by Allie Burton
I regarded the blazing ball of fire in the sky. Seconds ago it had been hidden by clouds. Now it shone brightly. I’d done that.
I’d done that!
A bubble filled my chest. Power thrummed through my veins. The warmth of the sun hit my skin and I reveled in it. Not only could I create waves, but I could make the sun shine.
“Quit admiring your work and get down here.” He didn’t sound jealous, more like anxious.
He had a point. And his anxiety also showed he cared. We were still stuck on a boat heading out into the Bay controlled by Jeb and the Society. I heaved out a breath. We had to get off this boat.
I scooted around in the net so my feet stuck out of the two-foot-hole I’d melted.
“Hurry. I’ll catch you.” Xander stepped beneath the net.
“You can’t.” I wished that he could. “We can’t touch.”
His expression fell and he gritted his teeth. “Yeah, right.”
It was sweet that he wanted to save me. We needed to figure the touching thing out before attempting contact again.
Gripping the thin net between my fingers, I lowered myself down. Once my feet dangled only a little from the deck, I let go. My feet hit the deck with a soft thud. I crouched, absorbing the shock of the drop in my knees. So far, so good.
The sun energized me. “Now, what?”
Xander squatted by the cage filled with crabs ignoring me.
“What’re you doing?” We needed freedom, not crabs. Although I did feel sorry for the little guys.
“The fisherman said he’d prepared a crab with the oil vessel.” He took out another crab and set it on the deck. The crab scuttled away. “He looked guilty when he said it, like he wasn’t supposed to tell.”
“Wouldn’t that crab be dead?” I sure hoped so.
“There’s one toward the back that’s not moving.” He took out three more crabs. They followed the first. “Got it.” He held up a dead crab. “And look at this.” He pointed to a straight line that ran up the middle. “I bet the vessel’s inside.”
“We don’t have time to look.” My gaze darted toward the wheelhouse. “They could check on me at any moment. And,” I scanned the horizon. “We’re getting farther from shore.”
He shoved the dead crab into his backpack and slung it around his shoulders. “Dive in.”
We dashed to the rail at the back of the boat. The San Francisco skyline looked so far away. The docks were only about seventy-five feet out. Not too far. But far enough.
I searched the cold, unforgiving water. My stomach tripped. “What do you think will happen to the water when I jump in?” What if the entire bay disappeared?
Swinging a leg over, Xander climbed onto the rail. “We don’t have much choice. Jeb has a gun. And there’s only one way to find out what happens to the water.”
“You go first, you know, in case evaporation happens.”
“I don’t like going before you.” Lines of worry formed around his eyes.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be right behind you.” I jerked my chin. “Go.”
With one last uncertain look, he performed a beautiful swan dive into the water.
I held my breath as my gaze followed him in and under. I waited and waited. Where was he? He’d seemed so confident. He surfaced and twisted around toward me. He waved.
It wasn’t a friendly wave. His hand moved back and forth frantically, in warning.
I jerked around. Jeb stood at the edge of the corridor taking in the situation.
My tummy jolted. Anxiety amped my brain. I had no choice, no more time to think. Gripping, the top grimy brass rail, I put my foot on the lowest rail.
Jeb’s running footsteps pounded behind me. Closer. He couldn’t touch me but he could…
I heard the net being yanked down from the hook. Jeb gathered it in his arms, untangling as he ran. He was going to try and catch me.
Been there. Done that.
I climbed higher on the railing, said a quick chant to Aten, and jumped. My arms flailed out to my sides. I had rudimentary swimming skills, certainly wasn’t an Olympian. And that was only if there was water to land in.
At the Nilometer I’d hit water before it evaporated. There’d only been a few feet of water below. In the bay, the water level was deep. How deep I didn’t know. I had a feeling I was about to find out.
I gasped and held my breath just before hitting the murky surface. Water splashed and then sizzled. I fell into a vortex of air. Cold steam rose around and brought me down in slow motion. Thick fog cocooned me. I couldn’t see and I waved my arms.
My body hit the coarse bottom. “Oof.”
The fall wasn’t painful, just surprising. Grit stuck to my cheeks and in my hair. Sand and dirt and muck. I needed a shower. But how could I take a shower when I couldn’t get wet? I pushed the panic down. I’d worry about being clean later.
Getting to my feet, I waved at the air around me. If I was at the bottom of an empty bay, what had happened to the water? It couldn’t have evaporated that quickly. There was just too much.
I stiffened and jerked my head around. The air started to clear.
A wall of water surged forward. Not toward the docks and touristy Pier 39. Toward the Sun Worshipper.
The humongous wave, bigger than the one that had taken out the men on the cliffs, curled over the boat. The wave hung like a stalking storm, waiting. Then the wall of water crashed down, overtaking the boat. The Sun Worshipper disappeared in the thunderous collapse of the wave. The water swirled and churned, agitating the entire area.
I let out a shaky whoosh of air. Had I steered the water toward the boat? My legs shook. Did I have that kind—that much—power? What had happened to Jeb and the fisherman? Had I killed them?
Sucking in steamy oxygen, I swiveled my gaze around. What about Xander? Had I swamped and drowned him, too?
