OVERFALLS (The Merworld Water Wars, Book 2) (17 page)

“Yep, and now we can’t even hunt for that scroll because of the Overfalls,” I said. “Between school, training, and the actual contests, the Ravenflames know where we are at all times. If we try to sneak away or break the routine to go underwater, it’ll be like a flashing neon sign, saying ‘we’re up to something!’”

Polly huffed. “Well, I think it’s stupid to wait on some scroll. Just fight. Why do you need proof? I understand King Tombolo has two souls and it makes it hard for him to breathe, blah, blah, blah. I really don’t see the issue. I have a soul and enough demon bits to constitute three more, but you don’t see me sulking in a corner. For God’s sake, it’s not that complicated. The key is to piss off both of his souls to the point where action is inevitable. Isn’t that what happened when he came back for you and stopped the skinning?”

Well, Troy just got his first dose of Polly-logic. “The water pact is for life, unless you can prove one side breached it. Until then, there’s nothing to do. Any attempt at a water war would end before it began,” said Troy.

“Troy’s right,” added Airianna. “Even if the king tried to regain the waters by force, the water pact would raise some kind of mystical energy to stop him. We need proof of a breach.”

“Yes, yes, and it all rests on Hurricane Katrina,” said Polly, waving her hands. “I’ve heard. I just think your father is misusing his souls.”

“You know, Polly does raise a good point, Troy,” I said.

“Of course I do,” Polly scoffed, while sanitizing a pudding cup Gully handed her.

“After years of being sad and quiet, your dad came back for you and me that night. Both his soul and your mom’s had to agree…they had to be angry. That means something,” I said.

“It means Queen Zale has absolutely no power over her forfeited soul,” said Bobby.

“Exactly,” I said, tapping my fingers on the table.

“Where’s your brain traveling with this?” Troy asked.

“I’m just wondering…if it was so important for Katrina to steal my soul and control it, doesn’t that mean the soul has the ultimate power?”

Troy’s eyes lit up. “And if the soul has the power over the body, then Dad would have power over Queen Zale.”

“Two times that if you combine the power of two fated souls,” I said. Out of nowhere, Doctor Tenly’s very loud voice filled my head; I smacked my hand to my forehead as he rattled on. Having someone in your mind wasn’t very comfortable, especially when you were already running on full capacity.
Brilliant!
Troy’s father has been falling to the sadness of the souls, rather than to their combined power. Now, stop thinking about these things, leave them to me, and FIND YOUR WISH!

“You okay, Rubylocks?” Troy asked, pulling my hand from my forehead.

“You-know-who was just in my head,” I said, rubbing the hot area just above my eyebrows.

“Um, what does that mean exactly?” asked Gully with happy, wide eyes.

“Remember? Our, you know,
principal
…his talents?” Maile said carefully, trying to lead Gully to the answer without blurting anything that could blow Doctor Tenly’s cover. It didn’t seem to matter that she was addressing Gully’s empty milk carton.

“Oh,” said Gully, the light bulb flickering. After a decent pause, she said, “No. I’m not there.”

Meikle raised her eyebrows and shook her head, while Polly said, “You suffer from a lot of loose wires, don’t you?”

Gully hurriedly tugged at her braids and sighed with relief. “No, they’re nice and tight, not loose at all.”

“Oh, she’s going to be the holiday music to my demon bits,” Polly groaned.

Leaning past Maile, facing Polly, Gully said, “Um, what does
that
mean exactly?”

Hardly looking at Gully, Polly replied, “Demons don’t like holidays…or anything affiliated with them. Not cookies, not joy to the damn world, not mistletoe, not Santa…not carols.”

“Huh. You must have it really tough during Christmas,” Gully mused.

Polly flipped to face me, her eyes screaming, KILL, KILL, KILL!

“Uh, um, well, back to the man who just invaded my thoughts…he agrees with us about your dad, Troy, and the power of the two souls, but he really wants me to focus on the wish thing.”

“Are you telling us you haven’t chosen a wish?” asked Polly.

“Um, well, I…no,” I said, banging my already hurting head on the table.

Meikle, sipping some juice, paused for a moment. “You planning to listen to our suggestions?”

I looked at her, shocked. “Of course! Why wouldn’t I?!” Meikle shrugged.

“Because you don’t have to,” said Troy sadly. “Even though the wish goes to benefit your species, the wish itself belongs to the wish maker. If you truly believed a big red nose would benefit your kind, you could make it and have it granted.”

