“A corpse. When a soul is unable to accept its death, it clings to the body in the vein hope that life is still an option,” said Jex. “Someone drowned her days ago. That’s why none of Meikle’s magic worked on her.”
“We’re all set here. Have a good evening, Principal Jeepers,” said an investigator.
Mom placed her hand on my shoulder as Doctor Tenly walked past us on the steps, turned, and glared into each one of our faces. I’ve never seen him so upset.
Looking up at the sky, seething, he said, “Well, if you all are done playing dress up, invading hotel rooms, chatting with the dead, and blowing up toys—”
“Ooh, I forgot to pick up that little stuffed owl. I was going to check his price and maybe…get…him,” I said coyly as Doctor Tenly’s face did this scary, angry twitch thing. What the hell was wrong with me? I just finished blowing up a toy shop, singing a duet with The Dealer, and witnessing an innocent woman double-die...and my mouth dares to verbally vomit about wanting a stuffed owl?! Oh, I’m garbage. Stinky, gooey, rotten garbage!
“In the car. All of you. NOW!” said Doctor Tenly.
This night was about to get much, much worse.
Chapter Fifteen
Sinfully Thankful
Back at Hambury House, Doctor Tenly paced from one side of the study to the other. He must be seriously incensed, considering his appearance kept flickering from the usual Doctor Tenly to the scraggly Principal Jeepers. I was going to point this out when…
“You’re flashing us,” said Polly. “It’s confusing, rude, and it hurts my eyes.”
Horrified, Doctor Tenly quickly checked the front of his pants.
“She means you keep switching from Doctor Tenly to Principal Jeepers,” said Trey.
“Oh, thank my scales it wasn’t what I thought it was,” muttered Doctor Tenly, before uncorking on us. “I cannot believe you convinced Fletcher and Camille to cover for you! Surprised Tree wasn’t in on it.”
“David, how often do I wear the gotcha gown and hooker heels?” said Treeva, pointing at the skimpy red leather dress and silver spiked heels.
“Two occasions: when you want something, or when you’re trying to distract me,” said Doctor Tenly. “So, you knew, then.”
“Of course I knew,” said Treeva, tossing her hands in the air. “If the overall look didn’t work, I had backup…in the form of what I’m not wearing underneath the dress.”
“Tree, you just told the room you’re going commando,” Troy growled. Treeva did a little shoulder shimmy and grinned.
“I always go commando,” offered Jex.
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” I muttered.
“Disgusting,” said Polly, eyeing Jex, biting her lip.
For a moment, Doctor Tenly gawked at Treeva, his eyes twinkling with testosterone. Yeah, it didn’t last long. “None of you can conceive of the complex mind-magic I had to work tonight, just to help Luxton Vipor keep Madame Helena’s big beak from squawking to the Imperia about tonight’s little adventure. Be damn grateful Luxton has taken a liking to the lot of you. Have you anything to say for yourselves?”
After an uncomfortably long pause, I said, “I killed the toys.”
“TO THE BASEMENT! NOW!”
Oh, damn. “Wait! I just mean my hands can boom things up now!”
“GO! MOVE! The rest of you follow Tree to the attic for an especially punishing training session. Camille, Fletcher, you may watch them get their butts kicked, if you like.”
Once in the basement, Doctor Tenly grabbed me by the shoulders. “You could have been—”
“But I wasn’t. Troy got to me in time.”
“Speaking of the Shadow Wearers, didn’t you wonder why someone would release the kind of creature only a demon could defeat?”
For a moment, my mind acted like a sponge, soaking in the words Doctor Tenly spoke, but not wanting to make sense of them. Unfortunately, my instincts followed his train of thought like a flying blue car with a faulty invisibility button. “They wanted Troy to tap into his demon side.”
“Physically, Troy can handle his inner demon. Mentally and emotionally, he’s not there, yet. He’s too afraid of hurting you, and they know it. Hell, they probably hoped he would’ve joined in on the Savior-neck-squeezing party. His love for you keeps him strong, which is why this isn’t the worst of my concerns. The Dealer—”
“Is after someone I love, not me.”
