Page 4 of Cold Heir

Corina

Gurgling water distorted all sound as I plunged far beneath its frigid surface. The deep vibration that reached me a second later, followed by a surging wave, prompted my eyes open just in time to witness a shadowy figure entering right beside me. The cold had shocked my system, making it difficult to move my limbs, or even decipher which direction I ought to swim to, but my thoughts were intact. I knew I needed to come up for a breath, needed to position myself to use the current to my advantage.

Only problem was, actually managing to overpower it was much easier said than done.

The water’s choppy appearance from the edge of the cliff didn’t compare to wading through it. The water moved much faster than I realized, and its force was something I now knew couldn’t be gauged from a distance. Had it not been for the strong hand that gripped mine, I might have been taken further out despite my effort.

I drew a deep breath when Levi brought me to him, sturdy shoulders beneath my arms as I locked them around his neck. We floated face-to-face and I panted, grateful for each gulp of air I took.

“You’re insane, you know that?” He asked the question close to my ear, so I’d hear him over the commotion of waves slamming against the large stones that surrounded us. There was concern in his tone, yes, but it also seemed like the leap impressed him. If he’d known what my life was like before this, it wouldn’t have seemed so strange.

A smile filled with disbelief and wonderment flashed my way as he stared.

“Not insane,” I corrected. “Just not in the mood to be eaten alive, I guess.”

Even here, in the middle of this treacherous current, he was like a mountain fastened to the Earth. I only questioned how he managed it for a moment before remembering his powers. Whether he’d anchored us to something with his thoughts or used his abilities to command the surrounding water, he was in control.

As his heavy gaze locked with mine, I felt safe clinging to him. Like not even a force of nature could stop him, stopus.Only, that sense of safety was merely an illusion. A fact that was confirmed the next second, when a bright searchlight panned in from the left.

Levi took notice a half-second before I did.

“Deep breath.”

The hasty command hit my ears just as I was pulled under, still locked in his embrace. He took us deep, and I was reminded of my last rescue mission. The young orphan and I had to hide in a similar fashion, butthenit had been to hide from hellhounds. This time, Levi and I hid to avoid recapture, and possibly a harsher punishment for causing such a disturbance within Aaric’s operation.

At the thought of him, Aaric, a wave of anger washed over me—acknowledging what he’d done, the bond he forged between he and I without my permission. I learned there wasn’t a connection more powerful than the one set in motion by a Claiming ceremony. And now, thanks to his violation, I found myself dreaming of him.

It wasn’t strange that the only time I longed for him—a monster in true form—was when I was asleep, vulnerable. Each time, I awoke angered by the idea that these feelings would never go away, disgusted that a rising need to be near him grew within me daily.

The bright glow the atmosphere had taken on when the light passed over was gone now, which meant it was safe to resurface. Swallowing a breath as quietly as I could, I swept loose strands of hair aside, and cleared water from my eyes.

We swam several yards, but I was notably slower than Levi as I continued to fight the numbness in my limbs. It wasn’t lost on me that once we made it ashore, there wouldn’t be warm, dry clothes waiting for me. I’d have to rough it for the night, soaking wet and cold, praying I didn’t freeze to death.

“Just a little further,” Levi called out, slowing his pace so I could catch up to him.

The bright light was already circling back for another scan, and I’d only made it a few yards closer to him. We had no choice but to go under again. This time, I forced myself to focus on something other than the cold. Instead, I thought of my loved ones—Liv, Felix, and the rest of my team.

Making it back to them had been my only priority, and I fought so hard to change things. Still, despite putting forth my best effort, I failed. The fact that I gave everything I had was my only solace.

I allowed myself to imagine what it would have felt like to embrace them, to tell them everything I experienced during my time away. Liv would have loved to hear about the dancers who gracefully leapt over ceiling beams at the Quincentennial gala. Felix would have been over the moon with all the tech upgrades in Julian’s cars.

And just like that, my thoughts shifted to him—Julian.

Somehow, being away from him had been just as hard as being away from my team. It seemed impossible to feel so deeply for someone I hadn’t known very long, but I did. After Levi helped me put it all in perspective, I no longer questioned whether any of it was real. There was no sense in denying that I was as connected to these two as I was to those I’d known all my life.

My arm was taken and used to snatch my body above the vicious waves.

“We’re in the clear, but you’re slowing down. Let me help you,” Levi practically pleaded. “Only a little further.”

He didn’t wait for permission to take over when my strength waned. A firm arm gripped me across the ribs, pulling me through the water effortlessly. The cliff we jumped from seemed so far away now, making me aware of just how far we swam.

The sound of sloshing around us was different when the waves beat against a jagged shore. We were finally on land again. Levi let my body settle on the tiny rocks and sand before he stood to hover over me.

“Are you all right?” he asked, helping me onto my side so I could catch a breath.

“I’m fine, just cold.” Hearing me practically hack up a lung after speaking probably did nothing to reassure him, but there was no time for coddling. We had to move.

“Let’s get into the woods. The trees will shield us,” he urged, securing his hands beneath my arms. “His men will be on this side of the channel soon.”

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