by Kristen Day
“I should have known…” someone muttered with disdain from the dunes. I felt the vibrations of running feet as they quickly made their way to where I lay in the sand. I painstakingly lifted my head and inspected the figure descending upon me. Her unruly dark hair blew across her face in the early morning breeze, and she pushed it behind her ears as she came crashing down to her knees next to me. Her hand brushed the hair from my own face and gently turned me over onto my back.
“Stasia? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I huffed incoherently. Olivia’s dark chestnut eyes rolled at me with contempt as she quickly secured her hair into a loose bun on top of her head.
“Sure, because people who are fine waste a perfectly good bed by sleeping on nasty, wet sand.”
“Leave me alone,” I moaned unconvincingly, and then made a futile effort to return to my fetal position. She truly had impeccable timing. It was as if she waited for the most inopportune moment to show up, and then proceeded to blaze a trail of sarcasm and bitterness as she went.
“Like hell!” she challenged with a sinful chuckle. “You look like you’ve been pulled backwards through a knothole.”
I opened my eyes just enough to narrow them again with indignation. She was the last person I wanted to deal with right now. “What does that even mean?”
Her beautifully mysterious features twisted into a sly smile and a manicured finger tapped her chin. “Rode hard and put up wet? Two degrees short of a hot mess? Any of these ring a bell?”
“Now that you’ve sufficiently insulted me,” I began; resting my head back down on the cool sand, “why don’t you go play in traffic or something?”
“Mmm…” She contemplated my suggestion with one perfectly sculpted, raised eyebrow. “That’s actually on the schedule for later today. Lucky for you, my morning is wide open.”
“Grand.” I scowled and then decided to try a new tactic. I dangled my arm to the side and pointed loosely in her direction. “As the Leader of the Tydes, I order you to leave me alone or I’ll banish you to the Underworld for all of eternity. You pick.”
“Well aren’t we just a bowl of sunshine this morning?” She sniffed the air dramatically. “I thought I smelled scrambled arrogance with a side of blackmail biscuits…”
“Unless you plan on carrying me back to the cottage, I suggest you leave me exactly where I’m at. It’s actually pretty comfortable once you get used to it.”
“Suit yourself,” she resolved dryly with a shrug. The decidedness in her tone took me off guard, just before I felt an arm slide under my back and another beneath my knees. It was then that I realized she fully intended to take me up on my offer. I wiggled out of her grasp and curled into an even tighter ball. Why was it so difficult for her to understand that I just wanted to lay there on my bed of wet sand? The world wasn’t going to end if I stayed there for another hour or seven! Any sunbathers would gladly step right over me with a knowing smile, assuming erroneously that I’d partied a little too hard the night before. The sun had just peeked over the shimmering horizon, which gave me at the very least one more hour of glorious sleep. Most of the students at the House of Lorelei would sleep for as long as possible. Speaking of which…
“How did you know I was down here?” I interrogated her from the crook of my arm.
“I just did,” she countered nonchalantly. “Now scrape yourself off the sand and try to make yourself look presentable,” she instructed with a sharp tug of my arm.
“You didn’t answer my question!” I pressed further.
“You’re right, I didn’t,” she retaliated icily. “At the moment, you have other things you should be worried about. One of which is the fact that you’re lying on a beach in front of three dorms…with no pants on.”
Damn. She had a point. I really needed to invest in some pajama pants. I moaned inwardly, reluctantly stood and fought the urge to smile as she unfolded an oversized beach towel and wrapped it securely around my shoulders with unrestrained annoyance.
“Thanks Mom,” I joked. She shot me a scolding look that only enhanced my comparison.
“Next time I find you sprawled out half naked on the beach, I’m gonna kick your ass into next Thursday,” she warned me coolly. She cleared her throat and raised her chin in defiance, as the corners of her mouth betrayed her by pulling up into an amused grin. For each hole that appeared in her tough exterior, I was rewarded with a taste of who Olivia Campbell really was. She had been vital in the trip to the Fortunate Isle, as well as helping me practice my abilities before becoming a Goddess. For someone who tried so hard to hate me, she continued to prove her loyalty time and time again.
