 
# Sea-Witch

## The Black Depths Universe Book One

## J. E. Hunter

# Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

The Journey Continues in...

Chapter One

The Torc - Prologue

26. The Torc - Chapter 1

Also by J. E. Hunter

About the Author

# Chapter 1

There was something wrong with my hair.

I leaned closer to the bathroom mirror, picking up my brush. I combed my long strands horizontally outward from my scalp, studying each one individually. Late afternoon sunlight glinted through my frosted window, illuminating the handful I was inspecting. I froze mid-brush.

There was something _really_ wrong with my hair.

It was brownish-red. My hair was not supposed to be brownish-red. My hair was dark brown, perfectly matched to my dark brown eyes.

Before I could look at it further, my cell phone began singing. I raced to answer it, dropping my brush without a second thought. "Marnie. Did you hear from them?" I asked breathlessly, already knowing my best friend was on the other end of the line. I sat down on my bed. It was still unmade because I'd just found the energy to wake up even though it was five o'clock in the afternoon. Summer vacation was definitely my favourite part of the year.

"Yes, and they're coming! Aaron, Cody, and Graham are all in. But there's something else." Marnie's voice moved into the high octaves; she was excited about something.

"What?" I asked.

"Aaron's going to call you! He's finally going to ask you out." Marnie squealed into my ear.

I yanked the phone away. When I heard the squealing stop I put the phone back. My hands were shaky and damp with sweat. I gripped my turquoise bedspread tightly as I asked my next question. "When?"

A beep blocked out Marnie's answer. I looked at my call display and felt my heart flutter.

"O-M-G Marnie, he's calling me right now. I'll call you back." I cut the line with Marnie just as she began squealing. "Hello?" Letting go of my blankets, I wiped my sweaty palm on my jeans.

"Nessa? Hey, it's Aaron." His voice came over the line as smooth and sexy as it was in person. I'd never spoken to him on the phone before, even though he was a regular member of the group Marnie and I hung out with. Last weekend he'd almost kissed me—I was sure of it—only we'd been interrupted by a puking Graham.

"Aaron. Hi. It's nice to hear from you." I mentally smacked myself—I sounded like such an idiot.

"Hey. Yeah, For sure. I'm just calling to see if you're coming to the beach tonight, and to see if you need a ride."

I closed my eyes, picturing Aaron's curly, dirty-blond hair, hazel eyes, and athletic build. My pulse fluttered. "Oh. I'll probably just borrow my mom's car and pick up Marnie on the way. \ I'll be at the beach for sure. Probably around eight. So if you're there, I'll see you. Unless you're hiding... or something... then I won't see you...because you'd be hiding." I pinched my eyes shut, embarrassed by my own uncontrollable babbling.

"Great. Great! I'll see you there at eight then." Aaron's voice still sounded hopeful. That was a good sign.

"See you later." I hit the end button on my cell phone and with a heavy sigh I fell backward onto my soft, unmade bed. I closed my eyes for five seconds before I realized I really needed to get moving if I was going to be ready in time for the beach. And I needed to get to Marnie's as soon as possible if I was going to look drop dead gorgeous.

_On my way,_ I texted Marnie, then I jumped up from my bed, grabbed my tan-coloured purse and my favourite cherry-red summer dress, and ran out of my room. As I passed my parent's bedroom door, the familiar loss of oxygen came over me and my head began to spin. I grabbed the banister as I headed downstairs, fighting to stay on my feet and keep the shaking out of my hand. Things had been getting better over the past couple weeks—I felt like I could breathe deeper now compared to the first couple days—but things were still far from okay. That was the good thing about distraction: if I was sleeping or busy I could forget about everything that had happened.

I slowed at the bottom of the steps when I heard the familiar, choking sobs. The worst part of being around Mom. I wanted to help her, to stop her crying, but I didn't know how. So instead, I bit the inside of my cheek and prepared myself for the black hole that used to be my mother. Stepping forward softly, I pushed open the squeaking, swinging kitchen door. Mom instantly raised her hands to dry her face. She was sitting at the chocolate-coloured kitchen table, a glass of tea in front of her. Peppermint; I could smell it as soon as I stepped into the room.

I could have asked her how she was. But for the past two weeks the only response I'd gotten was, "Fine." We both knew that was a lie. "I'm going out," I said instead.

She nodded. "The keys are on the table."

"Could I have a few dollars? You know, for gas."

Mom nodded her head of short, straw-blond hair. She turned to her left, keeping her gaze downward and away from me as she dug through her purse. I looked like my dad: I had his dark brown hair and eyes, and his perfect, round nose. I'd always wished I looked like Mom, with her blonde crop of shiny hair. But now that dad was gone, I was glad to have a living reminder of him, except that it seemed to make it hard for Mom to look at me.

"Of course; here's forty." She held the money out to me with a boney, shaky arm. "Drive safe. Have something healthy for supper."

"What are you going to eat?" I asked.

"Don't worry about me, Nessa. I'm fine." She pushed the money into my hand and then grabbed my shoulder. "Just be _safe_." Abruptly, she stood up, walked past me, cup of tea in hand. Her slow, plodding footsteps grew faint as she climbed the stairs. I wouldn't see her again until tomorrow morning.

My lip shook as I headed out the door. Why couldn't she just hug me? Why couldn't she tell me it would be all right? That was what she was supposed to do; she was the adult. I was the child—I wasn't supposed to be comforting her. The way she ignored me—it just made me feel so...

I pulled my cell phone out of my purse and speed-dialed Marnie.

"Tell me what happened with Aaron," she said.

"I..." Words failed me. "I... I'm just leaving now."

"What's wrong?" Marnie caught on immediately, proving why she was my best friend. "Did Aaron say something to upset you?"

"No. It wasn't Aaron." I took a deep breath. "I'll tell you when I get to your house."

"Okay. Drive safe." That was Marnie: responsible, practical, and mature beyond her years—except for the squealing.

I jumped into Mom's well-used Volkswagen Jetta, turning the engine. It started—reliable as always. I reached up, pulled down the visor, flipped open the mirror, checked my natural and dad-approved make-up before remembering I wasn't wearing any. Before remembering that something was wrong with my hair. Before remembering that Dad was dead and Mom was as good as.

I turned the visor back up with a sharp snap. I backed out of our treeless driveway and onto the twilight streets of Surrey, British Columbia. I needed to get away, fast. But getting away didn't help; it tore me apart. Why had Dad been so careless? Why had he been so stupid and answered his cell phone while driving? If only he'd thought for one second, maybe he'd still be here. My chest constricted, my vision blurred. The next thing I knew, I was halfway to Marnie's house, tears streaming down my face. "Stop it, he's gone. Crying won't change anything," I choked on the words. The vacuum of reality sucked the good feelings from my heart.

I reached up and wiped my eyes as I turned the wheel to the right. Through my tears, the yellow fire hydrant caught my eye. It wobbled. "Too much stress, Nessa. You are too stressed. Just calm down and stop talking to yourself." The yellow fire hydrant wobbled again, and then skyrocketed away.

"What the hell?" I yelled, slamming the breaks. The heavy hydrant landed on the hood of the car with a thick, loud crunch. Fat drops of water followed it, pounding into the roof of the car. Slowly, I stepped out of the vehicle, away from the water. I looked back: less than ten feet away sat Mom's car: silent, unmoving, and utterly destroyed.

# Chapter 2

"If you did it you can tell me." Marnie and I were sitting on the edge of her lawn, watching a tow-truck chain up Mom's wet and crumpled car.

"I didn't do it. I already told you." I pulled my knees tightly to my chest. "The fire-hydrant shot off. I didn't run into it. I don't get why they feel the need to tow the vehicle away for an inspection." Luckily enough, the incident had occurred right outside Marnie's front door. I hadn't even had to call for help. Marnie had heard the sound of pounding water and looked outside in fear that our evening was ruined. She'd been right. We'd been sitting on the curb for two hours while the police inspected the scene and asked me five times if I'd been drinking. They were sure I'd crashed the car into the fire hydrant, as was Mom, who'd arrived half an hour ago. Thankfully, a lack of evidence on the car, the fire hydrant, and my breath had proved them wrong. "I wouldn't drive like that: I wouldn't be careless. Not after," I paused to take a deep breath, "Not after what happened to my dad."

Marnie silently turned her blond head to watch with me. The police gave the tow-truck driver instructions on where to take the car for further inspections. Mom stood next to them, arms crossed firmly over her chest.

As if she could read my mind, Marnie said, "Your mom sure looks thin."

"She doesn't eat anymore." I tucked my hair behind my ear, bracing to reveal the truth. "She's depressed. It's really bad. She won't even look at me. I think...I think it's because I look like him."

Marnie's blue eyes grew round. "What? Oh, Nessa, I'm so sorry."

I dug my nails deep into the soft tissue of my palms. "I just wish she'd snap out of it. That she'd remember she still has a daughter to live for."

Marnie reached over, hugging me. "It'll be fine Nessa. I'm here." Marnie pulled away, looking me in the eye. "I'm sure your mom will pull out of it soon. She just needs a bit of time—she's grieving. I'm sure Aaron would be more than willing to keep you company in the meantime."

I laughed a little. "Even with all this drama you're still trying to play matchmaker."

Marnie shrugged. "Well, you've had a crush on him for months. And it's pretty obvious he likes you—he almost kissed you last weekend!" Marnie wistfully looked in the direction of the beach, which was hidden by a myriad of suburban houses. "It's too bad we're missing the beach party. Aaron sounded pretty upset when I told him why we couldn't make it." Marnie squeezed my hand. "He said he'd call you next week when he gets back from his family vacation."

A sharp pain hit me in the stomach. "He's leaving?"

Marnie nodded. "Before sunrise. His family's going on some wilderness fishing retreat thingy so he can't bring his cell phone."

"Crap." I bit my lip, trying to stop the shaking. "This really sucks. Everything...it just sucks." Tears slipped out of the corners of my eyes. "I mean, first my dad dies. Then some stupid fire-hydrant gets me in an accident..." I pushed the tears off my cheeks. "And now Aaron... This has to be the _worst_ summer ever."

"Maybe tomorrow will be better?"

I smiled weakly at Marnie and shook my head. "Maybe; it's not like it can get much worse."

Marnie smiled back, but her blue eyes didn't look any happier than I felt. "Which means things have to get better, right?"

"Nessa, the taxi's here," Mom yelled, saving me from trying to find an answer to Marnie's un-answerable question.

I stood, brushing off the seat of my jeans.

Marnie stood up with me. "I'll call you tomorrow. We can take the bus to the mall, hang out at Starbucks."

I tried to laugh. We both hated Starbucks. "Can't wait." I crawled into the cab behind Mom. She gave the cabbie our address and then started in on me.

"What the hell happened, Nessa?"

"Nothing!" _How dare she start by accusing me_. "I told you and the _police_ what happened." I glared at her. She refused to meet my gaze.

"Were you drinking?"

"Of course not. I was driving extremely carefully. Do you really think that after...that after Dad, that I'd do something that stupid?"

"I don't know what you're thinking, Nessa."

"Exactly, because you don't _talk_ to me anymore. You may as well be dead too!"

Mom let out long sigh, looking down at her hands. "Do you really think that?"

I opened my mouth, nothing came out. Of course I didn't want her dead. Having her here and depressed was better than not having her here at all, wasn't it? "I didn't crash the car." I crossed my arms and looked out the window, away from her.

I jumped out of the cab the moment the driver put it in park. I ran into the house and up to my room before I had to say another word. Collapsing on my bed, I closed my eyes, hoping I'd fall asleep and wake up to discover this awful experience had been a dream. But I knew it was real. My life had changed, and it was stuck this way.

The next morning I woke up, remembered the dreadful truth of my life: Dad's death, the car crash, and the fact that Aaron was on vacation and out of cell service range. I checked my phone for messages anyway, and found one from Marnie telling me she was catching the eleven o'clock bus. My alarm clock showed me I had half an hour to get ready.

I messaged Marnie back. _See u on the bus._

I put my phone down, walked into my bathroom, and screamed.

"Nessa?" Mom ran into my room. "Oh my God. What have you done?" She grabbed a fistful of my hair, inspecting it.

"Nothing." I stared dumbfounded at the reflection in the mirror. A sixteen year-old girl with bright, clown-red hair and sea-blue eyes stared back at me.

"What kind of dye did you use? We can fix this. Your father...if he were here..." Mom's thin fingers began fluttering over the countertop, searching for the used box of hair dye that didn't exist. She opened and closed the medicine cabinet, riffled through the trash, even looked under my toothbrush.

"I didn't dye my hair. It turned this colour on its own." I knew just what Dad would say about my hair if he were here. He'd always told me to be proud of the skin I was born with. He wouldn't want me to change, and I didn't want to either. But Mom was already absolutely positive that this was my fault.

Mom turned, hands falling to her side like she'd lost all strength. "Don't lie to me, Vanessa. I can't deal with this kind of crap right now. My head's already bursting with stuff I don't want to deal with."

I rolled my eyes and stomped my foot. "I'm not lying. I never lied to you. The police already told you the accident wasn't my fault."

Mom glanced at me, making eye contact for what must have been the first time in close to a month. She leaned closer. "Are you wearing coloured contacts? You know I forbade you from buying those."

Pushing past Mom, I marched out of the bathroom, desperate to put distance between us. "They aren't contacts," I shouted.

"I'm not stupid, Vanessa. Do you think I can't remember the eye colour my own daughter was born with?" Mom chased after me, skinny frame shaking with anger.

"I'm surprised you even remember you have a daughter!" I grabbed my purse from the back of my desk chair, tossing my favourite belongs into it: raspberry lip-gloss, a green cell phone, the latest vampire novel, my blue iPod.

"I'm sad, Nessa, that doesn't mean I've forgotten you." Mom grabbed my elbow; I easily shook her off. "Stop running away from me."

"I'll run if I want to."

"Run where?"

"Anywhere you aren't."

"That won't fix things. That won't make your dad come back."

"Maybe not, but it might make me feel better." Running out my bedroom door, I shoved my nails into my palms, cutting into the skin. "I miss him too you know. I didn't get to say goodbye either. You're not the only one who's sad, even though you think you are." I could barely hold it together as I screamed at her. I hated her for making me feel like I didn't matter. "Maybe I should just leave you to your misery. You'll probably enjoy it more if I'm not around to distract you." My purse bounced on my shoulder as I ran downstairs.

Mom ran after me. "Get back here! Nessa! Stop right there or I'll–"

"Or you'll what?" I spun around at the bottom of the stairs, one hand tightly gripping my purse strap, the other on my hip. "Ground me? Good luck holding me back."

"Or I'll–"

The screen door banged shut. "What in the ocean is going on here?"

I spun left and saw my grandma, my mother's mother, standing in the entrance. Her appearance immediately shushed me; for a sixty year-old woman, she was breathtaking. She was wearing a long green dress that stopped just high enough to display her fashionable baby-healed sandals. Her skin was moist and tanned and barely had any wrinkles. But what stood out most about her was the long red hair that hung in a braid over her left shoulder in a cascade of rich, maraschino cherry colour that was twenty-times better than the colour my hair had turned.

"Mom," my mom sobbed, hunching inward, the fire going out.

I brushed past them both. "I'm going out."

Grandma nodded.

I glared. _What the hell is she doing here? How could she possibly have the nerve to show up now when she hadn't even bothered to come to Dad's funeral?_ It had taken Mom days to get a hold of her; apparently she'd been in Ireland visiting family. By the time Mom reached her, the funeral had come and gone. But that didn't mean I couldn't be angry with her for not being there.

I stomped down the street toward the bus stop, thinking of the last time Grandma had visited. It had been a long time ago, five years at least. It had been pure hell. She'd spent the entire two days of her visit following me around, yelling at me to pick up after myself. "Why don't you help your mom more? Why don't you do your own laundry? You should cook dinner once a week!" I'd finally become so angry with her that I called her a horrible grandma and told her to go home. She'd responded by throwing a glass of water in my face. Of course Mom hadn't believed that part—she'd been at work during the whole fiasco—but I still remembered every little detail that proved Grandma was untrustworthy. Dad hadn't been fond of Grandma either—though I wasn't sure why—but once she finally left, we'd gone out for ice cream to celebrate. This time Dad wouldn't be around to share in my anguish.

I rubbed my eyes to keep the tears out of them. When I glanced up, the bus was rounding the corner. As expected, Marnie was already on it, sitting at the back where her blond hair stood out against the dark blue canvas seats. I walked down the aisle and took a seat beside her. She squirmed away from me like I was a smelly stranger invading her space. She didn't even turn her head.

"Hi, Marnie," I said.

She looked at me and jumped. "Nessa? What the hell did you do to your hair?"

"It's horrible isn't it?" _I don't even look like him anymore_.

Marnie put an arm around my shoulder. "No. No! It's not bad—I think it looks kind of good on you, actually."

"Don't lie to me! It's horrible. I hate it. I was born to be a brunette, just like my dad." I started tearing up; I couldn't help it.

"Well, then why did you do it?"

"I–" I caught the words on the end of my tongue. Marnie would think I was crazy if I told her I _didn't_ do it. Everyone knew that hair didn't just change colour on its own—not this drastically anyway. "I thought it would be easier if I looked different. Because, you know, everything _is_ different. But now I wish I hadn't done it."

"Okay, if it's what you want, I'm sure we can find a salon to fix it for you. You'll be back to your fabulous self in no time."

I exhaled very slowly. "Thanks Marnie, that's exactly what I need."

"No!" My panicked, tearful tone had everyone in the salon—the hairdressers, the customers, the women under the big fancy round hairdryers—looking at me. "No-no-no-no-no!" My right fist tightly clenched one of my long locks. I stared at it, willing it to change colour. The hairdresser had already applied the dye and rinsed it out—twice—but my hair was still as red as a stoplight.

"I...I'm really sorry," my hairdresser, a young twenty-something woman with a black and purple spiky do and a name tag that read Annie, stammered at me, helpless. "I don't know why it isn't working. There must be something wrong with...your... the... dye, or something."

Marnie's mouth dropped open. She'd been standing beside me through both dye jobs. "There has to be something you can do."

Yes, there has to be something. I _can't_ look like this. He would hate it. He would be so disappointed in me. Dad loved my dark hair. He'd told me to never change it.

"Well..." Annie raised a tired hand to her forehead. "I've never seen this happen before. After two tries I have to think that you must have some kind of strange immunity to the chemicals. Why don't I just give you a cut instead? We could do something short, funky maybe–"

"No." I stood up. I shook my head and sat back down in a huff. I couldn't go out into the mall with wet hair—red was bad enough. "Okay. Fine. I'll take a little trim and a blow-dry—one inch off the bottom at most. I might be stuck with red hair but at least it's long and shiny. I'll just...I'll just have to hope it washes out in time."

Annie smiled, pulling out the long clips she kept pinned to her apron. "There you go. Now you're looking on the bright side. Some people would kill for hair as long and healthy as yours."

Marnie rolled her eyes when Annie was too busy to notice. "Yeah right," she mouthed.

I forced myself to smile. Inside, I was bawling, because not only was my hair firmly, permanently, and un-dyeably red—my eyes were bright blue. I barely recognized myself. _And if Dad were alive he wouldn't recognize me either._

Two hours later, I arrived home swinging my new purchase: a navy zip-up hoodie with a small olive green flower embroidered over the bottom right pocket. Marnie had helped me find it after I'd complained about not having any clothing to match my new red hair. The hoodie was far from being my favourite piece of clothing, but it did make me feel a tiny bit better about my transformation.

"Good, you're home." Grandma stood up from the couch when I stepped into the front hallway. She smoothed the long, green dress she wore and walked over to me. "Take a seat in the living room while I get your mother. She has something she needs to tell you."

I tried to escape quickly to my bedroom but Grandma stepped in front of me, blocking my path. "But I–"

"It can't wait." Grandma held up her hand, preventing more words from escaping my lips. "It won't take long and it needs to be done now." She pierced my eyes with hers; I shrivelled backward. "And I think you've given your mom a hard enough time for one day." She pointedly looked at my hair.

I took my shopping bag into the living room and dropped it at my feet. I scuttled back onto the couch, picking up the television remote. I didn't even get the chance to turn it on before Grandma returned with Mom in tow.

Mom peeped up at me once, quickly, then fixed her eyes on the window. "Hey Sweetie, I'm glad you're home. We need to talk."

I tried not to panic; conversations that started with 'Sweetie' had never brought good news. I didn't say anything. Keeping my mouth firmly shut, I watched Mom pace across the pale, rose-coloured carpet, wringing her boney hands. She stopped, set her feet firmly on the floor, and exhaled.

"Nessa, I'm sorry." She held her hands out in front of her, already apologizing for what she was about to say.

_This wasn't good._

"Since your father's death, I've been thinking a lot. I'm going to sell the house."

# Chapter 3

"You...You're what?" I stuttered; fully forming a sentence was impossible. The room flashed in and out as I blinked. "But it hasn't even been a month yet!"

Mom shook her head. "I'm sorry, Nessa, but I just...I can't do this—I can't live here without him."

"No! I grew up here. This is where we've always lived. I can't leave. Not now. This is all we have left of him."

"No. I can't, Nessa. I can't...I...I just can't." Mom reached up, wiping the tears from her face. Her hands shook, her breath came in short, shallow gasps.

"Where are we going to go?" I gripped the couch tightly, even though it didn't stop the room from twirling. Could she really make me leave the house? How much did houses cost these days? It couldn't be that expensive. Maybe my college fund would pay for it. I looked at her; she didn't look back at me. "You can have it. You can have all the money in my bank account if it means we get to stay here. Please. Please don't make me move."

Mom didn't answer.

Grandma stood up. "No, Nessa, it's not about money. There are many reason's why your mother is selling this house and money isn't one of them." She glanced quickly at Mom who was too busy furiously rubbing tears away to notice. "As for where you'll live," Grandma continued, "You're going to come live with me, on my island."

My lungs emptied like I'd been tossed into space. "Your island?" I'd heard of it even though I'd never been there. "But there's nothing on the island, is there? Where will I go to school? Where's Mom going to work? What about my friends? What about volleyball?"

Grandma's eyebrows furrowed as she frowned. She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Nessa. But you _have_ to come and stay with me. Your mother will stay here, in Surrey."

I looked at Mom. She was still sobbing quietly by the window. "Where are you going?" She didn't reply. "Mom! Where are you going?"

She spun round to face me, her cheeks pale. "To the psych ward before I kill myself!"

No. _No._ She wasn't like that. She cared about me too much. She wouldn't leave me. Sure, she was so thin even size zero pants slid off her waist, and I hadn't seen her eat anything in a while but...I swallowed. A tear slid down my cheek. "No. You wouldn't do that."

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, but...but it's a possibility." She came toward me, holding out her hands.

"No. No, you can't just send me away. I can help you."

"No one can help me but a doctor, Nessa. Your grandma will take good care of you."

I glared at the _stranger_ standing in my living room. "How do you know that? I don't even know her! I've only met her once and I haven't even spoken to her in over five years. She wasn't even at Dad's funeral. She doesn't care about me."

Grandma stepped forward, the corners of her mouth pinched. "I regret not being able to be here for your father's memorial. But I do care about you—more than you know."

"Then why haven't you been around? Why don't you ever visit?" I was shouting now, my throat raw and tight.

"Your grandma's a very busy person." Mom reached out, placing her hands on my shoulders. "But she's here now. Give her a chance. Please, Nessa, give her a chance and I'll get better. I promise. If you let your grandma take care of you, I can take care of myself, and then I'll get better."

I numbly pushed tears off my face.

"Come on, Nessa," Grandma said. "You'd best go get ready."

I was given one day to pack. Tearfully, I called Marnie and broke the news:

"I...have...to...leave."

"What? Nessa, I can't hear anything you're saying. Your words are all mumbled. Are you crying?"

"I have...to...move..."

"What?"

"I'm moving!" I forced the words out of my mouth.

Marnie was silent. I concentrated on slowing my breathing and stopping my tears.

A minute later she asked me, "But you aren't moving far right?"

Clenching the phone to my ear with my left shoulder, I ripped clothes out of my closet, stuffing them into a suitcase. Anger management was not looking good for my wardrobe. "Yes. Far. Very far—too far. All the way to Vancouver Island."

Marnie paused, exhaling slowly. I heard her voice crack as she asked me another question: "To Victoria?"

I broke down, collapsing on my bed with a fistful of orange shirts I'd never be able to wear again. "No. I'm moving to the middle of nowhere."

"Comox?"

"I wish it was that close." I sniffed. "I'm moving to my grandma's island, off the coast of Tofino. The only way to get there's by boat. God, Marnie, what am I going to do?" My head swam. I fell over into my blankets, burying my face in darkness.

"When are you leaving?"

"T..." I gasped, and then gasped again. I inhaled air. I tried to exhale but I only inhaled again.

"Nessa? Nessa? Oh my God, you sound like you're hyperventilating. Breathe, okay, Nessa? Just breathe. Like we're doing yoga, slowly in and slowly out. Breathe in."

I gasped again.

"I'm coming over."

"Stay." Breathe in. "On." Breathe out. "The phone."

"Okay. I will. And I'll be right there, just breathe with me, okay? In. One. Two. Three. Out." I listened to Marnie say those words over and over again as I waited. I closed my eyes so all I knew was the sound of Marnie's voice. All I saw was blackness.

"Nessa?" Marnie jumped on the bed beside me. "Sit up."

I opened my eyes. There was Marnie, blue eyes blazing with worry.

"You're okay. Just breathe."

Slowly, I regained my breath.

"It really isn't that far away," she said, as my breathing returned to normal. "We can talk on the phone. There's always text messaging and email. It'll be like you never left."

Email and phone calls aren't the same, I wanted to say, but I didn't. Instead I pushed myself up off the bed, away from Marnie. I tossed the clothes I'd been clutching into my suitcase. "Can you help me pack?" I asked before my panic rose up and began choking me again.

Marnie pushed herself to the edge of my bed. She was dressed to help in trusted worn-in blue jeans and a pink t-shirt. "Sure." She looked down at the mess on my floor and bit her lip. "Do you have any more suitcases?"

I looked down at the navy, fifty-pound suitcase I'd taken on a family vacation to Mexico two years ago. Clothes were spilling over the sides, and I still had a dresser full of outfits and half my closet left to pack.

Marnie raised a pale eyebrow. "I really don't think you're going to get any more clothes into that one."

I crumpled down onto the floor, burying my head in my hands. "How am I going to pack it all? Grandma said I can only take three bags. This isn't all going to fit in three bags—and that doesn't even include things that aren't clothes! How can I put my entire life into three bags? I have nothing left, Marnie. Nothing."

Marnie sat down beside me, wrapped her arms around me, and rested her head on my shoulder. "You have me, no matter how far away I am. And...well, I hate to say it, but most of these clothes don't look good with your hair. So a wardrobe change might not be such a bad thing. Pack what's important, like photos and memories."

I looked at the clothes strewn about the room and burst out in hysterical laughter. "What am I going to do without you? I'm such a mess."

Marnie laughed even though her smile was sad. "Web cams," she said. "You're going to need a web cam."

The next morning, one hour after sunrise, I prepared to leave the house I grew up in. Mom was downstairs; I'd heard the kettle whistle earlier, telling me that she was already sitting at the table drinking her tea. I took the opportunity to sneak into my parent's bedroom. I'd never been allowed inside. My parents had viewed their room as a sanctuary—one I wasn't allowed to trespass into, but I'd snuck in a few times before and knew where Mom kept her emergency stash of cash. But today I wasn't after money. I was looking for something of his.

I didn't know what I was looking for, but once I laid eyes on it I knew it was what I wanted. I found it in his bedside table. The clay sculpture was clumsy and imperfect, and the blue paint was chipping. I'd given it to him for father's day when I was ten. He'd smiled and hugged me tight and said he'd keep it forever. The sculpture, a quarter moon with a smile and a star sitting on its tail, was no bigger than my hand. I stole one of Dad's sweaters from the closet to wrap the keepsake in, and then I stuffed both into my suitcase before exiting my childhood home.

"Take care." Mom pressed a small, brown paper-wrapped package into my hands. "I know you don't normally write things down, but I bought you a journal—just in case."

I took the gift from her and squeezed her as hard as I could, but it wasn't enough to change her mind. Before I knew it, I was sitting in the passenger seat, on my way to a new life.

Leaning against the cool glass window of Grandma's spotless vehicle, I stared at the mystical swirls of thick morning fog as we drove through Surrey and Vancouver, past the half-hidden sky-rises, and into the thick wooded area near the Horseshoe Bay ferry. I kept my horrible red hair hidden under my favourite beige hat. I pretended I was still the girl with happy parents, a best friend down the street, and a cute, almost boyfriend. I knew that it wasn't true, and that everything had changed, but I couldn't help but hope that in a couple of weeks everything would be back to normal: I'd be back home with Mom –without Dad and in a new house—but home all the same.

We arrived late at the docks and ended up stuck in a long line. We boarded the third ferry of the day. As soon as Grandma put the car into park on level six, I jumped out the door and ran up to the observation deck where I was hoping to have some alone time. The cool salty sea air hit my face with a wash of mist. My lungs welcomed the freshness. I leaned up against the rail, gripping the cold metal surface with both hands. The fog was beginning to lift, giving way to a thin layer of ash-grey cloud.

Beside the ferry dock was a small marina. Just past the line of white yachts was the highway that had brought me here. I looked to the west, where I was heading, and kicked the railing, looking down.

The waves lapped against the great berth of the ferry. The water began to churn as the engines were turned on. The frothy bubbles were hypnotic and I stared down into them, overcome with a frightening desire to jump in, sink to the dark depths. The ship's horn blared into life, nearly sending me tumbling over the banister and into the deep waters below.

"Startling, isn't it?"

I slapped the guardrail. Of course she would follow me. I glared at Grandma as she approached.

"Just a bit." _Couldn't she see I didn't want her in my life?_

She moved closer, standing beside me at the railing, proving she didn't know me at all. "Nessa, you should know that no matter what, you're fated to move to the island." Her ocean-coloured eyes were focused on the water rushing swiftly past us. The small, rocky, tree-capped islands began disappearing as the ship moved out of the bay and across the Strait of Georgia.

"What do you mean?" My stomach clenched, like I was expecting the worst sort of bad news.

"Your mother told me you had an accident with a fire hydrant."

"That wasn't my fault." I twisted my hands on the railing.

"I know." Grandma stared at me, her eyes hawk-sharp. "It's just your nature. Things like that might occur from time to time. And your hair, what happened to it?"

This question surprised me. Instead of asking what kind of fool I'd been to buy hair dye off the Internet, or if I'd been idiotic enough to try lightening my hair using hydrogen peroxide, she asked me what had happened to it.

_She knew something._

"It changed; all by itself. I didn't do a thing to it. I even tried to dye it brown yesterday but it didn't work. I'm stuck with this hideous red hair. Dad would hate it." I reached up under my hat, pulling out a strand, glaring at the red-pepper colour.

"I used to have dark hair too, when I was young. But when I inherited my powers, it turned red, just like your hair has. Now I think my hair is beautiful and wish for nothing else. You'll get used to the colour, just like I did."

I paused, tilted my head to one side and briefly debated if I'd misunderstood her. "Oh come on," I said.

Grandma turned and raised one quizzical eyebrow that told me she wasn't impressed with my attitude.

I sighed. "Powers, Grandma? I'm not five. And I'm not in the mood for jokes or kidding around right now."

She kept that one eyebrow raised. "I'm not kidding. It's time for you to learn the truth Nessa, and time you learn how to deal with it: you're a redheaded sea-witch. Just like me."

# Chapter 4

I wasn't sure if I'd suddenly become sea-sick, or if I simply wasn't feeling well because I'd just realized the grandma I hadn't seen in over five years was one-hundred percent crazy. I shook my head. "There are no such things as witches." But as I said it, I shifted my gaze over the railing to the water below. The cauldrons of churned water were bubbling higher, reaching up the side of the ship, beckoning.

"Stop it, Nessa."

I snapped my eyes back to her. "I'm not doing anything."

She stepped closer, pressing her face to mine, whispering. "There is one reason, and one reason only, why you must come to the island with me: if you don't learn how to control your powers, you'll be discovered. And if you're discovered, they'll come after you: governments, hunters, and those who think you're putting our kind at risk. Now take a deep breath, calm down, and come inside with me."

Grandma wrapped five boney fingers around my upper arm, trying to guide me away. I wanted to throw her off, to shake off everything she said and go my own way, but I could feel the eyes of strangers on me. And if _anything_ of what she said was true..."What do you mean our kind?" I felt my eyebrows knit in frustration. "I really don't understand why you're lying to me. My parents are normal. _Dad_ was normal." My throat caught as I mentioned my father. There was no way he'd been a witch.

"I'm not lying to you. Yes, your parents are regular humans. But _you're_ not. Do yourself a favour: take a deep breath and picture a rainbow, a kitten, a chocolate—whatever will calm you down." She leaned closer to me. "Everything will be alright, Nessa."

I forced myself to breathe the way Marnie would tell me to, deeply in and deeply out, calming myself down. Not because it was what Grandma wanted, but because I didn't like the way strangers were looking at me. Thinking of Dad made me wear my grief on my face. I hated the looks of sympathy I'd been getting for weeks. Slowly, I regained my composure.

The churning around the base of the ship slowed. Grandma let go of my arm. She reached up to adjust the strap on her heavy-duty fabric purse, the kind that old ladies who traveled a lot always carried. "Why don't we go inside? Maybe you'd like a cup of tea to calm your nerves?"

I opened and closed my mouth, at a complete loss. I wanted to demand the truth. I wasn't a witch...was I? Maybe tea was a good idea. I needed something to clear my head.

I followed Grandma silently into the ship's interior. My stomach rumbled with hunger when I spotted the cafeteria. I grabbed what I wanted and quickly thanked Grandma, disappearing before she finished paying. I wanted, no, _I needed_ an hour alone to think things over. I took my bottle of orange juice and a fruit and cheese plate, and went down one floor to the lounge, which was nothing more than a room full of uncomfortable chairs. I picked the darkest corner and sat down in the middle of an empty row, digging out my iPod and the vampire novel I had yet to start reading. All I needed right now was to not think. Not think about Dad, Mom, the move, my hair, the witch thing...

"That's quite beautiful hair you've got."

I looked up. An older man with salt-and-pepper hair was standing beside me, casting a shadow over my book.

"Th-" I almost said it. I almost thanked him for commenting on the awful red hair that had found it's way out from under my hat— _again_.

"It's not often you see people with hair like yours." He smiled at me, but his eyes were shifty. Magazine type horror-stories I'd read about girls who talked to strange men in strange places popped into my head.

I nodded, dropped my book in my lap and focused my attention on my iPod, slipping a headphone into my ear.

"Is it natural?"

"Sorry, what?" I pulled the headphone out, annoyed.

"Your hair, is that your natural colour?" The man gazed directly at me, piercing my eyes. My breath caught in my throat. His pupils were tiny pricks of black in grey irises that were so pale they were almost non-existent, giving him an alien appearance.

"No, just a bad dye job." I muttered. _This guy obviously doesn't know how to read body language_.

"So, where are you going?" He continued to stare intensely at my hair.

I tucked the loose strands away. "Tofino."

"Is that where you live?"

"I wish it wasn't." I looked around the half-empty seating area. _Why had I been so quick to leave Grandma behind?_

"So, what part of town do you live in?"

_Whoa._ I began shoving my belongings back into my purse. "I didn't say I live there." I stood up, tossing my purse over my shoulder.

His hand snapped out, wrapping around my wrist. "I'm just a traveller looking for tips from locals, that's all." He didn't blink when he spoke. His body was eerily steady—something like a mannequin, or the Plastics from Doctor Who

"Well, I don't have any. I'm from Vancouver." I tried to pull my arm from him but he didn't let go. He gripped harder. My skin began to burn. "Let me go," I said, my breath ragged.

"Nessa? What's going on?"

As quick as lightening the man released me, turning toward Grandma, who'd just come down the stairs into the lounge. "The girl was a bit unsteady. Tiny bit of seasickness, I'd say. Should go away shortly." He slid out of the aisle and vanished up the stairs.

