Page 16 of Song of the Shadow Prince
As we glided along the river, I couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty of this new world. The colors were brighter, the sounds of nature more vivid, and the air was refreshingly clean compared to the pervasive smog of Los Angeles. For a moment, I allowed myself to simply enjoy the ride. The gentle rocking of the boat and the soothing sounds of the river lulled me into a sense of peace.
But then I remembered my mission. Taking a deep breath, I steeled my nerves and stood up in the boat, causing it to wobble precariously.
“My lady, what are you doing?” Maeve cried out, her eyes wide with alarm.
“I have to try,” I said, determination in my voice. Before she could stop me, I jumped into the river’s frigid embrace.
“My lady, no!” Maeve shrieked.
The shock of icy, churning water stole my breath away, and I felt myself being pulled under by the strong current. I kicked and flailed, desperately searching for any sign of a portal or an opening that might lead back home. But the murky water offered scant visibility. My lungs burned and I struggled to hold my breath, panic setting in as I realized I was quickly losing the fight against the current.
I bolted to the surface and sucked in a deep breath before diving back under water and swimming further down to search for the elusive mirror. This was my chance.
Fishes swam so close, they brushed my shoulders and legs, but there was no glimmering portal. I was quickly losing patience and air. My chest tightened and my throat closed in when I realized I needed to return to the surface. I couldn’t keep doing this. Either I would drown in this river or Maeve would pull me back onto the boat.
Just when I didn’t think I could hold on any longer, a strong hand grabbed me and hauled me up to the surface. I gasped for air, coughing and sputtering as I collapsed into the bottom of the boat.
“Are you insane?” a deep, familiar voice growled. I looked up to see Damien, his dark eyes flashing with anger. Black hair clung to his forehead and his strong jaw was set in a hard line.
Was I dreaming again?
“What the hell were you thinking?” he demanded, his grip on my arm tight and unyielding.
I was obviously dreaming. The bastard was being an asshole again.
Shivering from the cold and adrenaline, the wet fabric of my dress molded to my skin. “I thought I could find a way back,” I muttered, avoiding his piercing gaze.
“Back to where?” he barked, his voice rough with frustration.
“Home,” I said softly, looking up at him. “You wouldn’t understand.” I looked away, trying to prevent him from seeing the tear that slid down my cheek. I hated feeling weak, but I’d felt that way since being plunged into this unknown land.
He stared at me for a long moment, his expression filled with confusion and anger. “You’re not making any sense, Arya,” he said finally, and his grip on my arm slightly loosened. “There’s nothing in that river but water. Your home is back in the Northern District. In the Ryder residence!”
I scoffed and pushed him away, then scrambled to my knees. “I’m not Arya, Goddamnit!” I shouted with such fierceness that even Maeve startled as she hovered behind Damien. I slammed my hand on the deck of the small boat.
Damien narrowed his gaze on me before turning his attention to Maeve. “You said the healer mentioned she had memory loss?”
She nodded. “Yes, but she’s been rambling about things I don’t know about, Your Highness,” she whispered through silent tears.
I barked a sarcastic laugh. I couldn’t believe this was happening to me! Not only was I trapped in an unknown world… or a dream, or whatever the hell this was, but I couldn’t find the way back home. I was stuck. Truly stuck. I’d gone through much in my short twenty-seven years of life, but I rarely felt trulypowerless. Not since the day my father died, when I couldn’t do anything to help him.
I shook away my melancholy. I refused to give up. There had to be a way back home. If the river wasn’t the answer, I’d find another path. But I would return to my old life one way or another.
6
DAMIEN
If I hadn’t been flying back to my prison at Obsidian Reach, I wouldn’t have seen Arya and her servant on the river, and I wouldn’t have seen her jump into the river. I hovered in the sky for a while, watching and waiting until she emerged. She did once to catch her breath, and then she dove beneath the surface again. After that, it was as if she’d given up.
Her servant screamed her name, then frantically called for someone on the shore to help, but they were too far away for her cries to be heard.
Dammit.
No one was supposed to know I’d gotten my dragon bones back and could shift into a dragon after being dormant for so long, but I couldn’t stand by and watch her drown, no matter how much I despised the girl. But as I crouched on the bottom of their boat, trying to catch my breath, Arya laughed hysterically as if I hadn’t just saved her, but rather doomed her.
Maybe I did.
What was she trying to do? She said she was trying to go home… but what did that mean?
