but hands on my legs grabbed me and jerked me back. I unhooked my holster and pulled the knife free. I slashed and connected with bone. The merrow released me, and I swam for my life.
The merrows could taste our magic. They would grab and drown us if given the chance.
Bryn’s hand tangled in my hair and pulled me. I was disoriented, but followed his lead, kicking as hard as I could. We broke the surface.
Bryn raised a hand to cast a spell but I screamed and shook my head.
“Cloak us,” I said, gasping. “Don’t use magic to fight. Cloak the magic so they can’t feel it and find us!”
Bryn grimaced, but nodded. He whispered a few words. Huge waves crashed over our heads, tumbling us. I tried not to panic. At least Bryn and I were together.
What had happened to everyone else?
Mercutio? Jenna and Lucy? Oliver?
Lightning lit the night, and I concentrated on sucking in a breath whenever my face broke the surface. We needed life jackets.
The waves surged toward the shore, and intermittent pulses of magic helped save us.
We rode the tide to the beach. When we hit land, the tiny pebbles were like a cheese grater scraping my arms and legs. The water slammed us against the ground.
We crawled up the beach, tired and breathless. I forced my shaking legs to hold me, and we ran inland.
I grabbed Bryn’s arm when we reached the sidewalk. “Wait.” I bent forward, gasping for breath.
“We need to keep going. This may turn into a hurricane.”
I looked along the shore and saw several people from the boat rolling over and over, washing in like driftwood.
“We have to help,” I said, forcing myself back to the beach.
We dragged exhausted survivors up the shore.
I spotted Oliver, unconscious and unmoving. Was he dead? I rushed to him. He wasn’t breathing.
I bent over him and breathed for him. “Bryn, help!”
Bryn glanced coolly at Oliver.
“I know you’re angry but he can help with the storm!” I pumped on Oliver’s chest. I spotted Mercutio dragging a pair of life-jacketed people. I realized it was Jenna and Lucy.
“Merc, you’re a hero!” I yelled when the pair of Reitgartens got to their feet.
“Get moving,” Bryn called, waving for everyone from the boat to head deeper inland. “There’s no time to evacuate, but we have to get as far from the beach as possible.”
Oliver coughed up some water and sucked in air. I moved to another man and did rescue breathing for him. My magic must have helped because everyone I worked on woke up.
Bryn cast magic to hold back the storm.
“Tamara, we need to go.”
“Well, well. You’re alive! I’m impressed,” Sal said, appearing on the shore.
“Sent us on a suicide mission, huh?” Bryn said knowingly.
She shrugged. “I’m cursed. To lift the curse, two things have to happen. You took care of the first by returning the merrows to the sea. It’s not my fault they sank the boat afterward.” She shrugged, but it was clear she’d known they would do it.
“Saints alive, you’re lucky pucks. And you’ve almost taken care of the second thing for me as well. Once my bracelet’s in the hands of the Unseelie queen, I can return to the sea. You have no idea what torture it is to be so close to the water but unable to go out on it. Land-bound! There’s nothing worse!”
Bryn glared at her. “This storm could destroy the island and kill thousands of people.”
She shrugged. “That’s the danger of living on the ocean. Storms happen.”
“Oliver, help us stop the storm. Help us drive it back to sea,” I said.
Oliver shook his head. “The treasure. The storm will bring in the treasure.”
I grimaced. “That’s why the storm was conjured? To dredge up your bracelet?” I snapped at Sal, trying to punch her. I’d forgotten she was only a spirit, and I fell through her and landed on my scraped knees. “Sally, you’re a monster.”
“As soon as the pearls are here, the storm will be over.”
“A lot of people might drown before that
The merrows could taste our magic. They would grab and drown us if given the chance.
Bryn’s hand tangled in my hair and pulled me. I was disoriented, but followed his lead, kicking as hard as I could. We broke the surface.
Bryn raised a hand to cast a spell but I screamed and shook my head.
“Cloak us,” I said, gasping. “Don’t use magic to fight. Cloak the magic so they can’t feel it and find us!”
Bryn grimaced, but nodded. He whispered a few words. Huge waves crashed over our heads, tumbling us. I tried not to panic. At least Bryn and I were together.
What had happened to everyone else?
Mercutio? Jenna and Lucy? Oliver?
Lightning lit the night, and I concentrated on sucking in a breath whenever my face broke the surface. We needed life jackets.
The waves surged toward the shore, and intermittent pulses of magic helped save us.
We rode the tide to the beach. When we hit land, the tiny pebbles were like a cheese grater scraping my arms and legs. The water slammed us against the ground.
We crawled up the beach, tired and breathless. I forced my shaking legs to hold me, and we ran inland.
I grabbed Bryn’s arm when we reached the sidewalk. “Wait.” I bent forward, gasping for breath.
“We need to keep going. This may turn into a hurricane.”
I looked along the shore and saw several people from the boat rolling over and over, washing in like driftwood.
“We have to help,” I said, forcing myself back to the beach.
We dragged exhausted survivors up the shore.
I spotted Oliver, unconscious and unmoving. Was he dead? I rushed to him. He wasn’t breathing.
I bent over him and breathed for him. “Bryn, help!”
Bryn glanced coolly at Oliver.
“I know you’re angry but he can help with the storm!” I pumped on Oliver’s chest. I spotted Mercutio dragging a pair of life-jacketed people. I realized it was Jenna and Lucy.
“Merc, you’re a hero!” I yelled when the pair of Reitgartens got to their feet.
“Get moving,” Bryn called, waving for everyone from the boat to head deeper inland. “There’s no time to evacuate, but we have to get as far from the beach as possible.”
Oliver coughed up some water and sucked in air. I moved to another man and did rescue breathing for him. My magic must have helped because everyone I worked on woke up.
Bryn cast magic to hold back the storm.
“Tamara, we need to go.”
“Well, well. You’re alive! I’m impressed,” Sal said, appearing on the shore.
“Sent us on a suicide mission, huh?” Bryn said knowingly.
She shrugged. “I’m cursed. To lift the curse, two things have to happen. You took care of the first by returning the merrows to the sea. It’s not my fault they sank the boat afterward.” She shrugged, but it was clear she’d known they would do it.
“Saints alive, you’re lucky pucks. And you’ve almost taken care of the second thing for me as well. Once my bracelet’s in the hands of the Unseelie queen, I can return to the sea. You have no idea what torture it is to be so close to the water but unable to go out on it. Land-bound! There’s nothing worse!”
Bryn glared at her. “This storm could destroy the island and kill thousands of people.”
She shrugged. “That’s the danger of living on the ocean. Storms happen.”
“Oliver, help us stop the storm. Help us drive it back to sea,” I said.
Oliver shook his head. “The treasure. The storm will bring in the treasure.”
I grimaced. “That’s why the storm was conjured? To dredge up your bracelet?” I snapped at Sal, trying to punch her. I’d forgotten she was only a spirit, and I fell through her and landed on my scraped knees. “Sally, you’re a monster.”
“As soon as the pearls are here, the storm will be over.”
“A lot of people might drown before that
Similar Books