"Nessa?" Grandma asked.

I shook my head. "I'm okay. He was just a bit creepy, that's all."

"Are you sure? Maybe I should go report him to security." Grandma stared at the space the man had vacated, her eyes narrowed.

"If you want," I said, pushing the incident out of my mind. I didn't need anything more to think about. The pain of losing Dad was enough to fill me up—or empty me out—I wasn't sure which. Losing Mom was almost as bad. It was all I had room for. I sat back down in my seat and pulled out my book. "I don't think he'll come back. Not with you here." I opened up my book and began reading. _Any_ other world had to be better than this one.

"How much longer?" I asked. We'd only been off the ferry for half an hour and were currently heading into the middle of nowhere.

"Three hours." Grandma drove perfectly for someone who was probably suffering from dementia. "But it'll be a lot longer if you keep refusing to talk about it."

I raised an eyebrow and searched for evidence of craziness: shifting eyes, twitches, shortness of breath, mutterings. "What's there to talk about?

"The fact that you're a sea-witch. You have yet to acknowledge the truth of what I told you." Grandma shook her head the exact same way Mom did when she was disappointed in me. "I expected more from you, Vanessa Maxine. Though when you were born, I didn't expect anything at all since your mother didn't inherit the gene."

I shook my head. "You're crazy...or kidding...or something. Witches don't exist."

"So _you_ crashed the car into the fire hydrant then? _You_ dyed you hair with some awful chemical product purchased on the Internet?"

My temper flared. "No! Neither of those things were my fault."

"Then explain them." Grandma's hands closed tightly around the steering wheel.

"I...I can't."

"Because you're a sea-witch. Because you're one of a handful of magical creatures on this planet and, as such, things happen that you can't explain." She shifted her eyes to me for a moment. All I saw within their stormy blue depths was a clear, intelligent gaze.

"Are you trying to lighten the mood and make me feel better because I'm stuck living with you for an indefinite amount of time? Because—just so you know—I don't need you to lift my spirits. I'm perfectly fine being who I am: a completely normal, non-witchy-person. Just like my parents."

She sighed deeply, steering the car around a curve on the road. "I'm trying to prepare you for what lies ahead."

"You're trying to prepare me for trees, rocks and endless ocean? Because I've never seen any of that before." I rolled my eyes and looked out the window. "I'm perfectly okay with nature if that's what you mean."

"As a sea-witch, you'll need a few years to learn all the facets of your gift." She spoke slowly, muffled, like she was talking through clenched teeth. "And it will take a while for you to adjust to the new feelings and emotions you'll experience. The hardest part will, of course, be adjusting to not being normal anymore, and guarding a secret identity you can't tell anyone from your old life about. But the reward will be great. You'll work as I do; protecting the sea from harm."

" _Crazy._.." I said in a sing-song voice.

Grandma growled softly. "This is the truth Vanessa; your truth."

"Prove it," I said, hoping to put an end to her nonsensical talk.

"Fine, if that's what you need in order to believe, I will." Grandma veered left, turning off the highway and onto a side street. I slammed my hand into the door, trying to get purchase on anything I could in case she rolled the car—something she was likely to do at the speed she was going. But a short while later she slowed the car right down, and parked on the side of the road next to a deserted beach.

"Get out," she said.

I looked fearfully at the abandoned expanse of sand. "No. I'm not getting out."

"Get out." She stepped out of the car, taking the keys with her. She slammed the driver's door. Cautiously, I followed her as she walked farther and farther out onto the beach. When she reached the edge of the water, she looked back at me, turned toward the ocean, raised her arms, and closed her eyes.

I watched her. Nothing happened. "This isn't what I'd call proof, you know." I was just about to turn around and walk back to the car when I heard a crushing sound, which reminded me of my visit to Niagara Falls when I was eight.

The ocean rushed toward me, rising like a tsunami. I didn't have time to run. I didn't have time to take a single step before the water reached up and swallowed me whole. I panicked, fighting to reach the surface through the cold, wet blanket of the sea.

I barely had time to wonder if Grandma knew I couldn't swim.

# Chapter 5

I struggled to stay afloat in the overwhelming rip tide. I held my breath and did what every swim instructor I'd ever had told me to do: tried not to panic.

But I couldn't help it.

As the cold water pressed around my body, I gave into my urge to scream. I was silenced by a mouthful of salty seawater slithering its way into my lungs. Then, as quickly as it came, the sea retreated, dumping me unceremoniously on the wet, sandy beach. I landed hard on my knees and fell forward, coughing and heaving liquid from my lungs.

"I think you're wrong about my being a sea-witch," I croaked once the coughing had subsided. I shivered as the wind blew through my wet clothing. My red hair swung forward and with dismay I realized my hat had been swept away by the rushing tide.

"No, I'm right; you're a sea-witch. You just have no idea how to exercise your birthright. But, at the very least, you do believe that I'm a sea-witch now, yes?"

I looked at Grandma with both anger and jealousy. Even though I'd seen the ocean swallow her whole right before it swallowed me, she'd somehow managed to remain completely dry. She wasn't dripping wet. She wasn't coughing and heaving. She looked immaculate in her linen pants and long grey sweater.

"You sure are something, I'll give you that. Possibly a murderer. I can't swim, you know. And you lost my hat. Now what am I supposed to do with this horrible red hair?"

Grandma crossed her arms, shaking her head. "A sea-witch who can't swim is a disgrace, but a repairable disgrace at least. As for the hat, you'd better get used to not wearing it; your hair's beautiful and there's nothing you can do to change it. Now come on, I want to get home before dark."

"No." I pushed myself up off the wet sand and began to pick smelly, pale-brown strands of seaweed off of my drenched navy hoodie.

"No, what?" Grandma looked down her nose at me.

"I'm not going anywhere until you bring my hat back. I love that hat. I loved it before my hair turned this stupid red colour. I'm not giving it up."

She raised one eyebrow, and the corner of her mouth rose to join it. "It's just a hat."

I stood my ground firmly, assuming that Grandma couldn't move the earth, just the ocean. "I don't care. It's mine. You can't decide to get rid of it just because you don't like it. What I wear isn't up to you."

Grandma walked past me and stopped. She looked over her shoulder and smirked. "You're right. It's your hat and therefore your responsibility. However, I'm an old woman and that little demonstration of my powers has worn me out. I'm afraid if you want your hat back, you're going to have to call for it yourself."

"Call for it? What do you mean?"

"You're a sea-witch Nessa; if you need something from the sea all you have to do is ask for it. Just remember to focus, the ocean needs clarity." Grandma walked up the beach to her four-door sedan, leaving me alone to talk to a billion gallons of seawater.

"Great," I muttered, bending over to pick up a rock, throwing it at the water. "Just great." In two weeks my life had gone from cozy beach bonfires with a potential boyfriend to being half-orphaned and nearly murdered by my own grandma who just happened to be a witch. I couldn't deny it anymore: Grandma had powers I could barely comprehend. The only thing that scared me more than Grandma was the thought that I had the same incredible powers burning through my skin.

I raised a hand to my forehead, wiping off the lingering water droplets. I searched the horizon for my hat, but saw no sign of it floating on the rolling waves of the bay. I looked toward the car and saw Grandma sitting behind the steering wheel, watching me like a judge at a figure skating competition. She waved her hand as if to say, "Get on with it." I turned back to the water.

I felt like I was five again, wrapped in a blanket watching _Star Wars_ with Dad on a rainy day. Whenever I'd watched Luke Skywalker command the force, I'd tried to do it too. I remembered trying to make the television remote magically fly into my hand. I remembered failing each and every time.

I took a deep breath and sighed. The only difference between those early attempts at becoming a Jedi and now was that my hair had turned red and my eyes had transformed from brown to blue. And apparently I was born to do this: to call to the ocean and ask for my hat back.

I lifted my arms up, emulating Grandma, pushing the thought that I was just as crazy as she was out of my mind. I tried to do exactly as she'd instructed. I thought: _Ocean, bring me my hat back. As a sea-witch, I command you._

I opened one eye, peaking out at the calm, rolling water. My hat was nowhere to be seen. No rogue waves carried my hat on their crests.

Again, I held out my arms and closed my eyes. This time I pictured my hat: I imagined it on my head, I imagined it hanging on the back of my chair, I imagined holding it in my hands. Unbidden, the anger over losing my hat—after already loosing so much else—flooded my mind. _Just give me my hat back,_ I thought, _please_.

Cold water splashed around my ankles. I gasped, dropping my arms as my eyes popped open. I looked down. The water had swelled up around me, and floating at my feet was my hat.

Slowly, I bent over, scooping it up. I stared at it. I turned it over, checking it for the sparkling heart Marnie had painted on the tag with fabric glue. The heart was right where it had always been. It was definitely my hat.

"Has it sunk in yet, Nessa?" I jumped; Grandma was at my side. I hadn't even heard her approach.

I stared at my hat, flipping it over in my hands again, wondering if Grandma had snuck up and thrown it at my feet when my eyes had been closed.

"It's time to go." She turned her back and headed to the car. I followed behind her, numb.

I sat in the car: wet and confused. I sat for a good fifteen minutes before the cold became un-ignorable. I snapped back into the present, turning the heat on full-blast.

Grandma snapped the heat back off.

"Do you mind?" I reached out to turn the heat back on.

She turned it back off. "I'm perfectly comfortable. I don't need the heat."

As soon as she placed her hand back on the wheel, I reached out and turned the heat on again. "Well, _I'm_ freezing because someone let her granddaughter get swallowed by the ocean while she kept herself dry."

"You could have kept yourself dry if you'd listened to me sooner."

I slipped my feet out of my shoes and plopped them on the dash. Grandma glared at the streaks of water my black socks left behind. "Maybe if you'd explained it a little better, I would've believed you, instead of just thinking that you're crazy, which is still a likely possibility by the way."

Grandma steered the car around a bend in a road. "Vanessa, you need to stop believing everything the media tells you. Magic exists. Magical creatures just choose to keep their existence a secret because it's safer. For you to believe that the unexplainable doesn't exist is plain stupidity, especially given the events that have happened to you recently."

I glowered; choosing to run my fingers through my tangled, wet hair instead of replying. She seemed as inclined to silence as I was and pushed no further.

I reached down into my purse, which I'd left on the floor of the car, and pulled out my cell phone. Pulling up Marnie's contact information, I typed her a text message. _Help me! Grams is wacko._

I sent the message and turned to look out the window. I watched the forest pass by outside, marvelling at the height of the Douglas Fir trees. I'd never traveled this way before. Not once had Mom taken me to the island. Now I understood why. I looked back at my redheaded, witchy Grandma. "Does she know?"

"What?" Grandma turned her head, briefly frowning at me before turning her attention back to the road.

"Does Mom know...about you...does she know?"

She gave a sharp shake of her head. "No. I thought it best if she didn't. Our world isn't meant for humans. So, when your mother didn't manifest any powers at a young age, I sent her away to boarding school to protect her. And as I'm sure you know, she still hasn't forgiven me for it."

"Because she doesn't have the gene? Is that why you never visited? Is that why you never sent me a birthday card, or came to visit during Christmas, because you thought I didn't have the gene either?"

I couldn't tell if it was just a reflection of the sunlight, or if it actually happened, but for a brief second I thought I saw my grandma flush. "It's more complicated than that," she said.

I frowned. "Whatever. Does that mean I can't tell her anything either?"

"You can't tell anyone. If you do—if you say a single word—I'll lie. I'll tell everyone you're crazy and they'll believe me. And do you know why? Because you won't be able to prove a thing."

I bristled. "I could. I could move the water like I did..." I bit my lip.

Grandma smirked. "And if you can do it, Nessa, if you can move the ocean, why would you want to risk losing the opportunity to learn about your gift?"

My phone buzzed. "Whatever." I flipped open my cell to read the message from Marnie.

_Then come back! Miss U already!_ I snapped the phone shut. If only that was a possibility.

"That won't work on the island."

"What? My phone?" I gripped it tightly. _Please don't say my phone._

"There's no cell service. You'll have to use the satellite phone. You'd better say goodbye now. I'll let your mom know she can cancel your plan once we reach the island."

Cancel my plan? No. I couldn't be cut off. I needed Marnie. I needed all the little pieces of my old life if I was going to survive this. "Is there Internet? There'd better be Internet or you might as well let me out of this car right now because there's no way –"

"Yes, there's Internet. It's satellite, and a bit slow, but it will suffice."

"Great," I muttered. "Way to ruin my life." I went silent as I texted Marnie the awful news that email would be our only means of communication, other than real phone calls. Cell service on the highway was bad, and I didn't receive any more messages from Marnie. She was likely too busy doing fun things in the city to reply. I lowered my seat and tried to nap. Although I'd never admit it to Grandma, I also spent some of my time feeling my insides, trying to discern if there was anything different about the inner core that made me, well, me.

My heart was the same; I felt no difference there. My mind was still intact—I hoped. The only thing that felt slightly strange to me was a tiny, warm, tingling sensation somewhere under my right lung. I vaguely thought the feeling occurred near enough to my appendix that maybe there was a rational explanation for everything that had just happened, but the feeling wasn't painful, and from what Marnie had told me—she'd had her appendix out two years ago—appendicitis was excruciating.

Three hours, seven minutes, and approximately thirty-one seconds after our fight on the beach, we drove into the little town of Tofino. We hadn't reached Grandma's house yet—but we were close.

"How big is this town?" I wasn't impressed; the town didn't seem to have a shopping mall. What would I do in my free time?

"A little over fifteen-hundred people. There are more people in the area, and a lot of tourists in the summer."

"How many kids go to the high school?"

This time Grandma crunched her brow thoughtfully. "You know, I'm not sure if they have a school here. They have an elementary school, but I think a lot of the older kids go away or home school their high school courses."

My jaw dropped. "What? You never told me that. I didn't agree to be a social outcast. Take me back to Surrey. Now." I leaned over the meridian, trying to get my hands on the steering wheel, as if I could possibly take control of the vehicle and head back home.

Grandma slapped my hands away. "Stop it, Nessa. You needn't worry about being a social outcast. As you already know, I don't live in Tofino and you won't be going to school here. You'll be going to the school on the island, with teenagers who are just as special as you are."

"Special? What does that even mean? That everyone is a social outcast?"

"It means," she said, "That you have powers that make you stronger and more powerful than humans.

"Yeah, right." I opened and closed my cell phone, wishing Marnie would text me something normal.

"If you don't start taking the fact that you're a sea-witch seriously, I'll have to ground you—or curse you—and then you'll most definitely be a social outcast."

I sank into the corner of the passenger seat, crossing my arms firmly across my chest. "You can't do that. You can't...curse...people."

"Really? And you know this because you're an expert on sea-witches now?"

Since her eyes were still fixed on the road, I stuck my tongue out at her. She'd already insinuated that I was immature and therefore I wasn't making the situation any worse.

As we drove through town, rain began misting down from the grey clouds. The mist obscured my view, but I was still able to make out a few coffee shops and a sushi house. In the middle of town, I spotted a couple of outdoor clothing and surf shops where I could possibly go shopping in the future. That was a good sign. There was at least something I could borrow Grandma's boat and come to town for—so long as I could learn to drive a boat. And since I still had the credit card Mom had given me for emergencies, I'd have a little bit of money to burn.

The town came to an end much too quickly for my liking. As the west point of the peninsula pinched out into the ocean, my redheaded grandmother turned the car onto a turnoff hidden by trees. At the end of a long driveway, a two-story, blue house sat on the water's edge. The house had rectangular windows, peeling paint, and a large, white veranda. Beside it, a long dock reached out into the waves, like a finger pointing at nothing. Three mid-sized boats were anchored to the wooden slats. The minute our car pulled into the small parking lot at the end of the driveway, an older man walked outside. He waved at us, smiling. He was the kind of old man that looked permanently happy. His head was full of hair, though it was all grey and white, and his skin was much paler than Grandma's. He'd obviously lived on the rainy coast for quite some time.

Grandma opened her door, stepping out into the mist with a gigantic smile on her face. "Ernie, thank you so much for watching my boat."

The man laughed, taking one hand out of his pocket to wave off her comment. "Oh Shannon, it's my pleasure. The rent you give me helps me keep my own fishing boat going and you know it."

Grandma laughed, her ill mood having vanished.

I stepped out of the car and stood a few feet from Grandma and Ernie with my hands around my elbows. As they chatted about nothing, I eyed up the boats. If I made a run for it, I could be out of sight before they realized I was gone. I wondered if I could make it as far as California. If my life was going to be hell, I'd rather it be in the sunshine. I turned, fully tempted to follow through with my new plan, when Ernie interrupted.

"Can I give you a hand with something?" he asked, already on his way down the veranda steps and heading for the trunk of the car. I followed him, not wanting any of my suitcases to be forgotten; they were all I had left.

"Ernie, meet my granddaughter, Nessa. She's coming to stay with me for a while. Naturally, she packed up almost all of her belongings." Grandma followed Ernie to the vehicle and unlocked the trunk.

"Not all." I tossed my purse over my shoulder and grabbed the heaviest suitcase, rolling my eyes at Grandma who said something about 'teenagers' to Ernie. I marched onto the dock and looked around.

"Which boat is it?" I called over my shoulder. Neither Grandma nor Ernie had followed me out onto the dock.

Grandma turned halfway round and leaned backward, taking a good look at all the boats, as if she could have forgotten which one was hers in the three days she'd been away from home. "The last one on your right."

I walked past the other boats, one of which I assumed was Ernie's because it reeked of fish and even had a few remnant fish tails on the floor. The last boat on the right was white, approximately ten meters long, and had a small cabin over the captain's chair and steering wheel. I'd been on plenty of boats before—mostly belonging to people I knew back in Surrey—and had no trouble unlatching the small door. I hefted my fifty pound suitcase over the water and onto the deck of the boat. Taking a seat at the back of the small craft, I tried to ignore the misty rain as I waited.

"Well, there you are then," Ernie said, handing me my second largest suitcase. Grandma climbed in, signalling for me to grab my third piece of luggage from Ernie.

"Thanks." I took it from him.

"Well, Nessa, it was nice meeting you." Ernie turned to me and reached out a wide hand. "I'm sure I'll see you back here now and then. You're always welcome to pop in and say hello."

I smiled at him and shook his hand. "Thanks. It was nice meeting you too."

Ernie leaned in closer just as Grandma started up the engine. "Don't be too hard on her, eh? She's trying her best to take care of you." Ernie winked and walked away before I could say anything. Before I could tell him that her taking care of me was exactly what I was afraid of.

# Chapter 6

Riding over the rocky waves was wet and uncomfortable. I gazed at Grandma with loathing; she was nice and dry under the captain's cabin. I could have ridden in there with her, but I had no desire to be that close to her. Instead, I sat in the rain, which grew colder with each wave we sailed over. The water drenched my hair, plastering it to my face. Unfortunately, I'd stuffed my hat into my backpack before the boat ride, for fear of losing it, and was left with nothing to cover my head.

I saw the island long before we reached it. More people than Grandma called it home—though I'd never met any of them. All I knew about the island was that it was isolated, remote, and uncivilized. As we neared the stony shore, all I saw were trees. We sailed around to the far side, passing nothing but dark green wilderness on our way. Just as I began to wonder if Grandma was a crazy bush lady who didn't even have a house, I saw it.

Set back about fifty meters from the shoreline, in a tiny little cove with a small crescent beach, was a house built from golden logs that were stacked horizontally for two-stories. The house was topped with a pointed green roof that blended in with the Douglas firs towering above it, surrounding it on three sides. A long, wooden porch stretched across the front, sheltering the red door that sat in the middle. There was a large picture window on either side of the door. Above the porch were three second-story windows, each a perfect square. Looking up at them, I wondered which one would be mine. I wondered how often I'd sit at the window writing emails to Marnie and how long I'd sit there waiting for her reply.

Grandma nestled the boat up to a chubby, weather-worn, wooden dock. I looked down the road of worn wood and followed it to a hard-packed path leading across a small beach in front of the house and up to the door. I looked at my new home and the forest that surrounded it with dismay; there was nowhere else to go.

Grandma stepped out of the captain's cabin, tossing a rope over the side of the boat. It was strange how the boat didn't rock at all; it stayed tight to the dock without either of us holding on. Then it dawned on me: could she be using her _powers_ to hold the boat steady while she debarked?

"Grab your bags and follow me. You can settle in while I prepare supper." Once she finished securing the ship to the metal loop bolted to the weathered dock, she turned and headed into the house. Immediately, the boat began rocking, and I scrambled to pick up one of my three suitcases, all of which had been soaked on the journey. I placed my largest suitcase on the dock, and then hopped over the side of the boat just as an unusually large wave rocked it. I stumbled onto the dock and looked up at Grandma, she was halfway to the front door and hadn't looked back, but I watched her closely anyway; she'd already tried to drown me once today.

I gripped the plastic handle of my suitcase tightly and took a deep breath, thinking back to my conversation with Marnie: things could only get better from here. Once I made it through my stay on the island-of-crazy-people, I was going to treat myself to one hell of a shopping spree. I nodded my head and moved forward, suitcase in hand. I could handle this; situations like this were why they'd invented social networking.

I walked up the path and the three steps that led to the veranda. The red door creaked when I opened it, and sprang shut behind me, almost catching my suitcase. The house smelled of cinnamon and apples. For one bright moment I thought Grandma had baked an apple pie. Then I saw the scented candle sitting on a small wooden table in the front hall. Grandma was impatiently flipping through white envelopes that she had pulled from a basket on the same table.

"Hurry up," she said, not even glancing at me.

Slipping off my shoes, I looked around. The front hall led straight to the back of the house. The walls were constructed from natural, polished wooden panels. There were two doorways on my right, and one doorway to my immediate left—before the staircase that led to the second floor. Directly inline with the front door was another red door that exited out the back of the house.

"The kitchen's back and to your left." Grandma nodded past the staircase and pointed to the doorway underneath it. "The door across from it leads to the main floor bedroom which has the only washroom on this floor. The washer and dryer are out the back door, in a small auxiliary building. The fireplace is in the library to your immediate right. It's the only fireplace in the house, but heating ducts provide heat throughout. That's the living room." Grandma nodded at the room directly to my left. She dropped the envelopes back into the basket and headed up the stairs.

I peaked into the living room as I passed it. The room had an old-fashioned square television pushed into a wood panelled wall, a long, comfortable looking, grey coloured couch and a matching reclining chair. I didn't have time to inspect the main floor any further before following Grandma up the stairs to the second story. The bare wooden floor creaked as we went up each step. My suitcase thumped loudly against the staircase as I dragged it up. At the top of the stairs, Grandma turned a one-eighty, heading toward the front of the house.

"This will be your room," she said, stopping in front of the last door on the right, directly above the living room. "There's a private bathroom in there; it should be supplied with everything you need, except for hot water. My room's across the hall. You're never to set foot in there."

"Whoa, wait," I said. "What do you mean everything's supplied but hot water?"

Grandma blinked, tilting her head to the right. "You're a sea-witch, Nessa. You can heat your own water. It saves on solar power."

"But–"

"If having hot showers is something that matters to you, you'll learn quickly."

"But–"

"It works just like asking for your hat, only this time you're asking for hot water. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm getting hungry." I opened my mouth to say something to her: to yell, scream, or growl, but nothing came out. I was speechless. How could Mom exile me to a place that didn't even have hot water? It wasn't just unfair—it was cruel.

I stared at the entrance to my new bedroom in silence. The door was a rich chocolate colour and much darker than the wood that made up the rest of the house. It was completely different from the thin, almost brittle, white door that had contained my bedroom back in suburbia. I took a deep breath, counting to three before exhaling, and then I did it again, taking in the faint scent of fireplace smoke. Once I'd taken ten deep breaths, I reached out with a trembling hand and twisted the knob.

The door swung open with a creaky hello, stopping halfway. All I could see of the room was the square window I'd noticed from outside. Through the glass, I could see the trees and ocean beyond. Even in the misty rain it was a breathtakingly beautiful sight—though one I would have preferred to see in pictures.

I stepped past the invisible line that marked my new life. I headed straight for the window, staring at the rolling, hypnotic waves. I placed my purse and suitcase at my feet, resting my hands on the windowsill. The window was large, bigger than my arm span in both height and width. I looked for the latch and found it at the bottom of the right pane. I opened it wide, welcoming the fresh scent of sea air.

I took a deep breath and turned around.

My new bedroom was a complete disaster.

Crammed into the back left corner of the room was a small bookshelf full of dusty western novels. Stretching out from the interior wall, opposite the window, was a decent-sized double bed covered with an ugly, orange plaid comforter. A gigantic, brown bear rug hung on the wall above the bed. To my left hung a disgusting, faded painting of a rhinoceros. A doorway in the right corner of the room, at almost a right angle to the door I'd come in through, led to the bathroom. The rest of the room—the polished wooden floor and walls, the tarnished closet door handles, an old-fashioned desk, a three-drawer dresser—was completely covered in dust. Obviously, Grandma hadn't been in the room for years. Possibly since my grandfather passed away—and I hadn't even been alive when that had happened.

I took a deep breath. I exhaled.

"Agh!" I ran over to the bookshelf, grabbed an armful books and walked out of the room. "Agh!" I tossed the dusty paperbacks over the banister. They landed with a satisfying smack on the floor below. Once I finished tossing all of the books, I picked up the comforter, the bear rug, and the ugly painting and tossed each one out. I growled with effort as I pushed the furniture around the room, stirring up the thick layer of dust on the floor. I coughed and sneezed. I got rid of everything I didn't want, everything that was ugly and dirty and gross. Once the room was organized, I checked out the bathroom, which thankfully turned out to be devoid of ugly paintings and knick-knacks.

The last part of the room I inspected was the closet. It was small, full of hideous yellow rain gear and more ugly wildlife paintings, all of which I tossed over the banister. The only thing I kept was a red plaid jacket that was five sizes too big, but was so comfortable and warm that I couldn't resist.

Once everything was out of the room, I marched downstairs and found a broom, a mop, and a couple of rags. I used them all to give the room a good wash. Only once the room was acceptably clean did I open my suitcase and take out some of my belongings. Right on top of all my clothes was the sculpture I'd taken from Dad's bedside table. I unwrapped it from the sweater I'd used to protect it, and then placed the blue moon and star in the middle of the dresser where I could easily see it from my bed. The sweater I folded up and put on top of my pillow.

The next thing to come out of my suitcase was a photo album. I took it out and carried it over to the bed, flipping it open and looking at the smiling faces within before realizing that instead of being comforting, looking at the album was an upsetting reminder of everything I'd lost and left behind. I carefully closed the black, leather bound album and placed it beside the sculpture on my dresser, and then I unpacked my clothes.

Half an hour later, my first suitcase was empty. I was tired and dirty, but I still had to finish cleaning up. I put on the red plaid jacket I'd found and took the scummy water and rags downstairs. I hauled the clump of discarded room furnishings to the back of the house. Grandma could deal with it now that it was out of my room.

I headed out to the boat where the two suitcases I hadn't brought up to my room waited. Both suitcases were sopping wet from the mist and waves, but at least they were in one piece. As I hauled them onto the dock, I noticed the sea had turned dark grey. The rolling waves captivated me; they rose and fell like the chest of a sleeping giant. I stared, like someone in a trance, and for the first time in my life I felt a strange kinship with the ocean; it was broad, vast, and most of all it was alone—like me. I shivered as a gust of wind blew in off the water. A large wave crashed against the tall, rocky outcrop to my left. I turned from the water, shifting my attention to the suitcases that desperately needed to get out of the wet weather. I hauled them inside, dragged them into the reading room and dropped them beside the fireplace, which was now roaring with heat. Then I left the warmth of the house, still huddled underneath the red plaid jacket I'd found in my closet, and walked down the beach to the outcrop of black rock. I scrambled up the small escarpment. At the top was a beautiful perch that gave me a great view of the ocean.

I sat down, breathing a sigh of relief. Being outside felt much better than being trapped in my—temporary—new home. I let the ocean pull me into a relaxed state. Once some of my anger and frustration had been washed away, I looked around. The island curved away to my right. The towering trees whispered in the rain. The island was an isolated pinnacle of crashing waves and crazy old ladies. Why would anyone _choose_ to live here? I watched the ocean bump and sway until I was soaked through and shivering. Just when I decided I was cold enough, and was about to head back to the house, I heard someone approach.

"Finally, I've found the new girl."

I turned. Behind me, climbing up the rocks, was a girl with shoulder length, dark brown hair, peaking out from under a toque. Her eyes were dark—almost black—and slightly too big for her small head.

"It couldn't have been that hard—it isn't like there's anywhere to go," I said.

"There are a lot of places to go if you know where to look." The girl sat down beside me. Like me, she was wearing jeans and sneakers, but she was smart enough to also be wearing a navy windbreaker that repelled the misty rain, and brown, knitted mitts that matched her toque. "I'm Colleen. My mom's at your house helping Shannon with dinner. Apparently, you're so difficult your grandma had to call in the forces."

"Well, she could've just left me in Surrey; I'm sure we'd both be happier if I hadn't been dragged here." I picked up a small rock lying near my left shoe, tossing it into the water ten feet below.

"How could you not want to come out here? The island's beautiful." She paused, cocked her head to the side and stared at me like a cockatoo. "I think the city's ugly. I don't know why anyone would choose to live in a world full of concrete."

I didn't say anything. I picked up another rock and tossed it into the ocean.

"So..."

"So..." Peaking over at her, I saw she was still staring at me.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked.

"Talk about what?" I picked up another rock, throwing it just as another wave crashed against the rocky outcrop we were sitting on, sending up a spray of white foam.

"About being a sea-witch. Your grandma said she just told you on the drive out here. I couldn't believe it when she said you didn't know anything about our world or the island."

Curiously, I looked at her, taking in her brown hair that was almost the same colour my hair had been three days ago. "Are you a sea-witch too?"

Colleen giggled. "A sea-witch? No. You have to have red hair to be a sea-witch. I'm a selkie."

I flushed, feeling stupid. "What's a selkie?"

Colleen looked at me, her dark eyes twinkled and her small, round face lit up. "You don't know what a selkie is? That's so cool. I've never got to tell anyone before—everyone on the island could tell I was selkie just by looking at me and I'm not allowed to tell the humans." She stood up, smiled, and then started taking off her clothes: first her hat, then her mitts, then her jacket and shirt.

"Whoa. Whoa, what are you doing?" I held up my hand as if it would stop her.

"I'm showing you what a selkie is. Watch."

"Watch what?" All I saw was a very quick, momentary flash of flesh melting downward until all that was left was a seal covered in fur the exact same colour Colleen's hair had been.

The seal barked, standing up on its hind legs, clapping its flippers together. I gasped as the seal launched itself off the rocks and into the water.

"Wow," I said. The seal—Colleen—popped her head out of the water and began clapping. I shook my head and squeezed my eyes shut. _I'm crazy. I'm officially crazy. This is not real._ I opened my eyes. The seal was still swimming in the water and Colleen's clothes were still beside me on the rocks. The seal barked again and then dove under a large, foamy white wave and out of sight. A few seconds later, Colleen popped up in the waves.

Smiling brightly at me, she tossed back her head of wet hair and asked, "What do you think?"

"That someone should lock me in a mental ward."

Laughing, she began to step out of the water—naked.

I turned my head away.

"I'm really the first shape-shifter you've ever seen?"

"I...I'm pretty sure you are, but considering I thought you were a normal girl two minutes ago, it's kind of hard to say." I stared at the horizon while I waited for Colleen to climb back up the rocks and get dressed. "But I have never, _ever,_ seen anyone change into a seal right in front of my eyes."

"That's awesome." I heard her pick up her jeans, shaking the dirt off them. "So you really didn't know that magic exists?"

"Nope."

"Did you dream about magic existing?'

"Not really," I muttered.

"What about vampires, do you believe in them?"

I turned my head quickly, before asking if she was fully dressed. Luckily, she was. I said, "Are they real?"

Colleen burst out laughing. "No. At least...not as far as I know, but sometimes I think it would be pretty cool. The scariest being that exists in the Neptunian world is the Kurage—an invisible jellyfish—and even that's supposed to be just a myth."

"An invisible jellyfish? That doesn't sound very scary at all." I pulled down on the cuffs of my jacket to shelter my hands from the wet spray.

"A poisonous, evil, deadly, invisible jellyfish. But like I said, it's just a myth. Although I suppose where you come from people think that creatures like me are a myth as well."

"Magic isn't exactly considered real, that's for sure."

"So you've never met a Neptunian?"

That was the second time I'd heard her use that word. "What's a Neptunian?"

"A Neptunian is a creature that's blessed by the sea, like you and me."

"Well...I'd met my grandma before...but I didn't know she was a witch, or Neptunian, or Neptunian-witch, or whatever."

Colleen sat down facing me, crossing her legs and leaning forward. With a single nod of her head, she encouraged me to do the same, as if we'd been best friends forever. "So, what was it like?"

I shook my head; this girl was the strangest person I'd ever met. "What was what like?"

"Being normal, not knowing that Neptunians exist, what was it like?"

I exhaled loudly. "Oh. That."

Colleen nodded, her eyes blinking as she waited breathlessly for my answer.

"Well...it was normal."

"What? That doesn't tell me anything.

"Well, I don't really know what you want to know."

Colleen sighed. "Did you like it? The city?"

I shrugged, looking back at the ocean. "I love the city. But it doesn't matter now. I'm stuck here."

"Well, I think you'll like it here. I love it. And before you say I don't know any different—because I know you're going to say that—let me add that when I turned thirteen I became the worst teenager in the world. I refused to shape-shift to the point where I was making myself sick. I demanded my parents take me to the big city—which I'd seen on the television a hundred times. I just wanted to be normal. They said they'd take me to Vancouver for a week if I shifted, and to their word they did. We stayed in a normal hotel, in a normal part of the city, and I got to go to a normal mall, and a normal movie theatre, and a normal bowling alley, and worst of all, a normal beach. By the third day I was crying because all I wanted was my own private beach and to be free to shapeshift again."

I looked at my feet. "You didn't like anything about the city then?"

Colleen's eyes were twinkling and she had a silly grin on her face. "Sure. There was one thing. Come back with me to the house for supper and I'll tell you." Colleen popped up onto her feet, springing down the rocky outcrop with agility I could only envy.

"Okay." I stood up, dusting off my jeans before following her back to the house.

"What was it?" I asked when we reached the front door. "What was the one thing that was better about the city?"

"The city had better boys." She laughed, brushing her wet hair back. "Unless you like pirates that is," she added just before disappearing into the house.

# Chapter 7

"Wait a minute—Pirates?" I followed Colleen into the house. "What do you–"

"Girls! There you are." A tall woman with broad hips, wide shoulders, large breasts, and long dark brown hair stepped into the hallway from the kitchen. "Dinner was ready fifteen minutes ago."

"Sorry mom." Colleen halted in the foyer to kick off her shoes. "This is Vanessa."

"It's just Nessa," I said. No one had called me Vanessa in years—unless they were angry—and I planned to keep it that way.

"I'm Joanna. It's nice to meet you." She smiled and reached out her hand. "Shannon never mentioned how much you two look alike."

I shook Joanna's hand and my head at the same time. "We don't look alike."

Joanna laughed. "Sure you do. Though I suppose it's hard not to look alike when you're related. Come on; supper's ready."

The house was much warmer now than it had been when I'd first arrived. I took off my wet and sandy shoes, slid out of my jacket, tossed it onto the stairwell when I could find nowhere else to put it, and then followed Colleen and Joanna down the hall.

The kitchen was the only room in the house that didn't look like it was part of a hunting lodge. The dining area was nearest to me, and the first thing I noticed when I walked into the room. A long wooden kitchen table that looked like it could fit ten people, but was only set for five, was directly to my right, beside the doorway. To my surprise, there was a young boy sitting at the table. I watched as he poured salt from the restaurant style shaker onto his palm and licked it off. He smiled at me brashly, and then continued on while I scanned the rest of the room.

