Phoenix shoves Morpheus out of his way and stomps away. His new pet, Cherise, is quick to follow him. Can’t she sense he’s about to explode? Dumb Fringe.
“What was that all about?” I ask.
“Phoenix being an ass, as usual. Something isn’t right with him, but he won’t talk.”
“Is his problem linked to your vision about Daisy?”
Morpheus shakes his head. “No.”
“Okay, let’s worry about him later. Now, let’s find Daisy and the ginger.”
“Didn’t you say they were going surfing?” he asks.
“Yeah.” I catch sight of Phoenix disappearing behind a cluster of rocks at the end of the beach. “Isn’t Echo Cove that way?”
“I think so. Let’s go.”
Sand pours into my sneakers, only serving to further aggravate my already sour mood. I should’ve taken my shoes off.
“What are you groaning about?” Morpheus gives me a side glance.
“I hate the beach.”
“Is it the beach you hate or the sandy mess?”
“Shut up, Morpheus. You look ridiculous, by the way.”
“I can’t help it if it feels like I’m in fucking Siberia, okay? But you could’ve worn flip-flops, at least.”
I save my rebuff for another time. We just rounded the corner to find Phoenix with his gaze fixed on the ocean. Cherise is also looking in the same direction, but based on her expression, she’s not happy about the view. I follow their line of sight and find Daisy and Toby in the water. She’s on the surfboard, trying to break through the waves with Toby’s help. Ugly jealousy spears my chest. That ginger boy is way too close to her.
I sense someone’s presence behind us. Looking over my shoulder, I discover that Drusilla and one of her minions have followed us too. Fucking great.
“Is that the stripper?” Drusilla asks.
Phoenix and Cherise glance our way. Phoenix’s eyes spark with anger. I’m not sure who he’s aiming his wrath toward, though.
“I thought she’d learned her lesson.” Cherise sneers.
“The beach is public,” Morpheus replies.
His comment makes her even more irate. She’s not an Idol, but she’s a powerful Fringe, and I’ve seen some of them cause a lot of headache, especially when motivated.
“But the ocean is so unpredictable,” Drusilla replies conspiratorially.
I cut her a warning glance, but she purposely averts her eyes and pretends she doesn’t see me.
“Son of a bitch,” Morpheus mumbles, and my attention returns to the sea.
The waters are rough now, and the waves have tripled in size.
Without a second thought, I stalk toward Cherise. She’s a water elemental, and I’m positive she’s responsible for the change in the ocean. I grab her arm and yank her violently toward me. “Cut it out.”
“I’m not doing anything.” She attempts to break free, but I hold her firmly.
“What the hell, Rufio? Let Cherise go,” Drusilla says.
“Not until she stops with her petty little game.”
“Do you honestly think I’m responsible for those waves?” Cherise scoffs. “I’m not that powerful.”
“Rufio, let her go. Now!” Drusilla’s voice has changed. I can sense the power. She’s trying to use her compulsion gift on me.
Big mistake, bitch.
I let go of Cherise only to turn and grab Drusilla by her neck. My power crackles over my skin, and the veins in my hand and arm turn dark. She tries to break free from my hold as her eyes bulge.
“Rufio, are you crazy? Stop it!” Morpheus yells.
But I’m already lost in the bloodlust. I don’t want to stop.
An invisible push knocks me to the side, making me lose my grip on Drusilla. She drops to her knees, gasping for air and eyeing me with murderous intent.
I don’t need to look to know Phoenix saved her ass.
“Holy shit. What the hell is going on?” Cherise is pointing at the sky.
A large, ominous storm cloud has formed just above the spot where we last saw Daisy. Lightning lights up the sky, followed by the sound of thunder. It’s a concentrated maelstrom, and the guys and I have all seen it before.
That’s not a natural storm.
That’s the sign of a god.
42
Daisy
Things change quickly. One moment I’m submerged, bypassing a wave, and in the next I’m met by my worst nightmare. A violent, dark sky looms above me, matching the savagery of the sea. I’m not fast enough to avoid a wave triple the size of the one I just cleared and it hits me head-on, sending me spiraling to the bottom of the ocean.