Chapter Eighteen
Olivia
My heart, which had become whole again at Xander’s return, crushed beneath the new fear of his death. I couldn’t take losing him a second time. Scanning the horizon, it was hard to see anything while surrounded by my own personal fog machine. Misery at Xander’s fate and the entire pier and coastline quivered inside.
Except the wave had gone out toward the ocean and away from the pier, away from the people, away from Xander.
The water surrounding me calmed. The Sun Worshipper stuck up from the surface, listing to one side. The mast was broken, and I choked back a sob. I couldn’t think about the boat’s passengers. They certainly hadn’t thought about what was best for me or Xander.
“Olivia!”
Xander’s voice rushed through and jolted me.
My lungs filled with elation, pumping up the area in my chest and cushioning my heart. He was alive.
“Olivia!” He stood on one of the more deserted, not-demolished, docks. His green eyes brightened and he waved bare arms connected to a bare chest. The backpack was at his feet.
I picked up my pace with renewed energy. It felt like I was going home. To Xander. I hurried to get to him and to get out of the bay that didn’t have water around me.
“Did you see the massive wave take out Jeb and the Sun Worshipper?” Xander wrung out his shirt and pulled it back on.
Darn.
Shaking off the attraction, I climbed onto the dock. “Yeah. I created it.” I gulped thinking about the almost-innocent fisherman and the guilty Jeb. “I hope they aren’t…” I didn’t even want to contemplate what happened to them.
“Don’t feel bad.” He hefted the sopping wet backpack onto his shoulders. “They were going to use you and kill me. They planned to threaten world leaders with mass destruction and rule the world.”
What Xander said made sense. It was logical. But… “You’re right. It’s just hard to think about—”
“Don’t.” He tossed me a smexy smile that made it hard to think of anything but him. “Let’s get out of here so we can crack that crab open and see what’s inside.”
Arriving at Aquatic Park, drums beat, maracas shook, and guitars strummed from the daily impromptu concert on the top steps of the outdoor amphitheater. Nothing stopped the music here. Not rain, or now sun. Not strange waves. Musicians gathered every day to practice and collaborate and spread their own form of joy.
My body swayed. I half hopped-half danced down the stairs, trying to shake off my earlier blues. Thinking about the two men would only cause more pain. I had to move on.
The band swung into a song I’d heard before. Some ancient music from the 1940’s that Fitch had loved to play.
Music people listen to today is crap. I heard his words in my head as if he stood right beside me.
A wave of pure homesickness swept through me and my shoulders drooped. I could never touch any of the kids while we played or danced. I could never go home again, not with the curse. We had to put a stop to it. And once we did, what would happen to me? Could I return to Fitch? And what about Xander?
My heavier step led us to the sand at the edge of the water. Xander set the backpack down and took out the crab. He picked up a rock and lifted it high above his shoulder.
“Wait! Don’t smash it.” My arm shot up. “What if you ruin the vessel too?”
“Right.” He lowered his arm. “I’ll pry open the crack.”
I sat down on the damp sand, which immediately dried beneath me.
He pried his fingers in between the obviously man-made crack in the crab.
The crack widened. A container snuggled inside the crab in a space that had been carved specifically to hold it. The gold glinted in the sun and the etched lines of the hieroglyphics cast shadows.
All my sadness evaporated like…water when it touched me.
“The crab is like a container within a container.” Kneeling down, he peeled away the shell. Then, he took out the vessel, opened the stopper, and sniffed. “Olibanum. It stimulates the sense of smell.”
“Which is what the last clue said.” My skin tightened knowing we were on the right track. I wanted to get on with it. To find all the oils and make a deal to end the burnout. “Let me read the new clue.” I took the vessel from him and read, “Down crooked street. Bricks under feet.”
He went from his knees to his bottom. “What does that mean?” He let the sand filter through his strong fingers.
Staring, I wished I could be one of those grains of sand.
I couldn’t control what my powers would let me do, or not let me do. I could only move forward. Examining the ancient vessel again, I studied the ancient artwork. I might be able to read Egyptian, but I didn’t understand what the cryptic clues meant.
“Why doesn’t Tut help us out here?” I whined wanting Tut to hear.
“Tut wasn’t involved in hiding the oils or writing the clues.” Xander used a finger to draw circles in the sand. “The Society did it because of their secrecy issues.”
So secret, maybe only Jeb knew where the oils were hidden. And he might be dead.
Xander and I both went quiet. I was thinking about the Sun Worshipper possibly sinking, my powers, and the new clue. The music continued to play in the background. The warm sun beat down, energizing me again. My nerve endings pulsed. I needed action.
I untied and slipped off my shoes. Then, I took off my socks and let my toes dig into the coarse sand. The sun burned more brightly then I remembered, drying the damp beach and calming the waves. I held up my face and let the sun shine on me. I nodded my head to the music.
The song playing was one Fitch listened to often. The beat wasn’t melancholy but it brought me down, reminded me of what I missed. Not him, but the kids and the comradery. Not wanting to think about the negative, I jumped to my feet and twirled to the music. “Take off your shoes.”
