Page 15 of In Dangerous Water

“James’ dad has picked him up,” he explained. “So I thought I’d wait with you and walk you out.”

I adjusted the towel that was around my shoulders and sent him a long look. “Did Angela put you up to this?”

Ryder shrugged his massive shoulders. “Maybe.”

I simply raised my eyebrows at him.

“Don’t be mad,” he said. “She told me about the troubles you’ve been having. Since I’m here I might as well make myself useful and walk you to your car.”

“Fine.” I pulled the swimming cap off my head with a sigh. “You can wait by the lap pool. I’ll go get my things and lock up my office. Oh, and I’ll grab the paperwork for the preschool swim class for James’ sister.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Ryder walked over to one of the starting blocks and perched on it. “Take your time. I’m in no rush.”

There was no point in being angry with Ryder, I reminded myself. He was simply being a friend. After drying off, I slipped back on my leggings and zipped up my jacket. I hung up my cap and goggles on hooks in my office and gathered up the paperwork for the preschool swim class. Hauling my swim bag with me, I switched off the lights and shut my office door.

I’d taken maybe two steps across the pool deck, when the overhead lights suddenly went off, plunging the aquatic center into darkness.

“What the hell?” I said, frowning when the emergency lights did not kick on. The exit lights over the doors were out as well.

“Cordelia?” Ryder called.

“Stay where you are,” I told him. “Don’t go walking around, Ryder. You could trip and fall.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled. “Are the lights on a timer or something?”

“No,” I said. “They’re not.”

Across the pool deck I saw the illumination from Ryder’s cell phone, even as I was reaching in my jacket pocket for my own. I tapped on the screen and pulled up the flashlight app. Quickly, I shined the light to my feet and began to make my way over to where he was waiting.

There was a loudthudand then a clattering sound. I glanced up in time to see his lit cell phone fall to the ground.

“Ryder?” I called out to him, but there was no answer.

A heartbeat later, a loud splash sounded.

I heard quick footsteps and realized that someone was coming straight at me. I couldn’t see the other person, but with a flash of insight, I realized they were able to spot my position from my illuminated phone.

Terrified, I chucked my phone to one side and instinctively threw myself down to the floor in the opposite direction. Something went whistling by, and I felt the air being displaced from above—right where my head had been.

I landed hard on my side on the pool deck and my crocs went flying off my feet. The person ran past me and kept going, heading for the far side of the center. I scrambled to my hands and knees as I heard them hit the door. They were briefly illuminated by the lights that had remained on out in the main hallway; but all I could make out was someone tall. I couldn’t tell if they were male or female.

“Ryder?” I called out to him again and crawled forward until I felt the edge of the pool. It was then that the emergency lights around the pool deck suddenly popped back on.

I blinked and discovered that Ryder was about halfway to the bottom of the pool, and there was a large cloud of red all around his blonde head. Surging to my feet, I dove right in the water.

I couldn’t risk magick in a public place...but Icouldget him out of the water on my own.

Going deep, I swam down until I was underneath him. Pushing off with my feet from the pool bottom, I hooked my hands under his armpits and dragged him toward the surface. Once I broke the water, I began to tow him back toward the side of the pool. Using breaststroke kicks, I kept his head above the surface and let his body float out and in front of me.

After I reached the edge of the water, I started to yell for help. Turning Ryder to face the side of the pool, I placed one of his hands up and on the deck. Putting my hand over his, I pressed down to keep him in place and levered myself from the water. Now that I was out, I took his other wrist and pushed forward a bit, actually letting his head go back under. Bracing my foot on the edge of the pool, I yanked on his arms hard, and hauled him out almost to his waist

His weightlessness from the water had given me much needed leverage. Leaving him bent face down over the pool deck, I quickly grabbed his legs and pulled him the rest of the way out.

Before I had managed to roll him on his back, Marcus, the custodian, and one of the swim instructors, Eva, were there helping me.

“What happened?” Marcus demanded. “Did he fall in?”

“The lights went out,” I began. “He was under when they came back on.”

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