by Kristen Day
“How do you know my name?” I asked, feeling a little lightheaded.
“Everyone knows your name.” Leaning forward, his knee brushed mine and I was all too aware of how close he was. His face darkened.
“Stay away from the light station, Stasia,” he whispered. “People get hurt there. It’s dangerous.” I couldn’t tell if it was a warning or a threat, but he was searching my face for an answer.
“What light station?” was all I could manage to say under the weight of his stare. So he did see me. This earth shattering revelation almost unraveled me right there in front of him. Did that mean he remembered all of the other dreams, too?
His lips formed a slight smirk and his eyes sparkled. I could tell I was amusing him again, apparently a new talent of mine. Mrs. Wyatt chose that very moment to begin class, so I turned my attention to the front of the room, still a little shaken from his sinister tone.
“For the first week, we will remain indoors and then apply what we’ve learned in the actual ocean during the second week.” I perked up at this while she continued, “Throughout this class, the things we will work on could be potentially dangerous,” I thought I heard a snicker beside me, “So, I expect your full attention at all times. My hope is that you will learn a great deal, as well as have a little fun” She winked at us and I decided I liked her.
She passed around an outline of what we’d cover throughout the semester, but my mind kept wandering to the much more intriguing mystery sitting beside me. He’d been in my dreams for years, but I didn’t even know his name. With a sideways glance, a gasp escaped my lips. A black skull and crossbones trace adorned the muscle on his forearm. It moved slightly as he tapped his fingers on the table, making it appear even more menacing. Did every Son of Daimon have the same trace? I assumed that’s the order he belonged to. But considering I didn’t even know his name, it was hard to assume much of anything.
My eyes moved up to his face and my breath hitched, again, as I was caught in his piercing gaze. The corner of his mouth turned up in a taunting grin. A small voice in the back of my mind told me I should probably be afraid of him. My dreams were obviously real. And if that was true, it meant I watched him try to kill someone the other night. And he may have finished the job after I disappeared. Besides, there’s only one thing a skull and crossbones stands for: death. I felt his presence wrap around me like a warm blanket on a cold night, and found myself unable to look away. Holding my eyes, he reached out and ran a finger over the trace on my wrist. Paralyzed by his touch, I couldn’t ignore the heat it sent up my arm. I swallowed hard, trying to control the emotions coursing through me.
“I make you nervous,” he whispered. It wasn’t a question, but a statement. The smirk on his face told me he knew it was true. I straightened stubbornly in my chair.
“You wish,” I raised an eyebrow. Two could play at this game.
His smirk turned into a full blown smile and I felt my heart melt right out of my chest.
“That sounds like a yes to me,” he whispered, and I hoped the warmth I felt rise to my cheeks didn’t give me away. “Why are you blushing?” He smiled again. Damn.
“I don’t know what you’re talki….” I started to argue, but a voice interrupted me.
“Ms. Whitman?” Mrs. Wyatt raised her eyebrows at me.
“Yes ma’am?” I immediately turned forward, looking all kinds of guilty.
“Is there something you would like to share with the rest of us?”
“No ma’am.” I heard another snicker beside me, so I cut my eyes at him. Getting in trouble on the first day is not the best way to start off the semester. Mrs. Wyatt nodded her head at me with tight lips and continued addressing the class. A piece of paper was pushed towards me.
‘Busted’ was scrawled in the bottom left-hand corner. I grabbed the paper.
‘Your fault’ I accused him, and gave him my best pissed off glare that I could tell fell short.
‘And you’re still blushing’ he answered with a smile. I grabbed the paper, balled it up and slipped it into my bag. Then I stared at him with defiance, daring him to keep distracting me. The last thing I needed was to get in trouble twice in one day. It would be a lot easier to follow the rules if I could think straight around him. But he just kept smiling at me, making my insides turn to mush.
Throughout the rest of the class, I was hyper-aware of his every movement. Every time he ran his fingers through his hair. Every time he tapped his fingers on the table. Every time he scratched his chin. And I had no idea what Mrs. Wyatt discussed the entire hour. I would need to record her lectures in the future so that I could listen to them later. Sitting next to a dark, mysterious, incredibly hot guy was wreaking havoc on my ability to concentrate on anything else. Finally, the class ended and I put my things into my bag.
