by Skye Malone
She hesitated, and then moved closer, letting me pull her into a hug. Her head on my shoulder, she gave a small nod.
I held her for another moment before releasing her. We both sank down, taking seats on the cave floor.
“How much longer do you think Granddad will be?” Ina asked, her fingers tracing swirls through the sand below us.
I shrugged.
“And Chloe,” she continued, still watching the sand. “Where’s she heading?”
“To that guy down south, like I said.”
“After that.”
I hesitated. “I’m not sure.”
She didn’t speak for a moment. “You worried she won’t come back with you?”
I blinked, my brow furrowing. “What? No, I–” I shook my head. “It’ll be fine.”
Ina paused. “Okay.”
I glanced to her. “What?”
“Nothing.”
My expression didn’t change, but I looked away again.
Torchlight flickered over the cave and beyond the crack in the wall, the ocean seemed lifeless.
“You’re in love with her, aren’t you?” Ina said quietly. “Like… really. Not just like with the others.”
Watching the cave entrance, I didn’t respond. I didn’t know how to respond. The words were… I didn’t know how to wrap my head around them. I cared for Chloe. The thought of something happening to her scared me in this deep way I couldn’t quite describe. I wanted the world to be safe for her, and when I was with her… when she looked at me and her smile lit up her eyes…
I drew a rough breath. I’d been with plenty of girls. Chloe wasn’t like them. I couldn’t even explain how. She just wasn’t. Everything about her wasn’t.
And she made me want to spend the rest of my life figuring out why.
“Egan and I are back together,” Ina said.
I blinked, looking over at her. It took me a moment to place the name of the guy she’d spent time with earlier in the summer. The one whose argument with her had ended me up searching for her in Santa Lucina a lifetime ago.
Ina’s lip twitched. “Sometimes it’s nice to have somebody in your life who wants more than just a bit of fun.”
I hesitated and then nodded, slowly mirroring the smile. “Yeah.”
Her grin spread and she rocked over, nudging my shoulder. “Don’t worry. I saw her when we were leaving the beach. I’m pretty sure she’s crazy about you too.”
I kept smiling, trying to look convinced even if I wasn’t so sure. There was still that other guy in her life. There were still all sorts of dangers out here.
Chloe had a ton of reasons to get as far from the ocean as possible.
And not that many to stay.
A rock skittered down near the entrance of the cave. I started up from the ground as Ina’s breath caught. Quickly, she darted over to the torch and grabbed it from the crevice.
She plunged the blue-white flame into the sand. The cave went black. Cautiously, I swam toward the opening in the stone wall.
“Ina?” Jirral whispered. “Zeke?”
A small sound escaped Ina. “Granddad?”
I felt someone slide through the crack of the cave. By the opposite wall, the torch flared back to life.
Jirral blinked in the light, the blue glow of his eyes fading to a fraction of its brightness.
“Is everything alright?” Ina asked.
“A couple mercenaries poking around the area,” he answered. “There are hills ahead, though, and they didn’t seem too interested in searching them.” He paused. “We should probably circle wide, just in case they have friends hiding there.”
I grimaced. That would slow us down.
A lot.
“Chloe is going to be there in just a few hours,” I said.
“And getting caught by Vetorians will take a great deal longer than a small detour,” Jirral countered.
I looked away, hating the fact he was right. I didn’t want to miss her, though. If that Joseph guy did his thing, and if she became a landwalker and had to leave the coast right away…
“We’ll be fast,” Jirral added, his tone a touch gentler.
I nodded tightly.
“Alright,” Jirral said. “Follow me.”
Chapter Fifteen
Wyatt
I shoved to my feet, the last of the sticky, elastic vine things snapping away from my body.
But the fish were gone.
An infuriated snarl left me while I scanned the yard. They were gone. All of them were gone, from the girl and the black-haired guy to Niall and his cronies.
And I hadn’t gotten my hands on a single one.
Not. A. Single. One.
My body shook. I wanted to make something bleed. I wanted to hear something scream. It wouldn’t be as good as killing a scum-sucker but damn it all, it’d be something.
Dad growled as he ripped the vines away and pushed to his feet behind me. Far down the road from our house, I could hear sirens, like a whispering wail across the distance.
“Free your brothers,” Dad ordered me.
I didn’t move. “What are we going to do now?”
“Cops are coming.”
I waited. He wasn’t even looking at me. “And?”
“And we’ve got dead bodies in the yard!” Dad snapped, turning a glare on me. “Cops are a problem, Wyatt. Cops are always a problem, whether we have a deal with the landwalkers or not, so fucking hurry up, get your brothers free, and clear that crap out of sight!”
With a disgusted noise, he stalked away, shaking his head like he couldn’t believe me.
My brow rose. We were backing down? Staying put? Cleaning up? After all the days of waiting, after all the hours of being surrounded by scale-skins he said we couldn’t lay a finger on, Dad seriously expected us to just give up and go back to the drawing board?
“But we could catch her,” I tried. “If we go now…”
Dad ignored me.
