by Megan Linski
“Bye, Liam,” Sophia said quietly, and she closed the door. I waited for a moment.
“Goodnight, Sophia,” I whispered long after she was gone. “I love you.”
I wish I had the balls to say it to her face. But that was scary, and I had a lot to think about over break first before I ever went that far.
Sophia wanted a relationship. So did I. But I needed time to figure out if that was something that was worth the risk.
And… I had to go back to the hospital. Which sucked. Time for another IV in my arm and machines beeping all night. Yay me.
I hurried to the medical wing, because I’d been gone long enough. I shouldn’t have been surprised when I saw Dad sitting on a bench outside, Tatum sleeping beside him. The bear’s shoulders shook with loud snores as he dreamed.
Dad rose to his feet, but Tatum still slept. I felt pretty guilty as my father stomped toward me. He didn’t look happy.
“How’d you know how to find me?” I asked.
Dad bluntly said, “I knew you had to come back eventually.”
Well, he was right about that. No matter what I did, I’d always end up back here it seemed… in a hospital.
“You’re supposed to be in bed.” Dad’s tone was heavy. He’d hardly left my bedside all week, which had been annoying as much as it had been endearing.
“I wanted to celebrate my Cup win,” I said. “I took care of myself. I was fine.”
I hoped he couldn’t smell the booze on my breath, because if he did, he’d totally flip out. He’d taken it really hard that I almost died in the tournament, harder than even my mom had.
Dad gave a disapproving glance at my tie. “You’re wearing red. I noticed Sophia had on blue.”
Shit. I had hoped he hadn't seen her dress. Wearing the wrong colors was a big deal around here. How would people react if they knew Sophia and I had kissed, and were considering a relationship?
“It was just…” I shrugged. I didn’t have a good answer. Dad sighed, and shook his head.
“Liam, about you and Sophia...” Dad started.
“It’s not what it looks like.” I quickly went to explain. “We’re just friends, we’re not—”
“That’s not it.” Dad cut me off. “The Water Elders want you to get close to Sophia.”
It felt like a brick wall had smashed into my face. “What?” All the air rushed out of me. “Why?”
“Liam, listen.” Dad put his hands on my shoulders firmly, to steady me. “I have to tell you something. Son, there might be a way to bring Nashoma back. The Water Elders have found a way, that, maybe… he can still be alive.”
The sentence winded me. I was glad Dad steadied me, because I was weak on my feet. Tears sprang to my eyes. I couldn’t control them. Pure desperation at the thought of getting Nashoma back, to make up for what I did, was screaming in my chest. A way to bring my Familiar back? A chance to restore my soul? It wasn’t possible.
“Are you saying the Water Elders can bring Nashoma back to life?” The words sounded fake, even though I was sure that’s what my dad was telling me. My hearing went all fuzzy and I got a little dizzy. This couldn’t be real. I had to be dreaming.
“Yes. But, Liam, you don’t understand. If you want Nashoma back, you’re going to have to do something for the Water Council,” he said, slowly so I could comprehend him.
“I don’t care. What is it? I’ll do anything,” I said in a rush.
Dad’s face sobered. His expression became grim as he said, “Liam, if you want Nashoma back, you’re going to have to kill Sophia Henley.”
END OF BOOK ONE
Turn the page to read a special excerpt from Book Two: The Water Legacy!
The Water Legacy - Sneak Peek
Liam - Several Months Earlier
My life was perfect. I thought that would never change… until the day everything did.
I stood at the edge of a cliff, hundreds of feet above the raging ocean on the edge of the California coastline. The wind swept my hair back and I could hear the harsh crashing of the waves on the rocky shore below. The ocean smelled amazing from up here, salty and pure. It was a hot, sunny day, not a cloud in the sky, perfect for the first day of summer. I could hear the rustling of the leaves as the breeze from the sea whispered through the forest.
A large castle made of white stone towered behind me, far above the woodland, stark against the towering mountains in the distance. Despite it being a mile off, it still looked huge and welcoming… it was home.
