"This has his scent," Jake said, handing him Eddie's sweater. "I'm coming with you."
Cormac nodded, his expression determined. "I expected no less. We leave in five minutes." He carried the sweater to his crew, and they passed it around, taking turns sniffing it.
This was a strange new world. A magical world. And I was part of it.
"Are you going to shift?" I asked Jake. What would that even look like?
"We all are."
"Cormac?" I had known the police chief for most of my life and would never have guessed he was anything other than a hundred percent human. "A bear?"
"Wolf." Jake's whole demeanor had changed; he was quiet and closed as though he had turned inward.
"A wolf shifter. Cormac?" I tried to take it all in.
Who else was magical in my town?
Had Gwen been magical? Why hadn't she told me?
One thing I knew: Things were going to be much more interesting in Enchanted Shores. I didn't want to move away. Now more than ever.
"I shouldn't have brought you along," Jake said. "You can't run in the forest with us and it's not safe for you to be out here alone."
"Why can't I go too?"
"Shifters run as fast as cheetahs. No one could keep up. Not even a sea witch." He rolled his shoulders and stretched his arms overhead. He was getting ready.
"I'll be okay here," I said. The trucks were parked in a circle. Several had left their headlights blazing, lighting up the clearing and the legs of the water tower.
He handed me his SUV keys. "I'd like you to stay in the car. I know you're capable. Hell, you proved that today and more, but I would worry less if I knew you were in the car."
"Don't worry," I said, tucking the keys into the pocket of my hoodie. "I can take care of myself." Maybe it was foolish of me to feel so confident, but after the events of this crazy day, I believed in myself more than ever. Anyway, we were standing under a giant water tower.
What could go wrong?
Amazingly, one by one the men standing with Cormac shifted into beasts. He did too. Cormac became a gigantic silver-furred wolf. He howled and paced by the edge of the forest. I felt his eyes on me, and I stared into them for a moment, marveling at the yellow intensity of his gaze. This wolf was the man I'd had dinner with throughout my childhood. It was hard to accept, but I did.
"I have to go. Stay safe," Jake said, giving me a quick kiss and turning away to join the other shifters.
As he walked away, Jake rolled his shoulders and shuddered with a roar, then leapt forward. He launched through the air, shifting from man to bear, his clothes falling to the ground as if he'd merely dropped them. He snarled and huffed air, blowing it from his mouth in giant blasts. Jake as a bear was a ferocious beast, a grizzly with blond fur and claws like knives. Even from a distance, I felt terrified. He stood on his hind legs and roared.
Together, all the beasts darted into the forest.
And I was left alone.
I felt a chill pass through me. I may have been brave, but I wasn't stupid. If Eddie wanted to get me, then I had just made myself a sitting duck.
There wasn't a cloud in the sky. The moon shone brightly, and a million stars twinkled. I heard an animal howl in the distance. Was it a shifter?
I felt safe near water, and even though I was miles from the ocean, the water tower loomed over me. It was a round tank with a pipe traveling to the ground in the center and four legs. The tank had been painted off-white, with the town's name, Enchanted Shores, written in blue letters.
I walked toward the tower, refusing to let fear get a grip on me. One by one, I was facing down all my fears. And one by one, I was defeating them. First the ocean, then the basement, now the dark.
When I had been in middle school, a bunch of kids and I climbed the tower on a dare. Once we got to the top, though, we realized there wasn't anything to do up there but survey the view, and so we took a nice long look and then just climbed back down.
Maybe I'd be safer up there, watching.
The ladder was supported by the back leg of the tower, stopping about six feet off the ground. I reached overhead, grabbing onto it, and pulled myself up. I began to climb. The ladder was cold metal, and the wind picked up as I climbed, but it took only a minute to get to the top.
A walkway ran around the tower. When I got to it, I could see well into the forest. No one else was in the light of the clearing. I sat down and leaned against the tank, pulling my knees to my chest. I definitely felt safer up here.
