Hearken (Daughters of the Sea Series) (12 page)

             
“That’s why….” I murmured in deep thought, and mentally kicked myself for not realizing it sooner.  “The sea knew somehow…”

             
“Stasia!?” I heard his voice only seconds after I felt his darkness arrive. Finn. I ran to the doorway and flew into his open arms with enough force to knock us both over. He held his ground with effort, but held on to me like his life depended on it. I felt like mine might. He rocked me back and forth; his voice soothing me to the core. “I am so
sorry
, Pasha. I’m so sorry.”

-------

              Later that night I insisted on Phoebe and Carmen staying at my cottage with Finn and me. The loss of a best friend was something I knew I couldn’t, and would never, get over. It would simply remain an infinite hole in my heart where her memories would live forever. A place where I could visit and see her smile, listen to her wise words, or hear her laugh one more time. My life was infinitely darker than it had been yesterday while she was still alive. Her absence scarred this world from the violent way she was torn from us, and the Underworld was gaining an exquisite soul that could never be replaced. My only consolation was the fact that she was in the arms all those who had left before. Nicolet, my parents, and the rest of her family would be waiting for her upon her arrival to the Elysian Fields, where she would spend the rest of eternity.

             
Of course, the selfish side of my shattered heart pounded only one thought into my mind – I wanted her back. She wasn’t done making a difference here in this life! There was so much more left for her to do. So many more memories, so many more dreams to come true, and so many more people to love, to heal, to touch. Although Avery’s healing touch had released me from the dark hand of despair, the sadness was still overwhelming when I allowed my thoughts to rest. I just didn’t understand! It didn’t make sense! How could someone so pure, so amazing, be taken from us? I quietly leaned over to the sleeping form of Finn next to me and lightly kissed his cheek.

             
“I’m going for a swim,”
I sent through my thoughts and hopefully into his dreams. I made my way into the living room with careful steps, so as to not wake Phoebe and Carmen, who were sleeping on the sleeper sofa. I smiled down at their still forms that were snuggled up against each other; several boxes of tissues strewn around the room. A lone beam of moonlight streamed through the window, creating a bright strip of carpet that glowed with a magic I could feel. It took everything I had not to dive into it and roll around in euphoria. 

             
After closing the front door with the utmost care, I padded down the boardwalk on bare feet. The dampness of night soaked the boards with a chill that crept its way up my legs. The moon above was playing hide and seek behind big fluffy clouds, and the cool wind swirling between the dunes convinced goose bumps to pop up on my arms.

             
By the time I reached the serene beach, my feet were yearning for the soft warmth I knew the sand would provide. As my toes felt the grainy softness beneath them, I felt the ground momentarily stir in response to my midnight visit. It seemed to shiver slightly as if stretching, before relaxing back into its nighttime trance. 

             
Instead of sprinting into the arms of the waves like I wanted to, I noticed the sparkle elicited from the moon rays on the beach. Without thinking, I knelt and ran my fingers over the top of the moonlit sand. My fingers tingled with sudden energy, and I placed both palms flat in an effort to experience it completely. My preoccupation with the moonlight on the sand sent my eyes on a journey from the dry sand, to where the light danced across the wet sand of the surf, and finally to the sea beyond where it mingled with the light cadence of the ocean.

             
I slowly walked out into the waves, my eyes on the moonlit water stretching out before me. Although I felt the strong pull of the waves and the wonders hiding beneath the surface, I suddenly noticed a more intense energy from the specific areas where the moon rays hit the shimmering ocean directly. It was as if that specific area was energized by the light of the moon and the energy it produced, and I became mesmerized by the glittering moonlit strip of sea before me. I pushed off the bottom and cruised on top of the water; spreading it apart as I cut through it like a knife through strands of silk. 

             
With outstretched hands, I placed one hand on the surface of the ocean darkened by the veil of night, while placing the other on a current of water glittering from the moon above. The difference was instantly noticeable, and I took turns moving from each light to dark until I could put my finger on the difference. The moonlit seawater was infinitely more…powerful. It sizzled with an energy that lifted the essence of the ocean, shook it up, and sprinkled the cool energy of the moon over top. I continued walking until I couldn’t touch the bottom any longer, and allowed myself to peacefully sink beneath the glittering surface.

             
The moon above shot rays of moonlight through the ocean’s core, creating an illusion of shifting universes converging as one in a dance of enchantment and mystery. I took a deep breath of water and submerged my body in one of the rays.

             
A light flashed before my eyes and I lost all knowledge of where I was. I could only feel the potent energy streaming across my skin. It infused every part of my body; sizzling and popping like an ice cube across heated skin on a hot summer day. As if menthol had been rubbed the length of my body, I seemed to radiate a certain coolness from my heart and soul that lulled me into surrender. I closed my eyes and floated down to the bottom. I drifted in and out of consciousness as the vigorous chill of the moonlit water stilled my thoughts, my heart, and my soul - sending me into a euphoric delirium where nothing and no one could touch me.

Chapter 10

Olivia

             
“Oh, come
on
,” I muttered into my pillow. “You cannot be serious.”

             
I glanced up at the phone sitting on my nightstand that read twelve-thirteen, and sighed loudly before landing back into my pillow face first. I hadn’t been asleep more than thirty minutes. At first I thought maybe it was just a spider crawling across my hand. That would have been infinitely better than what was
really
happening at midnight at the end of a very trying day. I’d never known anyone who insisted on getting into trouble between the hours of ten PM and seven AM as much as
she
did. I knew I had to tell her.  I wondered for a split second if it would matter to her if she was aware of how closely it affected me. I knew it was the reason why I was appointed to her Council, but something about verbalizing it made it more concrete, and I wasn’t quite ready for that yet. 