A black wolf stood at my side, a thin scar across one of his amber eyes, a hardened expression on his face. His coat was the color of dark coal, and he was so tall, his shoulder came up to my hip. His ears were perked forward, watching the water as if it were something for him to hunt.
“Ready for this, brother?” I asked, taking on a slightly cocky tone as I nudged my wolf.
He huffed. Nashoma was always so serious. I laughed and rubbed my hand over his head, scratching his ears.
“You know, it’s my birthday. You could lighten up a little.”
My touch caused his exterior to melt down. Nashoma barked, letting his tongue loll out of his mouth. His amber eyes glittered, and I grinned.
“Come on, then.” I backed away from the cliff, and Nashoma followed. We walked until we were a good twenty feet from the cliff’s edge, then stopped. My heartbeat picked up in deadly anticipation.
“No time like the present!” I said, and I bolted before he could answer. I ran at full speed toward the drop-off and Nashoma sprinted with me, side by side. Neither of us hesitated as we took a running start at the cliff…
And jumped.
My stomach bottomed out and became hollow as the feeling of weightlessness came upon me, and we started plummeting toward the ocean. I let out a whoop the minute my feet left solid ground, then started holding my breath.
This was the biggest fall we’d ever taken. We were at least three-hundred feet up. There was a risk we wouldn’t make it. But I liked pushing things to the limit. There was something incredibly thrilling about always being on the edge of death. I loved it.
I glanced over. Nashoma was falling gracefully through the air, his legs held in an elegant pose. His face remained unfazed as we fell at high-speed, as if staring into the face of death just made him stare cooly back.
The ocean was approaching faster and faster. At this speed, we’d be smashed against the water if this didn’t work. A thrill of exhilaration went through me as we sped downward, and soon, the surface drew too close.
But before I hit the water, I clenched my palms, and I felt a well of magic rise up within me. Instead of us smacking against the waves, the water rose up to meet us, soft tendrils spiraling out of the water, and they caught Nashoma and I, cradling us in its grasp before swinging backward and launching us even farther out to sea. We flew through the air again, this time at a lower height, and landed upon the water as it became a disk to catch our fall.
But we didn’t sink. The water pushed us back to a vertical position, and it caught our feet, bubbling around us so that we were standing upon the water.
Before we could even gather our bearings, I opened my hands again, and curled my fingers. The water beneath us became a funnel, swirling around Nashoma and I and sending us rocketing upward. When we reached the height I wanted, I forced the water to become a springboard for both of us, and it used pressure to launch us skyward. I could hear the water as it crashed back down to the surface below, and Nashoma and I went flying through the skies once more.
It was like time had ceased to exist, and everything was in slow-time. Nashoma was sailing over me, body poised like he was flying, while I performed a backflip. I closed my eyes and extended my arms wide, like I could fly, too, as we spun downward. A jolt of adrenaline shot through my body as I commanded the water to obey my every command and whim.
Like I said… I lived a perfect fucking life, and I loved every moment of it.
Nashoma grew close to me as we got near
the water. I reached out and grabbed onto him, pulling him tightly to my body as we hit the surface. The waves became soft and broke our fall with just a thought from me, but this time, I allowed the water to submerge us deep within its depths. All around us, I saw the beautiful Familiars that the Elementai of my tribe were bonded to. All sorts of magical creatures swan throughout the ocean’s depths… water monsters, with long necks and flat fins, swan peacefully besides giant multicolored fish, and a blue sea dragon with fins for legs, wings, and a long, feathered tail.
Beside me, Nashoma had transformed into a water wolf. He was treading water, his feet webbed and his black coat turned to a translucent blue. His eyes had changed to an emerald green that resembled gemstones, and there was a thin green spine resembling that of a fish’s that ran down his back from his neck to his tail.
He barked at me, and the sound became a bubble. I grinned at him. I had the best Familiar in the world.
A school of rainbow fish swam calmly in front of us, waving like a multicolored flag in the water. Nashoma chased after the school of fish like he did deer on land, and just as fast. When the school outran him, Nashoma opened his mouth, and a funnel of bubbles and water came jetting out at high-speed, making the fish scatter everywhere.
