No more.
With one final deep breath, I’m on the verge of jumping, but falter as a light peers from below, projecting toward me with lightning speed, and I blast back.
The world moves around me, not by choice, and I quickly come hurtling back down, my back scraping along the ground. Disoriented, Iblink up at the sky, fighting against the fact that the wind has been sucker punched right out of me.
My chest heaves with every breath as I try to gather myself, the fear and panic for Elodie trying to prevail as the soft glow warming the morning sky does little to help. Despite the lack of oxygen rattling in my chest, I blindly manage to stagger to my feet, swaying slightly at the sudden change in height.
Again.
Blinking through my blotchy vision, I find Ocean a few steps to my right, staring down at her grazed hands as her hair whips around her face, while Thorne hovers to my left, crouched with his hands turned into tight fists as he continues to hold on to the magic in The Vale.
But still, no Elodie.
I take off at a charge, my movements lethargic and weighted as I stumble, but despite what I might actually look like, I channel my inner superhero, not letting anything get between me and my Petal. I consider shifting into my wolf to make it quicker, but I know the water will be easier in my human form.
As my pulse still rings in my ears, I plunge intothe water, my muscles tight and tense, but I push through, delving deeper and deeper.
My vision is a lot less blotchy, but it does nothing to unravel the knot of worry in my stomach when I don’t immediately spy my girl. Frustration only makes it harder as I move as fast as I can, darting in any direction, until my gaze locks on to the bottom.
There, nestled in an air of stillness, lies my Petal. Her back is flush with the ground, while her arms and legs float above her.
I move harder, faster, desperate to eliminate the distance between us before capturing her in my arms and darting for the surface. Everything is a blur as I move with all my might, and I catch a glimpse of her out of the corner of my eye, but I can't bring myself to look again.
Her eyelids are closed, nestled softly against the peaks of her cheekbones. Seeing her does nothing to quell the uncertainty inside of me. This girl’s luck with water hasn’t been going too well so far.
Two for two, and the H2O is winning.
Breaking through the surface of the water, I suck in a deep breath, followed by another as I try to manhandle Elodie onto the side.
Thankfully, Ocean is there waiting, helping meshift Elodie onto the ground. I launch myself up off the edge, water clinging to me like a second skin, but I pay no mind as I drop to my knees before my Petal.
I can sense Thorne a few steps away, still controlling the magic back in The Vale, doing exactly what I could not. Moments like this make the world fall into a sense of black and white.
There's no reasoning with this side of me or my wolf. My sole purpose is to protect her, regardless of the responsibilities we still hold.
Hovering over her, I brush her wet hair back off her face. Her heartbeat is a soft whisper ricocheting in my ears as I lace my fingers together and prepare myself to do whatever it takes to bring her back to me. But before I can do a single thing, her eyes ping open on their own and she starts to splutter.
Water gushes from her mouth as she struggles to breathe, and Ocean immediately kicks into action.
“Put her on her side. Quickly!” she yelps, and we both move, rolling her until she's comfortably on her side.
Panic still storms inside of me as Elodie continues to splutter water like a never-ending faucet.
“It's okay, Elodie. We're here. You're safe. We'rehere,” I repeat over and over again as her suffering subsides and she finally exhales.
Glassy eyes find mine. “Am I dead?” she breathes, eyelids at half mast, and I grin, relief almost flooring me.
“The only way you'd be looking at this handsome wolf right now would be if we made it to Heaven, Petal, and something tells me that's not in the cards for us,” I muse, watching as the corners of her mouth turn up in amusement before she stills.
“The dove,” she whispers, her eyes struggling to remain open, and I frown, shaking my head.
“What do you mean?” Ocean asks, and Elodie's eyes pry open.
It's only then that I realize her hand is curled into a fist, but instead of watching her fingers unravel, my attention is laser-focused on her face.
She's too distracted by what's in her hand to see my reaction, and I gulp.
“Petal,” I breathe, but she's too locked in on the golden disc in her hand.
