The vacants stopped abruptly, sensing the water in front of them.
It all happened in a matter of seconds, and then I was dropped. My scream pierced the air and was silenced as I hit the surface of the lake. My head went under, and I swallowed water, having been unprepared to take a dive. I was not the best swimmer, and I moved my arms and legs frantically, trying to get to the surface.
Someone pulled me upward, and as we broke through the surface, I coughed violently. The arms spun me around, and I was face-to-face with Val. Concern was written on his face, and he brought a hand to my cheek. “Are you okay?”
I nodded because I was still coughing the water out of my lungs.
Another warm body swam up behind me and took me from Val. “I’ve got her.”
Val nodded solemnly and swam a few feet away from us. He dove into the water, disappearing from sight.
The vacants were still on the shoreline, trying to figure out a way to get to us. “Where’s Amari? And the horses?”
“The horses ran. Buttercup is fine. Amari… he used his wings and turned to stone.”
I breathed a sigh of relief, but then my face fell at the look on Nico’s face. “What’s wrong?”
“He turned to stone and fell into the water.” He let me go as Val broke the surface, struggling with a stone Amari. He swam to help, but before he could reach them, Amari slipped from his grasp.
Val punched the water, sending a splash in all directions. “Fuck! I vow to find that fucking witch and her coven and rip her limbs off!”
That was easier said than done since most witches had disappeared.
“What happened?” I spoke softly and put my hand on Val’s arm.
He looked down at it. “He can only use his wings to protect what he is bound to. Me. My house. My other family members.”
I had so many questions, but now wasn’t the time to ask them. Not when vacants were still waiting at the edge of the lake.
“We’re going to have to swim to the other side.” Nico pointed across the lake. “We’ll just have to take it slow.”
Both Nico and Val dove down and grabbed Amari. We made it several feet before they had to drop him and let him sink to the bottom. I was of no use.
Eventually, they took turns diving and dragging him across the bottom. The lake wasn’t insanely deep, but it was still a slow process. I felt the gnawing feeling of being useless. I hadn’t felt it this deeply in a long time, not since I was younger.
I gritted my teeth and shook my head. It wasn’t my fault I was bad at swimming. My father had always said it was unbecoming of a woman to swim. The memories pissed me off more than they upset me.
It took a while to get to the other side of the lake, but it was enough time for the vacants to lose our scent and return to the forest.
We finally climbed out of the water and lay there panting on the beach. Amari was on his side, completely encased in stone. Not even his eyes were his any longer.
I moved closer, and my heart clenched at the grimace on his face. He had the face of a panther but also had demon features. His wings were tucked behind him, and he was in asitting position. He looked just like the gargoyles that perched on rooftops.
I shivered as the cool air touched my damp skin. We needed fire and food, but all our supplies, including our swords, were on the horses.
And we needed to figure out how to help Amari.
“Is he stuck like this forever?” There was a tightening in my chest I couldn’t explain.
Val shook his head and then dragged the stone statue over near a fallen log, where he sat down next to it. “The last time this happened, he was stuck for a month. He saved a young succubus demon from being kidnapped.”
Nico pulled the tie out of his hair. It fell in waves to about the middle of his upper back. I didn’t want him to put it back up. “Hopefully, Buttercup will lead the others to us. He should be able to carry him to the castle.”
One benefit of having a hell horse was that he was incredibly loyal and intelligent. He might have run, but it wouldn’t be long before he made his way around the lake to us.
“Where are we going to sleep tonight? I don’t feel safe sleeping out in the open with those things just on the other side of the lake. They were different...” I wondered how long vacants had been displaying speed.
“It looks like we have no other choice but to sleep here tonight.” Nico took off his shirt and laid it out on a rock. My eyes traveled up his torso, and our eyes connected. “I know it’s not ideal, but if we take turns keeping watch, we’ll be fine.”
