Charis had flown around the circumference of the island, roaring as Bella and I shouted Caleb’s name.

We’d flown close to the trees, so we would have heard his response had he been on the island.

We could only conclude that he’d left in the boat—since it was no longer on the beach where he’d been building it.

I was right that Annora and Caleb hadn’t travelled too far in that primitive boat.

The dragon’s speed made it easy to begin circling around the island, spiraling outward so that we could search in all directions.

Still, it took us hours until we finally spotted them.

My stomach flipped as Charis began hurtling toward the boat.

Please be okay, Caleb.

I’d been hoping that he might have discarded Annora by now.

So I couldn’t deny that panic gripped me as she rushed out onto the deck, naked and bleeding, a few seconds after Caleb.

But even if I’d wanted to, I couldn’t fix my attention on Annora for long.

I stared down at Caleb’s stunned face.

“Caleb!” I yelled.

He looked at me as though I was a ghost at first, but then relief washed over his face and he positively beamed at me.

I wished that I was closer to him so I could have better seen his eyes light up.

My joy turned to horror as I glanced back at Annora.

She’d swooped down and picked up what looked like a sharp metal spear.

At first I thought she was about to aim it at me, but then she stepped behind Caleb and poised to drive it through his back, straight into his heart.

“No!” I screamed.

If Caleb had ducked even a split second later, her aim probably would have met its mark.

Now directly above the boat, I was too impatient to wait for Charis to lower us down further.

I leapt from his back and landed on the deck as Caleb knocked Annora to the ground with a swipe of his foot.

Picking up the spear himself, he crawled over her and pressed it against her neck.

His eyes were filled with fury as he glowered down at her.

“I should have done this much sooner,” he growled.

“I’m comin’, Miss Rose!” My eyes shot up toward the ogress.

“No, Bella! Don’t jump!” I didn’t know in what possible way the ogress thought that sending her weight crashing down on the small boat would help the situation, but it was too late.

The moment her feet landed on the deck, all three of us—Caleb, Annora and myself—went flying off the boat and into the ocean.

Disappearing beneath the cold waters, I kicked and fought to reach the surface.

I looked around, trying to see where Caleb had landed.

As I was about to look behind me, hands gripped my head and forced me beneath the water again.

It didn’t take much guessing as to whose hands they were.

I dug my nails into Annora’s fingers until I could feel her flesh peeling away beneath them.

She was forced to let go and I gasped for air on reaching the surface.

Before I could grab hold of her again, she’d lifted herself back onto the boat.

She grabbed the spear that had lodged itself in a net hanging off the side of the boat.

I backed away as she leapt back into the water, brandishing the weapon.

Her face was contorted with rage as she lunged for me again.

This time, she managed to catch hold of my arm and pull me toward her.

I gasped as the spear’s tip pierced the skin above my abdomen.

I heard a loud squelch, and the slicing of flesh.

For a moment, I thought that Annora had finally ended me.

But the spear she was holding fell away.

Her grip on me loosened.

Her eyes widened and began to roll in their sockets.

Blood spilled from her lips as they parted.

I looked up to see Charis hovering directly over us.

The sharp tip of his tail was coated with blood.

Annora’s blood.

The monster let out a deafening roar and his head shot downward.

I could barely believe my eyes as his mouth closed around Annora’s limp body.

With one gulp, he swallowed her whole.

I stared at the bloody water where Annora had been just seconds before.

Now gone.

Just like that.

The bitch is dead.

My head began reeling.

I clutched my abdomen.

Everything had happened so fast, I’d barely felt the pain until now.

I didn’t know how deep the wound was, but as the salty water washed against it, I doubled over.

“Rose!” Caleb had appeared around the side of the boat and began swimming toward me.

He looked relieved at first but as he reached me and saw the blood on my hands, his face dropped.

“What happened?” he urged.

“She cut me,” I managed.

I swallowed hard as he gathered me to him.

He carried me back toward the boat and climbed onto it, placing me down on the deck.

He slit his palm with his claws and tipped his blood down my throat before examining my wound.

“It’s not too deep,” he said, exhaling sharply.

“Thank God.” He cupped my face in his hands and lowered his head.

As his mouth closed around mine, his tongue parting my lips, I forgot about the pain in my stomach.

The ache in my chest overwhelmed it completely.

I found myself sitting up and, leaning into him, I pushed him back against the side of the boat.

I returned his kiss as though it was the antidote.

He groaned softly, the muscles in his chest tensing beneath my hands as he pulled me flush against him and kissed me harder.