The ceiling and walls were all painted white—which gave the kitchen a fresh feeling. The floor was covered with shiny white tiles speckled with silver. The left hand wall of the room was bare, except for the stainless-steel fridge tucked into the back corner. Extending across the back of the room was a wall of white cupboards and grey granite counter tops, across from which was an island that provided more counter space and separated the cooking area from the dining area. The right hand side of the room held the stove. Joanna, who was busy helping Grandma prepare dinner, reached into the silver oven to pull out our meal. I could smell roasted meat, potatoes, and gravy—one of my favourites.

There were two things that made this room the best in the house: the sparkly chandelier-like overhead lighting, and the right hand wall, which was made entirely of long, rectangular windows, which gave me a great view of the backyard. Outside, the wet green trees swayed in the wind.

"Don't mind him, that's just my brother Jack," Colleen whispered into my ear. She nodded at the dark haired boy who was still licking salt off of his palm. Looking over at her, I noticed she wasn't as tall as I'd thought she was when I saw her on the beach, likely because of her lanky figure. Standing side by side, she was actually a few inches shorter than me. "He's ten and a complete pain."

"Sit, sit." Joanna was heading over to the table, carrying a hot casserole dish between two bright yellow potholders. I sat down at the end of the table beside Colleen and with my back to the windows.

"Nessa, this is Joanna York." Grandma carried a wooden bowl filled with a dark green salad, garnished with red peppers and purple onions, placing it on the table. "She'll be your head teacher at school."

"Right, school." Joanna and Grandma sat down at the table and began passing around the food. My mouth was salivating; it had been a long time since I'd eaten. "You know, I think I'd rather just wait until I go back to Surrey to start school, I could just take a semester off or something, instead of attending your school for...Nepto...weird beings...or whatever."

"If you're going to be rude, feel free to leave the table and go to bed without supper." Grandma held the spoon poised over the casserole dish and stared me down. I pursed my lips. I couldn't afford to not eat; my stomach was so empty it was beginning to rumble like a freight train.

Joanna—my future teacher—tucked back a loose strand of dark hair and took the casserole dish from my grandma. "I assure you, Nessa, attending the school's a unique opportunity. It will be much more entertaining than hanging out alone in your bedroom day after day."

I grimaced. Joanna had a point. I was already missing Marnie, and it was less than twenty-four hours since I'd seen her. What was I going to do without a best friend to gossip with? If I went to school I could at least talk to Colleen; she seemed okay.

"There's an individual learning component, but you'll also be taking part in classroom and group work. It's a wonderful way for you to learn about our world and the challenges we face today interacting and living with humans."

"I _am_ human," I muttered.

"I thought you were a sea-witch," Jack said, three times louder than he needed to say it. "You've got to be a sea-witch, you have red hair." His black eyes fixed on me, puzzled.

"I'm human; the red hair's a mistake." I felt my face flame, and wrenched the casserole dish from Joanna's hands. I spooned vegetables, potatoes and meat onto my plate with a loud _thunk_. "If the school's so wonderful, why haven't I ever heard of it before?"

"You've never heard of it because it's a secret," Grandma said. "I started the school shortly after your grandfather died, and your mother had graduated from her boarding school. We'd been running out of sanctuaries for years. Our kind needed a place to go. A place to learn."

"So this school is just for Jupiters, or Neptunes, or whatever?"

"We're called Neptunians, Dummy, get it right." Jack rolled his eyes at me. I had to fight the urge to throw a much-hated red pepper at him.

"Jack! Don't be rude or you won't be eating dinner tonight." Joanna dropped her fork so she could point a stern finger at her son. Her dark eyes flashed. Jack looked down at his plate and began picking the onions out of his casserole. "Sorry, Nessa." Joanna gave me a small, apologetic smile. "The school's–"

"Mom, can I tell her?" Colleen swallowed a large mouthful of food, nearly choking on it in her excitement.

"Go ahead." Joanna nodded, almost laughing at her daughter's enthusiasm.

"It's a school for us: people with extraordinary skills that can communicate with the sea, live in the sea, or have a magical bond with it. Isn't that cool?"

I shrugged, reaching for the oil and vinegar salad dressing. "I suppose." I didn't say what I was really thinking: that even if the school was cool, it was no match for all of my friends and my old life back in Surrey. "How big is the school?"

"This year it will be fairly small," Joanna said. "Last year there were more students. This year there will be a little more than twenty."

"Twenty classes?"

Joanna shook her head. "Twenty students."

I sat back and crossed my arms. "No way. I'm not going to a small school."

"Don't you understand?" Colleen leaned closer to me, turning her back to Jack who was now picking the carrots out of his casserole. "Size doesn't matter—we go to a _magic_ school. You're a sea-witch. My family are all selkie's. And then there are mermaids, sea nymphs, pirates, orcies, sirens, and even vodiani—you've probably never even heard of them. You're special, Nessa. We all are."

I shook my head, noticing the disappointment in Colleen's eyes when I didn't show the smallest bit of eagerness to join the crazy-water-people club. "I'd rather be human," I said, pouring my salad dressing in silence. _I'd rather be just like my dad._ Dad had never believed in magic; he hadn't even let me believe in Santa Clause or the Easter Bunny. If he was alive, there was no way I'd be here. _If_ he was alive...

I poured my dressing and set the bottle back down on the table, looking up; everyone was staring at me. "What? It's not like any of this is real. Well...other than Colleen being able to turn into a crazy seal thing and Grandma almost killing me with the ocean. I mean, seriously. Mermaids aren't real. No one's ever found one. And anyone can be a pirate if they really want to be."

Jack leaned forward, his dark black eyes bugged out of his face. "Boy, I'm glad I'm not as stupid as you are."

"Jack," Joanna scolded him again. "Nessa has a lot to learn but that doesn't mean she's stupid. I'm sure she's very intelligent."

"Yes, Nessa does have a lot to learn, including the fact that mermaids are real—as are a lot of other creatures that humans believe to be purely mythical. But that will all be corrected soon; your studies will begin tonight." Grandma looked at me with her perfectly tweezed and arched eyebrows. Was it weird that she rarely blinked?

"Tonight? I was kind of hoping Colleen would stay and hang out for a bit." I looked at Colleen nervously. The thought of spending more time alone with Grandma was pure torture. I gave Colleen a pleading look.

"It would be nice to hang out with a girl my age for once." Colleen nodded enthusiastically at my suggestion.

Grandma shook her head, ruining any potential plans. "Not tonight. There are some important things you must learn immediately. However, I have some things to take care of tomorrow, so you'll be free to do as you like then."

Colleen's expression brightened. "We could go to town! I can pick you up in our boat and we can go to Tofino for lunch. I love sushi, especially the raw salmon stuff."

I smiled at the thought of getting off the island. "I'd love it. Not the raw fish though, but maybe some California rolls."

"It's all set then," Joanna said. "I'll let you take the boat, Colleen, as long as you promise to be back on the island before dark."

Colleen rolled her eyes. "Of course, Mom, since when do I not listen to you?"

"Have a seat at the table," Grandma commanded once the dishes were done. They'd been washed in hot water she'd provided after I failed to even slightly warm the water.

I dried my hands thoroughly on a dishtowel before taking a seat at the table with the windows at my back. The weather had become worse over the course of the evening, and I could hear great, fat raindrops beating into the glass and the tall trees twisting about in the wind. Grandma was sitting in the same spot she had eaten supper in, and was reading from a small red notebook full of cramped handwriting.

She looked up at me once I was seated. "We'll start with a short test to assess your talents."

"I don't have any talents."

"Yes, you do. You showed me today on the beach when you called on the ocean to give your hat back. And I can see it in your eyes: the change that has already taken place. You can no longer deny you're a sea-witch, even though you want to." She narrowed one eye as she said the last bit.

I blinked. "I..." What was there to say? She was right; I had felt something on the beach. I had called my hat back, but that hardly meant I was talented. At most, it meant I had some sort of lucky short-circuit. "I'm not talented. I'm not a sea-witch either. I'm just...I'm just..."

One of my grandma's eyebrows arched up as she waited for me to finish my sentence.

"I'm normal. All I want to _be_ is normal." I looked down at my hands, which were pruned from doing the dishes, just like any normal person's hands would be. "I just want to go home, live in my old house with Mom and Dad." My lip began to tremble, because no matter what I wanted I could never have Dad back.

Grandma put down the small notebook she was holding and reached out a hand to me, stopping a few inches short of making actual contact. "Nessa, I'm truly sorry for your loss. But maybe this is what you need: something to take your mind off of everything."

I glared at her. "Maybe I don't want to take my mind off of it."

Grandma leaned back into her chair, withdrawing her hand. "I'm not going to let you mope around the house. Your father wouldn't have wanted that. He would have wanted you to move on, to live your life fully and to be happy. I'm going to challenge you, and teach you, and one day you will thank me."

I stood up. "You barely even knew my father. You have no idea what he would want."

"He would want what's best for you. As do I. Now, sit down."

I looked at Grandma. "Why? You can't control me."

"Maybe not. But I can take away the telephone, the computer, and all of your phone privileges. How does that sound?"

I sat back down with a thud. "It sounds pretty shitty."

Grandma fought a smirk as she got up and went to the sink. "Then I will thank you to sit in your seat and concentrate on your first lesson." She filled a large glass with water and came back to the table. She set the glass down in front of me. "I want you to close your eyes."

I eyed the glass warily. "What? Why? That's fresh water. I thought you said I was a sea-witch; how am I supposed to do anything with that? I'm not a fresh-water witch." I waved my hand at the table. How was it possible that a simple cup of water suddenly made my palms sweat? "And isn't this island in the _ocean_? That has nothing to do with the _sea_ as far as I'm concerned! None of what you're saying makes any sense. How am I supposed to learn anything if you're constantly confusing me?"

"The term sea-witch has been used for eons, Nessa. What would you prefer: water-witch, ocean-witch? Because we're all those things, no matter what name you use. Our magic lies in the ability to communicate with water because all of the water on this planet is linked. Personally, I like the way 'sea-witch' rolls off the tongue. Now close your eyes and do as I instruct."

"I don't see why I should." I crossed my arms, slouching.

"Internet privileges."

"But I'll just fail. I don't know how to do magic."

"Only because you've never been taught. Confidence is half the battle. Close your eyes." Grandma picked up her notebook.

I waited for her to relent, to say she was done dealing with me for the day, but she didn't even flinch. "Fine." I gave in, closing my eyes.

"Now, I want you to relax. Find a place within you that is still, and when you're ready, I want you to think about the water on the table, in the glass, and I want you to move it."

Relax? I shifted in my chair. Trying to practice magic was not relaxing. I didn't even know what I was supposed to do. Wishing the water into the air? If Grandma really wanted me to relax she'd let me go to my room and read. The book I'd started reading on the ferry that morning was really good. I bought it at the mall the day I learnt Dad had died. I hadn't realized that earlier, and suddenly I felt the familiar tightening in my chest. I squeezed my eyes even tighter to keep the tears at bay, remembering the horrible white of Mom's face when she'd told me the news: "Sweetie, there's been an accident." I'd never be able to get that image, that moment, out of my mind. I'd never forget how his death had been the unraveling of every knot holding my life together. If it hadn't been for that accident, I'd be back in Surrey, hanging out with Marnie and making out with Aaron. He'd only be the third boy I kissed, and I'd been looking forward to it. Why did Dad have to die? How could the world do that to me? Nothing was right—nothing! How the hell was I supposed to relax?

"It's not working." I opened my eyes, which immediately focused on a blob of water floating in the air. "Oh." The blob of water crashed down onto the table. The empty cup fell over with a _clink_. Water shot everywhere, splashing Grandma and me. But instead of getting wet, Grandma redirected the droplets of water right back into the cup she quickly righted. My shirt, however, was drenched.

"Not exactly what I asked for, but it worked. What were you thinking about?"

"None of your business." My voice was hoarse. I pushed my tongue against my teeth as I shook the water off my arms and brushed it off my face.

Grandma scratched a note into her little book. "We'll have to work on your control. Now, try that again. Keep your eyes open this time."

Grandma waved her hand, palm open, across the table. The droplets of water amalgamated into a big blob, which lifted up into the air and settled back down into the mostly empty glass.

The next two hours were torture. I stared at the cup of water until it felt like my eyes were about to bleed. I willed it to move, and only occasionally accomplished it.

"That's it, Nessa. Coach it gently, up, up into the glass."

I pursed my lips, keeping my temper reined in. If I ever wanted to get out of this kitchen, I had to get the water back into the glass—again; Grandma had made that perfectly clear. I held my breath, the blob of water inched its way up slowly, halfway up the glass, to the rim of the glass, and then suddenly falling over into the waiting chamber. I sighed and leaned back, mentally exhausted.

"Good, that's twice now. Once more and I think–"

"No!" I stood up so quickly I knocked my chair into the window. "No, no more! I'm tired and I have a headache. I smell like seaweed and need to have a shower, not to mention my skin is beginning to itch from all the salt water I unintentionally swam in today, no thanks to you. So, no. No more. I'm done."

"Nessa, you're just beginning to make progress–"

"Yes. I'm a sea-witch. I can move water with my mind. Are you happy now? I've admitted it. Can I please go?"

Grandma nodded. "Yes, Nessa. You are a sea-witch. Don't forget that in the morning."

I stormed out of the kitchen and up the stairs as quickly as possible. There was no way I could lie to myself anymore, I'd done it: consciously moved water with my mind. Part of me was excited; the other part was entirely terrified. No one had to know what I was; in fact, no one was _allowed_ to know. I comforted myself with the thought that I could call Marnie and pretend everything was still normal while talking to her. Although, I did need a shower first; the stench of seaweed was making my stomach churn.

I dug a towel out of my large suitcase and headed into the bathroom. I turned on the water and stuck my hand in to check the temperature. The cold water froze my fingers.

"I hate this place!" I yelled loud enough for Grandma to hear. How was I supposed to shower in this? There was no way I could heat the water. I pulled off my socks and sat on the edge of the tub. _Warm up._ Tentatively, I stuck my finger in the water again. I sucked in air through my teeth. Still ice cold.

_Come on,_ I thought directly at the stream of water pouring out of the faucet, _just warm up already, I could use a break today._ Still nothing. I turned the tap off in frustration, and then smacked it with my hand, which probably hurt me more than it did the steel.

I shoved the door on my way out of the bathroom, banging it into the wall. I headed straight for my purse and dug out my cell phone. I punched in Marnie's number and lifted it to my ear before remembering that there was no cell service here.

"I really hate this place!" I yelled, louder than I had in the bathroom. I chucked my cell phone onto my bed and ran downstairs. "Where's the phone?" Grandma didn't even bother to look up from the book she was reading at the table.

"On the wall," she pointed at the space beside the refrigerator.

"That's it?" My body rumbled with anger and frustration. How was I supposed to have a private conversation if the only phone was located in the most public room in the house?

"I've lived alone in this house for many years, Nessa; I've never found the need for more than one phone. Unless you feel like taking the boat to Tofino and finding a payphone, you'll have to use that phone."

"I could just take the boat to Tofino and use my cell phone." I spun on my heel, prepared to do exactly as I said—even if I had never driven a boat before. I was pretty sure it wasn't that difficult.

"It won't work. I called your mom when we arrived and she's already cancelled your cellphone plan."

"You talked to Mom? When? Didn't she want to talk to me?" I curled my fingers into fists.

Grandma nodded, her eyes still fixed on her book. "I called her shortly after we arrived when you were throwing things about the house. She was glad to hear that we arrived safely."

"Did she leave a number? Can I call her?"

Grandma frowned, sticking a finger between the pages of her book before she closed it. She looked at me for the first time since I'd entered the kitchen. "No, you may not call her. She's in treatment, Nessa. She needs to focus on herself. Maybe in a few days she will be ready to hear how you're settling in."

Tears stung my eyes. How could she not want to talk to me? I wanted to talk to her. I wanted her to say it was all a mistake, a misunderstanding, and that I could come back home as soon as possible.

I turned away from Grandma and grabbed the phone off the wall, punching in Marnie's number. Marnie picked up after three rings, just before her voicemail usually kicked in.

"Hello," she said. In the background I could hear upbeat, bass heavy music and laughter; she wasn't alone.

"Hi Marnie, it's Nessa." I looked over my shoulder. Grandma was absorbed in whatever she was reading—or at least she looked like she was—but after everything I'd learnt about her today, I wouldn't put it past her to eavesdrop.

There was a pause and then Marnie said, "Nessa! Thank God you called. I sent you a text like an hour ago but I didn't get anything back."

"Yeah, there's no service here and Mom already cancelled my cell." I tugged the phone cord—it had been a long time since I'd used a phone that wasn't cordless—and moved away from Grandma.

"That sucks."

"Yeah." I pulled the phone cord as far as it would go, out into the hallway and just past the doorway of the spare room. The room was dark and I could barely see a thing other than the faint outline of a small bed and a desk. I sat down on the floor and crossed my legs.

"So what are you doing?" I asked Marnie, who laughed at something someone said in the background.

"What?"

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, you know, I'm just out with the group. We're at the pool hall."

"Oh. That sounds like fun." I twisted the cord in my fingers. I stumbled over what to say. So much had happened in the last twenty-four hours but yet there was nothing I could say that wouldn't make me sound crazy.

"Yeah, it is. So, how's the island?" Marnie asked. "Graham, you suck! You didn't hit a single ball."

"Awful. Worse than I thought."

"I'm sure it's not that bad." Marnie sounded happy. There wasn't anything in her voice that hinted she was upset I'd moved away.

"It's bad. It's the worst thing I've ever had to do. I wish I was back in Surrey."

"Yeah, Janie! Sorry, Nessa, Janie just sunk the last stripe. We're playing boys versus girls. So far we're kicking butt. Do you know when you're coming back? Are you going to be here for the Halloween dance? Because I have this awesome idea for costumes."

I wiped tears from the corner of my eyes, stopping them before they fell. "I don't know when I'll be back. I...I don't even know if I'll be back."

A loud burst of laughter came through the phone. Marnie squealed in my ear and yelled something I could barely understand. I dropped my hand to the floor and drew invisible patterns on the polished wood.

"Nessa, I've got to go. It's my turn and Graham's heckling me."

"Oh, okay."

"Marnie—you're up!" Someone yelled.

Marnie said, "I'll email you later, promise." There was more laughter and squealing as Marnie hung up the phone.

I looked at the black receiver in my hand, feeling worse than I'd felt before I called Marnie. I'd been counting on her to cheer me up and instead I felt like a discarded candy wrapper—Marnie didn't need me when she still had the same, sweet life in Surrey.

"Nessa? Are you done with the phone? I need to call Joanna."

I rubbed my eyes dry and pushed myself up. I took the phone into the kitchen. "Yeah, knock yourself out." I slammed the receiver down into the cradle and went back up to my room, remembering along the way that Colleen had offered to show me around Tofino in the morning. I definitely needed a shower if I was going to go out anywhere.

I turned on the faucets and pulled the pin for the shower, not even trying to warm the water; I didn't have the energy. It was icy cold, like a lake in the early spring. I shampooed my ugly red hair and got out, climbing into the bed with only sheets for warmth since I'd thrown out the disgusting comforter earlier. Tomorrow I'd have to find some new bedding in Tofino—if there was a store that sold it. I brought my iPod into bed with me, and put on the Smoke Fairies, a band I'd read about in a magazine a few months ago. The slow, haunting tunes matched my mood and blocked out the sounds of Grandma moving around the horrible house. I hugged Dad's sweater, it still smelled faintly of his cologne.

"Why did you have to die?" I whispered in the dark. _Why?_

# Chapter 8

The sun was shining when I woke up the next morning. At first, I had no idea where I was. I rolled over and turned my gaze from the blank wall to my window. I caught a glimpse of a bright blue sky and tall pine trees swaying outside. Then I remembered: I was stuck on my grandma-the-sea-witch's island in the middle of nowhere. I groaned and pulled the thin sheet that had barely kept me warm over my head. Why couldn't I have woken up back home in Surrey—or even better—Mexico?

I laid in silence—I'd drained my iPod battery dry last night and needed to recharge it—and gave myself an extra few moments to warm up to the morning. Once my stomach began grumbling so loudly I could hear it, I forced myself out of bed and downstairs for food, still dressed in my brown silky pyjama pants and green pyjama top.

Grandma was sitting at the kitchen table, but she didn't bother to greet me. I went straight for the fridge, digging through it until I found some peanut butter and jam. The toaster and a loaf of bread were already in plain sight on the counter. I was just finishing my first slice and a glass of orange juice when I heard the boat motor in the distance.

"What time is it?" I asked, the foggy memory of my plans with Colleen coming back to me.

"A little after eleven," Grandma answered, still absorbed in the paperwork that seemed to permanently occupy the kitchen table. "That's most likely Colleen coming to pick you up."

"Crap!" I dropped my dishes in the sink, smoothed down my tangled bed-head, and ran outside to greet Colleen before realizing I was still in my pyjamas.

"Be home in time for supper," Grandma's voice called after me. "There's some reading material you'll have to start tonight in order to finish before school starts."

I ignored her as I pulled open the door and ran down to the dock. If she seriously thought I was going to do homework before school began, she was kidding herself.

"Good morning, Nessa," Colleen called as she cut the motor, leaving the boat floating aimlessly a few feet from the dock. "You...uh...look great... But you don't really look ready."

"I know," I called back. "I'm sorry. I slept in. I just need a few minutes to run upstairs and change."

"Help me tie the boat up and I'll come in with you. Then I'll have a better idea of what your room's like before we go shopping."

"Good idea." I grabbed the rope Colleen threw to me and held it taunt as she guided the boat closer.

It didn't take long for me to change and for Colleen to get a good look at the barren state of my bedroom. Colleen recommended a mirror and some nice curtains while I threw on a cute grey T-shirt with the word peace spread across the front in green lettering, and a pair of jean shorts. We set off, enjoying the sunshine and skirting the calm morning waves on our way to Tofino.

Ernie was filling his boat with gasoline as we pulled in. As soon as we were close enough, he turned and smiled. Ernie put down the bright red container and came over to give us a hand docking the boat. Once it was tied up, he said, "Good morning, Colleen. I see you've made a new friend."

Colleen jumped onto the dock once the ship was secured. "You bet. It's nice to have a girl my age on the island again."

Ernie's eyes twinkled as he turned, leading us toward the row of parked cars. "I suppose I'll be seeing the two of you making a lot of trips into town."

"You know I love the island, Ernie, but sometimes it's nice to get away." Colleen walked up to the driver's side of a white Camry, which was parked next to Grandma's Buick.

"And I suppose you don't mind the sushi either." Ernie chuckled, tucking his hands into his pockets as we climbed into the car. He watched us as we backed out of the driveway and turned onto the main road.

It didn't take me long to see that Colleen wasn't all that comfortable behind the wheel. "Wow, you sure drive slowly," I said.

Colleen scrunched up her shoulders and flushed. "I know. I can't help it. Driving terrifies me. I don't feel as at home in a car as I do in the water."

"I feel the exact opposite." I looked down at my hands and my chipped, red nail polish. I'd have to remember to buy a new colour today; red wasn't looking so good now my hair was as bright as a ripe tomato. "Would you say you feel more at home as a seal or as a girl?"

Colleen relaxed her shoulders but she still gripped the steering wheel firmly with both hands. "Both; just not as a girl driving a car. What about you? Do you feel more at home now that you know you're a sea-witch?"

"I really don't feel like a sea-witch," I admitted. "Mostly I just feel the same as I did three days ago: like a human. Although, after all the exercises Grandma put me through last night, I'm kind of starting to feel a teeny bit like a sea-witch, albeit a really bad one."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that she made me try to move water for two hours. I went to bed with the biggest headache I've ever had in my life."

Colleen frowned. "That sounds awful. I always thought Shannon would be a great grandmother."

"She's not." I turned my attention out the window. "Where are we?" The street was populated with multi-coloured surf shops, wood-framed cafes, and cute restaurants.

"In the biggest, most bustling part of downtown Tofino—which isn't really that big. There's a small store here where we can probably find you some new pillowcases and blankets. With a bit of luck we'll also find a mirror and some decorations. It must suck having to redo everything. I mean, I've spent years trying to get everything in my bedroom just right." Colleen found an empty parking stall on a side street and pulled in. I followed her as she made her way out of the car and down the street into a one-story building that appeared to sell a little bit of everything—including florescent pink, plastic scuba fins.

"Yep, definitely sucks. I had a great room until–" My voice failed me as I realized that I had no idea how to tell the girl I'd just met that Dad had died. Back home, all my friends just _knew_ , but here on the island I was the new kid. "Until my mom decided to ship me off," I said instead. "But I still have my emergency credit card at least, so if you find anything you want today, it's yours."

Colleen bit her lip and looked over her shoulder at me. Her hair was loose and silky, and brushed against the side of her neck. It was the shiniest hair I'd ever seen. "No way, I can't let you spend your money on me."

I shrugged, reaching up to shove a piece of hair under my tan hat. "Don't worry; it isn't my money." _If Mom has to pay a little for abandoning me, so what?_

Colleen led me to the back of the store where house wares and home decor were packed tightly in single, narrow aisle.

The nearest shelf exploded with floral printed bed sheets. "I'm not really sure there's anything here I'll like."

"Nothing here is going to be absolutely amazing, but there should be something that isn't vomit-inducing. Tofino doesn't have much for home ware but it does have some really nice outfitting stores where you can get some cool clothes and gear for living on the island, like rain jackets and boots and stuff. You'll definitely need all that. And probably a waterproof backpack for school too."

"Whoa. Focus. Bedroom first." I began searching a shelf of plain coloured sheets. "What about this?" I held up a square plastic package containing pink sheets with orange polka-dots.

"Where the heck did you find that?" Colleen pressed a hand up to her lips to stifle a giggle.

"In the rack, where else?" I tossed it into an empty shelf behind us. "I think they're a little out of my price range though. Too bad, they probably would have made me the coolest girl in the school. Speaking of which, where is the school exactly?"

Colleen began digging through the racks beside me, looking for suitable curtains while I searched for a suitable bedspread. "On the island," she answered, pulling out a set of long yellow curtains that she made a face at and then immediately put back. "My mom runs the boarding house for all of the students that come from far away, and teaches most of the classes too."

"How many students are there?" I inspected a set of baby blue sheets, placing them into a small pile of bedding I considered acceptable.

"It changes every year, and this year there'll be around twenty. This is my second year. There are only three years of classes at the school and most students begin attending when they're fifteen or so. Before I was fifteen, I was strictly home schooled but spent most of that time at the back of the classroom studying my own books. But when my dad was around, I occasionally studied at home."

"What does your dad do? How come he wasn't at supper last night?"

Colleen froze like a dear in headlights. She closed her eyes briefly and then opened them again. "I don't know where he is." She drew in a focused breath. "He's missing."

"Oh." My tongue stuck to my teeth; everything I could say was inadequate. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head, her hair bobbing with the movement. "Don't be. You would've heard about it sooner or later and I'd rather you heard it from me. Besides, it's nice to have a friend to confide in, especially since the Tiderunners are on their summer swim vacation, including my best friend Kyle."

I paused when Colleen said the word friend. Was that what we were? I barely knew the girl but yet I knew her secret and she knew mine. The friends I had back home knew nothing about my being a sea-witch. I shook off my sadness as best I could. "So, who are the Tiderunners?" I flipped through the last of the sheets.

Colleen pulled out another package. "What about these?" she asked, holding up light blue coloured curtains with velvety vines on them.

"I like them," I replied. "They'll go well with these." I showed her the blue sheets.

Colleen nodded in agreement. "The Tiderunners live on the Island too. They're a huge family of orcies," she said in a whisper.

"Orcies?"

"People that can change into Orca whales. Kyle's my best friend. We grew up together on the island, and spend a lot of time swimming together. But he's a guy so...you know...there's a lot I can't talk to him about."

I smiled, pulling out the perfect comforter—beige with light blue stripes. "Or shop with," I added. Colleen laughed.

We grabbed a baby blue rug on the way to the cash register. I insisted on adding new hair accessories and natural beeswax lip gloss for the both of us—raspberry for me and mint for her.

"You really don't have too," Colleen said, struggling to hold the tan and blue stripped comforter while I picked out a pale peach shade of nail polish for myself, taking care that it didn't clash with my hair.

"Like I said; it isn't my money. And this way I'll feel less guilty. It's always nice to have an accomplice." I paid for the purchases, pulling out a red credit card to cover the balance. Once the transaction was complete, the cashier handed me my full bags. Colleen and I headed out of the store.

"So," Colleen glanced over at me. I could tell without looking at her that she wanted to say something. I knew what it was, so I was at least able to brace myself for it. But when the words came at me, they still stabbed like broken seashells. "Your grandma told me that your Dad died. I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but I just wanted to say that I know. So if you do want to talk about it, I'm here. As a listener. If you need one."

I kept my eyes fixed on the sidewalk. "Thanks," was all I could manage. Though I wasn't sure why I said it, because I certainly wasn't thankful that Dad was dead. "It's hard. But every day is a little bit easier. Mostly I just feel numb. I miss him—a lot. I always will."

Colleen opened the trunk of the car and we stuffed the bags inside. "I miss my dad too. I just hope..." Colleen sighed. "I just hope he's alive."

I gave Colleen a small smile. "I hope he is too."

Colleen smiled back at me as a gust of wind blew by, blowing her hair to the left. "Thanks."

I rolled up onto my toes and shoved my hands in the back pockets of my jean shorts. "So what now? Lunch?"

"Yes! It's time for sushi." She grabbed my arm and sprinted around the car. "Come on, it's just around the corner."

"Good. I'd hate to have to go all the way to Vancouver," I said.

Lunch was delicious. So delicious I made Colleen promise to ask her mom if she could borrow the boat every day—something she quickly agreed to. By the time Colleen finished stuffing herself with spicy tuna and salmon rolls, and I'd eaten so many California rolls I thought my stomach would burst, it was almost three o'clock in the afternoon. Colleen insisted on taking me to Long Beach.

"It's amazing," she told me, marching down the steep path through the bright green trees.

Everything on Vancouver Island had a glowing, fresh look to it, highlighting just how much it rained on the coast. Today, however, a cloudless blue sky glowed above as we approached the end of the trail. Beyond the forest, I could see an extremely long and broad, crescent-moon shaped beach.

The urban beaches of Surrey and Vancouver couldn't compare to the endless strand of beach I stood on.

"I love it here." Colleen skipped out of the trees and onto the sandy shore. "The only problem is that I can't swim freely here because of all the people." Colleen headed directly to the water, which was out a long way—it was obviously low tide.

I lifted a hand to my eyes to dull the sun's reflection on the ocean, scanning the western horizon. Couples were strolling along the beach hand in hand, children were screaming and building sand castles, some brave souls were swimming, and a few even braver souls were surfing.

"Come on."

"Hold on a sec." I stopped in the sand. Colleen turned as I kicked off my sandals.

"Good idea." Colleen removed her sneakers. "This is a perfect beach for walking barefoot."

"Yes, it is," I agreed, feeling the soft sand shift between my toes.

We walked down to the ocean, watching the wetsuit clad surfers catch wave after wave.

"What's wrong? You look...nervous, or something," Colleen asked, after taking a good look at my face.

My cheeks flushed with heat. "I am nervous. I can't swim—not well anyway. I'm...I'm kind of afraid of water. Watching those people out there get pushed around by the waves...it makes my stomach twitch."

Colleen stopped, grabbed me by the elbows and turned me to face her. "You can't swim? You're kidding. Don't tell my brother Jack, he won't be able to stop laughing."

I turned away. "Great, that's exactly what I'm worried the rest of the class will do, laugh at me. I'm supposed to be a great sea-witch and I can't swim. Even Grandma said I should be embarrassed."

"Hey," Colleen said. "No one said you're a great sea-witch."

I swatted at her but she playfully dodged away. "Thanks a lot."

She shrugged. "You're a sea-witch—which means swimming will probably come naturally to you if you let it."

I shook my head. "I tried when I was kid. My parents put me in swimming lessons five times but I always freaked out and left the pool crying. I don't think I got past the lesson where you have to open your eyes underwater."

Colleen tilted her head and began walking down the beach again, slowly drawing nearer to the water. "Were these lessons in a pool?"

"Yes, of course. It was a regular pool with a diving board, a ceramic bottom, chlorine, and all that stuff." As we moved nearer to the water, the sand became wet and hard. The coolness of the ground moved through my feet and up my legs.

Colleen scrunched her round face. "Yuck. That was your problem right there. You have to learn to swim here, in the ocean—where it's natural. Even a lake would've been better to learn in than a pool."

"I don't think that's it. I just hate water." I followed Colleen, looking at the ocean in trepidation. Every time a wave broke, sending a cascade of foamy white water to the shore, I jumped. My heart pounded a little bit faster.

"Oh come on, I can't stand this any longer." Before I could do anything about it, Colleen ripped my sandals from my grip, tossing them inland. Then she grabbed my hand and dragged me closer to the water.

"Stop!" I tried digging my feet into the sand but it was too solid.

"No. You're going in. It's time that Nessa learns to swim." She fixed an iron grip on my wrist and dragged me into the water. The first touch of it on my toes sent an icy shiver up my spine. I yelped.

"Oh don't be such a suburban-baby. You're meant for this; you'll get used to it." Then she started running.

I panicked, using my free hand to try and pry her fingers from my arm. "No, please. Colleen, no. I'm not even wearing a swimsuit." But I couldn't stop, and I couldn't get her off. I was trying so hard to not go into the water, I did the worst thing possible and tripped over my own two feet. I stumbled, my free arm flying into the empty air, trying to find balance, but there was nothing to grab onto. I fell face first into the water, and was quickly buried under its icy depths for the second time in two days.

# Chapter 9

"Oh no. I'm sorry." Colleen was laughing when I sputtered up out of the water, glaring at her.

I shivered and wrapped my arms around my torso, trying to fend of the glacial cold of the Pacific Ocean. "Be honest—you're not sorry at all."

"Maybe not." She dove in and disappeared for a second. When she came up she was smiling. "Stop looking so tense; the ocean isn't going to eat you."

"That isn't what it feels like to me." Making sure my feet were firmly on the ground, I stood. The water came up to my waist. "This is as far in as I go."

"Lean on me." Colleen circled around and placed her hands on my back. "Close your eyes and rest on my hands. Trust me. I won't let you go under, and neither will the sea—it chose you—it's looking out for you. Plus you're a sea-witch; you can control the water. Ask it to help you."

I was shaking and I didn't know if it was because I was nervous or because the cold water was frosting my bones. "Okay. I'll try. Once, but that's all. It's too cold to stay in the water any longer than that." Colleen's warm hands caught me as I leaned back. I closed my eyes but they popped open again as a wave lifted me up. This wasn't the first time I'd tried to learn to swim, and I doubted that this time would be any more successful than the last.

"Close your eyes," Colleen urged me.

I sighed. "Okay. I'll give it a try." _If only to get Grandma off my back._ I shivered. "This would be easier if the water was warmer."

"Then warm it up."

"I would if I could, but I spent half an hour last night trying to warm up the water and ended up with an icy cold shower anyway. I told you, I'm not good at this sea-witch thing." I looked up at the sky, it was bright blue, and the sun was glowing; at least I'd dry off fairly quickly in its warm rays.

"You have to stop doubting yourself and just relax—let your powers flow." Colleen flattened her hands on my back, so that I was resting on them, my body rocking with each wave.

"I _am_ relaxed."

She sighed. "No you aren't. You haven't even closed your eyes yet."

"Fine. I'll do it." I took a deep breath and puffed up my cheeks, preparing to end up underwater as I closed my eyes. Sunlight filtered through my eyelids. All I could see was pink.

"Okay, now, have you ever gone anywhere warm like Cuba or Mexico?"

"Mexico," I answered. "I've been to Mexico. We used to go there every year." My throat caught at the memories: Dad chasing me into the shallow waves. Trying to learn to salsa with both of my parents. Eating guacamole with Dad while Mom ate a mango on a stick. I was glad my eyes were closed so that Colleen couldn't see the tears that threatened to spill out.

"Was it hot?" Colleen's words mixed with the rush of waves.

I tried to focus on the present, but all I could think of were those happy times with my Dad. "Very warm," I said, my voice still rocky. "I used to lie in the shallow end of the pool all day—you know, on one of those long concrete chairs they have? Dad would bring me drinks and Mom would yell at me to put on sunscreen."

