by K. K. Allen
Erebus slithers closer to me so he’s right in front of my face. It takes everything in me not to swing at him or tie him into a knot with my mind.
“Next time, I will take your body, and kill everyone you love.” Erebus chuckles. “And then you’ll show me where the energy source is—so that I can destroy it along with this entire little sanctuary that you’ve created for yourselves.”
He begins to slither away but turns his evil serpent head back toward me for his finale. “Do tell Rose I say hello. It won’t be long until we meet again.”
And then he’s gone.
My tears fall all at once. My body shakes and I’m grateful for the comfort of Johnny and Alec. Without them, I’d let my strength die right here.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Like a herd of cattle, Rose, Charlotte, Trisha and her parents, Arabella and her sisters, even Isaac come barreling through the maze to get to us. By the time they reached us Erebus is gone—long gone, with only a promise to return.
At first, I don’t make out the questions they ask or the warm words they express at the fact that I’m still alive. I only have thoughts of my mother and the pendant that killed her by saving my life. She knew all along that it would come to this. That’s why she took me away all those years—to make it harder for the Equinox to find us. And that’s why she gave me her pendant when she did. She knew that she’d die and that I’d come to Apollo Beach to live.
This is where I’m meant to be.
More Enchanters begin to fill into the space with us—all curious and anxious to know what took place here.
I look up at the faces with me now. Charlotte’s arms hold me tight as tears stream down her face. Rose is on the other side of me, holding me too. Such an odd but nice feeling to have the comfort of those who have taken me in, especially my grandmother who has appeared cold and distant to me since I first moved here. It’s clear that she loves me.
Johnny and Alec filled everyone in on Ava, Iris, and Erebus, during my thoughtful silence. Now that everyone knows what we went through and the facts have sunken in, I stand.
All faces turn to look at me, expectation crosses their faces, and there’s something special—almost momentous, about what is happening. They see me as a leader—as someone who can stand up against the one person who threatens us all.
“The Equinox will be back.” I shake my head and look around while I think of how to phrase my next sentence. “His mission hasn’t changed. He still wants to kill us all, but for some reason he thinks I’m the key—possessing me and accessing the energy source, whatever that is.” I throw a look pointedly at Rose.
Rose approaches me with wild eyes. “He knows?”
I shrug, trying my hardest to not show her my own anger. This secret she insists on keeping from me is the same secret that Erebus wants—the same reason he plans to possess my body. “Yes, apparently I’m going to show him where this energy source is.”
Rose looks around at all of us, as if deciphering if it’s safe to relay her secret. “It’s the one thing that the Elders have always protected. Because no matter how many of us die, there will always be our energy source—but the Equinox can never find it. If Erebus gets ahold of it, all we’ve built will be destroyed. That’s why we keep it a secret. The more people who know endanger us all.” She turns to me. “And you especially cannot know. If you do and you are possessed…” she shudders.
I place a hand on Rose’s arm and look into her eyes. “Okay. Then don’t tell us. The less we know, the better, but we need to figure out a way to protect whatever it is.” I stare down at my bracelet. “And this bracelet better not come off—ever.”
Rose shakes her head. “It won’t. It’s bound to you. You’re the only one who can take it off.”
Suddenly the thought of Ava and Iris weigh me down. I feel bloated and sick by what transpired just recently. “I killed Ava.” My voice is weak and shaky.
Rose moves her arms around me quickly, tightening her grip so that no space is left between us. “You did what you had to do, dear. There was no other way. When Erebus commands evil upon someone that person makes a choice. Ava knew what she was doing. Erebus was her leader and there’s nothing you could have done to change that.”
“But Iris—”
Rose pushes back against me so that she’s looking me straight in the eyes. “Erebus killed Iris, not you.”
I gasp, realizing something else. “What about their parents?” My eyes are wide and I look around frantically. “What if they come after us now?”
