“I see you have been spending a lot of time with Mr. Seavon,” he says. I freeze at the awkward touch of his fingers squeezing my arm. He steers me out of the gym into the hallway where we are alone. For a second, I feel nervous until I remember exactly who Cano is—a threat to my people, not just a school principal. I’ll defend myself if I need to. “And you two have been getting quite close.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” I say, taking a slight step backward.
“He’s not the best influence on someone like you.”
“Someone like me,” I repeat slowly, his tone setting off all kinds of creepy alarms in my brain.
“Principal Cano,” says a honeyed voice from behind me. I glance over my shoulder. It’s a woman I’ve never seen before, dressed for the occasion in a flattering red gown. She has glossy dark hair falling around her face in soft dark waves, with high cheekbones and smoky dark eyes. “Allow me.”
“Ms. Marin,” Cano says smoothly. “I don’t believe you’ve met Emma Seavon. Lotharius’s mother.”
Lo’s mother?
She smiles. “So nice to meet you, Nerissa. My son has told me so much about you.”
“He has?” I say, at a complete loss for words. Lo’s mother is nothing like I’d imagined. For one, she looks nothing like him and she’s got none of his unaffected warmth. Now I get why he prefers to live with Bertha and Grayer.
She smiles again. “Of course. What Principal Cano is trying to say is that my son makes...rash decisions when it comes to personal matters.”
“Shouldn’t you be having this conversation with him, then?” I suggest.
Cano clears his throat. “We are only trying to protect you, Ms. Marin.” The image of his lab flashes through my brain and I shiver. His voice may sound normal, but I know the words are a little more than a heavily veiled threat, and I don’t do well with threats. “It’s really for your own good to stay away from him.”
Straightening my shoulders, I say, “Or what?”
“I’m sorry?” Cano’s eyes laser on me like black ice. Keeping my back to Lo’s mother, I focus all of my attention on Cano.
“It’s for my own good or what?” I repeat, meeting his gaze with an icy one of my own. I move to walk back into the gym and Cano grabs me once more by the arm. This time his touch is not gentle. His fingers are digging into the flesh of my arms with far more pressure than even a human can take. And he knows that. It’s time for me to drop the pretense, too.
“You do not want to cross me,” he growls softly so that no one but me can hear.
“And you,” I murmur in a low whisper, stepping in and letting my true eyes flare, “do not want to cross me.” Cano smiles, a dark ugly smile full of everything horrible he has ever done. I try not to let it penetrate me but it does. I can barely hold back the chills racing along my back and raising the pores on my skin in warning. “Now, release my arm,” I say, nearly ripping my arm out of his grasp.
I turn around, my eyes slipping back to normal. “It was nice to meet you, Mrs. Seavon,” I say. With a breath to steady my shaky nerves, I open the door to the gym and nearly crash into someone pushing it outward into me.
“I was just looking for you,” Lo says, staring from me to Cano to his mother, his eyes narrowing. “Mother? What are you doing here? I thought you were in China?”
“I was,” she says. “But I’m back, and Principal Cano asked me to chaperone.”
“Chaperone? That’s new for you,” Lo says almost rudely, and then glances at me. “Everything okay?” he says to me, his voice low.
“Yes. I just want to get back inside,” I tell him, and pull open the heavy gym door. “You coming?”
“Enjoy the dance, Ms. Marin. And happy birthday,” Cano says, watching me carefully and lowering his voice so that only I can hear. “Your mother sends her regards.” His eyes are knowing and cruel. He takes Emma Seavon’s hand and walks past us down the hallway. I don’t miss the long measured look that Emma throws at Lo, nor the half-bitter expression that crosses his face when she does.
“You sure you’re okay?” he asks me.
“Fine.”
But I can barely control the fury simmering inside of me at Cano’s parting shot. I want to run into the gym and throw him against the wall, demanding why he said what he did. Over the past few days, I thought I’d gotten her betrayal out of my system, but it seems it’s as fresh as it has ever been. I realize I don’t really want to punish him.
