Descent (Kissed by Death) - Tara Fuller Page 0,33

things to my insides. Things I didn’t deserve.

“You called me Gwen.”

“Don’t get used to it.” I smirked and nodded to our vessel. “Get in the boat, Red.”

She glared at me as she stepped aboard. I jogged back to dig up the metal paddle I’d buried on my last trip in, then hopped in and shoved off. The vessel bobbed in the water. The current of hands pulling at the bottom quickly caught us and carried us out. Beneath us, agonized moans rose, curling up over the edge until I could hardly hear myself think. I jerked the paddle out of the grip of bony gray fingers and shoved it back down, using the floating bodies around as leverage to push forward.

“H-how long will we be out here?” Gwen shouted above the screams that grew louder with each stroke of the paddle. I grunted and shoved past another begging face peering up from the waves.

“Please,” the face pleaded. “No more. Nomorenomore nomore…”

The begging faded into the clutter of voices behind us, and I shook my head trying to find clarity among the noise.

“Not too long. Just focus on that connection,” I said, pausing to calm the screams in my head. My blade had been burning the flesh at my side for the past hour. People were dying above us. And I was down here. Even if I did get Gwen out safe…I was screwed. Balthazar would never excuse putting her in this kind of danger. Once he realized where we were, I was as good as dead. A second time. I could only hope that Scout was picking up the slack while I was gone.

Above our heads the sky growled, thick and dark with heavy-looking clouds. Acid rain. I glanced over at Gwen, and fear threaded itself through my insides. It had been so long since I’d felt this. This cold, consuming fear for someone else. It was the kind of fear I couldn’t afford. Yet there it was. Driving me, pushing me to paddle harder, to keep her safe. Thunder rolled across the sky again, and I picked up speed, praying to the Almighty above that I could get us to shore before those clouds began to empty. There, I’d be able to find cover. Out here, we were sitting ducks.

“No…” Gwen whimpered, and that small sound of distress dragged me away from the screams. I looked over my shoulder and found her slumped against the side of the boat, her arms dangling over the edge.

“Gwen?” I pulled the paddle out of the water and dropped it in the bottom of the boat when she didn’t answer. “Gwen!”

I scrambled across the boat and stopped cold when I saw her. She slid her hands through the water and closed her eyes. Her fingertips brushed over the sea of floating faces, and tears slid past her lashes and down her face.

“There’s so much pain…” she whispered. “They feel lost. So lost…”

“You can feel it?” I followed her gaze to the writhing bodies, barely lit under the bloody glow that burned across the horizon. “You can feel them?”

She nodded and braced a palm on the edge of the boat to keep her balance. The water between her fingers glowed. The light spread, crawling over the dark, unforgiving sea of faces. One by one their screams were extinguished. Sighs of relief and laughter took their place. Shock paralyzed me for a moment as I watched the impossible unfold before me. Souls bound to Hell were never spared from their pain for even a moment. Their eternal torment was just that…eternal. I tore my gaze from the gilded glow spreading over the sea of bodies and looked at Gwen.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. No. Not tears. Blood. Her body convulsed, and the souls beneath us began to clamor for what she had to offer. Hands clawed and grabbed for her, pulling up over the edge. I snapped out of my stupor and lunged for her.

“Gwen!”

I was too late. She slipped between my fingers, and greedy gray hands dragged her over the edge. Pure terror gripped me by the throat, freezing me into place. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t see anything but her disappearing. My not stopping it. My not saving her. Her needing me and my failing her. Oh, Jesus…no. Not Gwen. Not this…

Before I could form a coherent plan, I gripped the side of the boat and dived into the inky black water. The sudden temperature change from blistering to freezing stole my breath.