Rose frowns. “They’re gone. Detective Xavier confirmed that they’ve moved on—probably with Erebus.”
Sighing, I feel slight relief from the fact they fled. “I need to talk to Johnny and Alec.”
Rose leads the group away through the maze pathway.
Arabella stays behind. “Kat, I’m so happy you’re alright.”
She hugs me and I smile at her. “Thank you. I take it that you didn’t find Johnny.” I smile through my sarcasm.
She winces. “I did find him.”
I look between Arabella and Johnny. “She found me,” he says. “But then Iris, Ava, and Alec captured me and brought me here. This one beat me up…” He gestures to Alec, but for some reason doesn’t look upset. Alec looks ashamed.
“Sorry man—I was protecting Kat.” Alec says with a shrug.
Now we all turn to look at Alec in surprise. “You beat Johnny up to protect me?”
“Everything I’ve done with Iris and Ava since I stood you up was to protect you.” Alec’s expression is wary, as if he’s unsure I’ll forgive him, but I already have—well, maybe not the beating up on Johnny part.
I shake my head. “I don’t understand. You stood me up and started hanging out with Ava, and you two have been all over each other…”
Alec looks around. “Kat, can we talk about this in private?”
I glance at Johnny, his expression looks like stifled anger. I can’t do that to him, not right now. “We’ll talk about it later. I’m just glad I didn’t have to kill you too.”
Alec turns his head down. “Right.”
“But what are you? If you’re not an Enchanter and you’re not an Equinox…”
Alec looks back up and shakes his head. “I don’t know, Kat. I know that I’m not exactly human. I know that I can build a fire in my hands, with just a thought. I can heal a wound with a touch, and I know that whatever I am fooled Ava and Iris into thinking I was just like them.” He frowns. “But I don’t know why—or how.”
“You’re a descendant of Apollo, God of the Sun.” Arabella chimes in making us all turn to her. “All the signs are there, you just have to know your history.” She shakes her head. “How can you not know what you are? Either of you?”
Arabella scolding Johnny and Alec makes me cringe, then sigh. “Alec was adopted, Arabella.”
“Oh,” she contorts her face. “Sorry Alec.”
He shrugs. “Whatever. So I’m a descendant of Apollo.” He shakes his head, telling me that he thinks it’s ridiculous. “I didn’t understand what was happening to me, but for the entire summer, I felt strange. The week after Fourth of July I noticed that I could do things—with my mind. Ava and Iris were the only ones I talked to about it. Ava approached me first—after we left the restaurant the night of our almost-date, she revealed herself to me at the marina. She told me that I was just like her, and that you were evil.”
I laugh. “Right.”
He smiles. “That’s what I thought. I knew it wasn’t true—and then Iris revealed herself to me after Trisha’s party. I knew that I needed to remain close to them to find out what they were really up to, and to make sure you were safe. I didn’t trust them but I had no clue it would lead to all of this.”
Ava first revealed herself at the marina. I think about his words as it drums up more questions. “Alec, do you know anything about the barrels of liquid being poured into the marina?”
He makes a face. “No, I know n
othing about that.”
I frown. I’m glad to know that Alec isn’t a part of the pollution issues, but then who was? Was it Ava and Iris? But what were they doing?
Alec looks at Johnny. “I’m sorry for the fist in your mouth man. No hard feelings. I needed them to think that I was against you.”
Johnny shakes his head and holds out his hand. “No hard feelings at all. See,” Johnny presses my hand to his cheek and I know he wants me to heal him—so I do. All the while searching his eyes, wondering where we stand after everything.
He gives me nothing in return. Instead, pulls my hand away and looks back to Alec. “See.” His face is perfect again. “Thanks for protecting Kat.”
Alec looks between us now. Johnny’s hand is still holding mine and Alec’s expression seems defeated. Something inside of me wants to reach out to him but I stop myself. There will be a better time for that conversation.
