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Every instinct screamed at me that this was the end.
I screamed but my chest was so tight it only came out as a faint whimper.
His arms tightened around me, and I could see the focus etched on his face. “Hold on!” he shouted over the rush of the wind.
Below us, the river was rapidly approaching.
I couldn’t keep my eyes open, could barely even make narrow slits, the press of wind was so strong.
As we fell, fell, fell, gravity pulled on us with even greater resolve.
Then, holding what little breath I still had in my body, Jayas slammed feet-first into the river’s surface.
* * *
The rush of cold water hit me like a tidal wave, taking the breath right out of me.
Jayas’s grip was the only thing anchoring me to reality as we sank into the depths of the river.
All around us, bubbles and froth blurred my vision, but I could see the rippling sunlight from above.
Jayas propelled us forward with strong strokes, his powerful, scaled arms cutting through the water.
As we surfaced, he kept a firm hold on me, ensuring I could breathe.
The current was stronger than it had appeared from the cliff, and the river’s pull threatened to sweep us away.
We floated downstream, letting the current do most of the work.
My heart raced as I realized that Jayas was swimming us towards the riverbank, but the force of the water had other plans.
It tore me from his grasp, and I was carried further downstream, my limbs flailing in a desperate attempt to fight the current.
“Jayas!” I screamed, the name ripped from my lungs by the force of the water.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a shadow slam into the water’s surface behind us.
Another alien male.
Panic flooded me.
He had decided to take the leap and join the pursuit.
Jayas seemed to have sensed the same danger.
With a determination I hadn’t seen before, he swam against the current, battling his way back to me.
His muscles strained, and every ounce of his strength was used to close the gap between us.
As he reached out for me, another danger became painfully clear.
The alien male that had jumped wasdesignedfor the water.
He moved with a grace and fluidity akin to sharks or killer whales back on Earth, closing in on us with every stroke.
“Aurora! Swim!” Jayas shouted, his voice desperate.
But the currents toyed with me, spinning me in wild circles and tossing me like a leaf in the wind.