“By the way,” his breath tickled the skin on my neck as he leaned down to whisper in my ear, “my name’s Finn.” My heart skipped a beat and I looked up at him, his face inches from mine. He flashed that breathtaking smile at me once more, straightened confidently and sauntered out of the room.
Chapter 11
“I’m just saying I think she’s graceful. Her steps need some work, but that dress looks amazing on her,” Phoebe crossed her arms.
“Their wardrobe isn’t part of the score, Phoebs. It’s how they dance. And my grandma can dance better than she can.” We’d been watching ‘Dancing with the Stars’ and Phoebe and Carmen had a bad habit of arguing over every contestant.
“For all I know your grandma’s a professional ballroom dancer.”
“She’s in a wheelchair,” Carmen retorted smugly.
“Well that doesn’t matter, haven’t you seen those guys that play basketball in wheelchairs? That’s got to be way harder than normal basketball.” Unsure of how the conversation went from dance scores to playing basketball in wheelchairs, I turned back to the bar as Willow handed me a plate of nachos dripping with cheese. I put them on the coffee table and took a seat on the couch beside Carmen.
“I’d like to see you two get up on stage and dance in four inch heels in front of the entire country.” I challenged them.
“I’d win for sure.” Carmen nodded her head with assuredness.
“I’d have to get some implants,” Phoebe frowned down at her chest, “I couldn’t fill out those dresses with these sorry excuses for boobs.”
“I’d have to get butt implants.” Willow said as she patted her backside. We all giggled and she stuck her tongue out at us.
“So, I have a question,” I began. “I know Tydes have different traces depending on who we’re descended from, so does that mean all of the Sons of Daimon have the same one? And what about the Sirens?” I threw the Sirens in there so they didn’t question my specific interest in the Sons.
“That’s right, the Sirens all have a nautical star, the Tritons have a trident and all of the Sons of Daimon have the scepter which is like a staff or rod with an ornamental top,” Willow answered. But, that didn’t make sense. Finn’s skull and crossbones was definitely a trace. He had to be a Son, though. He didn’t fit into any of the other Orders. I guess he could be a Tyde, but it just didn’t feel right.
“Is it possible to have two?” I asked carefully.
“I don’t know.” Willow explained further, “I think it depends on a lot of things. I think if you’re a direct descendent or Chosen you could. Or if you have several really strong abilities.”
“What do you mean by Chosen?” I asked.
“If the Gods or Goddesses have chosen you for a specific journey or destiny.” Phoebe explained.
My jaw dropped. “Wow. That sounds absolutely terrifying.”
“No doubt,” Carmen consented.
“I’d have to ask to be un-Chosen,” Phoebe chuckled.
“I think it would be amazing to have that kind of purpose in your life, but you’re right, it would be scary.” Willow added. While I was asking questions, I might as well throw another one out there.
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“So do Tydes have the ability to….” I paused trying to figure out how to say it, “…go places in their dreams?”
“There are a few rare cases but it’s not very common” Carmen answered, grabbing a handful of nachos. “Instead of a dream it’s called a reverie. From what I’ve heard it’s like leaving your body and going wherever your soul takes you. But that’s all I know. Kind of freaky if you ask me.” This from the girl who could control waves.
“Did you hear about it in your classes today?” Willow asked, perplexed at my seemingly random question.
“No, I think I, um, might have that ability.” I waited for their reaction. All of their eyes grew wide and nothing was said for a full minute.
“Holy shit!” Phoebe exclaimed.
“No way!” Carmen’s mouth hung open.
“Have you done it already? What happened?” Willow hid her shock the best. I tried to find a way to sum it up without mentioning hot, mysterious guys and creepy teachers.
“Well, I think I’ve always been able to do it, but I’ve just recently figured out that it’s actually real and not a dream. I don’t think I can control it though. I just sort of…show up places.”
