Chapter Twelve - On The Ground I Lay

Evx : Hehe, yes, I do enjoy torturing you. I hope you like this update though! It's especially for you. c: So, enjoy!

That's not the part I need to remember! None of this stuff is important, beyond the fact that someone is telling me to choose and drowning me! I need to remember! My arm is looking even worse. I'm going to die! I need to remember what was the thing that I did wrong!

"My fate?" I squeak, and glance down. My entire arm has turned to gold. "But what if-"

"Make a choice!" Teague hisses.

Still not what I need to remember! My lungs burn even more.

My mouth acts before my brain, although I'm not sure if it's guided by instinct or by my heart. "Jared." It's a whisper, but still audible.

Both ankles are released, and the water becomes slightly less murky. Enough that I can somewhat see, at least. But as I look at Teague and Jared, Jared fades.

"Wrong choice." Teague hisses, latching onto my ankle again and beginning to pull me downward.

"No! Teague, please, no!" I scream as the darkness surrounds me. My head spins. Is this me being lightheaded? Is Fae magic taking a toll? What's going on with me?

I called for Jared. That was the wrong choice. I can't call for Jared. I have to call for Teague. I need Teague.

"Teague!" Bubbles come out, and water comes rushing in.

The grip on my ankle is gone. The Grimorie let's out a scream, sliding away into the dark. And then everything goes black.

Teague's POV

I pull her up to the surface, pushing her face above the water. She called for me. I don't believe it. After everything I did, she still called for me for help. I begin to swim towards shore to the best of my ability, making sure to keep Mina's head above the water too. I just hope I'm not too late.

I finally make it to the sand, and push her ahead, so she's laying on her back. Then I pull myself up, panting, and soaked. Mina lays in the sand, and I then realize something. I need to get the water out. But how? No Fae magic is going to help me with that.

And then a human technique hits me.

What did they call it? CPR? I'm gonna regret this, probably, but I do it. I begin pumping her chest, and then once I'm sure I've got that down, I do the mouth to mouth part of it. She moves a little and I pull back, allowing her to spit up water.

I don't know why I do it. Maybe instinct, or maybe because I'm nervous. But I slip behind a tree. I can't help but think she's seen me though. Somehow, she knows I was there as she spits up water.

Finally, the coughing settles down. "T-Teague?"

I stay silent, pressing up against the tree. Stopping asking about me. My resolve to hide from her already weakened slightly when she said my name. She needs to stop calling for me.

"Tea-Teague, please don't leave me..." She whimpers the words, and I realize how weak she is. And she doesn't want me to leave.

I step out with a small sigh. "Why? I've been horrible."

"Teague." She stretches a hand out to me, and I kneel beside her, taking it. "You came."

I nod. "Of course I did. I wasn't going to let my favorite Grimm drown. Especially when she called to me."

"Y-You do realize I'm not going to make it if you leave me...Right?"

Somewhere deep down, I do. But I don't want to admit it. I don't want to admit it because I want to protect Mina. And protecting her includes protecting her from being broken by me.

"Teague, Teague, please don't shut me out again!" She stares up at me with her big, brown eyes, and my resolve melts like jelly. I can't be the one that let's her die.

I pull her into my arms. "I'll take you back to the palace. I'll keep you safe, Mina. I promise."

She nods, and buries her face in my shoulder. Hiding? It's kind of cute. I snap my finger, and then we disappear back to the castle. I'm going to win Mina over fully now. And I'm going to do it properly.

Yay! We're going back to the palace! And now we're gonna see more romance with Mina and Teague. Yessss!

Also, remember the equation! Three reviews will get you the next chapter!

~ Dagger