A few people behind us hooted and clapped, and their support made me even happier. I tangled my hands in Ethan’s hair, pulling him closer. This island was an incredible place to be. It was like I’d found the family I’d never known I had. I really did want to stay here forever.
“Nicole!” someone yelled, and then that someone grabbed my arm, pulling me up and away from Ethan. I looked up at Blake, his eyes swirling with anger, his hands clenched to his sides. But Blake wasn’t looking at me. He was looking at Ethan. “Who are you?” he asked. His voice was eerily calm, as if it took everything in him not to kill Ethan on the spot. “What do you think you’re doing to her?”
“Whoa, there.” Ethan held his hands up and scooted away. He glanced at me, confused. “Is this your boyfriend?”
“No,” I said bitterly. Which was stupid, because it was technically my choice that Blake wasn’t my boyfriend, but whatever. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”
“Good,” Ethan said, standing up to face Blake. “What’s your problem, then, man? Nicole and I were just having a good time.”
“Yeah.” I crossed my arms, sticking my chin in the air. “Ethan and I were bonding. Because we’re both demigods. Isn’t that crazy?”
“So when two people find out they’re both demigods, the first thing they do is stick their tongues in each other’s mouths?” Blake scoffed. “Is that some kind of traditional demigod greeting that I’m unaware of?”
I giggled, because as annoying as it was that Blake had forced me and Ethan apart, he was being pretty funny. “No,” I said, laughing again and grabbing both of their hands. “We were just having fun. This whole island is fun. I think we should stay here.”
Blake turned to Ethan, and I stayed between the two of them, still holding both of their hands. I didn’t know what was going on between them, but if this was a war, then I would be Switzerland.
“What did you give her?” Blake asked, his eyes blazing.
“Just a little lotus water.” Ethan picked up the empty bottle and shook it. “No big deal.”
“It’s really good,” I added. “You should try some.”
“No.” Blake stepped closer to me and pushed my hair off my face, his hand cupping my cheek. “Nicole,” he said my name slowly, his eyes not leaving mine. “There was lotus fruit in that water you drank. That’s why you’re acting like this. This isn’t you. You need to focus. Okay? Can you do that? For me?”
I glanced over at Ethan, and we both collapsed into giggles.
“Stop being so serious,” I told Blake, yanking my other hand out of Ethan’s so I could place it on his chest. “You should have some of that water, too. It’ll help you relax.”
“We’re about to cook some of the fruit by the fire,” Ethan said. “You should both try that. It’s even better than the water.”
Blake’s jaw tightened, and he turned to look at Ethan. “Why don’t you go over there first?” he told him. “We’ll meet you in a few minutes.”
“Sure.” Ethan looked back and forth between the two of us, holding out his hands as he backed away. “Sorry about all of this. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”
“Sure he didn’t,” Blake muttered once Ethan was out of earshot.
I looked past Blake, watching Ethan as he joined a large group, smiling and laughing and having fun. Just watching him made me smile, too. I couldn’t wait to go over there and join him. Mainly, I just wanted to kiss him again. He was an amazing kisser. My heart melted at the memory of our kiss—it had been broken apart way too soon.
“Come on,” I said to Blake, pulling him toward the bonfire. “Let’s go join them.”
“No.” He held me in place, shoving something into my other hand. A water bottle. “You need to drink this. It’ll help you focus.”
“Is that the yellow energy water?” I asked, recognizing the bottle. I moved away from it, scrunching my nose. “I don’t need that. I need more of the water that Ethan gave me. So do you. Trust me. It’s so good.”
“It’s not energy water,” Blake said, smiling down at me. He had such a nice smile. He should smile more often. “It’s the same water that Ethan gave you.”
I tilted my head, confused. “But I thought the energy water was in that bottle?”
“I emptied it and refilled it with the water from here,” he said, holding it in front of me. “Here. Drink.”
