She nodded. "He seems willing to do anything to get what he wants."
A chill flew through me. "What do you mean anything? What did he do?"
"I don't think he's done much of anything, but I can sense that he wants to. That he'll hurt someone to get what he wants. It freaks me out. So I pull away. And he hides more of who he is. And I pull away—" Hannah turned towards the forest and screamed.
I jumped up. "What?"
Leo emerged from behind a tree with a sheepish expression. "I thought I'd be alone," he said.
"This is Leo," I told Hannah.
Hannah's eyes were as big as plates. "Who are you?"
"Leonardo Tarquin. But you can call me Leo." He offered his hand.
Hannah took it, and they slowly shook.
"He's my friend," I said.
"So sorry for startling you," he said. "I didn't expect anyone to be here." He glared at me.
"The police are after me now," I explained. "I came out here to hide and somehow ended up sleeping in the tent."
"What?" Hannah dropped Leo's hand and turned to me. "Why didn't you tell me you were in trouble? Letting me go on and on about Barry."
"I was getting to it," I said.
"What did you do?" Leo asked. "Why do the police want you?"
"Nothing! They think I'm a threat because all sea witches are banished. And I'm still in town."
"That's why you're out here," Hannah said. "You’ve been banished?"
I nodded. "I have to find my family. And I have to stop the banishment."
"Damn right, you do! Enchanted Shores is your home." Hannah finished her coffee. "I'll come with you."
"Actually, can you take care of the Shaggy Puppy? And try to find out more about Monty's gerbils?"
"You didn't find them?"
"No. There's no gerbils here."
"Will you ask Monty the next time you see him?" Leo asked.
"Ask him yourself." She pointed to a pile of pine needles under the tree and whispered, "He's right over there."
I jumped up. "Is he here? Why didn't you say anything?"
"I was getting to it," Hannah said.
"Ask him where are the gerbils!" Leo insisted.
"We've looked everywhere!" I added.
Hannah raised a hand. "Hang on, he's telling me something…"
We all stared at the motionless pile of needles. Even Steve was quiet.
"Okay, got it." Hannah said to the needles. She turned to me. "I've got a message for you from heaven."
"What?" I sat down on the camp chair.
"He says he was supposed to tell you before, but he died. Mrs. G will be unavailable for three weeks. Then she wants a hair appointment."
I stared at her, waiting for more. "That's it? That's my message from heaven? Are you kidding me?"
"What did you want? Oh! Did you want something holy?"
"Hell, yes," Leo said. "Give her something more. Like the location of the infernal rodents!"
"Ask where my family lives."
"Okay. He's trying to think of something. 'He says, 'Love is all around, no need to fake it.'" Hannah shrugged.
"That's it?"
"Ummm… No wait. There's more." She nodded. "Okay. 'You're going to make it after all?'"
"Isn't that the theme song from an old TV show?"
"He says, no. It's from heaven. Also, he says 'Sometimes you've gotta go where everybody knows your name.'"
I had no idea what any of this meant. Except the part about the hair appointment. That meant I wouldn't see Mrs. G. For three weeks. I would have to find my family without her. And Leo was on his own too. Unless, we could get more. I said, "Ask Monty who killed him. Ask where the gerbils are."
Hannah shook her head. "He's gone. He had to go. He said 'sorry.'"
Leo and I looked at each other.
"That wasn't very helpful," I said finally.
Hannah burst into tears. "I'm sorry. I'm new at this."
I jumped up and hugged Hannah. "No, I'm sorry. I just wanted something more, like something that would help me find my family."
"I'm sorry."
I hated to admit it, but I was starting to doubt Hannah. If a ghost was going to show up and speak, wouldn't it make sense that what he said would be helpful? "I have to ask," I said, "are you sure that it's Monty? I mean, are you really sure you're seeing the ghost of Monty?"
Hannah rubbed the tears off her cheeks. "I think so. It looks like him… I mean, how could I tell really?"
