Page 43 of Demon's Prey
KURSE
Kurse had been moving the ship out to sea for about twenty minutes when he came across the yacht that had taken Faith. He stopped and anchored, trying to figure out how he could get to her. Before he could hatch a plan, he spotted someone dangling over the side of the yacht.
Kurse gasped, realizing that the person was Faith. She plummeted into the ocean with someone else attached to her. Kurse’s heart started slamming into his chest as he wandered the ocean with his eyes.
Did he really have to get into the water? There must be another way. But the more time he spent thinking, the more likely it was that she was going to drown. He couldn’t have that. He knew he would never ever forgive himself if that were to happen.
He knew that he couldn’t swim, or at least swim well. He was also big, and he feared sinking to the ocean floor like an iron anchor. But he didn’t have any other choice.
He glared at the water, fear pumping through his veins. How difficult could it be? After all, many mammals and humans could do it. Why couldn’t a demon?
He wished he had taken lessons years ago in Kortanth.
Without another thought, Kurse dove into the water. He first felt his body sinking toward the ground, then began to push the water away from his face. That seemed to do something. He then did it with both hands. Eventually, he was jetting through the water like a rocket, getting the hang of swimming quite easily.
He rose to the surface to catch his breath and saw a few men dive into the water toward Faith. He frowned and dove deeper. He could see Faith falling fast with something attached to her legs. It was clearly heavy as it pulled her down, like a penny in a fountain.
Kurse swam through the water as fast as he could. He saw that Faith was attached to the man whose face he had seen in a photo over her desk. He was sawing at his own wrist, spurting blood into the ocean like ink.
But his target was Faith. He jetted toward her, noticing that she had passed out. He pressed his face against her lips and gave her his breath. Her eyes shot open underwater. Kurse’s heart melted. He cupped her face and gave her more breath, which she took gratefully.
Kurse then dug his nails deep into the concrete blocks and ripped at them like they were made of rice paper. They began to disintegrate into the water and looked like snow. But he did not disintegrate one of them entirely.
Instead, he removed one from her foot and swam up to John Savage. He was screaming as he tore his wrist from his ligaments, almost free from handcuffs. But Kurse surprised him by shoving the concrete block into his mouth, smashing multiple teeth upon impact.
More blood streamed from his mouth. He bellowed, more water pouring into his lungs. Kurse forced his claw over his face and held him until he became limp in his arms. Kurse shoved his body to the surface, then tossed it back onto the yacht with one motion. Death would not save him just yet.
Kurse had been holding Faith the entire time and breathed in again, then into her mouth. He had more oxygen in his lungs than humans and was glad he wasn’t as exhausted as he anticipated.
Kurse’s huge body fired high into the air, breaching into the sunlight like a whale.
“Kurse! Kurse!” Faith cried. She started coughing up water as he held her close to him, patting her back and helping her bring up the rest of the water. She smiled and laughed through her coughing fit.
“Kurse, where have you been? How did you find me? And I didn’t know you could swim!”
Kurse chuckled, buoying up and down in the water, and kissed her cheeks.
“One question at a time, my beloved.”
Faith giggled, then lay herself flat on his body. He closed his eyes and reveled in her warmth. He could stay in that position for his entire life.
“I saw the doppelgänger come to the door. I knew something was up instantly.”
Kurse could feel Faith smiling.
“Did you think that I had just returned back to Kortanth?” He whispered into her ear softly.
She shook her head, then nodded, then shrugged.
“I honestly didn’t know where you had gone at all. I thought maybe you had just left, and it scared me.”
Kurse drew his lip downward. He hated the thought that he had made her so unhappy. But it also made him think about what she may be feeling about it. Perhaps this was a way he could finally see how she felt about him.
“Faith,” Kurse said, looking at her and stroking her hair. “I am so sorry that this happened this way. I should have been there to help you, to save you.”
Faith chuckled into his back. “You are here right now, saving me the way you always have.”
They embraced one another again, holding on tight. Despite the water, they were warm in each other's arms.
