by Esme Addison
“Sleeping in. She stayed up late watching a movie marathon. But Kamila should be stopping by.” Athena barked. “And there she is, right on time.” Aunt Lidia grinned as she set another plate of food on the table.
Kamila entered, greeting Alex and giving her mother a kiss on the cheek. She was in uniform, her sidearm at her waist. She looked at the breakfast table. “Yes! Kielbasa for breakfast. After the kickboxing workout I had this morning, I need the protein.”
She joined Alex at the table and began eating. “You feeling better?” she asked Alex.
“Good as new, thanks to one of Ciocia Lidia’s special bath blends.”
“You’re welcome,” Aunt Lidia called over her shoulder as she headed upstairs.
Kamila began to frown but stopped herself. “I guess if you’re going to use magic, healing is the best use of the ability. I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Thanks.” Alex gazed up the stairs, waiting until she heard her aunt’s bedroom door close. “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you something. What’s Jack working on? He’s gone a lot more than he used to be. Is it just the two murder investigations?”
Kamila narrowed her eyes. “What are you worried about? Detective Frazier doesn’t seem like the unfaithful type.”
Alex blushed. “No, it’s not that. He’s just … busy. I haven’t seen a lot of him this summer. And when I do, he’s usually just coming from work.”
Kamila rolled her eyes. “Don’t be clingy. Guys don’t like that.”
“I’m not!” Alex laughed. “I promise you, it’s—it’s something else. Consider it my intuition. I just feel like there’s something going on with him.”
“Or Celeste is rubbing off on you.” Kamila shrugged. “I’ll keep an eye out. But I think you’re seeing things that aren’t there.”
Embarrassed, Alex was eager to change the subject. “So, how’s work been?”
“It’s been pretty tame. Swung by the coroner’s office for a look-see. Ever since that break-in, we’re providing extra protection, just in case.”
“Did you find out who broke in?”
“Not yet,” Kamila said. “But I did hear something you may find of interest. I was shooting the breeze with the coroner, and he mentioned that he recovered a piece of paper in the victim’s shoe.”
“In his shoe?” Alex laughed. “What was on it?”
“I’m not sure. Oddly enough, he said he thought it might be a list of the deceased favorite superhero movies, I guess. With dates and times—I’m guessing show times.”
“For the local movie theater?”
Kamila shrugged. “I don’t know. I didn’t want to appear too interested.”
“Is there any way I can get my hands on that note?”
“The original is probably filed away in the evidence room at the station. I can’t just walk in there for no reason and grab it for you.”
“I could do a spell for trouble and make myself invisible,” Alex suggested.
“And get in trouble with The Council.” Kamila screwed up her face. “Trust me, you don’t want that headache.”
“I know. I would never … I’m just frustrated.”
“Don’t worry, cousin. I’ll go in and take a picture of the list and send it to you.”
“Really?” Alex stared at Kamila. “Is that legal?”
Kamila exhaled loudly, ignoring the question. “You can’t show it to anyone, and you can’t tell anyone how you found it. Got it?”
Alex nodded. “Got it.” She cleared her throat, and Kamila raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”
“While I’m asking for favors …”
“Yeah?”
“What do you know about the area where Chris Robinson’s body was found?”
She shrugged. “Not much. Well, in high school it used to be the place the kids hung out when they were skipping school. Back then there was a clearing for a small fire, and the kids—not me of course,” she said, smirking, “would bring music and beer and soda and hot dogs for grilling, and just relax. There was a trail from that spot over some sand dunes that went straight to the beach.”
“What was the appeal of that spot?” Alex asked.
“Close enough to public access parking but deep enough into the woods that no one could find you unless you knew where to park. And no security cameras for the lovebirds.”
The perfect spot for Chris to meet a source—or someone pretending to be a source so they could kill him.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Kamila said. “And yes, Chris Robinson went to Bellamy Bay High School, so he’d know of the spot. He’d also know that the local druggies went there to get high in private.”
Alex nodded. “Any luck with that security video I asked you about?”