“I’ll kill you,” growled Polly, her eyes flashing the early signs of a demon moment.

“Really, Polls?” I said. “I wouldn’t do that. Katrina, on the other hand, might. How are you going to rein her in, Troy?”

“All we can do is make suggestions, and hope the Normals win,” he said.

“That’s very kind of you, Troy,” said Polly. “I get you.”

“Get me…how?”

She pointed two fingers at her eyes, then at his. “You just go ahead and
hope
. Wink.”

“Huh?”

“Speak human, Polls,” said Meikle.

“Am I the only one smart enough to translate Troy’s code? Perhaps it’s my keen sense of manners that enables me to see his chivalry,” said Polly.

Ophelia, our true Miss Manners, shook her head. “No, there was nothing chivalrous in what he said. It was mere fact, Polly.”

Polly fumed. Ophelia was everything Polly wanted to be and, perhaps, thought she was, despite her demon halves. “Didn’t. Ask. You. Like I said, Troy’s definition of ‘hope’ isn’t as innocuous as its dictionary meaning. He’s planning on ensuring our win…by throwing the competition.”

“Whoa, wait. I never said that.” Troy put his hands up. “I don’t even think it’s possible to—”

Polly tilted her head sympathetically and interrupted him. “Troy, I’m on your side. You, Benji, and Airianna plan to throw the Overfalls. The other three can’t win without you. It’s quite gentlemanly. And genius…and—”

“Stupid,” purred Katrina, slithering up behind Troy. “Do you really think there aren’t provisions for cheaters? Didn’t your captain read her little rulebook? It was in my locker when I got to school. Ah, by the gutted glances, I see she hasn’t.”

“Haven’t gotten mine,” I said. “Convenient for you, isn’t it?”

“Aw, you poor lost lambs! Since Airi, Benji, and Troy are on my team and sitting here, I’d be glad to spread my captain knowledge, for today,” she said.

“Can’t speak for the rest of us, but I’m sure not interested in what you have to spread,” Trey quipped.

Airianna’s wildly blushing cheeks drew Trey’s quick apology.

Looking from Trey to Airianna, Katrina’s mouth curled into a skank-smile. “Oh, I see. You’re interested in another kind of spread. Well, good luck with that one. Aside from her raging, disapproving father, it’s a bumpy ride to the Promised Land, Normal. By the time you realize you’re locked out, you’ll think about our conversation and wish you hadn’t made that ‘spread’ comment.”

God, the humiliation on Airianna’s face was literally painful. Giving Katrina my best bitch brow, I said, “I think when it comes down to choosing between an angel and a pit eel who’s motored around the Great Barrier Reef more times than a great white chasing a surfer, Trey will find there is no choice.”

“Nice,” said Meikle, flashing her rarely seen smile.

Katrina’s neck turned red with the rising anger. “Don’t forget, this pit eel made that swim with your boyfriend, many times, many ways.”

Oh, if only I could Savior her ass right now; I’d have her through the wall so fast it would make her fake nails fly off. “Don’t forget, the pit eel lost the guy to an inexperienced Normal, so the swim couldn’t have been all that great.” But, ya know, I’ll settle for the word whammy.

Nodding, she said through gritted teeth, “Every participant is cloaked with an invisible mental and physical measuring mist. They’ll know if you’re purposely throwing any portion of any event. Next time, make sure your captain does her job.”

As she started walking away, I tapped into my usually dormant Texas accent. “How’s your tum-tum? Hope I didn’t hurt you too bad.”

She slowly turned, an unnerving grin stretching across her face. “Actually, I should thank you for that. With that hit, came my wish. See you tonight!”

Well, damn. “That backfired,” I said.

“Yes, it did. Way to go!” said Polly, giving me a double thumbs up that could well have been a double flip off.

“Katrina deserved every bit of it. She holds nothing back, so why should Marina?” said Airianna, looking at me. “You saved me, again…this time from my stupid shyness. I owe you so many saves.”

“It’s so not an ‘owe’ kind of thing, Airi,” I said.

“It is to me,” she said in a singsong voice as I laughed and shook my head.

As lunch came to an end, all of us packed up; the Normals agreed to meet on the school steps to wait for Doctor Tenly’s car. Troy, Airianna, and Benji had their team meeting at the same time in Zale’s manor.

“I’m going to miss you,” said Troy.

“Me too,” I said, playing with his hand. “Just, uh, don’t get too swept away by the siren.”

“Not a chance. Besides, merps and sirens don’t exactly mix,” he said, wrapping his long arms around my waist. “
You
stay away from the feather duster.”

