Ever So Lightly- Book 1

29

 The cold didn't seep in right away. Zephyr felt the rapids dragging her along for what felt like an eternity, but the cold didn't hurt. Not yet. The initial crash into the water had felt as though every bone in her body turned to powder. Zephyr struggled against the current, her limbs pushing out in every direction as she tried and tried to find the surface. Her lungs screamed for air. In her hysteria she almost laughed at the pain, at the lack of air and her utter powerlessness under the water.

Pain exploded in her side as she crashed against a rock jutting up. Up. Toward the surface. Zephyr felt as though the earth had righted itself as she finally gained purchase of which direction she was facing. She fought with all of her waning strength upward, toward what looked like more endless gray and churning water.

As her head broke the surface, Zephyr gasped in as much air as her lungs could hold. She was pulled under once again, and this time the cold smashing into her, threatening to pull that precious air from her lips. Not allowing herself to give in, Zephyr fought for the surface once more. Once her head was above the water, she tried pulling air in toward her but she was too exhausted to do anything but flail her limbs in an attempt to stay afloat as the river pulled her downstream.

Everything was flying past, giant snowflakes stinging as they smacked into her face. The bone-deep chill of both the water and the air caused an ache in her entire body that made Zephyr want to cry out in agony. She desperately scanned her surroundings for the riverbank. Something behind her caught in her vision, a flash of black against the unending gray pressing in on her from all directions.

Someone else was in the water. Zephyr's mind immediately went back to Kade and her body seized up in fear. The water again overtook her and she was pulled under, this time without the benefit of a last gasp for air. Water entered her mouth and began to flood her lungs. Zephyr wildly reached for the surface.

Arms surrounded her waist and yanked her small body upwards. Zephyr didn't have a thought to spare for fear anymore as her head broke the surface and she began to choke as air fought its way into her body. She vomited, water spilling from her as someone pulled her along, fighting the current every second of the way. Zephyr felt the sting of tears as she recognized the determined set of Jasper's jaw, the fierceness of his night-dark eyes as he fought to save her. She began to pump her arms and legs in an attempt to help. Her attempts were feeble, but she felt Jasper's arm tighten around her waist in assurance.

The riverbank was now visible through the snowstorm. They were going to make it. Zephyr felt a renewed burst of energy at the sight and began to push against the water with all that she had. They were close, so close, when suddenly Jasper's arm loosened and then disappeared from around her. Zephyr turned her head, barely above the water, to see blood smeared across the right side of his face, a gash opened at his hairline where it had just smashed against one of the rocks jutting from the water. Zephyr reached out to grab for him, just barely able to latch onto the hood of his cloak before he was pulled under and away from her. She pulled him toward her and wrapped her arms around his midsection this time, but he was so much bigger than her. She could feel her strength giving out, all but completely gone, but they were so close. So close.

The last few lengths to the riverbank felt like leagues. As soon as Zephyr's foot collided with solid earth she let out a ragged sob. Her arms and legs were on fire, the rest of her numb from a chill she thought would live with her for the rest of her life. She dragged Jasper out of the water, moving him mere inches at a time. Dropping to her knees next to him, she swiped at her eyes before taking his face in her hands. She pulled one had away, blood from his wound covering her fingers. The deep red stood out starkly from everything else in her world at that moment.

Zephyr had no training in healing, but she seemed to recall reading about not letting someone fall asleep if they'd suffered a head wound. Jasper was thankfully still awake, still breathing, but he seemed barely on the edge of unconsciousness, as though he could tip over into it any second.