by Amy C. Blake
Levi nodded, his heart heavy as he looked across at his friends. He understood what she was saying. But he didn’t know what to do about it.
30
Cousins
“Hey, Levi, wanna take another little dip in the river? Maybe go splish splash in the lake?” Hunter hip-checked Levi as he bent to tug the canoe closer to the bank for canoeing class on Wednesday.
He teetered a moment but quickly caught his balance. Hunter snickered as he and Martin swaggered away. Levi’s eyes narrowed. Another dip in the river? Splish spash in the lake? How could Hunter know about Levi’s water experience? He’d only told his six friends. Mr. Dominic and Dr. Baldwin knew too, of course. He didn’t know which of the staff they’d told, but he couldn’t imagine a reason for any of them to tell a rodent like Hunter.
Maybe Hunter had eavesdropped on somebody. Maybe even on Levi himself. His ears heated at the thought. Some mornings his roommates looked at him funny, making him wonder if he’d talked in his sleep about Regin and Deceptor. Maybe even about Pressie, if that’s who the lake monster was.
He peered at Tommy and Steve, settling into a canoe. Nearby, Trevor snagged a boat for him and Lizzie. Surely his roommates wouldn’t say a word about Levi to Hunter. But . . . he looked extra close at Trevor . . . had Trevor said anything to his new best friend Brock?
No. It had been a few days since Levi and Trevor’s fight, and though they still didn’t see eye-to-eye about Brock, they hadn’t argued again or slugged each other. After Miss Althea’s warning, Levi had worked hard to get along. If anything, they were extra polite, which felt weird enough. He didn’t need to add extra suspicion to the mix.
And yet, what about the girls? Lizzie was always shooting looks at Hunter and Martin that would scorch the Louisiana sun. And Monica? She tipped that little nose of hers in the air anytime they were near. But Sara . . . he’d seen her with Hunter way too much this summer, all friendly and sweet. He had no idea what they talked about, but he didn’t like it.
Surely Sara wouldn’t discuss Levi with Hunter. She knew he still had nightmares, knew he dreaded canoeing. She’d helped him overcome his fear to the point that he could survive practice and class, but she knew he avoided the water whenever possible. Levi watched her giggle at something Tommy said as he handed her an oar, and his throat tightened. Yes, Sara knew all about his fear. Would she tell? Could she?
“Ready?” Morgan tapped his arm. She jutted her chin toward the canoe Mr. Drake had told them to share.
With a quick nod, Levi eased into the craft. He scooted to the back and held the boat steady while she climbed in and plopped down. He gulped as water splashed in around his sneakers.
As they paddled along the gentle current behind Trevor and Lizzie, the rest of the class farther ahead, the tension in Levi’s neck and shoulders began to lessen. He was okay. He could do this. And he knew Sara would never betray him to Hunter or anybody else. She was his friend. He was the one betraying her by even suspecting she could do such a thing.
In that moment, a swooshing sound came from his right side. Levi twisted his head around as a hardwood paddle blade came straight at him. He raised his arm in time to save his face from getting smashed, but the impact with the back of his hand produced instant pain then a creeping numbness. He let out a bellow and blinked through sudden tears, trying to see who hit him.
“Oops, sorry.” Martin made an unsuccessful attempt to smother a guffaw.
Morgan, who’d whirled in her seat at Levi’s bellow, said, “What happened?”
Hunter gave her a wide-eyed look. “I think Martin accidentally bumped Levi with his paddle.”
Levi opened his mouth to tell Hunter off when his paddle dragging in the water weighed on his left wrist so that he had to let go. He had no idea how it happened, probably something to do with Martin paddling his hardest toward the side of Levi’s canoe to ram it, but suddenly the handle wedged against the side of Levi’s craft and the blade against Hunter’s. When Martin gave another hard shove, the handle popped up into the air and landed with a thwack on top of Hunter’s head.
A brief look of shock crossed Hunter’s features. Then he slumped sideways and splashed into the water on the far side of the canoe. Morgan screamed. Martin looked dumbfounded. For an instant, Levi considered letting Hunter fend for himself. He wore a life vest, after all. But as the current bore the crafts farther away from his silent body, Levi knew he couldn’t do it.