"And how was the water?"

"Warm. So nice and warm. Warmer than..." I trailed off. I swished my hand around in the water that was North Pole-cold: only it wasn't cold anymore. It was so warm I couldn't feel it on my skin. It was the perfect temperature. "Is the water warmer?" I asked Colleen. "Because if it isn't, I might have hypothermia."

"Nope. That's all you; your sea-witch powers at work."

In awe, I swirled my hands in the water at my sides. It was as warm as the water in Mexico. The kind of water I could lay in all day. Was it really possible I'd done this? That I had the power to warm the water? I sure hoped I did, because I was looking forward to not having to take any more cold showers.

With my eyes closed, I let the water lap against me, pretending for a moment that I was still in Mexico. A few moments later, laughter bubbled up from ten meters away, breaking into my meditative state and forcing me to set aside memories of the past.

My eyes snapped open. "What are you doing?" I struggled to fix my feet firmly on the shifting, sandy floor.

Colleen giggled, ducking briefly under the water and then popping up again. "What do mean? Was I supposed to be doing something? Because it seemed like you were doing just fine on your own."

My eyebrows narrowed. "How long did you leave me floating out here alone?'"

She soared gracefully through the water, as agile as a synchronized swimmer. "Oh, five minutes or so. You didn't even notice. Probably because the water is so warm."

"I could have drowned," I said with as much indignation as I could muster. Colleen ignored me. I turned my head to the sound of voices, and was just in time to see a few teenagers wearing wetsuits splash into the water, surfboards in hand.

"Townies," Colleen muttered, watching them swim off into the waves. "They're one reason why it's so much better to live out on the island. It's like I have the entire ocean to myself out there. I can shift into my seal form and swim around for hours. With you it'll be even better—because you can warm up the water—that'll be especially handy in December."

"Yeah, except I can't swim." _And I also don't plan on sticking around until December if I can help it._ My eyes followed the townies. There were five of them, two girls and three boys. They splashed each other and laughed as they made their way out to the bigger waves to surf. Back home, I'd had a group of friends like that. On a nice day like today, we all would've gone down to White Rock to hang out on the beach. I would have walked to my favourite cafe for a scoop of chocolate raspberry gelato. And when I got home Dad would have been waiting out back by the barbecue, ready to sear up a storm. My stomach twisted as I thought of Marnie getting gelato without me, and Dad lying cold in the ground.

"Did you hear me?" Colleen swam up to me.

I lifted a hand to my belly, forcing myself to take a deep breath. Dad might be gone but I was okay. Missing him was okay. I closed my eyes briefly, and then opened them, forcing a small smile onto my face. I'd read somewhere that making yourself smile could actually, truly, make you feel better. "No. Sorry, I didn't hear you."

"I said, you'll be able to swim by the end of today if you listen to me. Now, crouch really low in the water, like this." Colleen lowered her body.

Pushing thoughts of my broken life from my mind, I crouched down as low as Colleen, submerging my body up to my chin. My hair was tucked up under my hat, but since I didn't want to lose it, I pulled it off and let my long, red hair free. I wondered if Dad could find me from wherever he was, if he could look down on me and recognize me now that I looked so different. I bit my lip, hoping to disguise my sadness as uneasiness, and focused on what Colleen was saying.

"Okay," Colleen reached out and put her hands on my shoulders. "I'm going to count to three. On three, we're slowly going to put our heads under the water. From what I understand about sea-witches, you just have to ask the ocean to help you breathe, or think about breathing—and you'll be able to."

I arched an eyebrow, looking at Colleen suspiciously. "How do you know all this?"

Her cheeks turned bright pink. "Your grandma might have asked me to show you a few things if you were willing."

"You're spying on me?"

"I'm not spying." Colleen looked at me, her eyes large and apologetic. "I'm helping. You have to learn how to swim, and I'm willing to show you. Or would you rather learn from her?"

I pursed my lips, looking briefly out at the townies catching waves in the distance. "You—I'm mad she put you up to this and that you agreed to do it. You should have told me."

Colleen nodded. "I'm sorry. Next time I will, I promise. Now, on three. One..."

I closed my eyes, fearful that the water would come rushing up my nostrils and down into my lungs, drowning me.

"Two..."

Slowly, I moved lower. I hated how it felt to not be able to breathe. I wondered if Dad had hated it when his last moments came.

"Three."

The water reached my nose and traveled up my nostrils, down into my throat and lungs. I jumped up, spitting the water out and breathing in deeply.

Colleen popped out of the water with me. "Are you alright?"

"It didn't work. I almost drowned." I slammed my hands into the water, sending up a spray of thick droplets.

"Were you thinking about breathing?"

"I was thinking about drowning and how it sucks to have water flowing into my lungs, suffocating me."

Colleen shook her head. "You have to think about _breathing_. Not drowning, breathing."

I reached up and pushed my wet hair back with one hand. My other hand crushed my hat into a small ball. "I was thinking of breathing."

"No, you were thinking of not-breathing. Let's try it again. This time I'll try coaching you."

"No. I'm done."

"Come on. One more time and I'll buy you a hot chocolate. I know this really great place in town, but it's kind of hidden so you'll never find it without me."

I glared at Colleen; I loved hot chocolate. "Fine. Once more. And it better be good hot chocolate." I crouched down in the water, anchoring my feet in the sand to prevent the waves from pulling me further out to sea. Colleen put her hands on my shoulders.

"Okay. We're going to slowly start sinking into the water. Think about your breath. Feel it flow into your lungs. Think about how all day, every day, that same breath flows into your lungs and then out again. Feel the air move through your nose and down your throat, filling your body with oxygen. Feel that oxygen flowing through your body as we move lower. Remember that, and focus on that circular pattern of breathing as we go lower. Breathe."

I did as Colleen said. I felt the air rush in through my nostrils. I felt my breath flow into my body and out again. I followed the gentle pressure of Colleen's hands pushing me lower. My eyes were closed so I saw nothing. I remembered her words and thought, "I'm alive, Dad's gone, but I'm alive—I'm still breathing." Five minutes into the exercise I opened my eyes to see what exactly was taking so long. My mouth popped open in shock. I was underwater. I was underwater and _breathing._ Air moved in and out of my body exactly the same as it did on shore, only now I was underwater. Water was pushing up against every inch of my body, but it wasn't in my open mouth, and it wasn't in my nostrils, or my lungs. Vaguely, I remembered learning something about oxygen being a component of water, but I didn't remember enough to know exactly how this was working—except that it was working—like magic.

In front of me, Colleen was floating with her eyes closed. Her hair moved around her like soft silky ribbons, and her pale skin glowed in the turquoise blue ocean. Her eyes opened and she saw me staring at her. She broke into a huge grin, and then she gave me the thumbs up and pointed to the surface. I followed her back up into the sunlight.

"That was the coolest thing ever!"

"See, I knew you could do it." Colleen laughed and splashed the water.

Elated, I dove back down, and for the first time in my life I wanted to sink to the bottom. It was beautiful under the water. The ocean provided me with all the air I needed. I swam around, smiling when Colleen joined me. I surfaced after a few minutes, laughing. Colleen surfaced right after me, leaping so high above the water I saw her knees.

"How did you do that?"

Colleen winked at me. "That's a selkie secret."

I smiled at her and submerged again. I stayed under longer this time, floating along the ocean floor, digging my hands into the seabed, burying them in the mounds of sand. After a while I came back up, catching sight of the townies who had drifted closer to us. They were laughing again. My stomach clenched. I suddenly felt stiff and tired. Back home my old friends were probably hanging out on the beach. I wondered what Mom was doing and if she missed me at all. The water suddenly cooled and I shivered. "I think I've had enough of the water," I said when Colleen swam up beside me.

"What?" The smile sank on Colleen's face. "But I was just beginning to have fun."

I shrugged and moved toward the shore. "I think maybe you were right—about the island." I nodded my head in the direction of the townies.

Colleen turned her head and looked at them. She smiled when she looked back at me. "If you want to go back to the island and swim on our private beach, I'm all for it."

Getting out of the water was a shock. I trembled in the light breeze. As the water evaporated from my skin, the sun began to warm it, my goose bumps fading.

A voice from behind me said, "I don't think I've ever seen such talented swimmers. You girls sure can stay underwater for a long time. For a few moments, I thought I was witnessing you both drown." The stranger's voice made me jump in surprise. I was sure there hadn't been anyone on the beach when I exited the water—I must have missed him.

"Lots of practice," Colleen said, as I turned to face the stranger.

I felt a small whoosh of air escape between my lips. It was the man from the ferry, the one who had grabbed my arm so tightly I could still feel a small bruise under my skin if I pressed hard enough.

"You must be locals then." Standing stick straight, he plastered a smile on his face and looked from one of us to the other. His salt-and-pepper hair sparkled in the sunlight, but his dull grey eyes still looked as creepy and empty as I remembered. "What a great place this is. Just moved here myself. I'm starting up a business. Construction. Maybe you could take a pen for me, spread the word with a little bit of useful advertising."

"I don't think either one of us is going to be doing any construction any time soon." The words rushed out as a wave rushed in, brushing my bare feet with frosty water. My skin prickled. My toes began to ache.

"But maybe you know people who are? I could come by and take a look anytime. I do free consultations and quotes. Maybe your parents are thinking about a porch, addition, even a fancy dock on the water." His tiny black pinprick pupils in his pale grey eyes stabbed me.

"I think everyone we know is pretty happy with the houses they live in."

"But we could take a pen," Colleen volunteered without even looking at me. "Spread the word. Do the neighbourly thing."

I wanted to scream at her to drop the pen the moment she touched it. Being near this man made me feel like crabs were crawling over my skin and jellyfish were stinging my legs. I wanted to run back to the car.

The man smiled, pulling a forest green pen from his pocket, handing it to Colleen. "Thank you, that's very considerate."

"No problem. We've got to get going now. We're expected for supper right away." I grabbed Colleen's elbow and steered her away, turning my eyes from the strange man before I had to look at him for another second.

"What did you rush away for? It was kind of rude," Colleen said as soon as we were far enough away.

I slipped on my sandals, which I'd picked up on our way across the beach. I shook as much sand as possible from my skin and then left the beach behind, climbing through the trees and up to the parking lot. "Because he's creepy. I've met him before—on the ferry. He grabbed me. If my Grandma hadn't been there, I would've been really scared."

"Scared of what?"

I paused on the path, turning to look at Colleen. One of her eyebrows was squished downward, her left eye half-squinted. "I don't know, exactly. Maybe I was scared for my safety."

The pen stuck out of Colleen's fist, and I reached for it, easily pulling it from her grasp. On it there was gold writing. "FJ Construction, ever heard of it?"

"No, but it's new, isn't it?"

"That's what he said." I tossed the pen into the forest.

"What are you doing?" Colleen's eyes followed the pen's flight through the trees.

"Didn't you mom ever tell you not to accept gifts from strangers?" I headed back up the path. Colleen let out a gust of air behind me. She might think it was strange, but I knew she'd forgive me for it. And I was right, a few minutes later, when her favourite song came on the radio, it was forgotten.

# Chapter 10

"How was town yesterday?" Grandma asked me a week and a half later. She was sitting at the kitchen table wearing her favourite grey sweater and eating her regular breakfast of toast and fruit. In the past week, I'd learnt that the kitchen was her favourite room in the house. I was beginning to resent her for it—I couldn't escape her if she was constantly stalking my only food source.

I'd been to town with Colleen three times since our first outing, and on each trip I'd picked up a few more useful items and new articles of clothing. Yesterday, I'd finally maxed out my credit card. On days we hadn't gone into town, we'd gone swimming around the island. I was now an Olympic calibre swimmer—although being able to ask the ocean to push me along now and then really helped my speed.

"Fine." Stepping into the kitchen, I headed over to the fruit bowl on the island counter, which divided the kitchen space from the dining space, and picked out a pear.

"Well, enjoy your last weekend of freedom. School starts on Monday. Your trips into town will have to be put aside." Grandma sorted through a pile of papers on the table. I assumed they had something to do with the classes I'd soon be taking and stayed away.

"Yay." I rolled my eyes, pear juice dribbling down my chin. "Can't wait for school."

"Well, whether you appreciate the opportunity or not, you need to be ready to start attending classes. The other students will arrive this weekend. I expect you to be here to help me greet them."

I polished off my pear, tossing the core in the compost bucket. "As long as it isn't tonight. Colleen and I are going to Tofino for a celebratory back-to-school sushi dinner." It was actually a farewell-to-our-freedom dinner but Grandma didn't need to know that.

"When were you planning on asking me if you could go out tonight?" Grandma stood up at the table, leaning forward and pressing her hands into the polished wood surface.

"I didn't think it would matter to you. You said you were busy with school preparations and that I could just practice on my own." The past week had been difficult. It already felt like I'd returned to school with the special lessons Grandma had forced on me. A few days ago, I'd graduated from emptying and refilling a glass of water. My latest challenge was to stand on the end of the dock and raise the level of the ocean around me. The only good thing about all the practicing was that I hadn't had a cold shower since my day on the beach with Colleen. As much as I hated being a sea-witch, I was having trouble denying the fact that I was getting better at it—and that sometimes—rarely—it was actually fun.

Her eyes narrowed. "Well you're wrong, it does matter. What I said was that you _should_ practice on your own time. There are things I haven't told you yet. You have a lot of learning to do before school begins. You can't even pull the water out of a glass without first thinking about it for five minutes. Have you even finished reading _one_ of the books I gave you?"

I grimaced, pulling a glass from the cabinet on the back wall. Grandma had given me three books, each weighing at least three pounds. Mostly boring history type stuff. Every time I opened one of the books, I was hit with an overwhelming desire to take a nap. "No. But I can do some reading tomorrow. Tonight's important to me."

"No. You can't do any reading tomorrow since some of the students will be arriving and you'll be coming with me to the welcoming dinner." Grandma smacked a pile of loose pages on the table, aligning them perfectly.

"Sunday then." I filled my glass with water.

"No."

Her answers were becoming shorter, which meant she was getting angrier. But I wasn't about to give up on my plans to escape with Colleen, who'd been my only refuge from Grandma's incessant hounding. We stared at each other; it was a stalemate: she couldn't force me to study and I couldn't force her to let me take the night off. I jumped when the phone rang, shattering the brewing silence.

Grandma stomped over to the wall and pulled the phone off its cradle. "Hello... Already? No, I suppose not... I wasn't expecting them so soon either but what can you do? I'll get Nessa to help me prepare something for tonight and bring it over around five. Bye, Joanna." She hung up and sighed heavily, looking at me with powerful eyes. "Some of the students will be arriving earlier than expected, this afternoon in fact. We'll need to prepare something for supper." Grandma glanced over her shoulder at the glowing clock on the stove. She furrowed her brow. "You have the morning to study. I'll make us some sandwiches for lunch around twelve thirty and then you can help me prepare a few simple dishes for tonight."

"No way. I have plans." I placed my now empty water glass on the granite counter top. "Good luck with cooking. I'll see you later."

"Oh no you don't." Grandma was in front of me in an instant, her eyes storming and her hands firmly anchored on her hips. "You might have been able to treat your parents that way, but you will not treat me with such disrespect. You live under my roof and as long as you're stuck here you will respect me and my wishes—especially if you want to retain your phone and computer privileges."

"I...Agh!" She was so unfair. I didn't really have a choice when it came to living with her—I had nowhere else to go. "Fine. I'll read some of your mouldy, dusty, ancient textbooks. It's not as if I'm not already wasting my life away by just being here." My left eye twitched. I could feel the tightness in my knees.

"You are not wasting your life here, Nessa. You're becoming who you are meant to be. Why can't you see that?"

"Because I should get to choose what I get to be, and not have to follow some pre-set path of...of... of whatever this is." I held my arms out wide and then dropped them to my side with a resounding smack.

"If you ever want to be able to choose something for yourself other than this life, you need to get your powers under control. Otherwise you'll be under my control, forever."

"You can't keep me here." My muscles were clenched. My fists were rolled up into balls. "I'm not a prisoner."

A loud gurgle followed by a splat came from the sink. A geyser of grey water shot up, hitting the ceiling. A drippy, gooey mess slid down the walls and onto the counter.

Grandma slowly turned and looked at the geyser, which subsided slowly as I fought to regain control. "As long as you keep doing things like that, you are. Clean this up. Then you'll study. I'll see you at lunch." Grandma picked up her papers and headed up the stairs. I marched over to the sink, wanting to scream. The sink bubbled, but I was much quicker this time at forcing the water back down the pipes. I was going to get my powers under control, and soon. There was no way I was going to remain here for the rest of my life.

Grandma nodded over her shoulder at the cupboard by the fridge. "Find a recipe for chocolate cake. The ingredients are in the cupboard. It needs to be ready in an hour." Grandma opened the cupboard and pulled out a recipe book, handing it to me.

I rushed to make the cake, feeling like a contestant on MasterChef. I slapped ingredients together without caring about the mess. It took me longer to clean up the spilt flower, leaking eggshells, and cocoa powder than it had for me to put the ingredients together. I was just finishing washing the dishes—the cake was already in the oven and smelled delicious—when the phone rang. My hands were wet so I couldn't answer it—instead Grandma stopped its shrill ring.

"Hello." Grandma pressed the phone to her ear. She looked down at the ground, her eyes narrowed as she listened to the person on the other end of the line. "Yes, she's here, just a minute."

Grandma held the phone out to me. I dried my hands before taking it, dragging it all the way into the spare bedroom room.

"Hello?"

"Nessa? It's Aaron."

My heart thumped. I peaked over my shoulder to confirm that Grandma wasn't there. I closed the door to the spare room as far as it would go, leaving just enough space for the phone cord. "It's good to hear from you."

"I hope you don't mind me calling. I got your number from Marnie."

I shook my head. "No. No, it's fine. You can call me whenever you want." I curled and uncurled my fingers around the phone cord, and then reached up and ran a hand through my hair. _Aaron was calling me!_ I was so excited I wanted to squeal like Marnie. I'd spoken to her a couple times since the move, but she hadn't told me a thing about Aaron. His Facebook page had been annoyingly stagnant. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good. I was surprised when Marnie told me you moved. You never mentioned it the last time I talked to you." Aaron sounded exactly as I remembered. My stomach fluttered; I couldn't believe he'd called me. I'd dreamed of him calling me but I never thought it would actually happen.

"I didn't know I was moving. It was a surprise to me too. A lot of things have changed, I guess. You know, with my Dad dying." I bit my lip and paused for a moment. "Things are messed up. I have to live with my grandma for a while. She has a house on an island in the middle of nowhere." I slowly sank down the side of the wall, sitting on the floor. I pulled the phone cord a little bit, stretching it to the max.

"You know, I'm really sorry about your Dad. I think that would be the worst thing. The worst." Aaron paused. "The island sounds pretty cool though. What kind of stuff do you get to do out there? I bet there's some awesome hiking and fishing."

And just like that any delusions I'd been harbouring sank to the ocean bottom. I wasn't the same girl I'd been two weeks ago. I was a sea-witch, now. Suddenly, Aaron felt as strange to me as a stray dog, and also kind of...boring. I bit my lip and swam through the thick feelings that were floating inside me. I still liked Aaron—although my feelings didn't feel very romantic anymore. "Yeah, the island's great—lots of long hikes." I replied, knowing I wasn't convincing.

"You don't sound like you like it much."

"Well, I definitely prefer the city to the outdoors if that's what you mean."

"Really? I love the outdoors. I just got back from my family vacation. We went to this remote fishing camp. It was wicked. We, like, hung out and fished all day. I made some friends there. This one girl—Stacey—goes to high school here in Surrey. She caught the biggest fish. It was like, fifty pounds or something. Actually, we're hanging out tonight, probably going to the beach. I think Marnie will be there."

I closed my eyes. _He'd met another girl._ Somehow, even though I'd just realized I didn't like him _like that_ anymore _—_ it still hurt. No wonder Marnie hadn't mentioned him.

"Great," I said, hating that my voice was gravelly and that I sounded anything but okay. "Maybe...maybe I'll get used to it out here. Actually, I have to get going, some of the other students arrived today and we're having a dinner party. It's supposed to be really fun."

"Nice." Aaron went silent. I said nothing; the conversation that I'd originally been so excited to have was now awkward and awful. I just wanted to get off the phone.

"Well, I've got to go."

"Yeah...Yeah, me too. Have fun tonight." Aaron spoke quietly. Maybe he was as sad as I was that we wouldn't see each other any time soon—even if it was just as friends.

"You too," I answered, standing up. I held the phone to my ear for a few more seconds. A click told me Aaron had hung up and was off on a date with a girl that wasn't me.

I stared at the phone. All hope of Aaron being in my life was gone. It was official, being a sea-witch had taken over my life. I fought off the dark cloud that tried to smoother me and punched in Colleen's phone number only to find out her evening had been hijacked too.

"Yep, I have play hostess all night. The students live in these dorms attached to the school, which is right by our house. The Yorks have always been the caretakers, so of course I'm expected to be a gracious helper and guide. Gracious to pirates; imagine that. It's ridiculous—especially after what they did. Not one of them can be trusted. Believe me, Nessa, you should stay home if you can, pirates are not worth having in your social circle."

The sudden dread of being the new kid weighed on me. "What's bad about the pirates? Are they like they are in the movies: greasy, greedy, and gropey and stuff?"

"They're worse," Colleen said just as Joanna's disembodied voice yelled for Colleen to come downstairs and set the table. Colleen must have covered the receiver end of the phone, because I couldn't make out her response to her mom. I heard a soft scratching noise and then Colleen was back. "I have to go. You'll meet the pirates when you get here, and you'll want to throw them back in the water just like I do. Maybe with a bit of luck we'll still be able to go to town."

I crawled out of the spare room and into the kitchen. Grandma gave me a look that said I was falling behind. I pulled the cake out of the oven and finished the dishes. I barely had time to run upstairs, brush my hair, and throw on my hat and navy hoodie before we left.

The walk to the York's was short but nice. I was astounded by the beautiful tree covered pathway, which connected the two houses, even though I'd walked this way before. It was easy to imagine I was somewhere pristine, ancient, like a lost temple garden in the Amazon. I carried the still warm chocolate cake firmly in my hands and followed Grandma's swaying braid. I was careful not to ruin my creation as I navigated my way over a tangle of tree roots—eating a piece of the cake I'd worked so hard to make was the only thing I was looking forward to tonight.

It took five minutes to reach the York's house. We approached from the back—the front of the York's place led to a dock just like Grandma's—and entered through the small, well kept, grassy yard. The large, two-story white house had a long veranda that stretched across the back. There were French doors leading into the kitchen and many large glass windows. I knew that the boarding house and the school lay a bit further down the path, but I hadn't wandered that far yet. I wasn't in much of a hurry to get to my future, especially since I no longer had an almost-boyfriend, a best friend, or a home to call my own.

Colleen opened the back door, running out to greet me. "I'm so glad you're here. Mom went over to finish preparing the boarding house and I've had to play nice for, like, five minutes now." Her face was flush. She was wearing jeans and a bright yellow hoodie that looked great with her short, dark hair. "They're driving me crazy."

"Who are they?" I asked, walking up the steps behind Colleen. She stopped me just outside the door, holding my elbow to keep me outside on the porch with her. Out of Grandma's hearing range

"They're pirates, Nessa. And they aren't nice. Actually, they're cruel." Colleen's face grew a bit paler.

"What are you talking about?" I shifted the cake in my hands; it was getting heavy.

Colleen glanced over her shoulder, then looked back at me, tugging me to the side, farther from the door. "I'm going to tell you something. It's really embarrassing so I don't want you to laugh, okay?"

I nodded solemnly at her large, dark eyes.

"Last year was my first year at the school. Even though I grew up on this island, and Mom's an instructor, I didn't get to start classes until last fall. Anyway, there was this pirate, Jim. He was the worst, but thankfully he graduated and he won't be here this year. But anyway, at the beginning of the school year he told two of the other pirates, Caesar and Markus—who are inside right now—that if they wanted to be his friend they had to play a joke on me. One morning, when I was out for a swim, they caught me in a net." Colleen's face was growing redder by the second, and when she said this part her eyes began to water. "They dragged me out of the water and hung me up in the dormitory kitchen with a sign taped to the net that said..." Colleen looked over her shoulder again, and then down at the ground. "It said, 'I love you Kyle, rescue me with a kiss', and they left me hanging in the net with the sign until Kyle showed up for school which wasn't until _everyone else_ had already walked by and saw me hanging there."

Colleen kicked the white deck with her sneaker. She didn't look at me. I was speechless. I couldn't imagine being strung up in a net, let alone be forced to wear a sign that said, 'Aaron I love you'. It would be completely... "Awful. That's awful. I can't believe they'd do that to you. What did Kyle say?"

Colleen shook her head. "He turned around and walked the other way."

"Oh." I bit my lip. "So you and him?"

"I told him it was just a joke and we went on like nothing happened. We're friends. We've always been friends and we'll always be friends. Anything else just isn't going to... It's just not meant to be, that's all."

"So, how did you get down? Did the pirates get in trouble?"

Colleen glanced at me, her eyes narrowed. " _They_ cut me down once they'd had their fun. Before Mom showed up to teach. You can't trust them, Nessa. Promise me you won't trust them—otherwise they might do the same thing to you. I only wish I would've told my dad before he ran off with a pirate and disappeared."

I nodded, an uneasy feeling taking over my stomach. I'd never liked bullies, and now I was going to be forced to eat dinner with some. "Of course I won't trust them. We're friends, aren't we?"

A relieved smile crossed Colleen's face. "Good." She turned and headed inside the house.

I followed her, walking straight into the kitchen; it was painted butter yellow and had wooden cupboards with glass doors. I heard laughter coming from inside the house to the left, where I saw a doorway leading into the hall.

"I think they're here," I heard a male voice say, followed by the sound of footsteps heading toward the kitchen.

"I hope they brought food," said someone else with a faint accent.

My eyes were fixed on the doorway when they entered, the chocolate cake still in my hands.

"Mrs. O'Shea, it's so nice to see you again."

I liked to think I wasn't the swooning type, but when the first pirate I'd ever met walked into the room, my whole body vibrated. He was tall, with tanned olive skin and dark, wavy hair that fell over his eyes. He had broad shoulders and a nose that was slightly too long. He wore a simple black button up shirt and a pair of light coloured blue jeans. Something about him made my body hum.

He smiled when he greeted my grandma, wrapping her in a hug. I stared, gaping in disbelief at the warmth Grandma was allowing the young man to show her—especially after everything I'd just learned from Colleen. I looked at Colleen, puzzled, but she didn't catch my gaze; she was too busy glaring at the pirate.

"Welcome back, Caesar. I see you still haven't learnt that flattery will get you nowhere with me." Grandma's face took on the serious look I was used to.

Caesar—the gorgeous pirate I couldn't tear my gaze from—smiled and shrugged. "It was worth a shot."

Caesar turned his gaze toward me, catching me staring blatantly at him. I couldn't look away. I couldn't remember ever being so drawn to a person. I was drawn to his sharp cheek bones, to the tiny scar above his right eyebrow, to the slight rawness of his lips and rough spots on his chin that suggested he would one day have facial hair, and all the other little imperfections that were so.... so.... alluring. I tried to tear my gaze away, reminding myself of my promise to Colleen, but it was no use.

"Another sea-witch?" he asked, a devilish look entering his steel grey eyes. Smiling at me, he winked.

I didn't know what to do. Half of me wanted to smile back, toss my hair, maybe even giggle. The other half wanted to tell the pirate off for hurting Colleen, even if it had been a year ago. Instead of speaking, I turned around and put the cake on the counter, breaking eye contact and giving myself a few seconds to catch my breath.

"This is my granddaughter, Nessa. She'll be in your class this year."

I felt Caesar move closer to me. "It's a pleasure to meet you." His voice rushed past my ear, brushing over my neck and lighting my body on fire. I mentally smacked myself: I'd just come to the realization that I'd never be with Aaron; obviously this was rebound attraction. Why else would I even consider liking a guy that had strung-up my friend in a net and embarrassed her in front of her entire class? Colleen was the only friend I had around here. I didn't want to loose that friend because of some stupid, _hormonal_ , attraction. No matter how attracted I was to Caesar, he wasn't worth it.

Keeping my hands tucked safely behind my back, I turned around. Caesar was standing inches from me; the top of my head came up to his chin. His black-flecked grey eyes—the colour of an old silver candlestick that needed to be polished—glittered, as if they themselves were flirting. I looked down, unsettled by the hum running through my body and the feeling that each and every nerve was trying to move me closer to him. Instead, I looked straight ahead, which gave me a great view of his chest. Even under the cover of his black shirt, his chest appeared to be made of nothing but muscle. I cleared my throat, doing the only thing I could think of to gain the upper hand: I changed the topic.

"It's so great to meet you," I gushed wildly, like a giddy city girl. "Do you know I've never met a mermaid before? You're my first one!"

Caesar's eyes immediately stopped flirting and he moved back. One of the other pirates snickered. For the first time, I noticed two other young men: one was tall, blonde, and dressed in jeans and a grey sweater, and the other was short, the beefy-kind of muscular, and wearing a black bandana. Colleen's little brother Jack stood behind the new arrivals, staring at them with adoration.

"I'm not a mermaid." Caesar retreated to his friends.

I let my face fall in disappointment, forcing myself to keep the laughter in so I could appear completely serious. "Oh no. Really? I was so sure. Maybe it's your pretty hair that had me so confused."

"Caesar, Markus, and Juan are pirates." Grandma took the lasagne she'd made over to the oven and slipped it inside. "Why don't you all go get to know each other while I finish preparing dinner? I'm sure you'll all find each other interesting."

I sighed, knowing there was no way Grandma would let me hang out in the kitchen with her—not that I wanted to. Even pirates had to be more fun than Grandma.

"Yes, Nessa, why don't we get to know each other better?" The look Caesar gave me was halfway to flirtatious; he hadn't made his mind up about me yet.

I stuck close to Colleen as we made our way out of the kitchen and down the hall to the living room. "Shouldn't you be off ogling women and drinking rum from a paper bag?" I said the moment we were out of Grandma's hearing range.

"How can I tell you're a newbie? You think pirates are nothing more than thieves and scoundrels. You're so naive that you should be wearing a pointy black hat, my little witch. Pirates, our kind of pirates, are real treasure hunters. We can hear the sea just like you can—better even—and it's only us that She tells where the treasure is." Caesar sat down comfortably on a brown leather couch.

I flushed. "Well, it's too bad that the treasure isn't on the other side of the world." It was a weak come back, but the only one I could think of. Markus sat down across from Caesar in a matching recliner, and Juan—the shorter, darker pirate—stood by the tall window. His hands were clasped behind his back, making his biceps bulge. His face was set in a scowl.

"Are you happy to be here, Juan?" I asked, deciding that ignoring Caesar was the best way to keep from throwing myself at him.

"This place is horrible." Juan spoke with a slight accent. His eyes narrowed and he sighed. "Cuba is much more beautiful."

Markus, the blonde guy who was a little less muscular than the other two pirates, and taller then both, leaned forward. "You'll get used to it here." Like Juan, Markus had a slight accent, though his was Eastern European and not Cuban. "It's still the ocean—just a little bit colder. It's much like the coast of my native Russia, though not better. There's nothing better than Russia."

"Cuba is better than Russia." Juan moodily swung around and sat in the only open chair left in the room, next to the burning fireplace.

"So Nessa—is that your real name?" Caesar leaned back into the couch, lengthening his body, causing his black shirt to lift up just enough that I caught a glimpse of his abs. They were tight, hard, and tanned. He caught me looking and smiled.

I smiled back. "Why wouldn't it be real? Do girls often give you fake names?"

"Hardly. It sounds a lot like the Loch Ness Monster. I thought for a moment you might be related, what with the similar appearance and all."

"Like I haven't heard that before—Julius. And if you must know, it's short for Vanessa—but since that's too many syllables for you to pronounce, you can stick with Nessa."

Caesar stood and slowly walked toward me. I held his gaze and didn't move as he approached. "You know, I'm beginning to like you. This year might be more fun if you and I were to become...friends." His eyes twinkled again and my pulse fluttered.

I turned away, beginning to make my way out of the room while I still had the presence of mind to do so. There was no way I was going to be friends with a lying—charming—bully. "I doubt that. I already have all the friends I need." I headed for the exit, snatching Colleen by the elbow and dragging her toward the front door.

She looked at me, surprised, but followed me out of the room anyway.

"Let's go back to my house," I whispered as we walked out of hers. "I feel like a pirate-free evening. If we hurry, we can be in Tofino before Grandma even knows we're gone."

# Chapter 11

"What's wrong with them?" I fumed. Colleen guided the boat closer to Ernie's dock. Lucky for us, neither Colleen's mom nor my grandma had noticed us sneak off. The pirates had been too busy laughing to stop us—not that they knew where we were going anyway.

"They're pirates," Colleen said. "You should've seen them last year—always trying to get with the mermaids. Especially Jim—he was the worst—I'm so glad he's finished school. I don't know Juan yet—he's new this year—but he seems just as moody and self-centred as the rest of them. I'd stay away from them if I were you, they're nothing but a bunch of liars, cheats, thieves, and heartbreakers."

"So, which were the ones that, you know...uh...tied you up?"

"Caesar and Markus." Colleen's voice was sharp and clipped.

"But they cut you down?"

Colleen glanced at me, her eyes narrowed. "Only because they had to or they would've been caught. Look, I told you about that and now you know. I really don't want to talk about it anymore, okay?"

The sun was just beginning to drop toward the horizon, but the air was still thick with heat. It was a welcome change to have summery weather. It had rained so much in the past week, I'd thought the island would get washed way. "If you don't want to talk about it, then we won't." I bit my lip as images of Caesar's steel grey eyes and solid abs flashed through my mind. "But for all his infuriating, chauvinistic ways, you have to admit that Caesar's pretty good-looking—in that rugged pirate sort of way."

"Don't. Do. Not. Go. There." Colleen groaned. "He isn't worth it. He's a pirate. They're the worst of the worst. He'd probably just cheat on you, or steal all your jewellery or something. Besides, what about that Aaron guy?"

I jumped onto the dock. For once, Ernie was not out to greet us, which I was grateful for. I needed a break from authority. "Aaron's on a date with a new girl." I grabbed the rope, pulling it taunt through the loop attached to the wooden slats. "Not that he shouldn't be. It's beginning to look like I'm going to be stuck out here forever. It's good that he's moved on. It's not like he'd ever understand me anyway, I mean I'm a witch and he's _normal_."

Colleen jumped onto the dock with me, tying up the other end of the boat. "Well, maybe you'll find someone out here that you like who _isn't_ a pirate."

I stood up, admiring my work. Considering the first time I'd tied a slipknot was three days ago, I was doing pretty well. "I know. I'm just rebounding, that's all. Otherwise, why would I think a pirate who's in desperate need of a haircut is hot?"

"Exactly. Did you see the way he looked at you? He's a scumbag! End of discussion." Colleen marched ahead, pulling her mom's car keys out of her pocket. "Don't let them fool you. My mom hates pirates too—although she'd never admit it. She told me once that when my parents were ready to leave Scotland and come to Canada that they met a pirate who said he'd give them a ride. He took their money and left them broke at the docks in Glasgow. It took them another year to save up enough money to come to Canada."

I looked at Colleen, slightly puzzled. "Why didn't they just fly?" I grabbed the car door handle and pulled it open.

She laughed, climbing into the driver's seat. "Because they didn't have airplanes in the eighteen-eighties."

"What?" A nervous tingle of disbelief hit me. "There's no way your mom's that old."

"Don't be so surprised. Your grandma doesn't exactly look over a hundred either."

I sat down on the soft, blue cloth seats, shaking my head. "No. No. Grandma's only sixty."

Colleen raised an eyebrow as she started the car. "Maybe you should ask her again sometime, now that you know she's a sea-witch. You should count yourself lucky; you'll live a _very_ long and happy life. As long as you stay away from pirates."

"Right," I replied, my mind still buzzing over the idea that Grandma was officially ancient—she didn't even look like a senior citizen.

"So, where do you want to go?" Colleen began slowly backing out of the parking stall and on to the gravel driveway.

