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She breathes underwater.

His speed picked up anyway, his thighs burning as he jogged through the sand. He couldn’t get rid of the real fear that something was wrong.

A wave rolled forward, picking Mer up and his heart stopped.

Long brown hair tangled in the waves.

Brown hair, not silver.

It wasn’t Mer.

Coven.

Raziel yelled at the top of his lungs, sprinting for the water. He stopped in the surf and tore his boots from his feet then ran deeper into the water, lifting his knees high to get through the breaking waves. He sucked in a deep breath and dove.

Cool water surrounded him for one breathless moment before he popped up and swam forward. His heart raced in his chest as he cut through the dark water.

Not fast enough.

He gritted his teeth and swam harder, determined to get to the girl. Raziel reached her just as a waved rose and crashed down, shoving them beneath the water. He grimaced as saltwater flooded his mouth. He blindly groped for Coven, catching her hair. Water filled his ears, but a haunting melody reached him. Raziel opened his eyes but there was nothing but darkness.

He surfaced with a choked cough, dropping Coven’s hair and grabbed her arm, pulling her to his chest.

“Wake up,” he shouted in her ear.

She didn’t respond.

Raz wrapped his arm around her bare chest, her back resting against his own as he towed them toward the shore. Another wave shoved them beneath the water but he managed to hold on to Coven.

He kicked hard, bringing them to the surface again, glimpsing the cottage in the distance.

“Help!” he bellowed, praying the Sirenidae heard him.

Mer stepped out of the cottage and spotted him almost immediately.

She bolted toward the water.

As his toes met sand, a warm pair of hands touched him. “Let me help.”

He shifted and Mer practically tore Coven from his grip, swimming back to the shore quickly. Raziel struggled to catch up, dropping to his knees beside the pair. Mer had placed the girl on her back and was blowing air into Coven’s mouth. She then proceeded to lace her fingers and press on her chest.

Coven’s bare chest.

Sourness churned in his gut and Raziel yanked his shirt over his head and covered the girl’s torso.

His hands began to shake as Raz took a good look at Coven’s body.

Blue lips. Vacant eyes. Gray skin.

“Will she be alright?” he rasped, his throat raw from all the seawater he’d inhaled. In his heart, he knew she was not okay. Raz took her limp hand in his own, running soothing touches across the back of her palm.

Mer didn’t answer him but continued the compressions.

“Come on,” the Sirenidae growled, never stopping her ministrations.

He watched in silence, his heart sinking with each second.

Get yourself together.