Emma’s POV
Just as the darkness was about to take me completely, a sound broke through it. “ELENA!”
My name cut through the water like a blade. Then—SPLASH! The lake exploded around me, waves churning wildly as something moved fast, urgent and powerful. I felt the water shift, felt myself being reached for. Strong arms wrapped around me.
I was pulled upward with force, the surface rushing closer until I burst out of the water, gasping. The next thing I knew, I was on solid ground, my body heavy and useless against the shore. Hands pressed firmly against my chest, again and again, until my body reacted. I coughed. Water poured out of me in painful gulps. My lungs burned as air finally forced its way back in.
When my eyes fluttered open, everything was blurry at first. Then slo
