Bane leant over the rail and glared at the raging sea, cursing his father. Now he would not only get a headache, he would have to get wet, too. He hated water in any form, and if there was one thing worse than the accursed rain, it was this vast expanse of cold sea. This was probably part of his father’s plan, to see if he would get wet in order to rescue his plaything from the depths. Cursing again, he flung off his cloak and dived overboard.
The sea held no danger for him, although he had never learnt to swim, since there was no water in the Underworld. The dark power protected him and propelled him into the depths. The Song of the Sea repelled him, its harmony a discord to his ears. Grey shapes darted past and vanished into the gloom, trailing grief. He sensed the girl’s presence, and, near her, a cloaked water demon.
Increasing his power, he shot towards the fleeing demon, rapidly catching up, for its power was no match for his. All it had to do was keep the girl under long enough to drown her, however, and it would win. Spurred by anger, he moved faster still, determined to defeat it. The girl came into view, the demon towing her deeper. Bane unleashed a burst of dark magic, forcing the demon to release her and retreat, radiating triumph. Bane swept up to her, took hold of her gown and powered for the surface.
Bursting into the air, he turned her to face him. She seemed dead, her face ashen and her breath stopped, but her heart still beat. The waves hampered him, tossing him about, and wind-torn spray stung his eyes. She must breathe again, or the Black Lord had won.
Wincing at the prospect of the headache that would result, Bane rose out of the sea on a pillar of fire. Free of the beating waves, he put his mouth over hers and breathed air into her lungs. The touch of her cold lips revolted him, and his stomach heaved. Angrily he did it again, and this time she coughed, white foam oozing from her mouth. He turned her over so she spat it out, and let her choke and gag as he headed for the ship.