Current Impressions (11 page)

I punched his arm playfully. “Not funny!” I
figured he would ask about my powers. The problem was that I barely
understood them myself. I could try to explain. He deserved an
explanation. “I can read thoughts.”

His eyes widened. “Can you read mine?”

“Not without pushing,” I said. “And I won’t
do that.”

He looked relieved. “What else?”

“I have an unlimited wardrobe.” I stood and
noticed how his eyes followed me. His face was open and intrigued.
I visualized my sundress—the one I wore on my last day in Peggy’s
Cove and my first day in Ronac. I didn’t need to look down to know
that my jeans and T-shirt were gone, replaced by the sparkly, white
dress I adored.

Evan whistled appreciatively. “That’s a
talent all girls would love. Katie will be green with envy.” He
stood and took my hand. Lifting it above my head, he twirled me in
a slow circle before leaning down and whispering in my ear, “I
remember the last time you wore this dress.” His breath tickled,
and his words had my pulse racing. The passion flamed down quickly
when I thought about my powers. They were still in check. Until I
learned to control them, they were going to be better than a cold
shower for my impulses.

He kissed my lips softly and took a step
back. He still held my hand. “Can I see you Change?” he asked. He
almost sounded shy.

“You’ve already seen me Change,” I said. “In
Peggy’s Cove.”

“That didn’t count,” he said. “You were
underwater.”

“All right.” I tugged gently, and he
released my hand. Keeping my eyes on his, I took several steps
back. I visualized my seal form and saw the air shimmer around me,
saw my perspective shift as my form realigned and reshaped. When
the change was complete, I sat upright and waited, never taking my
eyes off his face.

He was enraptured. His eyes lit with delight
as he moved toward me. “That was amazing,” he breathed. He leaned
forward, and his hand hovered above my head. “May I?”

I nodded and waited again. He tentatively
touched my fur. His touch grew stronger, and he stroked his hand
down my neck. Dropping to his knees, he wrapped his arms around my
neck. “You are magnificent.”

If a seal could blush, I would’ve—instead,
my heart swelled. He knew what I was and accepted me for it. He
loved me unconditionally. I could feel it rolling off him. It made
me feel safe and treasured.

I shifted back while his arms were around
me. He gasped. Then I was human again, and our bodies fit together
as I remembered. I didn’t want to think that we only had the
summer. I let him go once. Was I going to be able to let him go
again?

\

“How’s Evan?” Ula asked. She sat on my bed
with several pillows propped at her back. There was a wicked gleam
in her eye. I sipped my milkshake and made her wait. She’d brought
my favorite—chocolate—to soften me up.

“We had a nice time,” I answered vaguely.
She grabbed one of the pillows and hit me, just missing the glass
in my hand. “Hey! Milkshake here.”

She giggled and wiggled back against the
headboard again. “Come on, Meara. Give me some details.”

I couldn’t play along any longer. I grinned
like a fool. “He’s great. We’re still totally in love. He really
accepts me, Ula. All of me. What I am.”

“He’d be a fool not to,” she said. “When are
you going to see him again?”

My smile wavered. “I’m not sure. He’s here
to work and, according to Dad, my escort choices are Kieran or
Brigid.” Ula frowned, and I immediately regretted my words. She
continued to feel bad about the shark incident, although I didn’t
hold it against her. After all, in that moment, I was freaked out,
too. “I’m sorry. It’s nothing against you.”

She held up her hand. “No. That’s okay. I
accept that I’m not powerful enough.” She sat up straighter and
looked in my eye. “It doesn’t define who I am.”

“That’s true,” I agreed. “What you are is
the nicest person I’ve ever known.”

“Aww.” She leaned in and gave me a tight
hug.

“Milkshake! Milkshake!” I warned as it
almost slipped from my hand once again. I drank the rest quickly
before she did actually spill it.

She giggled and wiped a few tears off her
cheek. “You’re a great friend, too, you know.” She hopped off the
bed and took my empty glass. While I watched, both glasses
disappeared.