“Amphitrite might take issue with that,” I scowled as I followed her grumpily up the beach.
“I have a feeling she’d have my back,” she snorted. I ran right into her as she stopped mid-stride; twisting around to face me with off-putting enthusiasm. “Wait! The Declaration of Council is tomorrow, isn’t it?”
“How could I forget?” I groaned. Her sentiment had been echoed across the entire population of descendants, sea Goddesses, and the like; their excitement building as selection day drew ever closer. The selection of an entirely new Council hadn’t taken place for centuries, and likely wouldn’t happen again until I stepped down, was forced down, or was simply murdered. In my opinion, the latter of the three possibilities seemed the most probable.
Every Leader of the Tydes led with the support of her Council. It was an immense honor to be chosen for the Council, as well as a weighty responsibility. My mother had chosen those closest to her, as well as several others who had expertise in areas she did not. As time passed and individual Council members perished or stepped down, new members were named - but it was void of the pomp and circumstance surrounding my current situation. All eyes would be on me in anticipation of my first major decision as the new Leader of the Tydes, and the pressure was excruciating. Needless to say, I’d been dreading tomorrow ever since Amphitrite had informed me of my first responsibility in my new position.
“During the Declaration of Council you must decide who you’d like to appoint as your Council members,” she instructed. “As the former Queen on your mother’s Council, I will act as witness.”
“How many members have to be chosen?” I asked behind the fingernails I had begun to bite.
“A Council traditionally consists of six specific roles: a Queen to execute your decisions, a Chamberlain to oversee the finances, a Warrior for protection, a Sage to provide wisdom and guidance, an Apothecary to watch over your physical state, and lastly, a Page to arrange all ceremonies and make civic appearances on your behalf.”
“Should I choose from only Nerieds, or should I include Tydes as well?” My feeble attempt to drag her into my decision didn’t seem to faze her in the least.
“Whomever you see fit.” She covered my shaking hand with her steady one. “When the time comes…you will know.”
Well the time had almost come, and I was still wavering back and forth on who to choose for each role. My forthcoming decision had become a hot topic of debate across the world, with people placing bets on who I would choose or not choose. Talk about pressure! I’d even heard whisperings of planned selection parties to be held at different schools that night in anticipation of the declaration! It had been decided that the appointed members would be posted in a formal manner for every school housing Tydes, as well as on the new website created specifically for me. The anxiety that had simmered in my stomach for several months was beginning to rise to a boil. It should have been no surprise that I was having murderous nightmares followed by bouts of sickness.
“It’ll be fine,” Olivia continued offhandedly as we crested the dunes. She paused long enough to flash a toothy smile in my direction. “Just don’t screw up and choose wrong.”
“Great advice,” I retorted sarcastically, and sent a silent order to the sea grass surrounding us. She never even saw it coming. A knee length patch of green blades wrapped
around her legs and yanked her down on top of the soft sand of the dune in under a second.
“Watch out for that sea grass,” I teased her. She dusted the sand from her shorts. “It has a mind of its own.”
“Consider yourself marked,” she cautioned. “Goddess or not, you’ll be begging for mercy by the time I get done with you.” The sparkle in her deep brown eyes confessed to me she was joking, but the trace of an electric, sardonic energy pulsating from her skin stopped me from pressing my luck.
We ambled down the backside of the dunes and I glanced back up at the fading gleam of the moon, as the Earth continued rotating towards the scorching light of the sun. The emptiness I felt at its absence was quickly replaced by the joy of an awakening ocean. I rendered them both a silent farewell and continued down the path to my cottage.
Chapter 2
As we traversed the picturesque boardwalk leading up towards the quaint cottage I still called home, the house Amphitrite had been occupying for months now loomed on our left. She’d decided to stay until I’d chosen my Council, for which I was extremely grateful. Not knowing anything about my newly appointed position, the knowledge that she was so close was comforting.
