Friends with the King of the Underworld | Book 1

Chapter Forty-Four

Song: World Gone Mad - Bastille

I'd always thought I'd be afraid of Death. Afraid of the cold embrace it would surely bring.

But this was different, the embrace was warm, it filled me, mended me. I felt whole again, the pain I was feeling was gone.

Strong hands grabbed me and before I knew it, I was being pushed and pulled up and out of the water. As soon I broke through the waves I gasped air into my lungs then coughed until I thought I'd puke again.

The strong arms didn't let me go as I coughed and when I turned to their owner my blood froze in my veins. He'd been at the party with Robyn. The celebration he was having--he'd spoken to me at the table.

Don't lose hope, Emylin.

"You!"

The man with the wild grey eyes held me, he kept me from going under the water again. I struggled against him as he held me in his iron grip. He didn't seem to be struggling to keep me close, even as he pulled me along and swam to a nearby boat.

I clawed at his hands as I struggled against the current. God, I was going to drown if I let him continued to hold me. "Let go of me!"

He pulled me closer to him. "Stay still or I'll let you drown again."

"I can swim!" I tried to yell over the water that threatened to overcome me again. Most of my struggle came out as garbled yells.

He pulled me closer still as he finally stopped swimming. One hand rested on the small boat as it bobbed in the water the other still held me tightly. As soon as I grabbed the boat too he let me go and watched Blackdown Keep in front of us.

He pressed a finger to his lips as I watched him then pointed to the castle.

Two figures walked around the perimeter of the castle in the dark, each holding what looked to be a torch.

The Royal Guard, I assumed. They'd take me back to where I was before inside and I could find out why Kymra decided to almost kill me.

"Stay quiet," he whispered softly. "You don't want them to find us, trust me."

Another confirmation of the voice. I knew that voice. It was the same one that spoke to me that same night. He had allowed me to relive my memory with Damien just when I thought I'd lose all hope.

Yes, I remembered him.

As soon as the guards disappeared he let out a long breath. "That was risky."

"Is that a joke?" I whispered. "I was just pushed off a balcony!"

He looked up at the castle, the moonlight on his skin stark against the darkness of the night. His grey eyes scanned the large ebony building. "Yes. That was pretty high."

I followed his eyes and tried to find what would be my balcony. I shook my head when I got dizzy following the monstrously high building. "I could have been killed!"

He shrugged. "Had you been human you would have."

"I thought I broke every bone in my body!"

He laughed and pushed his wet hair aside as it stuck to his forehead. "Actually, you did. Luckily, the Ylee healed you."

"Healed me?" I almost screeched.

He nodded as if it were a normal everyday occurrence that a magic river would heal people. "It's protecting your power." He chuckled. "That Kymra, she's so clever. She knew the Ylee would help you-"