The raging water grows louder as we approach the river. The Gaultane’s size and ferocity have earned it a dangerous reputation.

Rahlan scans the bank, looking for the best place to cross. “We’ll head upstream for closer rocks,” he says.

That’ll take much longer than crossing over the castle’s bridges. His decision to go out of the way to avoid it suggests that it’s still under human control.

“We’re not going to the castle?” I ask. It’ll be suspicious if I don’t acknowledge its presence.

“Maybe another time,” he remarks as if it’s an insignificant choice. My question makes me appear clueless, as if I think it’s one of theirs.

We step closer to the bank, making it easier to travel. My eyes follow the turbulent water. I toss in a leaf, and it’s immediately swallowed up below the surface, making me gulp. I can swim – in the calm shallow stream a half a mile from my village. This water is violent, unforgiving and nothing like the stream I know. I’ll be swallowed up like that leaf. The possibility of drowning didn’t cross my mind until now.

I lean over the water. The bank drops off like a sheer cliff. I have to do it. I’ll never be free if I don’t gather my courage. This is the path to reunite with Jacob. He’s the last real family I’ve got left, and I’m not going to let him slip through my fingers.

I swing the bag off my shoulders and yank the quick release. The rope binding my waist falls to the ground, and I dive.

The freezing water hits my skin like a thousand needles. I’m swallowed whole. I can’t see. Which way is up? My body tumbles through the raging current and slams against a hard rock, making me scream and lose my air. I paddle and kick and fight against the river with burning lungs.

I shoot out the surface and gasp for breath. Forcing my stinging eyes open reveals a huge wave about to hit.

I’m sucked back under and sent tumbling through the water. My arms and legs flail before I break to the surface again. Craning my neck to face up allows me to breathe. The waves obscure my vision and drown out all sound. My senses are overwhelmed.

The water dunks me under before letting me up again. Where’s the castle? Is Rahlan waiting by the river’s edge? I don’t even know what direction I’m facing. The wild current drags me with no regard for my frantic movements, my arms unable to gain traction in its turbulent flow.

I slam into something solid. The jolt of pain makes me scream. My arms clutch at the hard surface, desperate to find a grip before the torrent washes me away. I wrap my fingers around a piece of vegetation and haul myself up.

Half my body is still submerged, but blinking my eyes allows me to see. I’m holding onto a root against a large boulder, right in the middle of the river. The combination of freezing water on my skin and adrenaline in my veins has me shaking.

I spot Rahlan sprinting alongside the riverbank, ending my short break before my muscles had a chance to recover. The boulder splits the river in two. One route carries the full force of the water, the other splits off into a calmer stream – the moat! It’s the castle’s moat!

I dig my fingers into the grimy stone and pull myself across to the stream. It’s like the weight of the entire Gaultane is trying to squash me against this rock. With a groan and one final push, I’m flung back into the current. It carries me to the castle’s side and the banks widen, spreading out its power so I can float without a fight.

The stone castle towers over me, engulfing me in its shadow. It didn’t look so large from a distance. The walls are built from large yellow stones cut to fit perfectly with one another. The labor needed to construct such a structure is a testament to Lord Guerin’s wealth.

“Oi! Look here fellas!” a man shouts from the castle wall. A wave of relief washes over me when I see he is indeed human. “We’ve been gifted a beautiful lass.”

Gifted?

“Julia!” an angry shout follows from behind.

An arrow whizzes through the air, landing by Rahlan’s feet. “Yield, vampire!” a man shouts from the castle gate. Two archers are stationed on the wall with bows drawn. Rahlan stops, resting one hand on his sword.

The gates fly open, and three men armored with wooly hide storm out with swords drawn. They stop at the moats edge, opposite Rahlan. I’m floating halfway between them.

“Julia,” Rahlan growls, “Get back-”

“Is Lord Guerin here?” I ask the men, ignoring the vampire.

Two men chuckle, and the third pushes back his dirty brown hair. “Yep, ya’ talking to him.”

He’s rough, unshaven, and has long hair - not what I expected for a lord of this land.

“You don’t bear the same coat of arms?” I ask, glancing at the men’s mismatching shields. If he’s a lord, why don’t his men wear his symbol?

“No time for chit-chat. Come here lass.” He smiles, showing off his yellow teeth.

“Julia,” Rahlan growls again.

Their uniforms don’t match. Where’s the chainmail that I’ve seen other lords wear? They don’t bear the coat of arms painted onto the very castle they defend, and what did they mean by ‘gift’?

This isn’t Lord Guerin. These are bandits.

My stomach roils. They’ll kill me.

I lunge for Rahlan. Both him and the men charge into the river from opposite sides. My arms slash through the water, propelling my body forward with uneven strokes.

A high-pitched whistle rushes over my ear and splashes just an inch from my face. They're shooting arrows at me! They’d rather I die than escape their grasp.

The men’s splashes are gaining on me. I stretch my hand to Rahlan's. He's just out of reach. A hand lands on my shoulder and forces me under.

The weight keeps me down, and the water turns red. Is it me? The aching from the river’s assault would hide any new injuries to my body.

The weight disappears, and I shoot to the surface and gasp for air.

The retreating men leave a red trail in their wake. Rahlan has one hand clasped around my arm and the other around his sword. An arrow grazes my coat, narrowly missing my skin. Another lands just inches from my face, floating back to the surface after the river absorbed its power.

Rahlan yanks me to his chest, using his body to shield me. His arms move in huge strokes, propelling us through the water to the moat’s outer edge.

More arrows whizz past, splashing all around us. Rahlan grunts and pushes me up the bank before climbing up himself.

We run. He keeps my hand locked in his, pulling me forward so fast that I almost trip.

Soon we're out of the archers’ range, but we don't stop until we’re through the tree line and out of their sight. We weave our way deep through the forest, making it impossible for them to pursue us with any reasonably sized force. Rahlan keeps his grip on me, as if I’d have second thoughts about choosing him over them.

Satisfied that we’re hidden, we slow to a stop, and he releases my hand. I double over to catch my breath.

The sight ahead makes me gasp. "There's an arrow in your shoulder."