I stared, appalled. This wasn’t happening. I’d done everything he wanted, followed stupid plan after stupid plan, and I didn’t have a single thing to show for it. Clay did. That mewling bastard had lost it in the forest just like I’d known he would, but he’d still gotten to kill two of the scum-suckers with his bare hands.
But I had nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Dad stopped by the corner of the house. With one arm, he braced himself on the siding, his gaze on the ocean like he could see that Zeke guy in the water.
Nothing.
Rage surged through me and my feet were moving before I registered the impulse. Fire sped beneath my skin, bursting out through fissures.
Dad heard me coming. He started to turn.
I lunged through the air and collided with him hard. The impact drove him into the wall and slammed his head into the siding. He staggered, his skin changing fast.
But it was too late.
My hands twisted. His neck snapped in my grasp.
I stumbled back as he fell, his body collapsing like the dead weight that it was. My heart raced in my ears and my breathing came in quick, ragged gasps. I couldn’t take my eyes from him. Dad. Dead on the ground.
A shiver coursed through me. My lips curled into an unsteady smile. I’d done it. I’d actually done it.
I’d won.
Clay made a sound and my gaze darted toward him. Still trapped under the vines, he struggled to break free, while a few yards away, Owen tried to do the same. Their motions were weak, as if between killing those dehaians and fighting to escape the vines, they were exhausted.
But behind the gaps in the nets covering them, their eyes were locked on me.
My smile grew cold. I walked toward Clay.
He struggled harder, but only a couple vines broke. I stopped when I reached him, and for a moment, I just studied him.
“You got a problem with this?” I asked, my voice low.
He paused. “No.”
My lip twitched. “Good.”
I left him there while I crossed the yard to Owen. Clay was younger and thus potentially less of a threat, but he’d also gotten to kill dehaians and he’d always been more of a pain in the ass than Owen. It was important to make his place clear fast. Grasping the vines pinning Owen down, I ripped them free. He pushed to his feet.
His gaze went to Dad. Eyeing Owen, I waited for him to make a move.
Old anger twitched across his face, along with a heavy dose of contempt. “Bastard,” he muttered. He looked back to me, and his chin jerked in implicit congratulations.
I nodded. Owen walked over and tugged the vines from Clay.
“We’re going after the girl,” I said. “Get the car.”
“What about the bodies?” Clay asked.
I glanced to Dad. The cops would be here any second. We didn’t have long to reach the side road out of here.
And besides that, I didn’t care.
I scoffed and started toward the maroon SUV. “Let ‘em rot.”
Chapter Sixteen
Chloe
We barely made it to the main road before Olivia slowed the car again.
And a chilling wave of suspicion stole over me when I saw why.
A dozen vehicles were parked along the grassy roadside, with several police cars as well. Cops were there, surveying the forest or talking with a cluster of people nearby.
But I’d never seen such a motley group. Not outside of a Hollywood rendition of a jury, anyway. Business men stood next to guys who appeared to have just come from construction sites, while women who looked like politicians were speaking to others who seemed like soccer moms. More people were beyond them, leaning on the vehicles as if they could barely stay on their feet. Past the fringes of the group, Ellie waited with Baylie by her car, and both of them were watching the small crowd warily.
“Olivia…” I began, “who are these people?”
“The elders decided to meet us here,” she replied.
“Excuse me?” Noah demanded from the back seat. “You do realize my family will be coming, right? We don’t have time for this.”
Olivia pulled the car over and then pushed the gearshift into park. “We’ll only be a moment,” she countered calmly. “The elders have the right to speak with her, and they were willing to endure the pain from their proximity to the water to do so. After all, this could be their only chance.”
“Wait, why?” Mom interjected, scooting forward. “Chloe, what does that mean?”
Olivia ignored her. “They simply want to talk,” she said to me. “Please allow them that.”
My brow drew down. I twisted in the seat, looking to Noah.
“What is there to talk about?” he asked warily.
Olivia’s gaze didn’t leave me. “Please.”
“Chloe,” Dad protested. “No. We’re heading home, understand?”
I swallowed. That wasn’t going to happen.
But this wasn’t good either.
“Ma’am,” Dad continued to Olivia. “I appreciate you driving us, and helping us escape those creatures, but we need to take our daughter home. This craziness has to end.”
Olivia ignored him just like she had Mom. “Ten minutes. Then we’ll go.”
She turned and left the car.
I glanced to Noah. Caution clear on his face, he opened his door as well.
Dad made an angry noise. “Chloe, don’t–”
I followed Noah.
One of the elders motioned the rest into silence when we stepped from the sedan. By the side of the road, more elders straightened, bracing themselves on their vehicles to keep their balance. Catching sight of us, Baylie pushed away from her car and hurried toward us, Ellie on her heels.
“Are you okay?” Baylie called.
Sweat dripping down his red face, Phil shoved past the group. “Is she here? Are they– Olivia!” He turned to the police. “Go! Make sure those guys don’t try following.”
The cops didn’t even question him. Without a word, they climbed back into their cars.
I stared, creeped out by how much authority the elders obviously had.
