by K. K. Allen
The air surrounding us is still. Sounds from the woods are pounding in my ears as birds chirp and insects scurry through the woods. I can hear it all above my thumping chest.
“So,” he says, “are you ready for your first day of work tomorrow?”
“I’m not sure it’s possible to prepare, but I’ll hope for the best.” An image of Johnny flashes through my mind, and I shove it away.
“Do you have any restaurant experience?” he asks.
I shake my head. “None at all.”
“Well, the trick is to just flash your pretty smile, and if you forget anything, offer them something for free.”
“Good advice.” I grin. “Everyone loves free stuff. I can do that.”
He kicks his feet, pushing us farther along. As he does this, he looks over my shoulder, and I follow his movements.
“You can do anything, can’t you, Summer Girl?”
I laugh. “What makes you ask that?”
He shrugs. “Nothing seems to intimidate you the way it would most girls. I mean, Iris and Ava can be a lot to handle, but you seem to do it well. And with the responsibility that must come with being Rose’s granddaughter—I don’t completely understand it, but I imagine it must be rough, especially since you are only now getting to know her.”
“I don’t think I was given much choice when I moved here. I’m slowly been finding my way. And it doesn’t hurt to have a guy like you by my side.”
He’s smiling at me and pulling himself in closer. Before I know what’s happening, our lips lock, and I slam my eyes shut, wanting to savor every second. To my disappointment, he pulls away a second later, still smiling. “We should go on a date. Like, a real one. Not one where all our friends are witness to our every move.”
A date. It’s like my pulse is on a roller coaster ride. “Okay. What do you want to do?”
“We could go to a movie if you want or grab a bite. Or we could do both.”
An entire afternoon, just Alec and me—nothing sounds better. I smile. “Okay.”
“I’ll pick you up tomorrow after your shift.”
“I get off at two.”
“Perfect.”
My heart does another flip while my thoughts start to overanalyze everything to do with dating Alec Stone. Rose once told me that a relationship between a Normal and an Enchanter is hard. There are secrets and double lives that the other half can never access, not until after marriage.
My mood dims when I think about my parents. My mother rejected the idea of this life, and it ended their relationship, just like that. And where is my father now? It’s not like he’s dead somewhere out there. He exists, yet I’ve never even met him.
A loud shriek from downriver snaps me out of my sad thoughts. I look up to see Trisha flying from a rope swing and into the river.
“Oh, hell yes,” Alec says, lifting himself to paddle us forward faster. “Let’s go.”
Alec and I reach the group and hop out of our tubes. He sets them off to the side against some bushes, then we race toward the large tree sitting at the edge of the bank. Alec goes first, running effortless up the thick, leaning tree trunk. He grips the rope then throws himself swinging into the air. After a loud splash, it’s my turn.
I follow the path he took to reach the end of the thick branch. Then I grab the knotted brown rope and throw myself over the water, tossing myself into the center of the river. Exhilaration rushes through me and I’m already eager to do it again. Today was just what I needed. Adventure. Fun. Alec.
When I come up for air laughing, Brett is flying into the water beside me. I swim toward land where Alec is there grinning down at me. “Nice form, Summer Girl.”
“Why, thank you, Birthday Boy. Let’s do it again.”
“I have a better idea.” He helps me out of the water then takes my hand with a mischievous smile and pulls me deeper into the woods until we are hidden by a trunk of a tree. He leans back against it, grips my waist, and pulls me toward him. I stumble into him, our bodies colliding.
“Oops, sorry.” He smirks. “Excuse my eagerness. I just you to myself for a while.”
I’m completely aware of the fact that I’m pressed against Alec, dripping wet in my sexiest bikini. With the way he looks back at me, with such intensity, I’m beginning to wish I was wearing much less. He slides his arms tighter around me and touches his lips to mine. There’s no timid start to this kiss like all the ones before it. This time, I sink into him, molding my body to his as our liplock deepens.