The surfboard is pushed in a different direction, and the leash is pulled taut as it yanks my leg. Shit. I have to ditch the board or risk losing my leg. It’s difficult, but I’m able to curl my body forward enough that I can reach my ankle.
I’m finally free, but I’m also running out of air. Bubbles have surrounded me, and beyond them is nothing but darkness.
Fuck. Where’s the surface?
Picking a random direction, I kick my legs as hard as I can, hoping I’m not swimming toward the bottom instead of the top.
With my lungs burning, I break the surface, gasping for air. I only have the chance to inhale oxygen once before another wave sends me to the pit of the sea again.
Damn it. I have to get out of here.
I’m not sure where Toby is, which just adds another notch of fear to my heart.
At least I’m not as disoriented as I was before, so I manage to reach the surface easier this time.
I take a deep breath before starting to search my surroundings. “Toby!”
A bright flash illuminates an otherwise dark sky for a second. The booming sound of thunder follows. A great roar at my back makes me turn.
“Motherfucker.”
A sixty-foot wave is speeding toward me, and by the way the crest is curling up, it’s going to crash exactly where I am. I can’t swim fast enough to escape it. What should I do? I glance toward the shore, and then at the massive wave. Shit. Propelled by crazy desperation, I head toward it. It curls completely and begins to fold over on itself. I take a deep breath and dive. Even so, I still get caught in the whirlpool from the impact. Like a rag doll, my boneless body spirals and turns until my head bangs against something hard and everything goes dark.
PHOENIX
Morpheus turns to Rufio and me, his eyes practically popping out of his skull. “What are you waiting for? Get Daisy out of there!” He points at the raging sea.
In a split second, Rufio grabs the back of his shirt and peels it off. His sneakers vanish next.
“What is he doing? Is he crazy?” Cherise asks. “She’s just a Norm.”
No, she’s more than just a Norm.
As much as I tried to hate her, to destroy her, I can’t get her out of my mind. Humiliating her brought me nothing but disgust at myself. And after the hellish evening I spent with my father, I need to do something to cleanse my soul.
I run after Rufio, but he’s already disappearing under a massive wave. From the corner of my eye, I catch a splash of red hair in the water. Toby, Daisy’s friend, has made it to shore. I’m not surprised. If the power that caused this storm is the same one we encountered seven years ago, then the Fringe kid isn’t the target. Daisy is. And according to the vow we made so long ago, we’re supposed to stand back and do nothing.
But against all logic, we all seem inclined to risk everything, to disobey the most powerful being we’ve ever met in order to save the defiant Norm girl.
I dive in, ignoring the cold bite of the water. Using my telekinesis, I create a current behind me, which propels me forward much faster. Unfortunately, it doesn’t grant me the ability to breath underwater, so eventually I have to come up for air.
When I do, the sea is even more turbulent than before, and there’s no sign of Daisy.
Rufio swims closer to me. “Have you seen her?”
�
��No.”
“She must be underwater.”
He takes another deep breath and vanishes. I follow him closely but soon lose him to the depths of the sea.
Damn it, Daisy, where are you?
I stay under for as long as I can. It’s only when my lungs are about to give out that I aim for the surface and break through. Breathing out in spurts, I look around me. The waves keep crashing and the sky is raging. When lightning strikes, I see the god’s face in the clouds. Harsh, powerful, terrifying. He seems to be laughing, but the vision vanishes too quickly. Maybe I just imagined it.
Rufio’s head finally pops up above the water, and it takes me a second to see he’s got her. He’s found Daisy.
“Is she alive?” I ask.
“I don’t know. I don’t think she’s breathing.”
He begins to swim back to the shore, but he’ll never make in time to help Daisy, even with his Idol speed.
“Hold on tight. I’m going to send you over,” I yell over the roar of the waves and wind.
Understanding dawns in Rufio’s eyes, and he wraps both arms around Daisy. “I’m ready.”
