up!”
Sona jerked him up and he watched two yellowish orbs peeking from the water before returning under. Tension wrought his body, ready to swing if the creature leaped up, but it didn’t. He asked to be lowered once more and tested it out two more times, this time swinging from side to side while being held from above with more rigidity. He glanced at Daria, her eyes white as snow and body as rigid as his state. Her energy thrummed on his feet.
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched a head bob up and thrash about before the vampire wrenched up Riva’s unconscious head above the water. Blood streaked the vampire’s face and bubbles surrounded them before a long, scaly creature emerged. Motionless, it floated, creating a frenzy around them that sounded like agony—and fury.
“Swim to me,” he called out. When Diego remained dazed, he whistled. “Diego!”
The vampire’s gaze snapped up, widening. He dove under with Riva, resurfacing past the dead, floating creature and cutting his way toward Charlie. Splashing sounds started to their right while Oscar yelled indignantly.
“Hey, monstrous beasts! Come get these delicious stones.”
The male human had managed to switch branches and was throwing smaller branches into the water and creating ripple after ripple. Somehow, it worked as a few of the raging lines turned abruptly to chase after the ripples, but two remained on Diego’s tail. When they were close, Charlie shouted one last time.
“Dunk me whole. Then lift me fast.”
There was no time to check the top viewers’ reactions or second-guess himself. The moment he was dunked, he reached out, gripped clothes and bodies, then held on tight as they were lifted out of the water. They wobbled dangerously in the air, then were just hanging there and flopping. Sona hissed and grunted, her hold wavering, but a burst of energy caressed them from the bottom and swung them.Daria.
