by Sarra Cannon
“There is?” I asked.
Selkies could sometimes see magic pulsing around others like an aura of colors. I wondered what he was seeing when he looked at Eva.
“Yeah, big time,” he said. “My guess is witch, though I can’t quite tell what kind. She has a unique signature to her power, like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”
“How so?” I asked.
“It’s hard to explain in terms you would understand,” he said. “It’s more of a feeling, really, than anything else. Earth witches like the Tillmans have a very grounded energy. If I had to give it a color, I would say deep browns and earthy greens. But some other witches give off a higher frequency. More ethereal, like shimmering pinks and purples.”
“What are you getting from Eva?” I asked. In a way, I felt kind of guilty asking him about something that must be very private to her, but I was too curious to let it go.
He inhaled and shifted his weight. “I don’t know, man. Kind of a silvery white, I guess, if I had to put a color to it,” he said. “I’ve never encountered anything like it, but I’d say she’s pretty powerful.”
I fell silent, thinking about what he’d said. Did she know how powerful she was? And if so, why had she been so scared last night? She’d been running from something, and now she was acting like a kid who’d been let loose in a candy store. Like she was free for the first time in her life.
And maybe she was.
God, what had she been through?
A few minutes later, she reappeared wearing nothing but a white cover-up with a blue bathing suit underneath.
My eyes drifted to her long legs, and I cleared my throat. Damn, maybe seeing her in a bathing suit was a bad idea. It had been a very long time since I’d been this attracted to a woman, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to handle myself around her.
“Do you think I need those tubey things?” she asked.
“It’s called a snorkel,” Lucy said with a laugh. “And I don’t think you’re gonna need one. With the temperature being what it is outside right now, I could venture a pretty good guess where Nik’s planning on taking you. You won’t need the snorkel, but the swim fins are a must.”
Eva frowned. “I’m not going to freeze to death in the water, am I?” she asked. “I imagine the ocean is pretty cold this time of year.”
“You’ll be fine,” I said. “Trust me.”
She tried to shrug, but she trembled slightly at the word trust. “Okay, so how much do I owe you?”
I waved her off. “My treat,” I said, but she wasn’t hearing it.
“No way,” she said. “You’ve done enough already. I’m fully capable of buying my own swimsuit, thank you very much.”
Lucy gave her a total, and Eva rummaged through her purse. She was being careful not to make a show of it, but I noticed the huge wad of cash in her bag. Now, where had she gotten that?
Earlier, she’d said she was running low, but from the looks of that roll of hundreds, she was doing just fine.
Not that it was my business, but she was a complete mystery. She’d either lied to me, or she’d come across a huge chunk of change since breakfast.
“You ready?” she asked.
“Definitely,” I said.
We thanked Lucy and Jon and headed back out to the boardwalk.
“I hope this place isn’t too far away,” she said. “It’s gotten warmer as the day has gone on, but I’m not used to cold weather.”
“It’s not too bad,” I said. “We just need to head to Drifter’s real quick to grab my gear, then we can walk down to my boat. It’ll only take a few minutes to get to where we’re going once we’re in the water.”
“Then let’s get walking,” she said.
Once I’d changed into my swim gear, I lifted up a panel of the floor board under my bed and reached inside. There were only two small bottles left of the aquamarine-colored potion. I took them both and ran downstairs to meet Eva.
I led us back to my boat on the docks. Some of the guys I normally worked with were there cleaning up after a long morning of fishing.
Another one of my friends here in town—Adam—raised an eyebrow as we approached. I should have known we wouldn’t be able to sneak away together without someone saying something about it.
“Well, hello there,” he said, his thick, dark hair falling into his eyes. “I’m Adam.”
“Eva,” she said, shaking his hand.
“Where are you guys off to this afternoon?” he asked with a pointed look at me. This was probably the first time he’d ever seen me with a woman, and a stranger at that. There would be lots of questions later, I was sure of it.
“I’m taking her for a swim out on the water,” I said, not giving more details than that.
Adam nodded and looked out into the distance. “It’s a good day for it, too, but it’s a bit cold,” he said. “The water’s breathtaking, though. So clear you can see all the way to the bottom.”
“Good,” I said. “I want to get going so we don’t end up out too late.”
“Have fun,” he said. He gave a slight bow. “Nice to meet you, Eva. Hope to see you again soon.”
“You too,” she said.
I climbed into my boat and offered her my hand.
She bit her lip and studied me. “You’re sure this is totally safe?” she asked.
“Don’t tell me you’ve never been in a boat before, either?”
“Never,” she said.
“I promise I’ll keep you safe,” I said.
She took a deep breath and then gave me her hand. She carefully stepped into the boat and then grabbed onto me as she nearly lost her balance. She laughed, and the sound rang out like pure joy, stirring something deep inside of me. I thought of how nice it would be to hear that sound every single day.
But then I remembered my conversation with Selena a few hours ago, and any hope of enjoying the sound of laughter quickly faded. I hadn’t realized just how much freedom I’d had over the past few years until she told me she was taking it away.
