“Tricky fish. They created a portal through the rain,” Dax yelled.
“Oh geez. I’m too young to die!” Ezra shouted over the howling wind and rain.
“No one’s going to die.” Tage shoved him to the side.
Water now sloshed over the ledge. Tage punched out over Halen’s shoulder. Halen ducked screaming, as a mermaid fell from the tower, her spindly fingers clutched the ledge. Halen waved outward and the mermaid flew back. Two more mermaids emerged from the rising water.
“Halen, we have to do something!” Tage shouted.
“Hold on!” Halen yelled. Within the droplets of rain Halen could feel a vibration just as she had when she reached inside the soil and summoned flames. It was the energy of the water, and she knew she could command it. Slowly she brought her hands together, forcing the droplets to join until the rain became a wave. She harnessed the wind now and forced the wave up, and when she blew onto her hands the mermaids were swept away.
The mermaids shrieked, and their cries shattered Halen’s waves like crystal on concrete.
“Give us the girl,” they chanted in unison. “Let her return with us to the Mermaids’ Gate, and we will stop the storms.”
“Asair is as good as dead!” Dax shouted over their wailing cries.
“We saw the sign— butterflies in the sky. She is ready to open the portal. Our master will return. Give us the siren and we will show mercy.” A mermaid rose up with the water, her black-lined face met with Ezra.
“We know where your grandmother lives.” She blew smoke in his face.
He collapsed, clutching his throat. “You leave her alone,” he said between coughs.
The mermaids laughed. “You can try and fight, but you will not win. Give her up. No one else has to suffer.” A gray orb spun in the center of the mermaid’s hand. She blew out toward Halen.
Dax pushed in front of Halen, shielding her with his back. Through the howling wind and rain a faint sound captured her attention—his heartbeat. The steady pulse drew her in, centering her thoughts, and with each beat, her fear slipped away. She reached in her pocket. Her fingertips brushed the soft leather pouch Lina had given her.
Just then Tage hoisted herself up the ledge of the bell tower. “Leave them alone, you witches!” She had some kind of spear in her fist, which rippled with her movement. A mermaid clawed out and as Tage tossed the water spear, the mermaid sunk her talons into Tage’s leg. Tage kicked the mermaid off, but she slipped. Ezra leapt to his feet and grabbed her before she could fall.
“Help!” Ezra shouted. “I can’t hold her.”
Dax grabbed Tage under her arms, dragging her back into the bell tower. Another mermaid lunged toward Ezra.
“Tage!” Halen yelled. When Tage glanced up, Halen tossed her the pouch. Halen then sprang to her feet and with arms outstretched, she summoned the wind. And the wind responded to her call. Embracing the gusts, she forced the clouds to part. She could feel the sun in the distance, its warm rays within her grasp. With all her focus she beckoned the sun to her. The mermaids scattered at once, seeking the rain, and when they were divided Halen nodded. “Now!” she shouted to Tage.
Tage opened her hand and wind swept up the dust. Halen blew out once more and Lina’s silver dust chased the mermaids farther away. One mermaid escaped through a puddle before the dust reached her. Another mermaid swam toward the next puddle, but her tail turned to stone before she could reach it. She shrieked and her sisters did not turn to help her. Two more mermaids’ strangled screams were choked from the air as the silver dust turned their flesh to stone. Halen shoved the rest of the clouds away as the remaining mermaids bolted for the puddles of water which were drying quickly with the hot sun. They vanished as the earth absorbed the last bits of water.
“We did it!” Tage shouted.
“Barely.” Halen let out a heavy breath as she peered over the ledge. Three stone mermaids lay within the church gates, a chilling reminder of the demon Halen would still have to face.