"What other ghosts have talked to you?" Leo asked.
"None," she admitted. "I've seen them, and I could tell that they saw me too, but Monty is the first to start a conversation."
"It's time for me to go," I said. "Before the day gets away from me."
"Of course," Hannah sniffled. She picked up Steve and petted behind his ears. "Should I keep your kitten? You can't take this little precious one on a long walk."
"He can take it." I quickly tidied the camp site and picked up my backpack. "I'm off."
"Hang on," Leo said. "I have something for you." He pulled a long bundle from behind a tree.
"What's this?" Steve hissed. "We're traveling light."
"No, you'll like this." Leo opened the bundle, and it popped up into a small gazebo with lounge chairs and a fan. "For when you need a rest. It's a glamping necessity."
"Glamping?" I asked.
"Glamourous camping," Hannah told me, her face all lit up. "Very impressive. I read about it in my dentist's waiting room. In some magazine."
"Thank you?" There was no way I was taking a gazebo. "It's very nice. I don't think I have room for it though. I'm already carrying my backpack."
"Yes, I see," Leo said. "I'll have to just pop in and check on you then. Which way are you headed?"
I planned to head north to the shoreline and then travel along it. It made sense to me that the ocean would be the best place to find a family of sea witches, and I could try again to see if the water could help. I opened my mouth to tell Leo then shut it. I'd only known Leo for a day.
And he was a vampire.
Even though he seemed trustworthy, was he?
"How about I let you know if and when I need help," I said quickly, taking Steve from Hannah.
"Yeah," Steve meowed. He purred into my hand as I petted behind his ears.
Leo puffed out his chest and frowned.
"It's a very nice gazebo, it's just I don't think we'll need it," I explained. I picked up my backpack and slid it over my arms.
"Well," Leo said, folding up the gazebo. "Let me know if you change your mind. When you change your mind."
I just nodded. It was time for me to go.
The only question was: which way?
We had to be at least three miles from the ocean, but I felt a subtle sea breeze blowing from my left. That told me everything I needed to know. I turned to the left and inhaled deeply. "I'll be back," I said to Leo and Hannah. "And when I'm back, I'll know everything about my family that there is to know."
"And Monty," Leo reminded me. "Please."
"I'll do my best."
"We'll both be back," Steve meowed.
"We'll both be back," I repeated for Hannah since she couldn't understand Steve. I glanced down at him. "Right. Here we go."
Turning towards the ocean, I headed into the forest.
Chapter 8
Sadie
"Are we there yet?" Steve hissed.
The trail's path had turned upward and after three hours of hiking, I was ready to take a break.
I'd been carrying him for the past hour. "You're complaining? I'm carrying you and you're complaining." I shook my head.
"You're not the easiest person in the world to sit on, you know. You're kind of bony and your temperature is a tad too warm."
"A tad too warm? Just a tad?"
He meowed.
Unbelievable. "Next time I'll bring a special basket for you."
"That's an excellent idea." He licked his paw.
&
nbsp; I felt grimy and regretted not having showered this morning—somehow and somewhere.
But despite that, I kept my face to the sea breeze and kept moving. Eventually we'd hit the shoreline. That wind was my compass.
I needed to get to the ocean.
Water held the key to the mystery of my family. I felt like I had the support of the sea—as if it were a sentient being. Alive and watching out for me.
The ocean was a formidable ally. My ally. I felt grateful.
"I need to take a break," Steve howled as we emerged from the trees. Ahead, a grassy hill ran down to the ocean. Had we finally reached the crest of the path?
"Fine." I set the kitten down.
Steve turned and disappeared back into the forest.
"Don't go far!" I called, but he was already gone from sight. I stretched my arms overhead, letting the wind cool me.
The ocean was still several miles away. I dropped to the rocky ground, pushing my backpack under me, trying to get comfortable while I stared down at the ocean. The hike was taking longer than I had expected. I needed food and water.
"Hello!" Leo appeared before me.