As soon as I was forced to move up to her castle, there would be someone watching my every move, telling me what to do and where to go at all times. I wasn’t sure I could live like that.
And all the friends I’d made here in town would be lost to me. I’d already lost everyone I cared about once. I didn’t want to have to go through that again.
“Whoa,” Eva said. “Where did you go just now? You look like someone just kicked your puppy.”
“Sorry.” I shook off thoughts of Selena and decided to enjoy the day while I still had the chance. “I got lost in a memory for a second there. Here, have a seat and get settled. I’m going to untie the boat and get us going. Hold on.”
Eva sat down on the cushioned bench near the middle of the boat and grabbed onto one of the sides. There was a mix of fear and excitement in her eyes.
“You ready?” I asked as I threw off the ropes and walked toward the back of the boat.
She nodded, wide-eyed.
“Then let’s go,” I said.
For the second time that day, I sped the boat out into open water, but instead of heading for the Willow Harbor borders, I turned right and took us past the boardwalk and the public beach, past the abandoned amusement park, and out past the old lighthouse.
I watched Eva’s profile as she sat in front of me and took in every bit of the view. Sometimes, she watched the town of Willow Harbor race by, and other times, she turned to look at the endless ocean that stretched toward the horizon. Her profile was striking, and her red hair flew behind her like a crimson banner in the wind.
Every once in a while, she glanced back at me and smiled, pure joy written across her face.
She had wrapped a blanket I kept in the boat around her body as we rode, but she hadn’t complained once about being cold or uncomfortable. She seemed to be loving the view, and I was loving watching her.
I had spent my life around gorgeous mermaids and sirens, but I had never met anyone as beau
tiful as Eva McKay. She was mysterious and feisty and strong. I wanted to know her. Really know her, but I was terrified of it, too.
Knowing her meant sharing my own story, and that was something I just couldn’t do. I didn’t want her to know the truth. Right now, she saw me as a strong, kind gentleman. Well, at least that’s how I hoped she saw me.
If she knew the truth about Selena and about what I did for her, she would probably turn around and run the other way.
But if she stayed, Eva would find out eventually. There was no way to hide it forever. If I was smart, I would have wished Eva luck and left it at that. Let her find her own way. But being with her made me feel hopeful and happy, when I had honestly thought I would never know happiness again.
As we approached the place I planned to show her, I hoped she would love this place as much as I did, and that I wasn’t making the dumbest mistake I’d made it a very long time.
Eleven
Eva
The boat ride through the harbor was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I loved the way the wind felt in my hair and on my skin.
Nik had given me a blanket from his room to wrap around myself as we rode, since the wind out here was cold, but I didn’t even notice the temperature. I was too in awe of the view to care.
From out here on the water, it was like looking at the town for the first time all over again. I could even see the beautiful willow tree and the marshy channel that led from its roots toward the sea. And when I looked to my left, the vast expanse of the ocean made me feel so small and yet so connected to the world.
I had never felt this way in Vegas, where everything was man-made and built for the sole purpose of making money. Compared to Willow Harbor, the city I’d grown up in seemed so cold and heartless.
It made me realize just how much I’d missed out on in my life so far.
And it made it me even more determined to live my life to the fullest while I still had one.
We passed an old lighthouse made of stone and Nik slowed the boat to a crawl along the water. It was suddenly so quiet compared to the trip over here with the engine roaring and the waves lapping against the side of the boat.
I looked around, wondering where he was taking me that was supposed to be so incredible, when I spotted a small, private little cove just up ahead. I sat up straighter, trying to get a better look, but I knew this had to be the place. It was hard to describe, but I could feel the energy in the air shift as Nik maneuvered the boat toward the cove and then threw the anchor.
“Are we here?” I asked.
“This is it,” he said, standing. “Locals call this place The Hole, because there’s a section here with an underwater cave that goes down pretty deep.”
An underwater cave? While it sounded exotic, it also sounded a little bit terrifying.
“Are you sure it’s safe?” I asked.
Nik smiled. “I wouldn’t bring you to a place that wasn’t safe,” he said. “You can swim, right?”
I nodded. I’d never been swimming in the ocean before, but I’d spent a lot of time at the hotel’s pool, swimming laps back and forth.
“Good,” he said. “Let’s go, then. We only have a few hours before it gets dark, and trust me when I say we don’t want to be out here after sunset.”
I shivered at the way he said that. “What happens after sunset?”
A dark look crossed his face. “Different creatures rule the ocean at night,” he said. “But don’t think about that now. You’ll be safe with me, I promise.”
I definitely didn’t like the sound of the word creatures, but I decided to trust him, which was a rare thing for me. I never trusted anyone.
He kicked off his shoes and lifted his t-shirt over his head. I knew I shouldn’t stare, but I wasn’t fully prepared for the way he looked half-naked, standing two feet away from me. His chest was tan and muscular, and I suddenly felt like I’d had the breath knocked out of me.
