by Sarah Kelly
She got into her own bed, padding around quietly so as not to wake him. Pulling the sheet up to her neck in the cool of the air conditioning, she stared at the ceiling and thought of Freya. Was she really the killer? What about Jazz? India usually got a feeling when everything clicked into place, when the final piece of the puzzle slotted in and the whole picture came to light. The conversation with Mikey and the information she divulged was just the type of thing that ordinarily would have made it all whole. But it hadn’t. Questions still swam about in India’s head like little darting fish in a tank. Things weren’t done, India was sure of it. She eventually drifted off to sleep, hoping she’d be able to solve the final piece without her powers, and trying not to give into the devouring forces of doubt that threatened to swallow her confidence whole.
***
“I’m going to tell you,” India said, finding Xavier in the plunge pool. The early morning light threw golden shafts onto the water and they glistened and bobbed with the rippling movements he made.
He turned and looked at her in disbelief. “Really?”
She nodded, and a slow smile crept over his face. Then he got out of the pool, water droplets running off his deep brown skin. “I’m… I’m so glad to hear that, I can’t tell you. I thought I was going to have to… Well, never mind. You want to tell me now?”
India took a deep breath. “Let’s go down to the beach.”
“All right,” he said, grabbing a towel. “Just give me a minute to change. Nice dress, by the way.”
“Thanks. I got it from the hotel store,” she lied. The last time she would have to. In truth, she’d conjured it just moments before. She’d made sure to make it an extra special affair, since she knew it was going to be the final dress she’d ever be able to make appear out of thin air. A lump bobbed up and sat in her throat as she took a seat on the verandah, waiting for Xavier to come out. Her vision blurred over with tears and she blinked them back, furious. She’d made her decision, she told herself. There was no use getting upset over it. And yet, all of a sudden, all the things she’d miss flooded into her mind. Simple little things, like conjuring a chocolate bar she knew would suit her perfectly. Or the secret confidence she had, knowing that she had a secret powerful identity no one else knew about. And Luis. Her heart ached in her chest as she thought of it – she’d never be able to speak to him again.
Somehow, across the cosmos, wherever he was, he heard her. And sent back. I’ll always be here, mami, if you wanna talk. Though why you’d wanna chat to an old man like me is beyond me.
That got a smile out of her. Luis, am I really doing the right thing?
I can’t answer that for you, girl. It’s your life. Your choice.
India knew she was making the right decision, but it still burned that the witchy world would be gone by the time she got back from the beach. It all seemed so final. Life would be flat. Without depth. Without mystery. Just the day to day practicalities, and the wondering, that she’d had since she was a little girl, is this all there is?
But she had no time to dwell on it further, because Xavier came out of the purple cottage, with Bermuda shorts and a linen shirt. His eyes shone with happiness, and all India’s doubt was gone.
“Ready?” he said, holding out his hand and already walking toward the gate.
India smiled and walked over to join him. “Ready.”
***
India had to psych herself up to tell him. Somehow watching the waves helped her. Their regular in and out rhythm reminded her that life goes on, no matter what happens. When she’d first seen Charlie’s body, it had seemed so obscene of them to keep going on like nothing had happened. But now, India understood. They were hope that things would go back to normal someday.
Just as she was beginning to pluck up the courage, she saw Tony strutting along the beach, no backpack to be seen. His chest was puffed out, and a huge gold chain swung from left to right, beating down on his torso as he came toward them. India knew he was a man of little means, and wondered where he’d got it from.
“Good day,” he hollered as he got closer. “You coming on the boat ride tonight?”
“What boat ride?” Xavier asked.
India thought of Tony’s little ramshackle fishing boat.
Tony stuck his chin up and smiled. “We’re getting a big boat to go on a ride this evening. Sam and Jazz and them.” He then puffed his chest out more, which India wouldn’t have thought possible. “And me.”
India wondered if she’d missed something. Had he won the lottery or something? All of a sudden hiring big boats and wearing gold chains. Sam and the rest hadn’t seemed overly keen on him before, but now they were going on a boat ride with him?
“Want to come?” he asked.
Xavier looked at India. India looked back, nonplussed. But of course it would be a good opportunity to glean some more information. “I’d like to,” she said to Xavier. “You want to?”
“I guess,” Xavier said.
Tony was already talking over him, saying, “Wonderful!” He clapped his hands and laughed like the most carefree man in the world. “See you later.” Then he strutted past them, waving at another couple who walked further away.
Xavier looked after him, shaking his head. “What was all that about?”
“Beats me,” India said with a shrug. But she was too nervous about telling Xavier for it all to really register. “I just want to get this over with.” For the first time a new thought hit her like a ton of bricks. What if he didn’t believe her? What if he thought she was crazy? What if he broke up with her? Suddenly her voice stuck in the back of her throat and when she opened her mouth no words came out.
“Tell me,” Xavier said gently. He paused, turning her toward him. He placed his big, safe hands either side of her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “If there’s a problem, we can handle it together. I just don’t want there to be any secrets between us, In.”
