I can't breathe.

The deeper the serpent pulls me; the more pressure squeezes my skull. My lungs scream for air as I struggle to free myself from a binding vise. Fingers slipping upon a slimy, slithering body; I can't catch a grip.

Tighter and tighter, the serpent wraps around my body to halt any attempts I may make to free myself. It wouldn't be of any use anyway; I stand no chance against a beast destined to drown me. Which is exactly what it plans to do. Not kill me quickly or toss me around the waters until I lose consciousness from a heart attack. This serpent desires a slow death, a different ploy of a cruel game.

I can't hear their distant shouts anymore, and to my surprise, their names elude me. Who is waiting above the endless water, hovering over the side of the bridge and waiting for me to break through the glass surface, gasping for air? My spine barks at me and I focus. The moonlight eludes me and quickly; we sink into an endless darkness.

My lungs are ready to burst.

I know what I must do.

There is only one way out of this, and if I deem myself stupid enough to take this risk, it could prove to be fatal. I don't remember exactly who waits for my survival, but they're destined to be the end of me. I suppose the water has already claimed me, same as this beast, and there's no harm in attempting what might save my life.

My family needs me, and I won't allow them to hear of my death from a letter penned out by a servant assigned the unwanted task.

The serpent continues to dive deeper, tugging me along in a crushing grip. I wiggle and twist, but nothing works. Even the moon can't illuminate its deep blue scales, we're so deep down. The slithers of other beasts threaten to close in on us, and the farther we go, the more I fear we'll stumble upon something that hasn't seen the light of day since before a Luminary's existence. 

With no other options, I ready the power at my hands and shove them underneath the coil threatening to take the remaining air in my lungs. Black spots fill my vision. I must work fast. Increasing doom hinders my focus and I lick my lips, tasting cold water. Focus, I tell myself. Focus on the shield.

A small burst escapes my fingertips, brightening our dark space, and it halts the serpent for a moment. The tail loosens from around me, and a small fraction of my body slips through before I'm thrust back into the fray. Stronger this time. The serpent tries to squeeze the remaining air stocked within my lungs, kept roped tight by the Luminary within. 

My head pounds, my lungs begging me to take a breath. If I inhale any water, I'm done for. Shifting into my Luminary form gives me extra time and the hair billowing above my head in a helpless array of tangled strands fades to white. I thrust my hands underneath the coiled body once move and shove out. Light flickers, breaking through the spindled cracks, and the serpent squeezes tighter.

Something in my abdomen cracks. A rib, most likely. I cry out, but no one can hear me.

Panic sets in. My throat swells with emotion. I'm not ready to die, not yet. The endless river won't end me, neither will this serpent. Feigning desperation, another blue flare rocks the serpent's body, this time hard enough for it to release. A chunk of its strong body splits; I've done enough damage to grant myself an escape. I tuck my knees against my chest and thrust upward as it spins for me, jaws snapping. Teeth clamp onto my arm and I scream out. Before the beast can thrash and snap bone, my magic shoves down its throat, blue haze emerging from between a closed maw.

A gagging sound ruptures in my ears, muffled by the pressure of our deep descent. The serpent slithers away and slinks back in shock to test the strength of its throat and still-working teeth.

Blood floats from the open wounds in my arm, like ink pooling in water, and wafts upward. I follow that stream of my life, attempting to escape in the brief moments the water monster shakes its head to clear the troublesome heat searing down its throat. A screech echoes through the water as I swim away, and the serpent advances, but slams directly into the shield I cast around myself. Invisible, so no one at the water's surface can see it.

If I make it there.

My arm stings. The physical pain doesn't compare to the rush of anxiety thrumming through my chest, pulsing my lungs into working overtime. So close, I'm so close.

A splitting headache cuts through my skull when I shift back into the form the Panjandrum Corps will recognize. I can see the moon again. A cry loosens from my throat and my hands break through the water first, followed by my head. I swallow down as much air as I can, panting and whimpering as I scan the water below me. The serpent is coming, and it's out for blood.

