Page 107 of His Noble Ruin

The Enforcers stepped into deeper water and lifted their pistols toward the boat.

I took my chance and left the trees, running across the shore. I reached the water and dove in. The waves fought against me, but I pushed back harder. I held my breath and swam under, trying to remain invisible to the Enforcers. The saltwater stung my open eyes and I pushed against the dark rocky ground to move faster.

The muffled sound of gunshot forced me to lift my head out of the water. I pulled in a desperate breath and searched for Graham. The morning light revealed his shirtless figure climbing a rope ladder into the boat. The man up on deck had a ponytail.

I ducked back under and swam with all my strength, finally reaching the deeper water. Another gunshot renewed my fear and panic. I looked up again and saw that Graham had made it into the boat.

He was okay. For now.

Don’t stop. Just swim.

My clothes felt so heavy, pulling me, slowing me down. I had to get there before someone got shot. And especially before the other Enforcers on the island were lured by the sounds of a fight.

I swam on, lifting my head only for much-needed breaths.

A pistol cracked.

I kept swimming.

Just when I thought my arms and lungs couldn’t take any more, a large shadow loomed over my head. I lifted my head to see the boat right in front of me.

“There she is!” Graham shouted from the deck.

“Get to the other side!” Keane yelled.

I swam toward the dark hull, trying to find my way behind the boat, somewhere safe from the bullets.

Crack.

Another blast erupted from the pistol. I looked up to see it find its target. The figure behind Graham reeled and fell from the boat headfirst. He hit the water hard and the splash sprayed over me. He sank beneath the surface.

I dove again, this time toward him, but he was sinking fast. I kicked fiercely, deeper and deeper until I could hardly see. Then, finally, I felt an arm. I grabbed him around his waist and kicked up toward the sky, my heart pounding against the captive air in my chest.

I broke the surface and sucked in an urgent breath. The boy’s face came out of the water. The first thing I noticed was the patchy stubble on his chin. Then the eyes that stared unblinking at the sky. Then the blood. The side of his head flowed red.

A scream echoed through my ears and the taste of salt filled my mouth. Nevin slipped lower in my arms. I gripped him tighter, coughing the water from my lungs.

“Let him go!” Someone from the yelled. “He’s already—”

No!I didn’t have the breath to shout back, but I couldn’t let him go. I pulled him with me right up to the edge of the boat, the weight of his body dragging me down. My head went under again and I came up choking. I searched the side of the boat, but the ladder was gone.

Graham shouted from the deck. “She needs the ladder!”

Another angry shot fired, thudding into the hull above me.

The other side of the boat might as well have been miles away for all the strength I had. I still held tightly to Nevin.

The rope ladder splashed into the water beside me. I reached up and grasped it, my hand covered in Nevin’s blood.

“Pull us up!” The shriek that came from my mouth didn’t sound like my own.

“They’ll shoot!” Keane yelled.

My body began to seize in shock and panic. Even if I hadn’t been holding Nevin, I didn’t think I could stay afloat. A wave enveloped me and my hand nearly slipped off the rung.

“She’ll drown!” Graham shouted from above.

The ladder finally began to lift. I gripped it as tightly as I could, holding Nevin with my other arm. My knuckles went white and my arm struggled to hold the extra weight. Graham and Keane leaned over the side, ready to grab us.

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