I throw my arm forward and send Rufio and Daisy flying in the air. It takes them less than three seconds to reach the shore. I rein in the power as they descend and Rufio lands softly on the sand with Daisy cradled in his arms. It’s the last thing I see before I giant wave buries me alive in a tomb made of water.
RUFIO
I lay Daisy on the soft white sand as I try to control my breathing. She’s as pale as a ghost, and her lips are purple.
Toby rushes to my side. “Is she breathing?”
“She’s not breathing, Rufio. You have to perform mouth-to-mouth,” Morpheus says from behind me.
“I know.”
“I can do it.” Toby kneels next to Daisy.
“Get away from her, Fringe.” I push him hard enough that he falls back.
I ignore the idiot and the crowd of Gifted Academy students that’s gathered as I pump Daisy’s chest and then blow air into her mouth.
“Come on, Norm. Don’t you dare die on me,” I whisper.
I repeat the process over and over again, losing track of how long I’ve been going at it when Daisy finally begins to cough up water. I roll her to her side to help her get rid of it as relief washes over me. I’ve never been more relieved to hear the sound of someone heaving.
A sweater appears in front of me; Morpheus has given up one of his many layers of clothing. I wrap it around Daisy’s shoulders, and then, propelled by a foreign impulse, I pull strands of wet, sandy hair off her face.
“Daisy, are you okay?” Toby comes too close to her again. I’m ready to knock him back down when a hand on my shoulder stops me.
“Not now,” Morpheus murmurs.
“Where’s Phoenix?” Cherise asks in a shrilly voice.
I face the sea. The waters are calming down now, and the dark clouds are dissipating. Phoenix’s head appears from under a wave, which pushes him toward the shore as if he can no longer swim on his own. He stands up and staggers forward until he’s out of the waves’ reach. He then falls onto his knees, breathing hard.
He lifts his head and asks, “Is she okay?”
“I’m fine,” Daisy answers, already sitting up.
With a groan, Phoenix collapses completely, lying on his back with his arm covering his eyes.
Cherise hovers close, but she at least has the sense to leave some space between her and Phoenix. I take in the crowd, and my eyes connect with Drusilla’s. If she could kill with a simple glance, I’d be dead. She switches her attention to Daisy, and her lips curl into a hateful grin.
She won’t take her revenge on me. I’m too strong for her.
Daisy, on the other hand, is easy prey.
43
Morpheus
The shadows receded when Rufio brought Daisy back from the brink of death. The skies cleared and the ocean calmed. The freezing cold that had wrapped around my body and seeped into my bones relented. I don’t know why I was given that premonition or why it made me so ill, but I thought the worst was over.
It’s not until early Monday morning, before sunup, that the shadows act up again. They’re stronger this time, and the bracelets I wear can’t contain them. My body’s temperature drops suddenly, making me shake so hard that my teeth rattle. Pins and needles seem to prickle my entire body from head to toe.
My mind is blank, no vision or premonition, which leaves me completely in the dark as to why the shadows are manifesting. Suddenly, the lightning mark on my back stings as if it’s been touched by an ice-cold blade.
My head feels like it’s going to split in two. With a groan, I clutch my skull with my hands and close my eyes.
“You went against my wishes. You defied me. Now you must pay.”
The voice sounds like a thousand people are screaming in my head at once. It’s the voice of the god we encountered when we found ourselves on that island of horrors. After twenty-four hours battling the most awful creatures from our worst nightmares, the deity appeared before us. He said we’d passed his trials and were worth bearing the gifts he had bestowed upon us at birth. Then he gave us the lightning mark after we promised to exterminate Norms and Fringes from the face of the Earth.
“Get out of my head!” I shout, not knowing where I found the strength to do so.
The shadows curl around my wrists and travel up my arms. I lose sensation in my limbs. Motherfucker. He’s going to freeze me to death.
The door to my room bursts open and Rufio comes running in, followed by Phoenix.
“Morpheus! What’s going on?” Rufio asks.
“Rufio, check his hands and arms. They’re covered in shadows.” Phoenix points at them.
