The Descendants

by K. K. Allen

  I close the book and sigh. Up until now, my amethyst has worked without any effort on my part—like in my sleep, banishing the unwanted dreams. Although, it has failed my heart when it comes to the one and only Johnny Pierce. Around him and only around him, my stone feels useless. Even with the stone pressed snugly to my skin, his presence always activates the tiny earthquakes in my heart.

  My phone buzzes from my pocket.

  Alec.

  He probably can’t sleep either. He might want to ask me questions about Johnny and I’m not ready for that yet. I hesitate too long, allowing the call to go to voicemail. I’ll talk to him tomorrow.

  As a yawn tears my eyes, I pick up another book on the Equinox and snuggle into the couch. When I get to the section on the first Enchanter-Equinox War in Athens, my eyelids grow heavy.

  My father is asleep in a chair in the corner of my room when I awaken. He must have found me and moved me to my bed. His brow is furrowed, hinting at where wrinkles will one day appear. The corners of his mouth dip naturally, just as mine do, and his hair is mussed, proof of the stress of last night.

  Was he worried about me? My insides buzz with warmth as I note that Paul chose to stay at Summer Estate last night instead of his own home. After all this time, years of thinking he never cared because of the choices my parents made, it’s comforting to know he cares for me now. It makes me realize that while my relationship with Paul continues to be awkward and confusing, we seem to have figured out a rhythm—and a love that works for us.

  He shifts, as if sensing I’m awake, and slowly opens his eyes. “Aargh.” He shifts again until he’s sitting straight up in the chair.

  “I’m alive,” I whisper, a soft smile playing on my lips.

  He rubs his eyes. “I couldn’t find you anywhere last night, but Charlotte had a good idea where you might be. What were you doing in there?” The worry in his voice instills guilt in my heart.

  I reach for the stone around my neck and stare down at it. “I was reading up on stones. I wasn’t wearing my amethyst last night because I didn’t think I needed it, but apparently I’m weak without it.”

  Paul tilts his head. “What do you mean? You don’t need your amethyst to use your powers. It helps, but you’re strong enough on your own. When did you start to feel weak?”

  I shrug. “I felt drained the moment I came into contact with Erebus. But at the same time, I couldn’t fight him because I wanted to hear him out. If he wanted to hurt me, he would have.”

  His look cuts me to my core. “I healed a deep gash in your head last night, Katrina, and you had bruises all over your body. I’d say he succeeded in hurting you.”

  He’s concerned, I know, but does he need to be so jeering?

  “I have a theory.” He frowns. I’m all ears. “You’re half Equinox, which means you and Erebus share energy at some level. Not enough to outshine your Solstice gifts, but enough to disarm you during a surprise confrontation.”

  It’s a good theory, but I’m not entirely convinced. “Well,” I challenge, “then explain why my amethyst goes completely dry around certain individuals.” I don’t want to give Paul the details of my romantic encounters with Johnny.

  His expression tells me I don’t have to say more. “I suppose you don’t want your amethyst to work around certain individuals. It’s really as simple as your own willpower, Katrina.”

  With a stretch to disguise an unbecoming blush, I pour my eyes over the parts of my body I can see and notice that I not only look fine, but I feel great. Not a bruise or scratch anywhere. I remember the blow to my head as I was smashed into the locker … the dripping blood pouring from the gnarly wound at my crown.

  My dad must notice my self-discovery because he’s smirking when I look back up at him. “I healed you, remember? Maybe we should work on that memory next,” he winks.

  “Thank you.”

  This is a memory I’ll lock up forever, because I never want to forget the first time I was healed by an Enchanter, especially since that Enchanter is my father.

  There’s a look between us that says more than I want to feel right now. Have I forgiven my father for being distant all these years? Yes. Do I feel like we can make up for lost time? No, that part hurts. Do I love him, just as a daughter should? Yes, I think I do.

  The entire morning is a restless one as I wait for Johnny to visit even though I know he’s not coming to see me. Or is he? No, Kat. He’s coming to talk to Rose. Either way, it will be our first real opportunity to talk.