“Where’d you send them?” I asked.

She gave me a strange look. “To the kitchen,
of course. Where else do dirty dishes go? We could’ve taken them,
but that takes too long.”

“What’s the rush?” I asked. She seemed
almost giddy.

“There’s a dance tonight. I think we should
go!”

“Where?” I didn’t think there were any clubs
nearby. As far as I knew, the only thing on the island was the
fortress.

“In the caves. The clan puts on the best
dances. Music, food, singing. It’s so much fun. You’ll love
it.”

“Like the celebration for me?”

“Not really.” She shrugged. “That was more
of a feast. This is a party or, what do you call it, a
festive?”

“Festival?”

“Yes.” She laughed. “That’s it.”

“What do we wear to this soiree?” I
asked.

Ula pinched her chin between her fingers and
studied me. She walked a slow circle around me while making humming
noises.

“Wow. That big of a deal, huh? Is it like
prom or something?”

Her green eyes met mine. “Prom?”

“You know, formal high school dance—flowers,
limousines, fancy dresses?”

“It sounds lovely.” She sighed. “I didn’t go
to high school, remember? Did you go to this prom?”

“No,” I said. “No one asked me.”

“Not even Evan?”

I shook my head, blinking the tears back.
“After Mom died…”

Ula sucked in a breath and slapped her
forehead. “Stupid. I’m sorry, Meara. How could I forget?”

I gave her a watery smile. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not.” Her curls bounced from her
agitation. “But we’ll make it better. Tonight will be like prom.”
She frowned. “Only you don’t have a date... oh! I know. I’ll be
your date. Don’t girls go together sometimes?”

“Sure,” I said. “It’s called stag.”

Her brows wrinkled in confusion. “Why do
they call it that?”

This time, I laughed in earnest. “I have no
idea. We’re back to my original question, you know. What are we
wearing?”

Her face broke into a grin. “Leave that to
me. Close your eyes.”

I did as she asked and wondered what I’d end
up wearing. Ula favored the Flower Child era, so I imagined myself
in a crocheted sundress or a tie-dyed number with bell sleeves.
Fabric tightened at my waist and drew snugly to my chest and hips.
The material slid and slipped against my skin—satin or maybe silk.
I yelped in surprise when my tennis shoes were replaced by heels or
platforms. I wasn’t sure which without looking, but I grew three
inches.

“Can I open my eyes?” I asked.

“Not yet.” She sounded breathless. I
wondered how much effort it took to dress someone else. So far, I’d
only dressed myself.

My hair twirled up. I couldn’t guess the
style, but I felt the weight of it on top of my head. A necklace,
earrings, and bracelet appeared next. It was a strange sensation,
being dressed with my eyes closed. I wasn’t sure I liked it, and I
was growing impatient. Feeling the changes was one thing; I wanted
to see what she did.

“Now?”

She didn’t answer right away. From behind
me, she maneuvered me forward, toward my mirror if my sense of
direction was worth anything. “Now,” she said.

I opened my eyes and gasped. The gown was
gorgeous—prettier than anything I’d seen on the red carpet,
certainly better than any ordinary prom dress. It was a flow of
chocolate silk that hugged in all the right places, swirling at my
ankles. A long slit started mid-right thigh. A panel of ice-blue
lace made it discreet, hinting at the skin beneath.

Ula met my eyes in the mirror. “Look at the
back.”

The same blue lace covered my back in a deep
V, ending at my tailbone. “I love it!” I squealed, and then
laughed. “You know my dad’s going to hate it.”

Ula shrugged. “Only because every male eye
is going to be on you.”

My hair was piled in complicated coils on
top of my head. The ends waterfalled down the back. Ice-blue
crystals hung at my ears. The necklace and bracelet brought
chocolate brown in with the ice blue. The effect was stunning. I
didn’t think I could look so sophisticated.

“Thank you.” I kissed her cheek. “I’m
speechless.”

Ula grinned with delight. “You’re welcome.
Now, my turn.”

