The Equinox

by K. K. Allen

  Johnny’s body tenses as he prepares to answer this question. Did I make him nervous? “It’s hard to explain really. Something happened to me a while ago, after my parents’ death, and it’s gotten hard for me to read people. I guess I’m overly suspicious.”

  As he speaks my stomach tightens and I want to wrap my arms around him but I also want to hear what he’s about to tell me. I’m patient as I wait for his words.

  “Everyone was talking about you when you moved here. I knew about you before I saw you in the restaurant.”

  “Before I elbowed you?” I can’t help myself.

  He chuckles and squeezes my hand. “Yes, before that. I never understood Rose’s position in this town. My parents always talked about her and they didn’t understand why she was the main voice of everyone in Apollo Beach. So naturally, I felt the same way. Then you came to town—and elbowed me,” he smirks again. “But then you got the job and I saw you and Alec together…”

  He shakes his head. “I don’t know why I got so angry when I saw you two together.”

  Johnny doesn’t have to say the word kissing for me to know that’s what he really means.

  “Now that I look back on it I think I might have been a little jealous, but I also couldn’t stand his crowd. Those girls he hangs around, Ava and Iris, I just don’t like them, and he was always coming into the restaurant with them…” He shrugs. “Since you were hanging out with them too I made a negative association between all of you.”

  His distaste for Iris and Ava are understandable; I felt the exact same way, but his reasons for discrediting me so immediately is still hard to swallow.

  “You were so angry at me all of the time.” I frown at the thought now, remembering the glares from across the room, the scoldings, and the rude remarks. It seems like a lifetime ago.

  Johnny shrugged. “I’m sorry Kat. You didn’t deserve any of that.”

  “Well, I’m glad you came to your senses.” I grin now, not wanting to harbor on the subject any longer. I’m ready to move forward.

  When I look over at him, we’re smiling at each other, but then I see how close we are to my house. No, my mind pouts. We make our way up the steps in silence. At the door I turn to him. His eyes are bright. His thick lips are moist. Will he kiss me again?

  Wisps of his hair blow into the night and then return lightly to his head. The thoughtful expression on his face tells me he has more to say.

  “Can I take you somewhere tomorrow? There’s something I want to show you.”

  I don’t hesitate, though I know in the back of my mind this may cause an argument with Rose. “Yes. Where?”

  “Just meet me at the marina at nine. We’ll take my boat out.” Why does he look nervous?

  “Okay.” I stand there awkwardly. Not knowing whether to hug him or kiss him. He seems detached, as if he’s completely forgotten about our amazing kiss.

  “Good night,” I say with a smile, hoping to break him from his jail of thoughts.

  It works. He reaches for my hands and pulls me into his arms, then snakes them around my waist. “Good night.” He says this while looking deeply into my eyes. I could crumble under his gaze. Why have I no control with him?

  He chuckles lightly and leans in. I close my eyes, expecting his lips to meet mine, but they miss my lips and graze my cheek. The hair on my arms rise to attention and all of my nerve endings are alight from the simple touch. I breathe in his lovely sea breeze fragrance mixed with the powerful scent of orange blossoms coming in from the bay.

  His lips kiss my cheek and I exhale softly, never wanting him to let me go.

  “Sweet dreams,” he whispers in my ear before retreating down the steps, two at a time. When he pauses at the end of the driveway and turns to glance at me from over his shoulder, my breath catches in my throat and a chill runs through me. Johnny likes me…and I am totally and utterly breathless for him.

  Chapter Seventeen

  My body is weightless as I move through Summer Estates the next morning, filled with elation and anticipation for the day’s events. Just the thought of spending another day with Johnny gives me goose pimples all over.

  Rose is nowhere to be found when I approach the dining room which is strange. I can count on Rose sitting in the same place at certain times in the day, and this is one of them.

  Charlotte must see the strange expression on my face because I hear her laugh and look up. “She’s in her den. She had to take a call. We’re just having cereal this morning. I hope that’s okay. I didn’t go to the store yesterday. Things have been so hectic and I’ve been accompanying Rose more than usual.” I’ve never heard Charlotte sound so tense.

