by Jaclyn Weist
Eoin jumped off the bed and started pacing. “Not just the mermaids. Something is making the creatures want to come after you, and we haven’t figure out what it is. There are still many who are willing to protect you with their lives—like the clurichauns at the volleyball game today. That means you’ll probably have the same thing happen in your other games.”
I groaned and flopped back onto my pillow. “Why me?”
“The one who is most powerful always has someone vying for their position.”
I laughed. “Oh, come on. You all keep saying that, but there must be other creatures with more power. What about … what about the queen of the fairies? She’s powerful, right?” I couldn’t help but feel a little panic. I’d gone up against some pretty powerful beings lately, and I didn’t want to think about the fact that I might have to do it again. I could still feel the grey man’s hands on me.
“True, they are all strong in their own right, but your power is different. And they want it.”
I looked over at Mom. “Does this mean we have to go home?”
Mom winced, but shook her head. “That will make things worse.”
“Except that I could help out there.”
Eoin shook his head. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but your mom is right. The creatures that stuck around are having a hard time with the barrier between worlds. They’re … not happy.”
“What about April? She was off in the fairy world to be part of some ceremony, but she should be back any time.” I’d been sad to see her go, but she needed a break after everything I’d put her through over the last few months.
“She probably can’t come back.” Eoin looked down at his feet. “There’s some kind of barrier blocking them.”
“Great.” I shook my head. “Have you gotten hold of Jared yet?”
“Jared and Beth can’t come. They’re stuck because no one can transport them here. That’s not all—both of their parents said they weren’t allowed to fly here under any circumstances. Adam could come.” Eoin glanced over at Mom, who frowned.
I felt completely alone. Mom was here, but without backup from my friends and brother, I had no idea how to fight. “Would you like to hit me with anything else?”
“Megan—” Mom started, but Eoin interrupted.
“It’s all right, Mrs. Crenshaw. She has a right to be angry. Look, Megan, I’ll do what I can. I’m sorry I’m not strong enough to bring them here myself.”
I sighed. “I’m sorry, Eoin. You’re doing your best. Thank you for helping me.”
Eoin beamed, then yawned. “I’m going to bed. I’ll be back when you wake up.”
“We’ll be up early. We’re going to Germany in the morning.”
Eoin’s eyes widened. “You’re not flying again, are you?”
Mom laughed. “No, we’re taking a train.”
“Oh. I can do that, then.” Eoin sighed.
“Great. Good night.” I reached up and turned off the light. I heard a faint pop, and Eoin was gone.
MEGAN
I was up before my alarm rang. My dreams had been filled with fairy tale creatures, and Cam coming to save the day. I climbed out of bed and went to shower. I needed Cam out of my head. Jared still hadn’t texted, and it was killing me. He was the one who would save me. He’d promised.
When I came out of the bathroom, Mom was up and had her bags packed. She was working on my new bags and stopped to smile.
“Morning, sweetie. I wanted to get things packed so we’d have time for breakfast.”
“Thanks, Mom.” I put the last of my things in my bag and double-checked to make sure I had everything. My new suitcases were much better than the ones I’d had before—which was good, because they cost a fortune.
We took everything downstairs and loaded it on the bus before heading back in for breakfast. We had to eat quickly because our trip was only a couple of hours away.
I stared out at the sights as we drove to the train station. I was sad to be leaving France so soon, but we had a game in Germany that night. I hoped to have some free time to look around while we were there. I needed something to keep my mind off everything that was going on.
I looked down when my phone buzzed.
Hey, sorry I haven’t texted. Uncle Jerry’s been busy with a few weddings and I had to help out. We’ll do what we can. Love you!
It was something small, but the text filled me with peace. Jared was safe. He wasn’t here with me, but I knew he was okay.
The train ride took a few hours, so we settled into our seats. Eoin took a spot next to me, and it was hard keeping the other girls from sitting on him. He’d apparently chosen to go invisible for this trip.