I wondered how long it would be before Jake and Cormac returned. Why was Eddie doing this, anyway? Tina had said that Eddie had been my nanny and had lost me. Did he blame me for that? I'd only been four years old. And why kill Marcy?
I decided to walk around the tower, and as I moved to stand up, I felt something small whiz past my cheek.
Eddie! Had he thrown a rock at me?
I jumped up, raced to the other side of the tank and dropped, crouching over my feet. Now I was a sitting duck. I heard rustling below me and looked through the cracks in the walkway. Someone was directly underneath me.
I knocked on the tank. "Water! Out!" I heard sloshing and felt the tower sway.
I grabbed onto the railing and felt something else whiz by my head, some sort of small projectile. Was Eddie shooting at me?
"Come on, water! Get him!"
The tower swayed violently, and I realized I needed to get off of it, now! Even if the water got Eddie, this tower could easily topple and crush me.
I scrambled to the ladder.
Jake had said that sea witches were among the most powerful paranormals. But how could we be? When we were away from the ocean or from another source of water, we had no powers at all.
If only water were everywhere, then I could see how we were the most powerful.
Another projectile whizzed past my chest, and then one struck me on the arm. I tried not to scream.
"Water, out now!" I held on tight to the railing and heard the top of the tank wrenching away from its base. Water dripped from the seams. Finally!
"Freeze!" I flung my hand toward Eddie and icicles rushed after him, sending him running for the woods.
"Stop him!" Water began to gush from the seams of the tank and the entire tower shook violently. I felt the tower legs wobbling and giving way. I didn't see where Eddie had gone to, but I just hoped he had fled. I scooted down the ladder as debris from the railing rained down on me.
I ran toward the trucks. Maybe I could make it to Jake's SUV before the tower collapsed. Once inside I should be safe. I could lock the doors. Stay in the car, Jake had said. Now I wished I'd listened.
I threw open the door and flung myself inside the passenger seat of Jake's SUV.
No!
Eddie was already in the driver's seat. And he had a shotgun pointed straight at my heart. "Sit down," he said, "and shut up."
I did it, falling back on the seat and panting to catch my breath. I closed the door as the water tower imploded and crashed to the ground.
Jake and the other shifters would surely have heard that racket. They'd be here soon, wouldn't they? I just needed to stall Eddie, to keep him from doing whatever it was he wanted to do. I caught my breath and turned to him. "Why are you doing this?"
He laughed. "Revenge is a dish best served cold. It's been twenty years, but my time has finally come."
"Revenge? Why? What did I ever do to you?" I tried to keep my voice soft and curious.
"It's not about you," Eddie sneered. "It's your precious family. Oh, yes. You've got one."
I shook my head, trying to play dumb and keep him talking. "I'm an orphan."
"Do you really not remember, Sarah? You don't remember me?" He tilted his head as if it saddened him to know that I had forgotten him. His pale eyes and crooked nose looked familiar. It struck me that I did remember Eddie. He had been mean to me.
I remembered.
This horrible behavior was not out of character. Eddie was cruel and
always had been. I glanced away and tried to hide my knowledge from him. I needed to keep Eddie talking. I needed the shifters to return. "How could I remember? I don't even know what you're talking about."
He sighed. "I guess you deserve an explanation. You were a sweet child, really. I was your nanny. Oh, yes! It's true. We were quite devoted to each other. Until you ran away from me at Ocean World, and I was blamed for your disappearance."
I shook my head. "I don’t remember any of this."
"Your family, my bosses, were furious. And not only did they strip me of my powers, but they sent me to live in the north with the humans. I accepted my fate and married a beautiful woman, Penelope, a hairdresser and Daphne's mother. And I rebuilt my life." He shook his head, remembering. "But nothing was enough for your vengeful family. They took my Penelope. They took her from me and she drowned at the beach near our house. That was last year, and I've been searching for you ever since."
"I'm sorry for your loss," I said.
He nodded. "It was only when Daphne told me about Enchanted Shores that I realized it was a possibility. So I looked, and I found Marcy, and she led me to you."