Arabella looks at us all and smiles. “Well, now that Kat kicked some butt out there, I think we should all rest. I can walk Kat home—unless one of you wants to.”
I know she is teasing us all and I could kick her for it.
Johnny pulls me closer. “I’ll take Kat.” He turns to me. “I need to talk to you.”
“Descendant of Poseidon is the winner.” Arabella hooks arms with Alec and gives him that charming smile of hers. “You can walk me to the water.”
They walk away and I linger back with Johnny for a moment before leaving the maze. I never want to look at a garden again.
“I’m sorry I freaked out on you earlier.” I’m shaking my head in apology to him. “But with everything I knew, I’d already come to terms with the fact that whoever had my pendant was the Equinox.” I look into his eyes and sigh. “I’m so glad it’s not you. I mean—I’m so glad you’re you.” I make a face. “I’m sorry.”
Johnny pulls me in. His comforting embrace is exactly what I need, but something about his expression is off and unsettles me.
“You don’t have to apologize. I get it. I don’t know how Arabella found me but I’m glad she did.” His forehead touches mine and I close my eyes. “And now you know who I am.”
I nod. A sting pricks the back of my eyes as I look back at him. I’m happy to be here with him, but I’m anxious for what’s coming next.
“My parents raised me to understand what I’m meant to do, so nothing has changed there, but putting a title to who and what I am changes things a bit.”
I shake my head. “Why? How?”
He closes his eyes for a second before opening them again. “I need to be out there, protecting the sea. Especially with the threat of the Equinox so alive right now, I need to be protecting what protects us all.”
What is he saying? “Don’t leave. You just came back.” I don’t care if I sound desperate. Johnny cannot leave. Not right now. Not ever.
He pulls my face into his hands and presses his lips to mine. I can feel the emotion between us and something much more—electric. I understand now why his kiss affects me so much. We’re giving each other energy.
When our lips part it’s like a volcano of my built-up emotions finally erupts into a flow of hot tears. I’m exhausted.
Johnny rambles on, but I’m barely making out what he’s really trying to say. “I can’t just wait around while he’s out there—and you’ll be safe here. It’s not like you need me to keep you safe. You’ve got your family, and Alec—”
Something in his expression is off; he can’t even look at me as he speaks. I’m confident there’s more behind his reasons for leaving. How does he know that I’ll be safe? I shake my head as a ball of anger grows in my chest. “This has nothing to do with my safety. You’re going after Erebus, aren’t you?”
When he says nothing and looks away I know it’s true. His anger toward Erebus is deep. The Equinox killed his parents in front of him, and he wants to avenge their death. It’s his fury for the Equinox that blinded him into thinking that I could actually be part of it all.
I grab his arms and give them a shake. “This is about you wanting revenge? What are you going to do when you find him? If you find him. Erebus will be back, Johnny, and when he does come back, we’ll need you here. And you need us too.”
It seems as if my words do nothing for him so I try a different tactic. “I don’t want you to go.”
His eyes return to mine. He truly looks conflicted. “I don’t want to leave you.” He explores my eyes and I think he’s about to say something else but he doesn’t. Instead, he drops his hands and shoves them in his pockets. “I have to leave tonight. Arabella says—”
He pauses and my jaw drops, a deep hole of hurt spreads in my chest. “Arabella told you to leave?”
He shakes his head. “It’s not like that—she clarified my goals, and she’s right, Kat. I need to be out there, especially right now.”
I stuff my anger deep down into my chest. There’s no point in begging Johnny to stay when he’s already made up his mind. “I’ll walk you.”
We leave the maze and Summer Island altogether. I can hear the bay waves in the distance; they sound eerily calm tonight, but nothing in me feels calm. My mind roams, wondering why Johnny could possibly think leaving is the best solution. Most of all, I’m saddened that he would choose leaving over staying with me.
When we reach his yacht that sits at the end of the marina docks, something tugs at my chest in memory of our time together yesterday. I can’t imagine life in Apollo Beach without him.