Sucking in a deep breath, he sprang overboard and fought free of the current. He couldn’t cup his injured hand to scoop water, making it hard for him to swim to where Hunter bobbed, unconscious. To make things more difficult, Levi kept having to blow out, to force himself to breathe, because he felt like he was suffocating in the cold water. What if he drowned? What if he got pulled down the waterfall to that monster again?
Somehow, he managed to reach Hunter and snag the boy’s life vest with his left hand. Stroking with his now-numb right hand, Levi struggled to the bank and shoved Hunter onto the grassy edge. His entire body quaking, he surged onto the sand, flopped on his back, and let his pounding heart settle.
For a few moments, only the sound of the rushing water came to him. Then he heard distant voices calling and sat up.
Hunter moaned. “What happened?” He eased into a sitting position and fingered the lump on his forehead.
“You got whacked in the head.”
“But . . .” Confusion flashed in Hunter’s slightly-crossed eyes. “Martin was supposed to hit . . .” He focused on Levi and clamped his mouth shut.
Levi released a small snort. “Ironic, isn’t it?” He held up his swollen, purple hand. “You meant to knock me out of my canoe, but here you are.” His lips twisted into a grimace. “Somehow I doubt you’d have rescued me, though.”
When Hunter’s pale face pinked before he looked away, Levi’s jaw dropped a few centimeters. Could Hunter possibly be ashamed of himself?
His jaw snapped shut at Hunter’s next words: “I’ll have to tell Mr. Drake it was your paddle that knocked me out.” Hunter released a gusty sigh. “I’m sure he’ll have to report you to Mr. Dominic, and who knows what he’ll be forced to do.”
Levi’s stomach lurched. “You wouldn’t.”
“Of course I would.” He made a show of wincing as his fingertips grazed the lump on his forehead. “Hitting people with paddles isn’t acceptable.” His eyes widened. “I might’ve drowned.”
“You know I didn’t hit you. The paddle slipped and got wedged between our canoes and—”
“Paddles don’t act like that.” Hunter shook his head in a way that made Levi wish for a paddle. “I have witnesses who’ll say you hit me.”
Levi popped to his feet. Hunter really was the perfect Loki. “I know lies come out of Martin’s mouth quicker than slobber, but Morgan will tell the truth.”
“Think so?”
“Of course.” Yet the cocky look on Hunter’s face made his skin prickle with dread.
Some nearby trees rustled, and Morgan’s white face appeared. “There you are! Are you okay?”
Levi started to answer, but she raced past him, almost bowling him over, and dropped to her knees beside Hunter.
“I thought I’d have to call your parents and tell them you drowned.” She wrapped her arms around Hunter’s neck with a sob.
“I’m okay now, cousin.” Hunter smirked at Levi over her shaking shoulder. “Don’t worry about me.”
Cousin?
The sour taste of betrayal filled Levi’s mouth.
31
Betrayal
Levi strode over and spat the sourness into the river.
More rustling announced the arrival of Martin and a sweating Mr. Drake. When the canoe instructor’s eyes locked on Hunter, he swooped in on the big, fat liar. “Are you okay, boy?”
Martin shot Levi a malicious grin.
Grimacing, Levi turned back to the river.
“Levi?”
Morgan’s soft voice made his stom
ach churn. Cousin. He shook his head.
“Levi?” She plucked at his sleeve. Still, he didn’t look at her. “Thank you for rescuing him. I know how hard it must’ve been to jump into the water after almost drowning yourself.”
He whipped around and glared at her. “What did you say?”
“I . . . I said thank you.”
“No. After that.” Ice hardened his tone.
“I . . . I was just saying how I know it had to be hard for you because you nearly drowned a few weeks ago.”
Fire filled his gut. “Who told you about that?”
She blushed. “Oh. Um . . .” She looked away from his glare. “I . . . Well, I overheard you talking to Sara and the others about it.”
Fury almost stole his voice. “You’re a spy.”
