Page 93 of Shadows of Light
“So were the trials, and so was drawing so many of the shadows into me, but I’m still alive, and Iwillsave Lexi.”
“Brokk and Orin could still find the vine. We can leave here and split up as we planned. Some of us can also start searching the outer realms while the rest join Brokk. There’s more vine out there… somewhere.”
“And all of it will be somewhere perilous. There’s a reason crudue vine is so rare. Besides, the sooner we have it, the sooner Brokk and Orin can give up their missions too. They can also return to somewhere safer.”
“This is a bad idea,” Del said. “Who will protect Dragonia if you die?”
“The dragons and, then once she wakes, Lexi. But that doesn’t matter because I’m not going to die.”
“You’re a stubborn fool,” Maverick murmured.
“A fool in love,” Mira said.
“King Firth had a tail and can breathe underwater; he could move through that lake alotfaster than you, and he doesn’t drown,” Maverick said.
“The dark fae have some control over water,” Cole reminded him.
“Not that much control,” Del said. “The shadows can kill from a distance; maybe they can bring the crudue vine to you.”
“Perhaps,” Cole murmured.
He sent the shadows through the water to the vines, but though they could encompass flesh and tear it apart, they couldn’t free the vine from the rocks.
“No. Maybe if I was closer to the vine, the shadows could tear it away, but I doubt it. The shadows seek blood; the crudue vine isn’t blood.”
“Crudue is also magical and powerful; it doesn’t obey the same laws as other plants,” Sahira said. “It grows from trees and lakes and out of rocks. But it never grows where I seek thee. Or at least that’s what I’ve heard others whisper about the vine.”
Cole kicked off his boots and pulled off his pants. “Then there’s only one option.”
CHAPTERSEVENTY-ONE
“I’m leavingshadows here to watch over my friends. If you try anything, theywillkill you,” Cole said.
To prove his point, the shadows surrounded the merfolk’s feet. Two of them stepped back before realizing they were on the shadows and jumping a little forward.
“Point taken,” King Firth said.
Completely naked, Cole didn’t hesitate before diving into the crystal clear lake with the monsters lurking within. All the seaweed attached to the rocks stopped moving as soon as he entered the water.
They went straight as an arrow before recoiling and closing in on themselves as if trying to hide from the monsters about to emerge. Cole kept his attention on the vine as he kicked through the water.
The shadows he’d left behind reported no sign of hostility from the merfolk, but he didn’t think the king and queen would harm them. It hadn’t started well between them, but he’d earn their respect if he survived this, and if he didn’t, the others weren’t a danger to them.
If he died, the merfolk would return to the Indigo Sea while the others would continue their mission to save Lexi. Since he had no intention of dying down here, he’d earn their respect and get that vine.
He’d always been a good swimmer, strong and confident. As an immortal, he could hold his breath for extended periods, on average, at least twenty minutes, but that was if he was lying in a pool relaxing, not swimming, and not about to fight monstrous creatures who had the advantage of living in this lake.
However, he had the shadows, and they were already sliding into the water in anticipation of the attack to come. They didn’t care what creature they spilled blood from as long astheyspilled it.
He could also manipulate the water. Not enough to push this much out of his way, but he could use it to his advantage when the time came.
From the corner of his eye, Cole caught a flash of silver. Before he could see what was coming for him, blood erupted into the water, and the shadows’ laughter drifted through his mind.
He was closing in on the crudue vine; he continued to have the shadows try to break it, but they failed. He kicked harder when more movement erupted into the lake and the water rippled around him.
Cole couldn’t see what was coming, and he didn’t look. He remained focused on the crudue while he trusted the shadows to protect him.
If he’d been this close to an immortal, or something else with a pumping heart, the shadows would have ripped it apart and brought him the pieces by now. But much to his irritation, they couldn’t tear into the crudue vine.