I look up at him but his face remains saddened—distant. I ache for his broodiness now.
“Promise me you won’t wait for me.”
There they are; the words that peck away at my core like a starving bird. A tear rolls down my cheek and I turn away. If I speak, I’ll choke on my words. It’s best that I listen now.
“He’s already taken too many people from us, Kat. Those girls tonight. My parents, your mom, and possibly—”
I shake my head and glare at him. “Don’t say it.”
He moves away from me and begins untying rope and tossing it into the boat. I just stand there at first, but then I start to help him. I’m tempted to puncture a hole in the engine but that would be too obvious. Instead I conjure up the winds. If I create impossible boating weather then—
“Kat, stop!” His stern voice throws me off my elements. I shake slightly in the moment, feeling my lips tremble as the wind calms back down, but the pain in my chest is too deep.
“Kat,” his voice is gentle now, so I turn to him and lean into his final embrace.
Without another word I watch him climb into his yacht, start the engine, and idle out of the marina. As I stand there watching him drift further away from me, I desperately believe that any second now he’ll come to his senses and turn the boat around. If he feels for me what I feel for him he can’t possibly want to leave.
I don’t know how long I stand there in a puddle of my own tears but it’s long enough to see an empty horizon and the sun begin to rise.
Johnny is gone.
Epilogue
It would be a lie to say that I feel any better throughout the next week. School starts up on Monday and I’ve yet to prepare a thing, but I couldn’t concentrate if I tried.
Charlotte and Rose just left for the meeting house where they will greet a new family of Enchanters. I chose to stay back for many reasons, but mostly, I’m tired of people. I don’t want to run into anyone I know, and I’m not ready to visit Summer Island yet—not after what happened.
Instead, I spend the day on the patio near the pool with the Solstice Law Book in front of me, but I can’t comprehend a word.
I close the book in frustration just as a figure appears beside me. I jump. “Alec.”
He’s grinning at me and looks gorgeous doing it in his ironed white shorts and blue pinstriped shirt.
“You really shouldn’t scare people around here, you never know what they’ll do in defense.” It feels nice to be humorous.
Alec
shrugs. “I could’ve taken you.”
He sits on the lounge chair to my right, but faces me. “I’m worried about you.”
I raise my eyes at him. “Is that your ice breaker?”
He tilts his head. “Come on Kat. A lot has happened. Don’t you want to talk about anything? I’m still here for you, no matter what.”
I smile at him. How can I resist? He’s still the sweet, charming Alec from next door. It’s hard to remember there was a time that I was head over heels for him, and that time wasn’t very long ago. “A lot has definitely happened…but as for wanting to talk…” I shake my head.
“Okay. Door is always open.”
“What about you? You’ve gone through quite the transition. How are you feeling? How are your parents reacting?”
It’s nice to know that Alec and his parents can talk about this stuff now. His parents seemed devastated at the secret between them. Hopefully that void is long gone now.
“You know, this supernatural stuff isn’t so bad,” he winks at me. “Chores have become so simple. Just a wave of my hand,” he gestures with his hand, making the pool water splash.
I laugh.
“Or a swish of my finger,” he moves his finger in a swooping motion, creating a bigger splash in the pool.” He grins. “Or…this.” He takes an invisible scoop of water and flicks it on me so water sprays me lightly.
“Hey!” I sit up and kick his foot. “You shouldn’t abuse your powers like that.”
He chuckles. “I think I was using my powers for good if it made you laugh.”
I have to give him that one. “I wonder how your powers differ from mine, with you being a descendant from Apollo rather than Astina.” It’s not a question as much as a statement. “Take Arabella’s family for example. They carry on traits of the descendants of Triton, so they can live underwater. Enchanters can heal practically anything, and we can control the earth’s elements. But what can Apollo’s descendants do?
Alec shrugs. “Beats me. Make fireballs in my hands is all I can come up with.”