My Life From Hell (The Blooming Goddess #3)

Gods and Monsters (Part 3)

Kai kissed the top of my head. "Theo will be fine. Come on, I'll swim with you."

That was probably as good as things were going to get. I kicked off my shoes, really glad that my math skills were not up to calculating how much water per square inch of denim my jeans would soak up once we were in the water.

Fee went first. Since there was no gradual beach entry, he flung himself in. Then resurfaced, his cane thrashing the water as he howled "Cooooold!"

Theo, of course, stepped into the water with a minimal splash, swam toward Fee in a perfect front stroke, and wrapped his arm around him. "Stop wasting energy."

Festos rolled his eyes, but stopped his melodramatic splashing. "Count of three. One, two, three."

They ducked under the water and swam for the ledge. I watched until they were out of sight.

"Our turn!" I ended with a yelp as Kai swung me up in his arms. "Don't. You. Dare," I said.

He grinned and tossed me in the water.

I came up sputtering. My hair plastered to my face in long strands. As I swiped it out of my eyes, I felt Kai's arms around my waist.

He pressed his face into the back of my shoulder and held me, both of us slowly treading water.

A minion rushed into the cave, all fire and fury.

"Hang on," Kai said. He swung our bodies around so that I had no choice but to fling my arms around his neck.

A fireball sizzled past our heads.

I barely had time to take a deep breath as Kai dove under the water, taking me with him.

It was very dark. That didn't matter so much since I decided that squeezing my eyes shut was a good idea. But I hadn't taken a big enough breath. Actually, I don't know if that would have been possible without transplanting a bigger set of lungs. As Kai dragged me through the frigid water, concern that the minions had found us, turned to concern that I might not have enough air.

Which turned to absolute certainty.

And progressed to burning panic as my lungs tried to explode. Or implode. Maybe both.

Until finally—on the verge of "this is it, here I go, drowning now"—we broke the surface on the other side. I took an enormous gulp of air. Never had I been so thankful for the gift of oxygen.

Festos and Theo were already out of the water.

The portal light began to blink.

"Hurry," Theo urged. "It's closing."

I let go of Kai so he could get out, but before I could go anywhere, fire shot up my ankle.

It appeared Pyrosim could not only swim, they could keep flaming in water, too. And grab on to people's legs. It pulled me down.

The portal light blinked faster and faster.

I looked up toward the surface and tried to shake the minion free. Its other tentacle snaked around my waist. My T-shirt had floated up so his fire was in direct contact with my skin. My body jerked in pain. If I screamed, I would drown.

Enough of this.

I had no problem unleashing some fury on this minion right here, right now. I fired my light vines and spun the little bugger into oblivion.

Highly satisfying.

More minions poured through the tunnel. The closest Pyrosim stretched out its tentacles to grab my other leg.