Darkness shrouded the house with the long veil of night, but the crisp morning light was making its way across its exquisite exterior. One lone window on the second floor flickered with the soft yellow glow of a candle.
“So tell me again why you stuck with the cottage when you could’ve had the mansion right next door?” Olivia quizzed me with heavy cynicism.
“It just feels like home,” I divulged blissfully. I had only lived there four months, but it already held a lifetime of memories.
“I could definitely see an indoor swimming pool, six walk-in closets and ten crystal chandeliers feeling like home to me,” she gushed. I raised a suspicious eyebrow while she inspected its multiple levels greedily. I hadn’t known the previous owners; however the ornate French doors, intricate picture windows and lavish interior fit Amphitrite perfectly.
“Do I need to stage an intervention for stalking?” I taunted her with a dubious grin.
“So I’m observant. Sue me.” She brushed my comment off with a flip of her wrist. “I happen to appreciate the finer things in life. Speaking of which, I bet you’re worth a pretty penny these days, huh?”
“I haven’t really kept up, but at the moment it’s…” I fished out the spare change from my shorts pocket, “one dollar and thirty-seven cents.”
“Well if you need someone to take a couple million off your hands, you know where to find me.” She wiggled her eyebrows at me and smiled sweetly.
“I’ll keep that in mind when I’m swimming laps in my vault of gold coins.” I laughed and rolled my eyes. Once I opened the rustic front door of the cottage, the heady smell of lavender wafted out from its interior. I didn’t remember leaving a candle burning…of course, I also hadn’t remembered walking out the door and killing one of my best friends in a dream.
“Why don’t you come in and…” I twisted to face Olivia, who was already busy in the kitchen, “make yourself at home,” I finished meekly.
“Please tell me you have a coffeemaker,” she threw over her shoulder at me. She commenced to rummage through each and every drawer, nook, and cabinet of the kitchen.
“Pantry. Second shelf. K-cups are in the third drawer to the left.”
I absently picked up the burning purple candle sitting on the coffee table while she blatantly made herself at home. I also hadn’t remembered carrying this candle from my bedroom to the living room.
“Out for an early morning stroll?”
The still burning lavender candle was thrown to the floor as I clamped a hand over my mouth in surprise. A bewildered Olivia swung around at my outburst and looked on while I stomped out the remaining flame.
“What happened?” she demanded; concern masking her dark features. She had literally hurdled over the counter and was by my side in less than an instant. The entire bar stood at four feet high and four feet deep, but she’d cleared the entire thing in one bound. You would have thought I’d screamed I was having a heart attack by her reaction. I stared at her with amazement before remembering she’d asked me a question.
“Just a voice in my head,” I murmured. I placed my hands on my hips and surveyed the room expectantly.
“I’m not sure what to do with that.” Olivia’s deadpan tone hinted to me that she was in the process of deciding which mental hospital to admit me to.
“Very funny,” I announced to the cottage, as I spun around in search of the owner of the voice.
“Please tell me you aren’t talking back to the voice in your head,” Olivia interjected carefully.
“His voice is inside my head, but I have a feeling his body is very much inside this cottage,” I continued vaguely, while searching the hallway and bedroom. Where was he?
“His?” Olivia pressed. But before I could answer, my attention was abruptly stolen away by an incredibly strong phantom grip. It clamped down on my arm and pulled me sharply to the right.
“Looking for me?” The voice echoed in my thoughts at the exact moment I tumbled hard into something solid. A very amused Finn appeared out of nowhere and pulled me close as he chuckled darkly. His essence wrapped around us, creating a cocoon of darkness and warmth that made my spine tingle.
“Don’t do that!” I scolded him in my thoughts, although the smile creeping across my lips couldn’t be contained. “I almost burned my house down!”
“Stasia?” Olivia sprinted past us and into the empty hallway. The shimmering cloak Finn had hidden us beneath answered my next question as to why I hadn’t felt his essence before now.