“You first,” I said playfully, swatting at his hand. “You need it more than I do.”
He uncapped it and took a sip, his gaze not leaving mine. His eyes blazed with so much intensity that I could barely breathe. “Done,” he said, handing the water bottle to me. “Now, it’s your turn.”
Greedy for more of the delicious water I’d tasted earlier, I grabbed the bottle from Blake and took a long gulp. But instead of being hit with euphoria, an icy clarity swept through my veins. The fuzzy, relaxed happiness from seconds ago was gone, the world around me now sharper and more defined.
I looked out at the ocean, where the sun glowed orange above it, inching closer to the horizon. How was it sunset already? The last I remembered, it was noon. I blinked, thinking back to what had happened. We’d arrived on the island, walked to the drum circle, and the flapper woman had blown smoke into my face. After that…
I had no idea what had happened after that. I searched my mind, but it was like trying to remember a dream. The memories slipped through my fingers like fog. It was so strange, knowing that I’d been living life for the past few hours, and not remembering a bit of it. I shuddered and wrapped my arms around myself, feeling violated by my own body. What had I done?
“That was yellow energy water, wasn’t it?” I whispered, even though I already knew the answer.
Blake nodded, not saying a word. I looked back up at him, hoping he could tell me what happened. But the moment my eyes met his, my heart sunk into my stomach. Because seconds ago, I’d thought his eyes had been intense with desire. Now that my mind was clear, I saw the truth—what I’d seen hadn’t been desire.
It had been disappointment. In me.
And I had no idea what I’d done to deserve it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked, barely able to get the words out. “What happened?”
He walked over to my bag—I must have dropped it at the side of the volleyball court at some point—and brought it over. Still saying nothing, he pulled out my still full bottle of yellow energy water and handed it to me. “Drink more,” he said. “It’ll bring your memories back.”
He was right—the more water I drank, the less fuzzy my memories became. Once I’d finished half the bottle, I remembered everything. Meeting Ethan, the intense attraction I felt toward him, playing volleyball, wanting to stay on the island forever, and kissing him.
I’d made out with a guy I’d just met, in front of everyone. In front of Blake.
I wouldn’t blame him if he hated me forever.
“Blake.” My voice cracked when I said his name. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know why I did that…”
“It was the water he gave you,” he said. “There was lotus fruit in it. They put lotus in everything around here. They eat it, they drink it, they smoke it—there’s so much lotus in their systems that they exhale it and sweat it. Just being around them is enough to affect someone. We should have drank yellow energy water before stepping foot on the island, instead of just bringing it with us for emergencies.”
“But you were able to resist it,” I said. “How?”
“I went straight to the bonfire with the kids,” he said. “The rest of you stopped at the drum circle first. They were smoking lotus at the drum circle—I think that being so close to the smoke was enough to make you forget about our mission.”
“So if you’ve been unaffected by it this whole time, why didn’t you do something sooner?” I asked. “You were the only one of us who remembered our mission. Now we’ve wasted hours, hanging around here doi
ng nothing.”
“I wasn’t unaffected.” He rubbed his neck, looking out at the ocean. “It’s in the air. I was breathing it in, too—just not as directly as you all, since you were around the smoke. I didn’t realize how much time had passed—I was entertaining the kids by the fire by doing ‘magic tricks’ for them with my power. Then I saw you over here, kissing that guy…” His jaw hardened, his gaze far off, as if he were seeing it again. I wanted to reach for him, to hold his hand, so he knew it would be okay. But how could I comfort him when I was the one who had hurt him?
“It wasn’t me.” I lowered my eyes, too embarrassed to look at him. “I mean, technically it was, but it also wasn’t. It was like the lotus made me unaware of any consequences that could happen from what I did. I’m sorry. I know that can’t fix it, but I am sorry. And I wish more than anything that I could take back what happened.”
