Broken Aro (The Broken Ones) by Jen Wylie Page A

holding her up, each with a grip on her upper arm.
    Eventually the storm and sea began to calm. Her mind
spun so much she almost didn't notice. No, not her mind. Her vision. "I
don't feel so well," she whispered, before turning and collapsing into Kei's
arms.

Chapter 7
    Into the Sea
     
     
    Consciousness returned slowly. Something was wrong,
but she couldn't put her finger on what. Her thoughts moved sluggishly, yet
were strangely calm considering the situation. She rested her cheek against the
warmth that held her, content for the moment in the quiet world of being not
quite awake.
    Reality, in the form of screaming, finally began to
penetrate the calm, quiet place she'd been in. It seemed odd the screams
resounded so frantically through the hold. She had become used to the crying
and cursing, even the screaming of the women when the slavers came down, but
this was different.
    She blinked her eyes, trying to focus her spinning
head. Everything remained foggy. Had she been sick?
    It took her some time before she realized someone held
her, that her cheek rested against a warm chest, her hands tucked into her lap.
She could feel an arm under her knees and another around her waist.
    For a moment everything remained perfect. Safety and
calm continued to surround her, holding her close and protecting her. She
almost smiled before the sudden sense of something not right shot through her.
It wasn't Kei who held her.
    She stiffened as her eyes popped open and her head
shot up to see the face, of all people, Prince.
    "What?" The simple word was all she could
manage in her state of utter confusion. Why him?
    "We've struck something."
    She blinked rapidly, her vision clearing a little. She
still didn't feel well though. She was light headed and nauseous. Her eyes
burned and her head hurt. Still, she didn't want to be held by the man who'd
been glaring and yelling at her the past few days. Panic and worry overwhelmed
her. Where was Kei? Had something happened to him? She had to find out...
    "Put me down," she demanded more sharply
than she intended.
    He glared down at her. "Fine."
    He nearly dropped her and she flailed in the water as
she splashed into it. It had risen to become now higher than her waist. The
cold of it shocked her into full consciousness. Prince grabbed her shirt and
righted her as she struggled. She turned on him in the faint light, uncertain
if it was morning or night. "Where's Kei?"
    She could see his jaw clench as he looked away. "Busy."
    She blinked at him stupidly.
    "Aro, are you hurt?"
    She turned to see the others standing around staring
at her, their faces worried.
    Kei suddenly popped up out of the water in front of
Kendric, nearly scaring her half to death. "What happened?" She
fought to think around the pain in her head.
    "We've hit something, the ship's breaking up,"
Kendric replied. He lifted his hands showing the foot long chain that had
attached them now broken. "Kei is breaking all our chains, so we'll be
able to swim free."
    She looked at Kei, soaking wet and gasping for breath.
"Kei?"
    He flashed her a tired grin. "Just you two left."
    "Then what?" She tried to keep her voice
calm as he splashed his way toward her.
    "Kei will rip out the cell door and we'll jump
ship. Hopefully we're close to shore," Cain answered.
    "I'd assume so," Kendric said. "I don't
know what else we could've hit. Reefs or rocks I'm guessing."
    The ship lurched suddenly and the screams of the
others in the hold intensified.
    "We're caught up on something?" The others
nodded as Kei reached her and she looked at him.
    "Don't worry," he said quietly, noting her
increasing panic.
    "But…but I can't swim," she whispered. "Not
at all…I can't…"
    "We'll help you," Kendric said quickly,
apparently hearing her. "The rain has stopped, and the moon is giving us
some light, it shouldn't be a problem."
    "There will be lots of floating debris we can
hang on to," Cain added. "Just grab something and point yourself in
the direction of the