“I’d build you a whole new neighborhood of houses,” he declared out loud, and everything around us faded away; leaving only a pair of deep blue eyes commanding mine. Strands of smooth, dark hair fell across his forehead and a crooked smile stole away any breath I had left. Our souls had been bound for months, but I didn’t know if I’d ever get used to the onslaught of his feelings as they wrapped around my own; doubling them in size and intensity. Even at great distances I could sense what he was feeling simply by concentrating my thoughts on him. We’d never tested how far our inner thoughts would carry, but I secretly hoped we’d never be far enough apart to do so.
“Stasia!? Answer me!” Olivia’s frantic voice reached a new octave in her effort to find me. She searched the house for a person who had seemingly vanished into thin air. “This better not be some kind of sick joke!”
“Uncloak us before her head spins and pops off,” I urged Finn through a stifled giggle.
“I’m not done with you yet.” His low voice matched the hunger in his suddenly hooded eyes. Confident fingers ran through my blonde and turquoise hair as he brought his mouth crashing down on mine and promptly erased all thoughts of Olivia, Council members, and all other unimportant things - like breathing. The velvet caress of his unyielding lips as they moved against mine was the only thing my mind registered. He gripped my waist and pulled my body against his, just as a bout of vertigo swept over me. I couldn’t tell if it was his kisses or the lack of oxygen, but either way, the world shifted abruptly and I collapsed into a swirling void of nothingness.
The light dusting of loose sand danced across the packed, solid topsoil of the towering dunes hovering above me. I lay completely still as a lone seagull flew overhead and rested nearby on an overturned pylon that had been forgotten and left to perish. A playful breeze blew strands of hair across my face and I sat up carefully.
By the appearance of the giant depression I was sitting in, you would have thought I’d fallen to Earth from space; creating a massive crater upon impact. The fact that I was neither Superman nor a fallen angel only perpetuated the confusion as to my surroundings. The enduring blanket of the sand and crystal blue sky above was little consolation for the massive headache hammering against my skull. The silent dunes keeping watch over the beach beyond gave nothing away, an
d they simply acknowledged my presence with a slight release of energy before going back to soaking up the warm rays of the sun.
Deciding to remain out of sight just in case, I crawled on my hands and knees towards the dune to my right. A slight vibration gave me pause and the tremor that passed through the sand beneath me was unmistakable. I froze and waited for…something. I listened carefully but heard nothing. Another tremor washed through the sand several seconds later, and the subsequent anxiety I sensed from the beach on the other side of the dune quickened my pace.
Suddenly, a thin metal rod cut through the air on the other side of the mountain of sand I was attempting to scale. I flattened my body and held my breath for as long as my lungs would allow. Ever so carefully, I inched my way farther up on the dune until there was nothing else to block my view of the beach. The blazing sun glinted off of a flying rod as it landed several yards in front of me; the sharp end punching into the sand, leaving the other end swaying from the impact. Upon further inspection I realized it wasn’t just a rod, it was a trident. And the spot where it had landed was being used as a target. Four rings had been drawn in the sand with a piece of driftwood laid in the center acting as the bulls-eye.
A slight tickle on my right ankle averted my attention and I gently kicked my foot out of reflex. A matchbox-sized white crab was thrown aside, but the knee-jerk reaction displaced enough sand to create a small avalanche; sending me sliding down the other side of the dune with it. Once the sand had settled, approximately ten pounds of it had found its way into my shorts, a sharp shell was sticking into my arm, and my head was partially buried in the sand; leaving me just one eye to look out of. I was also desperately hoping I had somehow obtained the ability to blend in with my surroundings.
To my dismay, the resilient crab had regained its composure and was on its way down the crumbling dune toward my head. Before I could dig myself out, he performed a remarkable waltz right in front of my nose, blocking any view I would have had of the beach below. It gleefully raised its tiny claws and shuffled from side to side in an effort to impress me. I fought to muster up as much patience as I could afford him while clinging to the side of a sand dune, and fixed my attention on him. I slowly moved my arm away from the sharp shell and allowed the crab to crawl up into my palm so I could set him aside. I thanked him for his display and he disappeared beneath the sand with a couple flourishing kicks of his legs.