Free Beguiled (Book 2 Immortal Essence series) by Rashelle Workman Page B

thick dread settled in my stomach. Not more water.
    A large piece of debris smacked Palmo on the head, sending him down hard into the foot deep water . He howled, sputtering. Zaren went over and lifted him to his feet.
    “Watch yourself,” Zaren said.
    The room was filling up with water quickly.
    “No,” I whispered, feeling a n unseen hand circle my throat.
    Zaren returned to my side, but shouted, “Dervinias!”
    “What?”
    “You and Palmo work out the riddle. We need to get the door opened.”
    “Will do.”
    “Venus,” Zaren spun me toward him. “You’re going to be fine. We’re going to be fine. I’ll be right here beside you. Okay?”
    I felt frozen , helpless against the rising water.
    It is just water, Venus. It is just water. I repeated the phrase over and over in my mind , sea rching for the angry resolve I possessed moments ago.
    Tortevia came to my rescue with a roar in my ears. Push away your fears, child.
    She was right. This was not the time to panic .
    “Zaren, I’m good .”
    He nodded, planting a kiss on my cheek. “ Excellent .”
    But, w hen Palamina’s body reassembled itself, a pang of doubt filled my heart.

11. Never Said
     
    “Are you ready for a rematch?” the female soldier asked.
    “Don’t you know it,” I answered, deflecting her blade with mine. We traded blows, the sound of metal biting metal echoing around the room. It was hard to hear anything except the falling water, and the clang of our swords . The other two soldiers went after me, but Zaren blocked their weapons. I noted the swords they swung looked like the revered Formytian’s Ostwallow blade s and I wondered if they truly were.
    I didn’t have to speculate long though because the female soldier’s blade caught me on my bicep, and filleted my flesh. Celestrum leaked from the wound .
    “ Awwww ,” I cried . “Zaren their swords are Ostwallow. Be careful.” Even as I said the words, I marveled at the po ssibility. Ostwallow blades cho se their guardians. They were the only weapons on Kelari able to kill a kelvieri, their death song as unique as the guardian the blade chose .
    “ I noticed. Be careful, and go for their eyes. Cutting them out is what destroys them,” Zaren said, his words huffing at my back .
    With Zaren so close, the female soldier fixated on him . She pushed me into another soldier. I heard the she-leopard , Palamina, roar and lunge for Zaren. This time Zaren was prepared, and met her blow for blow.
    I went after the other soldier’s eyes. He was strong, s tealthy. His only sounds were grunt s every once in a while as he blocked or launched a particularly strong blow.
    “Dervinias,” I shouted, noticing the water reached my knees. “Figured out the riddle?”
    “Yeah. Yeah. We’re working on it.”
    I let out a howl. Stepping forward, I shoved my elbow upward, into the soldier ’ s nose. He stumbled backward. As he fell, I sliced off his sword-bearing arm. It landed in the water with a splash the same time his body did. Ignoring the black blood bruising the water, and the look of suffering on the soldier ’ s face, I jabbed the edge of my blade into each eye. When I finished , the body shuddered and vanished.
    Shaken, I turned to see if Zaren needed any help. Highly unlikely, but I wanted to make sure . His face was a mask of determination. Palamina mocked him.
    “Do you remember that night under the layatha tree, the night you first told me you love me?” she asked, her voice laced with condemnation.
    “ Don’t talk like her ,” he growled.
    “Zaren?” I whispered , afraid .
    He heard me and tur ned slightly. “Venus, don’t worry. ” He gave me a quick smile. “Love you,” he mouthed.
    It was as though everything went into slow motion . Zaren blinked and a droplet of water rolled off his long, dark lashes. He flexed his sword-bearing arm as he prepared to face Palamina. The muscles in his abdomen and along his waist tightened .
    Before he had a chance to defend