Page 111 of The Traitor Queen (The Bridge Kingdom 2)

And Aren dived down into its depths.

She couldn’t see him through the foam and the darkness, and fear overwhelmed the haze of blood loss and pain when he didn’t emerge. “No. No. No,” she sobbed. “You don’t get to have him.”

The Ithicanians in the boats tried to move closer, but the waves kept pushing them back. Farther and farther until the only one who remained was Lia, perched on a narrow ledge. The other woman started to set down her torch, clearly meaning to dive in.

Then Aren broke the surface.

He caught hold of the metal, climbing swiftly until he was face-to-face with Lara, blood running down his cheek from a cut on his brow.

“There’s a space at the bottom,” he said between gasps. “It’s too small for me to fit through, but your shoulders are narrow. I’ll be able to pull you through, you just need to hold your breath.”

But to reach it she’d have to go down.

Down into the darkness and the depths of the water, and a familiar terror rose in her chest, tearing through her veins. “I can’t.”

“You can.” He kissed her hard. “I’ve never once seen fear make a decision for you.”

Lara shook her head. This was too much.

“I need you.” His breath was hot against her lips. “And I need you to keep fighting.”

Closing her eyes, Lara struggled against her terror of the water—the terror that had haunted her steps from the moment she’d stepped foot in Ithicana.You are a princess,she told herself.A queen.

But above all, she was the little cockroach.

Lara nodded once, sucking in a deep breath.

And then Aren pulled her down beneath the surface.

She could not see. Had no sense of up or down as the ocean ripped at her body, only Aren’s grip on her keeping the water from tearing her out to sea.

Deeper. She knew he must be taking her deeper, because the pressure in her ears grew, and it took all of her strength to catch hold of the bars and drag herself down when instinct demanded she goup.Back to the surface and to air.

Down and down.

Panic raced through her veins, the need to breathe growing with each passing second, the only thing keeping her sane the knowledge that Aren was with her. That to save him, she needed to save herself.

Then her hands hit rock.

They were at the bottom of the cave.

Holding tight to her wrists, Aren pulled her sideways, and she felt the opening where the bars had been forced apart.

But the gap was small. So terribly small.

Her chest spasmed with the need to take a breath, but she didn’t fight as he tugged on her arms, twisting her shoulders until she slid through.

Only to feel her belt snag.

Aren pulled, his feet braced against the bottom, but it wouldn’t give. Desperately, Lara tore her hand from his grip, trying to reach between her body and the rocky floor to unfasten the buckle, but there was no space.

And she needed to breathe.

Needed to breathe.

Needed to breathe.

Lara inhaled.

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