Thirty-four
“All packed.” Tage slammed the trunk lid of the old Mustang. Already the sun Halen had summoned had been shoved out of the way by dark clouds; the mermaids’ threat had been genuine. Tage had tried to call Daspar, but there was no answer. Tage feared the worse. Daspar might not be coming back. So she broke his enchantment. Dax suggested they go to Elosia. He knew a place they could hide out until Halen got better. They needed more elixir anyway. Halen was still lethargic after summoning the wind and the sun and it had taken every last drop they had to get her semi-normal. She was still as pale as snow, her eyes as dark as the clouds overhead. Even with a place to hide, Tage knew that taking Halen back to Elosia was risky, but they needed the coral and bone. Tage had to trust Dax—there really wasn’t another way.
As the winds picked up, Tage also knew there wouldn’t be much time. The mermaids wanted Halen behind their gate. Well, that was just what they were going to get, as soon as Halen recovered. That is if they made it to the coast in the old jalopy. She kicked the tire. Rust spotted the baby blue exterior, the front bumper hung on by a bungee cord. The interior was not much better, smelling of mildew, and the leather seats had been chewed through by mice. Tage had been shocked when it actually started. Ezra had turned the engine only twice and the beast roared to life. There was even a jerry can of gas in the trunk. Whoever had left the old car had at least made a plan to drive it out. She wondered if it had belonged to one of the kids buried in the graveyard. A shiver ran up her spine. Maybe it was a good thing they were leaving.
Ezra walked over to the car.
“You ready?” Tage asked.
“I guess.” He set his backpack down and leaned against the car next to her. He raked his hand through his mussed up hair and sighed.
“What’s up with you? You haven’t said a word all morning. You don’t have to come, you know?” She would understand if he didn’t want to come. Going to Elosia could be suicide.
“Would you have done it?” he asked.
“What?” Tage asked.
“Dived off the bell tower for Halen?” He looked at her now, his eyes pooling with concern. They were like a summer night that won’t let go of the sun. She could get lost in them and only hope to never be found.
“I wasn’t going to dive in—I had them with the water spear.”
“And that’s why I had to grab you,” he said. “What are you going to do if I’m not around?” He nudged her hip.
“I don’t want you to be stupid,” she said. “When we go behind the Mermaids’ Gate, you have to understand I will do whatever it takes…”
He stopped her, “I get it. I’m sorry I doubted you about the whole guardian thing.” He nodded toward the church, where Halen and Dax were securing the doors. “She’s lucky to have you.” To her surprise, he took her hand. Though his skin was cool, her cheeks flushed warm. “You’re pretty awesome.” He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
His emotions flickered, or maybe it was her insides bubbling, but she couldn’t get a good read on how he was feeling. She met his summer night stare. “If anything happens to me,” she said. “Will you do me a favor?”
“Anything.”
“Watch over Halen. She needs friends—real friends.”
“Nothing’s going to happen to you. You’re too tough. If you had fallen the mermaids would have spit you out.” He squeezed her hand.
“I should have fed them your scrawny butt.”
He laughed and leaned into her, sending her heart slamming against her chest. Now she was getting a clear reading from him.
“Do you really think I can’t get a girlfriend because I live with my grandmother and have a cat?” he asked.
“No.” Tage smiled, weakly trying to shake his feelings that were hitting her head on. “Some girls like that sort of thing.”
“Do you like that sort of thing?”
Tage unclasped her hand, and placed it on his chest. The pulse of his heart vibrated under her fingertips, i
ts rushed beat anticipating her answer. Why couldn’t she just let him in? And then she remembered her mom and dad, and now Daspar and Corinne. How everyone she cared about vanished leaving her to deal with the pain. No matter how you looked at it love hurt. As much as she wanted to let Ezra know how he made her crazy in all the right ways, she knew it was safer to let him go. She pressed her cheek next to his. With her lips at his ear she whispered, “I’m allergic to cats.”