Fingers knead the skin over my waist, his tongue sweeps into my mouth, then his hips push forward almost aggressively. His hands slip to my bare backside as his kiss grows hungrier and much more demanding. As much as I want to like it, something just feels… wrong.
I want to like it. I want to feel the spark that already exists between us burn hot and explode into an inferno of passion that I’ve always craved having. I know I can have that with Alec. He’s gorgeous, sweet, funny, and there’s no doubt he wants all of those things with me too.
Desperate to feel more, I kiss him harder, eliciting a groan from deep down in his chest. His mouth slides from my lips to my neck then lower so that he’s just barely running his lips over my heaving chest. His tongue darts out, running along the edge of my bikini top until he reaches the center of my cleavage.
“You are phenomenal.” His eyes open to mine while his mouth moves slightly to hover over my hardening nipple. Then he looks down, his gaze darkening on me before slipping a hand from my ass to my front and teasing the material that covers my most sensitive area.
When a finger dips into the fabric of my suit bottom, panic causes my heart to hammer away in my chest—but I’m not sure if it’s because I want this, or because I don’t. I place a palm against Alec’s chest, forcing his eyes to mine. I open my mouth to tell him that I’m not ready, but before I can say a word, we’re interrupted by shouting a screaming coming from the bank.
I can’t shake the terror I think I’m hearing. Alec sets me down as we both turn toward the sounds.
Another scream tears through the air, followed by someone yelling, “Help!” It’s Trisha.
Alec must recognize the same sound of terror, and it propels us forward, back to our friends, where Brett is dangling from the rope swing.
“Help!” he shouts.
I glance down to find the black snake from earlier—at least I think it’s the same one. He’s standing tall out of the water, hissing angrily at Brett. But I don’t understand. Snakes don’t eat humans. If anything, they’ll strike and poison them with their venom, but this is the second time this slithering monster looks like he’s hunting for a meal.
Knowing it’s the wrong time to try to figure out the snake’s motives, I press my lids together and focus all my energy on the enemy. Let him go, I demand.
My command does nothing to control the snake this time, so I try throttle him like I did earlier. That seemed to shake him off then, but not this time. Frustrated, I tear through the rest of the bushes to reach the tree trunk, then I start climbing.
“Kat, what are you doing?” Alec calls after me, and I can hear his footsteps following.
I ignore him and climb faster. I have to reach the rope. My foot slips at the top of the branch, and I slide off completely. My arms shoot out to hug the tree, catching myself from falling.
With a loud groan and one swift kick of my legs, I pull myself up and regain my balance. I lie down on the branch, wrapping my arms and legs around it to steady myself.
“Hang on, Brett,” I say through gritted teeth. I pull, feeling the heaviness of the rope with Brett’s weight attached, but I’m strong enough to pull him up. Alec moves closer and reaches for the rope behind me, helping to pull the weight of Brett’s body higher until he’s close enough to the branch to grab it.
Alec takes over, probably assuming I’m too weak to lift Brett onto the tree completely, so I let him. I’ve probably already revealed too much. I collapse against the branch, my
heart beating fast.
Below me, the snake hisses, obviously angry after losing another meal. I glare at him. Shut your mouth, snake. Go back to where you came from.
The snake sinks into the water, but the spring is so clear, I can see every movement he makes as he slithers toward the shore where Trisha and Ava are standing. Adrenaline sets in as I spy a medium-sized branch near me. With one swift arm motion, I snap the branch from the tree and aim its jagged edge downward at full force, driving it through the snake’s head and pinning it into the ground.
Against my urgent and very vocal wishes, the group decides to stay at the park, though they plan to take it easy for the rest of the day and hang in the main swimming area. The girls sprawl out on their towels while the guys take off toward the diving plank.
Restless with my thoughts, I excuse myself from the others and take a walk toward the mermaid theater. I need to talk to Arabella. It’s easy enough to find her since she’s standing under a gazebo, wearing her mermaid dress and taking pictures with kids. I know better than to assume she would wear her real tail above water. That would be impossible, but the mermaid costume she wears now looks just as realistic. She sees me as she’s turning away from the photo booth and waves for me to come over.
