Page 72 of Tangled Sails

Chapter twenty-one

TAVRIC

I barely had time to register the pain of Ethel’s knife slicing through my arm before I stumbled into Lyri and fell back into nothing but air.

Even worse, Lyri was falling with me.

I’d had her. She’d been safe in my arms for only a precious few moments, but then…

What had I done?

I’d killed us both. And in those few moments of free fall, all I could do was try to get a hold of Lyri while I lamented my own stupidity. She deserved better.

The impact came, but instead of pain and nothingness, I found myself submerged in water. The tower room was gone, replaced instead by the ocean that held us in its embrace. Luckily, I had the wherewithal to keep hold of Lyri, and I kicked hard toward the sunlight shining through the water.

Our heads broke the surface and Lyri coughed and gasped. My head whipped around, searching for danger, but there was nothing but swells rocking us back and forth, so I brought my attention to sweet Lyri. I cradled her cheek in my palm, frantically searching every inch of her face to reassure myself that she was alive. “You’re all right. You’re all right,” I babbled, and then bound her up in both of my arms. My legs churned beneath the surface to keep us afloat as I clung to her. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry I couldn’t get to you sooner. I came through the portal with you, but he had the knife, and you had no strength.”

Her breathing was still panicked and wheezing as she held on to me with shaking arms. “We’re back,” she muttered amidst rasping coughs.

“Just breathe slowly,” I told her, trying to pull my mind from the torment just enough that I could help her. “We’re safe now.” I leaned back so I could look at her, keeping my arm firmly anchored around her waist. “Are you hurt?”

“Harlan is dead,” she choked out, the horror in her voice matching the horror in her eyes.

“I know, love. I’m so sorry…for everything. Now, please, are you hurt?” I didn’t think she knew just how vital that question was to my well-being.

“No, I don’t think so.” She was starting to calm, her breathing becoming less harried and her eyes less frantic. Then she started to wilt.

“You’re still fatigued,” I said as her body sagged against mine. “You healed my father, Lyri,” I said with wonder and thanks.

“Did I?” she asked as she rested her head against my temple. “Is he well?”

“Yes, love. He’s going to live because of you.”

“Good, good…but are we?”

“Are we what?”

“Are we going to live? We’re in the middle of the ocean, Tav.”

A shot of terror pulsed through me. She had a point. But I pushed my worry aside. “We just have to find the boat. It should be close by.” Though how far it had drifted was anyone’s guess. I strained to look around, and pain lashed across my abdomen. Air hissed past my teeth as I winced.

Lyri pulled back, suddenly alert. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” I lied.

She looked down and pushed back so she could see my torso beneath the waves. My shirt was shredded. “You’re bleeding!”

I was, yes. Ethel’s knife had not only cut my arm, but had sliced across my ribs. “It’s not deep. I’ll live,” I gritted out, exerting myself to keep us both afloat as the pain set in. It was a good thing I’d spent so much of my life in the ocean and treading water was as easy as standing.

“Hold still,” she said, reaching for it.

“No!” I said, catching her hand before she could touch the wound. “If you sing, it will open the portal. We have to get away from it first.”

“But you’re bleeding!” I could see her spiraling into a pit of fear.

I cupped her cheek and made her look at me.

“I won’t risk us going back to that tower. Hold on to the back of my shirt. I’ll swim us away and then…I’ll let you heal me.” I hated saying those words. I hated the thought of using her in that way, especially when she was still not recovered from saving my father.