Page 47 of I Summon the Sea

Blinking the salt from my eyes, I draw a deep breath. All right, here it comes. I’ll get through this and get to the palace?—

“Girl!” The voice comes from above me. “Hurry up and get climbing! Go on!”

It’s the woman who had been praying earlier today. At least, I think it’s her. She’s lifted her hand and is pointing at something.

“Sharks!” she yells. “Sharks, hurry up!”

I see them now. A shiver of blue-frilled sharks is circling toward me, their turquoise-lace fins cutting through the water like blades.

So when the next wave starts lifting me, I let it.

It smashes me against the smooth wall, knocking out my breath, and I’m still too low, not high enough to reach any handhold. I scrabble against the silvery surface with my fingernails, seeking any protuberance, any hold, but there’s nothing, and shit, I start sliding back down?—

A hard hand seizes my forearm, and a spark of lightning goes through me, jerking me. I hang against the platform side like a fish on a hook.

At least it’s my hale arm in that crushing grip, or I’d have passed out already.

I don’t have any thought to spare as to who the owner of the hand is. I’m hauled up smoothly while I writhe and curse. Glancing up, I see a handsome face and familiar dark eyes under a crown of wild black hair.

Athdara is hanging over the glass-like side of the platform, one hand wedged in one of the handholds, the other wrapped around my arm.

Now, we’re both hanging over the crashing waves.

Great.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“Hang on!” he shouts down at me, voice hoarse. “I’ve got you!”

As if I could do anything else but hang onto him, swinging over the sea, the sharks circling underneath. The only thing that’s keeping me from becoming fodder is his death grip on my arm. If said arm doesn’t pop out of its socket, we’re good.

As long as he doesn’t lose his grip on the rock. Or metal. Whatever this polished material is. And as long as he can somehow get us both up to the top. It should be child’s play for him… right?

Oh no.For a long moment, I fear he hasn’t thought this through, that we’re both going to crash into the sea and die. His hand is wet, as is mine, making the grip slippery and temporary. My fingers are already sliding free of his…

… then a cold ribbon wraps around my waist, stopping my fall. I jerk in mid-air, but it holds fast, and when I glance down, I see it’s not a tentacle or snake.

Shadows.

Shadows are curling around me, aroundus, a rope of them affixed to the shiny surface, all the way up to the top. It slowly starts pulling us up, the shadows whispering, pulsing. A shadow serpent, hauling its prey up to devour it.

After what feels like an eternity, it yanks us over the edge of the platform, and we roll on top, sliding. The surface is as smooth as the mirrored sides of it. I slap my hands on it to slow myself down, and he does the same.

As we spin to a stop, lying on our stomachs on the metal surface—because itismetal after all—I hear more screams from below, where the waves are crashing.

Holy Amphitrite, we made it to the top. I can hardly believe it, can hardly breathe. In fact, I find myself wheezing, my chest feeling crushed, smothered by the realization of how close I came to dying.

Holy Sleeping Gods. That call was too close.

I can do better. I have to do better.

“Are you all right?” he asks.

I regard the man who just saved my life yet again as he pushes himself back to his feet, black boots planted securely on the slippery surface. He may be human, but he’s like a powerful young god radiating power.

My gaze darts from the dark swirls on his cheekbones to those fathomless eyes, his mouth, his neck… the drenched black shirt clinging to that muscular chest, and what looks like more black lines and scars on his neck…

Stop staring, I tell myself.Get yourself together.

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