  I frown. “Should I be more involved with everything? Work keeps calling me to help since Trisha has been out of commission with everything going on…” And Johnny’s become my only diversion from all of this evil.

  Charlotte waves her hand in the air. “Don’t worry about it. Rose is happy that you’re keeping busy, but we will need to talk soon. Are you able to come with us today?”

  She places a bowl of milk and a dispenser of three types of cereals in front of me. I turn the knob on the Cheerios and shake my head. “I can’t today.” I’ll only elaborate if I’m asked. “Where are you going?”

  Charlotte sits down across from me and sighs. “Isaac and Rose need to talk, but Isaac doesn’t want to leave his settlement because of everything going on—and you know how stubborn Rose is about leaving Apollo Beach.”

  My jaw drops at some point during Charlotte speaking. “But she is going to leave?” This is new.

  Charlotte gives me a knowing smirk. “Yup, and I’m driving her. She’s frantic, Kat.”

  I sigh. “Maybe I should stay around town then.” I cringe. I don’t want to give up my day with Johnny, but for this—maybe it’s what I have to do.

  Charlotte cocks an eyebrow at me and I sink into myself knowing that I’ve put my foot in my mouth. “Planning to leave town, are you?”

  My face feels hot as I concentrate on my food. “I’ve been invited on a boat. With a co-worker.” I look up, certain my cheeks are blazing a pinkish color that Charlotte will certainly read effortlessly.

  I hold my breath as she narrows her eyes at me. She’s going to ask me to stay back. Please, no.

  “You know you’re a terrible liar, right? Who will you be going on this boat with? Johnny?” Her eyebrows raise as her voice peaks.

  I nod, my head feels heavy with guilt.

  “Uh huh. I see.” Charlotte is holding back a smile; I can tell this by the way her tight lips press together and her eyes twinkle. “Well, I don’t think you should stay here, to be perfectly honest. I’d rather you come with us but—maybe this boat idea isn’t so bad.” She winks at me now, and I’m grateful to her for being so open minded.

  “Thanks Charlotte.” I sigh in relief and smile at her but her eyes grow wide as she shakes her head.

  “Oh no, don’t thank me. Rose will think I had something to do with it. Just please talk to Rose before we leave and make sure she’s okay with it.”

  I’m washed with disappointment. I knew it was too good to be true. “Are you sure she’s okay to leave? I mean, isn’t there a better way to do this so she doesn’t have to leave Apollo Beach? Skype? FaceTime?”

  Charlotte is tickled with laughter for a short time before answering me. “Can you imagine Rose using the computer?” Charlotte laughs again and I join her.

  I can’t picture Rose using the computer either, and certainly not to video conference with Isaac. It was a ridiculous suggestion.

  “Your grandmother always stayed to protect the magic on Summer Island. She feared that if she left, the magic would leave with her—but now that we know there is no magic to keep our Island safe, there’s no harm in her leaving. Between you and me, I think she’s excited.”

  Rose getting excited about something other than magic puts a smile on my cheeks.

  “What are you going to see Isaac for?”


  Charlotte puts on a more serious expression that reveals the small lines that run across her forehead. She sits back in her chair and chews on her bottom lip before answering. “Rose has been doing some research on the pollution issues that are concerning Isaac and his people. It seems Isaac has some information on someone that can help.”

  I don’t need to ask my next question, Charlotte can see my face and knows me well enough. Charlotte adjusts herself in her seat. “Isaac believes that there may be a Poseidon descendant living in Apollo Beach. We need to find him because he might just be our key in helping Isaac protect the Sea.”

  “There’s a Poseidon descendant?” I guess I’m not surprised. I think of the white bearded man at the energy plant and wonder if he has anything to do with this. He looks like a Poseidon. “What does this Poseidon descendant do? How can he help?”

