To my right, a pile of books demonstrates the failure of this task. I’ve spent the entire week more or less shut in the library. I’ve combed through newspaper articles, textbooks and anything else I can get my hands on.
I’ve looked for the shipwreck from the nightmare, but to no avail. I’ve spent days reading about mythical monsters in sirenity, but nothing appears to have spindly, white hands. There is, however, an abundance of creatures with clawed wings, gnarled red limbs, and jagged fingers. I would hope that these truly are more myth than reality.
The puzzle remains unsolved and we’re out of time. Tomorrow is November 19th. The Supermoon is closing in and I’m helpless to stop it.
I pack away my books and walk to my dorm like a zombie. The world is quiet, the campus deserted.
“Maya, wait up!” I hear his voice and stop in my tracks.
Reef catches up and the sight of him breaks my heart. He looks so beautiful in the early evening twilight, like an artist’s rendition of perfection, shaded in golden hues. Reef can’t die, he can’t be taken. The very idea splits my soul in two.
“What’s up?” I force a smile.
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” Reef wraps me in a hug and I lean into him. “You’re extremely elusive these days. I feel like I haven’t seen you all week.”
I laugh despite myself. “I’m assuming you didn’t check the library?”
“Everywhere but,” Reef confirms with a sheepish smile.
I doubt he’s ever set foot in the library. Maybe he never will. A chill cuts through me. I shake my head and try to quell the wave of nausea.
“I'm basically living there,” I mumble, staring at the ground. “I can’t find anything on the damn necklace, shipwreck or the creepy hands.”
I don’t notice that my hands have curled into involuntary fists until Reef takes them in his.
“Whatever happens tomorrow,” he whispers gently. “We’ve got each other.”
Tears spill down my face. “But, Reef…”
I trail off into silence, not able to finish the sentence. How can I convey how terrified I feel for him?
“Come on.” Reef smiles and pulls me by the hand. “I have something to show you.”
I wipe my eyes. “Where are we going?”
“Lighthouse.”
Happy memories of our first night at the lighthouse wash over me. I try to force back my tears and I bite my lip so hard I taste blood. We walk in silence and the weight of a million things unsaid hangs between us.
I want to tell him how I feel about him, what he means to me. I want to say that I’ll never forgive myself if anything happens to him because of me, because we can’t find the answers to this impossible puzzle.
I follow Reef to the lighthouse and our footsteps echo through the deafening silence. The sun sets invisibly in the cloudy, gray sky and the world darkens.
The second we get to the platform, Reef spins around and grabs me. He pulls me towards him and his mouth crashes into mine. He’s kissed me passionately before, tenderly, slowly, lovingly… but he’s never kissed me like this. This is new. There’s a desperation in the way he holds me, in the way we cling to each other.
When we finally break apart, tears course down my face.
“It’s okay, Maya.” He wraps me in a hug and rests his chin on my hair. “It’s going to be okay.”
“The dream.” I hiccup and press my face against his chest. “There’s no way out. There’s never an ending where you get out alive.”
“Whatever happens on November 20th, you have to promise me something.” The vibrations of Reef’s chest tickle my cheek. “Whatever comes for us — comes for me — you have to get to the necklace before Halloran does. For my mom. For me.”
I choke back a sob and bury my face into his chest, inhaling the comforting scent of clean laundry and ocean salt. He’s wearing the same burnt orange hoodie from our first night here. I clutch at handfuls of the material.
“Who knows, maybe nothing bad will happen.” Despite his comforting words, he sounds unsure. I appreciate that he’s trying to make me feel better but it makes me want to cry even more.
Reef cups my face and gently runs his thumbs under my eyes, wiping away my tears. “In the meantime, we have tonight. Can we please forget about it all — forget the world — and enjoy tonight?”
I nod and swallow the lump in my throat.
Reef winks at me and grabs my hand. “Besides, I think you’ll like this.”
We walk across the platform to the little alcove. Then, Reef continues around the corner.