  Freshly showered, hair dried, outfit selected. Now I’m using a little magic on my hair to give myself curls that flow loosely down my back. On most days, I apply little makeup to my face, and today is no exception. I curl my lashes with the flick of my finger and apply a small dose of eyeliner to help my silver eyes pop.

  With a deep breath, I land on the bottom step of the grand staircase just as the doorbell chimes. I couldn’t have timed that better with magic.

  Paul, Rose, and Charlotte stare at me from the foyer entrance, and I shoo them away. “I’ll get it,” I whisper. They nod and duck their heads back into the great room.

  It’s useless for me to try and calm my erratic heartbeat. The effects Johnny has on me have no bounds. If I’m being completely honest with myself, it’s a feeling I miss: being unable to control something that sends my entire body out of whack.

  When I open the door, Johnny’s scent invades my nostrils. He’s dressed in all white, and it reminds me of our time on his yacht. Now that we’re face-to-face in daylight, I see that time has blessed him well. His facial hair is groomed just enough for me to get a glimpse at his masculine jawline and thick, sun-kissed lips. His blue eyes are brighter and more piercing than I remember, if that’s even possible.

  “Hello, Katrina.” His expression gives away nothing, but his eyes are intense and tell me he’s missed me too.

  “Hello, Johnny.” I am happy to find my voice and resist its need to tremble.

  “How do you feel?” A crease forms in his forehead and I want to brush it away, but I resist.

  “Good. Better. Fine.” I look away, embarrassed. If anyone can read my emotions, it’s Johnny. He was always good at exposing my weaknesses and using them to his advantage, which turned out to be to my advantage as well. When I moved to Apollo Beach after my mother’s death, I was living in a constant sleepwalk state, struggling to sort through the haze and find my way. My friendship with Alec helped, but it took my intense feelings toward Johnny to wake me up completely.

  “I’m glad.” He smiles tightly, as if unsure if he’s allowed to smile. Suddenly I lose my nerve, and my insecurities drown me. Reality hits for the first time since I’ve seen him. I’m standing in front of the guy that broke my heart to sail off on a mission of revenge. He doesn’t deserve my forgiveness—not so easily anyway.

  I take a step back into Summer Estate and wait for him to follow. “Come this way, please. I’ll show you to Rose’s den. Paul and Rose will meet you there shortly.”

  With a flick of my wrist, the door closes, and Johnny meets my gaze with question. I turn away swiftly to signal it’s not the time to talk and lead him down the narrow hallway to the corner room. He trails me closely, so closely I can feel the air swoosh between us, his breezy, citrusy scent driving me wild.

  When we enter Rose’s den, I can feel his eyes begin to wander over me. I tense and then turn to face him, expecting him to close the gap, ready to confront our time apart and his return. To my disappointment, his eyes have moved from me, and I wonder if I imagined that they had been focused on me at all. Now, they shift slowly around the room, and his feet follow. His reaction is similar to my own when I first laid eyes on this mini museum. Greek figurines, artifacts, dusty books, and earth stones are not something you see every day. It’s like this room is a direct link to our heritage. Even though Johnny descends from Poseidon, I can imagine this room still holds deep value for him and where he came from.

  Lost in his presence, I watch
him examine the space in awe. Every little step he takes prompts me to say something, anything, but I don’t. In silence, I think of the year and a half we’ve lost and wonder what his plans are for the future. Does he really plan to stay in Apollo Beach? Am I ready to know the answer? Not yet.

  “I’ll go get Rose and my father now.”

  Johnny snaps out of his spell and walks toward me. My heart lunges into my throat as he enters my space. “Wait,” he says softly, “not yet. I want to know about your father. When did he come back? How have you been?”

  I bite my lip as I ponder how to explain such a complicated story. “You had been gone a couple weeks when he showed up. He just knocked on the door, and I’ve seen him every day since. It’s been”—I pause and look up at Johnny, who’s listening intently—“really nice.”