  “He protects the sea and all its inhabitants, along with Triton descendants. As Enchanters, we protect what we can above the water, and we are also gifted with the ability to control all elements. That’s why we come together at times like these. In whole, we call ourselves the descendants. Together, our powers are much stronger than we are individually.”

  “You speak as if there’s just one Poseidon descendant,” I say curiously. “Aren’t there more?” There’s still so much I don’t know.

  Charlotte nods. “Poseidon’s descendants are rare but not completely extinct. Bumping into one is close to impossible. They usually keep to themselves, but because of the work they do, they encounter more danger than any other god. Isaac suggests that there is one that remains close by. It’s important that we find him. With Rose’s detective skills and Isaac’s knowledge of this lone descendant they will find out where he’s hiding—and hopefully then we’ll be closer to extracting the pollution from the bay.”

  A question that has been nagging me for quite some time now springs to mind. I’m having good luck with Charlotte today, as she’s being very obliging with information, unlike my grandmother. “Why do you think The Equinox waited ten years to begin terrorizing the town again? Why wait so long?”

  Charlotte shakes her head and frowns. “I don’t know, Kat. There’s a lot that goes on outside of this town that we are sheltered from. The Equinox’s mark is just now showing up in our settlement. Something drew him here. I assume he’s discovered many of our locations, but why he’s choosing us now is not something I can answer. There’s no telling where he’ll be at any given time.”

  Now my head is spinning. The more I learn, the more questions I have. Is there really more to this story of the Equinox that goes on outside of Apollo Beach? Could there be more Enchanter murders that we don’t even know about?

  I finish my bowl of cereal before seeking out Rose in her den. When I arrive at her door I stop in my tracks. I can hear her speaking in quiet anger. She’s obviously on the phone but it doesn’t sound like she’s talking to Isaac. No, this is different. It reminds me of the phone call she took in the car, on the way to my first Enchanter meeting.

  Ignoring the fact that I’m interrupting, I knock twice before she calls for me to enter. As I take a seat her ear is still to her phone. “Hey, I’ve got to go—” She lets out an exuberant sigh and shakes her head. “We’ll have to pick this up later. I’m sorry. I really have to go.” Rose looks up at me and smiles. “Okay,” are her final words before she presses the end button on her phone.

  “Sorry about that,” she says to me, gesturing for me to sit. I ignore her and stand opposite her, gripping the top of the chair.

  “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. Charlotte just told me that you’ll be going to visit Isaac. I wanted to wish you a nice trip.”

  Rose softens twenty shades from her conversation with the mystery person on the phone. “Thank you, dear, but won’t you come with us?”

  I shake my head. “I’m going to stay here. I made plans with a co-worker.”

  Surprisingly Rose doesn’t probe. She seems distracted—exhausted even. I hope her leaving is the right thing to do. “We should be home by dinner. If not, you’re on your own tonight.”

  I nod. “Okay.”

  Secretly, I’m doing somersaults. An entire day and night with Johnny with no distractions or interruptions is exactly what I dreamt of. I’ll even do my best to tune out the Equinox, but only for today.

  “Rose,” I have one more question for her, though I feel a bit guilty prying in this moment, but I’m not sure there will be a better time to ask.

  She raises her eyebrows, letting me know it’s okay to ask.

  “I was at the energy plant the other day—”

  “What?” Rose’s voice cuts me off as it raises decibels. I reel back three steps in shock. I freeze. “What were you doing there, Kat?”

  I am so confused by her reaction. “I was at the Manatee Viewing Center—”

  Her color seems to return but she sags into her chair. “Oh, and you saw that it was closed.”

  How do I respond to this? “No. I went in. There were a few manatees there, but that’s not what I want to talk to you about.” I sigh, hoping she’ll let me finish before interrupting and scaring the living daylights out of me again. “I ran into the Operations Manager there. He said he knew you. Robert, he said his name was.”

  Rose’s jaw moves and I see her shoulders quiver slightly. “Yes, I know Robert.”

  “He thought maybe you sent me there. I told him you didn’t, so he didn’t reveal to me what he would have, but Rose—there was something in the room near the turbines—I got a good glimpse of it, but I couldn’t make out what it was. It was well protected.”

