The sudden pull threw me off balance. My body tipped sideways and I began to sink.
But instead of plunging endlessly, I landed against a broad chest.
I blinked, disoriented, and looked up at the man holding me. His face was hidden by the scuba mask.
I glared at him, irritated, and tried to wriggle free, raising my hands to signal that he should put me down.
Instead of complying, Ashton pressed my shoulder, stopping me before I could move further, and signed faster than I could. ‘Something’s wrong. Don’t move.’
Even without sound, I felt the weight of his warning.
I froze. He wasn’t joking.
I signed back, ‘What is it?’
He didn’t answer. Still holding me, he tilted his head upwards.
I followed his gaze. At first I saw only water shifting above us. Then I noticed the ripples spreading wider, stronger, gathering momentum.
Ashton’s eyes lingered on the disturbance for a few seconds. Suddenly, he turned and swam deeper, clutching me tightly.
What on earth could make him react ?
I had no time to wonder. A glance over his shoulder gave me the answer.
A wall of raging water was bearing down.
The word burst into my mind, stark and undeniable.
I prided myself on staying calm in difficult situations, but faced with this, so close, I couldn’t control the tremor running through me.
Ashton’s grip tightened. He pushed my head to his chest, shielding me from the sight of that monstrous surge.
Even here, away from the main force, the water around us convulsed with waves. They weren’t as terrifying as what loomed above, but the impact was still brutal.
The first strike hit us like being smacked by a giant fist. The current spun us around, a violent whirl that sent a shock through my chest. My lungs clenched, my vision flared, and I had no chance to orient myself before Ashton’s arm crushed me back against him, locking me in place.
The second wave was worse, slamming us sideways. It felt like being stuffed into a washing machine, tumbled without pause, my stomach lurching with every turn. The world blurred into black water and force.
Ashton held on, his arms unyielding at my waist.
Still, the strain showed. His hands trembled under the relentless current.
The torch was long gone, ripped from us in the confusion. Darkness closed in. There was nothing but water, wave after wave, swallowing us whole.
My gut twisted until I thought I’d be sick. But I didn’t dare move. I knew to survive, there was only one thing we could do: endure until the sea spent its fury.
In the blackness, Ashton’s face disappeared from view. All I had was the rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my brow.
It pulsed against me like a promise.
That heartbeat became my anchor, the one thing keeping me from breaking.
Instinctively, I pressed closer, wrapping my arms around his waist, clutching him as tightly as he held me.
I had no idea how much time had passed.
Finally, the waves seemed to ease a little. I lifted my head to see what was happening. Even with the oxygen tank, a nagging fear gnawed at me that I would run out of air.
Just as I shifted, a faint tickle spread across my back. Ashton was tracing letters against me. ‘Don’t be afraid. It will be over soon.’
My arms tightened around him. Somehow, those few words steadied me.
Maybe the force of the water had weakened, or maybe I was simply trying not to think about the devastation above us, but my attention slipped to the hands gripping my waist.
Even though Ashton had stopped writing, the ghost of that sensation lingered, a tingling that wouldn’t fade.
I bit down on the mouthpiece, desperate to push the feeling away, desperate to escape Ashton. Yet until the tsunami passed, escape was impossible. The torment gnawed at me like an itch I couldn’t scratch.
After what felt like ten endless centuries, the currents finally eased. The dark sea sank back into its original, eerie calm.
I waited a little longer, watching carefully to be sure the water had stilled, then gently pushed Ashton back to create some space to breathe.
He caught my wrist and tugged me upwards.
In the lightless depths, we had nothing but our hands to guide us. Follow current novels on novel★fire.net
Suddenly, Ashton froze.
I jerked my wrist, puzzled at his stillness, but then he shifted, turning and pulling me to the left before continuing upwards.
Time stretched unbearably. By the time I broke the surface, it felt like an entire lifetime had passed.
Moonlight shimmered on the water, perfectly still, as though nothing had happened at all.
I spat out the mouthpiece and dragged in a breath so sharp it hurt, just to convince myself I was still alive.
Beside me, Ashton’s face was pale in the silver light. He didn’t look relieved. If anything, he looked grimmer.
‘What’s wrong?’ I asked.