“It does exist. Just clearing some red tape to get access to it. I’ve put in a lot of favors to help our family with this case, and while I’m happy I can do it, it doesn’t make me feel good about myself. Either I’m a decent law-abiding person or I’m not.”
Alex frowned. “Sorry, Kamila. I don’t mean to put you in a difficult position. I’m sure Minka doesn’t either.”
“I know. It’s not you, it’s me. Really. I want to help, and I’m in a position to do so.” She shrugged. “I don’t want to push too hard on the security camera video, but I will check on that list for you.” Kamila moved back from the table and set her dishes in the sink. “Tell Mom I had to leave. If I find anything, look out for my text.”
Alex and Athena walked her to the door. “Thank you.”
Kamila punched her lightly on her shoulder. “You better not get me in trouble,” she joked.
* * *
Forty-five minutes later Alex got the text from Kamila. Back in her room, she read the list and shook her head. Jack had been wrong. Had he even read it? This wasn’t a list of superhero movies. This was a list of mythological weapons, each with a date and time. If her hunch was right, each date and time would match the corresponding information relayed on the mural.
She opened up her laptop and made a chart with the name of each mural, the god or goddess painted, and the date and time. Then she compared it to the list. Each and every item was a match. Neve’s murals weren’t just paintings; they were clues, messages to her partner, whoever that person was, telling them where to find the mythological weapon and the time and place of the diversion to disguise the recovery. Amazing.
Neve had not just been an artist. She had implied as much when she’d stopped by Botanika, but Alex hadn’t understood what she was really saying. Who was she? And who had she worked for?
And why did Chris have a list of found mythological weapons in his shoe when he died? Had he intended to give it to someone? Had he met someone in the woods as Alex suspected? And had that person killed him because he couldn’t find the list? Who in town would want that list?
There are so many questions and not enough answers, Alex mused to herself. And the mermaid mural? Was that a part of something bigger or just a painting? Alex closed her eyes, rubbing her temples. No, that surely had to be just a painting, a part of the festivities. There was no clock, no newspaper, no clues that the mural was meant to be anything except a beautiful painting. Neve had said sometimes her assignments were just that—opportunities to paint. It was only occasionally that they weren’t.
That night, Alex fell asleep with images of the gods flying through her mind.
Chapter Twenty-Four
To the Mundanes, the annual Magical Mermaid Ball was enchanting, but to the Magicals it was truly charmed.
Minka and Celeste worked on the party in secret, and Alex was excited to see what all the hullabaloo was about. Kamila had promised her it was an event not to be missed.
Partygoers had to be ferried over, so Alex found herself, wearing a burgundy party dress and matching heels, on a large white boat with a crowd of townsfolk. Even Aunt Lidia had joined her, beautiful with her hair upswept in a twist and her figure fashionable in a steel-gray sheath with pearls and black
heels.
After a relatively smooth ride over, they disembarked and were greeted by a mini bus, usually reserved for tourists, that circled the island before depositing them at the cottage—actually a large one-story home that had been converted into a ballroom—and lighthouse for a tour.
“I hope I don’t see Tegan here,” Lidia murmured under her breath. “Her mere presence ruins my day.”
“Let’s focus on how much fun we’re going to have,” Alex said, wrapping an arm around her aunt. “You look fabulous, by the way.” They joined the line moving into the cottage.
Her aunt’s smile was tender. “You do too. Just like your mother when she was your age. She’d be so proud of you. I only wish she could’ve seen you all grown up.”
The line moved through the foyer and into the ballroom. Alex paused midway and stared around her. It looked like they’d stepped into the ocean. The room was filled with a hazy blue that approximated water. But you couldn’t feel it. The smell was clean and at turns salty and fresh. Schools of brightly colored fish swirled expertly around the guests without knocking into them. The ground below them was sand filled with seashells. Sea plants waved from the floor.
“What the—” Alex began, surprised that she could still talk as normal. Was this some sort of virtual reality? Or was she hallucinating?
