Page 21 of The Crown of the Dark Prince
Then—air.
I broke the surface with a desperate gasp, choking, sucking in the frozen wind as I half-dragged myself onto the shore. Coughing up puddles of mucky water, I collapsed onto the earth, muscles trembling violently. Everything ached. My pulse slammed against my skull, my breath ragged as the world spun. The throbbing in my leg flared, no longer content to be ignored and blood seeped into the shore beneath me.
For a long moment, I just breathed.
Then—cheering.
Distant. Loud. Far above.
I blinked, forcing my vision to focus.
Rows of spectators loomed on the cliffs, perched safely behind stone barriers. The royal viewing box stood at the center, overlooking the shore.
The shore?
I pushed onto shaking elbows, my pulse hammering. Where the hell had they dropped me?
The air was crisp and sharp, carrying the scent of brine and cold.
Mountains loomed in the distance. Northwest.
If the mountains were northwest… then the castle would be southeast.
Which meant—
I stiffened.
I twisted toward the water.
The vast, dark expanse stretched into the horizon, eerily still, reflecting the overcast sky. A single ripple disturbed its glassy surface.
My stomach plummeted.
No.
Not here.
Anywhere but here.
A slow, creeping horror curled in my chest, a terrible certainty.
I spun toward the royal box, where the Dragon sat watching me.
“You dropped me in the middle of the fucking Great Lake of Athenia?” I yelled, my voice hoarse but furious.
He stood in place, far above, but even at this distance, I could see the smirk on his face. The way his eyebrow raised in a wordless challenge and a silent answer to me.
This was far from over.
The water behind me shifted.
The crowd went silent.
The ripples became waves.
A single deafening roar split the air.
The ground trembled beneath me, and I froze.
