The Demon's Grave (36 page)

“Can you slip out of your shoe?” Aidan asked in a whisper. His arms stretched out to catch me, but he was a foot out of my reach.

And run without a shoe? In the middle of the jungle? I hated the idea and wiggled a little more. I was altogether stuck.

Waving him closer, I hissed. “Just pull on me first.”

Glancing at the eyes behind me, Aidan licked his lips.

The hesitation stopped my heart.

I watched his eyes harden and he took a step back, looking over his shoulder at the boat then across the still river. I saw it at the same time.

Nestled just within the trees was the shiny, black door. The top wasn’t hidden, though vegetation crowded near the base, like a protective barrier.

It had never appeared so early before, but then it hadn’t been offered anything before either. It was our way home and Aidan had the boat. He could leave me behind if he wanted.

My arms started to ache and I lowered them, feeling the balance of his decision thicken the air.

Twisting my foot, I could tell I could slip out of it, but something stopped me. I wanted to see what he would do. Sacrifice me, like Damien suggested, or help me across the river?

Standing straight, I tried to look confident though I felt like a fish out of water. I wondered if he’d look back before walking to the boat.

I looked over at the red eyes; they were still there, waiting.

Would the sacrifice be like Neive’s? A quick death or did Damien have other plans? I thought of his obsidian eyes watching me over Aidan’s shoulder in the dream.
She was never good at being a sacrifice
.

Without warning Aidan turned and jumped at me.

Startled, I strangled a yelp and almost moved to fend him off when he grabbed both my wrists and jerked back.

Catching his eyes, I felt relief flooding me all at once and I grabbed his wrists in return.

Wriggling my foot to free it from the sneaker, I felt my heel inch free.

Aidan’s shout shattered the silence. He was looking past me.

Ducking, I felt a wind rush past my head as if something had swung at me. With one final yank, my foot was free.

Aidan grabbed my arm and propelled both of us into the shallow water beside the boat.

Staggering with him, I looked over my shoulder but nothing was there.

The brush was silent, not a single leaf had been disturbed. Whatever Aidan saw had vanished, though I doubted it was gone. I still felt those weighty eyes.

Despite the stillness, we scrambled for the boat. Sweat bubbled Aidan’s brow, wetting the blood and making it appear slick. It must have stung.

The boat, having been carved and gutted from a large tree, was dark, maybe rotting. Holding onto the vessel with cramped fingers, I heard Aidan whisper to
jump in
.

Without waiting, I awkwardly lifted a leg and rolled into the small log, nearly tipping it over when a stick jabbed into my back. Sitting up, I noticed the twisted deadwood paddles on the bottom. Struggling for balance, I snatched one. The dry, grey wood dug slivers into my palms as I shoved it into the muddy shore at the same time that Aidan pushed.

The boat scraped the bottom for what felt like forever. I kept my eyes on the brush, shoving the paddle deep into the muck.

Aidan dug his heels into the shoreline, his face strained and red, until the boat broke free of the bottom and floated.

With one final push, Aidan leapt into the boat with me. The entire wooden vessel rocked, water sloshing over the edges. Biting back the yelp I gripped the edge with my free hand.

Rustling from the brush alerted us to movement, but neither of us stopped what we were doing. I tossed Aidan a paddle when I felt confident in my balance.

Together, we began to push through the brown water as fast and as hard as we could. Farther down the shoreline, past a fallen tree, I heard the distinct splashes. Something was joining us.

Half way out into the river Aidan dropped his paddle across his lap, heaving. Twisting his neck to see the shore, he asked. “Any of them follow?”

I stopped paddling, allowing the boat to drift in the still waters. “I think they jumped in over there.” I pointed toward the fallen log where I heard the splashes. “What were they anyway?”

Aidan shook his head. “I have no idea, I just saw a figure. Almost seemed human, but it was dark.”

Catching my breath, I muttered, “Thanks for not leaving me.”

Aidan tried to smile, then without looking at me, nodded.

I wanted to ask him why he didn’t, but decided against it. Together, we searched the mire for any signs of what might be hunting us. The brush behind us was silent; not even crickets or frogs graced the swamp.