“Can we talk?”
Arabella’s eyes are wide. “Of course.” She looks around and pulls me into the empty mermaid theater. It has stadium seating that faces a curved, floor-to-ceiling wall of glass. On the other side of the glass is a reef-like environment filled with ancient statues and a treasure chest on the seafloor.
“That’s where we do our shows, twelve to eighteen feet under water, in the spring,” she says proudly. “Pretty cool, huh?”
Wow. “That’s incredible, but your audience doesn’t wonder how you can breathe under there for so long?”
Arabella laughs. “We have these breathing contraptions that we pretend to use to fake people out.” She winks.
We take a seat on one of the benches, and I start in, unable to wait any longer. “Have you seen Mirella?”
Arabella frowns. “No, she had today off.”
I sigh. “Well, I saw her when we were tubing earlier, and she almost got attacked by a snake. I had to use my magic to make it leave.”
Arabella shakes her head as if that’s impossible. “Snakes would never attack us, Kat. We’re friends with all wildlife around here and everywhere. We have no enemies in these parts.”
That’s exactly what I thought. “Ask her. It was very real. It was hissing and preparing to strike. Then it showed up again when my friends and I were tubing farther down the river. It was hissing at Brett while he was on the rope swing too.”
Her face begins to register her thoughts as she comes to the same conclusion I did.
“I drove a branch into him and killed him—but, Arabella, something was wrong with that snake. It was like it was possessed.”
Her eyes narrow as she brings her face close to mine. “What did the snake look like?”
“It was really big, as thick as my fist, and black. It had these giant beady black eyes that I swear were speaking directly to me.” I wish I could conjure up a better description.
“Do you think it was him?” she whispers.
I shake my head. “It didn’t look the way Rose described, but the same thought crossed my mind initially. Do you think it was being controlled?”
Arabella takes a deep breath and releases it, her worried eyes locked on mine. “It’s possible. Erebus could have followed you here. He could be inhibiting a body here or perhaps even the snake itself. You’re sure it wanted to strike your friend?”
There’s not a question in my mind. “It definitely felt like a threat.”
Arabella frowns. “Kat, I hate to even ask this, but how well do you know your friends?”
I shudder, not even wanting to go there. “Trisha will be one of us soon, and Brett was the one who got attacked.”
“What about your boyfriend?”
“Alec?” I ask incredulously. “Alec wouldn’t hurt a fly. Trust me on that. There’s no way he’s involved with the Equinox. Not to mention, he’s clueless when it comes to all this magic. Then there’s Ava, but that girl is afraid of her own shadow. I just can’t picture her conjuring dark energy.” I let out a laugh. “That’s just ridiculous.”
“Okay,” Arabella says, then she shifts and tosses a glance over her shoulder. “So, this probably isn’t the best time, but do you have a few minutes? I want to introduce you to someone.”
Curiosity gets the better of me. “Sure. I just have to get back to my friends soon.”
“Of course. This should be quick.”
She leads me down a cement hallway until we approach a room filled with trinkets and vanity stations that are set up with makeup and jewelry of all shapes and colors. This is obviously the mermaids’ dressing room. In the center of the room is a large brown cloth couch. A big, burly man with a gray beard is sitting in the middle. His discomfort shows as he shifts.
“The young Katrina Summer.” His booming voice practically blows the hair off my shoulders. His tone is commanding and very powerful, and somehow, I know exactly who he is.
“King Isaac,” I say with confidence.
Arabella pulls me closer so that I’m near her father’s extended hand. As hefty as the man appears, there’s a gentleness to him too. His green eyes sparkle as if he were standing with the sun at his back instead of in an old, cluttered room. His skin, though blemish-free and bright, has a prune-like texture on every inch. His handshake is firm and slow while he studies me like I’m a long-lost friend.