She shook her head. “No, I’m—”
“You deny you’re his cousin?” He jerked a thumb toward Hunter, who was holding a whispered conversation with Mr. Drake and Martin.
“Of course I’m his cousin.” Her face scrunched in a look of confusion. “I never said I wasn’t.”
“You never said you were.”
Her face flushed as her voice rose. “You never asked. Why would I think you didn’t know? Or that you’d care one way or the other.”
“What’s your name anyway? Your full name?” Why had he never asked such a simple question?
She straightened her shoulders. “Morgan Kristianna Fae Little.”
“Little? That’s not Hunter’s last name.”
“Of course not. Hunter’s dad and my mom are brother and sister. Little is my dad’s last name.” Her shoulders deflated slightly. “At least I assume it is. I’ve never met him.”
Levi stared at her for a long moment, fighting a twinge of pity. Lots of people didn’t know their dads. That was no excuse for Morgan acting like she had. He huffed out a loud breath. “Forget it. I’m out of here.”
He stalked along the riverbank toward the bridge that led to camp. He didn’t even turn when Hunter’s sarcasm-laden words reached him. “Hey, Prince, you better watch out for injured dragons!”
The tension inched up his shoulders and into his neck as he stomped through the trees. Morgan was Hunter’s cousin. She was a spy. She was a liar. She was more of a backstabbing trickster than Loki.
He should go pack his bags.
“What’s going on?” Trevor slammed the door to their room, Tommy and Steve at his side. The three had hurried after Levi when he’d appeared, sopping, at the canoe launch site. At Miss Althea’s rapid-fire questions, he’d simply said Hunter was okay and the others were coming.
Now Levi trudged to his bed and sank onto the thick red comforter, heedless of his soggy shorts. His rage had oozed away on the long trek back to the castle. It wasn’t fair that Hunter, Martin, and Morgan were getting him kicked out based on a lie, but what could he do about it?
In a monotone, he told his roommates what happened. Their indignant responses—especially Trevor’s—made him feel the tiniest bit better as he rose and pulled out his suitcase. Part of him was ready to go home, ready to talk straight with his parents, ready to make amends. The other part . . .
Tommy sat down next to Levi’s suitcase. “You should put that thing away. Mr. Dominic’s not gonna believe Hunter over you.”
“I don’t know about that,” Trevor said slowly.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“Sorry.” Trevor gave a sheepish shrug. “I just meant Mr. Dominic warned us, you know.” His serious eyes fixed on Levi’s. “He said if we got in trouble again, we’d be outta here. And he already cut me some slack with the whole science project thing.”
Levi wasn’t getting into the science project and Brock again. “Yeah, you’re right.” He yanked open his wardrobe and started stuffing t-shirts into his suitcase, careful to use only his left hand. He stopped at a thumping sound from beneath his feet. “Did you guys hear—”
Steve’s eyes bugged out. “What was—”
The thumping came again.
Trevor said, “Duh, the girls.”
“Huh?”
“The girls,” Trevor repeated. “They’re hitting the floor.”
“What are you talking about?” Levi said, exasperated.
“The girls are hitting their ceiling—our floor.” Trevor spoke each word with loud precision. “You know, to get our attention. They want to speak with us.” He opened and closed his fingers and thumb to simulate talking.
Levi glowered at him. “I get it.” He chose to ignore Tommy and Steve’s snickers.
“Well, come on then.” Trevor waved for them to follow him to the door.
Levi hesitated. Was he up to telling the girls he’d gotten kicked out of camp? Could he handle their pity? Would they cry? His own tear ducts heated at the thought.
Steve poked his head around the doorframe, the others already in the hall. “You coming?” He paused, studying Levi’s face. “It’s gonna be okay, you know. Somehow or other.”
Levi offered a half-smile. “Yeah, I guess.” He followed his roommates.
“What are you doing here?” Levi stared at Morgan, who was encircled by his friends on the tower roof. Their tower roof. Couldn’t the sneak at least give him time to say goodbye without her here to spoil it?
“Levi, I . . .” Morgan reached for his hand.
He jerked away and shot Sara a hard look. She lifted her shoulders in apology.