A musical sound floated around them, a mix of wind chimes, beautiful flute, or maybe harp music and a base note, something like a cello or tuba—maybe whale calls? Alex couldn’t tell, but it immediately calmed her and at the same time lifted her spirits.
Lidia shook her head. “The girls have really outdone themselves. This is magnificent.” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. “Doesn’t this feel nice? This is the world we came from.” She lifted her arms and did a single twirl.
Alex stared at her aunt, fascinated. She’d never seen Aunt Lidia behave so fancifully. “Yes, it does feel nice,” she stammered, almost stepping on a conch shell, luminescent in color and swirled with pink and purple. But her foot simply went through it. It wasn’t real, just a very accurate depiction.
A merman floated by—an actual man with a silvery tail tinged with a blue metallic color and a black bow tie around his neck held out a try of a blue bubbly beverage in champagne flutes. “Drink, ladies?” he asked with a wide grin. He was gorgeous, with dark brown skin, curly black hair, and a chiseled chest and arms. His pectoral muscles glittered with gold symbols—tattoos that looked like the mermaid language found on the family’s crystal scrying bowl.
Alex blinked. She turned to her aunt. “Is this real? He looks so real.” She turned to the merman before her aunt could respond. “Are you real?”
His grin widened, his voice musical with an accent she couldn’t place. “I am a special effect created by Blippo, a local virtual reality and video game development company. Tonight’s event is an example of advanced virtual reality technology.” He waited for them to take their beverages before swimming away.
“So that’s how Minka and Celeste are explaining this?” She turned in a circle taking it all in. “Virtual reality. And without any special glasses?”
Lidia laughed. “Provide a halfway plausible explanation, and Mundanes will believe anything after a drink or two.” She shrugged. “Who understands how these technologies really work or their limitations? Science or magic, the results can be the same.”
Alex looked around and saw a mermaid floating by in the distance. Her hair was silver-blonde, her tail pink, her chest covered in a bikini top made of seashells and seaweed. Silver symbols ran up and down her arms. “It’s beautiful and magical, just like they said it would be.”
The large room was slowly filling with partygoers who looked around them with wide eyes and open mouths. Alex caught sight of another merman, with long brown hair, a fair complexion, and a silvery-green tale.
“What do you think?” Minka squealed, coming up from behind Alex. “Is this amazing or what?” Minka was gorgeous in a shimmery chiffon dress of pink and lavender that swirled around her with the currents of water. It was all spaghetti straps and flouncy skirt. In her curls, she wore a sparkly silver tiara embedded with pink, purple, green, and blue crystals.
“You’ve outdone yourself,” Lidia said with a proud expression on her face. “And that music?”
“It’s the real sounds of the ocean—at least what Magicals hear,” Celeste answered, joining them. “It’s a vibration, Schumann resonance. You know the sound the earth emits, but underwater. The earth is alive, and it has its own music.” She giggled. “The frequency, among other things, calms humans and provides stability for all of the sea creatures. Isn’t it lovely?”
Celeste shone in a beautiful dress of yellow and lime green that fell to the floor—well, to the sand—and swirled around her feet. Her shoulders were bare, and the bodice was studded with sequins that were not unlike the mermaid’s fins that floated around them. Her hair had been ironed flat into a curtain of black silk that hung down her back.
Alex took a sip of her drink and almost swooned. “What is this? It’s delicious?”
Lidia laughed. “Don’t you mean magically delicious.”
Minka and Celeste exchanged knowing glances.
“What does it taste like?” Minka asked.
Alex took another sip and tried to identify the taste. “Cotton candy? Buttered popcorn … candy apples?” She laughed self-consciously. “But that doesn’t make sense.”
“Of course, it doesn’t,” Lidia said with a soft smile. “It must come from a memory.”
Alex thought for a moment. “Yes. It does. One of the last memories I have of my mother. We all went to the state fair. And that’s what I had: cotton candy, kettle corn, and candy apples.” She laughed. “I got sick that night and threw up, but it was one of the best days of my life. Usually, my parents would never allow me to have so much sugar, but they did that day.” She took another sip and nodded. “Yes, that’s exactly what it is.”