  The entire time I speak I watch Rose for a reaction, but she’s good at remaining aloof. I know this much; no reaction means that something is up. Rose knows exactly what is behind that door.

  “Rose? What is going on at the plant? Is it something I should know about?”

  “No!” She shouts this and my hair is sent flying off my shoulders in response. My heart rate quickens as I watch Rose lose it. She grips the edge of her desk now and closes her eyes. I just watch—unable to comprehend the emotions that this conversation brought on her.

  A few minutes go by, maybe more, maybe less. Eventually, Rose finds her calm and opens her eyes to me. “I’m sorry about that Kat, but you must never talk about the plant again.”

  “But why?” I’m about to fight back but then I see it in Rose’s eyes—the same eyes that used magic to throw me onto the couch when I had refused to believe that I had magic in me.

  “This is not a discussion,” she answers sternly. “You’ll forget what you saw at the energy plant, you will never go there—and you will never bring this subject up again.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  That’s the end of that conversation. Rose practically throws me out of her office. Once again, she has bigger secrets to keep from me; secrets that anger her beyond anything I’ve ever seen. As much as I want to dig deeper and push Rose to tell me as I usually do, something halts me from prying this one out of her. I’ve never seen my grandmother react so fervidly.

  Charlotte stands outside of the den, but she doesn’t stop me as I rush out the door and straight upstairs to my room. I engross myself in preparing for my day.

  I sort through my closet longer than normal, letting thoughts of Rose drift to the back of my mind as I choose an ensemble for the day’s events. As soon as I spot my ice blue bikini with black trim, I know that’s the one I’ll wear. The ice blue reminds me of Johnny’s eyes.

  Giddiness overcomes me as I stand in front of my vanity mirror. Why does Johnny make me so nervous? I place my hand around my amethyst and take a few deep breaths before placing the stone under my black sundress that cinches at my hips. The calming effects work best when the stone touches my skin.

  When I first moved to Apollo Beach I was barely able to look at my reflection. I was too shy to pay that much attention to the wallflower in the mirror. Now, I see a beautiful girl staring back at me, and not just because of the
visible transformations that took place during my Enchantment, but because I’ve finally accepted who I am. The once apprehensive young girl has become a fluttering self-confident butterfly. If only I was able to control my erratic heartbeat around Johnny. He seems to be immune to my calming powers—then again, maybe I want him to effect me in such ways.

  Johnny is outside on the dock when I find him at the marina. He’s bent over untying the knot of a thick blue rope, but he must hear me coming because he looks up at me and smiles.

  I smile back at him as I approach, blocking the sun from my eyes.

  He wears a white shirt that clings to him just right and white shorts which show off his strong, healthy skin. His calf muscles flex as he stands to greet me and as soon as his eyes reach mine he appears to have a new expression on his face. Could the Johnny Pierce really be nervous?

  “Just in time. You ready?” He places a hand out to take mine and stiffens it so I can use it as leverage to pull me into the boat—although I’m not sure the word boat does this thing any justice. Most people probably refer to it as a yacht.

  I don’t remember Johnny’s yacht looking this big as I walked to it but now that I’m standing on the back ledge of the vessel, I’m in awe. The two stories of gleaming white glory stands tall above the water. I have nothing to compare it to but its tinted windows, untouched paint, and mahogany wood trim appear brand new.

  Without invitation I walk through the main doors which brings me to a spacious living area. Large bench seats made of striking tan-colored cushions take up an entire side of the main room. Personal touches, most likely from his parents, sit sparingly around the room. The odd throw blanket here, an antique clock there, a yellowing globe, and blue walls give just enough of a stylish vibe.

  Straight ahead sits a kitchen area beside a set of stairs that lead down into a narrow hallway where one single photo hangs on the wall. I’m amazed by how spotless the room is. It doesn’t seem right that an eighteen year old lives here. I look over my shoulder to find Johnny still preparing for our departure at the back of the boat.