Page 163 of Emperor of Wrath

But I’m getting Kenzo the fuck out of here.

I’m not sad to die. I’ve thought for years that I’ve been living on borrowed or stolen time. I should have died long ago in the attack on my family. Or in a squalid alley in Athens, at the hand of a man paying to use my body.

But I didn’t. I made it this far, and my reward was to have Kenzo for a little while.

He. Will. Not. Die. Here.

This was never him “dragging me into his world.” This is my mess. My chaos.

And he will not die for that.

I stare at the rippling surface of the water, where the fish just was. That fucking fish came from somewhere. The water came from somewhere.

We’re going to find out where.

Kenzo is barely conscious when I march back to him, lift his arm over my shoulder, and get him to his feet, groaning with the effort.

“Annika…”

“C’mon,” I grunt, gritting my teeth. “Help me get you up. You’re a heavy fucker, you know that?”

“Annika, stop…”

“Nope.”

“Whatever you’re thinking, I can’t come with you,” he breathes raspily. “So just leave me?—”

“Not fucking happening. Get the fuck up,” I spit. “Now!”

His eyes slide to mine. Whatever spark is still flickering inside of them burns a little brighter. It’s not much.

But it’ll do.

“There we are,” I grunt as he grips the wall, pushing to his feet. “Let’s go, Mori.”

He shoots me a doubtful look as we stumble and shuffle to the stairs dropping down into the black water. “What the fuck are?—”

“Come. On.”

I’m running out of time.

At the stairs, I let him sit back down. Then I tug off my pants, leaving them with him as I walk down into the terrifying water.

I hate deep water. I hate not being able to see the bottom, not knowing what’s about to come up out of the depths to grab me.

Today, that particular phobia can go fuck itself.

Without another thought, I take a deep breath and dive beneath the surface.

Fuck, it’s dark. Terrifyingly so. But I force myself to kick down to the bottom of the drowned room. The massive hole in the floor is a horror all its own. But I can’t let that get to me either right now. I need to push past the fear.

For him.

I scream as a shape emerges from the hole in the floor. Air bubbles cloud my vision until I realize it’s just another fish. I watch as it swims up into the room, crosses the gaping hole, and then swims back down.

…And presumably out the opposite side.

It’s not proof.

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