Serena felt the impact through the matebond, so sharp and sudden it split her vision. She gasped, inhaling water, choking on it.
A third tentacle wrapped around her waist and ripped her from Gav's arms, dragging her downward into the black. Her blood spiraled through the water like smoke.
The creature wanted her. It had always wanted her. The men were obstacles. She was the prize.
Her eyes blazed molten gold.
She fabricated a sword, and cut the tentacle in a blur, her instincts taking over.
The sword vibrated, changing into a bow of pure light. She drew the string back, muscles trembling, body screaming, the wound in her side pumping blood into the dark.
She fired.
The golden arrow tore through the water with a low, thunderous hum, then split mid-flight into a dozen smaller arrows that wove together into a massive net of celestial light.
