“We could try something else,” Halen suggested.
Tage sighed. “Magick comes naturally to you, but you haven’t learned to contain the damage it can cause. You didn’t put out the last fire—remember?”
How could she forget? “Okay, but if we can’t get a fire going, can we try something else? There’s no point in wasting the day.”
“Sure, but I think we’ve got this.” Tage said. “Now get down here.”
Halen crouched beside Tage.
“You took the coral and bone I gave you?” Tage asked.
Halen nodded. “I’m good.”
“How about I chop some kindling?” Ezra hoisted the axe once more.
“Put that thing down,” Tage snapped. “Before you cut off a limb.”
When Halen placed her hands on the damp earth a vibration brushed her fingertips. A hum tickled the back of her throat; the same low tone she had heard when she first held her silver bracelet. The hum grew louder. Tilting her ear to the ground, she strained to listen over Ezra and Tage now bickering. Dax was a few feet away, digging in the hollowed-out part of a tree. Couldn’t any of them hear the hum rising up between the leaves? She followed the vibration, and the sounds lead her farther down through to the next layer of soil. The hum resonated under her skin and her hands warmed. She smiled. The sound and the heat were one.
With her palms flat, she summoned the heat from deep within the earth and brought it up slowly. The heat spread now, under her feet and around the ground where she crouched. Steam rose from the ground until it evaporated and the ground dried, cracking under her toes. Sweat rolled down the side of her forehead.
“Halen! Stop!” Dax’s voice was like an alarm going off in her head.
Her eyes snapped open and she screamed when she saw the circle of flames surrounding her. On the outer rim of the fire stood the others. She reached toward them, hoping they could pull her through, when flames burst under their feet.
“I told you!” Ezra shouted as he dodged back. “We’re going to be barbequed.”
“I can put it out,” Dax said.
“No!” Halen shouted a little too loudly and Dax flew back against the church. Tage ran to his side, but he pushed her away.
“Sorry,” Halen yelled over the roar of the fire. “I got this—you have to let me try.”
They backed away from the raging flames. The orangey red wall rose up, licking the tips of the branches. Bark crackled, pulling from the trunks of the trees.
“You got this,” she said to herself. She tilted her head back. Beyond the coils of black smoke, the sky called to her, and she listened to its soft suggestive whisper. What she needed was a way to carry the flames away.
Closing her eyes, the sky whispered for her to find herself, and she would be able to quell the fire. She went within searching for that place Dax had called the seam. She didn’t know which way to go at first until a single butterfly floated through her thoughts. Wings. She needed wings, so she ran after the butterfly.
“What is she doing?” She could hear Ezra though he sounded so far away.
“Halen, if you can’t do it—I can help!” Tage shouted.
The butterfly drifted farther away and Halen ran faster when, suddenly a dark ocean tossing with turbulent waves appeared in front of her. The waves swelled around her, and when she tried to step away, her feet entangled in a net of threads. A wooden boat bobbed in the dark water and called to her to climb aboard. Whispers of promises of what lay ahead were as vast as the water before her. She could have anything she wanted, undo any wrong, as long as she chose to ride the dark waves. Just then a honeyed breeze blew over her shoulder, and she turned, following the scent to her left, to find a field of flowers alight with brilliant orange butterflies. She had found the seam and an idea bloomed in her mind. She could choose the chaotic waves and drown the flames or…
She clenched her fists as tightly as she could and when she opened her eyes, she was back in the forest. Her hands were now hot coals ready to burst. She opened her fists and two brilliant orange butterflies with flaming wings sprung from the center of each palm.
“Go!” She cried. She thrust her arms high in the air, releasing the butterflies, and the flames burst into hundreds of fluttering wings. Orange wings wriggled from her palms and swarmed the sky like sparkling fireworks.
One butterfly remained fastened to her shoulder. Carefully she guided the winged creature onto her finger. Its hot legs singed her skin. “Thank you, for showing me the way,” she whispered, and she released her guide, and the butterfly carried away the last of the flames.
Tage grabbed her before she collapsed to the ground.