"I don't know. Anywhere we can hang out and avoid overbearing guardians would be great. Somewhere I can mope over a cup of hot chocolate and a piece of cake because I'm stuck on an island with very limited romantic prospects would be good too."

Colleen nodded, "I guess that means we're heading to our favourite café. Though..." Colleen paused, taking her eyes off the road for a moment to look at me. "I have to say, you don't really seem that upset that Aaron's going out with someone else."

I looked out the window. "I know." I bit my lip and tasted the raspberry lip balm I'd put on during the ride over to the mainland. "It's weird, because I really liked him. But so much has happened this week that my old life just feels...distant...like it happened fifty years ago. Or that it's just a movie I watched once. And not a very good one at that."

Colleen must have looked over at me again because the car was suddenly veered toward the ditch.

I grabbed the dashboard. "Watch where you're going!" The car jerked as Colleen corrected its trajectory.

"Sorry," she apologized. In the fading sunlight I could just make out the blush in her cheeks. "I don't really drive all that often."

"I can tell." Silence flooded the car. I didn't know if Colleen was mad at me for insulting her driving, or if I was mad at her for being such a terrible driver, but I figured that either way it was better if I let her concentrate on the road. My mind drifted back home, to Aaron. The longer I thought about it, the less I could picture his face. His hair was light brown and curly, but what colour were his eyes? Was he half a head taller than me, or did the top of my head only come up to his chin? I'd felt short when standing next to Caesar, so maybe Aaron had been shorter than him. Caesar's hair was definitely darker and he had more muscles.

"So where does Caesar come from?" I asked almost absentmindedly as we pulled into the café's parking lot. The headlights bounced off the front of the building, making it glow golden in the darkening night.

"We're not talking about him." Colleen put the car into park.

"I just asked where he comes from. His looks were almost, Spanish...or something." I undid my seatbelt, grabbing my purse from the floor of the car.

"You're better off not knowing. And I'm not wasting my time discussing traitors and cutthroats. Besides, we're in human-ville now; we have to talk about normal things." Colleen got out of the car, slammed her door. Inside the café, she ordered a vanilla steamer. I ordered a hot chocolate and we found an empty table by the window. It was only as I sat down that I noticed him sitting in the back corner.

The grey haired man that I'd met on the ferry, and saw again on the beach with Colleen, was reading a paper. He moved to change the page, lowering the sheets. He turned his head, catching my gaze. My breath stuck in my throat. The way he looked at me with narrowed eyes and a dark furrowed brow—almost like he was studying me—creeped me out. The café was practically empty; there were only two people other than Colleen, the grey-haired man, and me. I forced my eyes away from his, looking out the window instead.

I shivered, turning back to Colleen, scanning the art covered, cream-coloured walls of the café. I used the art to calm my nerves, trying to forget I'd just seen the grey-haired man. I thought about leaving but we'd already ordered and there was no other café in town that was near as nice as this one. Colleen hadn't felt threatened by the grey-haired man when she met him. Maybe my reaction was all in my head. Maybe it was best if I just ignored him.

"What are we going to talk about today?" I hung my purse over the back of my chair. "You don't like talking about clothes and you don't like talking about boys."

"It's not that I don't like talking about boys, I just don't like talking about pirate boys." Colleen pulled a hair tie out of her pocket, reaching back to put her shoulder length hair in a ponytail.

I looked at her with curiosity. In the week that I'd known her, she hadn't mentioned anything about having a boyfriend. "Well then, what boy do you like?"

She immediately turned crimson. "I don't like a boy."

"O-M-G! Yes you do! You wouldn't turn that colour if you didn't."

Colleen flushed even harder and looked out the window. She frowned. "Townies," she said, just as the bell above the door jingled. In came three local kids around our age.

Two girls and one boy. Both girls were laughing loudly. The boy was flushing bright pink. "Who cares about townies," I said, "we have more important things to discuss. Such as whom Colleen has a crush on."

"I don't have a crush on anyone!" Colleen jumped up to get her drink when the barista called her name.

"Okay, what about Claudia? Would you date Claudia?" I overheard one of the townies—a blonde girl with a pixie-cut—ask the boy.

"What? I'm not answering that. She's my best friend's girlfriend." The boy was still flushing, looking anywhere but at the two girls he was with.

"You promised you'd answer any question we asked."

"Not all night!" The boy retorted just as Colleen sat back down across from me. She pushed a mug full of hot chocolate my way.

I grabbed the mug around the handle and said, "Don't think being nice will get you out of this. Do you like Caesar? Is that why you don't want to talk about him?"

"No."

I leaned back, surprised by the vehemence in Colleen's answer. "Are you sure?"

"I told you what those pirates did to me. They strung me up. Embarrassed me in front of my _best friend_. They're responsible for the disappearance of my dad—it was Caesar's father that tricked my dad into going on a treasure hunt they didn't return from. I'd _never_ like a pirate. So just leave it, will you? Why don't you tell me some more about the city?"

I shook my head, the heavy disappointment of the night, the week, and the month weighing me down. "I don't want to talk about the city. It reminds me of too many things I don't have." _Like my dad._

"We could talk about favourite movies or something."

"What about a redhead." It was the blond again. I looked over to my left, where the group of three townies had sat down. The blond was whispering, but looking pointedly in my direction. "Would you ever date a redhead?"

Her friend, a girl with fake-blonde hair, hid laughter behind her hand. The guy tried to look sneakily in my direction, but it was obvious he was looking right at me.

"Ignore them," Colleen whispered. "Nessa." She tapped me with her foot. "Ignore them, they aren't worth it."

But I couldn't help it. For once, I'd left my hair down, poking out from under the rim of my beige hat. I reached back and twisted my long hair into a thick rope, pulling it over my shoulder. On the island, with just Colleen and Grandma, it'd been easy to forget that I had the worst hair in the world. Apparently forgetting was impossible in the real world. I hated being reminded that my hair was no longer my natural colour. It was no longer the hair I'd been born with. The hair Dad had loved.

"No," the boy answered.

My stomach felt hollow. It wasn't the boy's voice I heard reject my hair, it was Dad's. If he could see me now, he would be just as angry as Mom had been, maybe even more.

"Good," whispered the blonde, although it did nothing to hide her words. "Because if you did, I'd never speak to you again." Both girls broke out in laughter.

I looked down at the table and clenched my fists. _How dare she! How dare that snotty little townie who knew nothing about me –about how much I hated my hair, about how it wasn't my choice, about how I was a sea-witch—make fun of me. How dare she think she was better than me just because her hair was a normal colour and because...because...just because._ "Let's go," I said at the very moment an emergency fire sprinkler burst, showering the blonde and her two friends with water. Both girls screamed, jumping out of their seats.

Colleen stood, grabbing our mugs. "Good idea. I'll just get these put into to-go cups."

I grabbed my bag, slinging it over my shoulder, giving the blonde the dirtiest look I could muster.

"I'll sue. I'll sue this place for ruining my purse. This is Gucci. Gucci." She sounded like a pig being stepped on.

At the back of the room the grey haired man lowered his paper. He was out of the way of the water, and didn't seem to be concerned about it. But he was staring at me—again.

He didn't blink; he just stared at me. A slow, knowing smile passed over his lips.

Colleen skirted the falling water, holding a lid-covered drink in each hand. "What are you staring at? Let's go." Colleen peaked over her shoulder at the crazy scene we left behind.

I stomped out of the café, away from the townies, the water, and the grey-haired man. With every step, I felt his eyes on me. I reached the car, resting my hand on the door handle.

"Hello. Imagine running into you again."

I looked up. He was standing at the hood of the car. His pale eyes with black, pinprick irises gazed at me, unblinking. I didn't move. From the other side of the car Colleen said, "Hi. Any luck with the business?"

I opened my mouth to tell her to get into the car and drive when the crunch of gravel signalled a car was pulling into the lot. Instinctively, I turned to watch it. It was an old blue Chevrolet. Ernie's car. My stomach sank, but my heart slowed down. Ernie's arrival meant we were in trouble, but it also meant the creep who had followed us out of the café wouldn't follow us any further. I hoped.

Ernie pulled up behind us, rolling down his window. "What are you girls doing? Your grandma's furious, Nessa, and your mom too, Colleen. You'd better both follow me back to the house. Right now." It was the first time I saw Ernie's broad, wrinkled face without a smile on it.

"We were just leaving. See, coffee to go." I held up my cup and shook it. Then I opened the door, turning back to the front of the car, where the grey haired man was still standing, eyes fixed on me. "Can I help you with something?"

"Just wanted to make sure you were both okay, you know, after what happened with the fire sprinklers in there. Although, I suppose it's a bit silly now, thinking about it. What harm could a bit of water do." The grey-haired man shifted his gaze. I knew without turning around to verify it that he was looking at Ernie.

"I'm sure the girls appreciate your concern. I'll get them home safe." Ernie's voice was deeper than usual.

The grey-haired man nodded silently, disappearing back into the café. Colleen and I got in the car. We tailed Ernie back to his house, solemnly. Before we climbed into the boat, he gave us a good look over.

"You're both okay? Nothing happened at the café?"

"Just a small pipe burst," Colleen said. "No big deal."

Ernie nodded like he agreed, but his pursed lips suggested otherwise.

The sun had almost set completely by the time we began boating back to the island. I sat up front, letting the wind whip my hair while Colleen steered us home. The wind felt great, brushing away the tightness in my skin and straightening out my bones. I'd felt off-kilter for so long I wasn't sure what it meant to feel normal anymore. Just like that, I began to cry. Colleen cut the engine and came to sit with me, letting us float on the dark water, with only the cabin light to illuminate the ship. Above us the stars were shining—night had fallen completely since we'd left Ernie's dock.

"Are you okay?" Colleen's voice was soft, like the waves. Her words butted up against my insides like the water butted the boat.

"No." I sniffed, wiping my nose. "Why can't I just be who I was? I loved my hair—loved it! And so did my dad. He told me it was his favourite part of me. He told me to never let it go. If he were still alive..." I shook my head, the tears sticking to my checks. "It should have been my dad coming to the café to tell me I was in trouble tonight. Because that's what dads do. I hated when he got mad at me, but when he did, I knew it was just part of the way he showed he cared about me. And now... I just feel so alone sometimes. I don't have my mom or my dad. I can't see my old friends. Grandma won't even let me go home until I get a grip on my sea-witch powers and look," I thrust my arm out over the boat, where huge ten foot swells were crashing around us. "I can't control anything!"

Colleen tilted her head. "It's not so bad, Nessa. At least you haven't capsized the boat. And you're not alone. You have me. You have your grandma. And just wait until you meet the rest of the students."

"I don't know about that, I don't think Grandma has a sweet bone in her body." But even as I said the words I realized Colleen was partially right, and the ocean began to calm around us. Even if I didn't have my old friends, at least I had _one_ new one.

"The other students are great, just wait until you meet them. Like my best-friend Kyle, I think you'll really like him; he's completely trustworthy."

I looked up, noticing a set of red and green lights indicating port and starboard of an approaching boat. I nudged Colleen, pointing my chin in the direction of the ship.

"Ahoy!" A deep, masculine voice called across the water. The motor geared down, allowing the other boat to approach quietly and slowly.

"Who's there?" Colleen called, once the other boat had stopped. Her voice carried out over the water and disappeared into the hypnotic sound of the rolling waves.

The driver flicked on his cabin lights. I didn't recognize the man driving the boat.

He smiled slyly. "Hey Otter, you forget how to work the motor?" The young man was enormous: he had to be over six-foot-seven with more muscle and fat than any other guy I'd ever seen—except for professional football players—which was exactly what he reminded me of. His dark hair and eyes spoke of his Native American heritage.

Colleen stood, narrowing her eyes at the humongous stranger. "Shut up, Dolphin Boy, or I'll throw you overboard." Colleen turned back to me, a broad smile spread across her face. "Nessa, I want you to meet my best friend Kyle, also known as Dolphin Boy. He's an orcie: a Neptunian that can shape-shift into an orca whale."

"Oh." I moved closer to the middle of the boat. The conversation Colleen and I'd had when we were shopping for blankets came back to me. "An orcie—you're a Tiderunner then—the other family that lives on the island?"

"You bet," he said. "I didn't mean to scare you. I forget my size can be intimidating for people when they first meet me. One of the only bonuses to being an Orcie is that I can pass for at least twenty-five."

"That would be good for a few things," I said.

"So what are you two doing out here? Joanna and Shannon were pretty worried when they discovered the two of you had took off unannounced into the dark." Kyle tilted his head to the left, giving us a sympathetic smile. "Actually, I think you're both in a lot of trouble. I feel kind of bad dragging you back to what's sure to be an awful punishment. But to be honest, I was worried too."

Colleen shook her head. "There's no need to worry about us. You know how it is—we just needed to get away from those pesky pirates."

Kyle sighed. "We've been over this Colleen, they aren't that bad. Just because they hung you up when some bully–"

"I don't want to hear it Kyle, not tonight," Colleen sighed and went back to the captain's chair. "We were just on our way back to the island, anyway. We only wanted to ride out and look at the stars. I don't know why everyone's so scared—I mean, really—we're magical creatures gifted by the sea. What harm could come to us on such a beautiful night?"

Kyle shook his head. "You never know Colleen, you never know." He walked back to the control counsel of his boat, motioning for us to follow before starting up his motor and roaring off into the night.

Grandma was waiting for us when we reached the dock. She was wearing her long grey sweater and standing on the porch with her arms crossed. "Well, at least the two of you made it home safe."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, because the big, bad, tiny town is so dangerous." I tried to step past her. She stopped me.

"Yes, Nessa, it is. And Colleen, you should really know better." Grandma uncrossed her arms, looking at each of us in turn. "Ernie called me once you left. He said there was an incident with a pipe and a man who took great interest in it."

"I really don't think you'd call it great interest." I rolled my head backward. _Did she really have to take everything so out of proportion?_

"You think he's a hunter," Colleen's voice was barely more than a whisper. Her face had paled; the blood had drained. Her eyes were even larger than normal. She reached a hand out to grip Kyle's arm.

"A hunter? What does she mean? What's a hunter?" I turned back to Grandma who signalled for us to all go inside.

"Tell me, girls, was this the first time you've seen that man around town?" Grandma opened the red screen door and I walked into the warm, golden-lit house. I kicked off my sneakers, heading for the living room, taking a seat on the comfy grey couch.

"No, it wasn't the first time. We met him on the beach a few weeks ago. He said he was new here. Starting a business. He wanted us to take a pen. Do some advertising for him." Colleen filled Grandma in as she sat down beside me. Kyle stood, large and intimidating, by the door as Grandma paced at the front window.

"Did you take a pen?" She paused as she asked this question.

"Nessa threw it away."

She nodded. "A smart decision."

"It was the same man we saw on the ferry. You know, the one that grabbed me."

Grandma turned to me, eyes wide. "I thought at the time there was a chance—a possibility—that he was a hunter. But it's been so long..." She turned and looked out the window again. "Hunters are humans that know about our kind. They know our secrets. They know how to use us to gain power. They do horrible things to our kind just to add a few years to their own lives. That's why it's paramount that we keep ourselves isolated, away from the humans that would do us harm. That's why both of you girls were very lucky tonight."

I shivered, even though the house was warm. I peaked at Colleen out the corner of my eye. The hair on my head felt like it was standing on end, like a cat's hair after being chased by a dog. "Is he going to come here?"

Grandma shook her head. "No. We're safe on the island. We're protected by the boundary that I maintain. It's designed to keep out humans. It prevents them from even seeing the island and uses currents to guide their boats away. This hunter won't be able to reach the island, at least not without a tracker. And Ernie will keep an eye on him in town. Though, after tonight, he would be a fool to show his face again."

My fingers had grown cold, so I curled them up and buried them into the soft material of the couch. Not only was I a sea-witch, I was a hunted sea-witch. "If he caught me, what would he do?" I was barely able to ask the question. I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer.

Grandma shook her head. "I think that's something to discuss at a later time, Nessa. Tomorrow, I'll take you to the boundary. It's time that you learned how to protect this island too."

# Chapter 12

I couldn't sleep. Everything Grandma had said about the hunter rolled through my mind. After dismissing Colleen and Kyle, she'd promptly grounded me. I didn't care about not being allowed to go to town again—not when there was a man who possibly wanted to kill me—but I wasn't allowed to go anywhere except for school until further notice. That meant I'd miss the welcoming dinner tomorrow. Once classes began, I was to go to school and come directly home—no socializing. I was a prisoner until further notice.

Giving in to the fact that sleep wasn't coming any time soon, I went downstairs. The house was quiet and dark; Grandma must have already gone to bed. In the spare bedroom, I powered on Grandma's ancient, yellowish-white computer for the hundredth time since I'd arrived on the island. The computer and its incredibly slow connection to Facebook had become my only window to the outside world and my old life. In recent days, I'd been going on it less and less because it was becoming more and more strange to look at pictures of people I knew who were having fun without me.

Tonight I was going to sit down and write Marnie a nice long email. Even if I couldn't tell her the truth, I could at least tell her something. And at this point I just needed a friend to vent to. I logged into my email account and began.

_Dear Marnie,_

That didn't sound right. I deleted it and began again.

_Hey Marnie, sorry we haven't talked in awhile. My life's been turned upside down and not just by...well, you know that bit already. Turns out Grandma is completely crazy. Like one-hundred-and-ten percent loony. She thinks she's a witch and tells me I'm one too._

I stopped. It was what I wanted to say—I wanted to tell Marnie the truth, but I was forbidden from doing that. But surely this—telling my best friend the truth under the mask that Grandma was nuts—was an acceptable lie.

_What a whack-job._ I added to make sure Marnie wouldn't even consider believing me. _I think she's getting dementia or Alzheimer's or something. Needless to say, it sucks out here. Most of the time, I have to look after her more than she looks after me. For instance, just last night she forgot my friend Colleen and I had plans in town and she made dinner plans for us with new students—three really annoying and egotistical guys that are sure to make my junior year the worst year ever. Especially since Aaron called and told me he's going out with some girl he met on his fishing trip. I mean, if he's going out with someone else why did he even bother calling me, right? It's stupid. But whatever, I'm over it. Some of those new students I mentioned are pretty good-looking. Especially this one guy named Caesar...though he does seem a bit full of himself and my new friend Colleen told me this really awful story about him._

_In other words, I'm doing horribly and wish you were here. No one on this island is even half as cool as you are. Please send me some happy tales about life in Surrey. I miss you like crazy and can't wait to get back to the mainland._

_Your best friend, Nessa._

Hopefully Marnie wouldn't think I was crazy. Hopefully she would just be the awesome and normal friend I needed. I powered off the computer and went up to my room, ready to hide under my blankets and sleep well into the morning.

Sleep _still_ refused to come. My mind was too full of things I'd rather forget: Dad's accident, Aaron not-quite-breaking-up with me, the hunter, Caesar. I tossed and turned until the red numbers on my alarm clock told me an hour had passed, and then I gave up. I wrenched the blankets off my body, put on the red flannel jacket that was quickly becoming a wardrobe staple, and silently went downstairs, making only one quick stop in the kitchen to grab some scissors on my way out of the house.

The moon was full and bright. I didn't need a flashlight to navigate my way down to the dock. I sat down on the wooden slats and wrapped my arms around my knees, pulling them into my chest as I watched the pale blue, moonlit waves ripple on the horizon. The air was chill and my body was just beginning to adjust to it when I heard soft footfalls behind me. My heart thumped painfully into my ribs as I turned.

"Imagine seeing you here at this time of night."

Breath whooshed out from between my lips. My body tingled as I realized who it was: Caesar.

"It's a beautiful night, and since I live here you can't be too surprised."

He took a few tentative steps onto the dock. When he said nothing, I asked, "Did you come out here to enjoy the scenery or are you fighting off insomnia too?"

"I always find it difficult to sleep on land after spending time at sea." His voice was smooth and calm, like the water in the bay.

I snuck a peak over my shoulder and saw Caesar was wrapped in a black hoodie, looking at me with... I wasn't even sure what it was but it made my mouth go dry. I turned back toward the water just in time to see a wave rear up around us. It crashed onto the shore, flooding the land around the dock, momentarily trapping us together.

"Sorry," I said. "I'm not very good at controlling my powers yet. I'm not even sure what that was about."

Caesar moved closer, so that he was standing beside my curled up form. He looked down at me, his tanned skin paler in the moonlight than it had been at the York's.

"Not sleeping at night, causing rogue waves to almost wash devilishly handsome pirates out to sea... I'd say you either don't like me or you've had a bad day. I'm hoping it was a bad day because I don't know what I'd do if you didn't like me."

I smirked, and then concentrated as hard as I could in order to pull up another wave, bringing it right up to Caesar but keeping him dry. "After what you did to Colleen last year would you really be surprised if I didn't like you?"

Caesar sighed. "Oh. That. I'm not proud of it. I apologized to Colleen after it happened, but she'd already decided to hate me. I guess I deserve it."

I released my hold on the wave and let it crash into the shore. "Why did you do it?" I turned to look at Caesar. His hands were tucked into his pockets. His eyes were fixed on the distant moon.

He shrugged. "I don't know. Jim—he was the one behind it all—he had this overwhelming ability to convince people to do stupid things. It's not an excuse, I still did what I did, and I'm sorry for it. I think Colleen was beginning to see that too, by the end of the school year, until her dad and mine disappeared, then it was back to her hating me. But you know," Caesar turned to face me, his eyes reflecting the bright moonlight, "I'd never do anything like that to you—or anyone else for that matter. I've learnt my lesson, and Jim's no longer around. I just want to start fresh, without worrying about being judged for something that happened a year ago." Caesar smiled at me

I shook my head, conscious of my long red hair hanging loose around my shoulders. "I don't know, Colleen was pretty adamant that I can't trust you."

Caesar sat down beside me, hanging his feet over the end of the dock. "Then ask me something. Anything. I've never met a girl who can irritate me like you can. I meant what I said yesterday, I think this year would be really amazing if we could be friends."

I laughed. "I never thought being able to irritate a guy would put me in his good books."

Caesar glanced at me with one eye. "Well, you're also very beautiful."

I blushed, uncomfortable in a good way. I'd never had a guy tell me I was beautiful before. "Okay, first question: why did you walk all the way over here in the middle of the night?"

Caesar hung his head, hiding most of the smile I could see playing across his lips. "Like I said, I find it hard to adjust to sleeping on shore. I thought a late night walk might tire me out. And I also had this girl on my mind..." Caesar's words trailed off into the night. I let them lie there.

The silence wore on until I felt compelled to speak. "I understand what you're saying about not being used to sleeping on shore—not that I've ever slept on a boat. I'm used to being in the city, hearing city noises and seeing city lights. You never feel alone there, no matter how late it is. Out here it's just so quiet... so empty."

"When I first left the city it took me a while to get used to the quiet too." Caesar's words surprised me. I'd assumed he'd lived on a boat all his life.

"Where are you from?"

"All over. But more Sausalito—you know, across the bay from San Francisco. That's where I lived with my mom, until my dad decided I was special enough for him to care about. The ironic thing is that when I chose to go with my father—who hadn't cared about me in years—my mom decided that she didn't want to care about me anymore. They're this impossible couple that can't share. I can't even picture them together; they've been separated my entire life. But they were together long enough to make me, and now they can't even care about me at the same time."

I nodded. "I kind of know what you mean. My grandma never cared about me until she found out I was a sea-witch. This whole transition thing would probably be a whole lot easier if she'd just been in my life from the beginning."

"That's rough," Caesar said. "For what it's worth, I don't think Shannon meant to hurt your feelings. She's pretty great, your grandma. She knows a lot about being Neptunian."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Maybe."

"So, I guess the only thing left to talk about is what you're doing sitting on a dock in the middle of the night, alone, with a pair of scissors. I'm all ears."

I reached down and grabbed the metal scissors I'd completely forgotten about, shoving them under my legs, as if I could hide the evidence Caesar had already seen. "You don't need to worry about me."

"What are they for?"

I looked over at Caesar. He was gazing at me, intent on getting some answers. I was intent on not giving them. "What are what for?"

"The scissors."

"I don't see any scissors."

"If you don't tell me, I'm going to have to assume the worst, and take you inside to your grandma right now and–"

"Fine!" I said. There was no way Grandma was getting involved. "They're for my hair. I hate it. I'm thinking about cutting it off."

"What? No. Don't do it. You have the most beautiful hair." Caesar reached out, grabbing a fistful of my locks.

I froze, feeling a cool bolt of electricity flow from Caesar, through my hair, and all the way down to my toes. "It's not beautiful," I said. Caesar let go. "It represents everything that's wrong in my life." My voice caught in my throat. I wasn't sure I could go on without breaking into tears. Caesar waited while I took a few deep breaths. "A bit more than a month ago, my dad died. Then a few weeks later my hair and eyes changed colour. When they did, all I could think was that my dad had always begged me not to dye my hair and not to wear too much make-up. He said I should let my natural beauty shine through. He would hate this. He would hate how I've changed. He didn't believe in magic."

"But you didn't dye your hair. And you didn't change your eyes either. They both changed on their own. I'm sure your dad would understand that if he was here."

I brushed a small tear from my cheek. "Yeah. Maybe. Or he'd disown me. Think I was a freak."

Caesar shook his head. "I doubt that. Your father loved you. It's obvious that you miss him, and you wouldn't unless there was great love between you. Your hair's beautiful, Nessa, and natural. You have to see that."

A warm surge burnt in my chest at Caesar's compliment. "But it still isn't right. It still isn't what it was. And it still makes me a target."

"A target? What do you mean?"

"Tonight, when Colleen and I ran away to town to get away from you, we ran into a hunter. I'd never met one before. I didn't even know they existed. But now I do. And now I know that this hair, this bright-red un-dyeable hair is a dead give away. I can't even go out in public without someone eyeing me up like some kind of prize or sacrifice or something."

I sensed Caesar still. "You're serious? There's a hunter around here?"

I nodded. "Grandma's pretty sure, at any rate."

Caesar looked at me, his brow furrowed. "You know we're safe here, right? That a sea-witch's magic can keep us protected from intruders?"

"Yeah, Grandma mentioned something like that." I hugged my knees more tightly to my chest. _But what if he found us anyway?_

"Good. And you know, if you want some extra protection, I'm happy to hang around." The corner of his mouth lifted up into a smirk.

My stomach flipped. What was it about this guy that made me feel like I was being tossed around by waves even when he was feeding me cheesy lines? "Do you really think stuff like that works on a girl like me?"

Caesar bent his face toward me. He was so close I could count his eyelashes. "Lines don't have to work. Not when we have time. The future is full of possibilities."

I leaned back, trying to escape his all too intoxicating presence. "Well, let me know how that works for you."

Caesar pulled back. "I won't have to let you know; you'll find out for yourself. I'm a pirate and I know treasure when I see it—and you're definitely a jewel worth waiting for. The better you get to know me, the harder you'll fall." I watched Caesar stand, his lean body as graceful as a calm sea. "I'll see you at school on Monday." He winked at me once before walking back down the dock, disappearing through the trees.

Once he was gone, I grabbed the scissors and tossed them as far as I could into the ocean.

# Chapter 13

"Wake up." Grandma's voice was sharp as she ripped open the curtains. I groaned, rolling over under my covers, sheltering my eyes from the blinding light pouring through my windows. It couldn't have been more than three hours since I'd spoken with Caesar on the dock.

"No excuses. You have a lot to learn today, and a lot of preparation to help me with. The mermaids and sea nymphs will need many potions to get through the year, and you'll be helping me make them. I'll see you downstairs in five minutes." Grandma withdrew from my room, leaving my windows open, allowing a cool breeze to blow in from the ocean.

Why could I never find enough time to sleep in this world? Forcing myself out of bed, I made my way to the closet, pulling out some of the new clothes I'd bought in town. I chose a vibrant green, long sleeved shirt with an imprint of jungle trees on the bottom right and a pair of beige khaki pants that a sales woman had sworn would dry off a lot more quickly than blue jeans if they got wet. The pitch had sold me –hanging around Grandma was a very wet occupation.

My immediate thought when I walked into the kitchen was that Grandma had lost her mind. Instead of just making herself coffee and toast for breakfast, leaving me to fend for myself as per usual, she'd prepared a large breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast for both of us.

She was sitting at the table reading when I sat down. She nodded at the full plate made up for me. "Eat. You'll need your strength today—we have a lot of walking and swimming ahead of us."

I poured myself a tall glass of orange juice, and then started in on the food. As I began to wake up, thoughts of Caesar filled my head. When I failed to fight off the memories, I realized I was in a lot more trouble than I wanted to be—especially if Colleen spoke the truth about the pirates. I liked Caesar. I was drawn to him. I couldn't wait to see him at class tomorrow.

"Grandma?" I finished off my first piece of bacon, wiping my greasy fingers on the cloth napkin she'd placed beside my plate.

"What?" she asked without looking up.

"Do you like pirates?" I picked up a piece of toast and broke off the crust. "I mean, do you think they can be trusted? Because in every movie I've seen they're egotistical, sexist, drunk, hot-headed–"

"Nessa!" Grandma cut me off, turning away from her papers. "Life's not a movie. Pirates are no different than you or I. They have the ability to listen to the sea. They may have—in the past—taken advantage of their abilities to the misfortune of others, but the pirates that attend this school are people who want to make a difference—people that love the waters of this planet and have sworn to protect them. They're people who deserve our respect."

I sipped my juice, bouncing Grandma's words around my head. "Colleen doesn't like them much. She doesn't trust them either."

Grandma put her papers down. She picked at a small piece of bacon on her plate. "I suppose I should have guessed you gleaned your current attitude from Colleen. She's a nice girl, but her views are very subjective. You know Colleen's father is missing."

"Yes, she told me."

Grandma nodded, her red hair securely braided behind her head. My hair, however, was trying to eat my eggs.

"What she may not have told you is that her father went missing while on a trip with a pirate—Caesar's father to be precise. He was supposed to return safely two months ago. But neither Colleen's father nor Caesar's have returned."

"Oh." I brushed my hair out of my eggs and reached for the raspberry jam, thinking over what Grandma had said. "But why didn't they return? Isn't it kind of... ironic...or something, that a pirate and a selkie disappeared at sea?"

"It is. But as they didn't return, it's impossible to know what happened. Keep that in mind before you listen to everything Colleen says about the pirates." Grandma picked up her papers. "Let me know when you're finished with your breakfast, Nessa. I'd like to get an early start."

I ate my breakfast as slowly as possible. I didn't finish eating it either—I wanted to stall heading out into the water with my crazy grandma for as long as possible, which didn't turn out to be very long.

"Where are we going?" I whined, hours later. I was exasperated with Grandma's lack of sharing. Before boating us over to the mainland for an epic hike, Grandma had led me through an hour of swimming followed by yoga and meditation. So far, she had told me nothing about why we were doing any of it.

"We're going to a special place. We need to pick up potion ingredients that can only be found here on the mainland. There's much more to being a sea-witch than just listening to the ocean. You possess great power Nessa, and once you learn to wield it you'll have a lot of work to do. The sooner you learn everything you need to know, the sooner you can help me with the workload. If you hadn't been such a late bloomer, you'd already be quite proficient at all this by now."

If I'd had a choice, I'd never have bloomed at all. I'd be back in Surrey with Marnie, not hiking up a mountain after my much-too-in-shape grandma. She was ancient—I didn't even know how old she was—but she was pushing ahead of me like a personal trainer and I was exhausted.

I wiped the sweat from under the rim of my hat. "Isn't there somewhere closer to the shoreline where we could get what you need?"

"Maybe," Grandma replied, "but this is the best place and I enjoy the walk."

Grinding my teeth in frustration, I contemplated picking up a rock and throwing it at the back of her head, deciding against it only when I realized I may not be able to find my way back to the boat, which we'd left tethered to a stand of pine trees, without her.

"Are we almost there?" My breath laboured as we started up another steep incline.

"It's just around this bend."

I kept my eyes on the almost non-existent path, watching for roots waiting to trip me. I was so focused on where I was stepping that I didn't notice the small, crystal clear, blue lake until we were right on top of it. "What is this place?"

"This lake has some of the purest water to be found. We'll take some of it back with us for use in spells and potions. Pure water is a key ingredient for mermaid's wine—the potion that transforms the merfolk tail to legs, allowing them to walk on land." Grandma knelt on the ground, swinging her empty backpack from her shoulders. "Copy me." Grandma leaned toward the edge of the water, mumbling under her breath. I tried to listen carefully to what she was saying, but I couldn't focus on all the mumbo jumbo. Instead, I took in the view. The lake was clear, calm, and aquamarine. It was the kind of lake I longed for during the hot days of summer. The kind of lake I wished my parents owned a cabin at. The kind of lake where I wished I'd got my first kiss—not some hidden corner in a run-down bowling alley.

"Nessa." I turned my eyes back to the task. Grandma was standing, furious. "Did you hear a single word I said?"

"Um, yeah." I grabbed my glass bottle and knelt at the edge of the water. "Majestic lake, I have... come... here today... to..."

"This is a not a joke Nessa. This is serious. Do I have to drown you again to prove it?"

"Oh come on, hiking for two hours to collect water from a mountain lake isn't magic; it's torture!" I stood, my legs aching.

"There's more to being a Neptunian than performing children's magic tricks. It's a guardianship—a responsibility. Your job."

"I'm sorry if I'm having a hard time believing all this hocus-pocus. Maybe I'd be more prepared if you hadn't abandoned me in a non-magical world when I was a child. Maybe if you'd stuck around to prepare me for this, I'd be taking it a little more seriously!" I bit my lip, afraid I'd be swallowed up by the lake.

But no water came flying at my head. Grandma only growled, her face red and tight. "I'll do this one more time, Nessa. Please pay attention." She knelt back down at the edge of the water, pulling another empty bottle from her bag. "I'll go slowly, since I know this is still new to you."

Once she was finished, I knelt down and repeated her words. "Majestic Lake, Royal Waters, I ask you now for a sacrifice: please give of your body to me, so that I may do the work of the Sea." As I lowered my hands into the water, I felt a quiet tingle pierce my skin. It wasn't painful, but it was kind of like the pain I got whenever my leg fell asleep. It felt almost as if the lake was taking something from me in return for what I took from it. That thought made me slightly uneasy.

"Good," Grandma said, once I'd filled my two bottles satisfactorily. "Let's get going." She slipped the straps of her backpack over her shoulders, heading back down the trail.

I yelled after her but she was already disappearing through the trees. "What? You mean we aren't going to rest first? What about lunch?" I stomped my foot, swinging my heavy backpack over my shoulders. "Will you please stop trying to kill me?" I yelled before running to catch up to her. Of course she wouldn't need a break; she was _wonder-witch_.

"What's this all for?" I demanded, trying to slow Grandma with words.

"What do you mean?" She picked up a gnarled, dead tree branch to use as a walking stick.

"What are sea-witches for? Where do they come from? Where do _we_ come from?"

"We come from the sea. If you're a looking for a more in depth answer than that, I can't tell you. Sea-witches have been around since the birth of humanity. We're charged with protecting the waters of Earth. There are many tales of redheaded sea-witches, but there are no concrete answers."

I stepped over a nasty tangle of tree roots. "Do you really believe that? Or do you believe that we're freaks who have some strange, unnatural powers to control water?" I didn't voice the thought I'd expressed to Caesar last night: that this was exactly what I was afraid the ghost of my father thought of me.

Grandma sighed heavily. "I'm not a freak. Neither are you. With time you'll learn that protecting the ocean, and protecting Neptunians, is the greatest work you can do in your life. You have to understand, Nessa; this gift you have is incredibly powerful. You can alter the currents of the ocean. You can change its temperature. You can cause ocean life to flourish or to die. You can change tides, purify water, create massive storm systems. You can change the entire weather structure of the planet just by influencing the water on Earth."

I moved closer to Grandma to make sure I'd heard her properly. "Wait, are you telling me that you're responsible for El Nino?"

"I'm telling you that I could be, though I would never jeopardize the Earth—or abuse my power—like that."

I leaned briefly against a tree, catching my breath for two seconds before hurrying to catch up again. "And what about the hunters, are we responsible for protecting Neptunians from them too?" We hadn't spoken of the hunter since I'd arrived home from town.