Aidan let his breath out in a
whoosh
. “Let’s get out of here.”

Gripping my paddle, the splinters prickled my palm as I dug through the water. Pushing off in long, smooth strokes I felt the muscles in my shoulders ache. Aidan quickly followed my lead, making the motion easier.

On my fifth stroke the paddle abruptly stuck on something. The bottom already? Automatically, I jerked at it, but it stayed in place. Nothing scraped the bottom of the boat and I shook the paddle with both hands, rocking the boat beyond Aidan’s comfort and he hissed at me.

Gripping the upright deadwood, I eased the boat’s sway. The paddle was really stuck, but on what?

Leaning forward I decided to give it one last yank. As if expecting it, the paddle ripped from my hands in a blur, stabbing slivers into my skin and disappearing beneath the water.

Gasping, I cradled my flaming hands to my chest.

I didn’t want to look at them.

Aidan had stopped paddling, his eyes round. We watched where my paddle had been, waiting for it to resurface. The ripple of water was the only evidence it had ever been there.

Looking to the opposite shore I could see we were almost there. The black clouds overhead had grown thicker, creeping along the riverbank, edging over the water.

Bubbling water had me following Aidan’s gaze to the disturbed surface next to our boat. Ripples swirled out as if something had surfaced before I had a chance to look, but Aidan had seen. Tilting up my chin I started to ask when something on his face stopped me cold.

Aidan swallowed hard, his electric eyes snapping to me. “Nora, I think I should tell you something.”

“I don’t think this is the best time, Aidan.” My gaze swept the surface of the murky waters, feeling apprehensive about what he may have seen.

Something slapped against the side of the boat. The force rocked us back and forth. Snatching the sides I tried to stay centered and balanced, gritting my teeth.

Aidan’s paddle was half-in and half-out of the boat, the handle on the floor and the paddle dripping on glassy water.

“No, I think I should tell you now,” Aidan gulped as the boat settled again. “It’s about what Damien said.”

“What?” I snapped.

Out of the corner of my vision there was movement. As if electrocuted, I shouted. “Paddle, Aidan!”

Before the words left my lips, a hand broke the swampy surface and latched onto the edge of the boat.

Skeletal fingers flexed and tightened their grip, revealing tendons and stark, white bone. It was a human hand once. But now it was grey with green algae.

The terror tore through my throat and I screamed.

A second hand breached the surface and slapped the side of our wooden craft. The boat rocked dangerously. Each swing was harder and stronger than the last. We could hear the
thuds
beneath our feet; mocking us with a rapping knuckles.

I held on, intensifying the fiery pain of the cuts in my hands. If this kept up we were going to flip. I didn’t want to imagine what was waiting for us in the caliginous water below.

Aidan started to paddle, trying to veer us closer to the shore. His electric, blue eyes shone, hardly blinking with each paddle slap that spraying water in all directions.

Another rotted hand curled around my fingers gripped the edge of the boat.

I screamed, nauseated by the slimy thing and jerked back. I kept both hands close, trying to balance by locking my knees together and pressing my feet to either side of the shallow log.

A thump from below lifted the boat out of the water. I felt it rise and drop with my stomach and tried to lean the opposite way so not to flip us.

Before the boat landed Aidan’s startled shout was cut off by a
splash
.

The boat slapped back into the water, jostling my insides.

I shifted my weight to prevent myself from pitching overboard, all the while staring at the empty spot at the head of the boat.

The decaying hand had disappeared and all the knocking below ceased, which scared me more. Splashing to my right made my heart stop and I almost didn’t turn my head.

Peeking over the edge of the boat, I felt a jolt of relief which flooded into a smile.

Aidan was still above the surface, treading water. He was several feet away, but he wasn’t gone. I gestured wildly until he met my eye.

Sputtering swamp water, he nodded, scanning the surface.

“Hurry,” I hissed, craning my neck to look for whatever haunted us below the surface.

For a few clumsy minutes, Aidan’s sloppy breast strokes didn’t seem to getting him anywhere. Each second that ticked by was an invitation and I sat up taller in the boat, readying myself to pull him in.
Don’t separate, don’t separate,
I repeated in my head until the breast strokes evened out, growing longer and smoother. He didn’t dare duck his head under the muddy surface.

