Carpathian 03 - Dark Gold

uncontrollably, and her teeth were chattering so hard, she feared they might shatter. The salt caked on her skin and hair; the wound on her neck burned. She swallowed with difficulty and tried not to cry. The only niche that could possibly hold Joshua was too far above her head. Had she been taller, she might have been able to boost him up to it, but neither of them could possibly reach it.
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    The force of the next wave nearly lifted Joshua off his feet. He caught at Alexandria's hips and hung on. She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall. "I'm going to have you stand for as long as you can, Josh, and then I'll pick you up for as long as I can. After that, we'll put you on my shoulders, okay? It won't be so bad." She did her best to sound encouraging.
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    Joshua looked scared, but he nodded trustingly. "Is that man going to come back and kill us, Alexandria?"
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    "He'll come back, Josh, because he wants something from me. If I can hold out, that might buy us some time to figure out how to get out of this mess."
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    He looked up at her solemnly. "When he bit you, Alex, I could hear him laughing in my mind. He said he was going to have you kill me personally. That once you were like him, you would want to kill me because I was in your way. He said you would take all the blood from my body." He hugged her tighter. "I knew it wasn't true."
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    "Good boy. That's part of his plan. To make us afraid of each other. But we're a team, Josh.
    Never forget that. No matter what, you know I love you, right? No matter what happens." She laid her head on his and let the waves wash around her legs. She was so tired and weak, she wasn't certain she could make it through the day, let alone face the vampire again. She prayed silently over and over until the words ran together in her mind and it was impossible to think.
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    Light was streaming in through the cave entrance when Joshua's frantic cries woke her as she slept standing up. Water was lapping at his chest, literally knocking him from his feet. He was digging into her leg, trying to keep from being washed away by the pounding surf.
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    "I'm awake, Josh. I'm sorry," she whispered. She was exhausted and almost too weak to stand.
    The light hurt her eyes, and the salt water was chafing her skin. Taking a deep breath, she lifted Joshua into her arms in an attempt to protect him from the rising sea.
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    There was no way she could possibly hold him for long, but the feel of him next to her brought them both a measure of comfort. Something large bumped her leg, brought in on a wave. She shuddered and held her brother tighter.
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    "It's so cold." Joshua was shaking, every bit as drenched as she was.
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    "I know, little buddy. Try to go to sleep."
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    "It hurts, doesn't it?"
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    "What?" A wave slammed her backward into the wall, and she almost lost her grip on Joshua.

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    "Where he bit you. You were moaning while you were sleeping."
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    "It hurts a little bit, Josh. I'm going to try to lift you to my shoulders. You might have to climb up by yourself, okay?"
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    "I can do it, Alex."
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    She was so weak, the waves were bouncing her into the rock wall behind her, but somehow Joshua managed to make it onto her shoulders. His weight nearly sent her to her knees, and her hair, long since down from its chignon, was trapped under his legs, hurting her. But she didn't protest. She just held on for dear life. The water was rising steadily, up to her waist now, a relentless assault. Her wrists burned from the salt water, the wound in her neck was raw, and her insides ached. She could feel things brushing against her legs, nibbling at her skin. It was all too horrifying, but Alexandria was determined to keep her will strong for her brother.
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    "We can do this, can't we, Josh?" she said.
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    He leaned his weight against the wall and wrapped an arm through the thick chain to help steady them from the constant buffeting of the sea.
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    "Yes, we can, Alex. Don't worry. I'll save us." He was very determined about it, very firm.
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    "I knew you would." She closed her eyes again and tried to rest.
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    Alexandria slept on and off, a few snatched moments here and there. The salt spraying over her was pitiless, flaying the skin from her body. She was thirsty, and blisters were forming on her swollen lips.
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    At last the water began to recede, and the endless battering slackened.