Shelby asked me what had happened in the pool, but I kept it vague. The others had their own version of the story with the stink bomb, and I was content to listen to what they had to say. It was more entertaining than what had actually happened.
When we finally reached Frankfurt, I climbed off the train and turned to find a rather frantic leprechaun behind me.
“You need to run. Right now.” Eoin glanced behind me and back up to my face.
Mom took my bags, her face pale. “Go. I’ll see you at the bus.”
I turned to find what I could only describe as a vampire standing nearby, glaring at me with its soulless eyes. Terror ran through me, and adrenaline kicked in. I was out of there. I slipped out onto the sidewalk and sprinted for the guy who held a sign with our team’s name on it.
“This is our bus?” I asked, breathless.
The man cocked his head to the side. “Wie bitte?”
Oh, yeah. German. I used my luck to pull up the very little German I’d learned in high school. “Das ist unser Bus? Um, Amerikanischen Volleyball-Team?” I hoped I hadn’t butchered it.
“Ja.” He gestured toward the door.
“Thank you.” I climbed up the first step.
“You’re velcome,” he said in a thick German accent.
Nice. He knew English. I hurried to the back of the bus and dropped into my seat to wait for the others. I wasn’t looking forward to explaining why I took off, leaving Mom to carry two extra bags.
I heard a noise at the front of the bus. When I turned toward it, I screamed. The thing had followed me. Of course I should have realized it would, but I’d hoped the whole vampire-dying-in-sunlight myth was true.
It limped slowly along the aisle, its face slack and pale. The low moaning paralyzed me with fear. My luck was there, but I couldn’t pull it up to help me out, which had never happened before. I really regretted not having my sword right then. The sarcasm I usually used in a fight had drained out of me as well. I was hopeless, like it had drained the hope from me. Or—my luck. That thought horrified me more than anything.
It reached out a hand toward me, just as I heard laughter. The other girls came bounding up the steps onto the bus.
The creature growled under its breath and disappeared.
I wanted to hug Shelby and Brinley right then, but I was shaking too much. I rubbed my face and arms, trying to wipe away the fear.
“Oh, hey, Megan. We were wondering where you went.” Shelby dropped into the seat in front of me.
“I . . . had to use the bathroom. And then I came here.” After what I’d just seen, now I did need to use the bathroom, but they didn’t need to know that.
“Are you okay?” Brinley asked. “You look like you just saw a ghost.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I think I just need to sleep. Maybe I got motion sickness.” I certainly felt that way. And man, I hated lying.
I finally spotted Mom with all of my luggage in a cart. She handed it off to the driver to load and climbed on the bus.
She sat in front with Shelby’s mom, but turned around to check on me. I gave her a thumbs-up and smiled weakly. I’d talk to her once we got to the hotel. Eoin popped in next to me on the bus just as it was pulling away.
“Pretend I’m not here.” He stared out the window.
The trip
to the hotel was short. It stood tall, with modern-style architecture that took my breath away. My fear was finally washed away as we walked into the lobby. Everything looked like it had come from a sci-fi movie. The furniture was decorated in bright colors, and the walls were a stark white contrast.
We got our keys and headed to our rooms. They were only slightly bigger than the rooms we’d had in France, but they were in better shape. Modern paintings with splashes of color lined the walls, and the bedspreads were also bright. I collapsed on my bed, drained from the fear coursing through me.
“What was that thing?” Mom asked. Her voice was shaking.
“I don’t know, but I never want to see it again.” I shuddered.
“It’s a revenant.” Eoin stood by the doorway.
“A what?”
“It’s like a ghost that never moved on.” He scratched his chin. “The fact that it was here waiting doesn’t bode well for you.”
“None of this trip has boded well.” I took deep breaths, trying to calm down.
“Aye, but these creatures usually only come out at night, like nightmares. You shouldn’t be able to see it. Let me see if I can figure out how to get rid of it. Don’t move. I’ll be right back.” He popped out.
