Moon - New Moon Part 14

She stared at him. "What about it?"

"It flows out of here."

She thought for a moment. "I never tried to figure out where it exits. I don't even know how long it goes underground. It could be miles."

"Or not. I'm a landscape architect. Part of my job is studying the contours of the land. I think the river goes through the rocks. How big is the outcropping?"

"Not wide," she said in a low voice.

"Can you swim?"

"Yes. But I wouldn't say I'm good at it." Glancing toward the rock that blocked the doorway, she saw the stone beginning to thin, and she knew someone on the outside was melting his way through the barrier.

When she and Haig used the psychic key, the opening appeared almost instantly. The men out there hadn't found exactly the right combination yet, but they would get through eventually.

If she didn't want to get caught, she'd have to take her chances in the water. Even if she drowned, that was better than falling into Falcone's clutches again.

She and Logan rushed to the side of the cave where the river flowed through the bathroom area.

"I'll stay with you. Take off your clothes," he ordered.

She gulped, then turned her back and began tearing at her clothing.

"When we get to the other end, you'll have to lead the way to someplace safe."

Behind her, she heard loud voices. The warriors! They'd made it through the barrier.

She took a gasp of air, then dove in, the icy water shocking her body.

Above the roaring in her ears, she thought she heard the voices of the men shouting to each other, but she couldn't be sure.

She sensed Logan enter the water beside her. But the current pulled him away, and in the blackness she couldn't see him.

Struggling not to panic, she let the river carry her downstream. She felt something long and hard b.u.mp against her side and might have screamed if she'd had her head above water. A spear. One of 'the soldiers had thrown it at her retreating form.

The water flowed out of the cave and into a narrow pa.s.sage, increasing the speed of the current and rushing her along. She cursed herself for not counting the seconds. In the black, watery environment, she had no idea where she was, how long she had been in the tunnel, or even if Logan was with her.

As the river carried her along, her shoulder b.u.mped against an outcropping, and she sc.r.a.ped along the rock, feeling her skin abrade.

Repositioning herself, she struggled to stay in the center of the stream, but twice more the water banged her into a rock.

She knew she was collecting sc.r.a.pes and bruises, but they were the least of her worries. Her lungs were going to burst if she didn't get some air. Swimming toward the surface, she was relieved to find that there was just enough room for her mouth and nose to poke above the water. She might have stayed above the surface, but she was afraid that she would hit her head in the dark and get knocked unconscious.

So she plunged under again, then kicked toward the surface when she needed air again, only this time there was no room for her head. She was stuck under the water.

Fighting panic and the pressure inside her chest, she looked ahead of her and saw a spot of light.

Thank the Great Mother! The river must be coming out of the underground pa.s.sage-if she could only last long enough to reach it.

Focusing on the brightness, she struggled to increase her speed, kicking with her legs and stroking with her arms, trying to get out of the tunnel as fast as she could.

Finally, she burst into the open, broke the surface of the water and gasped in blessed air.

Her relief was short-lived, however. A hand closed around her ankle, pulling her under again before she had a chance to scream.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

RINNA SHIFTED TO her right and saw one of the warriors had her in his grasp.

As she struggled to get away, the soldier grunted, and the hand loosened. The man began to thrash beside her. Twisting around, she saw Logan struggling to pull the attacker off her.

Trying to help, she grabbed at the soldier's hair, angling his head back. Together, they held him under while taking quick gasps of air themselves. The struggle seemed to take forever. Tired from the long swim, she felt her own strength ebbing. But finally, the man's body went limp. When she and Logan let go, the current carried him away.

Dragging in drafts of air, she let Logan take her arm and steer her toward the sh.o.r.e. But the rock walls along the banks were steep, so he kept going, looking for a place to get out.

She was beginning to think they would have to drift alone for miles when they finally came parallel to a sandy beach. Logan began to tow her toward sh.o.r.e.

They both crawled onto the sand, where they lay panting. When she shivered, Logan rolled toward her, lifting his arm to gather her close.

It was a natural response to their chilled circ.u.mstances, but she couldn't stop herself from flinching.

She was angry with herself for the reaction. This man had proved that he had her welfare at heart. Of course, she could have said the same about Falcone-not so long ago.

He had seemed to care about her. When some of the members of the council had voiced concerns about her power, he had told them she was useful. He had sent her out of the city to fight the Suckers. Partly to get her out of sight. And she had proved that she could track the mind vampires and drive them back to the world where they had originated. That was when she had first seen Logan. She had been tracking a Sucker and found it had gone into his universe.

She kept her head turned away from him, still remembering Falcone's betrayal. She had thought he was her protector. And he had proved her so wrong.

Logan was speaking, and she struggled to focus on his words. "You're hurt," he said, touching the place where the rock had sc.r.a.ped her shoulder.

"So are you," she said, staring at the ripening bruise on his muscular thigh where he also must have struck a rock. At the same time, she was trying not to stare at his s.e.x. He was magnificently naked, and so casual about his body as he lay sprawled on the sand.

She should be just as casual. A woman who often found herself inconveniently nude when she changed from wolf to human could ill afford to be modest. Yet she couldn't stop herself from scooting a foot away from his large body, sc.r.a.ping her bottom on the rough sand as she went.

A flash of movement in the water caught her eye, and she went rigid. Great Mother! It looked like Logan was the least of her worries.

As she watched, another of Falcone's soldiers bobbed to the surface of the fast moving stream. Apparently more than one of them was willing to risk his life to bring her back.

Luckily, the man was turned away, scanning the bank on the other side of the river. Logan had followed her gaze, then grabbed her hand and pulled her off the beach and around a pile of boulders, shielding them from the river.

Climbing up on the nearest rock, he reached down to help her up. They ascended about ten feet above the river, into an open s.p.a.ce.

Behind them, Rinna heard splashing noises. More warriors.

"If they find the beach, they'll see our footprints," she gasped.

"s.h.i.t! I wasn't thinking about that."

"There wasn't anything we could do about it. Not and get out of there fast."