I want to punish her.
“Let’s go,” I say to Lo.
“Already? We just got here. And what about Sawyer and Jenna?”
“They’ll survive. I just need to get out of here. Please, Lo, just take me home.”
In the Jeep on the ride back to Lo’s house, I stare out of the window, preoccupied with my thoughts. I don’t want to think about my mother being alive, but just the idea that she is, and the fact that she and Cano have discussed me, makes me want to scream. She betrayed my father, me, all of our people, and still thinks she can have control over what I do.
I glance at Lo. His gaze meets mine, his eyes melting. “You okay?” he asks again. I nod.
“Cano knows...knew my mother.” My voice is flat, monotone, but Lo still reaches his hand across the gearbox to clutch my numb fingers in his. My cold hands suck the warmth from his greedily, and his slow rhythmic squeezing helps to banish some of my tension. We pull into Lo’s driveway and he parks the car, turning to face me.
“I’m sorry, Riss.”
“So that was your mom?” I say haltingly.
“Yep. I get my sparkling personality from her,” he says, obviously trying to make me smile.
“You’re nothing like her,” I tell him. “She’s cold, and you’re warm. She’s unreadable and I can see everything you feel right there in your eyes.” Lo kisses my fingertips, making the breath catch in my throat. “Cano thinks you’re a bad influence.”
Lo laughs again, the warmth in his eyes overwhelming. “Little do they know it’s the blind leading the blind.” Grinning, I start to protest, but Lo leans across the console between us and silences me with a long slow kiss.
A kiss that quickly turns into something else, the warmth in his touch becoming fiery and demanding. Glancing down at our intertwined fingers and breathing heavily, I realize that the intensity isn’t Lo’s.
It’s mine.
It’s overtaking every part of me, my body shaking from the sensation of falling so fast that I can barely breathe. I’ve never felt such overwhelming longing for someone. And even if nothing comes of it, and I never get to see Lo again...I know. I know that I don’t want to leave without sharing this part of him. Without leaving him a part of myself.
“Let’s go down to the beach,” I say, grabbing a blanket from the back of my Jeep.
“You want to go to the beach now?”
“It’s the perfect time,” I shout, racing down the hill.
By the time I get down to where the waves are breaking, with the moon high in the sky, I am breathless. I don’t even wait. In the water, my green dress swirling around me with a magical frondlike life of its own, I duck under the breaking waves and strike out to the calmer water. Lo breaks the surface at the same moment as I do, gasping and laughing.
“Where’s your toga?” I ask him, swimming toward him and throwing my arms around his neck. I kiss his ear and then his cheek.
“My robes are on the beach,” he says, wrapping his arms around my waist.
“Where mine should probably be,” I say.
“I can help with that.” He hesitates, as if waiting for my permission, so I nod, swallowing past the tightness in my chest. This is the point of no return. I take a deep breath and hug him tightly, letting my face press against his as Lo’s fingers unbutton the tiny clasp at the top of the back of my dress
and draw the zipper downward.
He smiles at me. “Now you are truly the goddess of the ocean, and I’m just some poor boy at your mercy.”
“Really? That’s how it is?” I tease back, and kiss his neck, letting my legs slide against and between his. “I thought you were a god?”
“Yes,” he says, his voice thick. “Both yours.” His arms tighten around me. His eyes are dark and silver at the same time as the moonlight plays across our faces, shimmering in the water. His mouth meets mine and everything disappears, and we’re floating in space, weightless. I’m anchored to the salt on his lips, the taste of his mouth, the warmth of his body against mine. Every drop of water inside of me is begging to break free, pressing against my skin and surging toward his.
“I’m at yours, too, you know,” I whisper into his ear when we finally break apart.
