Page 6 of Tempting Triton (Mated Myths #2)

Elena

I leave the unconscious merman lying on the floor as I squeeze my body out through a window rather than take the door deeper into wherever I am being kept.

My broad shoulders scrape the sides of the stone before I’m shooting off, using the external wall to propel myself away as I kick off it.

I know I’ve probably beaten my own personal record with how hard I push my body to move, muscle memory kicking in as my arms and legs glide through the water, propelling me further and further away from the castle under the sea.

A glance over my shoulder reveals a vibrant coral castle that blends in with the reef beyond.

Tall, knobby spires that just skim the surface of the ocean are wrapped in long, floating tendrils of seaweed teeming with sea life.

I can’t decide if this is a fairytale or a nightmare .

It’s not until the coral castle is a speck in the distance that I realize I don’t know what direction I’m going in.

For all I know, I could be heading further out to sea rather than towards a shoreline.

It also occurs to me that I haven’t had to pop my head out of the water to take a breath, yet mere moments ago, my lungs were screaming at me for oxygen.

Now, they no longer burn with the need for air; instead, I feel invigorated.

I kick up, swimming towards the light filtering through the surface so I can find my bearings.

My head breaks the water, the warm sun basking me in a rich golden glow as it inches towards the horizon.

Dusk is nearing, and the last place I need to be is in the water when darkness descends.

When you spend the majority of your life in the water, you gain a healthy respect for its natural inhabitants.

Water laps at my chin while I tread, slowly spinning in circles until I can pinpoint a shoreline in the distance, thankfully already in the direction I was heading.

A rocky cliff face crests the water, bleeding out into pearlescent sand dunes, where the mangled shipping container rests like an ancient tomb, half-submerged in the sea.

I fall into a steady rhythm of strokes and kicks as I swim towards the shore.

An ache begins to form behind my ribs, intensifying the further away from the coral castle and the merman I get.

I pause to rest, treading water again, confused at the pain.

It feels almost like a stitch, but I haven’t worked myself that hard.

As I keep myself afloat, the sun dips a little lower, its slow descent marking the impending darkness, arriving sooner than anticipated.

I can’t afford to wait around for this stitch to subside, so I push off again.

My breathing begins to take on a ragged edge, the pain behind my ribs flaring with each stroke.

I grunt at a burst of pain, pausing again as frustration tugs at me.

I’m an Olympian, for crying out loud. I should be able to swim a few hundred meters to shore.

With a determined growl, I begin again, switching to a backstroke in a bid to ease some of the pressure in my chest. Each stroke gets harder and harder, my legs falling in the water as soon as my pace slackens.

The pain is wearing me out a lot quicker than I usually would tire, and it still isn’t lessening.

The sky fades from a soft golden glow to a dusky pink as dark approaches.

Panic sits beneath my skin, waiting for me to give in and let it take over.

I can do this . I attempt to backstroke again, spluttering as waves lap over my face.

I must be getting closer to shore. I begin to pant, the pain causing spots to dance in my vision.

I grit my teeth against the burn radiating from inside me.

What is this? It’s unlike any kind of stitch I’ve had before.

I sink beneath the waves again, yet this time, my feet touch the ground.

Relief pours out of me in a sigh. I turn to face the shore, dragging each step in front of the other and using my arms to push the water out of my way.

It feels achingly slow, but I gradually emerge.

The sun is just kissing the horizon, the last of its rays holding on to the tiny shreds of light that guide me further ashore.

I gasp over and over, my mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, clinging to its last breath.

I clutch at my chest, the pain unbearable as I stumble out of the water at last and collapse on my knees, face-planting on the wet compact sand beneath me, eyes bulging until the pain causes me to pass out.