Page 14 of Cruel Vampire King

So yes. No matter how much she reminded me of Darcie, when we reached the final trials, I would kill Thessa.

Chapter 6

Wickham Forest was not as large as one might think. Though the trees were wide around the trunk and taller than most buildings in the cities, they were relegated to a somewhat small parcel of land. The cedars, pines, and spruces that dominated the vegetation had spent so many centuries dropping their needles that it had turned the ground acidic, and this, along with the overlapping canopy, prevented a lot of undergrowth. The deeper we made our way into the forest, the less bushes we had to slog through.

The trees were big enough for a dragon to hide behind, but we came against nothing after that first fight. I could only imagine that our channels had low ratings.

We came to a lake unexpectedly. The terrain and vegetation hadn’t changed. There was no slope to indicate that we would be heading toward a bowl for water to collect, and no sign of the brush that was so thick on the edge of the forest where we started. I hadn’t even seen the lake through the trees. Just rounded a large oak and suddenly it was there.

“Whoa,” Thessa murmured, coming to a stop.

The six of us drew to a stop, staring out over the lake. It wasn’t mentioned on the map, but this was the heart of the forest. It was difficult to pinpoint exactly where the lake began and the ground started. It was all just a smooth transition. The light reflected off the still, smooth surface so perfectly that I at first thought it was a salt deposit, like the ones that were left in shallow pools near the ocean, after the water had all evaporated.

“You think it’s in there?” Ysara asked, frowning doubtfully.

“Unless we went in the wrong direction, and this isn’t the heart of the forest,” Kael answered. He picked up a stone and tossed it into the lake. The water swallowed it up with hardly a ripple.

Thessa backed away, shaking her head. “Still water. This is a dangerous place. We can’t go in there.”

“If the artifact is inside, what choice do we have?” Ysara snapped at her.

Greyson was watching me. I felt the prickle of his gaze, as though he was expecting me to do something. I ignored him as I studied the surface of the water. It wasn’t right. Even still, water would show more disturbance after a rock was thrown into it. I moved to the edge of the water and crouched near it. It seemed as though I was staring down into the deepest part of the lake. An illusion?

“Elara!” Thessa screamed.

My head jerked up, but it was too late. A flash of white crested over me as something sharp bit into my leg. Water hit my torso, and I gulped in a deep breath before I was under, being dragged away. The light from the surface grew dim, focusing into a tiny pinprick. I twisted, widening my eyes. The Selkie part of me allowed me to see as clearly under the water as I could above it. A mane of tangled seaweed flowed into my face, and I pushed it away.

A horse had my leg in its teeth, galloping on the water as though it was running on land as it dragged me deeper into the lake. Of course! A kelpie. That’s why the lake looked so still—it was an illusion. A spike of fear washed through me, begging me to take a breath. I sealed my nostrils, calling on my innate water abilities to keep myself still. The kelpie would keep dragging me until it thought I was dead.

Selkies have magic that allow them to breathe underwater. My distant selkie heritage didn’t allow that much resilience to the water, but it did give me extra lung capacity. I held my breath, letting the beast tire itself out. I wasn’t sure how long it was—five minutes, maybe—before it cantered to a stop, next to a large dome of sticks, bones, and mud.

Its lair.

The kelpie dropped my leg and stomped one heavy hoof onto my stomach, driving out half of my precious air. It hooked my clothes onto a branch and then sauntered off, probably to catch one of the others.

I waited until it disappeared into the gloom to make sure it wouldn’t come back. Twisting in the water, I groped along the branch until I found the spot where I’d been fastened to the lair. Fortunately, the kelpie hadn’t secured me with its slime or kelp. It was easy enough to free myself from the branch. From there, I pulled myself down the branch, closer to the pile of bones and sticks that was its lair. Kelpies weren’t hoarders by nature, not like a dragon, but if there was an artifact we had to recover, it would be here.

Had the vampires put the artifact in the lair, or had they given a sacrifice to the kelpie? Didn’t really matter. It was just like them to make us handle the dead to get their precious artifact, whatever it was.

My stomach ached from the kelpie’s kick, and my leg burned. Ribbons of blood started to seep out around me. My lungs grew uncomfortable as I shifted through the piles of bones. A glint of something caught my eye inside a skull as I tossed it away so I paddled closer. I turned the skull over to find a fist-sized pendant lodged in its brain cavity. Gotcha!

Tucking the skull beneath my shirt, I kicked for the surface. I cut through the water as my lungs started to burn. The sound of swirling water heralded a shadow passing over me. My heart stuttered. The kelpie!

It dove, a scream reverberating through the water. Its ears pinned back against its skull as it came for me. I twisted myself but wasn’t fast enough to avoid its thundering hooves. The sharp ends clipped my sides, and the kelpie lunged, biting for my neck. I grabbed hold of its ears, holding myself away from its ravenous, sharp teeth. It jerked me from side to side and rammed its head into my chest.

All the rest of my air exploded from me. One of my hands slipped free. It twisted itself from my other hand. It kicked me again, hard in the chest. I felt something crack. Then, its teeth clamped onto the side of my neck.

The surface seemed even more distant. Pain flashed over my vision, and I opened my mouth to scream. Water rushed into my lungs, and the flash came again, bright white against the darkness. Wasn’t I supposed to see my life in these flashes? The light switched from white to red, and the kelpie screamed. It wrapped itself around me and pulled me through the water. The light was getting brighter. Was this the tunnel of darkness that was death?

I wanted the light. So badly it hurt.

A rumbling sounded in the water next to me. I tore my eyes from the light to see an angel holding me. It must have stolen me from the kelpie at some point; I wasn’t sure when. A soft amber glow bathed his face. And with a ripple of shock, I realized who my angel was.

Luken.

My head broke the water. My lungs exploded, trying to expel the liquid in them. I choked, gasped, and clear air flooded into me. There was still too much water and I coughed, my whole body aching with the force of it. Luken’s arms were still around me as we floated toward the shore. No, not floated—he was swimming. I was clasped to his chest by strong arms as he kicked. I could feel his muscles moving through his torso and chest.

And despite the blood still seeping from my wounds and the deep ache in my chest that spoke to at least one broken rib, I was… safe. His body was warmer than the surrounding water. I held my face into the air and tried to kick, even though I couldn’t breathe. But the feeling that swept through me was safe and warm, and that was all that mattered.

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