Proven (Daughters of the Sea #1) (19 page)

"Like fireflies," I inferred.

"Exactly." He turned back to the table. I took a deep breath and decided to see what I could get away with.

"Could I, maybe, try some elixir?" I tried to ask innocently, but even I heard the eagerness in my voice. "Maybe...take some with me?" Sebastian turned and raised an eyebrow before smiling to himself.

"I thought you were feeling okay?" he questioned me, clearly amused.

"I am," I floundered. "But that doesn't mean I won't start to lose my strength...later."

"Right, right." He smirked at me suspiciously, crossed his arms, and watched me. "Just in case."

"Yeah, just in case," I repeated, playing with the bottom of my shirt. I was a horrible liar.

"You're a horrible liar," he verbalized my thoughts with a laugh.

"What are you talking about?" I pretended to be taken aback by his accusation. He ignored me and produced three long tubes with a thin, looped leather strap at one end. With a wink, he walked back out the door.

"Where are you going?" I followed him into the night. Still not acknowledging my questions, he headed for the fountain. The three women, now tending to various patches of flowers, abandoned their work to meet him. Sebastian turned back to me and held up a hand; signaling for me not to come any closer. He exchanged some words with them that I couldn't hear and strode back towards me with a smug grin.

"Watch this," he whispered with anticipation and checked the building we'd just left with a glance. The fact that it was still full of glowing wings seemed to satisfy him and he turned back toward the three women. Their melodic ballad ramped up again and I stared in awe as they twirled and danced around the fountain in an enraptured trance. Without warning, the crystalline water pouring from the fountain transformed into a glowing, golden elixir that flowed from the marble statues perched atop the fountain itself. It cascaded into the basin before disappearing once again into the base and back underground. It filled the night with a warm ambiance, creating our own private world in the garden set ablaze at its center. I felt a wind blow up behind me and knelt down in surprise as the hundreds of creatures inside the building flew outward in one fail swoop; grazing us with soft wings, leaving a spattering of gold dust on our bodies. They flew around the three dancing women before encasing the fountain as well.

I felt as if I were witnessing an ancient traditional ritual, a secret unveiled for only a select few. The women themselves began to shine, their skin taking on a translucent quality. As the swarm of chrysá circled them, each of the women halted and leaned over the fountain's lip to fill the three tubes with the auric, essence-giving liquid. As their song teetered out and the creatures settled onto the fountain itself, the water turned clear once more.

I couldn't take my eyes off of their translucent skin and warm caramel eyes as they walked towards us and presented all three tubes to Sebastian with dignity. His face lit up with an adventurous smile and he pulled two of the vials over his head, resting them on his chest like a glowing necklace. He then slipped the third one over my head and secured it around my neck.

"So." He rubbed his hands together and his eyes sparkled with mischief. "When do we leave?"

O
LIVIA

"I'm about done being a fairy godmother," I grumbled. "My collection of give-a-shits is running on empty."

"You don't mean that," Avery squelched. We had grabbed a couple pastries from the kitchen and were making our way back into the castle's extravagant dining hall. After word spread that Stasia and Sebastian were both missing, we connected the dots pretty quickly and Finn called everyone together.

"Yeah I do," I assured Avery confidently. "She's been trying to get herself killed the entire time I've known her. If she wants to die that badly, who am I to stop her?"

I was definitely angry, but not because of the reasons she thought. She didn't know Stasia's doomed fate, and she didn't know I was mad at the world because of it. She didn't know I wanted the chance to change her fate, and she didn't know I would gladly give my life for hers. So I would rather she thought I was selfish and mean. That was far easier to deal with.

Avery and I commandeered two seats across from a frazzled Carmen and Phoebe as Finn nodded at us. The massive dining room table was also dwarfed by Sean and three of the largest Sons I'd ever laid eyes upon. Each with cropped, dark hair and blue eyes, I knew right away I was going to have problems telling them apart. One in particular had a telling scar running along his jawline that strengthened his intimidating appearance. He met my curious gaze with a curt head nod of acknowledgment; his poker face unmarred by human interaction.

Unfortunately, Amphitrite and Psamanthe were both bed-ridden. With the elixir having minimal effects, they were advised by Maera to rest and save as much energy as possible. I hadn't experienced any soul crushing wailing since last night, but that didn't mean much. I could feel my energy draining. I became winded easily and my appearance wasn't as vibrant as usual. I was looking increasingly mortal again. It was disturbing.

"We're going after them," Finn announced with crossed arms, a jaw set with conviction, and blue eyes dark with frustration. I had a feeling he felt the same as I did about her taking off without telling us. If stubbornness was an ability, she had perfected it. Not to mention, Sebastian didn't have a history of being the voice of reason. He would have jumped at the chance for any kind of dangerous exploit filled with risk and evil moon Goddesses.

"We need to leave soon," I reminded him. "They've already gotten a huge jump on us."

"So, did they just...leave?" Phoebe considered. "No boat? No nothing?"

"No boats have been reported stolen or even missing." Maera walked through the entranceway, followed by a caramel-skinned woman covered in tattoos. "So it is unlikely they have gotten far. They must be doing things the old fashioned way. Swimming."

"This girl won't be doing it the old-fashioned way," Carmen interjected with a laugh at her own expense. "I wouldn't make it a mile before passing out from exhaustion."

