My lungs contracted.
I clawed at my dress. One final, desperate pull. Yanking upward with all my might, I smashed my elbow into another rock. And then I was spinning, floundering as the river carried me farther from the cliff. From my home. From my family.
I gulped one life-saving breath of air before I hit a fallen tree branch, my body shoved beneath the water once again.
Each time I managed to lift my head, I caught glimpses of trees on either side of the river. A slice of blue sky. A blur of greenery. I was traveling so fast. Too fast to keep track of where I was.
Cold. It was so cold.
My movements became slower. Lethargic. I sucked in another breath, but it was mostly foam. Inhaling more water, I choked as I was pulled down once more.
Maybe it would be quick. Maybe I would just…fall asleep.
Something wrapped around my arm. I pushed against it weakly, but it only tightened.
And then everything went black.
CHAPTER THREE
Cool air, rushing into my lungs. A warm body above me. A mouth on mine.
My lungs burned. I choked. Large, strong hands eased me onto my side. A man. I coughed up what felt like half the river.
I opened my eyes. Above me, the sky was a vibrant blue. Somehow, I was alive. But my rescuer could be a guard who had saved me just so the king could watch me burn.
The man who’d saved my life had a rugged face with deep brown skin and dark, slightly upturned eyes. His nose had been broken more than once, and his scowl told me clearly that he didn’t want to play savior, and he resented me for putting him in that position. It was an impressive scowl.
Not a guard. That didn’t mean I was safe. And yet…he’d saved me.
“Ah, thank you. Who are you?”
“My name is Galon.” He touched my cheek, and my body was suddenly dry, my clothes crinkled from the river water but no longer soaked.
I jolted back, staring at him. To have that much power…
I turned at the clop-clop-clop of horses’ hooves. Guards? I scrambled in an attempt to get up, and one of those boat-sized hands pushed down on my shoulder, easily holding me in place. A group of men broke through the forest. Dressed well, in fine leather boots and thick cloaks. Not guards but not necessarily safe either.
I counted five of them, including the man at my side.
My eyes grew heavy. I was dry now, but I was still freezing.
“You found a selkie,” one of the men said. He grinned at me, his teeth incredibly white against his dark skin. For a man who might be planning to kill me, he had a ridiculously compelling smile.
Galon shook his head. “A village girl. Drowning in the river, Lorian.”
Horses parted, and my mouth went dry as I took in the man Galon was speaking to.
This was the man who continually haunted my dreams. The one who’d snapped at me just yesterday in the village square.
My eyes drank him in. He was a huge man, with broad shoulders and muscles that rippled when he moved. Dark hair fell past his shoulders, a few small braids worked in to keep it off his face. His jaw looked like it could take a punch—and anyone unlucky enough to hit it would break their own bones.
He lifted his hand, shading his eyes. White stripes decorated his knuckles. Scars. He wore several knives and a sword. A mercenary, then. Likely a brutal one. The kind of man who would sell me to the guards the moment he learned they wanted me. Whether he was the type of man who would harm someone who presented no threat to him remained to be seen.
His features were masculine, as if carved from stone, although his high cheekbones gave him an almost feral beauty. He was sickeningly handsome, and I took a shaky breath.
Green eyes met mine, cool and indifferent. I was right. I knew those eyes. And I’d looked into them at the Gifting ceremony.
But how? Why?
We stared at each other for a long moment, and I waited for any glimmer of recognition. How was it possible that I’d dreamed about this man? Was it because he was destined to save my life?
But he was already glancing away. “Leave her, Galon. We don’t have time for this.”
My heart stumbled over its next beat. If they left me like this, I was dead. Not only would the guards be spreading out, searching the forest surrounding my village, but I had no clothes, no food…
“Please,” I croaked.
The beautiful man ignored me, turning his horse. I was so inconsequential that his expression had already turned thoughtful, his mind clearly elsewhere.
I memorized that harshly beautiful face.
My temper burned bright when provoked. But I’d never felt this ice-cold rage before. This need to see someone hurt the way I was hurting.