Swimming

“These are class-five rapids,” Jane announced. “Ahead’s the Devil’s Drop, so I want you razor sharp. This is dangerous. People have died at the bottom of that waterfall. So do not fall out. We’re going to try zagging across the river to miss it, but the best route down’s like threading a needle. If we have to flip, crowd right and we’ll at least flip away from the waterfall.”
Todd steered their craft from the left bank, across the river, and Ryn tensed—Naomi leaned out to paddle on the side with the falls.
Their boat turned, swept close to the lip of Devil’s Drop, but Todd stabbed his paddle into the water and cut their vessel to the side. It slid onto a sloped rock and bobbed wildly on its way past the waterfall. They’d done it.
“Look out!” Patrick pointed to the right side of the boat. Everyone glanced that way, the passengers in Ryn’s own boat focused on Jane’s commands.
In that moment, Patrick grabbed the strap on the back of Naomi’s life jacket. She’d already leaned partway out, facing the river instead of her boyfriend. He heaved her over. She tumbled into the water, disappeared without words or commotion. Gone.
The deva tore off her life vest, straps busting with a loud rip, and dove into the river in the same clean motion. Kicking beneath the rapids into the dark, cold underworld, she heard only the roar of the moving water. Her glasses washed off her face; she ignored it.
Beneath the surface, away from air and light and in the sanctum of crushing water, she surrendered any pretense of humanity. Body flexing along her powerful spine, she kicked both feet together, careening through the water in a frantic search. She couldn’t hear Naomi’s telltale heartbeat over the thundering of the river, so she dove wildly and wound between the stones, following her into the deep.


Chapter 20, Page 311-312