I forced my eyes away and stood up, ridiculously nervous about shedding my blanket and cover-up in front of him. It wasn’t that I was ashamed of my body, but I was used to hiding it around men. The type of men who hung around Dominic in Vegas were not to be trusted, so I dressed modestly and tried to disappear as much as possible.
I hadn’t really thought about it when I bought the bikini Lucy suggested, but this would be the most naked I’d ever been in front of a man. Even in the pools in Vegas, I’d worn a modest swimsuit and covered myself the second I got out of the water. What was I thinking buying something this skimpy?
But she’d convinced me the baby blue color of the suit complimented my pale skin and auburn hair.
“You can’t swim in a blanket,” Nik said, grabbing something out of his bag that he quickly hid in the pocket of his suit. “I promise, it won’t be cold in the water here. It’s a very special place. The water’s warm.”
I took a deep breath and let go of the blanket, letting it fall to the bottom of the boat. I wished Nik would look away, but he kept his eyes on me as I lifted the white cover-up over my head and dropped it near the blanket.
I turned away to grab my swim fins, but risked a glance at him to see if he was still watching me. His eyes locked on mine, and a brief flash of desire pulsed through them before he quickly looked away.
Was it possible he was feeling just as attracted to me as I was to him?
It seemed like such a simple thing, but it was something I’d never been free to experience before. I’d been locked away by an evil demon when I was just eight years old, so I’d never even had the chance to fall for a guy. This was all new territory for me.
The idea made my stomach flutter, and I just wish he’d stop looking at me.
“Okay, so, uh, we should probably just jump right in,” he said. He ran a hand through his hair. “You go first.”
“No way,” I said, shaking my head. “You first.”
He smiled. “How about we do it together?”
He reached for my hand, and I took it, leaning into the solid warmth of him. We stood together, and on his count of three, we both jumped into the water.
I released his hand as I dipped under the surface and swam back up to the top. He was right. The water was really warm here. But how was that possible? It was October. It should have been freezing.
Nik came up beside me, breaking the surface of the water and beaming. “See?” he said. “I told you it was warm.”
“It’s incredible,” I said. “But why is it warm here? Does it have something to do with the current?”
“Something like that,” he said. His eyes gleamed. “Here, put on these swim fins and practice swimming around.”
I laughed as he helped me place the pink swim fins on my feet. It was incredibly awkward at first, but Nik was a patient teacher. We played around in the water for a good half an hour, just swimming around on the surface of the water and getting used to the feel of the fins.
“You’re a fast learner,” he said. “Come on, I want to show you the best part. Think you can hold your breath for a while?”
“I think so,” I said, my nerves bubbling up again.
“Put your goggles on. We’re going to swim down toward the cave, okay?” he asked. “If you start to panic or feel like you’re losing air, just float back up to the surface. No big deal.”
“Okay,” I said, suddenly nervous. I wondered how deep this cave went.
“We’ll just go down a little ways so you can get an idea of where the entrance to the cave is,” he said. “Then we’ll come back up and see how you’re doing.”
“Sounds good,” I said. I was both nervous and excited. I had dreamed of adventures my whole life, and now I was really experiencing one.
I secured my goggles and gave him a nervous thumbs up.
“Here we go,” he said.
I took in a large breath and followed him beneath the surface. He took my hand and led me deeper into the water. His friend Adam had been right. The water here was so crystal clear,
I could see all the way down to the bottom.
Nik pointed straight down, and my eyes widened at the sight of the cave. The entrance was larger than I expected it to be, and vibrant fish of different colors swam around it in schools.
I tried to take it all in and hold my breath as long as I could, but the deeper we got, the more I started to panic. There was no way I could make it all the way down to the cave. It was too far.
I wrenched my hand free of Nik’s and aimed toward the surface, kicking my legs as hard as I could. When I broke free, I gulped in the air and my heart raced.
Nik joined me a few moments later, and I apologized.
“It’s okay,” he said. “It takes a little while to get comfortable going so deep and holding your breath for so long.”
“It’s truly beautiful down there,” I said. “I really wish I didn’t need to breathe at all. Could you imagine being able to stay down there as long as you wanted and swim all around, just looking at the fish? I mean, I guess that’s what people do when they scuba dive, but the idea of wearing all the equipment kind of freaks me out.”
A brief look of sadness crossed his features, but he seemed to swallow it down quickly.
“This is just a tiny preview of what the ocean has to offer,” he said. He glanced out toward the horizon. “You wouldn’t believe how beautiful it can be down there.”
“Do you scuba dive?” I asked.
“No,” he said, shaking his head as if shaking away a memory. “But if you’re willing to open your mind to other possibilities, there are other ways to swim longer and farther without scuba gear.”
I narrowed my gaze at him. He sounded nervous and mysterious, and I wondered what else he might have up his sleeve.
“Like what?” I asked.
“That depends on how open minded you are,” he said.
It felt like he was challenging me, but I didn’t understand what he meant by that. How could being open minded help me hold my breath longer underwater?
“You’re dancing around something,” I said, slightly out of breath from treading water for so long. “Just tell me.”
“Let me show you something, and if you believe me, we’ll go from there,” he said.