"What the…" I stammered, startled. "How did you find me?"
"I thought you might need that gazebo right about now." He tapped his nose and flipped open the gazebo. A hammock popped out. Leo held up a picnic basket.
"I brought snacks!"
"Oh, man. You are a life saver!" I flopped onto the hammock.
"Glamping is the only way to go, am I right?" he asked, grinning. He handed me a soda.
"Thank you!" I took a sip. It was cold and amazing. I rolled the can across my forehead.
"Are you stalking me?" I asked. With Monty gone, Leo would be needing a new meal source, wouldn't he?
"Just checking on you. Helping you. Is that a problem?"
"Are you having one?" I asked, holding up the cold drink. Vampires didn't drink, did they? Besides blood.
He turned his head and lowered his eyelids. "I've already had my fill today. Don't worry."
"You see right through me, don't you?"
"If you're worried that I'm grooming you to be my next meal source, then yes, I see right through you. But don't worry about it. It's a common concern."
"What do you eat?" I asked.
He was a vampire, so it had to be blood, but where did he get it?
Leo scowled at me. Even still, his expression was kind and his eyes were bright and clear. "Let's stay on topic," he said. "I have a new message from Hannah. She talked to Monty again."
I sat up. "What did he say?"
"The gerbils are journals. We had to find Monty's journals. Not gerbils. She misunderstood him and—"
"Did you look in Monty's tent?" I interrupted. "There was a pile of books."
"Already been." He pulled out a black notebook. "I found them. Are you ready for the rest of Monty's story?"
I nodded.
"Monty was a fallen angel. He'd been an accountant in heaven, but had to leave when he became greedy. That's why he fell to earth."
"Why does heaven need accountants?" I asked, scratching my arm.
"I don't know," Leo said. "But his journals were financial records. He recorded the payments every time he sold me his blood. It's evidence. It proves my story."
"So why did he die?"
"I don't know. The journals recorded payments from all kinds of places. My hope is that Cormac will find something else in them."
"Can't Monty just tell Hannah who killed him?
Leo nodded. "You'd think he would. Something is preventing it though. Hannah thinks it's something she's not ready to hear."
"That makes no sense."
"Doesn't it?" The vampire lifted an eyebrow and pursed his lips. "Think about it. Monty was trying to re-earn his wings. Maybe this is part of it."
"Did you give the journals to Cormac?" I asked.
Leo nodded. "I dropped them off this morning. Except for this one. It doesn’t have any entries yet."
"Good. So now only I'm banished." I jumped out of the hammock and kicked the path. My head was clear again, but I still didn’t have a plan to end the banishment.
"What's your goal here, Sadie? You're just walking until you find your family? Is that it?"
I nodded. "Sea witches are banished. I had to leave Enchanted Shores."
"Did you?" Leo asked. "It seems that by leaving, you're confirming the belief that you're dangerous. If you stayed, you could show them that you're still the same old person you've always been. Still Sadie."
"So you think I was wrong to leave?"
"I always try to stay somewhere until everyone gets to know me."
"Everyone already knows me. I grew up in Enchanted Shores."
Leo reached out and touched my arm. "I want you to find your family and get back to Enchanted Shores as quickly as possible."
"That's why you're helping me."
"Let me carry you to the shoreline, you'll be there in thirty seconds. You're hours away if you walk. The sun will be setting by the time you get there."
He was right.
Still, I didn't feel like hurrying. "I'll be fine," I said.
"If what you want is to find your family and end the banishment, let me help you. If you want to hike around, then by all means do it yourself."
He was right. The sooner I found my family, the sooner this nightmare of banishment would end. "Okay," I said. "You can carry me to the shoreline. But we need to get Steve first."
"What for?" Steve meowed. "I'm right here."
"He's carrying us. Jump up." I patted my arms.
"Fine," he growled and jumped up.
Leo took us in his arms and with a nausea-inducing speed dashed to the beach. I stumbled out of his arms and we fell onto the sand. Steve somersaulted forward but landed on his feet.
