I'm going to die down here, I realize with a sickening lurch of my stomach. I'm going to drown in this godforsaken chamber, pulled down into the depths by some eldritch horror that's been waiting for centuries to make me its next meal.
Danica
47
I'm losing my damn mindas Rhyland is yanked beneath the surface by whatever hellspawn is lurking in the depths.
"Rhyland!"
Oh god, what do I do? Jump in after him like some discount action hero?
Yup, that's precisely what I'm going to do. But I need…
My eyes dart around the chamber, desperate for something—anything—to haul Rhyland's ass out of that nightmare. I'm about to start ripping my hair out when Rhyland resurfaces, gasping for air. Before I can even breathe a sigh of relief, he's dragged back under, the water churning and frothing like a blender set to "fuck you up."
I'm on the verge of a full-blown panic attack when I spot a battered old barrel tucked away in the far corner of my little island of safety. I scramble over to it, my heart pounding so hard I'm pretty sure it's about to burst out of my chest. I try to pry the damn thing open, but it doesn't budge like it's welded shut with the tears of a thousand frustrated sailors.
I'm about to start kicking and screaming like a toddler in a tantrum when my hands fire up, the glow building. Without even thinking, I blast the barrel with everything I've got. The thing disintegrates like a piñata, and I'm left blinking away spots as the debris rains down around me.
Then, like a gift from the gods of shitty situations, I spot a length of rope among the wreckage. "Rhyland, hang on…please don't fucking die," I whisper, my voice cracking with desperation.
I snatch up the rope and race back to the ledge, my heart in my throat as I watch the water churn and boil like a witches' cauldron. I can see the fight raging just belowthe surface, a blur of thrashing limbs and frothing bubbles, and I know I have to act fast, or Rhyland will end up as fish food.
I don't waste a second. I tie one end of the rope around my waist and secure the other to the pillar behind me with a knot.
Then, I jump…
The icy liquid hits me like a slap in the face, stealing the breath from my lungs and making my eyes sting. I force my eyes open, trying to make sense of the blurry mess of limbs and what looks like a creature straight out of a Lovecraftian nightmare. But I don't have time to dwell on the fact that we're in a real-life horror movie. Rhyland needs me, and I'll be damned if I let some overgrown sushi roll take him out.
I don't waste a second; I blast my light. The water around me explodes a burst of pure energy so bright it's like an atomic bomb going off. The creature lets out a shriek that vibrates through the water like a physical thing, and then it's gone, scurrying away into the depths like the cowardly piece of shit it is.
Rhyland is there, breaking the surface with a gasp and a sputter, his face pale and his eyes wild. He looks like he just went ten rounds with a great white shark, but he's alive, and that's all that matters.
"Rhyland!" I yell, my voice cracking with relief as I grab him like a lifeline. He's weak and battered, his skin paler than a ghost, and his eyes glazed over with pain. But he reaches for me like I'm the last solid thing in the world, his fingers scrabbling at my arms. "We gotta climb, babe. Now."
Rhyland doesn't waste a second. He grips the rope, his muscles straining as he hauls us towards the wall. "Climb on, baby," he grits out, his voice rough with exhaustion and pain.
I don't argue. I clamber onto his back like a koala, wrapping my arms and legs around him as he starts to climb. His muscles strain with the effort, the veins in his arms standing out like cords as he hauls us up inch by painful inch.
Finally, we reach the ledge. I scramble over Rhyland's shoulder, my limbs shaking with adrenaline and exhaustion as I claw my way onto solid ground.
Rhyland is right behind me, his fingers scrabbling at the edge of the landing as he tries to haul himself up—his arms are trembling, and his grip is slipping. He's running on fumes and will fall if I don't do something fast.
I lunge forward, grabbing onto his arms and yanking with everything I've got. I can feel the veins in my neck popping, the muscles in my back screaming with the strain. But I don't let go. I can't let go.
"Come on, you stubborn bastard," I grunt, my teeth gritted with the effort. "Don't you dare quit on me now."
For a moment, I'm sure we're both going to go tumbling back into the water, but then Rhyland gets his feet under him and uses the momentum to propel himself up and over the ledge. He lands on top of me in a tangle of limbs and gasping breaths, his weight crushing the air from my lungs.
But I don't care. I don't care about anything except the fact that he's here, alive and safe. I wrap my arms around him and hold on like he's the only thing keeping me tethered to this world. My face is buried in the crook of his neck as I breathe in his scent, the solid, reassuring warmth of his body.
We lay there, gasping for air and trying to get our bearings.
Against all odds, against every fucking thing this hellhole has thrown at us, we're alive.
He takes a shuddering breath, his hand finding mine and gripping it tight. "I'm okay," he rasps, his voice thin and thready. "I'm okay, Angel."
I let out a sob of relief, "Don't you ever fucking do that again," I choke out, my words muffled by his skin. "Don't scare me—I can't lose you, Rhyland. I can't."
