Paradise

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Seven

It wasn't what I'd expected, and that was a good thing.

A massive body of water had protected us from a fall which I could only assume would have been fatal. I shook my head, unbelieving. What kind of luck was this? I hadn't even heard the sounds of water when I'd peered over the edge and looked at the thick cloud-covering. Had it even been there then? Or had it magically manifested at the very moment I'd needed saving?

Before I could delve any further into those confusion-producing thoughts, Daphne, Liora and Odine landed around me in quick succession, producing miniscule splashes as they sank beneath the surface.

I watched the surface for minutes, it seemed, expecting them to resurface with strangled, wet gasps, but that didn't happen. My brow furrowed. I felt confused. Could a siren breathe under water? It didn't seem likely, especially seeing how they'd reacted in the cathedral when the water had come flooding in. They'd completely looked panicked. And then when they'd broken the surface in the cathedral, gasping wetly? No, they definitely couldn't breathe under water. That was just stupid.

So, then, where are they? My mind asked.

I honestly had no idea. Maybe they'd been injured somehow? Or maybe they were unconscious? Whatever the case, I wasn't about to dive under to look for them. Robert needed to stay above the water, and he was my first priority. I couldn't just let him go and watch him sink beneath the water like a heavy stone.

But ... I still felt kind of bad. Despite Daphne's intentions, I didn't want them to drown. Of course, I didn't even know if they could drown. Daphne had made it sound like they were unable to die unless murdered, but she could have just been lying. She'd certainly done enough of that.

I sighed.

I didn't know what else to do but stay there, rhythmically pumping my legs to keep us afloat. Besides my movements, the surface stayed perfectly calm, resembling a slate of blue-white glass. There were no signs of any underwater struggle. It was almost like they hadn't went underwater at all.

Then the water dropped a level and I gasped.

"What the crap was that?" I cried, startled.

It was like someone had yanked some giant's bathtub stopper free. Water splashed around me, lapping at my chin and cheeks. It dropped another level and then another and another. It kept dropping until we were below the clouds, and I could see the landscape clearly. Despite being more than a little afraid, I could still appreciate the view. It was just as beautiful as I expected with a sparkling lake that spanned for miles. Bright green land bordered the lake, rolling into verdant hillsides, which then swept down into a deep valley. It looked like a place out of a fairytale.

We kept dropping until the water completely merged with the lake. The last descent sent Robert and me under the water so forcefully my shoes hit the bottom. I pushed off, kicking back to the surface before I proceeded to drag Robert to land.

Words could not express how grateful I was to be on solid ground again. I collapsed over Robert with a pant. All of that had taken so much out of me. I felt so incredibly drained, but Robert needed me, and that kept me going as I pushed on his chest.

"Breathe," I cried. "Please, Robert, breathe."

Robert's body rocked with each push, his head lolling back. He looked more than unconscious. He looked dead. I began to cry. Tears flooding my cheeks, blurring my vision as I pounded his chest with more and more ferocity.

"Breathe!" I gritted. "You have to breathe!"

"Allow me," a familiar voice said from behind me.

I froze as a white-blue hand swept over my shoulder, the long fingers pointing at Robert's mouth. Immediately, Robert began to spasm. His mouth opened soundlessly, his tongue resting on his bottom teeth. His head arched back, neck and throat tensing ... fingers digging into the ground. He gave a wet, gagging noise just before a large ball of water came out of his mouth. Robert collapsed in exhaustion, his head rolling to the side. He breathed deeply as if he were asleep.