Think, think, think! The troll was getting closer. No panicking, just thinking. Ding. Idea. Thanks to Wade. I blew the air out of my lungs and slipped under the surface. I paddled a few feet away and sank down to the bottom, murky water hiding the once bright orange of my t-shirt.

Yuck. But the weeds down here would be great camo.

Yelling started above the water. Being underwater when someone yelled above the surface always sounded weird. Multiply that by ten when it’s a group of trolls. A minute later a huge head plunged under the surface, big eyes searching for me. I scrambled away, unable to tear my gaze from the huge creature. It only made it a second before going back up. Soon it was joined by another set of eyes. Closer, closer. I tried to sink deeper, dredging the bottom to cloud the water even more.

It didn’t work. The plants around me started going crazy, moving against the current. I headed toward a patch of some type of underwater weed, and it wrapped around me. I jerked back and it let me go. Um, that was a little weird. But I wasn’t going to argue. I moved back in closer and the leaves of the plants slipped around me, blanketing me in the greenery. This could work. Maybe. Hopefully. Apparently my lungs could convert the little amount of oxygen in the water into something useable, but I wasn’t going to take the time to think about that right now.

I knew the instant the troll caught sight of me. Its eyes widened and it gurgled like it was trying to shout under water. I stabbed upward with the wooden sword I miraculously still had in my hand and got it in the eye. It jerked back, and I nearly floated away in relief. But then the water turned red, hiding me better but making my stomach turn. I about lost the breakfast Nina had made for me. The plants worked together, pulling me backward as I freaked out. I’d never physically hurt anything before. I was still on my back, so I dug my feet into the mire at the bottom of the lake and did a strange crawl/float thing away from the troll as fast as I could.

The hollering and pounding got louder up top. A massive leg knocked into me, sending me twirling through the water. Two more sets of feet pushed by, dredging up junk from the bottom of the lake and making it impossible to see a thing.

Something grabbed me by the back of my shirt. I swung at it, the weight of the water slowing me enough that I didn’t get a very good blow in. Whatever it was dragged me toward the surface struggling as hard as I could, then pulled me out onto the rocky beach.

I shoved away, trying not to let the air get into my lungs too quickly.

“Trisha? Trisha, can you hear me?”

I coughed out the water in my lungs. Wade. The sense of relief flooding me felt strange considering who had caused it. I slumped over, barely able to stay upright even while seated. He must have pulled me out. He pounded on my back. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” it came out a little too forcefully considering he had just risked his life to drag me out of the lake. I hacked a couple more times. “My cells still regenerate under water.”

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Wade looked nearly sick with relief. “All that blood. We thought…” he trailed off.

I held up my little sword and gave it a wave. “Wasn’t mine.”

“Glad you’re okay. Let’s go make sure they make it through the portal,” Starren’s voice came from somewhere behind Wade and she was off.

Too wrung out to brush him off, I let him prop me up against a log.

“I’ll be right back.” He gave me another concerned look and took off after her. I needed a moment to catch my breath. They seriously owed me at least that. How could Wade send so many emotions through me at the same time? Anger still, of course, but he had come into the lake after me, knowing full well how easily I heal and he didn’t.

That was a Wade I didn’t know. The Wade I’d thought I’d known only truly cared about himself. The Wade I’d found out he actually was had killed me. Now I was just confused. I’d love to believe he had a copy of him like I had at school for me right now, but he’d pretty much admitted what he’d done back at the Hall with Cumat.

Another cough forced its way out, removing what I hoped was the last of the water. I groaned and attempted to push myself to my feet. Someone grabbed me under the arm and helped me up. Cray.

“Thanks-”

“What were you thinking?” Cray yelled in my face, his getting red. I recoiled a bit. This wasn’t the same calm kid I’d spent the day with, was it? “You better never do that again, we’re a team. No solo.”

I raised my hands, trying to cool him down. “Hey, I regenerate, and, as far as I know, you don’t.” He didn’t answer. “I just didn’t want you to get hurt.”

“Well, don’t do it again.” He turned and followed Wade and Starren, back stiff with anger. What was his problem? I’d probably saved his life. This was so backward with Cray mad at me and Starren telling me she was glad I was okay.

I took off after him, even my regenerating body crying as I pushed it like I’d never pushed it before. How were the normal fae handling all this without stopping? Hurry. I needed to hurry. As little help as I was able to give, they might need it. I ran through a bit of brush following the creek and was back at the waterfall.

Hah. I could have saved myself the worry. One of the trolls lay on the ground, not moving. The rest were crowding each other through the waterfall, each of them trying to get ahead of the others.

Wade stood on top of the dead troll looking like some hero in a story. Starren was whacking at the trolls with the blunt of her blade, forcing them to move even quicker. I didn’t see Cray.

I walked over to the massive dead troll and kicked its giant, dirty foot, almost taller than my head. “What do we do with this?”

“We’ll get a squad in to take care of it,” Wade answered from his perch. “Can’t just leave it here, strange things happen when wildlife eat anything from Faerie.”

I shivered at the thought. Once for the strange things that could happen, then again at the thought of something eating this dirty giant.

“They’ll be half an hour,” Starren said, sliding down the rocks leading up to the waterfall cave. She stood and knocked some of the dust off herself. “Settle yourself in. Some of us will have to watch the body. Where’s Cray?”

“I don’t know,” Wade said.

“He helped me up and took off after you two, I haven’t seen him since,” I said.

“I’m here,” his voice came from behind one of the larger trees. “I thought I felt something strange, but it’s gone.”

“Strange how?” Starren was right on him.

“I’m not sure.” Cray was back to his normal, quiet self. “Just strange, like we’re being followed.”

Something strange? For him to think it was strange when we had a dead troll lying across the ground in front of us… That didn’t sound good.