“A doll in your likeness was hanging from that ceiling, too. Has it not occurred to you that all this talk of killing someone you love may be a decoy? That just maybe the real target is you?”
I shook my head. “The thought never occurred to me.”
“That’s because you never think of yourself.” Letting go of my shoulders, Doctor Tenly took my hands in his. “Only a truly brave and beautiful human being could forget themselves in darkening times.”
“You can’t protect me forever, Doctor. You want me to live up to my full potential as the Savior, right? Well, then I need you to let me be the Savior, really be her. And tonight, I was. I did what the Savior should do…would do.”
“You’re right, Marina. I should let you be the Savior, minus the eggshell walking.” Playfulness now raised one of his eyebrows and a crap-eating grin tugged one corner of his mouth.
“Oh, no.”
“You want to be the Savior, eh?”
“Oh, crap.”
Doctor Tenly waved his arms in front of the case containing the vicious-looking sea creatures. The doors of the case swung open, and dozens of drooling, fanged creatures slid, flew, jumped, and crawled towards me.
“Go ahead, fight and kill them. They’ll just keep regenerating until I call them back to their case. Just a heads up…the Figwittzers spit venomous fireballs, Martzenbloots like to poke holes in their victims with their five inch talons, and the Snarzmartz…like to peel flesh with their teeth.”
“Oooh, bad. So, so bad.”
And so began three hours of long, hard, painful, sweaty training.
Thanksgiving. Well, that three hour torture session turned into about three weeks of twice daily ‘let’s beat the idiocy out of Marina,’ training sessions. They’ve kicked my butt so bad that school—yes, school—has actually fallen into the ‘Thank God, a break’ category. The same can be said of homework and team training. I must be ill.
Between Savior sessions, team training, and my friends struggling through Treeva’s power-enhancing classes, we were all too wiped to celebrate Trey’s birthday on the eighteenth. So, Mom suggested we have a big Thanksgiving and birthday dinner at Hambury House this year. Doctor Tenly was so giddy over the idea of celebrating his very first Thanksgiving and Normal birthday that he stumbled over his feet and fell into his gum wall. I really wish I could say we didn’t laugh ourselves to snorts.
This morning, Airianna and Troy came over to watch the parade and devour Mom’s famous Thanksgiving pancake breakfast. After the parade, we jumped in the station wagon and headed to Hambury House. Driving up to the manor, our jaws dropped: in the driveway stood an enormous plywood cornhusk, a giant birthday cake cutout, two pilgrim statues, three Native American statues, countless happy birthday balloons, and one mammoth turkey balloon hovering in the sky over the mansion.
“Oh my,” said Mom. “If the doctor is going to partake in traditional Normal celebrations, he’s going to bring it all out, isn’t he?”
“Birthdays aren’t known to merps, so this is a pretty unique thing for us,” said Troy.
“And I don’t think we’ve ever had a Normal-style Thanksgiving,” said Airianna.
“Plus, Doctor Tenly just isn’t known for being understated,” I added.
“Understated? What’s that?” said Troy in his best Doctor Tenly voice.
Troy and Airianna helped Mom carry all the Thanksgiving fixings into the manor, while I grabbed her purse, Spritz, and our birthday presents for Trey. Troy, Airianna, Benji, and Bobby and all of the Normals pitched in to get Trey’s presents
. Thanks to Mom and Mrs. Waterberry, we were able to get them at allowance-friendly prices.
“Welcome! Happy Thanksgiving-Birthday!” Doctor Tenly had on a pilgrim hat with a patch of streamers sticking out the top.
“Nice hat. Very Mayflower meets clown. Love your decorations,” I said, setting Spritz down.
“Yeah, they’re all right. I don’t think I did enough, though. Be back. Going to help Tree and Camille in the kitchen.”
“You’ll only get under Tree’s skin and Mom’s feet,” I said, but he waved me off. “Well, he’ll be back in less than ten seconds.”
“Happy Turkey Day, Savior.”
“Happy Thanksgiving, Jex. Glad you decided to come.”
“Yeah, well…haven’t had one of these in years. Thought it might be nice.”
Doctor Tenly walked back up the hall. “Got yelled at.”