Laughing, I said, “I don’t like feathers because they tickle, remember?”

As he bent down to kiss me, we heard Gully’s giggle box kick in; if chipmunks could laugh, I bet they’d sound exactly like her.

“Um, before we go, I’d just like everyone to know…I have no idea what anything any of you said actually meant, but it was all very fun,” said Gully, smiling in a blissfully clueless fashion.

Troy and I lost it, as did practically everyone else, except Polly, who mouthed the words
kill it
at me.

After school, Trey, Ophelia, Polly, Meikle, Gully, Maile, and I met outside the front doors. We didn’t have to wait for the limo; it was already here in all its obvious fashion. Strangely, no one was even looking at it or us.

“This is the only dignified mode of transportation,” said Polly, sliding into the back.

I paused by the chauffeur. “Is it invisible?”

He smiled and shook his head. “Repellant.”

“Ah.” Whatever that means.

The drive to Hambury House was interesting. Trey was in la-la land, otherwise known as
daydreaming about Airianna
; Meikle tried to pull Polly’s potentially hazardous focus from Gully, who was gabbing Ophelia’s ear off; and Maile engaged the headrest in conversation, thinking it was me.

Doctor Tenly and Jex were waiting for us as we piled into the study.

“We must talk wishes,” said Doctor Tenly, wasting no time.

“I would like to talk about the lack of hot water by the time Gullivere is done in her shower,” said Polly, sitting on the couch next to me.

“Not now,” said Doctor Tenly. “We can address that at our…” Running over to a white board, he tapped it several times and placed his hand to his ear.

“Weekly Hambury House-house meeting,” said all the Normals, some more enthusiastically than others.

Once again, Meikle dragged her favorite chair from the back corner of the room, filling our ears with ungodly screeches.

When she finally stopped and straddled it, Doctor Tenly said, “Really must remember to leave the chair right there for her. Now, then, Polly, the house meeting is when we talk about living conditions.”

“Fine,” said Polly, clipping her hair back. “Then I would like to address why Troy’s demon self never tried to lure me into its soul.”

“Hello, left field,” I said. “Where’d that come from?”

“Ever since I found out he’s harboring a demon, I’ve been bothered. Today at lunch, I tried to engage his demon, see if I could swim a little.”

“What happened?” asked Ophelia.

“Nothing, obviously, or I wouldn’t be asking. I’ve never met a demon that didn’t love to dive into me or have me dive into it.”

I looked at Doctor Tenly with what some would call a dumfounded face; however, I would call it the face of the worst girlfriend in the world. It never occurred to me that Polly had the ability to inhabit, however briefly, my boyfriend’s soul and explore the part he fears most. I’m no better than a bed bug.

“It didn’t cross my mind, either, Marina,” said Doctor Tenly.

Polly flashed us an ‘
are you kidding me?
’ glance. “Neither of you should be thinking about demons.”

“They do have far more important things on their minds,” said Ophelia.

“Oh, it’s not that. Any idiot would have made the connection between Troy and me by now. It’s just…that’s my territory—demons. You have your Savior chew toy to play with, and the doctor has his overall kooky brilliance. Let me have something.”

“She’s got a point,” said Jex.

Polly slowly surveyed Jex like she would a fine piece of steak. “You’re the angel formerly known as Manakel?”

“That would be me. You can also call me ‘coach.’”

After a brief pause, Polly said, “I don’t think I like you.”

“Who asked you, pinky?” said Jex, a tad ticked.

“Pinky? How very original. How do you sleep with a brain as witty as yours?” she said, shifting her eyes back to Doctor Tenly. “Any idea how Troy’s demon is locking me out?”

“Huh, maybe your demon dipping function is faulty,” snipped Jex. Polly’s razor sharp tongue had found its match in Jex, although I doubt she recognized that fact.

“Well, Polly,” said Doctor Tenly, somewhat loudly to avoid any more word jabs between Polly and Jex, “Troy’s demon is unique. It’s not exactly the social type. If it wants to remain alone, it will. When you factor in Troy’s unwillingness to even acknowledge his demon part, then not even your talent can penetrate that shield.”

“We’ll see,” she said, leaning into the couch with her arms crossed, probably plotting a way to break through Troy’s guard.

In a way, I hoped she could crack him. If she did, maybe there would be something there to convince him of his goodness and of his demon’s usefulness. The brief thought that the opposite might be true was something I allowed to pass through my mind very quickly.