“I know,” India said, taking a deep shuddering breath and just about managing to keep eye contact. “Just keep holding me like that, okay? And hear me out all the way through. And please don’t think I’m crazy.”
“I won’t,” he said. “I’m listening.”
“And you’ll keep holding me?”
“I promise.” The look in his eyes was almost solemn, and that was how she knew she could trust him.
“All right,” she said, and began. She told him everything, from the first terrifying meeting with Luis in Wisconsin, where she was told she was a witch for the first time, all the way up to what had happened with Mama Josephine. She left nothing out, just letting the truth flow from her lips without stopping. Staring into his eyes, she almost got lost in them, and it felt so deeply liberating to hear all the happenings come out of her mouth without censoring herself or having to hold her tongue. Then she told him it was likely she’d lose her powers just by telling him. “And I swear I didn’t make any of it up,” she finished. “I know it’s like… beyond unbelievable. But I promise you it’s true. All of it.” For a long time he didn’t say anything, just looking into her eyes. Studying them, she thought. She could barely catch her breath. “You do believe me, don’t you?”
“Yes,” he said eventually. He kissed the top of her head in the most gentle way. “I will not lie, it’s taking everything I am to believe this. But I do. Because I trust you. I do.”
India collapsed into his arms, tears beginning to fall down her face. “Oh, Xavier.”
He gripped her tight. “I love you, In.”
“I love you, Zave,” she said. “More than you’ll ever know.”
***
Xavier and India decided to dress up for the boat ride. India felt an ache in her chest whenever she thought about her powers, so she didn’t even attempt her old conjuring spell to create a beautiful dress. Instead, she headed to the store’s boutique store and picked out an exquisite cream gown with tiny butterflies fluttering around in bright colors. As she dressed, she made sure to tuck in the p
ouch Mama Josephine had given her, though she still didn’t know what it was for.
By the time she and Xavier headed down to the beach, feeling fresh and smelling of cocoa butter, she felt a little better. Though she’d need some time to mourn her lost powers, the idea of getting out on the water felt like a good one. Perhaps it would be like a cleansing process.
Everyone else was already there. Who they assumed must be the captain led Sam, Jazz, Mikey, and Freya onto the boat from the dock at the end of the beach. Music pumped out of the boat’s sound system. A type of happy, upbeat, party music with a distinct Caribbean flavor. Tony stood on the top level of the cruiser boat, dancing, his chain bouncing against his chest from side to side. He looked like a whole new person, and India wondered what had brought about the change in him. He’d obviously come into some money, but where from? Was it related to the murder?
India and Xavier approached the dock.
“Hey!” Mikey shouted, waving like a madwoman. “So glad you came!”
India couldn’t help but smile, a warm feeling spreading through her, though she second guessed herself immediately, as one always had to in a murder investigation. There was no reason to strike Mikey off the suspect list. For all India knew, she could have woven her story out of thin air to throw suspicion off herself.
“Hi,” India and Xavier said, then boarded the boat.
And as soon as India’s foot touched the white boat floor, she got a distinct sensation. It was hard to put her finger on, because it seemed to be two opposites. Both dread and relief sunk deep in the pit of her stomach. She knew that before they got off the boat again, everything was going to be different.
CHAPTER 10
The first twenty minutes of the boat ride were incredible. The sun was beginning to set, and it made its usual dazzling affair dance across the sky for them all to see. While listening to the calm ripple on the water, and seeing the cliffs and little uninhabited islands getting bathed in orange light, India felt truly at peace. But she knew something was going to happen before long.
The captain had introduced himself as Bowen, and he truly was a partying sort of guy. Between driving the boat, he managed to pop three bottles of champagne, change the CD to another of the same genre, which he explained was called ‘soca’, and let Jazz dance with him, giggling like mad. He drove the boat way out into the deep, and when the sun dipped below the horizon, he switched on these bright LED lights, flushing the boat with bright blue. It made everyone look strange, and Sam and Mikey, who had already had copious amounts to drink, laughed like maniacs as they looked at each other’s blue flesh. More LEDs flashed blue light over the rippling waters behind them.
“We having a boat party!” Tony said, lifting a glass up, about every five minutes, like he couldn’t get enough of saying it.
“Ahh,” Mikey said, sitting down next to India and nearly toppling over. India grabbed her to keep her falling, then sipped on her champagne. She’d stayed carefully sober. Mikey smiled at her and slurred, “This has been the best day ever. And you’ve been fantastic.”
“It’s been wonderful,” Sam said, bursting in on the conversation. “But I’m missing my Dan. I haven’t spoken to him the whole week ‘cause he said we’ll be married for a whole lifetime and it’ll be more exciting and different if we don’t speak.”
“Hey!” a voice said from above, and Sam looked up to see Tony. “Come up and party!” His eyes shone as he leant on the top of the boat and looked down at them.
She looked pissed off but went around to the stairs to join him on top of the boat.
“Dan was probably cheating on her again,” Freya said, “and that’s why he didn’t want to talk to her.”
