“NO!” Ginger screamed, throwing her body against my shadowy restraints with a strength she shouldn’t have possessed.
I feared they wouldn’t be able to hold her. I couldn’t save both herandthe dragon at the same time.
They needed to both be safe.
They needed to bothsurvive.
I leapt for the beast, hands outstretched. I didn’t care if the water yanked me under—I would do whatever it took to keep Ginger’s little companion above the thrashing current.
Blackness swallowed me again—but my fingers clasped around warm, scaly flesh, and I fought the urge to shout in triumph.
Until we both began to sink.
I kicked my feet as hard as I could, tucking the beast’s body under my arm the way Ginger so often did so I would have at least one hand free to thrash with.
The dragon fell still.
Panic kicked at my insides.
No.
I kicked like my life depended on it. LikeGinger’slife depended on it.
My shadows itched and stretched at Ginger’s struggling, but to my utter relief, they held.
The blackness lessened, the surface approaching.
I grabbed the dragon and shoved him above the surface.
He trembled, but his chest expanded, and he flapped his wingsweakly.
My feet continued their wild kicking, doing whatever I had to do to keep the dragon above water. I headed sideways, letting the current be my compass, using my shadows restraining Ginger to be sure I was headed to the right riverbank.
The water fought my every movement.
I couldn’t remember who the goddess of water was, but I mentally cursed her all the same, deciding that I would hate her forever.
My lungs screamed, begging for air. My vision darkened at the edges.
My body wasn’t as sturdy as I’d previously assumed.
Consciousness threatened to leave me.
I kept kicking.
I would kick until I could kick no longer.
When I was certain my lungs were going to lose their fight for air, the dragon was yanked from my grasp.
My heart thudded sluggishly.
I was finally able to force my head above the surface.
I scrabbled for the riverbank, my torn fingertips dragging through mud and roots, ripping chunks free until I was finally able to find purchase.
I wrapped my shadows around my own forearms, securing my hold enough to pull my body out of the water. My exhausted muscles protested.
My shoulders left the water. My chest. My middle.