“You did it! Holy freaking cow. You did it!”
With her head on Tage’s shoulder, Halen watched the speckles of orange dissipate into the clouds. Her palms burned, and when she opened them, two scorched circles scarred her skin where the butterflies had emerged.
“That was crazy!” Ezra tugged the ends of his hair.
“Mother Nature,” Dax said smiling. “Now I get it.”
Halen shook her head. “Not you too.”
Thirty-three
Dark clouds bruised the sky, sweeping the butterfly embers away.
“We better get inside; it’s going to pour,” Tage said. “Are you okay, to walk?” She leaned close to Halen’s ear. “I could get you a ride in the arms of one very hot…”
“Tage!” Halen pushed off Tage’s shoulder. “I’m fine. I took the elixir remember?”
“Just a thought.” Tage grinned. Thunder clapped overhead and the sky burst with streaks of lightening. “Did you have anything to do with this storm?”
“Don’t look at me. I didn’t do this,” Halen said.
“Crap, let’s get out of here!” Tage yelled. They ran into the church. Together Ezra and Dax pulled the heavy door shut behind them.
“Daspar’s spell is still holding—right?” Ezra asked.
“Why wouldn’t it be?” Tage yanked off her coat, tossing it onto a pew. “We’ll be fine in here anyway. No one would dare cross the threshold. It’s a church—it’s holy.”
“You’ve been watching too many movies,” Dax said.
“What would you know about movies?” Tage asked.
“Water boy is a movie buff.” Halen slipped off her boots.
“Water boy?” Dax asked.
“Hey, if you’re going to call me Mother Nature…”
He raised his hand. “Okay, fine—Halen.” He over-exaggerated her name, dragging out the a.
Tage laughed. “What’s your favorite flick?”
“I like just about anything as long as it’s not black and white.”
“Hey, don’t hate on the classics,” Ezra said while scrounging through the grocery bags. “It looks like leftover pancakes today, folks.” He held up a plastic bag. “Still no takers on driving the Mustang to Portland?”
Tage ignored him. “Maybe when this is all done you can take Halen to a movie?” Tage nudged Halen in the hip.
Halen elbowed her in the ribs.
“I’d like that,” Dax said.
The idea of going to a movie with Dax was ridiculous. What was Tage up to? Trying to play matchmaker? They weren’t going to a movie not now, not ever. When she glanced up, Dax was staring at her with that smile that made her knees turn to jelly. Well, maybe not ever.
The doors, hammered by the wind, rattled in the frame and she jumped. Halen reached in her pocket. Lina’s suede pouch was as soft as a baby’s cheek, its powdery contents deadly. She had kept her hand on it all night, believing it would protect her like a talisman. She brought it out.
“You said it turned the hunter to stone?” Dax asked.
“Solid,” Halen said. A shiver ran down her spine. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Dax stepped toward her. Then, closing her fingers over the pouch, he said, “You should put it away.”
Halen withdrew her hand, now tingling from Dax’s touch. She tucked her han
d and the pouch safely back in her pocket.
“Don’t you think it’s sort of creepy Lina gave it to you?” Ezra asked.
“It’s actually an honour,” Dax said.
“What makes you think that?” Tage asked.
“The dust is ground from the hearts of shifters, taken only when they are in their animal form. Shifter remains are filled with magical properties.”
“Heart of stone.” Ezra snorted.
“That’s sick,” Halen said, thinking of the hunter’s marbled eyes.
A branch slammed the side window and Halen screamed. She ran to the window and peered outside. Pelting rain cloaked her view of the forest. “It’s getting worse. You don’t think the butterflies caused this? Poked some hole in the ozone layer?”
Tage laughed. “It’s just a storm. Look at all the crazy weather we have been having, rain and snow.”
“Spring,” Ezra chimed in.
Halen shot him a hot glare. “I’m serious. Do you think I did something to cause all this rain?”
Tage pulled her from the window. “Stop worrying. Why don’t we take a break from magick, and do something normal for a change.”