             
So instead, I lay in my bed at twelve-thirteen AM with my left hand itching incessantly. Next would come the cramping. Then the burning. The longer I waited, the more painful it would become. I knew the option of going back to sleep was lost as soon as my eyes opened. Being thrown into a wall earlier today was almost a delight compared to this. 

             
I sat up and shook my hand out, knowing it would do nothing whatsoever to relieve the itching. I inspected the ghost of a trace beginning to bloom on my palm. The all-seeing eye symbol had appeared last summer when Stasia had first come to Lorelei. That was my first clue, but I remained ever hopeful it was just a mistake. Because lots of people have all-seeing eye symbols popping up on their palm, right? Happens all the time. I chuckled in spite of myself. To the unknowing, it was barely noticeable when not active. The skin was slightly discolored, but not enough to warrant questions. But once it began to glow, no amount of makeup, paint, or gloves could hide it. Believe me, I’d tried.

             
I’d always been proud of the trace that represented my bloodline; the descendants of Calypso. The menacing-looking sea snake that curled around my forearm reminded me of my ancestors and the legacy we harbored. I loved to see the reaction it got when people saw it for the first time. I’d always thought it was much cooler than the other traces. I was actually named after the olive sea snake - a venomous snake that stalked the coral reefs of the oceans of the world, hunting for prey. Whenever I felt vulnerable, one look at my trace reminded me that I was
strong
. The reminder I got when looking at the all-seeing eye was much less exhilarating. I glanced down at it with another sigh. 

             
Just as I suspected, it was now shimmering a bright blue. No matter how hard I fought it, I knew this would be my destiny. Whether I wanted it or not wasn’t important. Or as my mother had said:

             
“
It will only feel like a curse until the day it doesn’t. Then and only then will you understand your destiny, Olivia
.” I could have gotten more information from a fortune cookie! I grabbed my discarded tank top from the floor where it had been tossed not even an hour before, and began to stand up.

             
“Where you goin’, babe?”

             
“Don’t worry about it, Graham.” I shimmied a pair of jeans on and tried to walk away, but he was too quick for me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me back into the covers. My temper flared and I pushed him away. For someone I’d only been hooking up with for a couple weeks, he was getting way too clingy. It was starting to get on my nerves.

             
“Stop, Graham,” I hissed at him. “I have to go.”

             
“But it’s midnight!” he whined. “Where are you going?” I slipped on my flip-flops and headed toward the door.

             
“Just go back to sleep,” I snapped at him. “And if I’m not back by seven, make sure you’re gone. I’m not getting caught with you in here again.”

             
“But-”

             
I shut the door and tip-toed toward the elevator; praying I wouldn’t run into anyone coming in from partying. I peered down at my red tank top and bright turquoise skinny jeans and groaned. It was a good thing it was dark outside. I wiped the skin beneath my eyes to make sure I cleared any mascara that had smeared, and then pulled my hair up. Unfortunately, according to the mirrored elevator doors, I still looked like a hot mess. At least I had the ability to disappear into the background if I needed to. Being descended from Calypso definitely had its upside. The ability of gossamer (also known as camouflage in the last couple centuries) was a particularly good one; especially when your boyfriend was cheating on you with your best friend. I scowled and shook my head at the memory.

             
After making it down in the elevator without seeing a soul, I snuck out the back doors of Maren Hall and into the dead of night. This living situation wouldn’t be very conducive for much longer.  Thankfully graduation was just around the corner. Then I could move into my grandmother’s house on the south beach. 

             
The night air hit me like a jet engine and I could actually feel my hair frizzing up into a king-sized Brillo pad. I glanced up at the night sky teeming with clouds and stars; the moon lighting the beach and the ocean beyond. At least it would be easy to find her. Not that I needed my eyes for that. My new trace was like a game of hot and cold. When I was close, it glowed brighter. The farther away I got, the dimmer it became. I hoped Calypso enjoyed watching her descendants stumble around like blind women on a treasure hunt.

             
I decided to ditch my flip-flops at the last of the boardwalk steps in place of bare feet, which helped me as well. I’d noticed that I could also feel the vibrations of her feet on the sand. I liked to picture myself as a giant Stasia detector; keyed in to her essence and live footprint at all times. I rolled my eyes at myself. It was definitely hard, though, with mom so far away. I was having some trouble getting used to my newfound abilities. Many of them had come on unexpectedly and scared the crap out of me.

             
I often wondered how Stasia would react when I told her. Would she be happy? Angry? Would she even believe me, or would she think she had a deranged stalker? The fact that it wasn’t necessarily her decision didn’t make it any easier. It actually made it that much harder. But I’d cross that bridge when I came to it. At that moment the muscles in my hand began to cramp, so I jogged up the beach as the all-seeing eye slowly grew brighter.             

             
A flash of movement several yards away caught my attention and I scurried up towards the cover of the dunes. Just to be safe, I camouflaged myself and ran the rest of the way toward the figure crouching near the dunes up ahead. A slight vibration alerted me to Stasia’s presence just at the surf line, and it looked like she was inspecting something on the sand. I stood with my hands on my hips for a second in an attempt to figure out what she was doing. She smiled and ran her hands lightly over the sand with delight.               

             
Leader of the Tydes or not, that girl was crazy. I shook my head and redirected my attention to the other person watching Stasia play in the sand. It was immediately apparent she was neither Tyde nor Siren, so who was she? And why was she trailing Stasia in the middle of the night? I crept even closer, but still couldn’t place the girl in a particular Order at Lorelei. She donned a mane of hair so blonde it appeared ivory in color. I could just make out subtle silver streaks running its length, but I couldn’t tell if they were really there or just a trick of the moonlight.