I gasp. There's a fluffy blanket on the ground, surrounded by flickering candles.
“Reef!” I look at him, breathless. His emerald eyes are shining.
“I wanted to take you here because this is where it happened. I held you here in the middle of the night a few weeks ago and you couldn’t stop laughing. That was when I knew.”
He drops off his backpack and I notice it’s full to the brim. He takes both of my hands in his before he continues.
“It was right here that I knew how I felt about you. Knew that you were the most important person in the world to me and that I’d stop at nothing to keep you safe. That hasn’t changed, Maya. Whatever happens, I need you to know that it’s always been you. You mean the world to me. It’s like I was destined to meet you.”
My heart explodes with waves of emotion so strong, they almost bring me to my knees. I take his face in my hands. “Reef Fenner, you are my world.”
Reef cracks a grin. “Well, Maya Murphy, in that case — will you be my date for tonight?”
I nod, my eyes brimming with tears. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
Reef pulls a spare hoodie out of his backpack and hands it to me.
“First, I figured you’d be cold.” He shoots me a half-smile and my heart cracks further.
“Second, I figured you’d be hungry.” Reef unpacks the rest of his backpack, which is full of sodas, sushi and more blankets.
We eat and then make a blanket fort. I cuddle up to him with my head on his chest and listen to his heartbeat. I know we could get in a world of trouble if we’re caught here, but I no longer care.
Being with Reef means more than anything.
He strokes my hair and I try to commit this moment to memory. The way he looks, feels, smells. The sound of his voice and his words.
I move my hand along his chest and feel the star at his neck. I run my finger over the necklace and look at the sky above, but it’s empty. Tonight, the constellations are hidden behind clouds heavy enough to extinguish their light.
I wake in the morning to sunshine heating my face. My heart flutters for a moment as the memory of last night plays behind my eyelids. I fell asleep, here at the lighthouse, with Reef holding me in his arms.
But I don’t feel him beside me. I open my eyes and turn over, my body stiff from lying on the ground. I look around our space but I’m alone. Reef is gone, as is his backpack and the candles. Next to me, there’s a note.
I sit and grab the paper.
Gone Surfing. Reef x
I frown, confused. Why would Reef leave me alone here?
Then, it hits me. He loves surfing more than anything. And this might be his last day to do it.
The blood drains from my face. I can’t think like this. I stand and ball up the blanket, tucking the note inside. I sneak back to my dorm unnoticed, but I’m not so lucky once I step in the door.
“Look what the cat dragged in.” Kendra arches an eyebrow, her expression smug.
I scan the dorm — it’s just her and me. Casey and Flo must be at breakfast.
“I’m not in the mood, Kendra.” I march past her towards the bathroom, desperate for a hot shower.
But she follows me. “Where was Reef going this morning?”
“What?” I look at her, not sure if this is one of her games.
“I thought that you would know, for sure. But I guess he doesn’t share everything wit
h you.” She smiles falsely.
I roll my eyes and step into the shower, not bothering to give her a response. She’s not worth my time today. I crank the water so hot that it stings my skin. I stand in the shower for a long time, trying to calm my nerves. I already know I’m going to be a wreck today.
By the time I’m out of the shower, it’s 11am. Reef should be back from his surf soon and I need to find him. Today is our last chance to look for answers. I throw on a sweatshirt and jeans, and wind my damp hair in a bun.
I race to the boys’ dorm and bang on the door. “Reef?”
After a moment or two of silence, I try the door handle and it’s unlocked. I throw the door open and come face to face with… Casey and TJ. Making out on his bed.
My mouth drops open. “Ohmygosh, sorry guys!”
“Ever heard of knocking?” TJ laughs, totally unruffled.
I splutter, cheeks red. “I did!”
Casey sits and smooths her shirt. She shoots a grin at me. “You didn’t come home last night—”
“Oh, nothing happened. It’s not like that.” I interrupt her. “Have you seen Reef?”