Nervous voices and cautious demands shout to me over the side of the bridge. More have gathered, each of them telling me what I need to do. Keaya screams that she can't get a shot, then Gav shouts to look out. I see the serpent at the last moment and leap to the best of my ability, dodging out of the way. The serpent's slithering, long body breaks through, cast in sparkling water and white moonlight.

I dive back underneath the water, avoiding the twisting jaw aiming for my head, and scramble for the ladder.

"Faster!" Cloak shouts at me. He crouches at the top, once again extending his hand to find mine.

"It's coming back around!" Gav warns. He nocks an arrow onto his bow and aims, but it bounces off the beast's flesh helplessly. He curses, but nocks another.

My fingers slip onto the rung and the serpent slashes past, teeth sinking into my leg. The fabric of my pants tears and I twist, kicking between the eyes with all my might. No magic will help me here. Someone throws a rock that lands on the serpent's back and somehow, the beast unhinges.

With one arm and one leg utterly useless, I grab onto the rung and hoist myself up, as fast as I possibly can. Cloak leans further, reaching for me.

Keaya dashes to Cloak's side. "It's coming back," she says. "Faster, Marie!"

A flash of steel catches my attention, Gav pulling a sword from the sheath at his hip. That will do nothing. I continue to climb; the water slashing and roiling behind me, and my boot slips. My hands are too weak to grasp on and I realize I'm falling once more, but Cloak snatches the back of my shirt, balling the fabric into a fist, and lifts me like I'm nothing more than a feather.

He grunts, shoving his weight back, and I'm tossed through the air. His arms wrap around my abdomen and grip tight as we land on the bridge, his body bracing my fall. A moment later, something slams against the stone, inches away, and Gav screams through his teeth.

I turn just in time to see him cut through the serpent's neck. It leapt from the water, landing halfway onto the bridge. It's squirming body halts as the head severs, no longer snapping for bone or blood. My wounds aren't the worst of it. The innards of the serpent shoot towards Cloak and I, spraying over our bodies. Blood, guts—every type of bodily fluid sinks into my clothes and my hair, crafting a second skin around my face.

No one speaks. They look from the beast, to me, then back to the headless serpent on the bridge, then to Gav. He hisses through his teeth and quirks his mouth to the side. "Sorry."

Cloak's hands brace underneath my arms and he lifts me off of him and back to a standing position. His fingers tug through my hair, removing a slithering mass of serpent guts from the knotted strands. As if my wounds aren't enough.

"Come, I'll get you cleaned up," Keaya ushers from behind. She reaches for me but stops upon realizing who arrives.

Breaking through the crowd, her hands folded behind her back and her steps slow, Aela appears. A sneer razors across her face, thin and sharp, as if she's unsatisfied to see I'm still standing. Wounded, but standing. Cloak's hand presses into the small of my back, holding me steady. It doesn't become clear why until I realize I'm swaying where I stand. Blood leaks down my wrist and puddles into the river water dripping from my clothes.

A similar shade of red soaks through my once-clean pants. I can't fathom a cracked rib and exactly how uncomfortable that will be to ride on a horse with.

Aela stops in front of me, completely unfazed by the annoyed and angered crowd standing around. She created trouble that will forever be unnecessary, and in their operation, they don't have time for cruel games.

I receive only one word from the queen's personal guard. And it's falsified, brought out through her teeth in a lie. Masked in truth by a smirk. "Whoops," she purrs.

She turns on her heel, meandering back through the crowd of warriors glaring at her as she goes. I hesitate to throw her in the river and cut the rope for the ladder. Instead, I sigh. My shoulders heave unsteadily as the pain returns, the adrenaline proving to only be a short relief. Keaya takes my arm and leads me towards the closest fire, tending to my wounds like a proper healer. Only without the magic I used to free myself.

I don't realize just how lucky I am until my arm is bandaged, the wounds cleaned, and she begins on my leg. They didn't see how I escaped. I suppose that is one mercy that blots out the many terrors of what just happened.

I saved myself. I'm alive—all at the hands of a power that was never mine to start.