Page 23 of Lana Pecherczyk
Um.
This was a better idea in his head. How did he submerge correctly again? Wasn’t there a way humans could safely drop to minimize impact? But what was it?
Fuck.
Gravity snatched him down. The wind stole his scream as a shadow appeared on his right. Cielo had jumped, too. Except where Manfri fell like a pinwheeling starfish, Cielo slapped his palms to his hips and squeezed his legs together, toes down like a dancer.
“Do it!” he shouted. “Feet first. Point them.”
Manfri copied just before they pierced the river’s surface. Water engulfed them. Down, down, slicing through the current like falling daggers. It was deep. Instead of crashing into the riverbed, their feet gracefully touched the bottom. No diamonds beneath his toes. Just silt and smooth stones. What a shame.
Violent bubbles overtook his vision as Cielo kicked and swam back to the surface.
Something stopped Manfri from following. It was so inviting down here. Peaceful. Quiet and comforting. No responsibility. No drama. No best friend leaving him behind for bluer skies and, no doubt, a warm pussy to sink his horny cock into.
Manfri wanted a family one day—every crow did. But not yet. Not for centuries.
Lungs burning.
Need air.
He pushed up and flailed toward the surface. He probably should have learned to swim. Oops. The current was stronger than he remembered. The flow battled his arms and legs, denying him freedom. He somehow managed to find the surface, but barely had time to gulp air when the current took him under. Oh no. He still didn’t have enough mana in his reserves to shift his wings out.
If a kelpie lurked in these waters, he was in trouble. Dead.
Spluttering for air, his hand shot up to stroke. Something grasped his wrist. He glanced up, fearing the worst, but it was Cielo. Relief flooded Manfri as his friend yanked upward, pulling him out of the water so forcefully that his arm nearly dislocated.
Jet-black wings beat in a frenzy, spraying water as Cielo fought the raging current. For a long, fearful moment, Manfri feared his friend wasn’t strong enough to fight this powerful force of nature.
“Just let me go,” he shouted up. “Save yourself.”
He would have laughed at the cutting glare Cielo sent him, but he was too busy being rescued. Cielo beat his wings harder, faster, flying them higher and higher into the sun.
“You fucking mad cunt!” he roared down, taking them up the cliff face.
They crested the top and landed in a tumbling heap beside their discarded clothes. Manfri rolled, tumbled, and saw the world spinning until they faced the blue sky. Coughing and lungs heaving, he stared up, silently thanking the Well for Cielo’s stubborn loyalty. When the initial panic wore off, adrenaline still coursed through his veins, pumping life and purpose from his heart. Once he’d gathered his breath, he whooped loudly at the sun. “That was fucking awesome!”
Cielo groaned, “I think my aching wings would protest.”
“Then maybe you should have flown us to the riverbank instead of up the cliff.”
“Are you complaining about being rescued?”
“No.”
“Well … I didn’t think of that, did I?”
Manfri sat up, grinning. Like a shaggy wolf, he shook the water from his blue-tipped black hair. His friend scowled and got to his feet, dusting his body.
“Why did you jump without mana?” Cielo grumbled.
“Humans can do it. Why can’t we?”
“Because fae don’t know how to do it like the humans. We’re too used to relying on the Well to save our hides.”
“But you knew.”
Cielo went quiet.
