The whirlpool swallowed them whole.
The force was so violent that Finn's stomach twisted, threatening to eject whatever scraps of his last meal were still inside.
He clung to Seraphina, but the current ripped her away in an instant. The darkness around him made it worse—he couldn't see her, couldn't see anything.
Then the pull dragged him deeper, into something far below the river. His thoughts scattered, his mind dimming into blackness.
***
Finn woke sprawled on a cold, wet floor.
A groan escaped his lips as his aching body protested every movement. Pushing himself onto his hands and knees, he stared at the shallow pool of dark, murky water beneath him.
He coughed hard, spitting up what little liquid had made it into his lungs. Seraphina's blessing had kept most of it out—if not for her, he might not be breathing at all.
But there was no time to be grateful.
A sharp scream echoed nearby. Finn's head shot up.