  He smiles kindly. “Good. You’ve forgiven him.” It’s not a question.

  I nod. “Yes. He did what he had to do.”

  If I’m not mistaken, Johnny relaxes. Does this give him hope that I’ll forgive him too?

  “You look really well, Kat.” His eyes graze over me, over the length of my body and into my eyes. It’s enough to cause my heart rate to spike once more. “I couldn’t believe when I saw you yesterday.” He shakes his head. “I knew I would see you, but when I did …” He steps closer. “You’re the same but … different.”

  If my heart rate continues to escalate, my heart just might burst. “I’m older,” I say, desperately trying to calm my heart. “One year, four months, two weeks, and four days older.”

  He presses his eyes closed as if my time-tracking causes him pain. “Yes, I know.”

  There’s so much I want to say, to ask, but I don’t even know where to start.

  A knock on the open door interrupts whatever either of us is about to say next. “Sorry, you two,” Paul apologizes. “We only have an hour before we need to head to Summer Island. And Kat, there’s someone at the door for you.”

  My dad enters the room first with Rose trailing behind. Johnny reaches out his hand. “Sir, thank you for having me. I hope I can shed some light on the Serpent’s whereabouts.”

  Paul takes his hand to shake it. “For the sake of the people I love and the rest of this community, I certainly hope so, son.”

  Johnny nods, his entire demeanor oozing respect. I have to hide my smile. His awkward formality is somehow endearing.

  As I’m walking out, Rose pulls me into a hug. “Be gentle with him, dear. He really does love you.”

  At first I think she’s talking about Johnny, and then I remember that there’s someone at the door. My heart sinks as I realize it’s Alec. Rose knows what Johnny’s return has done to my heart. It’s obvious to everyone, even Alec. How am I going to handle this?

  I close the den door behind me, sneaking one last look at Johnny, who is already in a deep conversation with my father. My plan had been to listen to their conversation and see if I could start piecing together information that will lead me to the energy source without anyone being the wiser, but I guess that won’t be happening now. I’m still unsure whether I’ll relay any information to Erebus like he wants me to, but at least it will be up to me to decide.

  The latch of the den door clicks, and I hurry to the entrance of Summer Estate.

  “Kat, I’ve been calling you.” Alec looks as if he hasn’t slept all night. “Wow,” he says, looking me up and down. “You look much better than I feel.”

  Guilt eats at me. Does he know Johnny’s here? I don’t want to hurt Alec. He’s been nothing but good to me, and we’ve only just begun to give our relationship a second chance. His expression distracts the direction of my thoughts. His eyes are downcast, and his entire appearance seeps defeat.

  In a second, all thoughts of Johnny and the tug-of-war I’m playing with my heart is gone. “What’s wrong?”

  “Brent is still at the hospital. He won’t wake up.”

  We take Alec’s car to the hospital where Brent lies unconscious. As we enter his room, I see Trisha standing beside him, her face streaked with tears. “His parents are grabbing coffee downstairs. He hasn’t woken up,” she whispers.

  All my blood seems to drain from my body. Everything aches—every muscle, every organ, every thought. I’m at Trisha’s side instantly, wrapping my arms around her and letting her bury her head in my neck.

  We stand like this for a while until her sobs subside and the room grows quiet, except for the beeping of monitors and the dripping of an IV. I release Trisha and stand at Brent’s side, grabbing his hand.

  “Why didn’t anyone call me sooner?” I reach for his neck, then I place a hand on his heart. I’m checking for any sign of life. Not the life owned by machines, but life that Brent still has control of. Nothing I find relieves me of the fear that one of my best friends could be near his death.

  “I’ve tried everything,” Trisha says in a choked whisper. “I’ve been here all night. Mrs. Riley and that girl, Stacia, from our theater class were here earlier, but they were both healed and sent home. Everyone else was healed at the dance. Why Brent? Why can’t I heal him?”

  “It’s not your fault,” I say to her with as much conviction as I can muster. “You’re doing everything you can do. He’s still here, isn’t he?”