“Why?” Xander shielded his eyes from the sun. His dark hair took on a blue-ish tinge in the light, making him look exotic.
“I want to dance.” With you. I held my breath waiting for his response. The beating of my heart timed out the seconds.
He probably thought I was nuts. “I don’t know how to dance.”
I held out my hand. “I’ll teach you.”
“I can’t touch you.”
“You can in water.” The thought had no sooner popped in my head than I was spouting it out. And I knew it was right. Something deep inside of me, not Tut, told me it was so. And I believed it. A smile sprinkled across my face. I’d figured it out on my own. Without Tut or Xander’s help.
He and I had touched while in the ocean by the Nilometer. It was the only thing that made sense. I could touch people in water. The only dancing I’d do in the future was in the bathtub. I had to take advantage of the calm bay now. “Take off your shoes.”
He glanced around and I followed his gaze. No one watched. The musicians didn’t even realize we were there. No one else was on the beach because the day was supposed to be cold and rainy.
Until I changed that.
Changed the weather.
Power surged through me again. I still found it hard to believe. Dehydrating water was one thing but making ginormous waves and the sun shine—wow—that was on a completely different level. No more foggy days for me. If I lived much longer.
But even with all my power, I couldn’t force Xander to like me. Couldn’t affirm his interest. Couldn’t stop the pain if he rejected me. Again.
The late afternoon sun shined down harder, more intense because I waited for him to respond. Nervous energy bopped inside my body like dancing by itself.
“Alright.” He untied his gym shoes and rolled up his own jeans, which he’d changed into at the Chinese restaurant.
I let out a huge breath realizing he trusted me.
He stood and wiped his hands on his thighs. He followed me into the shallow water, pushing against the waves with his long legs. He leaned forward.
The waves curled around me like I was a magnet of the opposite force. A jolt shot through my body and I took a quick look around. No one paid attention, no one would notice the weird way water avoided or evaporated around me.
Sucking in a deep breath, I held out my hands. I thought water made the difference but doubt pricked my enthusiastic bubble. “Ready?”
He bit his lip. “Not really.”
“Afraid I’ll zap you or afraid you can’t dance?” My voice held a challenge. Or did he not want to dance with me?
“Neither.” He took hold of my hands with a firm grip.
Nothing happened. No zap, no shock. Well, at least not an electrical one. The connection was mystical and concrete at the same time.
His face lit with a slight smile. He gripped my hands tighter.
Tingles shot up my arms and the warmth from his hands enveloped my fingers. The more I got to know him, not the crazy-Egyptian stuff but him as a guy, the more I liked him. His easy and yet hard upbringing. His intelligence. His caring.
“O-okay, then.” I pushed my attraction aside to concentrate on the dance. After all, this was my idea. I’d wanted to dance.
Not fall in…like.
That’s all it could be. Anything else was impossible. Too many complications in my life. And, I might not even live to turn seventeen.
For a few minutes I wanted to forget about the Society and the curse. Forget about my growing attraction. I wanted to appreciate the band and lose myself in the music. Just for a moment and then I’d return to the real world. “The rhythm goes like one ah two, one ah two.”
He squeezed my fingers and smiled a lopsided grin.
“It’s fast and upbeat.” Like the way my heart pounded even though we hadn’t even started dancing. “Your steps basically mirror m
ine.”
Did his heart mirror mine? Was his throbbing?
“I can handle that.” His voice sounded deeper, sexier than before. His eyes gleamed with a light that drew me.
I wished we were dancing to a slow song. Since we could touch, why not touch a lot. “Go right left right.”
He moved in the opposite direction and tripped, splashing water in the air. His face flushed. Droplets hit my leg and steamed off. I laughed, enjoying his discomfort. He normally appeared so in control.
“I said right first.” I teased with an adult voice, like I was the teacher and he an especially slow student.
“It’s hard to see with the waves rushing in and out.”
“Not around my feet.” Laughter bubbled with lightness in my chest. Being different, having this weird power and a curse, still scared me but I couldn’t run around the city afraid of everything. I had to take control. By deciding to find the oils, I’d taken action and it felt right.
My acceptance must’ve seeped into him because his step lightened. “Okay.”
“Like this.” I moved my feet to the music.
He tried again and almost fell. “I can’t believe we’re dancing in the San Francisco Bay. Especially with the Society looking for us. We should be running and hiding.”
“If Jeb survived the wave it will take him awhile to get back to shore.”
“And we don’t know where to go next.”
I’d already run through the reasons why we shouldn’t be doing this in my mind. “Doesn’t it feel good just to let go?”
“Yeah, it does.” The water reflected in his eyes changing the green hue to a deeper color, a more intense color. I couldn’t look away. If the water repelled with a negative magnetic force, then his gaze held a positive charge. I was drawn. Drawn to his eyes, to his smile, to his heart.
I stumbled on my own feet. “Don’t concentrate on your feet.”
“I’m not.” His gaze smoldered. “I’m concentrating on you.”
My mind blanked. All thoughts and actions rushed in and out of my brain like the waves. My heart stopped. My mouth dropped. I didn’t know what to say. “Uh.”
He took a step closer. “If we can dance, can we kiss?”