Time slowed. Regal’s lips stretched wider, deep dimples creasing his cheeks, that mocking smug smile that he only let his victims ever catch a glimpse of was back. “What do you know, the fairy tales had it right, the hero wins the day by beheading the ugly monster.” Regal raising the sword above his head slowly, triumphantly, widening his stance a little to ensure the very best angle for his intended death strike.
Unafraid, Perri kept her eyes locked on Regal’s smug face, she wanted to see his expression… when her fist connected with his unprotected groin.
Breath leaving his body in an explosion, part groan, all shock and misery. A green cast over his features as his body instinctively hunched forward, before he dropped to his knees, moaning in pain. Clutching at his tender bits with one hand.
Perri scrambled to her feet, snatching Regal’s sword from his loosened grip. With the tip of her work boot she gave his ribs a hard kick. Regal folding sideways with a muffled groan, huddling into a ball.
“Perri!” There was such relief in Alia’s voice. “Have you got this?”
By this, she meant Regal. Asking if Perri could finish him. Asking if she needed help. Perri’s right boot already swinging through the air, smashing into Regal’s mouth, blood, and hopefully a few teeth exploding from between his lips as he coughed, spat, and moaned some more.
“I’ve got it.”
Perri, standing over Regal, attempted to calm her pounding heart. Moderately surprised at herself. She’d had a lot that she intended to say to Regal. A long list of things she planned to do to him, if she ever got the upper hand and found him at her mercy.
Looking down at him now, blood bubbling from his nose and running down his chin, his body curled into a protective ball. Perri was surprised at how little she felt. Not victory. Not pleasure. Just… just like she was crossing off the last item on a list that needed to be completed.
Eradicate Regal Soutner, removing him from her son’s life, from her life.
Strange, Alia wasn’t stopping to help or just lend moral support, her sister had continued running past Perri, headed… to the riverbank. Good heavens, Alia wouldn’t leave Perri alone to deal with Regal unless something dire was happening to someone they cared about. Levi? Brandth?
“The fairy tales we tell at Gloomenthrall are much more accurate we have found. The beast or monster is never the real problem. And the fair maiden generally has to save the hero from his own stupidity… or kill him.” She thrust the point of Regal’s own sword deeply into his heart as he made one last effort to rise up, the killing look in his eyes sparking momentarily, before fading abruptly as life left his body.
Yanking the sword back out, Perri began to run in the direction Alia was heading, the river. There was no sign of Levi, Deacon or Brandth. Only Talac up ahead, at the river’s edge, yanking off one boot then a second, before diving into the swiftly running water.
Gods. Brandth and the boys were in the water.
* * *
It was the end of summer, the water coolish, but not cold. Brandth breaking the surface, his boots weighing him down, sinking immediately, only to bob right back up to the surface. Thank the Deities above, keymoat skin was buoyant, his jacket was worth ten times what he’d paid for it.
Kicking, keeping his broken arm close to his body, Brandth attempted to swim one handed. It was awkward, painful, and the dip and swirl of the fast current battered at his injuries, reminding him constantly that he was not in the best of states to be performing such a rescue as this.
Where were the boys? Was this hopeless? No, as the choppy water swept him a little higher for a moment, he caught a glimpse of them up ahead. Thankfully clinging together, a little further to his right. They appeared to be taking it in turns to push the other up so they might breathe as they twirled and bobbed along at the mercy of the current. It must be costing them a great effort to stay together and kick their bound legs to propel each other up.
Gritting his teeth, Brandth did his best to edge his way further across the river, to line himself up with the path through the water the boys were taking. Now he just had to catch up to them. He was lighter, thanks to his jacket, and he was actively trying to cut through the water. All that helped.
He tried to yell, to warn them he was coming. But the rush of the water was either too loud or the boys too waterlogged. He banged into them, wrapping one arm around whoever was on the right. Brandth crying out in pain, a spike of red hot agony shooting up his broken arm. The boys’ shouts of alarm muffled behind their gags. Ceasing when they realised they were being rescued.
The weight of the boys sunk Brandth dangerously lower. Worse, he might have them, but he couldn’t reach the blade in his boot unless he let them go. And neither boy could do it for him. They could all try kicking for the shoreline, but the boys were bound, and fast running out of strength just trying to keep each other up. Brandth’s presence was helping on that score, but all of them were exhausted.
“One… one of you… needs to loop your arms around my neck.” It was a good idea, and meant Brandth could keep a grasp on the other more securely. “My arm’s broken… I won’t be able to hold you both… much longer.”
Brandth couldn’t help unless he let go, so it was up to the boys, watching as Deacon nodded, took a deep breath and went under… to thrust himself upwards and loop Levi’s arms around Brandth’s neck.
“Good… now. Hey! No.”
Deacon was shaking his head at Brandth, releasing his hold, pushing himself away. Of all the noble self-sacrificing idiots. Brandth grappled for him, but the lad all but wrenched himself away. And with Levi weighing Brandth down he no longer had the ability to move very fast.
“Get back here.”
Deacon was drifting away too quickly, lighter, surging ahead thanks to the strong currents. Still dipping beneath the surface, before kicking his tied legs to re-surface, gasping in air. But he looked oh so tired. No. No. Brandth could sense Levi pressed against his back, tensing his body, and making protesting muffled grunting sounds, as if willing Brandth to do something.
If only he could.
How much longer could Deacon last? He was getting further and further away from them. Every time Deacon bobbed under the water, Brandth wondered if he would manage to find the strength to kick upwards one more time.
Then a large dark shape cut through the water, brushing aside Brandth and Levi, sending a rush of water directly into Brandth’s face. For a moment he was confused, blinking away the water just in time to watch Talac reach the last spot where they’d seen Deacon go under and dive for him. Oh, Gods, please, please. Flinching back instinctively as a head bobbed up beside him in the water, Alia.
