Page 33 of Guarded By the Vodnik

“Deal with something?” I asked, nonplussed. “What is there to deal with? And how long will it take? My legs are killing me, and I could really do with a moment to stretch them. Or could I maybe, I don’t know, straighten them while we move?”

I made to unwrap my legs, and Vodyan growled, pressing my hips to keep me from moving. I couldn’t help it. My pussy spasmed appreciatively at being manhandled like that.

I waited a moment until I was certain a moan wouldn’t fall out once I opened my mouth.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, wondering about this new mood of his. “Maybe I can help?”

He laughed mirthlessly, the sound hoarse and ragged, and I decided to award myself seven points for this one. It wasn’t a happy laugh, but a laugh nonetheless.

“No. It’s my problem. I don’t need help.”

I wanted to argue, I really did. I was a pushy person by nature, but I’d learned over the years that forcing my way through rarely helped and usually made things worse. So I took a deep breath and relaxed, squirming a bit to find a better position for my hurting legs.

“Fine, you know best. But the offer stands, okay? Any time.”

Vodyan exhaled through his mouth, releasing a flurry of bubbles, and hiked me up a bit higher. My inner thighs dragged against his lower ribs, and I had to bite my tongue to stay quiet.

“We should be there in under an hour,” he murmured, pressing me closer.

I gulped. His voice was lower, hoarse with something deliciously scratchy, and just damn. If he told me to spread my legs in that voice, I’d fall over myself in a rush to obey.

Except that was never going to happen, so I bit my tongue to get myself under control and settled in, resigned to endure one more hour of pain and excruciating temptation.

But we never made it there. About ten minutes later, Vodyan swore under his breath and reversed course, speeding up until we tore through the water like a rocket. I pressed my face to the crook of his neck.

“What’s going on?”

“Lamias.”

I wanted to ask him why he didn’t fight them like before when cruel howls and shrieks behind us made me flinch. It sounded like four or more voices. Probably too many to fight, especially with me attached to his front.

“Oh God,” I whispered, holding on tightly when another voice joined in from the left, whooping with a shrieking laugh.

Vodyan turned away from the new foe and sped up even more, cutting through the dark water. I desperately wanted to ask him if it was possible to outrun them or if there was a place we could hide, but I clamped my mouth shut. I’d only distract him, and I trusted him to get us out of this.

And yet, when another whoop came from above and Vodyan cursed bitterly, I couldn’t hold back a shiver of fright.

“They are herding us,” he bit out. “It’s okay. I’ll keep you safe.”

“I know,” I said through the tightness in my throat.

We swam deeper, so fast, I was dizzy, and yet the pursuit was right behind us. Vodyan grunted with effort, his tentacles pushing us forward with powerful thrusts, and I kept my eyes closed, holding on to him.

I didn’t even worry about myself. I was terrified they would shoot him in the back or hurt him in another way, but I didn’t say anything for fear of distracting him.

Let us be okay. Please, let us be okay.

“Almost there,” Vodyan grunted when another lamia dove at us from above, shrieking madly.

Suddenly, we stopped. I opened my eyes just in time to see we were in a dark, enclosed space. Vodyan’s chest heaved, his body shaking against me. The ground thudded, and we were plunged into total darkness.

Vodyan exhaled shakily and ran his hands up the back of my head and down my back around my air tank. His tentacles rose and wrapped around my hips and ankles, like he was afraid I’d fall away.

“Are you all right?”

I saw his face, ghostly like a mask in the green light from his voice sack. It extinguished as soon as he stopped speaking, and I cleared my throat.

“Yeah. And you?”

---