Chapter 46

AVERY

It doesn’t take me long to realize that I am no longer in the confines of the castle walls, but drowning in the black lake I saw on my way in.

Until my head remains above the water, I have belief that Aleister will be able to feel me in time and come to save me. But when my face dunks underwater, I lose that belief quickly.

I hold my breath, writhing around to free myself of the ropes. The pathetic lack of strength in my limbs angers me, then horrifies me.

I can feel the patch loosening on the wound in my back. I shake worse than before, moving around in the water, trying to see something in the pitch black.

In the cold water, the warmth of my blood tricking down my side makes my head spin. Shortly after, I am out of breath. The pressure behind my eyes, and under my jaw increases so much that my mouth almost opens in the water to suck in a desperate breath.

In my silent attempts to break free, I sense a slight brush of scales on my ankle. My heart hammers in my chest, due t