Thirty-five
The radio was filled with bad news; boats washing to the shore, docks being ripped up, waves crashing through store fronts. And not just in Oregon, the phenomenon was worldwide. The mermaids were busy. Ezra tried to call his grandmother, but there was no answer. He slumped in the backseat staring out the window. Dax sat beside him, his head against the window. Halen could feel his energy at the back of her neck and she wanted more than ever to turn around and face him, but after the mermaids and the long night of her struggling to regain her strength, he had grown quiet. He had the same look as when he first met her, the faraway look that led him to Natalie. She tried to tell him she felt fine, but even Halen knew she needed more of the elixir. After the mermaid attack she finished what was left. Tage had said she couldn’t get more, that Daspar had kept it safe, but Dax knew someone who could extract the bone marrow and mix the elixir—Catch. The thought of returning to Elosia made her feel even crummier. She didn’t want to see Huron again. In her mind she thought she would face the mermaids, defeat Asair and break the spell, and then take off. To where—she didn’t know. But it didn’t involve a reunion with Huron.
Tage clutched the steering wheel, her knuckles white. Halen turned off the radio. “You okay?” she asked.
“I have to keep my focus on driving,” Tage snapped back “You know I only have my instruction permit.”
There was more going on than Tage being nervous about driving. There was something up between her and Ezra. Whatever they had been talking about when Dax and she walked up had left Tage in one pissy mood. And now with a monsoon trying to break into the car, things weren’t getting better.
“Maybe we should pull over for a while,” Halen suggested. “We’re the only car out here.”
“We’re close.” Tage veered off to the right. She crossed the railroad tracks and drove a little farther down the road until stopping at a dead end. “This is the beach access.”
“South Minnehaha,” Halen read the street name out loud. “They were so close to her beach house. She wished they were going there instead. The wind rolled, ramming the side of the Mustang like a charging bull and she jumped.
“We’re going to have to run,” Dax said. “See those rocks out there?” He pointed toward the formation of rocks Halen knew as Darla.
“Why there?” Halen asked.
“Under the loop of the tail is a shallow portal,” he explained. “It’s the closest portal to the shore. If we can make it there without being dragged out by the storm or spotted by the mermaids, we have a chance.”
“Maybe we should wait?” Ezra’s fingertips thrummed the leather seat.
“No, the storms will only get worse. The mermaids will not let up until they have Halen,” Dax said.
“It will be okay,” Tage said as if reassuring herself.
Ezra sighed. “Let’s go then.”
Halen slipped off her boots and set them on the passenger seat. She shimmied out of her jeans and pulled her T-shirt over her head. As she looked down at her tank top and boy shorts, she wished for armor. Tage followed, stripping down to her underwear. A branch hit the windshield and Halen screamed. Another slung into the side of the car.
Tage turned around in the driver’s seat to see the two guys fully dressed. “Well, get undressed. You can’t swim like that.”
Halen looked away when Dax removed his T-shirt. She cracked open the window, inhaling the metallic scent of the storm. Thoughts of the ice cage, the mermaids had trapped her in, stirred the fear rising inside her. What if they didn’t make it to the portal? Would she be able to save them? She was stronger than before. She could feel the magick now as it charged through her veins. She could tell when it needed a release, yet now she was able to direct it to her advantage. She thought of the storm she had once summoned and she wondered if she could put this one out.
“Are you ready?” Tage grabbed her arm.
She nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
“We’re going to follow you.” Tage nodded toward Dax.
Thrusting her weight against the door, Halen pushed against the wind. As she emerged from the car, the sky tossed rain in her face like angry child. They sprinted down to beach where waves thundered against the shore. Halen held herself tight, thinking she could keep the wind from ripping her feet off the beach. Dax was already waist deep and he called. A wave crashed at her feet sliding up to her waist, and she lost her balance. Before she could right herself another wave hit her head on. She fell on her side and her legs scraped along the sand as she tried to crawl free from the water’s grasp. She dug her nails into the sand as another wave rose up and crashed over her head, shoving her face against the sand. As she tried to stand, a wall of water forced her back to her knees.
Halen coughed, spitting out a mouthful of grit. The wave retreated and she crawled toward the shore. The next wave roared, winding up for another attack. Halen closed her eyes, and as she did, she felt a tug yanking her up by her waist.
“I got her!” Ezra shouted as he pulled her close.
“This way!” Dax shouted over the wind and waves. “We have to dive under!”
