Beguiled (The Fairest Maidens Book 2) by Jody Hedlund

Author:Jody Hedlund [Hedlund, Jody]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: Young Adult, Fiction
Publisher: Northern Lights Press
Published: 2020-10-19T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter

15

Mikkel

A slippery body wrapped around my legs and dragged me down, farther away from the shimmering light on the surface. As I struggled against the eel-like creature, its clutch tightened with each movement. I had mere seconds before its hold would be too secure for me to free myself.

Though I hadn’t been able to access my knife, I’d managed to hold on to my spear. I couldn’t see through the blackness, but I took aim at the long coil wrapped around my thigh just above my knees.

As the spearhead sank past a scaly layer and penetrated into the flesh, the pressure against my legs loosened enough to yank myself free. I propelled myself up toward the light, kicking my legs and windmilling my arms in an effort to get away.

With my lungs already burning from the lack of air, I couldn’t let the serpent entangle me again, or I wouldn’t make it. I pumped my legs harder as the creature’s long tail slithered around me. Calculating the direction of its movement, I jabbed at the creature again with my spear, this time dragging the blade along its length.

When an inky cloud filled the water around me, I knew I’d injured it. Even then, I didn’t let down my guard and launched upward with every ounce of my strength. As I broke through the surface, I gasped for air and filled my lungs just in case the creature snagged me again.

Through the rivulets of water cascading down my face, I glimpsed the torchlight from the Inquisitor’s boats, which were much too close.

“Mikkel!” Pearl stretched out over the water, both arms extended.

Fear constricted my throat at the visualization of the creature slithering underneath the vessel, thumping it, and toppling Pearl into the sea. Skillful though she was, she wouldn’t have the strength to free herself from Loch Ness. And even if she did, I didn’t know if she could swim. Not many could.

“Get back!” I shouted at her. I’d rather Loch Ness take me down again than put Pearl at risk.

She leaned out farther, this time holding out a paddle. “Grab on!”

The first of the boats drew up alongside ours, and shouts rose into the air as Irontooth and the others readied to fight the Inquisitor’s men.

At the bump of scaly flesh against my legs, I braced myself for another attack. But the sea serpent glided past, heading in the direction of the boats.

Suddenly desperate, I swung my spear at it, hoping to make contact, needing to distract it and keep it away from Pearl. But the weapon only sliced through the water.

“Hurry!” Pearl called, thrusting out the paddle again.

Once more, all I could see was her plunging into the water and into Loch Ness’s clutches. “Get back into the boat!” I made swift strokes toward her.

She glanced over her shoulder and ducked, an arrow narrowly missing her neck.

As I reached the edge of her paddle, I wanted nothing more than to carry her off to Scania and make sure she was never in this kind of position again.

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