by Kristen Day
“Carmen, I think we should -“ I whispered.
“Oh my God.” Phoebe’s strained voice and stricken eyes had us following her shocked gaze to the sand dunes at my right. Not a word was said. Not a sound was made. No one so much as took a breath as our eyes met hers.
Dressed in the same faded blue dress, she was poised several feet away watching us curiously. Her flowing blonde hair still hung down below her shoulders, and her thin arms remained limp at her side. Her bright green eyes locked on me and I watched as a shadow of fear crossed her features. In that instant I could tell that the darkness I was feeling wasn’t emanating from her. With a start, I felt something else. Phoebe’s hand. And it was currently crushing every bone in mine. I squeezed it to let her know everything was going to be okay, but I wasn’t sure I believed that, so it probably wasn’t very reassuring. As the ghost girl continued to stare at us, I tapped into my ‘other’ sense, as Finn had called it, in an attempt figure out where the evil chill was originating from. It simply seemed to be all around me; not approaching from one specific direction.
“What’s your name?” Somehow Carmen had found the courage to speak.
“Bianca.”
The blood vessels in my left hand were threatening to burst under the pressure of Phoebe’s vice grip. But this time I gripped back just as hard. When Bianca spoke, it had resembled a soft echo riding on a light breeze. It lightly tickled your ear drums, but also resonated deep within your soul.
“Why are you here?” I mustered up the nerve to speak; hoping she could enlighten me on why she was appearing to me.
“You called me,” she responded plainly. She furrowed her brow, somewhat confused at my question.
“Why have you been appearing to me?” I tried again with more tenacity.
“She makes me,” she answered matter-of-factly; her voice bereft of lightness. My heart leapt to my throat, and I tried to exude calmness despite the explosion of terror and hysteria that had engulfed me at her foreboding words.
“Who’s….she?” I asked carefully; hearing the unsteady waver in my voice. She glanced around, and began closing in on our circle.
“The Reaper,” she whispered.
Chapter 11
I heard Willow’s surprised gasp as well as Phoebe’s high pitched squeak of fear. My own terror was so all consuming, I was having trouble breathing. Glancing sideways, I noticed Phoebe’s face had completely drained of color as she continued gawking at Bianca.
“She is close,” Bianca warned as her green eyes flitted toward the ocean and then back to us. She stopped at the edge of the sea salt ring and peered down at the scorched rose lying at Carmen’s feet; its petals now decrepit and charred. Her placid face fell as her eyes glistened with translucent tears of mourning.
“The living never understand the plight of the dead,” she breathed, face pained. Suddenly she looked directly at me in a panic. “The beacon - it calls to her, too. Use it wisely. She –“
Her words cut off abruptly and I felt it again in earnest. As I looked on with dread, her slight body trembled and blurred before us. My own body became racked with waves of icy daggers; relentlessly slicing into my heart and causing a piercing pain that echoed out from my chest. I bent over in agony, attempting to catch my breath and to understand what was happening. The trace on my wrist and hand had taken on a brackish color; absorbing the darkness pulsing through me. Bianca’s image stabilized.
“Careful, girls,” her crisp voice had become layered and forced, “If you call…you might just get an answer.” She chuckled, but the sound came out as more of a hiccup. Bianca’s once serene features had contorted into a smirk and her bright green eyes had darkened considerably; becoming the greenish-brown color of a murky sea. The pain in my chest suddenly dissipated.
“Bianca?” Carmen asked cautiously; observing her with suspicion.
“I don’t think that’s Bianca anymore…” Phoebe murmured to Carmen. Willow swiftly clamped a hand over Phoebe’s mouth.
“Ah, Bianca…nice girl. A little too talkative though.” A sly smile slithered across her face and she scrupulously began to circle us. I regarded her aversion to the outermost salt ring.
“Then…who are you?” Carmen spat at her. Her hostile and annoyed tone towards the ghost paralyzed us with fear as we awaited her answer. Thankfully, Bianca only laughed again, but her murky eyes collided with mine and her steps stalled behind Phoebe. As she raised an eyebrow, I realized with dismay that I knew exactly who she was. Suddenly the piercing pain in my chest exploded and I slipped into unconsciousness.