"But why kill Marcy?"
"That was an accident. She was quite frail. I barely touched her when she clutched her chest and fell over. I didn't know what I was going to do. But then you went into the ocean and because your family had set up an alert to go out as soon as your foot touched the sea, I knew I had caught you."
That explained how Tina had come to me so quickly, but why had I been afraid of the water? "Who is my family? Who are they?"
His mood turned, and he slammed a hand on the steering wheel. "You're stalling! Where are the keys?"
I felt the weight of the keys resting on my lap. They were still in the pocket of my hoodie. "Jake has them," I said. "Maybe they're in his jeans?" I pointed into the clearing to the clothing pile.
"Go get it," Eddie demanded, pointing his shotgun at my heart.
I nodded and turned to the door.
"Eddie, one more question. Why are sea witches the most powerful paranormals?"
"Oh no, no, no," he said, shaking his head with an evil laugh. "You can't get me to tell you. It's so obvious you're going to kick yourself later. If you survive. Now get."
I got out of the car and walked slowly toward Jake's clothes, looking desperately into the woods. Now would be a really good time for the shifters to burst out and rescue me.
I heard crickets.
Jake's clothes were twenty feet away and as I walked I tried desperately to figure out the obvious power of sea witches. We had control over water. That was it. Sea water. Lake water. Tap water. How could that help me here?
The water from the tower had turned the clearing into a giant mud pit, but mostly it had run off already. Maybe I could get mud to slam into Eddie, but he'd still be able to shoot me.
Where else could I find water?
I felt the headache come on and wished I had my water bottle. I was dehydrated.
Then it hit me.
I was sixty percent water. And so was Eddie.
I pretended to find the keys in Jake's jeans and hurried back to the SUV. I got in and before I could close the door, I threw the keys in Eddie's face and pushed the barrel of the shotgun away from me. "Water inside Eddie Cooper, come to me!"
Oh, God!
It was immediate. He screamed and clutched his face. Water streamed out of Eddie's mouth and nose and ears, like they had turned into faucets. He collapsed over the steering wheel, shuddering. It was enough.
"Stop it!" I cried.
"You win!" he said, shaking his head and trembling. "You win!"
"Get out of the car," I said, taking the gun from him. As we walked into the glare of the headlights, I heard pounding feet and rustling in the woods. The shifters burst out of the forest and ran to me, slowing as they realized I had the situation under control.
Eddie collapsed at my feet.
The grizzly I recognized as Jake ran to us and grabbed me by the shoulders, pulling me into an embrace. I hugged him back fiercely, marveling that this furry giant was also a tender man.
One by one, the shifters returned to their human forms. Cormac took Eddie away to magic jail, and Jake and I were alone again.
We held each other for a good long time, and when I was ready, I said, "Let's get out of here."
Chapter 17
Sadie
Within minutes, we were on our way to Mrs. G's to pick up Pudgie.
Even though this day had been both exhausting and amazing, I still had to figure out how to give up my house and where Pudgie could live while I was gone.
Gwen's house. I'd really lost it. I'd lost my home.
I felt tears at the thought of leaving Enchanted Shores, but I didn't see another option.
Jake's phone buzzed, and he pulled it out of his jacket. He took a quick peek and handed the phone to me. "It's from my dad. Will you read it aloud so I can keep driving?"
"Sure. It says, Nate is awake," I said. I turned to him with a smile. "Nate is awake!"
"Great!"
"Also, he says they need you at the hospital," I added. "He wants you to come right away."
"Oh. Well." Jake sighed and rubbed his hand through his hair. We were both covered with mud.
"We can go to the hospital before picking up Pudgie," I said. "Right?"
Jake nodded. "We'll have to tell them about you, though. About Nate."
"After what we've been through tonight, I think I can handle it." I laughed. "If they can handle a little mud."
But what if they resented me for it? What if they didn't accept me and Jake together?
Well, it would be best to find out now, before we took things any further. I wondered if Jake was thinking the same thing. We parked and walked into the hospital, holding hands.