His eyes meet mine, and the only word in them is yes. I bend my arms around his neck as he lifts me effortlessly into his arms and wades us both in to shore. Surf crashes around us, and we both laugh as he struggles to keep his balance. Lo lays me gently on the blanket and lies next to me, his hand trailing against the bare skin of my stomach.
“Are you sure?” he whispers, kissing my shoulder.
“I’m sure.”
As Lo’s mouth and hands make everything but him disappear, the only thing I can think of is my green dress, floating free and unfettered in the ocean.
The goddess of the sea, returned.
22
LIES ARE THE ROOT
“Harder!” Echlios pulses. “Faster.”
My heart is throbbing out of my chest and I want to scream with the pain racing like fire up and through my limbs. We’ve gone from diabolical football drills to mixed martial arts to ten-mile runs, and everything in between.
“This is torture,” I tell him, aware that he’s been pushing me more because of how little time we have left.
“This is the difference between winning and dying,” he says grimly. “Again.”
In the depths of the ocean, I come at him again, fast and furious, swimming as if my life depends on it and jabbing at him with my claws. But Echlios anticipates my moves and ducks easily, hitting me on the back of the head with his tail. The blow makes me see three of him but I shake it off. Gnashing my teeth, I dive toward him, spinning at the last moment and ripping my back claws down his hindquarters.
“Better,” he says. “Do not be predictable. Ehmora has fought many battles against many stronger and smarter than you.” He sees my look. “Yes, you have speed and some skill, but a misplaced strike can be the difference between life and death.”
“I get it.”
“Again,” he commands.
We fight and spin and repeat until I’m weary, but still Echlios pushes me. And I let myself be pushed because I know he is right. Already, I can feel my muscles responding and healing, readying themselves for another bout. I let the ocean seep into them, taking its strength like fuel. I am focused and I must be strong.
I haven’t even let myself think about Lo even though the minute his name pops into my brain, it’s like minifireworks explode all over my body. The thought of him makes me feel calm but wired at the same time. I’ve never experienced anything like it. Even Speio has been giving me weird, mystified looks but I’m too content to be bothered by him. Jenna had been over the moon for me. For once, all her plotting and scheming over my love life worked out.
I haven’t seen Lo since the day before yesterday, that night after the dance, even though we’ve spoken often. I’ve never been with a boy whose hold on me has been so much more than physical. It’s like we’re joined mentally and emotionally in addition to the physical part of it. The thought of that makes me feel like my stomach is made of fluttery wings, and my limbs made of jelly. Without thinking, my bioluminescence kicks in and the water around me lights up with a greenish-gold glow.
A whack to the head catches me off guard, and I growl fiercely at Echlios. “You’re distracted,” he accuses, his eyes narrowed.
“It’s because I’m starving! We’ve been here all day.”
Echlios stares at me frowning, and then nods. “Fine, let’s head back.”
At the house, I shower and change into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. Lo has left me six texts, and each one of them makes my heart beat a little bit faster than the one before. But I don’t even have time to savor any of them before both Echlios and Soren confront me. I tuck the phone under my leg and raise my eyebrow at their serious expressions.
“We need to talk,” Soren says.
“About what?”
She doesn’t skip a beat. “Have you bonded with anyone?” I almost choke at the blunt question, my eyes darting from Soren to Echlios.
“No!” I gasp, flushing. And then, “Who would I bond with, anyway? Why are you asking me this?”
Echlios stares at me. “I noticed you today. You were distracted.”
“Yes, I said I was hungry.”
“So thinking about food made you illuminate?”
I flush, knowing exactly what I’d been thinking about. “I like food.”
Soren sits beside me on the bed, her face gentle. “Nerissa, it’s not just today. We’ve both noticed your behavior, and we know the signs.”
“Guys, trust me. I haven’t bonded with anyone! The only person I can actually bond with is Speio, and believe me, he’s happily distracting himself with one of the girls from my hockey team.” I pause, wringing my hands. “But I am with someone else. A boy.”
“Did you—” Echlios begins.