When I snapped open my eyes again, I saw that the world had been transformed. The lightness I felt told me my soul had been involuntarily snatched from my body. The fact that I could see myself slumped over below was the more glaring clue. Phoebe, Willow and Carmen were scrambling around me, calling my name and lying me on my back. My mind reeled as I tried to figure out what had just happened. As one startling possibility slammed into me with force, I locked onto the eyes of my true attacker.
“What did you do?!” I screamed at her. She just rolled her eyes at me and shook her head, moving closer.
“Relax. You’re not dead. I just wanted some…privacy.” A wicked sneer spread across her glossy lips and her golden eyes twinkled. The fact that I hadn’t just experienced my own demise calmed me instantly. Now I was just pissed off.
“Why are you here, Nadia?” I shot back with annoyance, narrowing my eyes at her. She stood before me, appearing darkly ethereal in a long, black strapless maxi dress with an imposing pendant necklace taunting me from her neck. The deep red stone shimmered with the orange and yellow of a dancing flame as she stepped towards me with fluent grace.
“Fire agate. Isn’t it simply amazing?” she purred and touched the stone. “It represents perfection…naturally.” She curtsied; alluding to her obvious arrogance. My thoughts catapulted to the beacon Finn had given me; the fire agate emerging from the onyx.
“So why are you here?” It was amazing how her presence could ruin a perfectly good night. “I just wanted to size up my competition…or lack thereof…” she scrunched her nose at me.
“This isn’t a game, Nadia,” Finn’s voice swept over me like a warm blanket on a cool autumn night, as he stepped out of the darkness of the dunes. The fervor in it was unmistakable.
“Oh isn’t that sweet! Our dark Prince Charming has come to the rescue,” she snickered and continued to glare at us. Finn was instantly in her face; menacing and terrifying.
“Release her soul,” he commanded with chilling calmness.
“But I was having so much fun!” she pouted, reaching up to touch Finn’s cheek. He swatted her hand away and her eyes turned steely; her tone sarcastic. “Uh, fine. But only because you asked so nicely.”
I was instantly overcome with the motion of my soul slamming back into my body with immense speed. I opened my eyes to the disturbing sight of my roommates in an all-out panic. Willow’s blue eyes were filled with tears; desperately attempting to heal me and wake me up. They smothered me with relieved hugs as I managed to sit up.
“Oh my God, are you okay!?”
“What happenened?!”
“I didn’t know what to do!”
I hugged them back; scanning the beach frantically in search of Finn. “Where’s Finn?” I asked no one in particular.
“Finn?” Carmen scratched her head and examined me with confusion. I sensed movement to my left as Finn’s dark figure stepped out from behind a shadowed sand dune.
“Are you okay, Pasha?” He approached me, his blue eyes heavy with affliction.
“I am now.” I latched on to him and he gently kissed my forehead.
“What happened?” Finn addressed the other three girls. Phoebe stepped forward, her eyes darting between the dunes and the water, probably for fear of another ghost appearing and waging an attack.
“Well we were having a séance and there was a ghost and then she changed into somebody else and then Stasi
a passed out and then we didn’t know what to do or what happened to her!” Her words spewed from her mouth with desperation.
I looked down at the hourglass trace adorning her ankle and the white sand beneath her feet which had begun to tremble and shift from her frenzied emotions.
“Phoebe, calm down. You’re going to cause an earthquake.” Carmen wrapped her arm around her. Phoebe grinned sheepishly.
“No more séances - I think we’ve had enough excitement for one night.” Finn’s eyes flitted down to mine with adulation, but the storm brewing behind them told me he was trying to make light of the situation for the other girls’ sake. A river of dread trickled down my body; saturating every pore with fear.
As my roommates headed for the boardwalk, I held Finn back. “So, how do you know Nadia if she just transferred from the House of Metis?” I asked him, trying not to sound too accusatory.
