This time, I hugged her body with both arms. The space between Rylander’s legs provided me the leverage I needed to roll her. Bubbles spurted from my mouth as I let out a little victory cry. Next, I tackled the larger problem. I couldn’t fit my arms between Rylander and the blue siren’s fin. Her stomach and upper body were mutilated but still remained attached, making her even heavier.

My vision blurred. The last of my oxygen burned between my ribs. I hadn’t the strength. I tilted my head toward the distant sun, knowing I’d never reach it unless I condemned Rylander to a death all alone. Tears pricked my eyes. I’d never leave him. I knew it in my heart.

I tried one more time, with the last dregs of my energy, to free him. Nothing. The siren’s dead weight wiggled but never shifted. I grabbed Rylander’s floating arm and wrapped it around my body. I brought my lips to his palm and kissed it. If we died, we died together.

I closed my eyes and released the air I had left.

A splintery mass poked my waist. My eyes darted open on a long plank, ragged at one end where the sirens had torn it from the hull. Leverage.

A bubble of hope uplifted me, bursting with a surge of fresh energy. I gripped the board and forced it under the disembodied tail. Shoving down with both forearms, I budged the heavy, bleeding appendage an inch. That was all the encouragement I needed. Two more concerted efforts using my full body weight heaved the fin aside, releasing Rylander’s body. He started to float. I kicked my heels, grabbing him as I swam upward like my feet were on fire. As I breached the surface, I gasped, gulping oxygen until my lungs spasmed. Coughing, I clung to Rylander’s body, trying to keep his head above water.

A splash caused me to look to my right. Smitter had dove into the water, holding onto a buoy. He helped Rylander onto it first then assisted me. The others from the ship reeled us in.

“You are a mad woman, you know that, right?” Smitter said, meeting my eyes in a warning. “He would never have forgiven you if you died saving him.”

Hot tears rolled down my face, and I tucked my head to let them mingle with the waves, hardly making a ripple on the shimmering surface. “There’s no world I would live in without him.” My cheeks flushed hot under the realization my vulnerable words held such truth.

When I looked up, Smitter had disappeared. He peered over the rail above, ready to help the others pull us up.