India’s brain was whirring. Things were beginning to slot into place, but she still wasn’t quite sure.
“Eh, eh!” Bowen said, sounding amazed. “The weather turn bad so quick?”
The wind all of a sudden began to beat hard against the boat. India looked down in the moonlight to see water swelling, not going in its usual forward and back motion, but meeting in places in the middle and creating little whirlpools. She began to feel sick.
“Let’s go back,” Bowen said, trying to sound cheerful. “But you! Tony and Sam, be careful. One fall in there, no one coming out. The power of them waves will suck even the biggest man under in a second. And anyone who jumps in after will be dead along with them.”
Xavier put his hand on India’s back with a gentle touch, widening his eyes. “Hope we get back all right.”
“Me too,” India said, distracted.
India took a walk to the back of the boat so she could see all that was going on. The boat rocked on the waves, and Tony stumbled on the top deck. India’s heart stopped for a moment, but she could see it was easy for him to right himself, especially if Sam gave him a hand. And she did indeed put her hand out, but it was not in a helpful pulling motion. It was in an aggressive pushing motion. She was trying to push him off the boat! Suddenly, the final piece of the jigsaw slotted into place.
India rushed up the stairs, dropping her champagne as she went.
“What the hell?” she heard Bowen shout from behind her as the glass shattered.
India grabbed at Sam, prizing her hands away from Tony. Then India pulled Tony by the scruff of his neck to safety. He got to his feet and hurried down the stairs, shouting, “That crazy woman tried to kill me!”
The rain began to beat at India’s face as she stood on the top of the boat, facing Sam. “You did it, didn’t you?” India said. “You killed Charlie. And you pushed Fitzgerald.”
“What’s going on?” came Xavier’s voice from behind them. He was coming up the stairs.
India turned her head to look at him, and it was the most stupid thing she could have done. Sam grabbed her by the front of her gorgeous new dress, and propelled her off the edge of the boat. Before India even knew what was going on, she’d been plunged into the cold water, and the taste of salt was in her mouth and ears. She could hear shouting and screaming, but not what anyone was saying. Being a lifeguard, India was a strong swimmer, but she was no match against this tempestuous sea. She felt about six different currents, pulling her in all directions, but the strongest force of all was the one pulling her down. Down, down, down. A feeling of dread wrapped around her and squeezed like a boa constrictor as she sank. She was going to die. It was the end of everything. The end of Florida. Of Amy. Of her beloved Xavier. Of solving mysteries. Of her strained relationship with her family that she wanted to heal. Of her dreams of future children and a happy family life. Of being India, she supposed. Of it all.
Immediately she had a thought that Xavier would try to dive in to save her and they would both drown together. With all the force her mind could conjure up, she willed him to stay on the boat. She pictured his feet sticking to the boat’s surface, and willed it to be so. He could go on and live without her. She felt her heart almost break at the thought of how devastated he would be. How could they be apart? Though she had been thrashing against the water dragging her down, it was no use. She let herself go limp in the cold water and accept her fate. Perhaps this was her punishment for telling Xavier about her witchy powers.
But then, her foot met a solid surface. She looked down, her eyes stinging as she opened them, and there was nothing there. And yet, she felt a very definite hard surface under her, and when she lifted her foot and put it down again, it was still there.
It’s not over yet, child, Mama Josephine said.
And, like a super fast underwater elevator, the hard surface below her shot up to the top of the water, taking her with it and out into the air. Her whole body felt electric as she gasped at the oxygen, and she grabbed onto Xavier’s outstretched arm. He pulled her to safety as she coughed and spluttered. She realized then that the little drawstring bag had been some kind of protection spell.
“She did it!” Sam hollered, her voice hoarse with fear. “India killed Charlie!”
Everyone except Xavier
gasped.
“And she tried to kill Fitzgerald!”
India was still too breathless to get up or speak. In fact, she had to lie down, and lowered herself onto the hard boat. Luckily Xavier was there to be her voice. She only needed to give him one look, and he’d know exactly what she meant. His eyes widened, then he got up.
“No,” he said hotly. “You are the killer, Sam. You are the murderer.”
Jazz screeched with laughter. “Don’t be ridiculous!”
Mikey’s eyes darted around just about everywhere, looking like she didn’t know what to believe. Tony was making himself busy fiddling with the chain around his neck, not looking up at them.
Freya shrugged. “Doesn’t surprise me.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Jazz quavered.
Sam had gone very pale. Very pale indeed. “Prove it,” she said in a calm voice. “Prove it.”
India coughed one last time, and found her voice, though it was weak. “Sam, you said you hadn’t spoken to your husband the whole time you were here. Didn’t he ring you when we were at the lava pits?”
“Oh, yes, yes, I’d forgotten about that.”
“Forgotten speaking to your husband?” Xavier said. “Doesn’t seem very likely.”
“I’ll check her phone to prove it,” Jazz offered. “Give it, Sam. Let’s shut these nutters up.”
