I swallowed. If we didn’t make it out before the caves filled with water, we would drown — our souls trapped here forever.
Without another word, the royal guard pitched off the rock and dove beneath the frothing black waves.
My stomach clenched. Every fiber of my being raged against the idea of going into that water again — of being at the mercy of the sinister magic that permeated the in-between.
What sane person would attempt to breakintothe Watchman’s prison? I could only imagine the sort of monsters the Watchman kept here. People forced to die again and again while their souls remained locked between realms.
But it was either this or return to the mortal world the way we’d come and face certain death at the hands of Mirabella’s clan. Given the choice, I’d take my chances in the tower rather than be a meal for a vampire.
Steeling myself for whatever awaited us inside, I shifted to the edge of the slippery rock and dove back into the sea.The weight of my waterlogged clothes and borrowed weapons made swimming difficult, though the Watchman’s insatiable greed dragged me down with unnatural force.
This time, I didn’t fight the pull of the sea but allowed its magic to carry me deep beneath the thrashing black waves.
A torrent of bubbles in my periphery told me Sorsha had followed. I kicked my feet, fighting the numbing effect of the cold on my muscles as I swam deeper.
A dark tunnel loomed through the fragmented glimmers of light beneath the water’s surface, and I moved toward it, fighting the instincts that told me to swim in the opposite direction.
My lungs ached. I needed air.
Adrielhadto be right about the prison. Otherwise, I might end up trapped beneath this infernal rock, unable to find my way to the surface.
How dull to die in the in-between before the Watchman’s monsters had even gotten the chance to sink their claws into me, I thought.
My shoulders burned as I propelled myself through the water, fighting the desperate urge to breathe. The clothes Adriel had brought me were thick and baggy, slowing my progress through the darkness.
A slice of pain cut through my chest as my lungs demanded air. I could feel my muscles growing weak and sluggish, desperate for precious oxygen.
I wouldnotdie here. Kaden needed me. I would not —
Suddenly, my head broke the water’s surface, and I gasped as cold air licked my skin. I heaved in a breath, wiping my sodden hair out of my face as Sorsha shot up beside me.
I looked around, blinking furiously as my eyes struggled to adjust to the dim light.
We were treading water in a small pool surrounded by porous black rock. Adriel was already heaving himself onto dry land, his sharp, angular features made more severe by his slicked-back hair.
Planting my elbows on the rock, I pulled myself out of the pool as water poured from my clothes. I frantically checked for my witchwood blade and the crude bundle containing Morta’s hands. All my possessions were accounted for, including the borrowed short swords.
“We need to get to the top,” said Adriel, who was already climbing a set of narrow stone steps carved into the tower’s interior. “That’s where we’ll find the portal.”
Sorsha and I followed without a word, the sounds of our breathing unnaturally loud in the cavernous space.
As we ascended, a low moan reached my ears — proof that the Watchman’s prisoners could die a thousand deaths, and yet their souls would remain trapped. I shuddered but continued to climb, trying to block out the rattle of chains from somewhere above and the scrape of what might have been fingernails against rock.
A frenzied shriek echoed off the walls, and I cast an uneasy glance at Adriel. The royal guard had stopped a few steps above, and I realized the staircase ended at a narrow opening.
Stepping over the threshold, I felt a surge of gratitude for my enhanced hunter vision, which was just strong enough for me to make out the rough walls on either side of me.
Another low moan echoed in the passageway, but Icouldn’t tell if it had come from our tunnel or one of the innumerable caves above.
But then a high-pitched shriek made my heart turn over, and Adriel came to a halt.
Dragging in a shallow breath, I drew both swords from my bandolier as Sorsha stopped behind me.
For a long moment, none of us moved. Then an eerie clicking noise broke the silence, followed by the scrabble of claws on stone.
A pair of glowing blue eyes appeared in the dark, and my stomach bottomed out.
I’d seen eyes like that once before, and I’d hoped never to see them again.