“Shouldn't we be asking you that?” TJ smirks.
I roll my eyes. “I know that he went surfing earlier. Do you know if he’ll be back soon?”
“The other guys took the Jeep up the coast.” TJ shrugs. “He’s probably with them.”
“Can you let me know when he’s back?”
TJ laughs and Casey punches him playfully. “Yeah, of course. But they’ll probably be gone for awhile. There’s some huge swells there right now.”
He smiles wistfully and then glances at Casey with a cute look in his eye. Despite the rage of emotions I’m experiencing, I grin. As cocky and arrogant as TJ can act, he must really like Casey if he sacrificed a huge day of surfing for her.
“Thanks, guys. I’ll leave you alone now,” I say and they turn back to each other.
I turn to leave when I notice something on Reef’s bed — a book. It’s the one Halloran gave him: The Fates and Modern Sirenity.
He probably took it out of his backpack last night to make room for the candles and food. By the dog-eared look of the book, it’s been lying at the bottom of his bag for quite a while.
Why did Halloran give Reef this book? What was his plan?
I swipe it, and duck out of the boys’ dorm with a parting wave to the loved-up couple.
44
Armed with Reef’s book, I make my way to the common area. In a stroke of luck, the room is empty — students must be at lunch. I sit in a bean bag chair and open the book.
Professor Halloran is up to something, I know it. I always thought it was bizarre that he gave Reef this book. Hopefully, it’ll give me a clue.
I flip open to a dog-eared page about midway through the book. The page is well-worn, with light fingerprints along the side. Reef must’ve spent hours reading this, trying to glean something about our failed trials. My heart glows but I’m filled with a numb fear for what’s to come.
What was it that Professor Halloran wanted Reef to discover?
I get to reading, page after page. I’m unaware of how much time passes, of how long I stay bent over the book. Finally, a section catches my eye.
In modern day sirenity, Destinies are key to the fundamental workings of a successful siren society. The four Destinies are named as follows: Anchor, Riptide, Constellation, and Harmony. The Destinies are ingrained in siren culture and, in the past, were instrumental in foretelling a siren’s future. Their calling.
However, there was a time before Destinies, when the siren culture was ruled by the Fates.
I run my finger across the word. The ‘Fates.’ It sounds like something from a movie. I read on, engrossed.
The Fates pre-dated the Olympian gods and it was under the Fates that the primordial deities came to be. Gaia, Eros, Erebus and Nyx are classic examples. At this time, the world was born from Chaos and sirens were hostile creatures. They sought to terrorize, to fight. The creatures of the earth were constantly at war, the lands and seas ravaged by violence and fear.
The Fates decided the future of these creatures — human, animal, and siren. It was not until the time of Eurybia that the world knew peace and the siren Destinies were created.
I freeze and my finger hovers over the name of the goddess. Eurybia. Where have I heard that name before?
I squeeze my eyes shut and search my brain. I heard it in class — in Professor Ayers’ Siren Mythology class. Snippets of the lecture return to me. Eurybia, goddess of mastery of the seas. Goddess of the winds and constellations. She and her followers created our current siren Destinies.
My memory of the lecture is broken and unclear. I wasn’t paying attention in class that day. Because Reef wasn’t there.
I open my eyes and my breath catches. Does Reef know about Eurybia — about the role she and her followers played in creating the siren Destinies?
Chills run down my spine. On a hunch, I flip to the back of the book and scan the index. There is one other reference to Eurybia. My hands shake as I turn to the correct page.
The paper is stiff. Reef hasn’t looked here. Frantic, I scan the page for mention of Eurybia. My eyes dance over the words, looking for the name. But I can’t see anything.
Another dead end. My soul is crushed and my heart sinks to the floor. It seems that the necklace — and the shipwreck — don’t want to be found. We’re out of time. The spindly, terrifying hands will come after Reef and I won’t be able to save him.
