Page 73 of The Luna Duet

The salt had taken my family.

It won’t take her too.

Kicking as fast as I could, ignoring the burning of my lungs, I grabbed the loose, algae-smeared net and slashed it as if it were my mortal enemy.

I hacked at the nylon as the current tried to trap me in it too.

Panic swirled in my fiery chest.

I grabbed Neri’s ankle and sliced away the strands.

I sliced as fast and as furiously as I could, hacking, sawing, noticing the turtle by Neri’s unconscious hand that’d already died thanks to the noose around its throat.

Fish dangled in the net, suffocated and gone.

Even pieces of bleached coral hung as if the net had dragged along the seafloor, scooping up its victims and keeping them as trophies.

My vision greyed around the edges as I fought the overwhelming urge to bolt for the surface.

Just a little more.

She’ll die if you don’t.

Brushing away the sliced net around her other leg, I wrapped my arm around Neri’s slender waist.

I went to kick.

The net washed around her shoulder, tangling in her hair.

Fuck!

Letting her go, I snatched it and hacked.

I kept hacking until there was no more net to trap her.

My entire body screamed for air.

I grabbed her wrist and swam.

I kicked and fought and howled as the surface seemed impossibly far.

Black dots danced on my vision as I shoved the knife into my waistband and put everything I fucking had into surviving.

I hadn’t been able to save my family.

I would die trying to save Neri.

She floated behind me, her hair obscuring her face as I burned and battled the urge to breathe.

I have to...

fucking...

breathe!

I crested the surface just as every organ snarled at me to inhale.

I gasped and choked, water streaming down my face as I sucked in lungfuls after lungfuls.

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