Minka nodded approvingly. “The beverages have been enchanted to taste like whatever you want it to taste like. Your best memory. Your favorite things.”
“Plus, they’ve been enchanted to help suspend disbelief for the Mundanes, so they’re less likely to question our magical creations line about special effects.” She grinned. “At this party, you must drink the Kool-Aid.”
Minka and Celeste high-fived each other and then dissolved into a fit of giggles.
“Hey guys,” Pepper said as she joined them, drink in hand. “How’s it going?”
They all greeted her, and Minka complimented her chartreuse-colored dress.
Alex saw Dylan enter the room, with his mother on his arm. Montgomery was behind them, and she wondered if they were together.
As if he could feel her looking at him, Dylan turned to look at her. He grinned and gave her a two-finger salute in greeting. She offered a polite smile and nod in return. Minka caught the exchange and lifted an eyebrow.
It’s nothing. We’re just … acquaintances, Alex told her telepathically. She finished her drink, and a mermaid immediately appeared to whisk it away for her.
Bunches of brightly colored tropical flowers floated on the currents around them, and when they did, the exquisite scent of orchids bloomed, filling the air. Celeste sighed, and Alex turned to follow her gaze. She was looking at Jasper, who was laughing at something Mayor Bellamy was saying while Cressida looked on.
Alex touched Celeste’s arm slightly and moved away from the crowd. “How are things with you and Jasper?”
“I’m not sure. He’s called me a bunch of times, but I don’t think I’m interested anymore. This whole situation with Neve has really soured things for me, whether he was seeing her or not. And I still don’t know the truth.”
“You can definitely do better,” Alex said with an encouraging smile. “Just give it time.
Bryce appeared at the entrance, eyes literally saucers as he took in the room. Dylan called to him, and Bryce joined his group. A
lex watched as Dylan handed him a drink. She turned and saw Minka making her way to him, her tiara glistening against the shimmering of the waves.
Merfolk floated around carrying trays laden with heavy appetizers, and the buzz in the room increased as everyone began to eat and drink more. The music filled Alex’s ears, and she felt almost drunk on happiness. Alex felt her cell phone vibrating in her purse.
She stepped out of the room—and the ocean—and took a moment to clear her mind and senses. She looked at the screen. It was Evelyn.
“Hey,” Alex said. “Are you coming to the party? Practically the entire town is here.”
“I was hoping I could find you,” she said, relief flooding her voice. “I’ve been calling around trying to track you down.”
Alex moved closer to the door of the cottage, placing a finger in her ear. “Is everything okay?”
“I’m not sure. Something interesting came through the blog contact form. I’m on the island. Can we meet by the lighthouse?”
“Of course. I’m stepping outside now.” She moved away from the house and saw Evelyn waving at her from a distance. She followed Evelyn toward the lighthouse.
“It’s lovely here,” Evelyn said pointing to the tall, whitewashed structure with a bright red lantern room on top that matched the red roof of the otherwise white cottage standing a few hundred yards away from it.
“Have you been inside the lighthouse?” Evelyn asked. “It’s really beautiful, and the view on top is amazing. I like to come up here and clear my head … Think of the good times with Chris.” She smiled at Alex. “Come on. You’re not going to believe what I’ve discovered. It’s proof Chris didn’t kill himself.”
Alex followed Evelyn inside the lighthouse and paused when she looked at the spiraling staircase, ascending hundreds of yards skyward—and then at her high heels.
“You’ll be fine,” Evelyn said. “I promise, the view will be worth it.”
After a few moments of walking in silence up the stairs, the women reached the top. And Evelyn was right: it was beautiful, and Alex was happy to take in the view. Especially after the headiness of the party. The water looked silver in the sunlight, shimmering in ripples—and there was something Alex had never seen before—an island in the bay. It was small and desolate. She’d never seen it from the beach.
