Page 182 of House of Pain
She whirled her head to the other side, but something caught her eye at the foot of the boat. Slowly, with her heart hammering in her throat, Alecto turned to meet two pairs of lime-green eyes staring at her.
A breath hitched in her throat.
Out of all the creatures, it just had to be the Water Bride that came for Alecto first.
Alecto didn’t dare even breathe as the creature rose from the water, its long white hair reaching all the way to its lean waist. The wet piece of ruined material that barely covered its ebony skin hung tightly around its curves.
Cold sweat broke over Alecto’s skin as she let her eyes roam the creature’s face. Recognition hit her.
“Genevieve,” Alecto’s voice was a whisper.
The Water Bride didn’t bristle, didn’t even react at the name she once carried as her own. Of course, once the witch was turned into a Water Bride, they had no memories of their life before death.
Alecto swallowed panic, together with all the other emotions that were not going to help her survive, and stared back at the girl in front of her.
This was her future if she didn’t find a way to escape the fucking boat.
“Lucky you, half breed!” Matias called again. “It seems as if you’ll be roaming the waters of the Blood Lake for the rest of eternity.”
Another wave of laughter.
The creature’s crimson-stained lips curled, revealing a row of black teeth. It hissed, climbing over the edge inside the boat.
Alecto wiggled, pushing herself as far away as possible as the Water Bride braced her palms on the deck, its slender body moving unnaturally fast inside.
There wasn’t much space in the boat for Alecto alone. With the Water Bride on deck, there was barely space to breathe. Alecto curled her legs as close to her chest as possible, putting distance between them. But it wasn’t much use.
The moment Alecto’s back pressed to the front wall of the boat, something poked her in the ass. She scrambled a hand over the sharp object to find a piece of metal wedged in the wood.
Alecto stifled a breath of relief as she positioned her wrists against the sharp edge, hoping the friction was enough to cut through the rope in time.
The Water Bride regarded Alecto, her eyes inspecting every inch of her face, neck, chest, even her arms, and legs. Alecto didn’t move anymore, hoping the creature would take its time and not attack her immediately.
When the rope loosened around Alecto’s wrist, the creature advanced, bracing its palms over the sides of the boat and caging Alecto beneath it.
The smell of salty water and mud hit Alecto in the face, suffocating her, but she didn’t budge.
Just a little bit more, and Alecto’s hands would be free.
And what then?
She wasn’t sure, but it was better to go down fighting than helpless.
The Water Bride leaned forwards, sniffing the air between them. Its black tongue peeked out, and it dragged it along Alecto’s cheek, all the way down to her neck.
Alecto shivered, recoiling at the cool touch of the creature, but she kept her lips shut. The sharp metal cut into her skin as she worked on what she hoped were the last strands of the rope, and that drew the creature’s attention.
It backed off, sniffing the air harder, and then cocked its head to the side, regarding Alecto. Its lips peeled back, revealing the sharp teeth, and it hissed into Alecto’s face, the smell of mud and weeds so strong Alecto gagged.
Before the Water Bride could sink its teeth in, Alecto’s arms were free. She braced her palms against the creature’s chest. “Infernotis.”
The creature hissed, the smell of burning flesh surrounding them, and then it backed off, falling back into the water over the edge of the boat.
Panting heavily, Alecto whirled to position her legs against the sharp metal thing, which turned out to be a rusted nail sticking out from the wood. She worked quickly to cut through the rope.
Finally, when her legs were free, she got on her knees, looking back at the shore where Gabe and Matias still stood.
“When I get my hands on you both, you’ll wish you were never born,” she called.
