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We didn’t have time; we had to find shelter nearby.
"Tatiana," I cupped her face, forcing her attention from the weather around us to me. "We've got bad weather coming. Do you trust me?"
At my words, her eyes widened in fear, her throat bobbing.
“What kind of bad weather?”
“Forget that,” I said. “Tell me if you trust me.”
She hesitated, her tongue coming out to flicker over her freckle nervously.
"Tatiana,” I said fiercely, “I swear to you, just give me your trust this one time, and I'll protect you. But you have to do what I say, no questions asked. Do you think you can do that?"
She hesitated, and I gripped her shoulder tight, ferociously making the first oath I'd ever made in my life. "I swear I'll keep you safe."
We stared at each other for a long moment, our eyes locked, as water began to surge at our feet. Then, slowly, she nodded, her voice uncertain. "Okay."
I grinned, feeling like the king of the forest right then. I grabbed her hand. "Follow me. Anddon’tlet me go.”
We ran, faster than I'd ever ran before, being slowed down by the rising tide.
We were both soaking wet now, and I had to cling to her hand tight to keep it from slipping my grasp.
Instead of heading towards the city, I ran back towards the beach. We battled wind and rain and the water, which rose up to our ankles.
As soon as we got to the road near the beach, waves crashed against our calves, pushing us back. True to her word, Tatiana didn’t question what I was doing, and not once did she let go of my hand.
As soon as I hit the sand, I raced north and towards the large cove of rocks.
Just as the water was beginning to rise up past our knees, I found what I was looking for: the entrance to a cave.
It was after we entered that Tatiana stuttered to a stop. The water rushed inside, waves crashing against the lower cave walls.
Eyes wide, her chest rising and falling rapidly like a little hummingbird flapping its wings, Tatiana stood there, frozen. "Knight." Her throat bobbed. "I lied to you earlier. I can't swim that good."
"It's okay," I assured her, pointing towards the back of the caves. "We only have to go a little ways. Up there the rocks are high enough that the water won't be able to reach us, and the cave walls will protect us."
She shook her head vehemently. "I can't swim."
"I'll help you." I knew I could get her up there, it was such a short swim before we could start climbing the rocks. "I promise."
Eyes still wide, she nodded. “Okay.”
My heart exploded with the warmth of her trust in me. I gave her a reassuring smile, tugging on her pigtail but she just nodded. “Show me where to go.”
I wrapped an arm around her waist, facing the back of the cave. "We're going to dive in there," I pointed towards the small pool of water, "and swim for just a few minutes until we get up there." My hand swept forward and up, pointing towards where we could easily climb out. "Then we'll climb all the way up there where we'll be safe until the weather passes."
When she didn't answer me, I tugged her forward. She looked pale and deathly afraid but walked with me, trusting that I could keep her safe. We waded through the water, now halfway up my thighs until we got to the jumping off point. "Take a deep breath," I warned her, making sure she did it before we both jumped.
The water was a warm swirl that immediately sucked us towards the sea.
I clasped her tight, hooking my arm around her skinny frame. I kicked harder than I'd ever kicked before. The water fought me, trying to pull her from my grasp. But I clenched her tight, determined I would never let her go. She helped by kicking, fighting the sucking waves.
It took forever. It was almost like we were in a riptide or something.
I swam harder than I’d ever swam in my life.
The pressure in my lungs grew and grew, but I knew it was worse for her.