Tears welled in Morgan’s eyes as she hugged her arms to her waist. “I wanted you to know I told Mr. Dominic the truth.”
His eyes narrowed. Whose version of the truth?
“I told him it was all an accident. That you didn’t mean for your paddle to hit Hunter.” She took a step nearer. “I said you risked your life to save him. That you’re a hero.”
Behind Morgan, the girls were smiling at him, as if to say this was why they’d brought her. Levi’s tense spine relaxed a notch. “You told him they chased us down to hit me?” He held his throbbing, swollen, purple hand in front of her face.
She winced. “I . . . No, I couldn’t. Hunter’s my cousin, how can I turn him in?”
“How can you lie for him?” He shoved his hand nearer her face, not backing down even when a soft whimper escaped her.
“Levi, stop.” Sara tugged at his arm.
Tears sparkled amid the freckles on Morgan’s white cheeks. “I didn’t lie. I told them you didn’t do it.”
Venom filled his veins. “You didn’t tell them who did do it.”
“You don’t understand.” Morgan sighed. “I owe everything to Hunter and his parents. They took me in when my own momma threw me away like—” She hiccoughed. “—a used Kleenex.” She covered her face with both hands and sobbed.
Lizzie put an arm around Morgan, giving Levi a dirty look. As if he were the sneak and the liar.
After a moment, Morgan’s weeping tapered and she lowered her hands. “I know Hunter can be . . . not so nice sometimes.” Her eyes begged for understanding. “But he and his family take care of me. I can’t betray him. And you don’t know what his life’s like. Except for me, he’s got nobody to love him.” She bit her lip. “I hate to say that since Uncle Bart and Aunt Cecily give me everything, but they’re just so involved in their own stuff, you know? They don’t even see Hunter.”
Levi ground his teeth as the silence stretched. Even Trevor stared at him like he should say something, but what? So Hunter didn’t have the best parents in the world. Trevor didn’t either, and he wasn’t a jerk who went around trying to drown people and then tattle that the other person was at fault when it backfired on him.
And Morgan . . . so she’d kept him from getting expelled. She hadn’t told the truth about Hunter and Martin. And she’d been hiding who she was forever and spying on him and everything. On them too. Why weren’t they mad at her anymore? Because of a sob story about her momma? Well, Lizzie’s daddy had left her and she didn’t go sneaking around pretending to be something she wasn’t.
“I know where we are, Levi.” Morgan’s words pierced Levi’s mental tirade.
He scowled at her. “What are you talking about?”
“Hunter told me about Terracaelum,” she said softly.
Exactly how did she think that would help? It only proved she’d been sneaky about that, too.
“I thought you might be up here.”
Mr. Dominic’s voice spun Levi toward the doorway to the stairs.
The director mopped his brow on the sleeve of his aqua-blue Hawaiian shirt. “Whew, I’d forgotten what a long climb that is.”
What in the world was he doing up here?
Mr. Dominic smiled at their tense expressions. “Clearly I’m interrupting something, so I won’t stay. Two things.” He held up two fingers. “Levi, Morgan here tells me you rescued Hunter. That’s admirable, young man.” He patted Levi’s shoulder. “I know the pair of you haven’t always gotten along. It’s even more admirable to risk oneself for an enemy than for a friend. Excellent behavior. Excelsior!”
Levi’s mouth worked soundlessly. If Mr. Dominic knew what he’d just been thinking . . .
“Oh my, your hand.” The director took Levi’s wrist and studied his damaged hand. “You need to go see Dr. Baldwin. That may be broken.”
“Um . . . yes, sir.”
“My second errand.” His brilliant green eyes sought Morgan’s. “Your mother is trying to reach you, young lady.”
A wrinkle formed between her brows. “You mean my aunt?”
“No, your aunt is the one who contacted us, but it was to say your mother wants to speak with you. Will you come with me? Mrs. Drake will accompany you to the cabin area so you may call her.” He pulled a slip of paper from his pocket. “I have the number right here.”
Although Morgan’s face turned white as death and her entire body shook, she followed him to the stairs.