“What took so long?” Phil continued, ignoring the police while they drove away.
“Oh, give Olivia a break, Phil,” Robin admonished, following after him. I could see her shaking, though she seemed to be doing a bit better than the others. “She was dealing with greliarans. It’d take a bit to convince those creatures to see sense and back down.”
Olivia didn’t contradict the statement. From the corner of my eye, I saw Noah scowl.
“Is everything alright?” Ellie asked. “Did they–” She glanced around. “Where’s Zeke?”
I hesitated.
“His family showed up,” Noah explained. “They’re going to meet us.”
Ellie’s brow rose. “More dehaians?”
“Is he alright?” Baylie asked, watching me.
I nodded.
“You should have brought them here too,” Phil told Olivia. “They could have–”
“How would they fit them in the car?” Robin interrupted. “Honestly, Phil, sometimes you’re just so–”
“I only meant that we could have talked to–”
“Enough,” Olivia cut in before they could continue arguing. She glanced to me. “If you’d come this way?”
Warily, I followed her. Noah stayed close, watching the others as if daring them to try anything. The elders stared while we walked over, and I couldn’t help but notice they weren’t looking at anyone but me.
“So,” Olivia said, seeming unfazed by the silent observation. “Everyone, this is Chloe Kowalski. As you’ve undoubtedly already noticed from Dave and Ellie’s lack of reaction to the ocean, what I described to Robin on the phone is true. Chloe can affect the magic created by our ancestors.”
“Will she help us?” a man in paint-stained overalls asked.
Noah muttered a curse. “I knew it. You’re not using her to–”
“We haven’t discussed the agreement yet,” Olivia interrupted, regarding Noah and the other man equally. She turned to me. “Chloe, as I said, the elders simply wish to speak with you. We still support you continuing with our plan for you to visit Joseph, and we recognize that choice may not be involved in whichever side of your heritage you fully become. But we would ask that, should you have the option, you remain on land among our people.”
“What is this?” Dad asked. “Chloe, what are they talking–”
“She’s going to become landwalker or dehaian, Mr. Kowalski,” Olivia said. “Not both.”
His brow rose. My stomach churned at the hope in his eyes.
“But that brings me to the reason we’re here,” Olivia continued. “We would like to make an arrangement.”
Noah scoffed. “Oh, great. Yeah, you’re good at those.”
I glanced to him, silently agreeing.
Olivia appeared unfazed by the comment. “We would like to offer you the opportunity to become an elder.”
I blinked.
Behind me, Mom made a choked noise. “What? Really? Oh, Chloe!”
Her hands grabbed my shoulders. I jumped, barely keeping spikes from coming out of my arms.
“This… oh my gracious,” Mom sputtered. “Chloe, you could–”
“In exchange,” Olivia continued over her. “We would ask that you use what you can do to give the elders freedom from the pain of the ocean.”
“That seems fair,” Mom agreed. “I don’t see why Chloe couldn’t–”
I pulled away from her, taking a step closer to the elders just to put distance between us.
“Chloe?” Mom tried.
I stared between them all. There was no way in hell I was staying a landwalker. Not if I had a choice. And now these crazy elder people wanted me to… to what? Magic them into being able to remain here, when the effects probably wouldn’t even last a day?
“Why?” I asked, incredulous.
“Honey, you can’t question an eld–”
“Yes, I can!” I snapped at Mom.
She stopped, startled.
“Why?” I repeated. “It won’t last. It’ll be gone the minute he splits this… this whatever I am. And if the Beast feels it…”
I shook my head at Olivia, unable to wrap my head around what they were thinking.
“Do you want that thing to pick up on her?” Noah added in a dangerous tone.
I glanced to him. Looking cautious as hell, he was eyeing the others. From the tension on his face, I could tell he was barely keeping himself from changing.
“No,” Olivia replied. “Of course we don’t. We would merely like the opportunity to study the ocean, our proximity to it, and the differences between our current state and what you can provide. And there is the possibility, however remote, that what you do will remain even after Joseph completes the procedure.” She paused. “Chloe, I realize you’ve had trouble trusting us – me – and I understand why. But please, try to trust me now. This is our only chance. As it stands, the medicines they’ve taken to reach this place will hospitalize the elders in not too much longer if you don’t help them. They knew that. They came anyway. That is how important this is to us. There isn’t anyone capable of pushing back the ocean’s pain as you do, and once you become like us or the modern-day dehaians, that ability will almost certainly be gone.”
I looked to the elders. Some of them were back to leaning on their vehicles, their eyes closed and their faces tight, while others had sunk to the ground, trembling. I hated the sight of it. I couldn’t believe they’d put themselves through this. Last chance or not, they seemed like they were dying, and some part of me wanted to go over there right now, just to stop what obviously was agony to them.
And yet…
“Now, to be fair,” Olivia added, “I must warn you that becoming an elder would not necessarily be a guarantee. It would require testing.”
I turned back to her sharply.
“Not like what you’ve experienced, however,” she assured me quickly. “Simply aptitude tests to determine if you are capable of developing our specific skill set. All elder potentiates go through them.”