Regina was waiting for us just inside the entrance.
"Finally," she said, startling me. "Jake and Sadie together. This is perfect. I couldn’t wish for a better get-well present."
"Mom?" Jake said incredulously.
I couldn't believe her attitude, either. "Didn't you think I was with Nate?"
"Never. But I knew you were perfect for Jake. From the second I saw you."
My jaw dropped. I was speechless.
"Well, you were right," Jake said. He kissed his mother's cheek.
"As usual." She patted his arm, and we walked into the lobby where Nate and Theo waited.
"Are you feeling better?" I asked Regina.
"I’m fine. I told everyone that. But who listens to an old woman?" She shook her head with a sly smile. "Got a lot of knitting done. So there's that. You'll have socks in time for Christmas."
Hand-knit socks? I smiled. It sounded like I was truly accepted.
Nate and Theo sat together on a sofa with their heads close, chatting. Nate was wearing a suit jacket and faded jeans. No more hospital gown.
They turned to us as we approached.
Theo raised his eyebrows at Jake and pointed at me, and Jake just nodded.
"Yes!" Theo said. He pumped his arm.
"You too?" Jake asked. "You knew Sadie and I belonged together?"
"Of course!" Theo laughed.
Theo and Regina were not only happy that Jake and I were together, they had expected it. I was shocked.
"How are you?" Jake asked his brother, taking his hand.
"Never better!" Nate looked happy and well-rested.
Regina said, "We're trying to convince Nate to not only give up marathons, but to eat a whole pie every day."
Nate smiled and looked at the floor. He spoke slowly as if trying to find the right words. "You know, Sadie, when I was hibernating, I heard everything you said to me. And I want you to know, I felt… attached. And now I see that you're in love with my brother."
He looked up at me with sad eyes.
Was he disappointed? I didn't believe it. I laughed and gave him a hug.
He took his brother's hand. "I'm thrilled
for you, Jake. Be well."
Nate turned back to me with a smile. "Sadie, just do me one favor. When you and Jake have kids, check with me before naming them Pudgie. Or anything else for that matter."
I laughed. "You got it."
I wanted to get back to pick up Pudgie. What if Mrs. G was worried?
"Speaking of Pudgie, we need to pick him up," I reminded Jake.
Theo gave Jake a hearty slap on the back. "We're meeting at home for a late dinner. You'll both be there." He turned to me and said, "Fish and chips. Your favorite."
I smiled, but after seeing my own gills, I wasn't sure I wanted to eat fish every again.
"We just have a few more errands to run," Jake said. "Wait till you hear about the day we've had."
"You'll never believe it," I said.
"I think we'll believe anything. But you can try us!" Regina said, laughing.
When we left the hospital, Jake and I held hands all the way to the car. After he opened my door, I slid into the passenger seat and he leaned in and gave me a soft kiss. "See how easy that was?"
I nodded, and we stared deep into each other's eyes before he closed the door and walked around the SUV. I couldn't believe Jake's amazing family. Or his kiss, which had me tingling from head to toe.
“By the way,” he said as he started the engine, "now that everything is settled with my family, we can begin our courtship. We're having a proper date tomorrow night. I'm taking you out and don’t think I won't be wooing you hard."
Wooing me hard? Sounded like fun.
As Jake drove to the Center for Senior Folks, I checked my phone and saw I'd received a voice mail from the animal shelter. Pudgie! Had they found his family?
I played the message. "The lost kitten is orange. So if your little guy is black, you can keep him. Congratulations!"
"I can keep Pudgie!"
"That's great." Jake parked in front of the center. "Let's go get him!"
"So this thing with you and water," Jake said, as we walked into the lobby. "How powerful are you? For instance, can you make rain stop?"
"I have no idea. Anyway, why would I want to make rain stop? I love the rain." I pressed the button for the elevator. "Without rain, we'd have no rainbows. And then where would we be?"
Shifting and Bewitching (Enchanted Shores Book 1) Page 11