Halen swiped her bangs from her eyes. Dax was in up to his chest, and as a wave rolled toward him, he dove into the curve. Halen knew if she didn’t want to be lambasted again, she needed to dive too. With Tage and Ezra beside her, the three dove into the wave. Dax’s feet flapped ahead of them and Halen kicked hard to catch up with him. They swam for what felt like miles, the ocean a persistent warrior battling them with each stroke.
Dax grabbed her hand, and with his free hand, he grasped Darla’s rock tail. Tage and Ezra popped up beside them.
“Follow me!” Dax shouted. “Whatever you do, don’t stop kicking!” He squeezed Halen’s hand so hard, she thought her bones might snap. “Don’t stop!”
“Got it!” she yelled.
He let go of her hand and dove under. They followed. Halen kicked so hard, afraid if she stopped kicking she would lose sight of him. She kicked and kicked and kicked until her legs felt like jelly. When she thought she couldn’t go any farther a great light illuminated the water and the ocean floor opened wide. As Dax entered the mouth, the sand began to spin around his body faster and faster until suddenly he was gone. Halen hesitated for a second, then thrust forward, the sand rushed around her body swallowing her. When the water warmed she opened her eyes. Crystal-clear water spun around her, washing away the grit. Silvery fish floated in the spiral of water, their scales flashing like shiny dimes. When she touched one they all scattered above, where Tage and Ezra now floated. Ahead, Dax was floating in an upright position and when she drifted toward him, he caught her in his arms. His gaze met hers and he held her in one arm as he reached for Ezra with his free hand. Halen grasped Tage’s hand, and they all floated together for a moment.
A low hum resonated in the water. Halen knew this sound all too well, and when she dropped Tage’s hand and held up her own, her bracelet was spinning. Dax smiled and she felt herself relaxing. Then, without warning, he shoved her back, away from him and the others. She reached for him, but she was falling. The silver band whirled so fast she thought it might slip from her wrist. Her arms flayed over her head. When she finally landed her cheek pressed into powdery dry sand. Tage and Ezra tumbled in beside her.
Dax appeared next to her, standing on the warm sand.
“What was that?” she spluttered.
Dax offered her his hand. “Sorry, I couldn’t explain how to step through.”
“That was incredible.” She took his hand,
needing to connect with his energy. Her already weak body was exhausted after the swim, and Dax’s charge was as close to coral and bone as she could get. She discovered back at the church, after the mermaid attack when she was slipping in and out of consciousness, that when he placed his hand on her cheek or over her hand, she felt a little stronger. At first she thought it was the coral and bone, but when the elixir was gone, and she wasn’t getting better, it was Dax’s touch that healed her. She pressed his hand a little tighter now, so to absorb some of his energy. She felt a little guilty using him this way, but he didn’t need to know. She wouldn’t be able to explain it to him anyway. She couldn’t understand it herself.
Once standing, she didn’t let go of his hand until he dropped hers. He ran his hand through his wet hair, his gaze piercing through her. Was he on to her?
Halen shifted her gaze toward Tage who was on the tips of her toes, her fingertips brushing the glimmer-dusted ceiling. “Wow, it’s like a sky of stars. Just how my mom described.”
“Beautiful,” Ezra said. His eyes on Tage, not the ceiling.
“Okay then,” Dax said. “We need to get moving. Four sirens in Elosia could cause some problems.”
“Yeah, but they don’t know about you,” Ezra said. “You could vouch for us.”
“Thanks to the hunter’s visit, everyone knows Dax’s secret,” a man said, and Halen’s stomach leapt to her throat.
“Huron,” Dax said. “What are you doing here?”
Huron stepped out from the slight overhang of rocks, beside him stood Nelia. “We have been guarding the portals,” Huron said. “There are some Elosians who want to leave, to find the blue moon siren and end this now.”
Nelia ran forward and flung her arms around Dax’s neck. “I was so worried about you! When you didn’t come back right away I thought the hunters…”
Dax gently pushed her back. “We’re fine.”
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