Blood Red (49 page)

Vivi Anna

The water crushed Red in its icy grip as it carried her along. Her lungs were bursting. She didn’t know how much longer she’d be able to hold her breath. She could see no light ahead. The water was as dark as her thoughts.

She had not intended for the girl to be killed. She had promised herself that she would get her out. The girl had risked her life for her. And for what? For the first time in her life, guilt gripped her tightly in the chest. Red would not have done the same for her. If the roles had been reversed, she would have left Rose to die painfully on the chopping block. Red’s lungs burned. She couldn’t hold them any longer. They needed release. She opened her mouth. Water rushed in.

She felt something grasp her arm. She was pulled sideways and up. Soon her head was above the water.

She coughed and water spewed from her mouth.

Red looked around her. Rapunzel bobbed next to her. They were in a small air pocket underneath the earth.

“I thought I was done.”

96

Blood Red

“I almost let you go by.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Well, you’re kind of cute, in a brutal, violent, animal-like way. So I thought we could kiss and make up later.”

Red narrowed her eyes at her. Then she laughed. It was something she hadn’t done in a long time.

Rapunzel laughed with her.

“You know, I almost don’t want to kill you,” Red said between guffaws.

“Well, that’s a relief.”

The water broke beside them. Wolf’s head bobbed out of the water. “I’m glad you girls are having a good time.”

“How did you find us?”

“I followed your scent.”

“You can’t track in the water.”

“The hell I can’t. I can smell you anywhere.”

They stared at each other, the water around them heating rapidly.

Rapunzel looked from Red to Wolf and back again.

“We should move on. This trip is far from over.”

Wolf paused. His ears perked. He turned his head slightly.

“You hear something?” Red asked, concerned by his alert.

“Maybe. We should move, and now.”

They all took in deep breaths and went under the water again. This time they stayed close together. The current quickened. It tore at their bodies as it swept them forward. They were nearly out of air, their lungs imploding, when they saw the first ray of light 97