The Raven Flame [The Crown Saga III] (First Draft)

Island of Gold

Water pressed around me from all angles, shifting currents ripping me in opposing directions.

I could no longer tell what was up and down, rendering it impossible to draw air from the surface. My lungs burned, heated bubbles caressing my lips like a kiss of death reaching for me.

Salty water prickled my eyes, irritating my cornea as I cracked them open in a desperate attempt to see if the contrast of light and dark could point me in the right direction of the surface.

Every image was blurry. The only detectable light streamed in sparse clusters from unidentifiable sources everywhere around me.

It couldn't be the surface—maybe the rocks reflecting the surface's light. No. Whatever light shone upon us before by the might of the Moon had been shrouded by darkened clouds and heavy rain. The only light currently raging above the surface was lightning and the lanterns surrounding the ship, neither of which could burn with this continuous brightness.

Cursed blood.

I didn't have time to contemplate these curious thoughts. I needed to find my way to the surface before the last specks of air filling my soon-barren lungs were gone. I had less than a minute left in these frigid waters.

Adrenaline pumped through my veins, my heart jolting when I noticed a shadow moving in the corner of my eye—an enormous shadow.

It was so silent down here that I could hear my heart drum faster as fear sunk its talons deeper into my flesh, scraping against my bones. The Lagyssal was still down here, circling me like a predator observing its prey.

No. I couldn't think about that now. If the Lagyssal didn't catch me between its teeth, the lack of oxygen would end me before the minute had passed.

"You have traveled far, young one."

What was that? A voice. The echo of a voice, low and coarse.

"She awaits you. She needs you. Do not fail her."

I looked around, but the blurry world and dimmed light revealed nothing but shifting shadows. Suddenly, darkness wrapped me from behind.

At first, I counted the seconds before the Lagyssal's fatal teeth crushed me, mentally reciting the prayers I'd learned as a child. Then, I realized it wasn't teeth closing around me; it was claws as long as my entire body, encasing me, but the deadly tips never pierced my skin.

Instead, I felt my lungs fill with a beautiful breath of air. We hadn't breached the surface; we were still far below the stormy weather, but I could breathe, not a second too late.

I sipped the air in short gasps, my throat burning with each inhalation. I couldn't cling to awareness much longer; my body was too exhausted, and my eyes were too heavy.

"Stay alive, young one," the voice said again. "Your time has not yet come."

I drowsily angled my head upward, glimpsing through a small crack between two claws, the enormous head of the Lagyssal surging clean through the water.

It hadn't killed me, nor did it appear interested in my demise. I should've died, yet it appeared that I had once again been saved by another creature that I'd previously considered an unfavorable enemy.

***

My chest hurt.

No. Scratch that. Everything hurt.

It hurt to breathe; it hurt to move; it even hurt to think through the pain.

A cool breeze swept over my beaded body. It felt good—as if my powers delicately sought to assure me that everything would be okay once the pain faded and the marrow of my bones stopped screaming.