Page 81 of Outcast Fae

It wasted no time in rising up and darting toward me once more.

I dodged again, but this time, I wasn’t quick enough. The teeth missed me, but one of those spiked ridges bashed into my arm. Pain rocketed up my body as I spun in the air. I focused all my energy on keeping aloft. If I hit the water, I was dead.

Batting my wings and using my arms for balance, I righted myself and spun around to find Vaughn. He’d made it to the boat and was pulling Daniella into his canoe while Elon scrambled into the back. Sinasre still hung on to the sinking boat’s side. Was he injured? Is that why he didn’t clamber up like Elon?

I wanted to fly over to help him, but the serpent was back and angry. It hissed like a snake, showing off its impressive teeth. The pungent scent of its breath was a force of its own, but it would find that I was no easy meal.

“Come and get me, you ugly, overgrown milk snake.” I flashed my own teeth.

Even though my wings and shoulders were screaming for a break, I pushed them harder. Distracting this beast was the only way my friends could get clear.

I hovered, waiting for it to charge.

Yet, it held off, staring at me, its jaws open, its eyes calculating. Marbled eyes blinked with two different lids like a reptile’s. What was it waiting for?

The serpent’s tail bashed into my back, launching me forward. I plunged into the water.

The sea enveloped me, sucking me down. Water flooded my senses, cold and shocking. Water was everywhere.

No. No, no, no!

I couldn’t swim. Winged fae didn’t get wet. It was the last thing we would ever want to do. It rendered our wings useless until they could be dried and swimming with two giant useless appendages was nearly impossible.

Terrified, I flailed my arms and legs, fighting the water. I needed to get to the surface, to the light dancing just a few feet above me, but getting there felt impossible.

The serpent swam around me in lazy circles as if waiting for me to tire before it would devour me whole, as if enjoying my struggle.

No. I wouldn’t die like this. Not like this!

I put everything I had into kicking my legs. I had fought giant squids, evil magic, and a sea serpent. Water would not be my downfall. I kicked harder.

When my head broke the surface, I nearly cried in relief. I sucked in a deep breath of air.

"Tally!"

Vaughn. His voice sounded frantic. I did all I could to swim towards it but made little progress. The weight of my wings and clothes dragged my head back under. I kicked and kicked but kept sinking, losing the battle. The surface stretched away from me.

My air dwindled. My lungs screamed. The surface drifted farther and farther away.

This was it. This was how I died.

I thought of the children as I closed my eyes.

Arms wrapped around my waist as someone swam up behind me and pulled us upward.

We broke the surface gasping.

"Tally," Vaughn said behind me. "Are you breathing?"

"Yeah," I managed, though just barely. I coughed, trying to expel excess water from my lungs, but, as I did so, a wave splashed more into my mouth. I sputtered, trying to breathe.

"Hold on." Vaughn pulled us through the water with strong strokes.

But, the beast hadn't given up yet. I spotted its dark shape in the water in front of us. Daniela, Elon, and Sinasre watched from the boat.

"Hurry," Elon shouted. "It's coming back."

Vaughn pulled us to the boat and hoisted me in as the others took my arms and pulled. Clumsily, my body fell inside.