I held out my hand, ushering him closer, afraid to speak and disturb the quiet.

Aidan hesitated in mid-stroke, sinking in his panic. Spitting out swampy water, he gagged. “Something touched my leg.”

Shaking my head, I waved my hands for him to hurry. I couldn’t swing the boat around without a paddle and I didn’t dare put my hand in the murky water.

Swimming again, Aidan drew closer when his breath sharpened and he stopped swimming again.

I gritted my teeth in irritation. Pressing my chest to the edge of the craft I strained for him. He was almost in arm’s reach, just a few more strokes and…‌

Aidan jerked beneath the surface so fast it took me a second to realize he was gone.

The water rippled where he’d been. Bubbles surfaced as the water began to smooth as if it were never disturbed, just like the paddle.

“Aidan?” I dared to ask, hearing the squeak in my voice.

A loud
thunk
against the bottom of the boat, had me jerk my extended arm back to my chest.

Struggling to decide what to do, I heard a sharp scraping, like something was scratching the side of the wood. Clamping my hands over my mouth to prevent a noise, I glanced at where Aidan disappeared.

Without warning, the raft lifted again. Teetering, I tried to center my balance, but it was too late. I was going over and, in my panic, I jumped. I didn’t want to be any closer to whatever hid below than I had to be.

The hollowed log rolled as I met the water in a horrendous belly-flop.

The cold water sparked a shock straight through to my bones.

At first I sank, feeling the chill itch its way into my core. Bubbles escaped my lips, reminding me to swim.

Wriggling in a panic, I struggled for the surface, kicking hard to circulate the sluggish blood. At least I hoped I was aiming for the surface. The water was so gloomy and dark I could barely see my own hands in front of me.

Kicking as hard as I could, I broke the surface and breathed in deep.

Aidan
. Spinning in a circle, he was still missing. The boat was upside down, several feet away and the foggy shore was even farther.

Ready to shout for him, I heard water dash against the other side of the boat, inconveniently out of my line of sight.

Overhead thunder boomed through the silence of the swamp, jarring every sense.

Swallowing the scream, I started for the boat. I needed a higher vantage to find Aidan. If he was still under the water, I had no idea how I’d find him in the gloom. The little light that was left had me squinting, straining for any sign of him. What if he’d left? He couldn’t sacrifice me when looking me in the face, but if we’re separated now.

Shuddering in the water, I concentrated on swimming for the overturned boat, careful not to splash and draw unwanted attention. There were crocodiles after all.

With each kick, my legs became hypersensitive to anything that might touch me or worse, drag me under. The anticipation was almost worse than an attack.

I almost forgot to breathe until my fingers touched the side of the overturned boat.

Listening, I couldn’t hear splashes or the knocking. Reaching up, I slapped a hand on the top of the rounded log to pull myself higher. Still, nothing touched my ankles as I dragged my soaked body up the side.

My hands throbbed with the slivers and my body shivered from the cold.

I eased my way to the top, straddling the over-turned boat with legs curled up on either side and out of the water.

I was secure in my perch when the water burst only a few feet ahead of me.

Shrieking I slapped myself down onto the boat, clinging to it as if it could hide me in open water.

In a spitting, splashing, thrashing display, Aidan emerged for a second time.

Aidan bobbed in the water beside the boat. He was struggling, hitting something in the water and gasping noisily for air.

Stretching out my hand, bracing myself against the boat I shouted. “Grab it!”

His wide, pale eyes caught mine and our fingertips grazed when something unseen stole him under the water again. His arms flailed over his head to grab at air. I tried to catch his hand, but missed.

Staring at the empty space in shock I wasn’t sure what to do. Should I dive in after him and hope to find him in the shadowy ridges of the swamp? The coward in me wanted to wait but the voices from the first Challenge echoed in my mind. “
We died because of each other
.”

I thought about Jordan’s attack, how scared and embarrassed I was. I’d wanted Aidan’s help then, though he couldn’t. But right now, Aidan needed me.