Something briefly brushes against my leg as I spiral, and I can only hope it’s Gypsy. She was right next to me when that wave—bigger than a damn ship—crashed over us. It was only the following waves that kept us from being smashed into the sand like bugs, our organs crushed under the weight.
It’s ironic, isn’t it? I’ve spent half my life fighting the ocean, testing its depths, challenging its pull. Thought I’d trained myself to be part of it, like it couldn’t lay a finger on me. And yet here I am, one wrong breath away from drowning.
You think you’re invincible, like the sea’s got respect for the man who’s cheated it enough times. But the truth? It doesn’t give a damn who I am, how long I’ve held my breath, or how manytimes I’ve made it back to the surface. The ocean doesn’t play favorites. A man is still just a sack of lungs waiting to burst, no matter how clever he thinks he is.
Cold’s biting its way through my bones, numbing my limbs and sapping the strength I need to fight back. I can feel my lungs clawing for air, desperate, while I have to keep my mouth shut unless I want the sea to finish the job.
It’s cruel—this place, this test. First, we exhaust ourselves under the blazing sun, pushing to our absolute limits on land, only to be dragged into the depths afterward.
A goddamn nightmare, this is.
My muscles are seizing, every kick and pull getting me nowhere, lost in this thrashing hell.
But Gypsy—I can’t let her slip through my fingers. Not now. Not when I finally caught up to her.
But where is she? A brush against my leg, something slick and fast. Was that her? Or am I just feeding my own delusions down here?
Another wave slams me, spinning me under like I’m a doll caught in a whirlpool. I thrash, forcing myself up, but the ocean just keeps clawing at me, dragging me under, and for a second—just one—I wonder if maybe this is the end.So this is it, huh?
But then I see it—a shape, moving just out of reach.Gypsy.
A shot of adrenaline kicks me harder than a mule, driving me forward. Doesn’t matter that I’m spent, drained to the last drop; the second I see her, I’m lit up all over again. My arm shoots out, fingers brushing against her skin. She’s right here. Right here…
But she’s still as stone, eyes closed, hair snared in the currents like she’s part of them.
My pulse hammers as I hook an arm around her, hauling her in, dead weight and all. The current’s raging, trying to rip her away, but hell if I’ll let it. I kick harder, every muscle burning, every breath slipping further out of reach. The surface feels alifetime away, but I push on. She’s not slipping away—not like this.
Feels like I’m clawing through hell itself before I finally break through, gulping down air that sears my lungs. I’m half-blind from salt and fury, but I know she’s limp against me, and that dark, cold dread sinks in.
“Gypsy!” I shout, my voice hoarse and raw. “Come on, love.”
She doesn’t move. Her face is pale, lips blue, and something in me buckles, threatening to crack. But I shove that down. No time for weakness, not with her life on the line.
I grit my teeth, fighting for balance against the pull of the water, tilting her head back to clear her airway. My hands tremble, damn them. I press my mouth to hers, give her two breaths.
And then—she jerks, hacking up seawater in a gasping, ragged breath. Her body convulses as her chest heaving as she chokes out the sea.
Thank every god, hell, and curse there is.
She’s shivering, barely conscious, her skin cold, but she’s alive. I keep her close, bracing us against the waves as they try to drag us back down. She blinks, sluggish, dazed, until I see the flash in her eyes. Memory kicking in.
“Damn it, the wave knocked me out,” she rasps, fighting to get the words out. Panic flares in her face, and before I know it, she’s asking, “Where’s Vini and Fabien?”
I swallow hard, trying to shove down the knot of dread clawing its way up. The truth? I have no clue where they are. Haven’t seen a sign of them since that wave hit, and I couldn’t care less with her nearly drowning.
“I—I don’t know,” I manage, my voice rougher than I’d like. “Wave hit too fast. Haven’t seen them since.”
My gaze scans the water, squinting against the endless blur of waves, but only one thing stands out.
“That damned pillar…” I mutter, eyes narrowing at the sight.
It’s still there, standing proud even as the sea swallowed the island whole. And somehow, its height’s risen with the water too. It doesn’t matter that the sea level elevated us; the damn thing got elevated too.
But at least it’s visible—a beacon they can follow if they’re still out there.
“Can you swim?” I ask, cutting a glance her way. Damn it, I hate that I even have to ask. Don’t know if I’ve got enough left in me to carry us both. I’m barely hanging on to my own strength here.
“Yeah.” Thank fuck.