“I’ve known Nadia for a long time,” he turned to face me. “She is from the House of Metis, but she also graduated last year. It would seem she’s pretending to be someone she’s not. I haven’t figured out why, but I think I have a good idea.” A chill ran down my spine as I remembered seeing the gray smoke swirling around her, not to mention the sickening feeling I got whenever she was around.
“So if she’s not a transfer student, then who is she?”
“Do you remember me telling you about Persephone?” he asked hesitantly.
“Queen of the Underworld...Jaded…Don’t mess with her,” I counted off on my fingers.
“Right,” he nodded, amused at my offhanded attitude. “Nadia is Persephone’s daughter.” Well that explains a lot.
“She’s…princess of the Underworld?” I asked incredulously, and Finn chuckled darkly.
“I guess you could call her that, but she’s mainly just a direct descendent like you and I.” So I have something in common with the princess of darkness. Excellent.
“But wouldn’t that make her a goddess? If her father’s the King of the Underworld and…well…a god?” I asked perplexed.
“Persephone isn’t the most faithful of spouses. Nadia’s father is an Oceanid, which puts Nadia in the Order of Nymphs and technically, just a descendent,” he explained. “Just a very powerful and immortal descendent whose soul belongs to the Underworld.” More excellent news. A puzzle piece clicked into place within my thoughts.
“The smoke is her darkness,” I murmured to myself in disbelief.
“What’d you say?” Finn looked up in surprise.
“I’ve seen this gray smoke coming off of her and I couldn’t figure out what it was. But if her soul belongs to the Underworld, it would be the darkness I’m seeing, right?”
“So you can see it?” he said with the same amount of surprise.
“Yeah,” I confirmed carefully. I didn’t know if that was good or bad.
“Stasia, that’s awesome! Do you know what that means?” I looked at him blankly, hoping he would enlighten me. “That will help you immensely in the Underworld.” He rubbed his chin, thoughtful.
“But won’t everyone in the Underworld emit the…smoke? And why don’t you have any?”
“Unfortunately, the ‘smoke’ that you’re seeing isn’t darkness,” he said slowly, taking my hand in his, “It’s evil.” Every hair on my body stood on end as my eyes widened. I was seeing…evil?
“You can sense it too, can’t you?” he asked. I nodded my head; still in shock.
“It’s definitely the monster-under-the-bed kind of darkness - I mean evil.” I corrected myself. I still couldn’t believe what I was saying, “So what about you? Can you sense it, too? Can you see it?”
He nodded. “That’s how I knew something was wrong. I sensed her arrival,” he explained, his voice drained.
“But, I’m not connected to the Underworld like you. Why can I see it and sense it?” And how do I shut it off?
“It goes along with that ‘other sense’ that all descendents have. However, yours is apparently extremely advanced…like mine.” His blue eyes smiled down at me with pride. “One of the perks of being a direct descendent.” If by “perks” he meant harrowing abominations. I couldn’t believe I had argued with someone who was literally dripping with evil. I was suddenly thankful that I didn’t know that critical piece of information at the time. I would have needed a change of shorts.
“So, what exactly does she do in her spare time besides pretend to be in high school and crash séances on remote islands?”
“She serves under Persephone right now, but I’ve heard that she’ll be the next leader of the Nymphs. I don’t know how much of that is true though.” He shrugged and wrapped his arms around me. That’s when I remembered what Bianca had called her. I looked up at Finn with alarm.
“Bianca, the ghost, called her ‘The Reaper’. What exactly does that mean?” I steeled myself for the answer. I had a feeling that the job description of The Reaper didn’t include picking flowers or feeding unicorns.
He chuckled, sensing my fear. “It’s not as scary as it sounds - well, unless you’re a ghost.” I thought about the terror that had filled Bianca’s eyes each time Nadia had been near and shivered. “She escorts the souls Persephone rejects back to this realm. She can control ghosts and even merge her soul with ghosts that aren’t strong enough to ward off her advances.”
“That’s how she did it…” I marveled to myself.
“Did what?” Finn asked curiously.