Thankfully, my words slowed Grandma down, if only infinitesimally. "Sea-witches can call on the waters to create currents and swells, disguises for islands that we would rather not have touched by those that would do us harm. We will stop at the boundary on the way back to our island. You will be able to feel the boundary trying to guide us away. Sea-witches are the only Neptunians that can create boundaries." Grandma sped up again and said no more.

Thanks to gravity, the walk down the mountain was considerably faster than the hike up. An hour later we were back at the boat. I tossed my backpack onto the deck and climbed in after it. Grandma already had the currents bubbling, ready to push us home. It was strange riding with her, and a lot quieter than when Colleen and I went to Tofino. Because of her sea-witch powers, Grandma could just ask the sea to carry us back to the island. As soon as I was on board, she revved up the currents and the ocean pulled us away from shore.

Ten minutes later, I could barely see the mainland thanks to the misty grey clouds that were rolling in from the west. I slipped into the yellow slicker I'd worn on the way out. The air was thick with moisture, and I could feel that it was about to pour any minute.

Just when I was getting excited about arriving home and taking a nice long, hot, raspberry bubble bath, Grandma stopped the boat, leaving us floating aimlessly in the water. "This is the boundary." She lifted the bench across from me, pulling out her own yellow slicker to wear. A gust of wind blew by, pulling out strands of red hair from her braid and making them fly in the wind; she looked wild.

I reached up to make sure my hat was still firmly on my head. "I don't feel anything."

Her eyebrows dropped and I shut my mouth. When I was quiet, she began again. "I set up this boundary the very day your grandfather and I bought this island. It's merely a line of very powerful current encircling our land. The boundary pushes away anyone who doesn't know about it, so that no matter how hard they try, they cannot find us."

I frowned. "So how do we get to and from the island so easily? Colleen and I have been to Tofino tons since I got here and we've never had trouble."

Grandma sat down beside me, gazing out at the sea, a haunted look crossing her face. "The boundary isn't to keep us in, it's to keep out the humans that would do us harm. You and Colleen can get to and from the islands because Colleen knows about the boundary. Without that knowledge, it would be very difficult to sense, even for a Neptunian. Her powers as a selkie allow her to speak to the currents—the ocean senses her bond to it and lets her pass when she asks. Boundaries are really meant to keep out humans, like the hunter."

I looked where Grandma was looking but I saw nothing.

"Can you feel it yet?" she turned her eyes on me just as the rain started pouring down.

The fat raindrops thwacked my yellow slicker. All I felt was incredibly cold and wet, but I knew that wasn't what Grandma wanted to hear. "What should I be feeling?"

She reached over, clasping my hands in hers. She was as cold as ice; I had to force myself not to pull away. "Close your eyes. You should feel a pull. Only the pull is not in one direction, it's in many directions all at once."

I closed my eyes. I could feel the boat rocking beneath us, swaying on the water; side-to-side and up and down. I ignored that feeling and searched for another. First I felt nausea, then, underneath the water, far below me yet all around, I felt it. It was like an elastic band stretched to its limit, full of tension and ready to snap.

"I feel it." My voice was a whisper. I was afraid of ruining the moment, of splitting the connection I'd formed with the boundary.

"Good. Now communicate with it, tell it who you are, and it will let us pass." Grandma let go of my hands. The cushion shifted beneath me as she stood. Her footsteps were soft as she made her way back to the captain's chair.

I spoke to the boundary. _I'm a sea-witch, I live on the island you protect. Please let me go home._ The tension, once thick and heavy, released.

Grandma called up the currents and drove us onward.

"Am I done yet?" I called from the back of the pantry.

Grandma had forced me to spend the rest of the afternoon taking inventory of the herbs, dried seaweed, and other strange and wonderful goodies she kept stored in the bottom, dusty section of the kitchen pantry.

"Name five herbs we store," she demanded. "You'll need to learn them all before the year is up."

I could smell my supper cooking on the stove—spaghetti Bolognese. The spice was making my mouth water. "Um, buckbean... awlwort... water smartweed... watershield and... uh, perennial kelp."

"Good enough. Next time I'll expect you to know them without reading the labels. I'll be leaving for the welcoming dinner shortly. I expect you to spend your free time wisely."

Next time? I cringed, mentally making a list of excuses I could use to get out of dusting the pantry again. I stood, dusted off my knees, and stretched.

I headed for my room, memories of my late night rendezvous with Caesar popping to mind. Since I'd woken up, all I'd seen were his pale grey eyes, chiselled cheekbones, and defined muscles. But I was also thinking about how nice he'd been. How he'd wanted to talk to me and listen. I was also thinking of him telling me I was beautiful.

He thought I was a jewel worth waiting for; as cheesy as the words were, they made me smile.

Maybe life on this island wasn't going to be as bad as I thought it was. Again, the story Colleen had told me came back to mind and I wondered if Caesar was really a good guy. Was he the kind you could rely on to never forget Valentine's and to always listen? Caesar seemed sincere when I talked to him last night, but did that mean I could trust him?

Sighing, I made my way to the desk and dug out the blank journal Mom had handed me the day I'd left Surrey. It was a deep purple book—the colour of squashed blackberries. I took it and sat on my bed with my legs crossed, my blanket pulled up around my shoulders. I'd never had a journal before. I didn't know if I wanted to start keeping one, but at this moment I didn't have many other options. Marnie couldn't know anything about my new life. Colleen hated the pirates and wouldn't even want to listen to me talk about Caesar. And Caesar... he was what I wanted to talk about. I held the book in my hands and looked out the window. I waited until I finally found some words, and then I opened the journal and wrote.

_I don't know who I am._

I sat and stared at the words. I thought of Caesar and our rendezvous last night and I added a few more.

_I used to be a good daughter. I used to have a dad that I loved. I used to have two parents that I saw every morning before I left for school. Now I'm this girl with red hair and magical powers and feelings that I don't know what to do with. I feel like I'm going to burst. But then, when I think about losing Dad, about losing my old life, I think I have already burst. But now there's Caesar. He makes me feel the best I've felt since the accident. But Colleen says I can't trust him. What am I supposed to do?_

Grandma yelled up the stairs that my dinner was on the table. I heard her leave as I put my journal away. I didn't have an answer to my question, but just writing it down had helped me feel a little bit better. A question was a place to start. Tomorrow morning was the beginning of a new year—a new me. Everything would be different. I could only hope it would be tolerable.

# Chapter 14

Monday morning was so cold it made my toes curl and burrow so deep into my duvet I didn't think I'd ever get them out. After eleven raps on the door from Grandma, however, I managed to find my toes, my well fitted, dark denims, my favourite black top with a lacy V-neck collar, and a pair of large, gold, star-shaped earrings that Marnie had given me for my birthday. I pulled my hair back into a messy, low bun and covered my head with a new black knit hat I'd bought in town with Colleen. I finished off my outfit with a bit of powder, mascara, and my favourite raspberry lip balm—a light bit of make-up that I'd had to beg Dad to let me wear last year. It was strange to not have either of my parents around for my first day of school. They'd always been there, both of them, with big goofy smiles and too-tight hugs. My eyes welled up and I let the tears come. It felt good to cry, even though thinking of being without Mom and Dad felt like trying to live without my legs.

After getting my tears under control, I fixed my mascara and then made my way downstairs for breakfast. "What's this?" I asked. On the table was a plate of pancakes, a bowl of strawberries, and a cup of whipped cream. Beside my plate was a fresh strawberry smoothie.

"A celebration feast for your first day of school. Today, you'll truly start on the path of becoming a sea-witch."

I pulled out my wooden chair and sat. "Thanks. I guess I can officially start cackling now."

Grandma was already sitting at the table, tea-cup in hand, reading an ancient-looking leather bound book. She ignored my comment. I'd eaten half a pancake when Grandma sighed and put the book down.

"Nessa, please, whatever you do today, try and embrace your nature."

I swallowed the bite of pancake in my mouth whole. "My witchiness, you mean?"

"Being a sea-witch isn't a joke—it's a privilege."

"Maybe to you."

"It'll be easier if you choose to enjoy it."

"It would be easier if I had a choice."

"This is the only choice." Grandma turned and looked over her shoulder. "Speaking of which, you'd best hurry, classes are scheduled to begin in five minutes."

I dropped my fork, letting it clatter onto my plate. "That's fine, I'm full anyway."

She picked up her book, returning to the reading she'd been doing before I'd arrived. "Come straight home after school; there'll be no socializing since you're still grounded."

I grabbed my navy blue rain jacket and new banana yellow backpack. The door banged shut behind me, her words buzzing in my ears. Grounded. How was I supposed to make friends, have fun, and maybe learn to _enjoy_ this island, if I was still grounded?

I walked through the same wet green forest I'd passed through on Saturday with Grandma. My palms began to sweat as I passed the York's house, approaching the school. I slowed down once I saw the building: a large white structure two-stories high with a one-story arm reaching out into the forest. The whole structure was shaped like a giant T. From what Colleen had told me, I knew the long rectangular wing was the school part and the two-story building contained the dorm rooms.

The classroom wing had four windows on the side I was facing, and a single door right where the one-story arm met the two-story building. I paused, looking at the door for a few moments while I dried my hands on my jeans. I took a shallow breath before walking through the entrance.

To my surprise, the door took me into a large kitchen with two long, wooden tables with benches on either side. Noise was pouring out of a doorway to my immediate left. I stepped up to it and peaked inside.

There were windows on both exterior walls and a large desk straight ahead that obviously belonged to Joanna. The rest of the room was filled with educational posters, small desks with separate chairs, and the twenty-some students.

Naturally everyone turned to look at me the moment I stepped through the door. I was floored by the variety, strangeness, and intensity of the faces staring back at me. I caught Caesar's eye first. He was sitting against the back wall in a desk beside Markus and behind Juan, the other two pirates I'd met on Saturday night. Juan and Markus were both slouching, their legs pressed forward and their butts sunk to the bottom of the chairs. Caesar caught my eye and smirked before shifting his gaze to the front of the room.

A blue flash at the front, far side of the rectangular room caught my eye. I turned my head. Four, slightly transparent, blue people wearing Romanesque robes were sitting near the front of the room, giggling. There were two girls with short, spikey blue hair, and two bald boys in their group. All of them gazed at me with wide-eyed wonder, then looked back at each other, giggling behind blue palms.

There were students of every shape and colour. There were more kids than I was expecting. I searched for Colleen, hoping to find a familiar face. Why hadn't I thought to ask her to wait outside? But just then Colleen caught my eye and waved me over to where she was sitting with Kyle. Nessa, I saved you a seat." She pointed to her right

I went over to her, grateful, and sat down in an empty desk behind a curvaceous blonde with luscious, long curly hair I'd almost kill for.

Colleen smiled. "I'm glad you made it, I was afraid that you'd refuse to come," she whispered just as her mom stepped up to the front of the room.

"Welcome, everyone," Joanna said. "Welcome to the first day of the new school year. Some of you have never been here before and are not familiar with how this school works. This is a self-guided school where we strive to prepare all of you for life in both the Neptunian world and the human one. Depending on your background, you will either be in the human studies or Neptunian studies focus group. All of you will also complete the government required homeschooling program. Each day will be a balance of independent learning and group work. We will begin with a basic background lecture and a simple test which will give me an idea of which group you should be in."

I rolled my eyes; I didn't need a test to tell me I knew nothing about the Neptunian world. I waited patiently for Joanna to hand out the exams anyway, and wrote it as required. The results didn't surprise me. By mid-morning I was in a Neptunian study focus group with all three pirates, the girl with long blonde hair, Kyle and his cousin Zeke, Colleen, and to my surprise, two green boys who looked like they were half-composed of seaweed.

"Good," Joanna said after inspecting our new seating arrangements. "Now we will have introductions. For the next hour, I'll allow you to socialize amongst yourselves. Try to spend this time learning about one another—and don't be surprised if there's another quiz after lunch. While you're talking, I'll be handing out your homeschooling packages. Don't be alarmed at the amount of work, as these packages contain all of the human government-required learning material for your respective year of study. Have fun."

Everyone immediately turned and began chatting to their nearest neighbour. Before I had a chance to move, Joanna plopped a very thick package of homework on my desk. I looked down, dismayed. I'd been hoping school on a small island would be different. I'd been hoping it meant I wouldn't get cramped fingers writing essays on subjects I'd rather forget about, but apparently it meant I'd have more work to do.

When I looked up, the blue people were standing in front of my desk.

"H-H-Hi," said one of the girls, giggling almost uncontrollably.

"Don't mind Rainbow," said the other girl. "She's a bit silly. Only likes to laugh. Doesn't like school. Not that the rest of us like school."

"I guess we have that in common: I'd rather not be in school either."

"I bet you would rather dance. We love to dance and sing." Rainbow began moving vacated desks to the side until she had a decent sized space cleared on the floor.

I shook my head emphatically. "I don't dance."

Rainbow stopped moving the desks for a moment, tilting her head and studying me instead. "Is it because you're a sea-witch? I haven't met many sea-witches."

"It's not because I'm a sea-witch. I'm sure a lot of sea-witches like to dance."

"Then you must dance with me and my sister, Dawn. We'll teach you!" Her eyes were as clear as water, so clear that I couldn't even find a pupil.

"Um...I..." I looked around the room desperately, hoping to find an excuse to get out of the dance party. There was no one. Even Joanna had disappeared.

"Come on, pretend that you're a sea nymph and dance just like us." Dawn grabbed me by the wrists and hauled me out of my seat. I stood self-consciously in the middle of the floor as the sea-nymphs—all four of them—began to dance. They pulled on my arms and hands, forcing me to dance in a circle with them.

"It will be so great having a sea-witch this year because you can warm the water for us. We'd love to have a hot-tub party. We love cold water but we love hot water too," Rainbow said. "Except for Cloud, he only likes hot water."

"Sometimes I don't mind the cold," said the taller of the two boys.

"Well you might have to put up with cold water for a while longer," I said, holding onto my elbow with one of my hands, to deter the sea nymphs from tossing me about as a dancing partner. "I have to concentrate really hard to heat even small amounts of water—and it almost always gives me a headache."

"Maybe it won't give you a headache if you do it for us!" Rainbow—or was it Dawn—said excitedly.

"Maybe," I said, because I had a feeling that arguing with the sea nymphs wouldn't get me anywhere. I gave in and danced with them, even though the only music we had were the silly songs the boys were singing, which were mostly about bright blue water, tasty fish, and the shining sun.

"Time to circulate!" The blonde girl I'd been sitting behind for the first half of the morning barged into the middle of the dancing circle, guiding me back to my desk. I smiled gratefully as we sat down. The sea nymphs continued to dance and sing in the middle of the room, their school exercises forgotten as they drifted into their own world.

"They're quite something aren't they?" The blonde girl had the most beautiful voice I'd ever heard.

"Who?"

"The sea nymphs. They're always up for a good time. We had a few of them in my hometown. They always threw the wildest parties. I'm Amynta."

"I'm Nessa, a redheaded sea-witch who knows nothing about the Neptunian world."

"Don't worry, you'll catch on quick. I love your earrings by the way." She leaned over and touched the one on my left ear, closest to her.

"Thanks. My friend bought them for me for my birthday. Your earrings are cool too."

Amynta smiled brightly and brushed her long blonde hair over her shoulder so I could see one of them better. They were long and silver with a sparkling white crystal hanging on the end. "I'm glad you like them. Do you like fashion?"

"Yes, of course. I'm dying out here, there isn't a mall for miles."

"I'm so glad you said that. I was worried there wouldn't be anyone who liked to shop here. I love fashion. You should sit with me at lunch. I brought copies of my favourite Italian fashion magazines."

"You're Italian?"

She shook her head, releasing more of her beautiful laughter. "No. I'm Greek. I'm a siren."

"Greek? But you don't even have an accent."

"Right, you're new. Sirens don't have accents. Whatever language you speak, you hear me speak. I could speak to you and someone who only speaks Spanish at the same time and you would both understand me perfectly."

"That must make for great traveling. What made you want to come to school here?"

She shrugged. "Back home there are a lot of sirens, and sirens don't do well when crowded together. We're kind of territorial, I guess. Coming here was a way for me to see the world—and to be one of a kind. As for choosing Canada, let's just say there aren't a lot of schools my mom would have approved of. I guess her and Shannon are friends from way back." She smiled at me. Her green eyes flashed and in the light I could see the kind of wild, excited look people always had before they rode a rollercoaster.

"Are there any sea-witches in Greece?" I watched Amynta anxiously.

"A few." She tilted her head, watching as Joanna came back into the room and gently scolded the sea nymphs for not getting to know the other students. "Most of the sea-witches keep to themselves. They're fairly rare, you know. And they have a lot of work to do."

That didn't bode well for my future. "What about sirens? Do you, like, get normal jobs or do you do something Neptunian?"

Amynta laughed. "Normal jobs? Most sirens haven't worked a day in their life. The good part about being a siren is that you can compel others to do all of your work for you. Hence the territorial bit; if a bunch of sirens are trying to get work done in the same area it can get really competitive. But, these days, the other Neptunians are trying to get us on the straight and narrow, keeping us from compelling humans and all that." Amynta narrowed her eyes. "I haven't made up my mind if I agree with that or not."

Amynta moved on before I was sure what I thought of her. I watched as she sashayed her way over to Markus, flashing him a bright smile as she sat down. He leaned toward her, obviously interested. I wondered if perhaps she was compelling him. I looked up as one of the many dark haired, dark eyed students sat down beside me.

"We wish to know you," she said, nodding politely.

"We?" I asked. There was no one else with her.

"Myself, I'm Shia, and them," she nodded in the direction of a cluster of five other students, all of which had the same dark hair and eyes. All five of them stared at me from across the room but didn't bother to come any closer

"Aren't they going to come over here and introduce themselves?"

Shia shook her head quickly back and forth. "No. They're first years. They're too shy. Merfolk aren't used to speaking out of the water. This is my second year here so I'm much more comfortable with human speech. Am I doing good?" She looked at me with eager eyes, a shy smile on her lips. Her eyes appeared to be just a bit too far apart, and her chin was narrow and pointy. But her creamy pale skin and her beautiful long, dark, wavy hair and round curves made her beautiful in an otherworldly sort of way.

"You're doing well. I can understand you just fine."

"Tell us about you," she said with a formal nod of her head. "Don't worry about the others, they can experience this conversation just as I am. Merfolk have a psychic connection to one another."

I shot a wary glance at the five merfolk on the far side of the room. They continued to stare at me. Each one of them was different: some had short hair, some had long hair, some had short noses and others had long noses, some were girls and some were boys, but they all had wide set eyes and pointy chins, and they all blinked in sync. The only one of the merfolk who appeared independent was Shia.

"I'm Nessa. I'm a sea-witch." I turned my gaze back to Shia. She was wearing a purple tank top that was the exact shade of violet lilacs in spring, and pair of skinny-legged jeans. I glanced back at the other merfolk who were all dressed in plain t-shirts and regular jeans. "Why do they keep staring at me like that?"

Shia tilted her head so far to the left I thought it would fall off. She blinked at me. "What do you mean?"

"The other ones, they all look at me at the same time, and move at the same time. It's... unsettling."

"Oh," Shia's eyes widened. "They're from the same pod. They're in sync with each other. They can think as one."

"Pod?" I asked, no less confused.

"They're brother and sister born from the same pod of eggs at precisely the same time. Merfolk are born this way, in small schools."

"Do you have brothers and sisters here too?" I looked around the room but I saw no one moving in sync with Shia.

She bowed her head. "No, I do not. Unfortunately, I was the only one born at my time and have no one to be in sync with. But I can communicate with the other merfolk psychically, and talk to them silently."

"Can you read my mind?" I was afraid she would say yes, and instantly tried to shut off my thoughts, especially the ones about Caesar and how good he looked sitting at the front of the room in a grey sweater and worn-in jeans.

"No. Merfolk can only communicate this way with other merfolk, not to other Neptunians, unless we're speaking through the ocean. Maybe one day we will show you. But for now I must go, there are others we must meet." Shia nodded gracefully to me, and then stood, leaving a vacancy beside me. Almost immediately, one of the green, seaweed-covered boys approached me.

"Hi," I said. The... being, for lack of a better word, stared at me. His large dark green eyes were steady. His head was tilted to the left so he could run his fingers through the long, seaweed like tentacles that sprouted from his scalp. I'd never seen such an interesting, and... strange... creature before. His skin was rough, tinted the colour of green algae. He was fairly small, and the longer I looked the more human details I could see. Once I was no longer distracted by the green hair and skin, which I initially thought was covered in pimples, but now saw was covered in small barnacles, I could see that the creature was just a teenager, like me, only male.

"You're a sea-witch?" His voice was low and gravelly, which surprised me since he didn't look big enough to have such a voice.

I nodded. "That's right, I'm Nessa. And I'm not a very good sea-witch."

The boy nodded. "I'm Telmath, and that is my brother, Paket." He indicated to a similar looking boy who stood on the far side of the room talking with one of the gigantic Tiderunners.

"It's nice to meet you." I didn't know if I meant it, but I said it anyway. I felt out of sorts, and suddenly wished I was back with my friends in Surrey, beginning my normal school year, giggling with Marnie, and partaking in our first-day-of-school-ice-cream tradition. "So, uh, where are you from?"

Telmath blinked. "You do not know our kind?" I looked at him closely, hoping for a clue: he was wearing loose fitting jeans and a T-shirt with an anime print.

I rubbed the back of my neck, embarrassed by my lack of knowledge. "I don't know if you've heard, but I'm pretty new to the Neptunian world. I only found out I was a sea-witch two weeks ago."

"That's strange. Sea-witches are born. Like us, vodiani."

"That's what you are, vodiani?"

Telmath gestured at his brother. "We are harvesters of seaweed and algae. We come from the coast of Japan, but our kind have farms all over. Many are afraid of us. Are you afraid of us?"

I shook my head. "No." Maybe I didn't know enough about the vodiani to be afraid, but the boy looked nice—if a little green. "We're classmates, so we'll be friends. Maybe you can tell me about Japan sometime."

"Good. Father says it is always good to be friends with a sea-witch." Telmath smiled at me, and I smiled back. I hoped he couldn't tell that I felt uneasy in his presence. I didn't want to hurt his feelings, but meeting so many creatures that I never would have believed existed a couple of weeks ago was unsettling. Telmath nodded at me once politely before taking his leave. I was relieved when the next person to approach me was Caesar.

"Good first day?" He sat down backward in the desk in front of mine and leaned forward, resting an elbow on my pile of schoolwork.

"I'm not sure about good. Those..." I lowered my voice in case they had super hearing. "Vodiani just asked me if I'm afraid of them. Should I be afraid of them?"

Caesar crooked his mouth to the side, giving me a sly smile. "If you need advice and a shoulder to lean on, I'm all yours."

I had to fight my own biology to prevent myself from drooling over Caesar's broad shoulders and glinting eyes. "I'm okay with getting advice from a distance."

He shrugged, then smiling devilishly he said, "It's your choice, but just so you know, you're missing out."

I rolled my eyes. "Well, if I am—and I mean _if_ —I'll come begging for forgiveness once I know better. For now, can you just tell me what's up with them?" I glanced around quickly, trying to find Colleen to judge her reaction to my talking with Caesar, but she was busy speaking to the sea nymphs.

"What will you give me if I share my vodiani secrets?" Caesar reached out for my hand, which I quickly pulled off the table.

"Why don't you just tell me out of the goodness of your heart?"

Caesar laughed, his grey eyes glinting silver. "Because it would be nice if you wanted to share something with me. You could tell me something about yourself. Information for information."

I looked at Caesar, taking in his smooth skin, and the soft look of his dark, wavy hair. He made me melt with his warm and flirtatious smile. I didn't understand how Colleen could remain angry with him for so long. I was definitely struggling. "I'm really craving ice cream. It's kind of a back to school tradition for me. But I can't get any on the island and I'm grounded. Now spill."

"Ice cream. I love ice cream. You know –"

"Tell me about the vodiani." I almost laughed at the seductive smile on Caesar's face. The charm he was laying on was as thick as syrup, and he knew it. But it was almost irresistible. "And maybe—maybe—I will consider having ice cream with you one day."

The smile on his face exploded like a shaken can of pop. "Finally the jewel begins to shine."

"Enough with the cheese, I only said maybe. Now tell me what I need to know."

Caesar's smile didn't fade, and I wondered just what saying maybe had gotten me into. "The vodiani must be respected. Never, _ever_ , show them any type of disrespect: don't raise your voice, don't ignore them, don't ever pick seaweed from their garden, and be as overly polite and friendly as you can." I looked at the vodiani who were talking to Colleen and the sea nymphs. Dawn was showering the vodiani brothers with smiles. Obviously, some of what Caesar was saying had to be the truth.

"What happens if I don't? What happens if I get mad at them or something?"

Caesar shook his head. "Don't ever get mad at them, because if you piss them off, they'll kill you."

# Chapter 15

The kitchen was loud. Students clamoured around the countertops, filling plates with seaweed and sushi. I looked at the bright green—almost florescent salad—with trepidation, but seeing everyone else taking some and gobbling it up, I decided to take some too. I didn't want to appear rude, and I was certainly sick of being the new girl. One morning of it was enough and I still had half a day to go.

I took six pieces California roll—the only type of sushi I ate. There were also large slices of raw fish. I took a small piece of salmon because it appeared to be popular. There was no time like the present to get used to eating raw fish, especially since not eating it would make me look like an outsider.

"You're being brave today!" Colleen bumped up next to me in the line. Her plate was loaded with raw pink salmon. "The salad's delicious, you'll love it. The vodiani made if from their own garden." I looked over my shoulder at the vodiani. Both Telmath and Paket were already deftly consuming their lunch with chopsticks.

"Come sit with us." Colleen headed for the side of the room closest to the door. I caught site of Caesar as we walked past. He was sitting with Shia. My grip tightened on my lunch tray.

"How was your summer? You must tell me more crazy stories. It's been so long since I've seen you." Shia's arm was pressed up against Caesar's.

"Did I tell you the one about the hundred foot wave and the spaghetti yet?" Caesar said before I stepped out of hearing range. I pushed the pirate from my mind and focused on what Colleen was saying.

"I always sit with Kyle and Zeke for lunch." Colleen set her plate on the long wooden table, sitting down across from the two orcies. I sat down across from Colleen and next to Zeke, whom I'd met briefly during the introduction period earlier.

"Not used to the raw fish yet, I see," Zeke said, his broad face friendly.

I tried not to blush, but felt my cheeks warm. "No, but I'm trying. I have a feeling there are a lot of things around here I'll have to get used to."

"You should come swimming with us later." Colleen stuffed a piece of sushi into her mouth, which pushed out her cheeks.

"Can't," I managed to say between bites. "I'm still grounded. Which is completely unfair considering you're allowed out." I was pleasantly surprised at the taste of the seaweed salad. It was salty and nicely spiced, the texture, however, was bit slimier then I preferred.

"Mom said that since I'd never done anything like that until I met you, that she'd unground me if I promised to seriously consider your future suggestions before getting pulled out with the tide."

Now I was the bad kid? That was hardly fair. Joanna didn't even know me. "Lucky you. You get freedom and I get to go home and take more lessons. Yay."

"Shannon has to let you off grounding soon. It's the annual camping trip this weekend—there's no way she'd make you miss that." Colleen looked at me with luminous eyes.

"Maybe, but I wouldn't count on it." I poked the inside out of one of my pieces of sushi.

"Hi, mind if I sit here?" Amynta appeared at my right, a glossy magazine in her hand.

"Sure, but don't you want to grab some food first?"

She shook her head. "I already ate with Markus. The pirates are all going outside to do something. Not sure what it is, they didn't really say. I just thought it was a good time to bring these over."

Out the corner of my eye I noticed Colleen tense. After what happened last year, I couldn't blame her. Kyle reached over, giving her hand a quick squeeze. Colleen smiled briefly at him.

"Of course, sit down." I waved at the empty spot on the bench.

"Have you seen this?" Amynta opened her magazine to an earmarked page halfway through. A gorgeous advertisement for a very beautiful dress stared back at me. I forgot all about my food and used my finger to trace the lines on the page.

"No, but it's beautiful. Who designed it?"

Amynta flipped a few more pages, showing me some more dresses, shoes, and shirts. I would have swam a thousand miles to own the clothes in those magazines. Something I daydreamed about through my afternoon of classes.

Around two o'clock Grandma appeared. She smiled politely at Joanna, who wrapped up our brief discussion about Seatongue—a language we would be learning tomorrow—and then stepped aside.

"Good afternoon." Grandma clasped her hands in front of her waist, looking over the tops of the glasses she only wore for reading. My classmates sat up straight, watching her with interest. I slouched in my seat, pulling out my blue pen. I found an empty page in my notebook and began doodling. Listening to Grandma at home was hard enough. I didn't want to listen to her here, too.

"I'm Shannon O'Shea, the owner of this school and a member of the Pacific North-East Council. I'm also a part-time instructor here, though you will see me much less than you will see Joanna York or Mira Tiderunner." I perked up at this. We hadn't met anyone named Mira yet, but from her name I knew she would be an orcie and somehow related to Kyle.

"Before we start the next demonstration, I'd like to warn you all that we believe a hunter has been spotted in the human town on the main island. Obviously, students are not allowed to travel to the mainland without permission, but I just want to stress how important it is to remain here, to remain unseen, at least until the hunter moves on or is dealt with. Now, on to the fun stuff."

Grandma reached into the bag she'd brought with her—the same carpet bag she'd had on the ferry a few weeks ago—and pulled out three long, thin vials. Each was filled with a different colour of liquid.

"I've brought three transformation potions here this afternoon. Joanna and I thought it would be a good idea to go outside, enjoy some of this beautiful weather, and do some Neptunian transformation demonstrations." Grandma turned her back to us, heading for the door. Were we supposed to follow her?

"Come on, come on." She waved her hands impatiently.

In single file, we headed out of the classroom, into the kitchen, and then into the sparkling green forest. We turned left, following a short, wood chip covered path to a rocky cliff. Then we turned to the right, following the cliff as it rolled downward, ending in a very small, rocky beach.

Grandma turned at the water's edge, facing us as we formed a semi-circle around her, our backs to the tall pine trees. Joanna stood to the left, watching the pirates who were the last to get in line. Caesar caught my eye and smiled. I felt the corner of my mouth curling up but was stopped when Grandma cleared her throat, grasping my attention like an Atlantic gale.

"Alright, I could use three volunteers: one of the merfolk, one sea nymph, and one vodiani." Shia, Telmath—the vodiani I'd spoken to earlier—and one of the sea nymphs, stepped forward quickly. Grandma handed each of them a vial. Shia took a purple one that matched the colour of her purple tank top. The sea-nymph took a clear one. Telmath took a brown one that looked disgustingly chunky. Grandma whispered something to all three volunteers. They nodded in response.

"Shia has kindly agreed to demonstrate first," Grandma announced. She peaked over her shoulder and Shia nodded. "Shia is of the merfolk. As a female of her species, she can also be called a mermaid, whereas the male would be called a merman. The natural form of the merfolk is that of a humanoid upper, and a scaled, fish-like lower half." Grandma stepped to the side, indicating to Shia, who turned and dove into the water, fully clothed. Her head emerged again two seconds later. She threw her pants up on shore, and then she submerged again, leaving everyone in silent expectation. She leapt out of the water twenty feet away. Her mane of dark, curly hair flew through the air, followed by her bare, pale arms, and a long turquoise tail that glittered in the sun like a sequinned dress at a New Year's party.

I tried not to gasp, or show any outward sign that I was completely floored by this exhibit. I was looking at a real live mermaid—and she was beautiful.

"Merfolk," Grandma continued, "Can only walk on land with the help of a sea-witch. In order to gain human form, merfolk must drink a potion called mermaid's wine, brewed by a sea-witch."

Shia swam back toward the shore, pulling herself up on the rocks so that we could see her tail. I could tell it was hard for her to be out of the water. Her face was red and her breath was laboured, as if the air was choking her. Shia held up the vial for us all to see before popping the cork off the top. She took a small swallow. Before my eyes, her tale changed colour, shrank, and separated into two distinct halves, transforming into human legs. She smiled at us all, tugged her long tank top lower.

"My turn," called the sea nymph. I was unsure if it was Dawn or Rainbow. I had just enough time to turn toward her blue, white-sheet clad form before she exploded into a shower of water.

"Eek!" I jumped, startled, and then looked around for her.

"Newb," I heard someone near me mutter—though I couldn't tell who. A few others laughed quietly. My cheeks flushed. Was I ever going to stop looking like an idiot?

"Rainbow." Someone called. "Rainbow stop kidding around."

A giggle came from the rocks beneath my feet. I glanced down, noticing a small puddle of water that hadn't been there before. Slowly, the puddle grew, rising upward until it was standing in front of me. It was the shape of person, but still made of one hundred percent water, and completely transparent.

"I couldn't help it. Did you see how surprised she was?" The water person—Rainbow—laughed again, stepping away from me, making her way back into the robe she'd left crumpled on the ground. She slipped it back on.

"Sea nymphs," Grandma said, "Have three forms. This insubstantial form, when the sea nymph is water, is the natural form. The second form can be obtained with just a small swallow of opacity draught."

Rainbow held up a vial, opened it, and barely touched it to her lips. Her transparent body darkened and milliseconds later she was the same opaque blue form that all the other sea nymphs were. I could now make out all the regular facial features of a human. She looked at me with her jewel blue eyes and smiled.

"The third form of a sea nymph is a full humanoid transformation, which can be achieved by taking a full vial of the potion."

Rainbow giggled and slammed back the rest of the clear liquid. Her pale blue body was replaced with an olive skinned one, which could fit in at any high school in the country. In this form, I could really make out Rainbow's personality. She had short white hair that had blue tips, which she wore spiked to its full two-inch length. She still had clear blue eyes, but she also had dark black eyebrows that arched mischievously.

"Thank you, Rainbow. You may change back to your regular form if you wish." Grandma moved toward Telmath.

"Nah, I kind of like this one." Rainbow skipped over to her sea nymph friends.

Grandma waited for everyone to settle down before beginning again. "Last, but not least, we have the vodiani. The true form of a vodiani is not shown in public, but this form," Grandma indicated at Telmath who was still the green-tinged, seaweed and barnacle-covered boy I'd met earlier, "Is the form most often chosen to be worn for interactions with other Neptunians. The vodiani can also take on a completely human appearance for a very short while, in order to interact with regular humans. If you don't mind, Telmath." Grandma inclined her head to him, very politely. With the stern expression the vodiani seemed to favour, Telmath drank his brown potion.

He coughed after finishing it. I imagined it tasted just as awful as it looked. Maybe even worse, I thought, catching a whiff of fermented fish and sewage. Slowly, much more slowly than the merfolk or sea nymph transformation, Telmath's skin became a pale tan, and his long seaweed hair fell off, turning to a short, black haircut. In this form, I could definitely make out his Japanese heritage. He proudly looked at the class, his head held high.

"One reason vodiani don't like taking this form is because each time it is taken we loose our hair." Telmath reach up with one unblemished human hand, brushing it over his head. "Hair is important to the vodiani, and we like to have long tendrils. But sometimes it is necessary that one must make the sacrifice in order to do work which will benefit our people."

Grandma inclined her head to Telmath. "I thank you for your sacrifice." She turned back to the rest of us. "All other transformations in the Neptunian world are voluntary and can be done at will, such as those of selkies and orcies. Of course, there are those Neptunian beings that cannot shapeshift at all, including pirates, sirens, and sea-witches. But I do think that's enough work for today. I believe Joanna mentioned something about a cake waiting for you all back at the dormitory kitchen."

I turned my head toward Grandma. To my disappointment, she shook her head, which meant the cake was waiting for everyone but me. Sighing, I turned toward the school, where I need to return to pick up my backpack and mountain of homework.

"Nessa," someone called. "Nessa."

I looked to my left and saw Rainbow—still in her spikey-haired human form, coming toward me.

"I just wanted to say sorry," she said. "My sister Dawn said that I made you blush. I didn't mean to."

I shook my head, sure I was blushing again. "It's alright, I'm just not used to all of this."

