Page 53 of Chosen By the Fae King

No matter. The further away she got, the better off I was.

The river stretched before me, icy water rushing over boulders and fallen tree trunks. I eyed the slippery stones peeking through the surface. One wrong step would send me tumbling under, at the mercy of the current's pull.

Ahead, Zoriyah picked her way across the rocks, her steps sure and graceful. Of course, the fire fae had the advantage here. She had access to her magic, easily burning away the moss and slippery substances coating the rocks.

I bet it dried them, too.

My limitations could make this the most dangerous part of the course for me. Fae were long-lived, but we could be killed. Drowning was definitely one way to do it.

Maybe I should follow Zoriyah's path? She'd already disappeared over the embankment and would be none the wiser if I copied her movements.

Mapping it out, I noticed the first few steps would put my boots in the water. Up and down the bank was the same issue. No matter what, my feet were getting wet.

I stepped onto the first stone. The water churned around my ankles, frigid and fast. It would surely take one's breath away to swim in it.

Feeling balanced, I took another step. Then another. On the fourth I was able to step out of the stream and onto a large, flat rock. Though my soles were wet, I was able to remain steady on my feet.

When I reached the halfway point, a flicker of movement caught my eye down and to the left of my foot. I searched for another sign of whatever it was, but the white of the rapids hid most of what was below.

There was movement again. This time I could tell it was pale and thin. It had to be a fish, possibly a snake. Neither of which would harm me.

I lifted my leg to hop to the next boulder when the thing shot out of the water and grabbed my ankle. I screamed, arms pinwheeling as I lost my footing.

In a flash, I was under the churning water, the depth deeper that I thought. I kicked and fought, trying to get to the surface. The hold on my ankle tightened.

I looked to see what had me in its clutches and saw a ghastly, skeletal face smiling at me.

A wraith.

My heart shot into my throat and for a moment, I didn't think I'd surface.

I struggled against the wraith's hold, panic flooding my veins with adrenaline. Lungs burning, I writhed and kicked with all my might. Its grip was an iron shackle, impossible to break free from.

A blast of light nearly blinded me as it shot by. Then another, followed by a bone-chilling watery scream from the devilish creature. Its hands fell away as a shower of ice and magic rained down.

I kicked to the surface, my movements slow and awkward. I was certain my ankle was no longer attached to my leg. My body had gone numb, but shook dramatically anyway.

My head breached the rapids and I sucked in precious air, gasping and wheezing. Raina stood on the far bank, hands outstretched and crackling with magic. Her violet eyes were narrowed in concentration, fixed on the water.

“Swim,” Raina ordered, her voice ringing with power and authority.

I did the best I could, the current moving me as I inched my way to safety. Raina ran with me, keeping parallel to my position as she scanned the water.

“There's an uprooted tree lying down in the water. You'll reach it in about four seconds.”

Turning my head, I nearly missed it. Luckily I got an arm hooked on a branch before I was carried further away. Raina scowled, looking around.

“Don't move, Aeryn. This will hurt but do not move.”

Kneeling, Raina put her hands into the stream. The temperature dropped even more, ice picks stabbed at me. My teeth chattered.

But then the water level started going down. A wall of ice was taking shape just upstream until it completely blocked the flow.

Raina sighed in relief, the magic fading from her hands. She hurried down the slope to where I sat on a shallow part of the riverbed.

Concern etched into her delicate features. “Are you all right?”

I tried to speak but I couldn't. She made a grunting noise.

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