Forged in Frost and Fire (Book 1 in the Chronicles of Kings trilogy)

Chapter Seventeen

"Please," I gasped as I saw Mason's fuzzy figure stomping over to me. He spared me no mercy. I should have known. I screamed as he grabbed me by the hair and dragged me forward. I spat out a mouthful of blood, tears streaming down my cheeks as I scratched at his hand that was holding me.

The water was getting closer now and my screams were getting louder. How had no one come to my aid yet? Did they normally hear girls screaming bloody muder in the middle of the night? I started to feel pretty damn hopeless as I looked down to see the river right below me. I could feel the mist collecting on my cheeks.

I could've done it. I could've done what I had been wanting to do the entire time. I could've used my powers. If I did, I would have sent a mass of ice at them, ice bullets, frost, snow, everything I had. But I was a spy, and having any other type of powers in Hiraeth was more dangerous than death itself, Elda had told me. So I didn't use my powers. And I suffered.

Mason laughed as he held me mere feet from the water by just my hair. It was awful, a terrible pain spreading across my scalp that I prayed I'd never feel again. My entire body was in pain, and blood kept filling my mouth. So much so that I had to keep spitting it out. I aimed a wad at Mason, watching in satisfaction as it hit him straight in the eye. Tellie had taught me that trick.

His hand tightened on my hair. "You bitch-" His words were cut off.

"Hey!" someone shouted. I recognized that yell. Foley. Pure hope alighted me inside and I let out a laugh. I'd be okay. I'd be okay. The thought had just barely crossed my mind before I was falling and plunging into the water.

The river was stronger now than it had been before, and my body was weaker. I was helpless as my body was dragged down the stream. I kicked and surfaced from the water, sucking in huge breaths. I saw dark silhouettes moving before me. Foley was fighting the meatheads. I heard skin against skin, large booms that meant Foley was creating irreparable damage. Good. Let them hurt.

My body dipped down under the water once again and I felt water get sucked into my lungs. I kicked to the surface desperately, but the water kept me under. It was moving so fast, too fast. I kicked up only to get swept down again. Finally, when I reached the surface, I had moved much farther than I had last seen before. I coughed up water, flailing my limbs as I tried to stay afloat.

I needed a plan. I couldn't just drown. I glanced around, seeing the side of the river. There was a tree up ahead. If I swam fast, I could reach it and wrap my arms around its base. I could do it.

I swam as hard as my body would allow me. Fighting with all of my strength to reach that tree. I screamed through my teeth as the current tried to take me away and my weak body tried to give up. All I wanted to do was give up, to sink like a stone down into the dark depths of that river...

I reached a hand out and clung onto that tree. With a scream, I reached my other arm up and wrapped it around the skinny base. I felt like a piece of paper floating in the wind as the raging river tried to tear me away.

"Foley!" I screamed. He was still fighting someone, though I was too far away to make out who. He dropped whoever he was holding after delivering an award winning punch. He sprinted towards me, covering the distance in huge leaps. His breath clouded out in puffs before him. The air was freezing. I couldn't feel it over my terror.

"Eira!" he shouted. Yes, there I was, freezing in the river. Shouting my name wasn't going to get me any better. He sprinted over to me and grabbed onto my arms. He practically hauled me out of the water, grunting as he finally pulled me free. My legs turned to jelly once I was out and I collapsed onto him, burying my face into his chest. And then I did the thing I promised myself I'd never do inside this camp. I cried. Big, ugly, gut-wrenching sobs.