Of Fangs & Fins ✔

72. i'd do it all again.

Seventy Two.

Marina.

"Marina!" Waverly screamed, sending another stream of water my way.

I threw my hands up and caught it, twirling it around my body to gain velocity and sending it into a horde of ferals.

Velsyren's body undulated under us. The hisses and screeches overpowered the roar of the river beside us. Somehow, the ferals managed to back us in a corner. Some were brave enough to climb onto Velsyren's tail, but Lee and Caspian seemed to be doing an okay job at keeping them at bay.

I fell to my knees and slipped my hands under her scales. Velsyren reared up, using her tail to provide another layer of protection.

I didn't know how long she could keep this up. Or how long Eryn could either. With every second that passed my hope in her grew stronger, but my worry ran skin deep. She couldn't keep Velsyren up forever.

What were we going to do?

"Waverly! Give me another one!" I shouted from the top of Velsyren's head. So far this was enough, using the river's water to throw them back. Waverly's connection with these waters proved to be a big help, but with every time I used my powers, another wave of nausea rocked through. Whatever was in Lucinda's bite took a toll on me.

"I don't know if I have another one!" Waverly called from lower on Velsyren. She halfway sat, using her leg as a way to gather the feral creatures in one place. They clawed on the serpent, leaving deep gashes into her scales.

"Caspian, you need to help!" Waverly cried out to her cousin.

Cas turned his head upward. His arm freely flowed red as Lee sank his fangs into his wrist. Lee pulled away in seconds and wiped the back of his mouth. He darted down into the horde, using his nails to take out those around him.

He fought with a savagery that I hadn't seen from any vampire yet. He didn't make any wasted movements and ruthlessly took out dozens.

Waverly scooched down and grabbed her cousin, lifting him up to a higher spot on the gargantuan reptile.

"You trust him to do that?" She held Caspian's bleeding arm, tying it with tatters of her shirt.

"It's helping him. Look," Caspian tilted his head toward the ground.

I checked on Lee, only able to see an outline of him. He moved so fast that Lee created some sort of a barrier. None of the ferals were taking any chances to cross him.

Caspian's blood wasn't doing anything to him... it was only helping him clear Velsyren's way.

She wriggled along the side of the pier, creating a crescent moon shaped barrier. With her girth, we were able to safely slide off the side of her and feel some sense of safety.

"This isn't going to last forever. They're going to work up the bravery to climb over her," Lee shouted from her body. He kept himself away from us, but was it because he was afraid of losing control? Or was it because he needed to keep an eye on the feral?

My fingers wrung themselves together.

My only connection to Eryn was right here. This was our only form of protection. If things went wrong, we'd have to take our chances in the water. None of us could shift... the bites.

"We need to think what to do when Velsyren goes down," I bit the inside of my lip, tasting blood.

"The water." Caspian replied, "perhaps I can shift and hold you guys afloat."