tugging at her jersey. The tough material resisted his attempts. It was glued to Lira’s body with sweat and water from the cavern. With her peripheral vision, Lira saw him whip out his blade to cut it away. Desperate, she bucked beneath him and, grabbing a handful of sand, turned just enough to sling it into his face with all her strength.
Infuriated, cursing a blue streak, Speth grabbed her by the hair and hauled her to her feet. He stumbled with her to the shore, half-carrying her, avoiding her kicks, ignoring her screams.
“I’ve had enough of you, bitch,” he yelled. They reached the water, and he waded in with her pinned under his arm. At last he seemed to feel he’d gone far enough. He shoved her beneath the waves, forcing her underwater, keeping her submerged with a knee pressed against her back.
So now I’ll drown. How sad. Perhaps Red or Tanner or Wat will survive to tell my father what happened to me …
* * * *
Kepp’s heart thudded in his chest as he and Wat scrambled down the side of the cliff. They had to reach her before Speth succeeded in drowning her. Heedless of the noise they made and careless of their own safety, both men slid down, sending a shower of loose stones onto the head of the man who watched Speth drag Lira into the waves. By the time he looked up, it was too late. Wat landed on him and tumbled with him onto the wet sand. Confident that Wat could handle the man, Kepp sprinted through the sand toward the surf line. His only thought was of Lira, and he hoped to God she could last another thirty seconds.
Speth’s attention was focused on the struggling woman. He didn’t see the man running towards him or the flash of the steel blade he pulled from his belt. It wasn’t until the blade was buried deep in his back that Speth realized there were other people on the beach, and by then it was too late. He dropped Lira. Rising from his knees, he turned to face Kepp, a puzzled expression on his face just before he fell back into the water, dying fast.
“Lira,” Kepp yelled, “Lira.” He passed Speth’s body and grabbed for her arm, dragging her limp form from the shallows. She wasn’t breathing. He tossed her over his shoulder and lifted his feet high to sprint back to the beach. He threw her onto the sand, her legs still in the foaming surf, and began mouth-to-mouth. Wat rushed to her side to begin cardiac compressions. It seemed like an eternity, but Kepp knew maybe only twenty or thirty seconds had elapsed before he felt Lira move beneath his hands. She retched several times, and he flipped her onto her side so she could get rid of the seawater she’d swallowed.
Kepp sat back on his heels, a hand supporting Lira’s head. Thank God he and Wat made it off that cliff in time. He’d been waiting to catch all the men involved when he’d seen Lira come flying out of the cavern onto the sand, seemingly hell-bent on getting herself killed. For fuck’s sake, how had she found out about this? And where the hell was Red?
Lira finally stopped coughing, and Kepp gathered her into his arms.
“I’m so sorry, my love,” he murmured, brushing the wet, sticky strands of hair from her face with a gentle hand. “I took too long getting to you. You could have died.”
Lira looked into his eyes. “I thought I would die,” she whispered. “Red?” She peered around. “Find Red. I left him at the top of the staircase. He’s injured.”
“Don’t worry your pretty head, darlin’,” said Wat, taking her hand. “Red doesn’t kill easy. I’ll find him.”
Wat disappeared into the cavern while Kepp helped Lira to sit up. “He was attacked by two men in your quarters. I think he has a skull fracture.”
“How’d you get him out, sweetheart?”
“He could walk a bit, and he knew where you and Wat had gone, but I couldn’t support his weight on the stairs. It would have been too dangerous. We heard voices, and I came down to find the two of you.” Lira wriggled in his arms.
Infuriated, cursing a blue streak, Speth grabbed her by the hair and hauled her to her feet. He stumbled with her to the shore, half-carrying her, avoiding her kicks, ignoring her screams.
“I’ve had enough of you, bitch,” he yelled. They reached the water, and he waded in with her pinned under his arm. At last he seemed to feel he’d gone far enough. He shoved her beneath the waves, forcing her underwater, keeping her submerged with a knee pressed against her back.
So now I’ll drown. How sad. Perhaps Red or Tanner or Wat will survive to tell my father what happened to me …
* * * *
Kepp’s heart thudded in his chest as he and Wat scrambled down the side of the cliff. They had to reach her before Speth succeeded in drowning her. Heedless of the noise they made and careless of their own safety, both men slid down, sending a shower of loose stones onto the head of the man who watched Speth drag Lira into the waves. By the time he looked up, it was too late. Wat landed on him and tumbled with him onto the wet sand. Confident that Wat could handle the man, Kepp sprinted through the sand toward the surf line. His only thought was of Lira, and he hoped to God she could last another thirty seconds.
Speth’s attention was focused on the struggling woman. He didn’t see the man running towards him or the flash of the steel blade he pulled from his belt. It wasn’t until the blade was buried deep in his back that Speth realized there were other people on the beach, and by then it was too late. He dropped Lira. Rising from his knees, he turned to face Kepp, a puzzled expression on his face just before he fell back into the water, dying fast.
“Lira,” Kepp yelled, “Lira.” He passed Speth’s body and grabbed for her arm, dragging her limp form from the shallows. She wasn’t breathing. He tossed her over his shoulder and lifted his feet high to sprint back to the beach. He threw her onto the sand, her legs still in the foaming surf, and began mouth-to-mouth. Wat rushed to her side to begin cardiac compressions. It seemed like an eternity, but Kepp knew maybe only twenty or thirty seconds had elapsed before he felt Lira move beneath his hands. She retched several times, and he flipped her onto her side so she could get rid of the seawater she’d swallowed.
Kepp sat back on his heels, a hand supporting Lira’s head. Thank God he and Wat made it off that cliff in time. He’d been waiting to catch all the men involved when he’d seen Lira come flying out of the cavern onto the sand, seemingly hell-bent on getting herself killed. For fuck’s sake, how had she found out about this? And where the hell was Red?
Lira finally stopped coughing, and Kepp gathered her into his arms.
“I’m so sorry, my love,” he murmured, brushing the wet, sticky strands of hair from her face with a gentle hand. “I took too long getting to you. You could have died.”
Lira looked into his eyes. “I thought I would die,” she whispered. “Red?” She peered around. “Find Red. I left him at the top of the staircase. He’s injured.”
“Don’t worry your pretty head, darlin’,” said Wat, taking her hand. “Red doesn’t kill easy. I’ll find him.”
Wat disappeared into the cavern while Kepp helped Lira to sit up. “He was attacked by two men in your quarters. I think he has a skull fracture.”
“How’d you get him out, sweetheart?”
“He could walk a bit, and he knew where you and Wat had gone, but I couldn’t support his weight on the stairs. It would have been too dangerous. We heard voices, and I came down to find the two of you.” Lira wriggled in his arms.
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