“He’s… punishing me.” I manage to get the words out with great effort.
“Who?” Rufio and Phoenix ask at the same time.
“Him! The god who marked us.”
I close my eyes again when unbearable pain spreads across my chest.
“Fuck. What can we do?” Phoenix asks.
“Take me to my mother,” I say, just before a scream rips from my mouth. I’ve never felt such excruciating pain before. Damn it. Death right now would be a mercy.
The god laughs in my head.
He’s not the merciful kind.
DAISY
I spent the rest of the weekend recovering from my ordeal, but now it’s Monday and I can’t hide in my room anymore. The grace period is over. Principal Fallon doesn’t care that I almost drowned in the ocean. Nor do my teachers.
Toby told me that Rufio and Phoenix braved the raging sea to save me, which is baffling. Why would they risk their lives for me? Idol power or not, they could’ve drowned.
Sitting on the edge of my bed, I take deep breaths to garner my courage. I don’t need to be a genius to know it’s going to be a jungle out there. I’ve never felt more vulnerable in my entire life, not even when I was on the run all those years ago.
You don’t need to feel this way, Daisy. You have a weapon.
I haven’t looked at the lightning-glass dagger since it mysteriously appeared in my room. If anyone discovered that I possess a weapon that can kill Idols, my life would be forfeited, and Rosie’s too, by extension. But if the students here are trying to kill me, then why am I going to make it easier for them?
Before I change my mind, I leap out of bed and lift my mattress. I hid the dagger in the same spot as I did my father’s diary. When I curl my fingers around its handle, a surge of empowerment runs through my body. If only every single Norm had such a weapon in their hands, maybe the Idols would think twice before messing with us.
My father was right. Idols are the minority. Why must we bow to them?
The school is buzzing with gossip. By now, the entire student body knows Rufio and Phoenix risked their lives to save me. Everyone stares as I walk toward math class. At least they’re not talking about my disgraceful performance at Unearthly Desires anymore.
I’m not sure yet how I’m going to react when I see my saviors face-to-face again. I have to thank them for sure.
But none of them come to math class. It feels strange not having Phoenix at my back or needing to withstand Rufio’s intense stares. What’s more puzzling to me is Morpheus’s absenteeism. He’s been so determined to improve his grades, after all.
He can’t be sick, can he? I never really had much interaction with Idols before joining Gifted Academy, so in my mind, I’d always assumed they were immune to maladies that plague Norms and Fringes.
In the absence of the powerful trio, Cherise doesn’t rein in her hatred. She throws not-so-veiled insults at me throughout the entire class, but she’s careful to keep her voice down so Mr. Atkins doesn’t hear.
I try my best to ignore the stupid Fringe, but my nerves are fried considering everything I went through in a matter of days. As a result, I can barely concentrate during class, and my note-taking is pathetic. I didn’t even fill one page of my notebook.
When the bell rings indicating the end of class, I bolt out of my chair, but there’s nowhere to run. The hallway is filled with more Idols who want me gone. For the first time since I got here, I feel their animosity at full blast. I knew it would be bad, and yet I’m surprised by how hard it is to withstand it. It’s almost like they were holding back before. But I can’t skip another day of class. It would be cowardly, and I’m not a coward.
The lightning-glass dagger I wrapped in cloth and tucked in my skirt’s waistband feels hot against my skin. I feel a little better that I decided to bring it with me, but I can’t wield it unless it’s a situation of kill or be killed.
I keep my head down as I stride toward my next class. People bump into me on purpose; others call me names. Suddenly, I’m shoved from behind, but when I whirl around, there’s no one there. Some idiot with telekinesis must’ve done that. I search for Phoenix in the crowd, but there’s no sign of the beautiful, hateful Idol.
I’m almost running when I take the stairs to the third floor, where my next class is. When I reach the landing, I find my way blocked by Drusilla and her friends Cherise and Renata.
Wicked Gods: A Paranormal High School Bully Romance (Gifted Academy Book 1) Page 25