Rainbow crinkled her eyes. "That's so silly. You're a sea-witch; you should know everything. But I suppose you did grow up with humans. Don't worry, you'll be one of us eventually." She giggled and took off, joining some of the others in a race back to the dorms.

I bit my lip. One of us. Rainbow had gotten it right; I wasn't one of them but I wasn't human anymore either. So what exactly was I?

"So, are you coming to the party? I hear there'll be ice cream." Caesar sidled up next to me, standing so close his arm brushed mine. I tried to move away in order to calm the overwhelming urge to press closer to him. Why did he have to smell so good and look so comfortable?

"I would love too, but I can't. I'm grounded." I walked into the dormitory kitchen and then turned left into the classroom.

"Grounded? Because you didn't want to have dinner with us on Saturday? I'll tell Shannon that it didn't bother me if that will get your punishment dropped." Caesar followed me to my desk , grabbing his own books from his.

I shrugged, trying to mask my disappointment. Chocolate cake and ice cream would have been a decent end to a tiring day. "There's nothing I can do. Maybe if I'm lucky and act like a good sea-witch, Grandma will let me attend the First Day Back Celebration next year."

"Caesar!" Shia bounced up to his side before he could respond. Caesar looked over his left shoulder at her and smiled. She said, "Come and sit by me!"

"Sure, Shia, I'll be right there." Caesar nodded toward the door and Shia bounced back out of the classroom. I say bounced because every part of her curvaceous body jiggled up and down like she was on a trampoline.

"I'll see you later," I muttered, turning and walking out of the classroom and the building before I had to spend any more time talking to Caesar, or before I began thinking about how he was going to stare at Shia all night, eat cake with her, and enjoy her company.

Rain clouds were beginning to close in on the island again as I began my walk home. It grew cool as the sun disappeared. In September, it was still hot back in Surrey. Why couldn't I be there, hanging out in the sunshine with my friends?

"Nessa!" I turned at the sound of a voice. Caesar was running through the vibrant green forest, carrying a small coffee mug in his hand. He reached me, not even panting from his short jog.

"I, uh, brought you some ice cream."

"Seriously?" I glanced down into the cup and saw vanilla ice cream with fresh cut strawberries. My mouth watered. "This isn't a trick or something, is it?" I thought of the hazing Colleen had received last year and looked over my right shoulder for a net, or a camera, or some other contraption that could humiliate and embarrass me. Other than Caesar, the forest was empty. "It's not poisoned or covered in ex-lax or something, is it?"

Caesar raised an eyebrow and looked at me like I was crazy. "Why would I poison such a pretty sea-witch?"

"You're so–"

"Sweet?" Caesar didn't look at me when he said it, he looked to the left, off into the woods, but I could still see a bit of red on the edge of his cheekbone. "I just wanted to make you smile. You've been scowling all day. I thought your facial muscles could use a break. Besides, I'd like you to be at next year's welcoming party, and I figured a little bribe might help."

I looked at the ice cream and felt the smile form on my face. It wasn't my traditional scoop with Marnie; it was better. "Well, thanks. But this changes nothing you know."

"It will. Eventually. Just wait." Caesar gave me a wink. "Look, I have to get back. I promised Shia I'd teach her how to play poker."

"Oh. Okay. Have fun." I watched wordlessly as Caesar turned, running back to the dorms. I'd never had a handsome pirate bring me ice cream before... and I hoped this wasn't going to be the last time either. Somehow, I needed to get Colleen to forgive Caesar.

When I arrived home—the ice cream already gone—I headed into the computer room hoping to have received an email from Marnie. I logged into my account and was thrilled to see that she'd been thinking about me today—in the middle of her third period computer class according to the time stamp.

_Nessa! What the heck? You don't call me or email me for days and then all I get is some crazy short email about how your grandma's crazy and your new life sucks. What happened to the girl who always made me laugh and knows how to have fun? The island doesn't have to be cool Nessa, because you are. Make your own fun._

_I know you're hurting and it totally sucks being stuck on some island in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, but that doesn't mean you won't make it back to civilization sooner or later. And when you do, you won't want to be crazy. So forget about the witch-thing and just pretend everything is normal. Pick up a magazine, steal your grandma's boat, and go to town to buy some chocolate and a cute top. Watch a good chicks-kick-butt movie, and just go back to being my insanely awesome NORMAL best-friend. Because that's who you are. I know it. And I know you can make it through whatever your grandma, mom, and crazy new classmates put you through. Because we'll eventually hang out together again (most likely Christmas—you'd better not make me wait longer than Christmas). But even if we have to wait two years for University, I'll still be here for you. FYI—I'm still planning on going to the University of British Columbia to become some classy, high-priced lawyer—so you'd better go there too!_

_Your super-best-friend,_

_Marnie_

Her name, as always, was written in a curly pink script. A practice she would have to drop if she really wanted to become a fancy, high-priced lawyer.

I sighed, pushing the mouse back and forth on the pad, debating whether or not I wanted to write Marnie back after reading her email. I wasn't sure how I felt about it. She thought I was losing it—or joking. Her advice would be great if I was crazy, but I wasn't. I was completely sane. I was a sea-witch. And I couldn't just forget about the witch-thing and... a gust of warm air rushed out from my lungs. And I didn't want to. But I didn't want to be stuck at home without any friends either.

I heard the door open and close, which meant Grandma was home. Without writing Marnie back, I powered down the computer. I curled my fingers, working up the courage to beg Grandma to let me go to the First Day Back Celebration. Just as I was pushing the chair back in under the desk, the phone rang. I ran out into the kitchen, hoping it was Marnie calling to talk. Grandma beat me to the phone. She waved me off with one of her tanned hands, picking up the receiver with the other.

"Hello?.. Oh, Marie."

Mom. I froze, debating between demanding the phone, my mom, and my old life, and running upstairs and hiding under my comforter, away from all the pain she'd already caused me.

"She what? Oh. I see. Yes, I'll tell her that you paid the balance and that the card is only for emergencies." Grandma turned and looked at me with her stern sea-green eyes. I cringed, moving closer to the wall. There was no way she'd let me go to the party now. She waited while Mom said more. She nodded. "Yes. That sounds acceptable. I can give her an allowance to spend on a weekly basis—although right now she won't be spending much of anything as she's busy with her studies." Fixing me with another stern look, she ripped away all lingering hope I had of hanging out with the other students tonight.

Slowly, I backed out of the kitchen, faintly hoping that Mom would ask to speak to me.

"No. Yes, I think she'll fit in fine here if she gives it time... Alright then, goodbye."

"Wait." I stepped back into the room. "I want to talk to her."

Grandma looked at me, considering my request. "Nessa would like to talk to you... Alright." She handed me the receiver. My heart rumbled in my chest. I hadn't spoken to Mom since leaving Surrey.

"Hi Mom. How are things?"

"Hi, Nessa. It's good to hear your voice."

Tears welled in my eyes. I twisted the phone cord around my pointer finger. "Yours too. Are you still... you know... Are you still at that place?"

"For a few more weeks." I could hear the sigh at the end of her sentence. She sounded tired. I felt like an idiot. I thought she'd be excited to speak to me, that she'd sound happy, but she still sounded like she had after Dad had died: like her spirits were completely obliterated.

"I started school today. Learnt some really, really cool things. It's too bad you aren't here."

"Maybe I'll be able to make it out next summer."

My stomach dropped like I'd just swallowed a bag of sand. "Next summer? But that's so long. Won't I be home by then? I was thinking Christmas would be a good time to come back to Surrey. You know, classes will be done. It's mid-year..."

"Nessa, I love you, you know I do. But I have a lot to figure out. And you sounded so happy just now, talking about school. Your grandma assures me you're fitting in just fine. I'll come see you as soon as I can. I promise. I have to go. They're about to serve dinner. I love you, Sweetheart."

"Yeah, love you too." I hung up the phone. I knew she was sick, but I'd been sure she'd want me to come home soon. My body felt like it was expanding like a balloon.

I ran upstairs to my bedroom, burying myself in bed before I burst. The tears poured out and kept coming. Blindly, I reached over to my nightstand and found my iPod, plugging it into my ears, turning the volume to max. I didn't care if I damaged my hearing; apparently nobody else did either. I grabbed my vampire novel and began reading. The less I had to think about my life right now, the better.

# Chapter 16

Tuesday brought with it a whole new day of failure. The morning was a slow lesson on Trade—apparently most Neptunian culture didn't use money but traded goods instead. Trade was followed by an even more boring hour spent on sailing and nautical terminology. By lunch I was ready to swim back to Vancouver, but a delicious smelling chicken pot pie and more fashion magazine's brought by Amynta cheered me up. The afternoon, however, sunk me back down.

"No, that's all wrong. It's _Oi Ssh ho ay_. Not, _Oi Ssh uh ay_ ," Colleen said, trying without success to improve my Seatongue. She tucked her loose dark hair behind her ear. "May Sea carry you, _Oi Ssh ho ay_. You keep saying, _Oi Ssh uh ay_. May Sea break you. That's an insult. You can't say it that way."

I pursed my lips, trying not to let my failure get to me. I was _not_ good at speaking Seatongue. I saw no reason why I should have to learn it—the only place it was used was at meetings of the Neptunian Government—and I never planned to become a politician. Ever. "Can't we just pretend I got it right? I'm awful at Seatongue. You, however, sound like you've been doing it all your life." I gave Colleen a pleading look before glancing around the room at my other classmates.

Everyone had been forced to pick a partner for oral recitation. I'd immediately picked Colleen, and I was glad I had, because everyone else was so good at Neptunian that I'd have felt even worse if I'd had to recite the language in front of someone I didn't know.

Colleen recited it again, " _Oi Ssh ho ay_."

" _Oi Sssh-h hay_."

"Closer. Try it one more time."

I blew away a strand of hair hanging in my eyes. I prepared to try again when I heard Shia burst out in laughter.

She had asked Caesar to be her partner, after I'd already asked Colleen to be mine. Once I saw them working together, I almost regretted my choice. Caesar was giving Shia a smouldering look and saying something in Seatongue that I had no hope of understanding. Turning away from them, I saw Colleen was staring at them too. "What's he saying?" I asked her.

She turned back to me, shrugging. "Probably something about going to his room later. Typical pirate stuff."

"Oh." My stomach clenched. Heat stung my cheeks. Colleen had only said probably—maybe she didn't really know. Besides, it wasn't like I'd given Caesar the impression that I liked him. Up until today, I'd thought I'd be going home eventually. Now it felt like Mom was glad I was gone. Maybe it would be easier if I made a life here. If I found real friends. A real boyfriend.

" _Oi Ssh ho ay_. May Sea carry you." Colleen nodded at the lines on her paper as she read them. " _Ay Foosh_? Are you well? How does that sound?"

"Great." I tried to smile at her. She sounded just like Mira Tiderunner—Kyle's aunt and our Seatongue teacher—had earlier. "You sound perfect." Colleen read what I needed to say. I repeated after her with no success. After failing the practice quiz on Neptunian Trade this morning, practicing Seatongue was hardly a confidence booster. I dropped lower in my seat, glancing over at Shia and Caesar again. Their Seatongue conversation sounded perfect. It was official: I was the stupidest Neptunian of all time.

No one brought me ice cream on my walk home from school. I kicked the dirt, frustrated with my inability to pick up Seatongue and the humiliation I'd faced when I'd had to recite, "Hello, how are you?" in front of the entire class and ended up telling them, "May Sea break you, hope you're sick." Not a very good day.

This morning I'd been planning to talk to Caesar today. I wanted to get to know him a bit better. I _needed_ to know if he was as bad as Colleen said he was, or if he was the good guy he seemed to be. I had a major crush on him, and the fact that I hadn't spoken to him once today was killing me. Not that he'd tried to talk to me either; he'd been too busy hanging out with Shia and his pirate buddies.

I ripped open the back door of the house, determined to wallow by the fire with a book and a blanket, but was blocked by Grandma before I could even step inside.

"You're late."

"I'm not late. School only let out a few minutes ago."

"Ten minutes ago, and I know it only takes five minutes to walk from the school to this house."

I glared up at her stern face. I wasn't going to confess to spending an extra five minutes talking to Amynta at the end of the day. I should be allowed to have some kind of life. Why was she being so hard on me? Oh right, she wasn't human; she was a witch. "Maybe I don't walk as fast as you."

"Then you'll have to learn to walk faster. Come on, it's time for your lessons. You may want to put your swim suit on." Grandma turned on her heal, walking toward the front door.

I chased after her. "Why do I need my swimsuit?"

"Because today you're going to learn to walk on water—and to keep yourself dry. But if this lesson is anything like your other lessons, it'll take you a while to master."

I dropped my backpack loudly on the floor. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Feel free to prove me wrong."

I raised my eyebrows. Maybe I would prove her wrong—after putting on my swimsuit.

When I stepped outside, she was standing on the waves. Well, not the waves exactly, but on a calm circle of water that the waves moved around. I walked to the edge of the beach, toes tingling. "What do I do?"

Grandma walked in a slow circle. The water beneath her didn't move. "You need to focus—really focus. Think of the surface of the water becoming hard and calm underneath your feet—like an extension of the beach. Then step onto the surface."

Closing my eyes, I did as she asked. I walked forward blindly, crossing my fingers and hoping I didn't trip. I shrieked when the icy water swallowed up my feet, my eyes opening automatically.

"Try again." Grandma undid her braid and let her long red hair fly on the breeze.

Grimacing, I backed up. She was right, this was going to be a long lesson. How was I going to walk on water—and learn to keep myself dry—in one night? It had taken me three hours to learn to move water in and out of a glass. If I progressed at the same rate with this exercise, I'd be here for weeks. I turned around and headed straight for the red door of the house. Practising something I was useless at was not what I felt like doing right now.

Three steps from the edge of the beach a wall of water rushed up to surround me. "Where do you think you're going?"

My heart raced. The wall of water had appeared so fast that I'd barely seen it move—it was more like it was suddenly there. "I'm tired—and I don't feel like wasting time trying to learn something I'll just fail at."

"Unless you're planning on never returning to Surrey again, you'll practice until I say we're done."

I gritted my teeth. _Could she really keep me a prisoner forever? Surely, Colleen would help me escape._ "Fine. But if this exercise kills me, I'll expect an apology at my funeral."

Two hours later, I was successfully standing on the water. The bottoms of my feet were completely dry. It was the first time I'd gotten out this far, to the end of the dock, but not the first time I'd walked on water. Earlier, I'd managed to get as far as two steps out before crashing through the surface to my knees. "I'm getting better!" I bragged just as I heard a rustle from the bushes beside the house.

Grandma turned. "Hello, boys."

Caesar, Markus, and Juan walked out onto the beach. I lowered my arms, trying to figure out the best way to look cool before Caesar saw me.

"Agh!" I screamed, splashing down through the water, sinking all the way to the bottom. I came up sputtering and wet.

The pirates laughed.

"Remember Nessa, a sea-witch has to learn to ignore distractions. You might as well come out of there and try again. I think you still have a couple of hours of practice yet. Especially with the staying dry part." Grandma shook her head.

I glared at her, using my powers to push myself to shore.

"I suppose you boys are here to borrow my boat," Grandma said.

"And to see your shining face." Caesar smiled at Grandma as I pulled myself up onto the dock.

"You can take the boat if you like, but it needs to be returned before dark. I'll expect it to be clean and shining when you return. And whatever you do, do not go outside the boundary."

Caesar gave Grandma a small salute. "Anything for you, Shannon." He followed Markus and Juan down to the dock, where the boat was tied-up, awaiting their arrival. He smiled at me as he passed. "You were looking pretty good out there, Nessa."

I opened my mouth and closed it again, unsure if Caesar was being serious or if he was mocking me.

His smile faded a bit, like he could tell I was doubtful. "I'm being serious. This kind of stuff takes work. I wasn't always an amazing pirate." A piece of dark hair fell in his eyes as he nodded in Grandma's direction. He lowered his voice. "Just don't let her get to you."

"Thanks," I said. "Have fun pirating."

Caesar's face lit up again. "It'll be a good time, but truth be told, the best treasure's on this island." He winked at me before jumping onto the boat. Markus fired up the motor.

"Hurry up, Nessa. Eventually the sun will set. I'd like to have supper before then." Grandma was standing on the beach, hands on her hips.

I watched the pirates take off into the open water before closing my eyes and trying again. The sooner I could do it, the sooner it would be over, and the sooner I could return to daydreaming about pirates.

"You make Greece sound so exciting; I wish I could go there," I said at Friday lunch hour—relieved to finally have time to talk to my friend about something that didn't have anything to do with school.

Amynta nodded. She was wearing her typical designer jeans with a fancy, shiny white top. Over the past week I'd noticed she wore something white every day. "It is. The sea is so blue and the water's so warm—the only problem is the population. I'd kill to have a private island like this back in Greece."

I was about to finish the last spoonful of my creamy potato salmon soup, when Markus sidled up next to me, sitting comfortably on the bench. "So," he said, his Russian accent making his words as thick as the soup.

I looked at him suspiciously. "So?"

"So, I'm not sure if you know, but tomorrow is the welcome back to school annual camping trip." Markus raised one of his blonde eyebrows, eyes twinkling, and waited.

"Actually, I do know that. However, I'm still grounded so I'm not planning on going." _No matter how much I wanted to._

"That's too bad." Markus shrugged, interlacing his hands, resting them on the table. "But do you think you could ask your grandma if we can borrow her boat tonight to go to town? Get some supplies for the trip?"

"Why would I help you plan for a party that I don't get to go to?" I turned back to my empty soup bowl, hoping Markus would go away. I was dying to go to a party, preferably one with my friends back in Surrey, but I didn't feel like asking Grandma for anything—let alone begging her.

"Nessa, maybe you'd be able to go if you just asked. Shouldn't you at least try?" Markus rested his hand on my shoulder.

I smacked my hands on the table. "No. If you want to go to the mainland in the boat, ask my grandma yourself. I'm not your minion."

"It'll be a great time, and you-know-who will be there." I glanced in the direction Markus was nodding and saw Caesar approaching. I tried to not blush. _Did Markus know I had a thing for Caesar? Did everyone?_

"What's going on, Nessa?" Caesar said, plopping down across from me.

"Markus is trying to convince me to ask Grandma for the boat. But since I'm grounded, and won't be going, I'm not sure why I should help out."

"Nessa, I'll lift your grounding for school related activities." I cringed as Grandma spoke from behind me. How long had she been there?

I turned to face her. "I don't know if I would consider a weekend camping trip to be school related."

"Would you rather remain grounded?" She looked at me coolly.

"No."

"Then you may consider yourself un-grounded _if_ you help your friends plan the trip and attend it yourself." She managed to give me half a smile.

Markus nudged me with a sharp elbow. I glared at him, though going camping sounded a lot better than remaining grounded.

"Alright," I said. "Then would it be okay if a few of us took the boat to the mainland to get some supplies?"

"I suppose as the Hunter hasn't been spotted in a week that it should be alright—as long as you're all back before dark and _stay together_. As far as we know, there's still a hunter on the mainland. But he shouldn't try anything if you're in a large group. Nessa knows the rules—most of the time anyway—but be sure to remind her if she forgets." Grandma nodded at us all, politely excusing herself from our company.

"Awesome. We'll see you later, Nessa." Markus rose, holding out a hand to Amynta, who took it with a giggle. Together, they headed for the classroom.

"You shouldn't let Markus upset you. He just likes to tease." Caesar reached up, brushing his dark hair out of his eyes.

"Well, at least he got me un-grounded."

Caesar laughed. "Guess this means we have some time to hang out now. Maybe I can show you my treasure maps or my guitar. Of course, both of those are up in my room."

"Why do I get the feeling you're just trying to get me alone?" I took my dishes over to the sink, fully expecting Caesar to follow me, but when I turned around I found him chatting with Shia as he walked into the classroom.

Maybe Caesar was just pretending to like me. He was tying my insides up in knots just like he'd tied Colleen up in a net last year. Maybe this was the joke he was playing on the new student this year. Shia gripped Caesar's arm, giving it a friendly squeeze. My insides clenched. I turned away again.

"I saw you talking to the pirates," Colleen said, coming up beside me with her own dishes.

"Oh. Yeah. I have to help them pick up supplies tonight for the party tomorrow. Grandma said I'm ungrounded so long as I help out." I rinsed my bowl, placing it in the dish rack.

"You're coming? That's great, we can share a tent!" Colleen danced in place. I joined her, forcing a smile on my face. I didn't need pirates to be happy. I just needed friends.

"That would be great since I don't own a tent."

"Don't worry, I've got you covered." Colleen stopped dancing so she could wash her bowl. "Since you're off grounding, you should come swimming with Kyle and me after school."

"Sure, I'll just have to go home and get my swimsuit first." My body felt light; I had free time again.

"Cool. Kyle and I can come over to your place. We could use a change in swimming grounds." She turned to face me. "Promise me something, Nessa. Promise me that you'll be careful tonight. The first week of school might almost be over, but the pirates might still try to haze you. I really don't want you to get hurt like I was." Colleen finished with her dishes, nodding toward the doorway. "Come on, it's time for more lessons."

"Don't forget what you learned this afternoon." Mira Tiderunner looked at us tersely. "There will be an exam on Monday and anyone that can't tell me the difference between bi-lateral symmetry, tetramerism, pentamerism, hexamerism, and octamerism, and give a living example of each, will have an extra report to write. Class dismissed."

There was a sudden scraping of chairs as the students collectively climbed out of their desks.

"Come on, Nessa. It's swimming time." Colleen pulled on the loose strap of my backpack as I swung the other over my shoulder. This was the first day I was going to do something fun after school. I was determined to let nothing ruin it.

"Caesar, it's time for our afternoon water polo game!" Shia cut me off as she raced across the room to the pirates. "I think the mermaids are going to win today!"

I glanced at Caesar briefly. "I don't think so," he said, a smirk on his lips. "Today it's the pirates and vodianis turn to win."

Colleen pulled harder, forcing me to follow her out of the room. My good mood slightly diminished.

"Kyle and Zeke are going to meet us at your place. Orcies can swim pretty fast, so they'll probably get there before we do." Colleen led me out the door and down the path to her house. "I just have to drop off my stuff and then I'll meet you at your dock. Probably fifteen minutes, sound good?"

"Awesome," I said. "Don't be late. I don't want to waste a minute of my freedom." Colleen and I parted ways. I continued through the damp woods to my house. For once it wasn't raining, though the sky was grey and looked like it might start spitting at any moment.

I hurried back to the house. "I'm home," I yelled. There was no response. I peaked my head into the kitchen and saw a single slip of paper where Grandma usually sat. I picked it up and read the fancy, cursive script.

* * *

_I'll be at the Tiderunner's if you need me._

_Grandma._

* * *

"Definitely not," I whispered to myself, crumpling the note, tossing it into the trash. "I could do without you for an evening."

I had a quick drink of water and ran upstairs to change. Just as I was finishing, I heard the distinct sound of an orca clearing out its blowhole. I went to my window and looked out. Swimming the bay in front of my house were two beautiful killer whales that could only be Kyle and Zeke. How it was even possible that they could become so large was beyond me—but then again, I had no idea how I could walk on water and control tidal forces either.

I rushed down to the dock, glad to see Colleen waiting in the water for me. She was in her human form. I smiled at her as she swam closer to the dock. "You were right, you know, about going to a magic school being cool. I can't believe that's Kyle and Zeke out there."

Colleen laughed, looking over her narrow shoulder at the orcies. They were bobbing their heads straight up out of the water, watching us. "Seeing them in this shape sure is something—no matter how many times you see it."

I looked out at the whales, admiring their smooth black and white bodies and pointed dorsal fins. "Want to see something cool?" I asked them and Colleen at the same time. The orcies made a high-pitched chirping sound that I took to be a yes, and Colleen nodded.

"Okay then, here goes nothing." I held my breath as I walked from the beach out onto the water. It was a lot easier today than it had been with my grandma. I could feel the smile spread over my cheeks as I made my way out to the whales.

"Nessa, that's amazing," Colleen cried. "I'm shapeshifting now. Do you want to follow us or do you want Kyle to give you a pull?"

I looked back at Colleen. "A pull?"

Her large, dark eyes flashed with amusement. "Just hold onto his fin and he'll take you along with him. It's fun. I promise."

I nodded my head once. "Sounds like a good time."

Colleen melted from a brunette girl into a brown fur seal. I dove into the water after warming it. I made sure I could breathe before looking around. Kyle—at least I assumed it was Kyle—I couldn't tell him and his cousin Zeke apart in their Orcie forms—swam up to me, butting me gently with his black head. He swam past me. I reached out just in time to grab his fin with both hands.

It was the most amazing ride I'd ever had in my life. The water running over my skin felt like warm silk. Colleen danced around the orcies in her selkie form as we moved deeper out into the ocean, through sparkling schools of fish and forests of seaweed. I let go of Kyle's fin after about twenty minutes, using my own muscles and sea-witch powers to move through the ocean. I loved every minute of it.

After an hour we collectively turned back toward the island, and I followed my friends back home. Once we reached the bay, Kyle and Zeke headed north to the Tiderunner's land, and Colleen headed around the island to her house. I climbed out onto the beach alone, making sure to leave all the water in the ocean so that I emerged dry as a bone, and then made my way inside, completely exhausted.

I shuffled my way down the wood panelled hallway to the sitting room. Using the embers left from the morning, I stared up the fire. I sat down in my new favourite recliner, between the window and the fireplace, and picked up the book I'd left sitting on the coffee table the night before. After covering up with a blanket, I kicked my feet up, relaxing into the heat of the fire and the words of one of my favourite authors. I was completely absorbed in the storyline when banging on the window made me jump, sending me tumbling over the armrest and onto the floor in front of the window. I landed flat on my stomach. I looked up.

Grinning at me from the other side of the glass was Caesar. "Nice legs," he said, eyeing me up.

I flushed, pushing myself up onto my knees in an effort to cover my scantily clad self. I was still wearing my bathing suit since I hadn't expected company.

"What are you doing here?" Snatching the blanket off the chair, I wrapped it tightly around myself before marching over to the front door.

Caesar met me at the entrance. Laughing, he leaned against the frame of the open door, looking at me with his steadfast, gorgeous grey eyes. "It's five o'clock. I'm here to get you, or did you forget the plans we made at lunch already? I imagine it is pretty difficult keeping your thoughts straight when you're always daydreaming of me."

"It can't be five o'clock already."

"Daydreaming can eat up a lot of time."

"I don't daydream about you. If you must know, I went swimming and then I was reading. I guess I just lost track of time." I gripped the blanket tighter. Caesar looked into my ocean blue eyes, drawing me into his gaze. I moved forward, sure that it was only to move out of the draft, but when he reached out and touched my hair, I started.

"That might be true, but you aren't exactly getting sick of my presence." He let go of my hair, smiling brightly and dropping his flirty tone. "I brought you something."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a thick piece of parchment folded into quarters. I took it gingerly and unfolded it. It was the kind of map that you could find at the beginning of a thousand page fantasy novel. At the top of the page it read, "The Map to The Most Beautiful Treasure." My eyes quickly scanned the black lines.

"This is a map to my house." I looked up at Caesar.

"I've got it memorized, so I thought I'd give it to you for safe keeping."

I didn't know what to say. The drawing was gorgeous. The island was outlined in black pen, and on it was mystical rendition of the path between the school and my back door, complete with dragons and gargoyles. It was intricate, thought out, and magical. "I can't take this. It's too good. You have to keep it."

Caesar shook his head. "It's a gift. And there's no time to argue about it. I'm here because you're supposed to be accompanying us to town. We need to get supplies for the camping trip tomorrow—remember?

"Right, just give me a second, I need to put some pants on."

"Why bother? A treasure like you should never be hidden."

I rolled my eyes at him before shutting the door and dashing up the stairs.

My room was a disaster. All the time I'd spent in there lately meant that it had been turned from a nicely organized box into the ruins of a teenage temple destroyed by a pack of wild hyenas. My clothes were everywhere. I stepped over the piles of fabric, safely tucking Caesar's drawing into the journal Mom had given me, and then I turned back around.

"Great." I growled, frustrated at my lack of organization. I plucked a few items of clothing off the floor that I knew were clean: a pair of tight black pants, a blue shirt with a picture of a dark blue wildflower on it, and a long, charcoal grey, woollen sweater. I left on the gold star earrings I'd gotten from Marnie—I'd been wearing them all week because they reminded me of home. Grabbing my black knit hat and my purse, I made sure I had my money—Grandma had already made good on her promise to give me an allowance.

Back downstairs, I found Caesar leaning against the front of the house, sheltering himself from the rain. "Hmm," he said when he saw me, wrinkling his nose up as he took in my pants. "I liked the swimsuit better."

"I like you better when you aren't being such a Romeo." I headed down the stairs to the boat, wanting to stay one step ahead of Caesar. I liked him, but I was beginning to think he was into Shia, and I had no intention of embarrassing myself by admitting that I liked him. On the dock, Juan, Markus, and to my surprise, Amynta, were waiting for us.

"Come on, little witch," Juan said, with his lilting Spanish accent. His usual black bandana was tied over his head. He was bent over the side of the boat, untying the ropes holding the vessel in place. He was wearing a black hoodie and jeans that were already half-soaked from the rain. But just like most of the students, he didn't seem to mind.

Amynta offered me her hand and I accepted, climbing over the side of the boat and into the white interior. "You look happy," she said to me. She was wearing a thick, white sweater, the kind that was made to keep you warm in the middle of winter, yet she still wrapped her arms tightly around herself the minute she let go of my hand.

"I am. This is my first trip to civilization in a week. Who wouldn't be excited?" I peaked over my shoulder at Caesar who was climbing aboard after me.

Amynta followed my gaze, nodding. "Ah. I see. You know, it's too bad you haven't been able to hang out at the boarding house this week. I don't think I'm the only one that would enjoy your company. Now that you're free, you'll be able to come around more after school. I'm not the only one that would like that."

Amynta and I sat down on one of the benches. On the floor was a cloth someone had used to dry the seats. Markus fired up the engine, and then smoothly pulled away from the dock.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I put my purse on the seat beside me, keeping a firm grip on it for the bumpy ride.

"Come on, you know Caesar has a crush on you. And I really enjoy talking to you at lunch." Amynta tilted her head, reaching up to hold her hair as Markus kicked the boat into high gear, picking up speed, shooting us across the water. It felt strange and loud to ride a boat with the motor running again. I'd already become used to Grandma's way of magically driving the boat.

I shook my head. "No way. He's totally into Shia." But as I said it, the image of the amazing, artistic map he'd given me came to mind.

The beautiful sound of Amynta's tinkling laugher fell over the waves. "You're wrong about that. But if you don't believe me, you should ask Caesar yourself. I really don't think you want to miss an opportunity like that."

I blushed ferociously, looking up to assure myself that Markus, Juan, and Caesar weren't eavesdropping on our conversation. "I don't know, Colleen told me some stuff about the pirates. About how they tied her up in a net last year and really embarrassed her. I don't know if I want to be involved with a guy that can do something like that."

Amynta frowned, glancing at Markus. The tall, blonde pirate was standing behind the wheel, steering us toward town. "Markus told me about that. He really regrets his actions. Caesar does too. You should give him a chance. If you like him, you owe it to yourself to try. He's a great guy, Nessa. Did you know that he spends a couple of weeks on land every summer in order to help construct homes for the poor in the Caribbean?"

I bit my lip. I didn't know that, and learning it made me that much more interested in Caesar. But what if she was wrong? What if I admitted that I liked Caesar and he told me he was into someone else? "I don't know," I told Amynta. "I don't think I know him well enough to be anything but friends with him."

She tilted her head to the side, looking at me like I was a zoo animal. "It's your decision. But don't be afraid to talk to me if you begin thinking otherwise. I suppose there's always the potential for a friendship to grow."

I watched the pirates. Caesar and Juan stood at Markus' side, pointing this way and that with excited looks on their faces. Every so often they'd all look at the same place, yelling excitedly to each other. It was like watching a bunch of guys watching their favourite hockey team, only there were no sports being played on the ocean.

"What are they doing?" I asked Amynta.

"What they do best. They're listening to what the sea tells them."

I reached up to hold my hat down as a gust of wind threatened to lift it off. "What does the sea tell them?"

Amynta looked at me, just as excited as the pirates. "It tells them where to find treasure."

# Chapter 17

By the time we reached Ernie's dock, I was smiling and laughing. I laughed even harder when Juan jumped over the side of the boat, slipped on the wet wooden surface, landing hard on his backside.

Ernie came outside, saying hello as we tied up the boat. "Bring it back in one piece," he said as we climbed into Grandma's car. "And make sure to stick together."

"Of course." I answered. Getting behind the wheel of a car after not driving for half a month was amazing. It was like I'd really gotten my freedom back.

"To the grocery store," Caesar said, climbing into the passenger seat beside me. His long legs barely fit in the seat that was pushed all the way forward so Markus could fit in behind him. Amynta was squished into the middle of the backseat, between Juan and Markus. She looked perfectly at home in the close quarters. Markus smoothly threw an arm around her shoulders.

"Where are we going?" I asked, hoping someone was more familiar with Tofino than I was.

"Straight in on this road, the grocery store will be on your left," Caesar responded before beginning a discussion about what was required to feed twenty-some people on an overnight camping trip.

"Let's split up," Markus suggested when we wandered into the small grocery store. "Amynta, Juan and I can grab the fruit, vegetables, and hot dogs. Caesar and Nessa can grab the junk food."

Immediately, I shook my head. "Were not supposed to split up, remember? There's a hunter here."

Markus frowned. "We're still in groups and in the same store. I don't really consider that to be splitting up."

"Alright. But let's not take long. Meet back here in ten minutes."

"Agreed. Ten minutes."

"Come on, Nessa." Caesar reached out a hand, lightly brushing my back. I shivered. "Cookies are this way. I like anything with icing."

"Vanilla or chocolate?" We walked in the opposite direction of Juan, Markus and Amynta.

"Vanilla." Caesar followed me, walking slightly behind me and to my right. "What about you?"

"Chocolate."

"That's a good sign. Opposites attract you know."

I laughed. "Do you seriously have a line for everything? Can't we just have a normal conversation for once?" We reached the cookies and I grabbed a few bags of Oreo's and some regular chocolate chip. Caesar grabbed some packages as well, throwing them on top of my stack. Before I knew it, my arms were full and I was helplessly stuck between the cookie shelf and Caesar. He leaned in closer, staring at me intently.

"Sure we can. Ask me anything."

I tilted my chin up, looking boldly into his eyes. "Okay. Why do you pretend to like me when you're so obviously into Shia?"

Caesar's pupils dilated for a quick second and then contracted again. "Shia? She's just a friend. Why would you think I like her?"

My heart beat quicker. "Because you're always talking to her, and the two of you spend so much time together."

"I'd spend time with you if you weren't grounded—and if you let me. You're the one I like."

I used my right foot to draw circles on the floor, distracting myself from the fact that my lips were mere millimetres from Caesar's. "Why do you like me?"

"Oh, that's easy. I thought you were going to ask me a hard question." Caesar gently lifted his hand, tucking a loose strand of red hair back under my hat. "I like you because of the way I feel when I look at you, and because you're fun, smart, witty, and a little piece of fire."

My mouth was dry. I had trouble finding my words. "How do you feel when you look at me?" I couldn't help but wonder. I wanted to know if he felt the same way I did.

"I feel like my skin's on fire. I feel like you're standing behind me, blowing gently on my ear, giving me goosebumps. How do you feel?"

"Clean-up on aisle one!" The loudspeaker made me jump. I smacked my head into the stack of wafers behind me. A bunch of the brown packages tumbled to the floor.

"We'd better get moving before someone finds this mess. Plus, we still need to grab some chips, chocolate, and ingredients for s'mores." I sucked in my stomach, slipping out from between Caesar and the cookie shelf, heading straight for the chip aisle. I tried to slow my racing pulse. Caesar had almost kissed me. If it hadn't of been for that announcement I was pretty sure he would have. The thought made me dizzy.

"What are s'mores?" Caesar asked, walking as close beside me as possible.

"You don't know what s'mores are? I thought you guys went camping every year."

"We do."