“Wow. That’s amazing. I’ve never known anyone who can do that,” Carmen looked at me with something like awe.
“Will you guys promise to keep it secret for now, at least?” I pleaded with them, “I just want to figure some things out on my own before I talk to anybody else about it.”
They all agreed, but I could tell by the excitement in their eyes that they wanted to know more. Leave it to me to have one of the freaky abilities no one else had.
That night I lay in bed wide awake. Wary of falling asleep considering I had no idea where I might end up, I stared up at the ceiling as my thoughts raced uncontrollably for the third night in a row. I still didn’t understand how Finn didn’t have a scratch on him. From what I saw, he should have a black eye and stitches. None of it made sense. The other thing I didn’t understand was how he could obviously see me in the reveries, but why was he the only one? Mrs. Dixon looked right through me even though I was only standing a couple of feet away. Maybe I was hidden in the shadows. Maybe they were so distracted they weren’t paying attention to their surroundings. I also needed to learn how to control them, because I couldn’t just be popping up in random places at random times. Could I get hurt? Who was the lady that I saw get killed on the beach? Could I really have helped her? And what was Finn doing there?
I’d never felt more confused. At least when I was in foster care I knew I was human, I knew my limitations. This world was one big mystery and I was just aimlessly wandering around looking for answers that may or may not exist. I knew Kira might be able to help, but could I really trust her? I closed my eyes, and my mind spun endlessly until I finally dozed off into a peaceful dreamless and reverie-less sleep.
~Ӂ~
The next evening, I searched through my closet, hoping to find the ideal outfit for a bonfire. I’d never been to a bonfire on the beach, so I wasn’t real sure what to wear. Bathing suit? I would say the chances of us going swimming were pretty slim. Sundress? That could be tricky with the wind. Ripped jeans, tank top, and a hoodie? Perfect.
I didn’t even remember the bonfire until 2nd period. It sounded like fun, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to hang out with Noah and Logan the whole time. Noah was pretty cute, but I wasn’t really interested. And what if a particular dark haired, blue eyed guy showed up? During 6th period when Mrs. Wyatt began her lesson and five minutes turned into fifteen, I realized Finn wasn’t coming to class. Disappointed would have been an understatement, but at the same time I’d actually heard her lecture. Now I was wondering if he’d be at the bonfire. To ward off disappointment twice in one day, I tried to convince myself that it didn’t matter.
The bonfire was at the Cape, which was only a short walk down the beach. The four of us headed that direction. It was a gorgeous night. The silver moon above was completely full, lighting up the world like a disco ball. The sand beneath our feet reflected its light, creating the illusion it had been lit from below. With the ocean glistening around us, it felt like we had been transported to another world. The refuge of night was captured in the ocean breeze ruffling my hair and the enchanted white crabs scurrying around our bare feet.
The warm glow of the bonfire could be seen from miles around, but as we got closer, I could make out the individual embers shooting up from the blaze, riding on the wind. Freed from captivity, they flew high in the air before snuffing out. I could see why ancient man sat around staring at fire. It was a beautiful dance as old as the dawn of time. You could become entranced within its flames, stripping away everything except the raw humanity that burns within us all.
We were drawn closer by the heat radiating out from the fire. Large pieces of driftwood had been set up around the bonfire as seats, so we claimed a relatively empty one. I stretched my legs out in front of me and scanned the crowd. I saw a couple of kids from my classes, couples sitting close together in their own world, and a group of guys playing something that looked like lacrosse down towards the water. I also noticed Olivia and Cassie with two other girls sitting on a blanket nearby. They were surrounded by six guys who were hanging on their every word. The one thing I didn’t see were Sons of Daimon. Maybe they weren’t the social event type?
“Look who finally made it.” Logan spoke up behind us. He was trailed by Noah and two other guys who put The Hulk to shame. They were at least 6’6 and built like tanks. Noah took a seat in between me and Willow, while Hans and Frans sat beside Phoebe. Logan and Carmen snuck off towards the water by themselves.
“How’s your first week going?” Noah attempted conversation with me.