Mom got up and sat next to me on the bed. “Are you okay, sweetie?”
“I’ll be fine. I think I’ll just have nightmares for the rest of my life.”
“If the grey man didn’t already give you nightmares, I think you’ll be fine.” She patted me on the back.
“That’s true.” I checked my phone, but there was still no answer from Jared or Beth. I hoped that meant they’d figured something out.
Eoin reappeared. “Okay, I’ve been asking around. The fairies here told me that once you’ve seen a revenant, they’ll continue to follow you forever.”
“Oh, awesome. Just what I need.” A knock came at the door, and I went to answer it.
“It’s time to load up for the game. You ready?” Coach Peterson asked.
“I’ll be right down.” I shut the door as he moved to the next room. Maybe playing volleyball would help get my mind off everything. That is, unless creatures came to help me again. I grabbed my uniform and went into the bathroom to change. I’d have to text Beth to see if she had anything in her fairy tale book that could help me. I couldn’t believe I’d left it at home.
Eoin was gone when I came out to put on my shoes. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and then grabbed my bag.
“Let’s get going.”
“Are you sure you’re okay, sweetie?” Mom asked. She looked closely at my face.
“I’ll be fine. I’ll just pretend the ball is the revenant.” I opened the door to join the rest of the girls.
I could hear Mom sigh behind me. She made sure our room was locked, and we headed down to the bus. I talked with the other girls about what we should go see while we were here, and I was surprised when we pulled up at the building where we’d be playing. It was massive, and had wide steps leading up to the gym. People hurried inside with bags on their shoulders. I hadn’t expected to get there so quickly.
The gym was huge as well, and the sounds of bouncing volleyballs echoed off the walls. Mom went to sit up in the bleachers, and I headed to the floor to warm up. I pulled on my luck, hoping it would counteract anything the creatures could throw at me. I had served a few balls over the net when I noticed the other girls whispering and looking at me.
I jogged over to them. “What’s going on?”
Brinley pointed to the bleachers, a few rows up from where Mom sat. Ethan. How had he followed us? I hadn’t seen him in the train station. I was pretty sure he wasn’t a family member of one of the players we’d be playing.
“He’s so hot, Megan. I can’t believe you’re not interested.” Shelby smiled and waved, earning a crooked smile back from him.
“Not even a little.” I shuddered. And I really didn’t want him near my mom. Again.
“Oh, come on. You don’t think it’s romantic all?” Hannah asked.
I sighed. “Sure. Maybe he’s here for you.”
“Uh-uh. He’s looking right at you.” Brinley nodded toward him.
I glanced up at the clock. We had another ten minutes or so before the game, so I stormed up into the bleachers.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded.
“I have come to watch you play. Isn’t that okay?” His dazzling smile was cute, I admit, but it only infuriated me more.
“Why are you following me?” I tried not to make a scene, but I’d had it with everything that had happened so far.
“Maybe it’s just that I like to watch volleyball?” His easygoing attitude made me stop for a second.
“Nice try. There are games going on in Paris, too.” I stepped closer and leaned in. “I don’t know what you’re doing here, but you’d better leave me and my mom alone. I’ll pretend like you’re only here for volleyball, but if I see anything that will hurt my family, you’ll pay.” I spun around and ran back down to the gym floor.
Coach Peterson looked between me and Ethan. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes. He apparently just likes to watch volleyball.”
I barely registered the confused expression on Coach’s face. I hoped Eoin would show up soon so he could protect Mom.
The game started, and I made my way out to the court. We were able to keep tied with the German team, and finally pulled ahead at the end of the match. We gave a cheer and moved over to the other side of the net. I glanced up to see the smug look on Ethan’s face as he watched us. He gave a slight wave, and I glared at him.
“You need to give him a break. He’s cute.” Brinley stared up at him.
“He may be cute, but I don’t like the fact that he just showed up here in Germany.”
