Page 27 of The Faceless Queen

I bit back a scream, staring over the rippling water, waiting for him to surface, to rise back up. But he didn’t. Shit. Shit. Shit.

I shifted again, knowing I was dangerously close to dipping into my magical reserves. But I didn’t care. I ran, my fingers extending into five separate daggers. My calves thinned, allowing me to leap, and with a cry of rage, I met the chimera’s eyes, my hands slashing, blades cutting through its heads.

As I landed, I retracted the blades, rolled onto the ground, and jumped up. This time I only shifted one hand, imagining another long sword shooting out of my arm. With that, I cut off the tail and then used my hand to grab hold of the beast’s hind leg, climbing onto its back.

The lake bubbled. I held my breath, but there was no sign of Brennan.

I pulled myself forward along the beast’s spine until I was at its shoulders, and I slashed from behind. One head lopped off with a pained cry. Blood gleamed on the blade my arm had become as I swept it against the second head.

Fool, it thought, its voice sounding like death. More will come. More will⁠—

I cut off its head. Its body stiffened beneath mine, then collapsed as I turned back to the lake, desperately trying to stave off a bout of dizziness. I hadn’t shifted like this in years, and it was finally taking its toll. I didn’t have to reach for my reserves yet. But the power that remained within me couldn’t be wasted. I had to make it count.

The sword retracted, my hands human again. I raised them above my head, pressed my palms together as I took a long, deep breath, filling my lungs. Then I dove into the lake.

The cold nearly knocked me out as ice stabbed at my body. Until I shifted. My legs fused together as blue scales appeared on my waist and rushed down the length of my legs. My feet turned out and shifted into fins. Within an instant, the cold left my mermaid body, and air filled my lungs, my eyes opening wide to see before me.

I swam, my tail swishing as I descended further into the depths of the lake. With no sign of Brennan, I plunged deeper, and deeper, until I was starting to panic. Energetically, I couldn’t hold this form much longer. And Brennan wouldn’t survive if I didn’t find him quickly.

I could see the bottom of the lake, and still no sign of him. So I turned until something drew my eye—an overgrowth of pondweed. I started tearing at the greens, ripping them apart, pushing my way through them until I spotted a pale face, its eyes closed, beneath brown hair.

Brennan!

He was trapped, his leg caught in the weeds.

I rushed at him, tearing at anything floating between us, ripping him free, and pulling his entire body against mine. He was so cold, so still. Gods, how long had he gone without breathing?

I pulled his face to mine, and sealed my mouth over his nose and lips, then secured my other hand at his waist. With a kick of my fins, I started shooting upward, swimming to the surface as I desperately pushed air into his mouth, breathing for the both of us. I breathed and prayed and pushed, until I could see the moon through the lake’s surface.

With a gasp, I broke free of the waters, practically flying from the lake onto the shore. I laid Brennan out on his back, rolling my body over his, still breathing into him. My fins divided into feet and legs, my scales vanishing into skin, then pants, my mermaid body replaced by my human form.

Ice-cold shivers wracked through me with a sudden, shocking violence. But I continued to breathe into Brennan before I pulled back, pushing my hands against his chest.

Nothing. Nothing was happening.

“Brennan, come on. Come on! Breathe! Breathe!” I cried, as I pushed down, my hands pulsing over his heart.

Again I sealed my lips over his mouth, breathing into him. For him.

Breathe, I begged silently. Breathe. Please. I didn’t mean to do it. Didn’t mean to take so much from you. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.

I saw my mother again, her eyes closing. Take it. Take as much as you need.

My eyes stung with tears.

Not again. I couldn’t do this again. Couldn’t lose someone else. Even him.

I shuddered another desperate breath into Brennan’s mouth, begging the Gods. Pleading to any old or new who would listen. Orsete, Kavrir. Even Batrir, the God of strife and suffering. I would take anyone’s help I could find.

When my mouth returned to his again, he shifted suddenly, moving beneath me. His lips began to move, slowly and languidly against mine. Almost like a kiss. Almost.

Then he turned his head away, the movement sharp as he coughed, spitting lake water onto the grass. His hands pushed into the damp ground, his knuckles turning white. He coughed again, violently, before his chest heaved, lifting and falling in rapid succession as he sputtered.

“Brennan!” I shouted. “You’re okay?”

He gasped, taking a few more shaky breaths before he nodded weakly and lay back down. “I’m okay,” he said, his voice weak. His eyes were still closed. “Are … you?” He sounded like he was in pain. And so, so tired.

“I’m fine,” I said quickly. “I’m worried about you. Are you sure you’re alright?”