The Other Side of the Lie (EDITING, ON HOLD)

Fifteen-Hunter

Hunter saw Swift flail and begin to sink. He knew he would be helpless to aid the vampire with his injured arm. He could barely keep himself from drowning, much less someone else.

"Mist!" Hunter shouted. "Swift needs help!"

The wolf turned to start swimming back to Swift. Then she stopped. Slowly the wolf rose out of the water, white fur dripping with river water. When Mist returned to her human form Hunter recognized her expression as shock. A horse rose under her until Mist sat astride its back, the kelpie's hooves pawing restlessly at the river's surface. Swift also sat astride one of the beautiful creatures. Blood from his leg stained the animal's glossy dove-gray coat.

Hunter felt something below him. He scrambled to grab on to something to keep from slipping off as the kelpie rose from the water. When he raised his head he saw that his sister and the Sky fey prince were also mounted. As he watched, an arrow lodged in the flank of one of the kelpies. It reared, screaming in pain. Bella clutched desperately at the beast's neck and he shouted "no!" before he could think better of it.

The kelpie put all four hooves down and gazed at him with coal black eyes. Dark blue blood ran in rivulets down the kelpie's leg. Hunter wheeled his mount around, clinging to its back, and dug his heels in. The kelpie bolted downstream and when Hunter looked back the others were on his heels. The Sky fey guards tried to catch up with their escaping prey but soon enough they were no more than speks in the sky.

Hunter turned back to face forward. Ahead of him the river widened and spilled into Coral Lake. Then the kelpie leaped, and Hunter was plunged into the water.

He held his breath as long as he could but his lungs burned, demanding he take a breath. Hunter fought it, unwilling to die now, after everything he had been through. What would Bella do if he died? No one would be there to protect her.

Despite his best efforts he felt himself slipping away. His grip on the kelpie's mane slackened and his fingers slipped free. His eyes closed. The last bubbles of air left his nose. He felt a mouth over his, pushing a gulp of air into him. Wait. Air?

Hunter breathed in and his eyes flew open to see a Sea fey around his own age with brilliant blue eyes even bluer than Hawk's. Hunter took in a sharp breath and tensed, waiting for the water to fill his lungs. When it didn't, his jaw dropped and the Sea fey grinned at him and darted away, a strong black-scaled tail propelling him through the water. Hunter turned to see him put his mouth over Hawk, then Mist, growled when he did the same to Bella, and then the Sea fey finished with Swift who still had blood seeping from his calf.

Hunter was somehow still on his kelpie and so were the others. The Sea fey turned and motioned to them to follow. The kelpies swam after him and Hunter twined his fingers once again into his mount's mane.

He kept his eyes open, and with every breath he took he tensed, waiting for the water to fill his lungs and drown him. He felt the water in his body though, moving through his throat and in and out his nose as if it were air. He didn't drown. He still hated the sensation.

Any discomfort was forgotten the moment the underwater city rose from the bottom of the lake.

Spires of pure white marble glittered in the beams of sunlight that danced with the movement of the clear blue water. If he looked up, Hawk suspected he would be able to see the clouds clearly. The city sprawled in the center of the enormous lake, with roads paved with smooth river stones winding through the white buildings. Shadows were cast on the city from floating docks far above on the lake's surface where a dozen enormous trade ships were moored. Chains encrusted with barnacles stretched from the floating port to the lake bed.

"Coral City." Hunter started at the voice and turned to see the same Sea fey from earlier. He grinned, and Hunter tentatively smiled back. "It's named after the lake, not very imaginative in my opinion but whoever named it is long dead."