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The leader of the Eryr Eira strode forward, his armor clanking with each step. There was a sneer in his voice that got my back up.
“The prince demands an audience with the half-breed. Come quietly, or we will drag you to him in pieces.”
Somehow, the elite Fae fighting force had been a lot scarier when they’d been invisible. Now that I looked the man in the eyes, he was just another asshole. Sure, he was huge, dressed in weird clothes, and held a scary sword, but he was no different from the palace guards.
My anger rose like steam until my cheeks radiated heat, and I opened my mouth, ready to let him have it. But before I could spit something scathing, Dyf yanked me behind him. His muscles bunched as he dropped into a fighting stance.
A ripple of anticipation ran through the Eryr Eyra. They were ready to cut us down, even though we were unarmed. My hand rested on a craggy stone, and I curled my fingers around it. At least I could hurl something at the first hawk-face that came within range.
The leader scoffed. “You would throw your life away for this mongrel, fish-man? How pathetic.”
Who did he call a mongrel? My boiling rage hadn’t abated. Not hesitating any longer, I lifted the stone and hurled it as hard as I could.
Dyf shouted, “No!”
But it was too late. The missile caught the leader square in his smug face. He stumbled back with a shout, blood spurting from his nose. The soldiers stared at their commander with their mouths open. Then, as one, their angry faces turned toward me before surging forward.
Dyf yelled over the roaring of the river, “Into the water!”
Oh, crap. Miles upriver, the stream had been shallow, reaching to above my ankles. But as we’d traveled downstream, it had turned into a massive river with rapids and swirling currents. No way would I make it across.
He didn’t wait for an answer. Gripping my arm, he jumped off the embankment and waded into the roaring water with me in tow. I’d expected the freezing cold, but much worse was the pull as soon as we moved past the shallows. Soon, I fought to keep my footing as the current threatened to drag me under.
The necklace against my chest pulsated rhythmically, as if in synch with my frantic heartbeat. I grabbed it, drawing an unfamiliar comfort from the magical implement. Dyf held my hand and hauled me toward the middle of the river, plowing through the current like an unstoppable machine.
And then a wave caught me by surprise, pulling my feet out from under me. It tore me from Dyf’s grip, and for a moment, my head went under. Kicking, I managed to right myself while my arms thrashed to keep me above water.
“Swim, Beth,” Dyf called out. He didn’t seem to have any problems coursing through the water with steady pulls of his arms.
I, on the other hand, couldn’t feel my legs in the cold current. My head went under again, and this time, I swallowed water. Coughing and spluttering, I got back up above the surface.
“Dyf!” I shouted. “Help me!”
He turned back, grabbed my hands, and locked his ocean eyes with mine. “You are doing great. Look, we are halfway across the river already.”
His touch calmed me down, and I looked over his shoulder. He was right—the other side looked close enough to touch. There was no sign of our pursuers because the current had carried us downriver faster than a man could run.
I kicked my legs and pulled with my arms, again and again. The water wasn’t as choppy anymore, and it became easier to move. But I was so tired, my limbs felt like lead weight. Groaning, I put on a last effort, bringing me close enough to make out the details of cattails and willows at the riverbank.
And then something grabbed my legs and pulled me under. I yelped, and water filled my mouth and nose. Whatever it was, it was dragging me down.
Chapter twenty-one
BETH
Idesperatelyheldmybreath as panic seized me. Whatever had me didn’t let go. I kicked, and my foot connected with something solid. My head shot above the surface, and I pulled in a breath.
“Help! Dyf!”
Gasping for air, I searched for my companion. Water sloshed into my face, blinding me. I wiped it out of my eyes, but there was no sign of Dyf. My heart pounded in my chest, competing with my panting breaths. He’d left me, just like Daeary and Bleddyn. I was on my own.
I turned my head at a loud splash right next to me. The water of the Whispering River came alive, as if possessed by some malevolent force. I had little strength to fight back when grasping hands emerged from the depths and dragged me down.
My lungs burned, screaming for air as the creatures pulled me into the dark abyss. Their laughter streamed through the water like explosions of tinkling bubbles, taunting me about my futile struggle. The light from the surface dimmed, and despair took hold of me.
Where was Dyf? I thought he cared for me, but apparently, I was wrong. Or maybe they’d gotten him before me and he was already drowned on the river bed, the same place I was heading.
I choked back a sob as cruel laughter echoed through the darkness. Down here, the water was still, as if the turmoil above belonged to a different world. The pressure on my chest grew the deeper they pulled me.
