Page 4 of Dark Reign

Icy water covered us and we sank. Stretching my toes toward the bottom I didn’t fight the feeling of my weight lowering us even deeper. In my arms, a small body fought against me as I all but drowned her. Bubbles rushing to the surface would give our position away, and we couldn’t have that, so I kept my hands locked tight to hold in her breath.

An elbow to my ribs, poorly-kept fingernails clawing at my neck—I ignored it all, tightening my grip around her. I even managed to ignore the swift heel to my shin as we reached a new depth. The water was murky here, darker than the surface, even colder.

Thirty more seconds, Cori. Thirty more seconds.

The muffled sounds in my ears—rushing water and gurgling—were merely a brief intermission from the terror that lurked above. While, yes, the hellhound was a clear and present danger, it wasn’t theonlydanger. The woods were known to be crawling with roamers—second-generation Ianites who rejected formal assimilation into society, the ones who chose to exist on the fringes and make their own rules. If HIN-016565 and I were unlucky enough to cross paths with a hive, that would be the end of it.

The end of us.

Fifteen seconds.

She was going still, losing consciousness quicker because she fought so hard. I admired that she didn’t go down easily, even if what I’d done was only to save her life. To her, I was sure it seemed I aimed to do the opposite.

Slowly, I allowed myself to float toward the surface, noting the faint light as we drew nearer to it. When I broke through, I didn’t gasp for fear of alerting nearby predators, but I needed that air, swallowed huge gulps of it as I brought my transport above as well. I kept a hand over her mouth to muffle the sound as she took in greedy breaths, surprising me when she didn’t splash around like an octopus.

Maybe shedidrealize I wasn’t trying to kill her.

I scanned the area, searching for that menacing, red stare that had driven me to jump into this lake in the first place. I saw nothing, heard nothing.

Using one arm to keep the girl close, I pulled us toward the water’s edge with the other. I lifted her out slowly to minimize the noise, and then hoisted myself out as well. We were soaked, both pushing dark strands of hair aside as they clung to our faces. With the added weight to our clothes, we’d be slow if we had to run again. So, as I lifted the transport onto my back like before, I sent a silent prayer it wouldn’t come to that.

From here, it would be a long, crucial walk to the van. The hound was, no doubt, still lurking about, and likely a few roamers, too. Each step was tense. Every time I accidentally broke a twig beneath the sole of my shoe, I felt tears well in my eyes. So many thought I was fearless, but that was far from the truth. I felt fear, I simply chose not to let it stop me.

A solid, white line illuminated by the moon was the first indicator we’d reached the road, the second was the red sedan that passed us.

But there was no van.

“Hop down,” I whispered, needing to catch my breath, get my bearings.

The transport’s bare feet crunched leaves gently beneath them, too quiet for anyone else to hear. I knew not to creep to the road’s edge for a better look, but I desperately wanted to. With my com down, thanks to the unscheduled dip into the lake, I was flying without wings.

Some BlackbirdIwas.

It was possible I’d come out at the wrong extraction point. I never saw the shed Felix spoke of, so … it was possible I’d … messed up.

Don’t freak out, Cori. Keep it together and figure something out. You always do.

I was getting dizzier by the second, feeling the strange jittering in my limbs that came before therealshow began—convulsions that left me sore, tired, and disoriented sometimes for hours. It’d be just my luck to fall down right here, scaring the kid half to death until her screams told our pursuant exactly where to find us.

I had to do something, andfast.Standing still wasn’t an option, so we walked near the road, but out of sight to passing cars. The longer we walked, the more it wrecked my nerves. This—being lost in uncharted territory, now withseveralon our trail, including the orphanage’s resident huntsman and his pack—was about as bad as it got.

My vision was starting to blur, my steps staggering despite an attempt to keep to a straight line.

“Look!”

A small voice to my right made my drifting lids widen when she pointed. A set of high-beams blinked on and off as a large vehicle crept along the tree line.

It had to be Alex. He was looking for me.

I hurried toward the pulsing lights, but not by my own strength. The little one I’d carried this far was now urgingmealong.

“This way,” she chimed excitedly, never forgetting to keep her voice down.

My vision dimmed to a slender tunnel, leaving only her soaked gown as a directional marker. I ambled along, feeling my limbs become leaden as the sweetest sound I ever heard suddenly filled my senses—that of a van door sliding open just before two bodies hustled closer, flinging my arms over their shoulders for support.

“We’ve got you, kid,” Alex mumbled close to my ear as I was lifted inside.

At the feel of carpet beneath my cheek and a blast of vented heat warming my chilled skin, I breathed deep and let the darkness take me.

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