I’m about to swim toward him when the Flesh-Eater wraps a callous claw around my neck. It’s one final act of brutality, and I feel the instability of his strength. With each passing moment, his grip ricochets between insufferable and barely there. Slowly, I curve a hand around his thick wrist and squeeze. Around us, the sirens descend. They watch the barbarian soldier cling desperately to their princess. They see me wait fearlessly for death to claim him. And when Elian plunges his knife into the back of the Flesh-Eater’s skull, they do nothing but smile.