Coach put me on the bench for the start of the second set, and I watched our team slowly pull ahead. When it was my turn to go in, I started on the front row. Shelby served the ball, and the other team went up to hit it. It was right in front of me, so I was able to block the spike and knock it down where they couldn’t get to it.
We lost the next set by only two points. It was a tough loss, but I wasn’t going to let it get me down. I pushed harder on both my skill and my luck, and we were able to pull ahead and beat them in the final set. We cheered for the other team and went over to congratulate them.
Ethan had left before the end of the game—again. It didn’t surprise me. I decided to ignore it and celebrate with the other girls. It was a huge win for us. Germany hadn’t been beat by many other teams before.
We headed out to the bus and began our tour of Berlin. The architecture was beautiful. We toured a few cathedrals from the Renaissance era and ate at a pub in the center of the city. The food was very different from what we’d had in France, but I enjoyed the bratwurst, sauerkraut, and hot potato salad. I kept an eye out for Ethan everywhere we went, but I hadn’t seen him since the game.
Mom stayed with Coach and Shelby’s mom so I could have time with the girls. It didn’t stop me from keeping a close eye on her, though.
Banners announcing celebrations for Midsummer’s Eve were up all over the city as we toured the small shops and marketplaces. I hadn’t realized it was so big here, but it made me more nervous than I already was. As far as I knew, there was only one place in Idaho that celebrated this holiday. If it was everywhere here, I worried that I’d have even more creatures after me.
“Are you listening, Megan?” Shelby asked, head cocked to one side.
I jumped. “What? Sorry. I was just watching people.”
“Right. Did you want to go with us tonight?”
I stared at her blankly. I’d clearly missed a rather important conversation. “Go where?”
Brinley groaned. “Seriously?” She gestured to a group of guys standing by us. “They just invited us to go dancing.”
“Oh, um, I think I’ll go back to the hotel. I’m tired.” I backed up and looked around to find my mom.
“No. Not this time. You’re coming with us.” Shelby grabbed my arm and led me over to Mom. “Hey, Mrs. Crenshaw? Megan is coming with us to a club, if that’s all right with you.”
I shook my head, hoping Mom would see me. She finally nodded. “That’s fine. But remember, we have to get on a train early tomorrow morning. Don’t get back too late. And Megan? Please check in with me every thirty minutes or so.”
I wanted to fight her, but I just smiled. “Thanks, Mom.”
The girls pulled me away and chattered happily as we headed off to a loud pub. Maybe I’d be able to sneak away in the chaos. Of course, that meant I’d be stuck on the streets of Berlin by myself.
I watched Mom leave before turning and going inside. I relaxed just a little when I noticed Shelby’s mom following us in. I could’ve hugged her for coming.
The music was loud, and everyone jumped up and down to the beat. It was mostly dark, with flashing lights everywhere. Anything could happen in this place.
One of the guys who invited us broke away from the others and came over to me. “You are Megan?” he asked. His accent was thick, but I loved the sound of it.
“Yes. What’s your name?” I couldn’t help but stare into his eyes. While Jared’s eyes were a clear blue that danced when he laughed, this guy’s were a dark brown and more serious. There was something else about him … I finally managed to look away and chanted Jared’s name in my head while making myself remember everything I liked about him. It shouldn’t be so hard.
“I’m Jakob. Would you like to dance?” He gestured toward the dance floor.
“Um …” I looked toward the other girls, but they were too into the guys surrounding them. “Okay.”
He led me out onto the floor and started dancing. Not very well, but at least he tried. I laughed and joined in. I hadn’t danced to techno much, but I had fun trying the robot and other rather uncool moves. I couldn’t help the guilt over dancing with him, knowing Jared was waiting at home. Every time I turned to leave, though, Jakob grabbed my hand and pleaded with those eyes.
We made it through two more techno songs before a slow song came on. I started to walk off the dance floor, but Jakob reached out again.