Page 148 of Artemysia
I can still steer my elk by shifting my weight and using my seat. As a last resort, I grip the fur at its neck—but at a gallop, I’m not sure if I can hold on much longer.
My elk veers away from the oncoming army, heading toward the East River.
Riev rides behind me, shielding me from any soldiers who catch up.
He stretches out a hand. “Get on my elk. Grab on to me—I’ll get us to the forest.”
“It’ll be too heavy and slow. Two people on one steed makes no sense. We won’t stand a chance. I’m going to keep going.”
The soldiers drive us closer and closer to the river.
After another long stretch of river, we’re as good as trapped prey cornered by bloodthirsty hunting hounds.
Riev fends off the onslaught of soldiers, but my elk slows down, sensing my loss of control. The poor creature loses focus and startles when the next soldier charges us from the side, his elk lowering his antlers as if about to headbutt mine.
My elk dodges sideways and kicks out, and I’m thrown off. Dammit.
It’s not the elk’s fault, but I roll and fall into the river. The numbness in my lower body prevents me from kicking, and I use my arms to keep my head above water.
“Don’t get in the water!” I shout up at Riev. I know what it means if he comes into contact with the East River and ingests any of the water.
His Syf half will become rabid.
“Hold on, Elphie. I’m coming to get you. I just need this guy to get out of my way.” His sword clangs as he disarms another guard, who tumbles to the ground as I continue down the river. “There.”
“No! Don’t risk it.” I choke and spit as water rushes into my mouth, the rapids carrying me as fast as Riev is riding.
“I can hold my breath for a long time, remember?” He continues to drive away soldier after soldier, his blade carving the air around him.
The numbness spreads, and my arms grow weak. The poison creeps up my torso. No matter what I do, I can’t keep my head above water.
I can’t see Riev anymore.
I’m submerged. I hold my breath and hope I can float. But therapids are fierce and toss my body into sharp rocks. I sink into a watery grave, the rippling light above me darkening as my body is dragged into the depths of the riverbed—to my drowning death. While I attempt to writhe upward, my limbs sway like seaweed, useless and limp, and I can’t hold my breath any longer. My head lolls to the side.
Even worse, a large river crocodile swims past below me. I think. It’s hard to see through my terror. Perhaps I’m hallucinating. It could be a log.
My mind splinters, and in my panic, I sputter and choke on the ice-cold water.
Just as I’m on the verge of losing consciousness, a body splashes in beside me and a firm hand grips my upper arm, pulling me up. Another arm wraps around my ribs, and my face breaks the surface. I gasp for air, my lungs burning. I throw up water.
“I got you, Delphine.” Riev’s voice is steady. In control. With two fingers, he rakes my hair back from my face and picks out a leaf from my mouth. “Take slow breaths.” He clutches me close, and cradles my head out of the water.
It takes me a while to stop retching.
The river is strong and pulls us south. “Riev, you can’t be in here,” I say between coughs, my voice strained. “What if your Syf side…turns rabid?”
He never even gave it a second thought. Or even if he did, he just dove right in anyway— to save me, to be here with me. I swallow the lump in my throat.
“I hate to tell you this, but I think it’s already affecting me.” He raises his lips. His teeth have sharpened into points. He has fangs.
My heart stops. Riders pursue us along the banks.
It seems hopeless, and I can’t see a way out of this. There’s no way to win. Not when Riev is turning.
It’s all over. Isn’t it? Riev is done for, which means I am too.
There’s nothing else we can do, except cling to each other, terrified.