“Pretty good so far,” I replied politely. He smiled a dimpled smile at me and I noticed he was definitely cute, but he needed a lesson in personal space. I scooted an inch down the driftwood, but he just leaned farther in my direction as he talked.
“It definitely takes some getting used to. Especially if you haven’t been around our kind your whole life. That’s got to be hard.” If he only knew.
“A lot of things have been a shock, but I know things will fall into place with time.” I looked down at my trace. I tried to turn the conversation back to him, “So you and Logan are Tritons?”
“Logan is, but I’m not,” he told me. “I’m a Tyde like you.”
“Really? I have a hard time telling the Orders apart, except for the Sons of Daimon.” Which sent my thoughts to deep blue eyes.
“Well I’ll tell you a secret,” he leaned even closer. I thought about asking him if he’d be more comfortable sitting in my lap, “We all have different stones that represent our Orders. The Tyde stone is turquoise. Most of us wear one all the time.” He pulled a necklace out from under his shirt. It was a thin leather string with a single turquoise bead flanked by two knots.
“That’s amazing!” It dawned on me that maybe the décor in our living room was turquoise and white for that very reason. I’d have to ask Willow about that.
“My mom got me this when I started at Lorelei, but there’s a shop near The Hole that sells all kinds of stones.” He tucked the necklace back under his shirt. “If you want me to take you some time, just let me know,” he looked at me hopefully.
“Thanks, I’ll let you know if I decide to go.” He smiled and I felt guilty for giving him false hope. If I went with anyone it would be Kira or my roommates.
My mind wanted to ask what the stone was for the Sons of Daimon. Thankfully, it didn’t come out that way. “What are the other Orders’ stones?”
“The Sirens wear sapphires, the Tritons wear obsidian, and the Sons wear the black onyx.” Definitely fitting. I’d have to see if I could spot one on Finn the next time I saw him.
“There’s so much I don’t know.” I looked out over the ocean. It was still and calm, reminding me of an infinity pool, not that I’d seen an infinity pool other than in magazines and on TV.
“You’ll learn,” he reassured me. “You’ve only been here a couple of days. You can’t expect to learn everything that quick.”
“I’m not the most patient person in the world.” I tossed a rogue seashell in to the fire.
“I can see that,” he laughed, and his dimples showed again. “You wanna go for a walk? The fire’s starting to get hot.” I glanced at Willow, who was now talking to Phoebe and the other guys. What could it hurt?
“Sure.” We stood and strolled towards the point of the Cape. The sounds of the ocean filled my ears, and I had the strangest urge to run as fast as I could and dive beneath the waves. I also got the feeling of being watched. I looked around but no one was even remotely paying attention to us. I shrugged it off and zipped up my hoodie.
“I don’t know if I could ever live anywhere but the beach.” Noah said.
“I like how you can look out over the ocean and see the curvature of the earth.” I pointed out toward the horizon, “It makes you realize just how small and insignificant we really are.”
“I don’t think you’re small and insignificant, Stasia.” He was suddenly closer to me. Goose bumps popped up on my arms, but I couldn’t tell if it was because of the cool wind or his uninvited nearness. I felt his arm wrap around my shoulders and tensed. I knew I should probably relax and lean into him, but something stopped me. I turned away, towards the bonfire.
“I’m getting chilly, I think we should be go back to the fire.” he furrowed his brow in confusion, but followed me back. I got that feeling of being watched again, but still didn’t see anyone watching us. The hairs on my arms rose and my chill bumps started growing chill bumps. I began walking faster.
“Hey there, lovebirds,” grinned Phoebe. I gave her a look that could kill and Willow elbowed her in the ribs. I sat down beside her, suddenly very comforted by the fire and my friends. Noah and Hans began talking about the upcoming football season and I tried to relax. I should have probably found out what their names were instead of calling them Frans and Hans, but decided against it. After a while, I gazed back at the ocean. The urge to be underwater slammed into me again and it became harder to ignore. I could almost feel the water’s soothing touch enveloping my body, sweeping me away with the currents to places I’d never been.