  Trisha’s devastated frown almost breaks me. “Some of the Elders came to help last night. Kat, it’s been over twelve hours and his condition hasn’t changed at all.”

  Her news is like a weight pressing down on my chest. Not even the Elders could help. Erebus said he would leave his mark, but why Brent? Brent is as innocent as can be.

  Alec is on the other side of the bed now, standing above his best friend. I frown and look up at him, hoping he has more answers than Trisha. “What do the doctors say is wrong with him?”

  “He had hypothermia from the water he fell into. Johnny got him out and I warmed him, but we didn’t know about the internal bleeding until he was brought here.” Alec’s response is filled with emotion.

  He must have been here earlier, or maybe all night. Guilt wracks my body as I realize he was probably calling me from the hospital last night.

  “They stopped the bleeding in surgery, but not before he went into cardiac arrest,” he says.

  “What caused the internal bleeding? Did he fall on something?” I’m not sure how the answer will help me, but I have to know how this happened.

  Alec’s eyes drop, and he looks like he’s about to cry. “The balloons froze, and the ones that fell shattered everywhere. Brent was hit by a bundle of them—”

  I hold up my hands, regretting even asking the question. “I’m sorry, Alec. You don’t need to explain.” I shake my head, saddened that such an innocent prank could have ended like this. I look back up at Alec, who’s barely holding it together. “You two,” I say, looking between him and Trisha, “need to stop blaming yourselves. You didn’t cause any of this, you hear me? It’s Erebus. And Brent isn’t dead. We’ll get him through this.”

  “The doctors don’t think he’ll be able to breathe on his own, so he’s been strapped to these contraptions all night.” Alec sounds angry, and I can’t blame him.

  I hear another sob from behind me and turn to see Trisha, who once again has tears pouring down her cheeks. I take my hands off Brent and hug Trisha. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here for you. I’ll talk to Rose and my dad. We’ll do everything we possibly can for him.” I can’t bring myself to promise her he’ll be okay because I don’t know myself.

  A familiar man in a white coat enters the room, and I immediately recognize him from the Solstice Community Center. He’s an Elder by the name of Alessandro, and apparently a doctor.

  “Katrina,” he greets me with surprise. “Are you a friend of Mr. Anderson’s?”

  I nod. “I am. You’re a doctor.”

  He chuckles gravely. “I am. Dr. Floros is what they call me here.” He steps to my side, looking over Brent’s body. “I was with your friend here in surgery. There was some internal bl
eeding, which we were able to stop, but his condition doesn’t seem to be improving.”

  “What can we do?” I ask, pleading.

  Dr. Floros frowns. “Sometimes all a patient needs is time. It’s still too early to tell.”

  “If that doesn’t work?” I ask an obvious and painful question, but I need to know what could happen. Is it bad enough that Brent could actually die?

  “Well, we’ve got some time to figure that out.”

  “And then?” I probe.

  Dr. Floros sighs. “Then I’m afraid his family will need to make a decision.”

  The lump in my throat grows. I shake my head. “You can’t let Brent die. He’s innocent in all of this, Doctor. He shouldn’t be here.”

  “While I agree with you wholly, Miss Summer, I’m afraid there are other circumstances preventing Mr. Anderson’s recovery.” He moves, pulling the sheet down to Brent’s waist, then lifts the hem of his hospital gown over his stomach.

  I gasp, thoroughly chilled at the sight. Branded into Brent’s skin, circling his belly button like a tattoo, is the Equinox marking, a snake in the shape of an infinity symbol, with its tail shoved in its mouth. It’s a frightening sight that I prayed I’d never have to see again.

  Erebus said he would leave a mark. I just figured it would be on the gymnasium floor or where he smashed my head against the lockers, not on Brent’s stomach.

  I reach over to touch the symbol. Before I reach his skin, the formation of the tattoo glows. Just as quickly, Alessandro pulls my hand away and sets it at my side.

  “What was that?” My eyes are glued to the offending tattoo.

  Dr. Floros gently covers Brent back up before responding.