“Tried to tell ya,” I said, before a loud commotion caught my ear.
Up the hall from the study, I heard Ophelia shout, “You offended her. Honestly, why don’t you just keep your mouth shut?”
“What’s going on?” I asked Jex.
“Big row. Polly thought Maile was Native American.”
“Maile’s Polynesian,” I said.
“Yeah, well, Polly believes Polynesians have fake powers and prefers to think of her as Native American, since, according to her, they have real powers. Need I say more?”
“Not a syllable. Where are they? Polly has a tendency to keep spewing until someone gets hit or someone relents and agrees with her. Two guesses what happens most often.”
“Dining room. Follow me.” Jex led the way to the dining room, which was just a couple of doors down from the study.
The dining room was something out of a fairy tale. Warm and inviting, the cream-colored room featured no less than five sea-themed tapestries hanging over archways framed by twisting columns; the sweeping, U-shaped table sparkled atop a beautiful hardwood floor with a medallion inlay.
Maile, sporting her special day-sight glasses and carrying a drawer of utensils, swept through the swinging café door separating the kitchen from the dining room. “It would be better if you left me alone. Oh! Hi Marina! Happy Thanksgiving!”
“Hey Maile…”
“All I’m saying is that Polynesian powers are a myth, that’s all,” said Polly, following Maile around the table.
“Marina, please help me. I know she doesn’t really know what she’s saying, but I’m about to sock the hell out of her,” said Maile.
“Polls, you need to back off. Of all days, this isn’t the one to be you,” I said.
“I don’t know why she’s so offended. Myths are good things. It means your people may have hidden magic. Honestly, what’s so non-politically correct about that?”
“First off, you never said it like that, Polly,” said Maile, angrily shaking a fork at her. “You said, and I quote, ‘Polynesians are pretend. Native Americans are real. You should change your group.’ End quote.”
Polly tried to keep a straight face, but couldn’t. “I’m sorry…it’s just how can I possibly take you seriously when you’re wearing those ridiculous circus glasses?”
“MARINA!” shouted Maile.
“Polls, let’s go finish watching the dog show. Spritz is pulling for the Toy Group. Come on. Now.”
“I am right, you know,” said Polly as we walked back to the study to watch television. “Polynesian magic is purely fictional.”
“Actually, you’re entirely wrong,” said Jex. “Both Polynesians and Native Americans hold very powerful, very distinctive magical abilities.”
“You stink. Take a shower.” Polly marched over to Meikle, who was cuddling with Spritz.
“Everything okay?” Troy asked, putting his arm around me.
“Just your average Thanksgiving argument over not-so-average topics.”
We curled up and finished watching the dog show, the first football game, and the first quarter of the game we’ve been waiting for all day.
“Turkey time, everyone! In the dining room!” called Mom.
“Dear God, not while the 'Boys are playin’, Mom! The game’s on! We can’t miss the damn game!” I shouted.
“My girlfriend, ladies and gentlemen,” said Troy, exceedingly proud of my sports-related outburst.
“Just get in the dining room, young lady,” said Mom reprovingly.
I grabbed Trey’s presents and stomped and groaned all the way to the dining room (yes, it was very immature), only to find Doctor Tenly smiling at a large universal television showing the game.
“Food, family, and football. I’m in heaven,” I said.
“I had it hiding behind one of the tapestries. This sport called football is very exciting,” said Doctor Tenly. “Now, what does it mean when they slap each other’s butts?”
“Now, there’s a loaded question,” said Jex, pulling out a chair next to me. “Little unnerved by the turkey feathers on the tops of the chairs, Maile.”
“Sorry. I thought they’d be a neat touch,” said Maile, pushing her glasses up her nose. “Now that I think about it…it’s sort of morbid.”
We all laughed as Mom, Treeva, and Airianna brought out loads of Thanksgiving’s finest foods. Doctor Tenly carved his very first turkey, laughing and pointing at various parts of the bird the whole time. Just as we were about to say the blessing, Gully glided into the dining room.
“Look who’s here! Mrs. Waterberry, Mr. Gibbs, and Bobby!”
