Free Ai of the Mountain (A Fairy Retelling #2) by Dorian Tsukioka Page A

body, and the barbed tip catches against Grandfather Koi as he tries to swim away.
    I throw my body at the daimyo, attempting to dislodge the sword from his hand, but I’m nothing more than a distracting butterfly futilely beating against his strength. The daimyo raises his free hand, and throws me back against the ground. I land hard and hit my head against the maple tree.
    For a moment, I see nothing but white, the pain in my head is so intense. When my eyes adjust, I see the daimyo bent over the river, attempting to pull the giant, thrashing fish onto the bank. I cannot let him have Grandfather Koi. I knew it the moment I looked into Lord Nakaguchi’s eyes and saw the look of possession in them. He only knows how to take. I knew he could never be satisfied with only a few meager coins when he could take all of them for himself.
    I rush at the daimyo again, but this time, instead of trying to beat the sword out of his hand, I use my momentum to ram into him. He teeters on the edge of the bank for a split second before I push him in. The force of my momentum pulls me into the river as well, and I find myself tumbling through the murky blackness. The mountain water is frigid, and I gasp in surprise when I rise to the surface.
    I cling to the bank for a moment, and see Lord Nakaguchi’s hand emerge from the water and grab onto the side of the bank as well. He rises from the water, still holding onto his sword. I can see by his struggle that Grandfather Koi is still attached to the other end. I need something to help me. My size is no advantage against the daimyo. I need a weapon.
    I remember the sword at the bottom of the river, and immediately dive back in the murky drink. I have no idea where the sword might be, or if I can even find it down here in the inky blackness, but I have no other choice. I must try, even if it means that I perish down here myself. I say a quick prayer in my head as I propel myself deeper into the water. Perhaps the spirits of the forest are watching. Maybe they can still help us.
    Sunlight filters dimly through the water, but in front of me, I see a glimmer of something. I swim towards it, my lungs beginning to ache for air. I put out my hands and feel the muddy bottom of the river floor. My fingers search, and touch against something hard and metal. The sword. I’ve found it! I grab it, and feel the blade slice my hand. Instinct takes over and I drop it. I reach out again and feel carefully for the hilt. My lungs are burning for air by this time, and I kick up from the bottom. The water clears and I begin to see sunlight gleaming through the water.
    But I cannot surface.
    My leg is stuck, entangled in river weed. I pull against it, and it slips down my leg, but knots itself around my ankle. It holds me just below the surface of the water. I thrash against it, but, I cannot break free. I’m trapped. My lungs can take no more. The sunlight fades in my eyes, and blackness dims them. I see nothing. Nothing. But, I still feel. I feel the searing burn of river water as it rushes into my mouth.
     

Chapter 8
     
     
    When I open my eyes, Kaito is holding me tightly in his embrace. His arms are wrapped around me and I feel more safe here than I have ever felt anywhere in my life. I never want to leave.
    “I’m so tired,” I say, and feel the pull of my eyelids falling down against my will. I force them to open and look up into Kaito’s face. His eyes are shining brightly, and there is sweat on his brow. By the grimace on his face, I can see he’s in pain. Again, I have to push my eyes open so I can focus on his face. He is not the only thing I notice. The maple tree is completely bare. No, not just bare. It’s dead. Or it will be soon. The life is almost completely gone from it.
    “Kaito, what is happening to us?” I say, so tired I think I would collapse completely to the ground if Kaito wasn’t holding me up.
    “Ai-chan, please,” he says, and my gaze travels back to his face. Such pain I