“Like?” Halen asked. She had no idea what Tage thought of as normal. Though they had only been at their school for a few months, Tage had made friends easily. She hung with kids in a higher grade. They hung out at Indian Rock Beach on the weekends. One boy had been admitted to the hospital for trying to surf at night. He was hammered, and almost drowned when the wave pulled him under. Halen had heard her mom on the phone informing Daspar that Tage had been the one to bring him in. She was hoping Tage’s idea of normal didn’t involve storm chasing.
“By the sound of the rain, we’re going to be stuck in here all day. Why don’t we play a game?” Tage suggested.
“A game? No. I’m not in the mood for games.” Halen said. “I think I’ll draw for a bit—wait for my mom to call.”
“I promise it will be fun.” A smile played on Tage’s lips. “A little social activity won’t kill you.”
Against Halen’s better judgement she agreed to play.
The knife spun round and round. Halen prayed the point wouldn’t land on her. She should have known Tage’s idea of a game wouldn’t be as simple as cards. Why had she even sat down in the circle? She could have said no. The knife slowed and Halen held her breath. There really wasn’t a good outcome to this game. If the knife tip stopped on you, you had to choose truth or dare. She thought dare might be the best option, since she didn’t really want Tage asking her embarrassing questions in front of Dax. What would Tage ask anyway? She thought of Josh and the exploding windshield. Surely Tage wouldn’t bring that up? She really hoped the point landed on anyone else but her. Even though she had been the spinner, she could still end up a victim. When Tage started to laugh, she opened her eyes. The shiny pointed tip faced Ezra. Yes.
“Dare!” he blurted. “Come on, Mother Nature, whatcha gonna dare me to do?”
Okay, maybe coming up with the dare was worse. If she picked something too crazy, he would get revenge. If she picked something too tame, she would look like a wimp.
Tage strummed the floor with her nails. “What’s it going to be?”
Dax leaned back, his legs crossed, his hands behind him on the planked floor. She was thankful the tip didn’t land on him. He had a way of jumbling her thoughts with one glance. She was tongue-tied enough.
“Well?” Ezra asked.
Halen said the first thing that popped into her mind. “Go up to the pulpit and sing the national anthem.”
“Boring.” Tage let out a loud huff.
“With your pants off.” Halen smiled.
“That’s more like it.” Tage clapped.
Ezra’s eyebrow rose, giving her an are you serious glare, and to Halen’s satisfaction, his face flushed to match his red hair.
“You picked Dare,” she said.
“I’m happy the point didn’t land on me.” Dax laughed. “You’re cruel.”
“Just wait your turn.” Ezra wagged his finger, and with his free hand, he let his pants drop to the ground, revealing boxers with pink and red hearts.
Tage shielded her eyes. “No, the horror.”
“Hey, my grandmother gave me these.”
“Too much information.” Halen buried her face in her knees. “Start singing.”
Ezra strode up to the podium, taking long exaggerated strides. Once on the platform, he took a deep bow. “Ladies.” He then turned to Dax. “And gentleman. In honour of my sweet grandmother in Japan, who is dutifully taking care of my cat, Mittens,” he began in a loud booming voice.
“Mittens?” Tage called out. “No wonder you don’t have a girlfriend.”
“Shh, please.” Ezra unfolded from his bow. He grabbed Tage’s hairbrush from the pulpit, and cleared his throat.
“Oh say can you… Wait a minute; I don’t know the words.”
“You don’t know the words to the national anthem?” Tage laughed.
He shrugged. “I grew up in Japan.”
“Sing anything.” Halen roared with laughter, now fully enjoying the game. Tage was right. It felt good to just hang out and do something normal. Well, if you could call Ezra, in heart boxers, singing in a church normal.
Ezra broke out into song, his voice screeching over the wind.
“Did your cat teach you to sing?” Tage howled with laughter, covering her ears. “That’s horrible.”
“I agree,” Dax said, smiling.
“Okay. Enough.” Halen held up her hand and Ezra stopped. “Put your pants on.”
Hopping into his pant leg, Ezra said, “Just wait, Mother Nature, payback is coming.”