She twirled in a circle. As she did, her
cutoffs and tank top gave way to a bell-sleeved dress in deep
emerald silk. The color was a good choice—it brightened the green
in her eyes and her red hair popped against it. The dress’ flouncy
skirt ended just above her knees. The style of her shoes, I
noticed, matched mine. Only mine were chocolate brown, and hers
were the emerald of her dress.

“Can’t have you be the only one who’s
taller,” she said with a wink. “How should I style my hair?”

“Leave it down. It’s gorgeous.” I loved
Ula’s hair—all those coppery curls. It did have a tendency to look
unruly though. “On second thought…”

I visualized an emerald clip and put it in
her hair myself, pulling back the curls from the front. It smoothed
her hair in all the right places and added the perfect amount of
sparkle. She stood next to me, and we stared at our reflections in
the mirror. We looked amazing, ready to conquer the world or, at
least, a Selkie festival.

“So this is what going to prom looks like?”
Ula asked, tilting her head toward mine.

“No,” I said, wrapping my arm around her
waist. “This is better.”

****

I tried to calm the butterflies in my
stomach. It looked like everyone turned out for the festivities. A
young mother chased her toddler around the cavern, swooped him up
in to her arms, and spun him in a circle. He grinned with delight.
His laughter bubbled across the room.

“I thought the twins were the youngest?” I
nodded to the mother and child. “He’s clearly much younger.”

Ula’s eyes brightened. “That’s my nephew,
Nico, and sister-in-law, Atiya. My brother Ren must be around here
somewhere. They’re visiting right now.”

“Where do they live?”

“Near Alaska.” Ula started walking toward
them, so I followed her. The closer we got, the more striking Atiya
was—dark, almond-shaped eyes, long, black hair, and latte-colored
skin. Nico looked very much like his mother, only his eyes were a
vivid green like Ula’s.

“Atiya, you’re lovely, as always!” Ula
hugged her sister-in-law tightly. As they embraced, Atiya watched
me with friendly curiosity.

“Is this our niece?” she asked.

“I’m Meara,” I said. “Nice to meet you.” I
shook her hand and laughed as Nico tugged on my dress.

“Pretty choc-late,” he said before sticking
his thumb in his mouth and grinning at me around it.

“He’s adorable.” I crouched down and held
out my hand. “Nice to meet you, Nico. Looks like we’re
cousins.”

He stared at my hand for a moment before he
popped his thumb out of his mouth and placed his wet hand in my
own.

“Nico!” Atiya scolded.

“It’s okay,” I said. “Would you like to
dance, Nico?” He nodded solemnly. I glanced at Atiya. I should’ve
asked her first. “Is it okay?”

“Of course,” she said. “Have fun.”

Ula and Atiya resumed their conversation. I
picked up Nico and carried him to the dance floor. He was
surprisingly solid for a toddler, but he wrapped his legs around my
waist and his arms around my neck. It helped distribute his weight
and made him easier to hold. The musicians played a bouncy tune
with bagpipes, fiddles, and drums. I spun Nico in circles and
dipped him back. He giggled and cried out, “More, more!”

I was enjoying myself, but dancing with him
was exercise. My arms grew tired. I was about to ask him if we
could take a break when I felt a tap at my shoulder.

“May I cut in?”

I turned. A tall, muscular man with glossy,
dark brown hair and bright green eyes smiled at me. Atiya stood
next to him. She reached for Nico, and he went to her willingly.
Touching his brow with her own, she kissed his cheek. “Did you have
fun, Nico?”

“Uh huh. Fun.” He started to lean back
toward me. “I want to dance again.”

“You can dance with me, sweetie.” Atiya
looked at the man next to her. “Daddy’s going to dance with Meara
now.”

She twirled him away. My uncle held out his
hand to me. “May I have this dance?”

I took the hand he offered. He placed his
other one on my waist, so mine went on his shoulder. The music
switched to a waltz. I didn’t know how to waltz, but Uncle Ren did.
He led me around the dance floor with ease.