“I don’t usually come up for air,” he says with a wide smile. “But I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to meet you.”
I smile back at him, unable to peel my eyes away from his. It’s like he has me in a trance.
“You remind me so much of your mother.” His words strike me.
My heart charges at the mention of my mom. “You knew her?”
“I did, and I’m sorry to hear of her passing. I was quite fond of your mother.” He tilts his head. “You don’t know why, do you?”
“No.” I shake my head, slightly unnerved. Clearly, I have no idea what he’s talking about, but blood courses the length of my veins.
“I’m the one who found your mom when she was sixteen.”
“What? But Rose never mentioned you being there.”
He sighs and shifts one more time. “Rose is the best at keeping secrets. She means well, but I don’t agree with her on this one. I think you need to understand where you came from, and now that you’re standing in front of me, in my community, I’m going to tell you what I know.”
Something squeezes at my insides. “Tell me.” I take a breath. “Please.”
“Your mother’s body was lifeless, attached to a buoy in the middle of the Gulf. I thought she was dead. She was smart, your mom, managing to find that buoy and literally hang on to her life. When I took her to the shore alongside Summer Manor, she was in bad shape, but I knew Rose would be able to help her. Rose healed her, and that’s when we recognized the charm bracelet she wore around her wrist.”
“Her bracelet with the heart locket attached?” I ask, eagerly. “She gave it to me before she died, but I lost it.”
He frowns. “Yes. Rose made us all aware. We’ve had an army of sea descendants searching for it since that night.”
I swallow, heavy with guilt. “It’s long gone by now.”
He looks as if he’s been stabbed. “You mustn’t give up, Katrina. That locket is the only protection you have against Erebus. Without it, you’re much too vulnerable. You need to get it back.”
I balk at his command, like losing Mom’s bracelet hasn’t haunted me enough. “Aren’t we all vulnerable?” I understand his urgency, but what makes me so different than anyone else?
Isaac sits back and examines me for a second before he speaks again. “Did you ever notice anything strange about it? An engraving, perhaps?”
I try to picture the small jewel I promised my mother I would never take off. “No, I never saw a thing.”
“There’s an engraving on the back.” Isaac’s eyes gloss over, as if he’s lost in his memories of my mother. “I suppose you wouldn’t have seen it before your Enchanting, but I remember it as if am looking at it now. That locket protected her from the Equinox, and now it protects you from possession.”
Horror fills my chest. “Possession?”
“Possession. Being Taken. Whatever you want to call it. Erebus is a soul shifter of sorts. He possesses the bodies of his Equinox Followers to walk among us all without anyone batting an eye.”
I’m silent, trying to process what he’s telling me. He must be mistaken. “You’re not making any sense. Erebus can only possess an Equinox. My mom was a Normal. She was never at risk for possession.” I let out a disgruntled laugh, because what he’s saying is the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard yet. “My mom had nothing to do with any of this. When she learned what my dad was, she freaked out and took me away.”
Isaac is silent for a moment, and I hope he understands now why he’s wrong. The look he gives me tells me there’s something more. I need to let him finish, but I’m shaking now—I don’t think I want him to finish.
“Your mother was a wonderful young lady, but there isn’t any doubt in what I’m telling you today. She wore the bracelet that carried her locket to protect herself from Erebus…” He stares at me, waiting for it to click.
I shake my head slowly. “But my mom…”
From the hesitation in his eyes, Isaac knows that what he’s saying is painful. “Yes, Kat, your mom was an Equinox.”
The weight on my chest is so heavy, it’s like someone is pressing into me with all their might, squeezing the air from my lungs. I’m too numb to do anything about it. None of this can be true.
“There’s no way,” I say breathlessly.
He nods. “Yes, Katrina. Your mother was stripped of her memories before I found her. Whoever left her in the bay meant for her to die there, but I rescued her, Rose cared for her, and then she fell in love with your father.”