"See how easy?" Leo asked. "Now I must leave."
With a woosh, the vampire flew away. I felt slightly nauseous.
"Stand up; you're fine," Steve meowed. "Which way do we go?"
Waves lapped at a golden shore. I tried to think of some way to connect with my family. I turned to the sea, and asked out loud, "Where is my family?"
A splash of water hit me from the side. I turned and saw a trail up the hill lit up with tiny water streams.
"Cool!" I yelled, pointing.
The streams shot out of the ground like sprinklers, showing a path.
I felt a distinct pull. The water was showing me the way. "Let's go!" I said to Steve.
We both ran up the path, into the dancing water.
A groundswell of intent reached me: I felt my family was very close.
Water was everywhere. Underground. In trees. In the bodies of animals. The water was communicating with me. I wasn't just ordering it to obey, it was giving me information.
My family was up this path. I knew they were close.
When the water sprinklers disappeared, Steve stopped and turned back to me. His wet fur stuck up in cowlicks.
"So," Steve meowed. "Now what?"
Behind him, a gate blocked a road into the hills.
"Turn around," I said.
He did.
A sign on the gate read: Westville.
I gasped. My aunt had told me her name was Tina West.
Was this her home?
My home?
The gate creaked as I pushed it open and we slipped inside.
I could see three houses terraced into a gardened hillside and a round building down by the beach. Was that another house? Or was it a community building of some sort?
The first thing that struck me was that everything was smooth.
The walls of the buildings were flat and white, with rounded corners. I didn't see a sharp edge anywhere.
It felt spacious. Sunlight streamed in from a bright sky.
Still. The compound was deserted. Even though my instincts told me that this was the place where I could find my family, I didn't see anyone. I didn’t even feel anyone.
/> "Hello?" I called out. "Anyone home?"
Maybe this wasn't the place after all. Maybe this wasn't my home.
"Give yourself some time," Steve purred. He jumped ahead and pranced down the driveway.
Time. I didn't feel like I had enough time. Every minute I stayed out here was another minute that the banishment of sea witches became reality in Enchanted Shores.
I needed to stop the banishment, and to end it I needed my family of sea witches to be as friendly and safe as I was—despite the ability to hurt people.
I felt the pull lead me towards the beach and I followed it, striding forward with Steve padding by my side.
Seagulls squawked as we got closer to the shore. I noticed a family of sea lions sunning themselves on a rock. Dolphins played in the surf, their voices calling out.
Steve leapt forward, and I hurried to keep up with him.
As we got closer, the sound of voices drifted into my consciousness. I could hear both men and women speaking calmly. The voices were coming from the round building.
I focused my attention on the round building and suddenly everything quieted. I froze. Had they heard me?
"Hello?" I called again. "Tina?" I hoped my aunt's was among the voices, and as the door to the round building opened, I knew I'd soon find out.
Had this beautiful compound been my home? Was I born here? Had I run across this beach? Was I finally home?
I hoped so. I really and truly hoped so.
The door burst open and dozens of people rushed out to stand on the beach.
An older man stood in the middle of everyone. His white hair and full beard contrasted with bright blue eyes. "Sarah?" he asked with a deep voice. "Is that you?"
Tears filled my eyes. I nodded. "I'm Sadie Summer, and I'm looking for my family."
My aunt Tina rushed to the front of the group. "It's her! That's her!"
The older man threw open his arms. "Well, you've found us. Now come give us a hug!"
I rushed to him.
"I'm your grandpa," he said, his voice thick with emotion. He hugged me.
My grandpa. I had a grandpa!
Still gripping my arms, he pulled back and stared into my face then turned to the beautiful white-haired woman at his side
"And I am your grandma," she said. She took my hand. "I'd recognize you anywhere! You're the spitting image of your sweet mama, may she rest in peace."
Vamping and Glamping (Enchanted Shores Book 2) Page 6