Read Online Fairest 02 - The Frog Prince by Adrianne Brooks - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Adrianne Brooks
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herself afloat. She could see Chris floundering a few feet away and she swam towards him. Her hands brushed his before ropy strands of green hair slithered around his throat and pulled him under the water. Rachel took a deep breath and went in after him. The water stung her eyes, but didn’t prevent her from seeing the mermaid in all her fury. Her hair had come loose from its braid and Rachel reared back as the strands whipped through the water. Not hair, but a writhing mass of snakes, their eyes just as black and pitiless as those of their mistress. They wrapped around Chris, dragging them in the mermaid’s wake as she swam deeper and deeper. If Rachel didn’t act quickly, Chris would be dragged into the black depths and there would be no saving him.
Rachel swam to him, dodging the coiling green snakes that bit and hissed at her as she fought to get past them. One of them managed to bite her and she cried out before she remembered that she couldn’t afford to lose the air. She slid past the scaly guards and grabbed onto Chris just as the mermaid’s momentum would have pulled him past her. Wrapping her legs around his waist freed up her hands so that she could try and pull the snakes from around his neck. Her nails bit into their thick skin, and she gritted her teeth and tugged with all of her strength until she’d managed to drag them away. The problem was that as soon as she got rid of some, dozens more would swoop in to take their place. Rachel could feel her lungs straining as her air began to run out and her struggle with the snakes became frenzied.
Chris managed to work one of his arms free from the serpents that had coiled around his waist, and he helped her as best he could, but it was all too obvious that they wouldn’t be able to fight them all off. Not before the mermaid managed to pull him to the floor of the lake. Not before they both ran out of air.
Not before they died.
She should leave him.
There went that thought again.
It would be the sensible thing to do. The mermaid didn’t seem interested in her, after all. She could just float back to the surface and get away while the creature was distracted with Chris. But the same thing that had kept her with him so far kept her right where she was.
Black spots danced in her vision and she almost missed the look of horror that crossed Chris’s face as he looked over her shoulder. Rachel turned to find that the mermaid had turned to investigate. Her face was twisted in an inhuman rage and she reached out taloned claws for the two of them as she covered the distance. She must have realized that something was trying to help her prey get loose, so she’d glanced back to see what was going on. Feeling desperate, Rachel reached into her pocket. Their pack had been tossed into the water and had sunk to the bottom a long time ago. She didn’t have a weapon on her and her hands wouldn’t do much good against the butcher knives mer-girl was sporting as nails. So, unable to think of another alternative, Rachel grabbed for the fairy dust in her pocket.
She struggled with the string closing the pouch for precious seconds, and just as she felt claws brush through her curly mass of hair, the leather sack parted and glittering particles drifted up from its mouth to surround her in a cloud. Her lungs, already pushed past their breaking point, finally gave up the ghost and she opened her mouth in an instinctive search for oxygen. Instead water rushed in. Darkness stole over her and Rachel knew no more.
***
When Chris finally opened his eyes he was glad to find the water gone as well as all the creatures that had come with it. The maze was back to normal, if much soggier than before and he groaned as he sat up, his back wet with mud. His body ached like a bitch and he glanced over to find Rachel passed out face first in the dirt. He cursed softly and went to her, turning her over onto her side. He lifted her arm over her head to help her breathe easier and
Rachel swam to him, dodging the coiling green snakes that bit and hissed at her as she fought to get past them. One of them managed to bite her and she cried out before she remembered that she couldn’t afford to lose the air. She slid past the scaly guards and grabbed onto Chris just as the mermaid’s momentum would have pulled him past her. Wrapping her legs around his waist freed up her hands so that she could try and pull the snakes from around his neck. Her nails bit into their thick skin, and she gritted her teeth and tugged with all of her strength until she’d managed to drag them away. The problem was that as soon as she got rid of some, dozens more would swoop in to take their place. Rachel could feel her lungs straining as her air began to run out and her struggle with the snakes became frenzied.
Chris managed to work one of his arms free from the serpents that had coiled around his waist, and he helped her as best he could, but it was all too obvious that they wouldn’t be able to fight them all off. Not before the mermaid managed to pull him to the floor of the lake. Not before they both ran out of air.
Not before they died.
She should leave him.
There went that thought again.
It would be the sensible thing to do. The mermaid didn’t seem interested in her, after all. She could just float back to the surface and get away while the creature was distracted with Chris. But the same thing that had kept her with him so far kept her right where she was.
Black spots danced in her vision and she almost missed the look of horror that crossed Chris’s face as he looked over her shoulder. Rachel turned to find that the mermaid had turned to investigate. Her face was twisted in an inhuman rage and she reached out taloned claws for the two of them as she covered the distance. She must have realized that something was trying to help her prey get loose, so she’d glanced back to see what was going on. Feeling desperate, Rachel reached into her pocket. Their pack had been tossed into the water and had sunk to the bottom a long time ago. She didn’t have a weapon on her and her hands wouldn’t do much good against the butcher knives mer-girl was sporting as nails. So, unable to think of another alternative, Rachel grabbed for the fairy dust in her pocket.
She struggled with the string closing the pouch for precious seconds, and just as she felt claws brush through her curly mass of hair, the leather sack parted and glittering particles drifted up from its mouth to surround her in a cloud. Her lungs, already pushed past their breaking point, finally gave up the ghost and she opened her mouth in an instinctive search for oxygen. Instead water rushed in. Darkness stole over her and Rachel knew no more.
***
When Chris finally opened his eyes he was glad to find the water gone as well as all the creatures that had come with it. The maze was back to normal, if much soggier than before and he groaned as he sat up, his back wet with mud. His body ached like a bitch and he glanced over to find Rachel passed out face first in the dirt. He cursed softly and went to her, turning her over onto her side. He lifted her arm over her head to help her breathe easier and
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