Halen gulped, remembering why she didn’t like this game.
“My turn.” Tage grabbed the knife and gave it a good spin.
The silver tip stopped on Halen. She wrung her hands. Not wanting to share her Josh nightmare, she chose, “Dare.” As soon as the word was out of her mouth, she wanted to reach out and snatch it from the air. A wicked grin spread across Tage’s lips. Halen glanced toward the window of angels and said a quick prayer that the dare wouldn’t involve…
“Dax,” Tage said.
“What?” Halen hadn’t heard her. She was too absorbed in prayer and begging God to get her out of this game.
“I want you to kiss Dax.”
Halen shook her head. Anything but that.
“Not a big smooch, just a peck.”
“Come on, Mother Nature. If you can dish it, you have to take it,” Ezra chided.
Dax now sat straight, as if he had been struck by the storm’s lightening. His smile was contained but definitely there. His words nagged her thoughts. I kissed you back. So the kiss hadn’t been entirely her fault. He had wanted it as much as she did and that confused her even more. Did he want to kiss her again? She would have to find out.
Rising to her knees, she made her way across the circle. The muscles in Dax’s neck stiffened when she stopped in front of him.
“This is so romantic,” Ezra said, clapping his hands.
“Shut up,” Tage said.
Halen gnawed her lip as she met his blue stare. He wasn’t going to push her away. She almost wished he would. His lips were parted waiting for hers and she swallowed hard. She had kissed him before. Where was that courage now? All she had to do was lean forward and press her lips to his. Simple. His full lips broke with a teasing smile. Not so simple.
Closing her eyes, she inhaled his salty scent. One kiss. Just do it. What was the big deal? When she opened her eyes, he hooked his hand around the back of her neck. His palm was warm on her bare skin. Her breath hitched, as he pulled her to him. When his nose nudged against hers, she closed her eyes once more. She could taste the sweet air between his parted lips. Her lips sought his, almost touching, when suddenly Tage screamed, “Get out the way!”
Halen’s eyes snapped open as Tage shoved her to the side. Her fingers slipped past Dax’s arm.
; “What are you doing?” Halen shouted.
“Water is coming in the church—and fast!”
Halen looked where Tage was pointing and saw water rushing in from under the door like a wave rolling onto the beach. Tage sloshed through the water, grabbing up a sleeping bag and falling to her knees in front of the door.
“We have to stop it!” Tage shouted, as she stuffed the sleeping bag into the crack under the door.
Ezra and Dax were next to her in seconds, cramming more sleeping bags into the crack, but the water seeped through them almost instantly.
“It’s not going to hold,” Ezra said.
Water now rushed up from between the floorboards.
“Halen, are you doing this?” Tage screamed.
“No! Why would I do this?”
“Maybe you were ticked off because I made you kiss Dax.”
“I’m not crazy!”
The floorboards cracked and moaned like a ship being tossed a rogue wave. Ezra jumped onto a pew. “Everyone get up.” He grabbed Tage by the hand and hoisted her up just as a floorboard snapped up into the air, missing her by a sliver.
Halen jumped onto a pew. Dax was two rows behind her.
One by one the floor boards began to snap back, hurling into the air. Halen crouched on her pew with her hands over her head. Between the cracks in the floor, she caught a flash of a silver tail slipping between the rapids. “We have to get out of here!” she screamed as her skin electrified with shocks. “The mermaids are here! We have to get to higher ground.”
“The bell tower!” Ezra shouted. “Let’s go!”
Jumping from one pew to the next, ducking at each snapping sound, they made their way to the back doors. With both arms, Dax yanked the door back, fighting against the weight of the water. Taking the stairs, two at a time, they raced the rising water to the top.
“It’s still coming!” Halen shouted. “Hurry,”
Dax and Ezra pushed open the door at the top, and once they were all outside, they shoved it closed. The sky above spun with wind and rain, feeding the flood below.
“The water is rising,” Tage said, leaning over the ledge of the bell tower.
Halen ran to the ledge and peered over. Slipping in and out of the rising current, scaled tails thrust through the water.
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