“Before she forced my soul out of my body, she merged with Bianca and talked to us. It was creepy.” I shivered again and Finn hugged me tighter.
“Now that you know who she is and what she’s capable of, you’ll be a little more prepared next time.” Next time?
“It wouldn’t hurt my feelings if I never saw her again,” I declared resolutely.
“Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s an option,” he warned in a low voice, heavy with bitterness and distaste.
Chapter 12
“Pasha.”
The sheets beneath me were cool and soothing as I listened to the wind stirring against the window pane above my head. The night was undisturbed, but I had the odd sense that something was coming, something of great consequence and reprisal.
“Pasha.” I cracked open a sleepy eye. Finn was kneeling beside the bed; his handsome face only inches away. “Come to the beach with me,” he whispered with a ghost of a smile and mischief swirling in his blue eyes. It had to be past two in the morning, but warmth for his adventurous spirit filled my heart and I grinned at the almost boyish hope that garnished his face.
After assembling several blankets and one curious canvas bag, contents unknown, we were on our way down the boardwalk towards the deserted beach. The intoxicating smell of wet sand and sea grass filled my nose, and the roar of the ocean greeted me as I took in the captivating scene we found ourselves immersed in. The quarter moon hanging above cast a silver lining on every dune, every sleeping flower, and the shoulders of the dark angel walking beside me. It created a magical backdrop to an otherwise ordinary scene.
The tantalizing allure of the rolling ocean curled around my soul and teased me with its promise of freedom. I closed my eyes and smiled happily, seduced by its magnificent power. Finn chose a soft spot of sand to spread out the thickest of the blankets. He knelt down, absent-mindedly searching through a large canvas bag.
Maybe it was the magical moonbeams shining down on us, maybe it was the events of the weekend filling me with renewed courage, or maybe it was the way the light danced on his dark hair and strong shoulders, but either way I peered over the proverbial edge, smiled at the mysteries lurking below, and jumped. I crawled over to him and took his hand slowly; calling his attention. I threaded my small fingers through his and he turned to face me with a crooked grin, both of us on our knees.
“Come swimming with me,” I said, more timid then I had intended. My heart leapt into the air and my pulse quickened at my own courage. He glanced down at our clothes and then back at me with
questioning eyes. As his answer, I kept his gaze and carefully pulled the strap of my blue tank top down my shoulder, revealing a pink bra strap. I reached up to pull the other strap down when he suddenly clutched my wrist.
Never breaking his suddenly intense gaze, he moved closer and caressed my cheek. Assuming he was stopping me from making a fool out of myself, I felt an embarrassed grin cross my face. I held my breath as he lightly ran his fingers down my neck, and onto my shoulder. With obvious wonderment, he removed the other strap of my tank top, revealing another pink bra strap. His now hooded eyes met mine once more and I became lost in the powerful emotions I could see shining from them. He dragged a finger over the bottom of my tank top, sending shivers along the bare skin beneath.
He gingerly pulled my tank top over my head and tossed it down on the blanket. My thin undergarments did little to protect from the cool ocean breeze, but I was too nervous to notice. With trembling fingers I gripped the bottom of his cotton t-shirt and tugged it over his head, revealing his sturdy, muscular torso. The moon shined down onto his bronze skin and his blue eyes softened even further. He climbed to his feet, took my hands and pulled me up with him. Taking another deep breath, I hastily shrugged off my shorts. Unfortunately, as I stepped out of them, my big toe caught the inside seam. If you’ve ever tripped up a flight of stairs, dropped something valuable down a drain, or slipped on a patch of ice, you can empathize with the sudden mini heart attack that clutched my heart. I saw myself crashing face down in the sand, shorts tangled around my ankles, and my butt in the air. Thankfully, back in reality, Finn had caught my arms and righted my body before my inevitable epic fail came to fruition.
As his amused, deep blue eyes took me in: bare, vulnerable, and now completely mortified, a sudden tsunami of insecurity rushed over me. Despite my shorts mishap, I told myself this was no different than wearing a bikini. Unfortunately, the evasive wind flowing through the thin fabric disagreed.