“Seeing the two of you together made me focus enough to remember to drink the energy water,” he said. “If you hadn’t kissed him, we would probably all still be high on the lotus, our mission forgotten.”
“I still wish I hadn’t done it,” I said, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “You have to know that I never would have if I’d been thinking straight.”
“Well, it’s done now,” he said, his eyes hard. “And I’ve had enough of this island. So let’s get the others to drink the energy water, we’ll collect the lotus fruit that we need, and then we’ll get out of here.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
We approached Danielle first, since Kate and Chris were hanging at the drum circle together, and Danielle was alone with some surfers in the ocean. Of course, she’d picked up on surfing easily, and was showing off her powers by getting the waves to dance around her as she surfed. It was like she was Aphrodite rising from the ocean, and the water had taken on a life of its own.
Since Blake and I didn’t want to tip them off that we weren’t under the influence of the lotus anymore, we had to pretend like we were still having the time of our lives. So I laughed and clapped as Danielle rode the board to the beach, tossing my hair and adding in a twirl. Blake also cheered her on, giving her a high five when she reached the shore.
“Wasn’t that awesome?” Danielle said, her blue eyes sparkling. She squeezed the excess water out of her hair and shook it out, laughing as she spritzed us. “This island is the best place ever. I want to stay here forever!”
I looked at Blake and rolled my eyes. Had I sounded this ditzy when he’d found me with Ethan?
Then again, it was entertaining to see Danielle like this. I’d never seen her so… happy.
“Yeah!” I said, trying to mimic her bubbly tone. I even threw in a jump and another clap for emphasis. “This place rocks!”
Blake chuckled—for real—and I wondered if I’d been too over the top. “Totally rocks,” he agreed. “So, who are your friends?”
“That’s Finn and Brynn,” she squealed, widening her eyes and leaning in closer. “They’re twins. Aren’t they gorgeous?”
One of them—I wasn’t sure if he was Finn or Brynn—toweled his hair off and threw his head back like he was a model in a commercial. “I’m starving,” he announced, and by the way he was looking at Danielle, I wondered if he meant he was hungry for food, or for her. He strolled up to her, swung his arms around her shoulders, and nuzzled his nose into her ear. “They’re cooking up dinner by the fire,” he said. “Want to come eat with me?”
The other twin made his way to Danielle’s other side and threw his arm around her, too, as if she were the middle of a surfer dude twin sandwich. “You’ll love the fruit kebabs,” he said. “They’re to die for.”
“I was hoping Danielle could show me a move on the board first.” I flashed them both a smile, making sure to sound extra bubbly. “It’ll only take five minutes. We’ll meet you guys there?”
One of them—Finn or Brynn?—smiled back at me, running his eyes up and down my body. “I can show you,” he said, apparently approving of the way I looked. “Want to share a board?”
Blake placed his hand on my back in a clear male territorial move. Even though I knew it was just for show, my chest warmed at how much I liked it, and I stepped closer to him. “The only person she’ll be sharing a board with is me,” he said, his gaze unwavering as he stared down the twin.
“Whoa, there.” Finn/Brynn held his hands up and backed away. “Wasn’t trying to steal your girl, man. But here on the island, everything belongs to everyone, if you know what I mean.”
His brother laughed and gave him a high five. “We certainly don’t have a problem with sharing,” he said, pulling Danielle closer so his forehead rested against hers. “Do you?”
“Is that an offer?” she asked, batting her eyelashes at him.
If I saw any more, I was going to be sick. “I don’t need to hear the answer to that,” I said. “Why don’t the two of you go over to the fire first, and we’ll meet you there? I’m sure Danielle will be grateful to whoever makes her the best kebab.”
“Is that a challenge?” the twin on her right said.
“I’ll take it!” The twin on the left bounded up the beach towards the fire, followed closely behind by his brother. “You’ll like my kebab better than his!” he yelled over his shoulder to Danielle.
