thought you came just for your son.”
He smiled at her. “I thought so too, but seeing you again has made me realize how empty my life has been without you. Come with me, Petra. Be partners with me.”
She averted her gaze, her throat working. “It’s not up to me. We have to appeal to Hades, but you have to know that he never lets anyone leave.”
“I won’t believe it. The darkfire has to be making the impossible possible. I have to believe that if you decide to be with me, then we will be able to leave.”
She considered him for a long moment. “You won’t abandon me again?”
“Never.”
Petra studied him for a long moment. She squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek, then turned and walked into the dark water. The water stained the hem of her tunic first, making the fabric look dark. She walked steadily into the water, showing a bravery Damien wished he felt, especially when the first of the snakes wound around her legs. He shuddered and couldn’t bear to watch, but couldn’t turn away either.
As Petra continued to wade deeper, the snakes merely slipped around her body. They seemed to part for her passage and carry on with their own business, untroubled by her presence amidst them. It looked as if the water was only as deep as her hips.
“I wish I were an Earthdaughter,” Damien muttered.
Petra laughed. “You aren’t. Hurry up.”
He clenched his fists and tried to control his breathing. He eyed the distance to the far shore and tried to estimate the number of steps. He wished he hadn’t lost his shifting powers. He wished the river wasn’t full of snakes. He wished he didn’t have to cross it to ask Hades to make an exception. He wished he wasn’t so terrified.
But Damien had to follow Petra. He forced himself to take a step closer to the water, and then another. He took a trio of deep breaths, told himself he could do it, and took a step into the dark water. The first snake wound over the top of his boot, sinuous and revolting.
But it continued on its way. Damien felt cold sweat slide down his back as he took another step. The water was over the top of his boots in three steps, cold and slimy enough to make him shudder as it ran over his feet. He wouldn’t think about snakes slithering in there with it, wouldn’t think of how many of them there were, wouldn’t think about the way it was hard to push his legs through the barricade of their bodies. He shivered, feeling chilled to the bone.
He kept his thoughts on his goal. He lifted his gaze to Petra and the far shore.
But he looked up just in time to see her slip.
She cried out as she fell deeper into the water and he guessed that she had lost her balance because of the baby.
Then she disappeared under the surface of entangled snakes.
“No!” Damien shouted Petra’s name in dismay. She didn’t answer, and she didn’t appear at the surface again. He tried again to shift shape, but it still didn’t work.
All the while, he was striding deeper into the river, wanting only to reach her. She couldn’t drown, not in this place. He couldn’t lose her again.
He flung aside snakes as he raced through the river, clearing his path with his hands and fighting his disgust. The only thing that mattered was Petra. Damien targeted the spot where he was sure he’d seen her go under. It was taking too long to reach her, he feared, and he would find her when it was too late.
He barely noticed the slight pang of pain on his chest, and he certainly didn’t see the dark green dragon scale slip from beneath the hem of his shirt, slide over the bodies of the snakes, then disappear as it was submerged in the River Leche.
Forgotten.
He didn’t know if Petra could die again, but he did now that if he lost her in this river, he’d lose her for all time.
Nothing could keep him from giving his all to prevent that, even millions of snakes.
* * *
Petra was drowning all over again. She felt that first dismay like a sharp pang, reliving the
He smiled at her. “I thought so too, but seeing you again has made me realize how empty my life has been without you. Come with me, Petra. Be partners with me.”
She averted her gaze, her throat working. “It’s not up to me. We have to appeal to Hades, but you have to know that he never lets anyone leave.”
“I won’t believe it. The darkfire has to be making the impossible possible. I have to believe that if you decide to be with me, then we will be able to leave.”
She considered him for a long moment. “You won’t abandon me again?”
“Never.”
Petra studied him for a long moment. She squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek, then turned and walked into the dark water. The water stained the hem of her tunic first, making the fabric look dark. She walked steadily into the water, showing a bravery Damien wished he felt, especially when the first of the snakes wound around her legs. He shuddered and couldn’t bear to watch, but couldn’t turn away either.
As Petra continued to wade deeper, the snakes merely slipped around her body. They seemed to part for her passage and carry on with their own business, untroubled by her presence amidst them. It looked as if the water was only as deep as her hips.
“I wish I were an Earthdaughter,” Damien muttered.
Petra laughed. “You aren’t. Hurry up.”
He clenched his fists and tried to control his breathing. He eyed the distance to the far shore and tried to estimate the number of steps. He wished he hadn’t lost his shifting powers. He wished the river wasn’t full of snakes. He wished he didn’t have to cross it to ask Hades to make an exception. He wished he wasn’t so terrified.
But Damien had to follow Petra. He forced himself to take a step closer to the water, and then another. He took a trio of deep breaths, told himself he could do it, and took a step into the dark water. The first snake wound over the top of his boot, sinuous and revolting.
But it continued on its way. Damien felt cold sweat slide down his back as he took another step. The water was over the top of his boots in three steps, cold and slimy enough to make him shudder as it ran over his feet. He wouldn’t think about snakes slithering in there with it, wouldn’t think of how many of them there were, wouldn’t think about the way it was hard to push his legs through the barricade of their bodies. He shivered, feeling chilled to the bone.
He kept his thoughts on his goal. He lifted his gaze to Petra and the far shore.
But he looked up just in time to see her slip.
She cried out as she fell deeper into the water and he guessed that she had lost her balance because of the baby.
Then she disappeared under the surface of entangled snakes.
“No!” Damien shouted Petra’s name in dismay. She didn’t answer, and she didn’t appear at the surface again. He tried again to shift shape, but it still didn’t work.
All the while, he was striding deeper into the river, wanting only to reach her. She couldn’t drown, not in this place. He couldn’t lose her again.
He flung aside snakes as he raced through the river, clearing his path with his hands and fighting his disgust. The only thing that mattered was Petra. Damien targeted the spot where he was sure he’d seen her go under. It was taking too long to reach her, he feared, and he would find her when it was too late.
He barely noticed the slight pang of pain on his chest, and he certainly didn’t see the dark green dragon scale slip from beneath the hem of his shirt, slide over the bodies of the snakes, then disappear as it was submerged in the River Leche.
Forgotten.
He didn’t know if Petra could die again, but he did now that if he lost her in this river, he’d lose her for all time.
Nothing could keep him from giving his all to prevent that, even millions of snakes.
* * *
Petra was drowning all over again. She felt that first dismay like a sharp pang, reliving the
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