too late. He felt his consciousness begin to fade. They would die
 
 down here. Cian would never know what happened. They were too far
 
 from each other. Cian would fade, never knowing why his brother
 
 hadn’t returned.
 
 Then his hand was free, and he felt himself beginning to float.
 
 He shook his head as his lungs started to burn. He forced himself
 
 to move. He had to get a hand on Meg. He pulled at her shirt and
 
 started to swim for the surface. He kicked his legs, even though he felt
 
 so weary. He used every bit of his will to propel himself and Meg to
 
 the air above.
 
 The sun was warm on his skin when he reached the surface and
 
 was finally able to breathe in sweet, clean air. Meg was a dead weight
 
 in his arms. He knew he had to get her to land before he could try
 
 anything. He swam as fast as his legs would take him. Seeing her skin
 
 so blue sparked an adrenaline rush that powered him through the
 
 water. When he could touch the bottom, he pulled her small frame
 
 into his arms and raced to the shore.
 
 “Please come back,” he muttered as he laid her down. He filled
 
 his lungs and then opened her mouth. He covered her lips with his,
 
 sealing them together and then pushed the air into her lungs.
 
 Nothing.
 
 Bound
 
 97
 
 He tried again, his heart racing. She couldn’t be dead. He would
 
 have felt it. He was sure he would have known. But then he’d thrown
 
 up barriers. He’d felt like he had to. But if she died alone, he would
 
 never forgive himself. She would have died reaching out to him, and
 
 he’d coldly closed their bond.
 
 He tried a third time. Suddenly her eyes fluttered, and her whole
 
 body convulsed. He quickly turned her over as she threw up the water