I chuckled, though it was hard to do while holding my breath. Beneath us, a curious sea serpent swam up to see what we were doing. Her scales were a mixture of pink and purple, and two large fins stuck out on the sides of her head like ears. Her black eyes glittered as she observed us without fear. She was young and unbonded, not much bigger than a car.
I skimmed my hand over the scales of the sea serpent, and she cooed within the ocean deep before she turned downward, most likely to go hunting at the bottom. I told the water to lift Nashoma and I upward, and we broke the surface.
When Nashoma was no longer underwater, he changed back into the black wolf I loved so much.
I leaned forward and flung by arms back behind me. The result was like a slingshot. The water sent us speeding forward at least a hundred miles an hour, waves tailing out behind us. The water supported our feet, and I swerved back and forth as we whizzed across the surface to determine direction, like I was surfing. Nashoma merely ran next to me like we were on land, the water rising to support each one of his footsteps.
I was almost out of breath with exhilaration. There was nothing better than being a Water Elementai. Not a damn thing.
We were near the beach now. I slowed us down, and we breathed heavily to catch our breath as the world spun around us. What a perfect way to start out the day.
“Hey, Liam!” I heard someone call my name, and I turned to see my younger brother, Ezra. Like me, Ezra was a Water Elementai, and he was waist-deep in a funnel of his own that held him above the ocean, though his funnel was obviously weaker than mine. He’d just graduated high school and would soon be attending Orenda Academy with me… something he hadn’t stopped annoying me about since he’d got his acceptance letter.
“What’s up?” I asked. I approached my brother. He was more or less my identical twin, except he was three years younger and his long black hair was a bit shorter than mine. Besides that, we shared the same brown skin, and his eyes were black, like mine.
Ezra was alone. He didn’t have a Familiar yet. He wouldn’t get one until he’d found one to bond with at Orenda. I’d only had Nashoma for nearly a year now, after we’d bonded late last fall. So far, it’d been the best year of my life, because of him. I told the water to glide me and Nashoma calmly over to him, and it obeyed.
“Where’ve you been? You’ve been gone all morning. Dad sent me to look for you,” Ezra said as I approached.
I rolled my eyes. Dad could be over the top sometimes. “I’m twenty-one. I don’t need a babysitter.”
“Twenty-one today,” Ezra reminded me. “Which is why Dad’s probably freaking out. He thinks you’re gonna go on a three-day bender with Jonah or something.”
Which could totally happen, because that kind of thing could be expected when Jonah was involved. “Dad knows I can take care of myself,” I said. “He doesn’t need to be all paranoid. I’m responsible.”
“Yeah, sure,” Ezra said sarcastically, like he didn’t believe it. He paused for a second before he added, “By the way, can you buy me some beer?”
I smirked. “That depends. Can you kick my ass to get it?”
“Oh, you’re on.” Ezra launched himself at me, and tackled me into the water. We sunk under the deep and started wrestling together. Nashoma danced around us, barking in excitement as he watched the scrap.
But something weird happened. When I was messing around with Ezra, my muscles cramped, and I gasped, inhaling in a bit of water. Ezra noticed I was struggling and let go of me, and we both rose to the surface. We treaded water as I coughed, trying to regain my breath.
“Woah. You okay?” Ezra backed off, looking concerned.
“Yeah.” I recovered my breath. I wasn’t very good at things that involved strength— I let my magic do the talking for me. To get back at Ezra for winning, I caused a large wave to rise silently behind him, then crash upon his head.
Ezra was pushed underwater. He broke the surface again, coughing and sputtering. “No fair!” he shouted. “Not everyone’s as good as you, you know.”
I snickered. Ezra thought I was showing off my magic, and maybe I was. I couldn’t help it that I was talented.
We swam toward the beach, and Nashoma followed us, walking leisurely over the water. We reached the beach and walked upon the sand. The water left our bodies and clothes immediately, soaking onto the sand as we used our magic to dry us off. Nashoma shook his fur, and the water came splattering outward, leaving his fur dry and soft again.