She giggled and tossed her hair, her cheeks flushing bright pink. I’d never seen Danielle blush—ever. Who was this girl, and what had she done with the snobby witch I’d met when I first moved to Kinsley?
“Aren’t they adorable?” she asked once they were out of earshot. “I think I’ll take them both. They’re just so… delicious.”
“You haven’t kissed them, have you?” I asked.
“Of course I have!” She giggled again, cupping her hands over her mouth. “They tasted so sweet. How could I resist?”
Blake and I shared a look. At least that explained why Danielle was so doped up on lotus. It must have gotten into her system when she’d kissed those boys.
“What?” She flipped her hair over her shoulder and placed her hands on her hips, finally reminding me of the Danielle I actually knew. “As if we all didn’t see you making out with that hot volleyball player on the beach.”
Blake’s hand dropped from my back, and I dug my feet in the sand, pressing my lips together at the reminder of kissing Ethan. Even though it had only happened because of the lotus, I had a sinking feeling that Blake wouldn’t forget about it anytime soon. And I couldn’t blame him. If I’d seen him kissing another girl, I would be crushed, too. Which I supposed wasn’t fair, since I was the one distancing myself from him, but it still wouldn’t stop me from feeling that way. Sometimes emotions were crazy and unpredictable, and it was impossible to be logical about them, no matter how hard you tried.
“Anyway, what are we still doing here?” Danielle asked. “Because I’ve got two identical hotties waiting for me by the bonfire…” She raised her eyebrows and turned on her heel, stepping in the direction of the fire. But Blake reached forward and grabbed her arm, holding her in place.
“Wait,” he said. “We have something for you.”
“What?” She glanced over at where the boys were waiting for her. “My kebabs are probably ready by now…”
“Sweet water!” I grabbed the bottle full of yellow energy water and twirled around, presenting it in front of her face. Hopefully my giddiness would distract her from the surfer twins. “It’s like the smoke from the drum circle, and the way the guys here taste, but a million times better! The volleyball guy I met gave me some and it’s so good. You have to try it.”
“Yeah.” Blake opened it and took a sip. “It’s so good. Here. Have some.” He thrust the bottle in her face, nodding for her to go on and try it.
“I did love the taste of those boys.” She shrugged, looking at the water. “Okay.” She brought the bottle to her lips, taking a few sips of the water. At first she made a face, as if it tasted sour, but then her eyes widened and she drank some more. She wiped her mouth, b
linking a few times as she focused. “What happened?” she finally said, lowering the bottle and looking out over the ocean. “How is it sunset already?”
“You were under the influence of the lotus,” Blake said, continuing on to quickly explain everything he’d told me when I’d first come to. “Drink about half of the energy water, and then you’ll remember everything.”
She gulped it down in a few seconds. “Where are Chris and Kate?” she asked when she was done.
“Over by the drum circle,” I told her. “We’re getting them next.”
“Then we’re gathering the lotus fruit and getting out of here,” Blake added.
“Sounds like a plan,” Danielle said, marching up the beach to lead the way to the drum circle.
We didn’t make it far before someone called her name. She stopped to figure out who it was.
“Yeah, you, the water goddess!” It was one of the twins, yelling from the bonfire. He held up fruit on a stick, grinning proudly. Then he held the stick in front of his pants and did a little dance that involved moving his hips. “Want a taste of my kebab?” he asked, waggling his eyebrows.
“Ew,” Danielle said, crinkling her nose. “I seriously went for that?”
“Yep.” I nodded, laughing at the memory of how happy she’d looked when she’d been squished between the twins.
“Yuck.” She shuddered and tossed her hair over her shoulder, turning away from them. “Let’s hurry up and finish what we came here to do—because I need to get off this island.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
We retrieved Kate and Chris the same way we did Danielle—by luring them away from the drum circle with the promise of “sweet water” that was actually yellow energy water. They took the bait easily.
Elementals 2: The Blood of the Hydra Page 8