I throw the book to the side and curl up on the bean bag chair, too stricken, too sad to cry. Where do we go from here? What do I do now? I wish I was back in Ohio, with my mom and stepdad. I wish I never came to Deep Cove. I wish I never met Reef Fenner.
I gulp in air and shivers roll over my skin. No, I will always be happy that I met Reef Fenner.
I stare out the window-wall at the darkening sky, my hopes dead. I have no answers, no solution to save Reef. Just a terrible, sinking feeling, and a horrible nightmare that haunts me whenever I shut my eyes.
The door to the common room slams open and I return from my despair. I sit up in the bean bag chair and my body aches. Slowly, I reach for the book. When I flip it over, the book has fallen onto a page and wrinkled it in half.
Frustrated and angry, I flatten the page with force. Then, I notice something I hadn’t seen before. At the bottom of the page, there’s a small section with a tiny inscription.
Footnotes.
On a whim, I return to the page that referenced Eurybia. In my panicked search, I had missed the small print at the bottom. My heart thumps as I read the footnotes. There, the author refers to a work called Eurybia’s Lost Prophecy.
A lost prophecy? What the hell does that mean?
“Girl, you missed dinner.” Casey laughs from the entry of the common room. “That’s very unlike you.”
How is it past dinner already? I’ve been reading for hours.
She bounds over to me and I force a smile, standing up. She stops and hands me a paper bag. “Got you some sushi and a bagel. Your favorites.”
My heart warms for my best friend. “Thank you, Case. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Starve, probably.” Casey grins and then elbows me playfully. “You look like someone died, what’s up?”
I can’t hide it from her anymore. Tears come to my eyes. “I don’t know what to do, Case.”
“Hey.” Her expression turns serious and her voice is soothing. She puts her arm around me and leads me to a quiet corner, away from any prying ears. “What’s wrong? You can talk to me.”
“I know,” I say tearfully. “But I can’t talk to you about this. Not yet.”
“Does this have anything to do with Fenner?”
I sigh solemnly. “It’s just that there’s this... document I have to find… for an assignment. I just don’t know where to look.”
I look at my hands, feeling awful for lying to Casey. Again.<
br />
“Uh, have you tried the library?” I glance up and Casey is looking at me like I’m crazy.
I shake my head. I feel like I’ve been through every book in the library already.
“You don’t know what you’ll find there. And if you’re really desperate…” Casey looks around the room and then leans in. “TJ told me about a “restricted section” in the back. Might be something to check.”
Restricted section? Why have I never noticed that?
“Want me to come with you?” She asks, her eyes glinting.
I chuckle. “Thank you, Case. But no, this is risky and I don’t want to get you in trouble.”
“I live for trouble.” She giggles and then her eyes wander to TJ, who’s just entered the room.
Her face is already in a teasing grin. I laugh and gesture for her to go to him. She smiles gratefully and then runs towards him, jumping on his back. She cackles evilly as TJ swings her around.
With a sigh, I return to Halloran’s book. I guess the library is worth another shot. If nothing else, maybe I can find out more about Eurybia.
45
The common area bustles with activity and I sit on the edge of my seat. I want to run to the library right away, but I also want to wait for Reef. Every time the door of the common area slams open, I wrench my head up to look for him. But so far, nothing.
Casey and TJ flop onto the bean bag chairs next to me.
“No sign of the others yet,” I say dejectedly.
TJ looks a little sad. “Nope, the surfing must have been hella good today.”
Part of me is shocked that Reef has been gone all day — and today of all days. But, thinking back to last night and everything he did to make me feel special, I know how much today means to him. One last day doing his favorite thing in the world.
My knee bounces and I fiddle with my fingers. Finally, I can’t take it anymore. As much as I want to see Reef, I need to get to the library before it closes.
I stand and face the happy couple murmuring to each other. “I have to do something. I’ll see you guys later.”
The Destiny: A YA Paranormal Academy Romance (Deep Cove Academy Book 1) Page 16