“So what are you gonna do? Come back home?” Ezra asked.
Facing another one of my Dad’s lectures about how I was the firstborn and how the future Water chief should be more responsible didn’t sound like something I wanted to do. “I’m meeting Jonah for lunch,” I told him as we headed up the path toward town.
“I’ll join you,” Ezra said. “Dad will lose it if I come back without you.”
There was a small bar that was still in the woods, on the edge of Kinpago. It was more or less an old hunting lodge that someone had converted into a restaurant.
My best friend, Jonah, was leaning against a tree on the outside of it. Jonah was Yapluma… an Air Elementai. He was using his magic to play with a few leaves that had fallen on the ground in boredom, watching as they spiraled up and down on mini-tornadoes at his fingertips.
When he saw us coming, he pulled back his magic and let the leaves drop.
“About time,” Jonah said as we approached. “I was worried my perfect complexion was gonna burn by the time you showed your pretty ass up.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever you say, Jonah.”
“Hey, boy!” Jonah said to Nashoma, and Nashoma barked in reply. “Look what I have for you!”
Jonah brought something out of his pants pocket. It was a tiny cupcake. He put it on the ground in front of Nashoma’s paws. Nashoma barked and did a little dance when Jonah set the cupcake in front of him, spinning around in a few circles before he lunged forward and scarfed the dessert up.
“Hey, what the hell do I get?” I asked as Nashoma gobbled up the cupcake.
“A kiss, if you want it.” Jonah leaned forward, his lips puckered obnoxiously. I shoved him away.
“Get out of here, asshole.” I laughed. We walked into the bar. It was a cozy place, but well-lit, with large windows and mismatched tables and chairs jostled against each other. There were all kinds of people in here— Toaquas like me, Yaplumas, and Nivitas, from the Earth tribe. I noticed the bar was absent of anyone Koigni… from the Fire tribe… and was grateful for that. You couldn’t trust those types. All types of Familiars were in here. We had to navigate around a large stag’s antlers, and apologized to a griffin as we stepped on its tail. A horse with a peacock tail moved out of the way so we co
uld pass, and a strange creature that was half-deer, half-leopard growled as it started in on its salad, sharing it with her Earth Elementai.
This time of day, the place was packed. We had to pick a table in the middle of the room, because Jonah was so big and couldn’t fit anywhere else. The three of us ordered buffalo burgers, and I started in on my first beer of my twenty-first birthday. Nashoma jumped onto a chair next to me, and I made sure to order him a steak, extra-rare.
“What do you want to do after this, Liam?” Ezra asked as he shoved a fistful of fries into his mouth. Nashoma had blood dripping down his front as he gnawed at his steak.
“I don’t know,” I replied. I was starving, and had already scarfed down my burger “Go hiking, I guess.”
“You always want to go hiking,” Jonah whined. “Don’t you ever get tired of looking at all the rocks and trees? It’s like, the same thing.”
I made a face at Jonah. I knew I grew up here, but there was something about this land that was incredible to me. This place was magical. It was like no matter how many times I’d walked around it, there was always something even more amazing to see.
“All you like looking at is man ass,” I replied as a come-back. Ezra spit out his drink and laughed. Jonah didn’t even bother rebuking me.
“You got that right,” Jonah said as his eyes followed the back end of a Yapluma dude who left the bar. “You know me too well, Liam.”
I shook my head. I liked girls, but I was quiet about it. Jonah took every opportunity he could to act horny around every male entity that was in a hundred mile radius. Thirsty didn’t even come close to describing the way he behaved.
“Mom’s making your special birthday dinner later. Can’t miss that,” Ezra reminded me.
“Not on your life.” Mom’s cooking was phenomenal, even if I would have to deal with a talk to Dad about tribal responsibilities once I got back home.
“And after that, we’re going to get my man here wasted,” Jonah sang, flinging an arm around my shoulders. “If you and Nashoma aren’t completely hungover tomorrow, I’ve totally failed at my job as your bestie.”
