“You are in the unseelie swamplands. Why are you there?”
“I had to see a woman about a sword.”
“You will not enter that water. It’s too dangerous.”
“I love you, but you don’t get a say in this.”
“Ialwaysget a say.”His haughty tone made me do something I hadn’t thought I could do in my current predicament.
It made me laugh.
“My weakness amuses you?”
I sighed.“Of course not. It’s just… you’re half-dead and you’re still attempting to handle circumstances outside of your control. I’d probably be doing the same thing. I don’t know what that means for the long-term success of our relationship.”I kept my tone light, teasing, and Samael echoed my sigh.
“It means we are alike in many ways. Luckily, we have enough differences that our lives will never be boring.”
I liked that he was talking about the future. About us having our lives together. It meant he trusted me to get the job done and return to him. Even if he didn’t like that, he couldn’t help me.
“You’re too distracting,”I told him.“Go back to sleep.”
I could practically feel him scowl at that, but he knew I was right. A moment of inattention here could mean I accidentally used my power, making my agreement with Ilis null and void. Or it could mean I was too slow when a creature from the swamp decided to attack. I forced myself to push that thought away.
“Be safe,”he told me.“I love you.”
His presence faded away, and I scanned the brackish water in front of me. Our little conversation had helped me push most of the remaining terror away. Even if I didn’t have to wade through the water to find the creature I was hunting, Samael’s decree that I wouldn’t enter the water pretty much guaranteed that I would.
A girl had to keep her independence in any relationship.
And I was procrastinating.
I stepped into the water before I could talk myself out of it. The mud sucked at my boot, and I shifted for balance as I took the next step. This wasn’t so bad.
The next step took me chest-deep and I cursed up a storm.
My utility belt was waterproof, and hopefully the canteen Ilis had given me was as well. But I was off balance and quite literally out of my depth. I needed to get out of this waternow.
The mud was so thick that it would have been faster for me to doggy-paddle through the water. But my boots were far too heavy, and the thought of taking them off…
Nope, nope, nope.
I kept my Mark II clutched in my fist, so I wasn’t exactly moving quickly. Water splashed into my mouth and I spat it out with a grimace.
My next step took me underwater. I had no idea how deep it was, but I panicked, swallowing my next mouthful of the filthy water.
I flipped onto my back and gasped for air, kicking out with my feet and using my hands to propel me backward.
Just a few feet to go.
There was no gentle incline up to this island. I leaned both hands on the damp grass andpushed.The mud sucked at my boots and I wiggled them free, straining to escape the water.
The ground felt better than I could have imagined. I flipped onto my back and caught my breath, staring up at the sky.
I had to keep going.
I took stock of my weapons—all of them miraculously still in place. I didn’t bother checking the inside of the utility belt. Samael had given it to me, so it would hold up, and opening it would mean dripping water inside.
I waved away the insects that were attempting to feast on my bare skin and got to my feet. Something shrieked nearby—a bird, probably—and I jolted.