"I'd like to introduce you all to Kailani," Maera introduced her companion grandly. "She has graciously agreed to take you to find not only Stasia and Sebastian, but to find the crux as well."

"My boat is anchored in the north harbor," Kailani explained in a thick Jamaican accent. As she spoke, long dreadlocks brushed against her shoulders and the tattoos along her arms and collarbone came to life. "I can have it ready within the hour."

"We are indebted to you," Finn thanked her with a dazzling smile. "We appreciate your help."

"Maera will escort you to the harbor when you are ready." Kailani glanced at Maera, who nodded in agreement. With that, our new captain left the room on a mission to ready her boat for our journey.

"So, now that we have a boat, how exactly are we going to find it?" Carmen piped up as she popped some fruit in her mouth.

"There's no possible way Amphitrite or Psamanthe will be able to go with us," Phoebe added.

"Between me and Olivia, we should be able to find it." Finn nodded his head toward me. "I can hear the ocean's song, and Olivia will be able to feel where Stasia is once...she's in harm's way."

"That's comforting." Carmen glared at me. Something told me she blamed me for allowing Stasia to leave without our knowledge. Little did she know I already blamed myself. I didn't need her to do it for me.

"I'm not her keeper," I snapped at her. "I'm her Paladin! There was no way I could have known she was planning on skipping out without telling us!

"You know she's a flight risk!" Carmen shot back. "You should have been with her last night! Watching over her! Then you would have known!"

"I was with her." Finn's resounding voice quickly put an end to our argument. He stood and leaned on the table, eyeing us both sternly. "If you're going to blame someone, blame me. But yelling at each other isn't getting us any closer to finding them."

"I'm afraid you will be gravely outnumbered," Amphitrite's weak voice wafted over us as she shuffled through the doorway and glanced at me pointedly. "Olivia will be the only one who will be allowed admittance to the crux itself.  She is the only one among you with full Nereid essence; at least until hers begins to deplete as well."

Maera jumped up to assist her into the room. She draped Amphitrite's increasingly frail body into a plush chair near the fireplace. The reminder that my essence would steadily deplete squeezed my heart even more. I had to stay strong enough to get to the crux and help Stasia. And what about Stasia? She knew she wasn't immune! What was she thinking?

"We'll be there with her," Phoebe attempted. "And what about the Captains?"

"Without full essence, none of the Tydes will be of use to her or Stasia while on the crux," Amphitrite reminded her.

As Maera handed Amphitrite a glass full of golden liquid, something occurred to me. Carmen's suddenly raised eyebrows told me the same idea had crossed her mind.

"What about the elixir?" I asked Maera. 

"What effect does it have on regular descendants?" Carmen piqued up immediately; her eyes lighting up even more.  Maera considered this new possibility.

"No mortal has ever drank it." She furrowed her brows in thought. "But I would imagine it could provide additional essence, if only for a short time."

"It would make us immortal?" Phoebe squealed with excitement before clarifying. "I mean obviously not permanently..."

"It's possible." She tapped her fingernails on the table. "If you drank enough, it could provide you just enough essence to gain admittance. Your time would be limited, but it would give you a chance."

"That's perfect!" Avery rejoiced. "All we need is a chance."

"And it would stop my essence from depleting," I added in deep thought. "Which would definitely be a plus." My thoughts turned to Stasia. By the time we found her, she was going to need some as well. The room erupted in excited conversation as everyone discussed this new revelation. Unfortunately Maera quickly sucked all the air from the room with her next tidbit of information.

"Although a good idea," Maera warned, "I cannot ensure mortals will be privy to the elixir."

"Of course not." Carmen rolled my eyes. "I'm beginning to get a complex over here. Not being in the immortal club and all."

"There is a reason for the exclusivities of our world, Carmen," Amphitrite scolded her. "You must respect the restrictions."

"That doesn't mean I have to like it," she muttered, eliciting an elbow from Phoebe. We looked to Maera for her to explain.

"Who may partake of the elixir's powers is wholly dependent upon the maidens' discretion." The maidens. I had completely forgotten them. Surely we could talk them into it, right? They seemed reasonable enough. When they weren't ramming me into tree trunks.

"The maidens?" Phoebe and Carmen asked at the same time.

"The Daughters of the Evening protect the elixir, as well as the garden itself."

"I'll go talk to the Captains," I declared and stood, addressing the other Council members. "Meet me on the back veranda in twenty minutes." 

"I'll escort you to the garden," Maera offered before attaching a dark warning. "But I cannot sway the decision. It is theirs to make, and it is final."

S
TASIA

"You're doing it wrong."

"What are you talking about?" I narrowed my eyes at Sebastian, currently swimming circles around me at a dizzying speed.

"It'll take us another century to find the crux at this rate." He glanced down at a non-existent watch. "And unfortunately when the clock strikes midnight in three weeks, I'll turn into a pumpkin."

"And what do you propose, oh wise one?" I tried to kick him, missing by at least five feet as he twisted around me like a seal escaping the jaws of a shark.

"What's the fun in having our connection to the ocean if we don't get to use it every once in a while?" His blond hair wiggled back and forth in the current he was creating and I had a feeling he hadn't looked much different as a boy. One thing was certain, however. He clearly knew something I didn't, and was having way too much fun holding it over my head.