Sovereign (Sovereign Series) by E.R. Arroyo

his balance, but he’s regained it. 
    I
feel of the edge with the hand attached to Billy.  Twig says gently, “Same for
you.”  His sincerity catches me off guard.  I reach my foot over the ledge
while propped on my left hand and knee.  I can’t find the rock the others have
stepped on, so I stretch my leg a little farther but I find nothing. 
    “What’s
the hold up, Cori?” Sean shouts.
    Twig
grabs my arm and leans over me, I think he’s looking over the ledge.
    Twig
whispers to me, “You can’t reach the stone.  I’m going to lower you down.” 
Humiliating.  I’m not short, but all the guys are at least a few inches taller
than me.  But why didn’t Twig just say it for everyone to hear?
    “Coming.” 
My voice comes out unsteady, and I’m trembling even more now.  Twig grabs me
under both arms and shoves me into the air.  He lowers me and a split second
later, my tiptoe brushes across rock.  I fumble trying to find my footing,
while making room for Twig. 
    He
lands with a bit of a thud, and tells Sean to keep moving.  Billy draws his
hand to the rock wall, so I follow suit, as does Twig.  We shimmy downward on a
ledge of uneven rocks that’s only about five inches deep.  More than once, my
shoe slips, and Twig holds tight. 
    He’s
helping me, and I’m growing angrier every time I feel his skin on mine.  He’s
saving me from a drop I can’t even see.  And he’s saving the team from me
pulling them down.  All I can think is how I hate the feel of his sticky
fingers on my hand, but I’m sure he’s not helping me, he’s just trying to
survive.
    “Stop,”
Sean says, and the whole line of us halts.  “The ledge is getting too narrow. 
We’re going to have to jump.”
    “How
far down?” someone asks.
    “Maybe
twenty feet, but it’s water below,” Sean explains.  “Can anybody swim?”
    “Where
would we learn how to swim?” another voice calls. 
    Groans
and sighs come all up and down the line before I speak up.  “I can.”
    “Right,
the outsider,” Billy chimes in.  “Care to give us some pointers?”
    My
heart pounds and my body trembles even more.  I can’t believe how badly I’m
trembling when I start to speak, though I haven’t even decided exactly how to
respond. 
    “What
is that?” Twig asks, sounding a little frantic.  Then I realize it’s not me
that’s trembling, it’s the earth we cling to.  Twig is the first to lose his
balance.  He slips and drags me with him, then all of us plummet toward what I
truly hope is water below.  The churning becomes louder and louder, and then I
can’t breathe.  I’m submerged, being pulled deeper and deeper.  I squeeze my
eyes shut, and try not to let any of the water get in my mouth.  The way the
water tingles my skin makes me think it might still be toxic--even if just a
little bit--but I’m not sure.  We have to get out soon. 
    I
try to get to the top, but I’m chained to six boys who can’t swim.  They might
as well be dead weight.  We can’t speak to each other.  We can’t see each
other.  I’m struggling to breathe, and I don’t know what to do.  I thrash as my
body begs for air, and I feel the back of my head hit something hard.  I draw
my hands above my head and my fingers lay around metal. 
    I
guide Twig and Billy’s hands toward the metal, and quickly feel them latch on. 
The three of us use whatever it is to climb, but we’re running out of time. 
The water shifts and moves against us.  Billy has four guys to drag so I can
only hope they aren’t fighting him.
    I
exhale what’s left of the breath inside me, and have no idea if we’re near the
surface.  I fight harder, kicking my feet as much as I can when the pole
vibrates.  It jolts upward dragging us with it.  Suddenly, I feel cold air on
my cheeks and cough up water I didn’t realize I’d swallowed.  I hear similar
coughs all around, and it feels like we’re all above water.  I rest for a
moment trying to