“Hi Eva! Glad you could make it,” said Mom. “Fletcher.” Mr. Gibbs kissed my mom on the cheek and sat down next to her.
“Good to be here. Very hungry,” said Mrs. Waterberry. “But, uh, we didn’t come alone.” She turned and pointed to a string of large bubbles following her into the dining room.
The bubbles landed in our hands, the subtle sound of Christmas music drifting from within. When they popped, water dripped through our fingers, only to freeze into the shape of a snowflake on our plates. Written delicately on the snowflakes were the words: Come and be merry with the fishes and we, the undines, partying under the sea, where this year’s Christmas Ball will be on December twenty-three! Be on the beach behind the library at nine-thirty! Please note: ulva not required.
“Well, well, they’re getting an early start,” said Doctor Tenly. “They must have something spectacular in store!”
“I hope there are creatures,” said Gully.
“This means I can make more dresses!” said Maile, clapping.
“Sweetheart, don’t you think you’re taking on too much?” asked Mom.
Maile shook her head. “Not at all. I love designing and making clothes. It’s a stress reliever for me.”
“Bobby, I thought you were having dinner with your folks,” said Airianna.
Bobby nodded. “I was. Father had the cook make a magnificent eel-squid feast with all the trimmings, including shark skin. Unfortunately, Mother found out the cook used squeezed shark skin instead of shredded.”
“What’s the difference?” asked Trey.
“Squeezed is the generic form of shark skin. Shredded is much fancier and, more importantly, has half the amount of fat. Anyway, Mother tossed the entire meal out of her bubble efficient porthole.”
Oh, please don’t laugh. Please don’t laugh. “I’m so…sorry, Bobby.”
“Yes, it was quite excruciating.”
“Bobby, shark skin is a garnish. What difference does it make which type was used?” said Benji.
“Mother read in Saturday’s Scorblowgen’s Scroll that shark skin has many benefits, including burning excess stomach fat.”
“Your mom is absurd,” said Polly.
“Polly!” I growled.
“Was she off her meds?” asked Polly. “OUCH!” I kicked her under the table.
“Well, she has so many, it’s hard to say,” said Bobby in all seriousness.
“Okay, then…who’d like to say the blessing?” said Mom.
“I’d like the opportunity
to redeem myself,” said Polly.
I tried to subtly detour Mom from that dead end, but she didn’t catch on.
“I think that’s very considerate, Polly,” said Mom.
“This should be interesting,” said Troy.
“Or unfortunate,” I said.
Polly cleared her throat. “Thank you for our extremely full table of properly cooked food, our friends, even the one with the feathers that I hate, and the large television, so Marina doesn’t lose her mind and drive me crazy over missing the tight butts running around on a field. I’d also like to thank you for allowing us to survive the first match, although I’d trade survival for a win.”
“This is better than Auntie Bethany’s blessing,” said Jex.
“I’d also like to thank you in advance for making Maile understand that I meant no offense,” Polly continued. Maile smiled a little. “And I’d also ask that you convince her to change her group to the one with real magical power and not the fake, fashioned—”
“AMEN!” I said.
“Amen!” everyone shouted.
“Hey, Doc, did you ever figure out who the witch was casting all those cunning curses on the shops?” asked Jex.
With her mouth full of corn, Meikle said, “Was it Helena?”
Doctor Tenly’s jaw clenched. “No, not Madame Helena. I do know who the witch is…she’s someone I thought died many years ago.”
“We’re not talking shop today, okay?” Treeva added very quickly.
“Sounds good to me,” I said, and everybody agreed.
We ate, laughed, talked, and tried to cheer our team to another Thanksgiving Day win, but they came up short, missing the field goal in the last seconds.
“Now, I know we usually have pie for dessert on Thanksgiving, but since we’re celebrating another special event today…” Mom ran into the kitchen. “Happy Birthday, Trey!” said Mom, walking back into the dining room with one of her homemade chocolate layer cakes. Eighteen candles surrounded a bouncing, clapping seal figure in the center of the cake. After we did the traditional birthday singsong, Mom said, “Mrs. Waterberry added the seal!”
OVERFALLS (The Merworld Water Wars, Book 2) Page 27