“Soren!” I beg with a beseeching look. I really do not want to have this conversation with him. She gives Echlios a look and he leaves the room with a lingering worried glance at me. I take a deep breath and meet Soren’s eyes. “The answer to his question is yes. Two nights ago, after the dance,” I say in a rush to her, wanting to get it out. “I really like him, Soren. He’s different from other boys.”
“Is that why you’ve been so happy?” Soren smiles, and I cave completely. I’ve wanted to talk about Lo to her for weeks, so I give in.
“Yes. I mean, I see how Jenna is with Sawyer, and it feels like that. As if I’m giddy and I want to see him every single second of the day. Sometimes, I feel as if I can’t breathe if I don’t talk to him. And he feels the same way about me. You’ll like him, Soren, just as much as I do.” My words are shaky, flowing out of me like music. “I think I may be in love with him. Like how the humans fall in love, I mean.”
“I can see that,” Soren says with a hint of relief on her face.
“It’s all in my head, isn’t it? Just like how the humans love?”
“Yes, and no,” she says. “Your feelings are real, but unlike us, there is no real bond linking you together. In time, your feelings for him will fade. And when you find your own mate and the bonding is complete, he will be a distant memory, if that.” She pats my face and my hair. “Enjoy it, but he cannot be a distraction in the coming days. Do you understand that?”
“I do,” I say, the happiness leaching out of me at her grim expression.
Soren’s words are like knives, tearing into me and ripping apart my fragile joy. But she’s right. I’m a queen who has to fight for her throne, not some girl who only has to worry about being in love. I wipe away the tear that meanders down my cheek with a violent swipe.
“Your responsibilities outweigh whatever fleeting emotion it is you are feeling. I don’t mean to be cruel, please know that. But I’m here to guide you and to educate you.” She pauses and takes a deep breath. “It may be better to start making your goodbyes now. Sever anything that can be used against you by your enemy—including the humans you love. Whatever happens with Ehmora tomorrow, we will all be returning to the sea.”
“I understand.”
Sor
en kisses my hand, and leaves me to my thoughts. I stare at the phone and, with my heart breaking into pieces, I delete all of Lo’s texts. I knew that this moment would come. The moment I would have to say goodbye. Retrieving my laptop from my desk, I open the drafts of letters I’ve written to both Jenna and to Lo, and scroll down. The one to Jenna is considerably longer—I’ve told her everything. She deserves it all.
But the one to Lo is barely a page, barely a sentence.
How do you explain to someone you’ve given every part of yourself to that you’re going away and never coming back? How do you break someone’s heart when yours is already shattered? How do you say goodbye when all you want to do is do the opposite?
Before I can second-guess myself or start rewriting them for the hundredth time, I hit Send on both, and lie back on my bed, staring blindly at the ceiling. I close my eyes and clear it of everything but Ehmora. She’s my focus now. She’s the only focus.
* * *
I wake to darkness and the sensation of someone looming over me. The weight of a body presses down into the bed just as a pillow crashes into my face. Instinctively shoving upward with all my might, I throw my attacker across the room, and lunge forward to stop at the last minute, my eyes widening.
“What the hell, Jenna? I could have killed you!”
“What the hell to you, you asshat,” she says, wincing as she pulls herself to her feet. “You can’t send me an email like that without consequences! Horrible, deathlike, best-friend-will-go-ballistic-with-pillow consequences!”
“Jenna, I’m sorry,” I say, raking my hands through the snarls in my hair. “I don’t have a lot of time, and I didn’t want to just disappear.”
“You could have told me in person!”
I stare at her, a wild enraged virago, her red hair a mess and her hands on her hips, not in the least afraid of me. I can’t possibly love Jenna more than I do in that moment. “I didn’t think I could handle seeing you,” I say quietly, falling back to the bed, my head in my hands.
“Oh,” she says, thinking for a minute and glancing at my open computer on the bed next to me. “Did you send one to Lo, too?”
Waterfell Page 28