I shook my head. "No you haven't, not if you haven't had s'mores. They're the only thing I like about camping. Can you grab the chips? My hands are full. And so you know—I like ketchup flavour."

"Sure, no problem. I like helping out." Caesar shifted packages of cookies to his left arm, grabbing five bags of chips with his right hand, two of them ketchup.

"Amynta told me you volunteer, in the summer, building houses and stuff?"

Caesar shrugged like it was nothing. "It's a tradition my dad and I have. Mostly we work on houses and schools to help the poor in the Caribbean. Dad grew up down there, mostly in Mexico but also a bit in Haiti, Jamaica and the Dominican. He considers the sea his home, really. I think I do too."

"So, uh, since your dad went missing this year, what did you do?" I bit my lip as I asked, hoping that the question wouldn't upset Caesar.

"I went to Mexico and stayed with Grandma for a bit, then I met up with the organization that we always work with for a couple of weeks. Markus and his dad picked me up after that and I spent a few weeks sailing before returning to school." Caesar paused, inspecting the packs of chocolate bars closely. I had a feeling he didn't want me to see his face. "We spent that time looking for my dad."

"I'm really sorry. I hope you find him, or he finds you."

Caesar turned and looked at me, a semi-smile on his face. "Thanks. It's nice to know that other people are hoping for the same thing I am."

Caesar moved away from me, loading his arms up with chocolate bars until his body was hidden under the mass of junk food. "So, do you maybe want to hang out with me tonight? Watch a movie or something?"

"I..." I shifted my gaze to the ground. The heat in my stomach was building. I wanted to say yes. "I don't want to hurt Colleen..."

"Is that what this is about? Did she say something else about me? Because I already told you about the Jim thing and how sorry I am. I've tried talking to her, I've tried apologizing, but she won't listen."

"I know," I said, feeling awful. My muscles were tight, even my heart hurt. "But she's my friend, and now that I'm off grounding we can finally hang out again. We just went swimming this afternoon and it was fun. I don't want to lose all that. There isn't much on this island and she's been great to me ever since I arrived."

"Maybe we can be friends without hurting her."

I tilted my head. "What do you mean?"

"We don't have to tell her that we're hanging out."

My veins throbbed. Could we really hang out without Colleen finding out? "Okay." I relented. "We'll hang out. But you have to keep trying to get Colleen to forgive you—and I'll try to get her to forgive you too—because I'd really like to be friends with you both."

Caesar's eyes twinkled as he led me back toward the cash register. "Anything for a such a beautiful, flawless pearl as yourself."

I rolled my eyes and dropped the bags of cookies on the checkout counter. "I'm hardly flawless." Amynta, Markus, and Juan came up behind us and added their stuff to ours, burying the checkout counter with food.

I scanned the pile of items. "Where are the hotdog buns?" I asked.

"Oops," Amynta said. "I guess we forgot them."

"I'll get them," I volunteered, my pulse still racing from my decision to hang out with Caesar tonight. I needed a few minutes to calm down without Amynta giving me more suspicious glances.

The bread was tucked away in the far corner of the store. I walked straight up to the wooden racks and scanned them. There were loaves of bread, hamburger buns, pitas and tortillas.

"Hot dog buns, where are the hot dog buns?" I asked myself, turning to scan the other side of the aisle. I jumped.

"Hello again." The hunter wrapped one tight arm around me, pressing a small cloth over my nose and mouth. I tried to scream but he was pressing too hard for me to make a sound. Where had he even come from? I hadn't seen him as I walked up. And what was this smell? This chemically... smell... making me... dizzy...

"Nessa!"

Caesar's voice raced toward me. The pressure on my face disappeared. I crumpled to the floor. Gasping.

"Nessa! Are you okay?"

I panted, my hands resting on the cold tiles. "Yeah. Yes. I think I'm okay. Help me up." As I stood, I looked around. "Where did he go?"

Caesar gently wrapped an arm around my back. "He ran out the back the minute I called your name."

I leaned into him as he picked me up off the floor. I swayed on my feet. My purse fell from my shoulder, dropping onto the floor. Caesar bent down, picking it up. "I shouldn't have let you go alone. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I remembered the moment you were out of sight. I just never...I forgot. We all forgot. Thank the sea you're okay."

I was still gasping for air, partly out of panic and partly from the burning sensation in my throat and mouth. I coughed. "We'd better get back to the others."

Caesar began to lead me away.

"Wait, the buns."

He grabbed some with one hand while keeping hold of me with the other. We walked quickly back to the front of the store. When we got there, the others were halfway through the line. The smiles vanished from their faces when they saw me. Amynta came right up to us.

"What happened?" She asked in a whisper, so that humans nearby wouldn't hear.

"The hunter," Caesar whispered back.

Amynta's face turned as white as her sweater.

"I think I'm going to be sick," I said, my stomach heaving.

"Here." Caesar handed Amynta the buns. "I'm going to take her outside."

We barely made it through the door and onto the asphalt before I threw up.

"How could I have been so stupid?" Caesar was pacing a foot from me, running a hand through his dark hair.

"It's not your fault." My voice was croaky and thick. I dug into my purse to find a tissue to wipe off my chin.

"I feel like it is."

"Don't."

The others came out the door. Amynta saw me and turned to Markus, digging into one of the bags he was carrying, pulling out a small bottle of soda. "Here, this might help."

I opened it up and took a sip. Slowly the burning sensation and the taste of vomit dissipated. "Can we go?" I shivered. "I don't like standing here. Out in the open."

The others looked around. There was no one in sight. We placed the groceries in the trunk and then piled inside the car. There was no escaping Ernie when we reached his house. He immediately called my grandma. "She said you're to go directly home. You'll be safe on the island, but just to be sure, she's going to go out and strengthen the boundary. She said you should ask one of your friends to stay with you until she gets home."

I nodded. Ernie gave me a sympathetic smile and then tapped the side of the boat with his left hand, signalling for us to take off. I knew I didn't have to ask anyone, I knew Caesar would stay with me, and I was glad.

"Why don't you go sit down while I get us some snacks?" Caesar offered the moment the others were gone.

I looked down the long, dark hallway, shaking my head. My skin crawled. I had goosebumps all over. My heart was beating a million times a millisecond. "No. I'll come help you. I think I'd like something more substantial than brandy and dried bread." My attempt at humour put a small smile on Caesar's face, the first since he'd found me in the grocery store.

"What would you like then? Popcorn? Carrot sticks? Strawberries?"

"Popcorn." I wrapped my arms tighter around myself, trying to make the goosebumps disappear. "With some ice tea." I told Caesar where he could find the popper and the ice tea mix, and then he set to work.

"Tell me something," I said, when the silence grew long and still. "I could use something to take my mind off things. Maybe something about where you've been; somewhere nice, warm, and dry."

"Why don't I tell you about my favourite place." Caesar found two large glasses in the cupboard and began scooping out the brown, powdered tea while the popcorn popper whirred away.

"What's your favourite place?"

"Costa Rica. The southern coast around a town called Dominical. It has beautiful long stretches of beach lined by bright green forest. The surfing there is amazing. Of course I haven't been there more than twice but I'd love to go back again. It was sunny and warm and there were a lot of hammocks. I love hammocks."

"Does it rain there?" I asked, my teeth beginning to chatter.

"Sometimes, but the rain there is warm, not like here."

"It sounds like a nice place. It's too bad the school isn't down there."

"Aren't you from B.C? You should be used to the weather."

"I am, but that doesn't mean I don't crave the sun. My family used to go to Mexico once a year, back when things were... good—a long time ago. I wish I could go back there."

"Back to Mexico or back to your family being good?"

I smiled sadly, remembering Dad and Mom. At least I'd see one of them again, one day. "Both."

"Me too. I spent a lot of time in Mexico once my mom decided she didn't want anything to do with me. Grandma's still down there. She spent a lot of time raising me when my dad was out treasure hunting." The popcorn finished popping. Caesar poured it into a bowl and handed it to me. Then he grabbed the tray of melted butter from the top of the machine and poured it on. "Grams is awesome. She's the sweetest woman I know. She makes me the best rice and beans and fish tacos in the world. I help her with her gardening. You'd like her. She's a sea-witch too."

"Really?" I reached into the bowl and plucked out a piece of popcorn coated in a shiny sheen of butter. "That's cool."

Caesar led the way into the living room. The television and DVD player were waiting for us, along with a large collection of movies I'd brought with me from Surrey. Caesar put our drinks on the table. "So what movie are we going to watch?"

"I'm halfway through the Iron Man trilogy. You get to watch the rest with me."

"I don't get a vote?"

"Don't you like Iron Man?" I placed the popcorn on the coffee table. Caesar pulled the blanket off the couch, spreading it on the floor. He tossed a couple pillows and another blanket onto the floor too.

"Well yes, I do, but that's not really the point."

"I'll tell you what: next time you can vote."

"Next time I'm choosing." Caesar grabbed the popcorn and sat on the floor. "Come on, you look like you're freezing.

I grabbed the remotes for the television and DVD player, and then sat down next to him. He wrapped one of the blankets around my shoulder, holding it in place with his arm. As the movie started, the heat from his body began to seep into mine. Slowly, my shivering stopped, but I could still feel the hunter's arm around me. I could still feel his hand pushing the cloth into my face as he tried to knock me unconscious. I moved closer to Caesar. I looked out the window, checking for any sign that Grandma was on her way home. For the first time, I wished that she was around.

"She'll be back soon." Caesar squeezed me tighter, reading my mind. "As soon as she strengthens the boundary, she'll be here. You're safe, Nessa. He can't get to us out here."

I leaned my head on Caesar's shoulder and pulled the blanket tighter. I hoped he was right.

# Chapter 18

"Hurry, Nessa. We're behind schedule."

I ran into the house, scrambling to collect the groceries we'd bought for the camping trip. I'd spent most of the night tossing in bed, trembling between nightmares of the hunter. The lack of sleep meant I was running around in a fog, and hadn't been ready to go when the other students showed up at the house.

After last night, the last thing I felt like doing was going camping on an even more remote island. But the constant assurances that I was safe eased some of my worry. I grabbed the last of the plastic bags full of food and started for the door, before remembering that I'd also come inside to get my lip balm.

I ran up the stairs to my bedroom. My purse was lying on the floor where I'd left. I picked it up, rummaging through it blindly, surprised to feel a heavy, cold something lying at the bottom. I pulled it out. In my hand was a gold doubloon about two inches across. On one side was the image of what looked like a Spanish conquistador, on the other was a sailing ship with multiple masts. I smiled; Caesar had probably put the coin in my purse to cheer me up. A real treasure for a treasure, he would say. I would have to thank him for it later, but since I didn't want to loose it, I placed it on my desk and resumed searching for what I'd come for.

Reaching into my bag, I pulled out my lip balm. I slipped the tube into my pocket and then ran back downstairs, forcing myself to smile, forgetting about last night and the hunter. The boundary would keep the hunter away. Even if it failed, I still had over twenty classmates to keep me safe. It was either go, or hang out here alone. I grabbed the groceries I'd left at the bottom of the stairs and ran outside. Camping could be fun, couldn't it?

Grandma, Joanna, and the Tiderunner family were waiting to see us off. The Tiderunner family was much larger than I'd thought, there were about twenty of them, and each one was enormous, as if their orcie form was too big to fit into a normal sized human body. Standing together on the beach, they looked almost like an angry co-ed rugby team—if every member of the team was over six foot five. I dodged between them, ran out onto the dock, jumped onto the boat and handed the grocery bags to Amynta. She looked at me slyly.

"Nothing happened," I told her for the umpteenth time. She'd been on me all morning; she was sure that Caesar and I must have kissed last night. "He was just there to make sure I didn't freak out before Grandma got home. Seriously."

Colleen, Kyle, and the other orcies, the mermaids, the sea nymphs, and the vodiani—over half the students, were already in the water, ready for the big race to see who could make it to the other island first. Apparently, this race happened every year. The pirates, Amynta and I—the land-born Neptunians—were all on my grandma's boat. We'd sail to a small, neighbouring island—still within the boundary—for a little bit of freedom.

"That's everything," I said to Markus. He nodded at Juan to untie the rope securing the boat the dock.

"Remember, no boys in girls' tents and no girls in the boys' tents," Grandma called, frowning.

"And be careful and responsible," Joanna yelled out right before Markus started the motor, signalling the beginning of the race.

I smiled. This was my first weekend _ever_ without adults. Back in Surrey, someone's parents had always supervised sleepovers. This was an escape to adulthood—my first glimpse at not having senior backup. I was more excited now than I'd ever been in Surrey.

"Woo!" Amynta yelled. She danced on the floor of the boat as Markus rocketed us across the waves. I danced with her. This life was beginning to feel like a grand adventure—and while some parts of it still felt weird, dreamy, crazy, and completely unnatural, other parts were like watching the most beautiful sunset from the snowy, jagged peak of a mountain.

Amynta grabbed me around the waist, pulling me close to her. "He's staring at you." I didn't have to ask who she was talking about. "You know, you look really good with your hair down, and without your hat. You should wear it like that more often."

I slowed my dancing only momentarily, caught off guard by Amynta's comment. My hat was packed securely in my bag because I didn't want to loose it. My long red hair blew around in the wind. "I... I'm not so sure. I think I still like my old hair better. This colour's a bit too bold for me." _And Dad wouldn't like it._ "But I guess I'm getting used to it." And there was what Caesar had said the other night, about it not being a choice. Dad had loved the brown hair I was born with. If he knew that this hair was natural to me too, he'd love it, right?

Amynta gave me a puzzled look. "I think it's beautiful and it suits _you_ —the Nessa I know. I think Caesar really likes it too."

"Caesar and I are just friends—secret friends actually."

Amynta pulled me down on to the bench. "Secret friends? Why?"

"Because of Colleen. She's made it pretty clear she doesn't want me to be friends with Caesar, and, well, she's my friend. I'm not the kind of girl that throws away friends for a boy."

Amynta shook her head. "You wouldn't be throwing away a friend. It would be her choice to toss your friendship away or not. You need to be honest with yourself. Do you like Caesar? As a friend?"

I nodded slowly, considering Amynta's words but balancing them on my own scales. "Yes. I do. He's fun. He listens. But Colleen's great too—except the listening about Caesar thing."

"Do you like him more than a friend?"

My heart thumped. "How could I not?"

"Then why not give it a shot? If Colleen is really your friend, she'll get over it."

Markus slowed the boat. We were already pulling up to a small, sandy beach on the neighbouring island. Behind us, I could see the foggy coast of the island we called home. I grabbed my backpack and some groceries while Markus guided the boat as close to the sandy shore as he could get, anchoring the boat in couple feet of water.

"Need a hand?" Caesar asked, having already jumped over the side of the boat. He'd rolled up his jeans to keep them dry.

"I'm a sea-witch. I think I've got this covered."

"This should be interesting." Caesar stood back to watch.

I conjured up a staircase of water to descend. I stepped over the side of the boat, beaming.

"It looks like someone's finally getting the hang of things," Caesar said once I was standing on the calm, flat surface of the water.

"Thank you. I think I am." I gazed at Caesar and was immediately drawn to the way his eyes shone in the sunlight.

Quickly enough, he broke my gaze, pulling himself up over the side of the boat. "I'll get the other supplies," he said. I took that as my cue to head to shore.

I lugged my bags up the beach to the grassy clearing that held the remnants of an old, burned out fire pit. I was the first one to arrive, and a sliver of fear slid up my spine at the realization. For a very brief moment, I was alone.

_I'm within the boundary._ I gripped my bags tighter. _The hunter can't get me here._ Last night, the thought of the boundary had calmed me, but what had really made me feel safe was Caesar. When I crawled into my bed after he'd gone home, I'd kept my thoughts focused on him so that I wouldn't think about the hunter. I tried not to think about what might have happened. Of course, not all the bad thoughts had stayed away. I'd still had nightmares.

As the terrain changed from sand to rock, I stumbled, catching my foot on a small ledge. My body fell toward the trees. I regained my footing just in time. A sudden crunching came from the underbrush. I turned my head; I saw nothing but large cedars, Douglas fir, and small ferns that grew in the shady habitat. I shivered, my hands gripping the grocery bags like a vice-grips.

"Are you okay?" Amynta asked, catching up to me. Her arms were empty because she was wearing a large backpack containing everything she could possibly need.

"Um. Yeah. I don't know. I thought I heard something."

Amynta reached over, giving my shoulder a soft squeeze. "It was probably just a bird. There's nothing to fear out here, Nessa. The boundary keeps us safe. The hunter can't get past it. Besides, I think your grandma and some of the other adults around here are going to do some hunting of their own today. The hunter won't bother us anymore."

I shook my head, fighting to steady my nerves. "I know you're right. We're safe out here. I know that. I'm just a bit shaken up after last night, that's all." Amynta and I walked a little bit further into the grassy clearing. I put my load of camping stuff on the ground. "So, is this coast anything like your home island in Greece?"

Amynta slipped off her pack. "Greece is nowhere near this lush. I love the damp greenness of this place. But the water—the water in Greece is absolutely beautiful."

I caught a slightly wistful look in her eye, the part of her that missed Greece I supposed, and wondered if my eyes had the same wistfulness when I thought of my old house back in suburbia and my life with Dad. The past few weeks had changed me, I knew that now. I was getting used to living on an island, and not having the many amenities of a busy city. I liked being able to open my window and hear the sound of crashing waves and wind in the trees. I didn't even mind living with Grandma. But my heart ached for Dad—Mom too—I'd give almost anything to see her today.

Not wanting to cry, I distracted myself by picking up the bags of groceries, moving them closer to the fire pit. The swimmers hadn't arrived yet, so I watched Amynta deftly set up her royal blue tent. I attempted to set up the tent I was supposed to share with Colleen. Never having slept in makeshift housing before, I wasn't surprised when I became lost in a muddle of poles, strings, and tarps.

"You haven't camped much, have you?" Amynta placed her hands on her hips, inspecting the mess around me.

I shook my head. "Not with tents. Sometimes I'd get sent to summer camp or my family would go somewhere for a few days, but we always stayed in cabins."

"Here, let me show you. It's pretty easy once you've seen it. My brother taught me how to set up my tent before I left home." Amynta handed me the poles and demonstrated how to put them together.

"Is your brother a siren?" I asked, snapping the pieces together.

Amynta laughed, the sound washed over me like a gentle rain. "No. Men can't be sirens. He's a fishcaller—blessed by the gift of fishcalling. Some say sirens were made to lure sailors who were harming the sea, and take revenge upon them. A fishcaller—the male counterpart to a siren—can call up fish, bringing great catches to those who respect and worship the sea."

I held out a completed pole to Amynta; working together, we strung the tent over it. "Take revenge? Like hurt someone? Have you ever... would you ever?"

Amynta laughed again, switching sides to secure the second tent pole. "Fortunately for me, sirens have become more civilized since the days of ancient Greece. Nowadays, we try to protect the sea by merely guiding ships off course—although that's proving to be more and more difficult thanks to electronic guidance systems and GPS." She sighed, looking sad for a moment. "It's becoming difficult for us to find a place in this world. The fishcallers are much better off."

"Do you have any more siblings?" I watched as Amynta lifted the canvas contraption, pulling up the middle of the bright yellow tarp. She clipped everything into place, making the tent finally look like something I could sleep in.

"A younger sister. She's only ten. We're not that close because of our age difference. But I miss her." Amynta brushed off her hands, inspecting her work. "Now throw your stuff inside and we'll be ready to party."

Amynta didn't seem to want to talk any further about her family, so I let it drop. "Any guesses about what we do at this party?" I opened the door, putting my stuff inside like Amynta had suggested.

She tossed her curly blonde hair over her shoulder, giving me a dazzling smile. "I'm not quite sure, but I bet it involves a lot of swimming. I'd put my suit on if I were you, because I'm not the only one that's going to want you to warm up the water."

By five o'clock everyone was exhausted, worn out from playing the Neptunian version of water polo. Caesar started a bonfire, and everyone crowded around for warmth. Colleen had swum out and caught a bunch of fish. I was surprised to discover she was the best fisherman of the bunch—I had thought Kyle and Zeke would be better—but it turns out that if orcies catch a fish, they eat it right then and there. The mermaids were getting ready to cook supper; my stomach growled in anticipation.

"Nessa, come and dance with us." Rainbow's blue skin glowed in the deepening sunlight. All week Rainbow had appeared in her fully human form with spikey white and blue hair; it was strange to see her in the blue sea nymph form again.

"Oh no, I'm so tired." I dragged my feet, pulling back on the arm that Rainbow was tugging on.

"There's no saying no to dancing," Cloud—a third-year sea nymph—said, grabbing my other arm. "There's nothing better than dancing."

At that moment, someone turned on the solar-powered stereo; Euro-club dance music filled the clearing. I looked over to see Amynta flicking through tracks on an iPod. The sea-nymphs started dancing, still holding my arms. I couldn't help but be pulled in by their energy. Five minutes later I was laughing and dancing as energetically as I would have been even if I hadn't spent the last six hours swimming.

"Who wants a drink?" Markus stepped into the middle of our dancing circle, holding a very large bottle of rum high above his head. In his other hand he held a metal canteen. "I fixed this one just for you as a thank-you for all the party planning help." Markus winked at me with one of his icy-blue eyes, handing me the container. "Plus, I figured you could use a little bit of artificial relaxation after last night."

"Hey, I helped with the party planning too," Juan said, handing Markus his own canteen. "How come I don't get any special service?"

Markus tilted his head left, smirking. "Because you aren't pretty enough."

The sea nymphs disappeared to get their cups, effectively putting an end to the dancing. I watched for a moment as people brought up their drinking containers, letting Markus pour some rum into their bottles. I was overcome by a wave of nostalgia for my old life; I'd never been to a party without Marnie before. We'd always watched each other's backs, making sure that if either of us got too out of control so we'd get home okay. And no one ever, ever drove home drunk. That was the good thing about tonight: no one would be driving, plus there appeared to be only one bottle of rum to go around.

The collapsible tables on the other side of the bonfire held an assortment of soda and juice, along with the selection of junk food we'd bought for the party. I headed over and topped off my rum with orange juice and a bit of Sprite. Lifting the canteen to my lips, I took a sip; I couldn't taste the alcohol, but I could feel it warm my blood.

"Don't drink that too fast, we have limited rations out here," Caesar said, coming up to top his canteen up with Coke.

"Don't worry, I'm a lightweight when it comes to this stuff. It's warming me up nicely." I took another sip and then screwed the top back onto the silver canteen. "The fire you built is nice and hot too."

Caesar turned, looking over his shoulder at the flames. Our classmates around the fire glowed brightly. "Thanks. Dad and I used to go on these boat trips through the Bahamas that would last for weeks. We'd pick remote and uninhabited islands to camp on. Dad would always make me start the fire while he prepared the fish. It was amazing." Caesar leaned closer to me. "I haven't seen you around much today."

"What do you mean? I've been here all day. I believe I even kicked your butt at water polo."

"Yes, but you haven't spoken to me all day."

"I'm talking to you right now."

Caesar stopped and looked at me closely. "Are we still friends?"

"Yes. Of course we are. Why wouldn't we be?" I looked away, looking at Caesar made me feel guilty. I caught site of Colleen staring at me from the other side of the fire. I shifted my weight.

"Is it her?" Caesar's gaze had followed mine over to Colleen.

"She really doesn't like you."

"You get to choose your own friends in this life, Nessa."

"I know; you're the second person to tell me that today. But you know what: I don't agree with you. I shouldn't have to choose between the two of you. I like you both. A lot."

Caesar glanced down at his feet, and then looked up at me, his eyes burning. He moved slightly closer, reaching for me. "How much do you like me, exactly? Because I'm willing to do whatever it takes to set things right with Colleen."

"I–"

"Caesar, we need to cook dinner." Shia popped a hole in the bubble that had formed around Caesar and I. I stepped backward, increasing the distance between us.

"People are getting hungry." Shia smiled at Caesar, tagging him lightly on the shoulder.

"Right." Caesar looked from Shia to me. "Do you want to help us, Nessa?"

I shook my head. "No. No thanks. You two have fun." I turned and left Caesar with Shia. How big of an idiot could I be? I was about to tell Caesar that I really liked him, which would have ruined everything with Colleen. Is that what I wanted?

I moved to the other side of the fire and sat with Colleen, she smiled at me with almost too much happiness. I half-listened to conversation around me, while I wondered what it would be like to cook dinner with Caesar. Could I really keep myself from him if being apart meant I felt like a dead jellyfish lying on the beach?

"Nessa, are you in?" Colleen leaned into me, physically jarring me out of my melancholy.

"In for what?" I asked, looking at the curious faces surrounding me.

"A game of cards."

"Right. Yes. Sure. Why not?" I sighed, watching Kyle deal out the deck. It's not like I had anything better to do—at least until I could figure out a way to turn Caesar into my boyfriend without hurting Colleen's feelings.

Dinner was awful, and it wasn't because of the food, it was because of the cooks. I ate my battered fish, corn on the cob, and ketchup chips in utter agony. Did Caesar and Shia really have to laugh so much while cooking?

I slipped into my tent, putting on my turquoise hoodie, dark green toque, and matching green mitts. When I came back out, everyone was sitting around the fire. I joined them around the orange and yellow flames, which warmed the front of me but left my back chilled in the rapidly cooling September evening. The fire illuminated the small circle of new friends and classmates I was slowly getting to know.

Colleen, who'd entered the tent just as I'd vacated it, returned wearing the purple hoodie I'd bought her with my emergency credit card. She sat down on the log beside me, wrapping her arms around herself. "I'm so cold."

"If you sit here for a while you'll warm up. But no more late night swimming—not when you no longer have a nice warm house to sleep in."

Colleen smiled mischievously. "I couldn't help it. All selkies love swimming at sunset. There's just something so serene about the reflection on the water. This coast has the best sunsets of them all."

I smiled. "It was the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen. The fish you caught for supper was amazing, by the way."

Colleen shook her head. "I really didn't have much to do with that other than catching it. Shia did all the cooking with Caesar."

"I noticed."

Colleen's head turned sharply in my direction. "You don't sound very happy about that."

"Do you think he likes her?" I asked, looking across the fire to where Caesar was strumming on a guitar—a talent I hadn't realized he had until tonight. Shia was right by his side, looking beautiful with her long dark hair and pale skin.

Colleen scrunched up her nose. "Why would I care who Caesar likes? You shouldn't care either, Nessa. How many times do I have to tell you that he's no good for you?"

"He's a good guy. He cooks, he plays the guitar, he volunteers. He listens."

Colleen's eyes flashed. "Have you been talking to him?"

"Yes."

"Nessa –"

"I'm allowed to talk to whomever I want; stop telling me whom I can and can't be friends with." I took the last sip of rum and juice from my canteen.

Colleen shivered. "He's the reason my dad's missing—possibly even dead. Just try to understand how I feel. What if he was the one responsible for your dad's accident? I'm just looking out for you. Have you forgot what they did to me last year?"

"You're looking out for you." I stood up. "I'm going to sit with Amynta."

The siren waved at me the minute she saw me heading in her direction. "Nessa, come and sit down. It's time for the ghost stories." She was wearing her thick white sweater and was cuddled up next to Markus. She looked warm. I peeked over at Caesar. He didn't notice me.

"Thanks for the seat. But I don't think I need any ghost stories. Not after last night."

"Oh, right. But these are just for fun. And we're safe here. You have all of us to watch over you–"

"And the boundary," I said it before she could, causing her eyebrows to shift downward.

"Seriously, Nessa. You're safe here."

I nodded, focusing my gaze on Juan, who was leaning close to the fire, patiently waiting to tell his tale. Colleen caught my gaze from across the flames. I couldn't tell if she was angry or hurt, but she definitely wasn't smiling.

Amynta passed me her canteen. "Do you want a sip?" she whispered.

I took the canteen just as Juan began telling a story about a pirate and British sea captain—a true history that was unlike anything I'd ever read in the history books.

Juan's story was amazing. But Nor—one of the first year mermaids—followed it with an even better story about a merman who got lost during a hunt and had to sell his scales one by one in order to find his way home to his true love. But when he arrived home he discovered he'd been tricked by an evil octopus who'd used the scales to transform into a merman and marry his true love in his absence. I couldn't help but look at Caesar as Nor told his story. Caesar was riveted by Nor's voice and storytelling ability, and didn't move his eyes from Nor's face. I took another sip from Amynta's canteen as Nor finished his tale. Once he was finished, Telmath stood up. His vodiani hair—recently shorn due to his transformation during class—stood on end and swayed.

"Now I will tell you the story of the kurage," he said in his deep, gravelly voice, pulling everyone in. "Years and years and years ago, in a small village on the coast of Japan, lived an evil man. This man was human and he was a fisherman. He caught all the fish for his village. This man was also a farmer and grew all of the vegetables for his village. For this food, the man charged the villagers all the gold they possessed, and he became rich and powerful to the point where he could have whatever he wanted. So it was that he began to believe he was the God-Of-All-Things. Even when the villagers began to grow sick and weak, he still charged them more than they could afford for the food that they desperately needed.

"Just outside of the village lived a sea-witch who had many children, but her children were sick and no matter what she did, no matter what she asked of Sea, her children did not get better. She thought she must have angered Sea, and she spent her days and nights wandering the coast and the sea floor, trying to figure what she had done to earn the wrath of Sea. This is how she discovered the fisherman's secret. The fisherman had invented a device that when placed in water, would kill all the fish for miles and miles around. The dead fish would float to the surface, and the fisherman would pluck their still forms from the surface of the water until his boat was full, and then he would go back to his village, leaving many, many dead fish on the surface of the water, wasted.

"Sea did not like the fisherman abusing her gift, but was unable to do anything about it. But one day, the sea-witch discovered the fisherman's secret, and knowing what he did was wrong, she set out to stop him. Under the dark of the night, the sea-witch crept onto shore, and into the large, empty house of the fisherman, who did not have a family. She carried with her ten dead jellyfish and a bucket of seaweed. The fisherman was asleep when she found him, but the minute she touched his skin with the first jellyfish, the fisherman woke up, grabbing a knife, stabbing the sea-witch. She was weakened, but she managed to use her magic to ensnare the fisherman in the seaweed. She told the fisherman that Sea was angry with him for taking advantage of the resources that should be available for everyone.

"The fisherman had no remorse. He said he was God-of-All-Things and tried to bribe the sea-witch by offering her money and doctors to heal her children. But the sea-witch recognized evil when she saw it. With the help of Sea, even as her own life slowly bled out of her, she spun her magic, binding the fisherman to the dead jellyfish, transforming him into a creature that was half man, and half jellyfish, half alive and half dead, and half visible and half invisible—for Sea wanted this man to live a half-life, part on land and part in the water, so that he would know that he would never be more powerful than Sea.

"And so it was that the fisherman was turned into the kurage, a poisonous, invisible jellyfish at high tide, and a human at low tide. He is forced to forever live a cursed life, unable to have a family, or to fit in with either the human world or the Neptunian one. And as the kurage slunk into the sea, the sea-witch collapsed, near death. But Sea would not let her die. A giant wave washed onto the shore, demolishing the fisherman's old house, and carrying the body of the sea-witch into the water, where Sea breathed new life into her lungs.

"When she returned to land, the sea-witch found all of her children happily waiting for her, their illness gone. So let it be a lesson, that Sea will reward what is good, and will curse all that is bad."

There was a moment of silence once Telmath ended the tale. Caesar pulled out his guitar and began strumming. Shia went over to Caesar, begging him to teach her how to play her favourite songs. Everyone began moving around, and the sea-nymphs started dancing. I stood up, stretching my arms overhead.

"I'm hungry," Amynta said, rubbing her stomach. "I'm going to see if I can dig up ingredients for the s'mores you taught me how to make—they're delicious. Do you want to come?"

"Of course," Markus said in his deep Russian voice.

I shook my head. The moon had risen from the horizon, reflecting brightly on the water. "No, I think I'll go for a walk."

Amynta looked disappointed, then she looked over at Caesar and Shia and back at me. She was beginning to remind me of Marnie when she did that: figured out what I was thinking. "Okay, don't be gone too long though."

"I won't. I'm only going down to the water." I left the group silently, disappointed at my own inability to find a way to hang out with Caesar without incurring Colleen's wrath. As I left, I noticed Colleen had begun playing cards with Kyle and his cousins; she didn't even notice my departure.

A steady breeze made me shiver. I wrapped my arms around myself, holding in what heat I could. Once I'd moved away from the group, I could hear the ocean calling to me. Each swish of a wave cresting on the beach echoed through my soul, lulling me with the most beautiful song in the world. It was like each rise and fall of the water was tied to my soul, expanding me to the horizon. I walked down to the beach, tossing away my worries and becoming part of the water, of the tide, and of the soul of the ocean itself. I could almost hear it telling me to let go, to become one, to forget my earthbound self and ride away on its endless waves. I let the peace and calm wash over me, and walked, paying no attention to where I was heading or how far I had gone. The tide was high, and the beach was much smaller now than it had been when we'd played water polo earlier. All the movement was making me warm. I pulled off my toque, stuffing it into the pocket of my hoodie, letting my red hair roam free.

The thing that shocked me out of my relaxed state was the sound. I turned my head to the right, sure that I'd heard someone walking in the underbrush—the sound of human footsteps was rather unmistakable. The hunter, was my first thought. But then I remembered the boundary, and all the assurances that I was safe as long as I was on this side of it.

Another footstep. This time I took a step toward the noise, sure that I was being followed and that one or more of the pirates or sea-nymphs was trying to play a joke on me. The only light I had was from the moon, filtering through the trunks of the tall, broad trees, bathing everything in a pale blue light. I turned on my flashlight for a better look. I pointed the beam into the forest, gasping when the light reflected brightly back at me. There was something—or someone—in the woods.

"Hello, who's there?" I walked slowly forward, straining my ears to listen.

I took ten steps. A branch snapped to my immediate right. I whipped around. Something hard hit my hand. My flashlight went flying. I screamed. My heart pounded. Something slammed into me. I fell to the ground kicking. My foot made contact with something solid and I heard someone groan. I screamed again, crawling over the mossy forest floor until I reached a tree I could press my back against. I held my breath, hoping that the hunter couldn't find me.

# Chapter 19

"Nessa!" A deep voice reached my ears through the trees.

"I'm here," I called, tilting my head toward the voice. "I'm here."

Footsteps crashed through the trees. I panicked and moved away from them, scrambling on the ground.

"Nessa?" It was Caesar.

"I'm here." A flashlight beam swung in my direction, illuminating the ground and blinding me.

"What happened?" Caesar rushed into the light, Juan waited behind him, holding a flashlight like the one I used to have. Caesar knelt beside me, grabbing one of my dirty hands. He brushed moss and dirt from my skin. His grey eyes were worried. "What happened?" he asked again when I didn't answer.

"I...I don't know. There was someone here."

He reached out a large clean hand, gently touching my forehead. "You're bleeding."

I reached up to where Caesar had indicated. My hand felt something wet and warm. I pulled it away and found blood.

"Nessa! Thank God. We heard you screaming." Colleen came running into the light, the large shadow of Kyle at her back. "You're bleeding."

I tried to smile. "So I heard." They were all still looking at me like I was about to die. "I'm fine. Just help me up." Colleen reached out the same time Caesar did. I didn't think about who I reached for, I just grabbed Caesar's stronger arm instinctively. Caesar pulled me off the ground with little effort. Colleen pulled her hand back, crossing her arms.

"That looks pretty bad," Kyle, the huge orcie, ducked under a tree branch as he made his way over to me. He stripped off his sweatshirt and handed it to Colleen. Then, to my complete surprise, he took off his undershirt and handed it to me. "Use this to stop the bleeding until we get to camp and find the first-aid kit."

I took the shirt from Kyle. It was as big as a blanket in my hand.

"Let me fold that," Colleen said, taking the shirt from him. She pressed it gently to my forehead.

"Is it really that bad?" I asked, slightly dazed. It was probably a good thing Caesar was supporting me. I reached up to hold the shirt to my head when Colleen let go.

"We won't know until we have better light. Can you walk?" Caesar wrapped a warm arm around me.

I nodded. I took a step and stumbled. "Maybe not."

"Let me carry her." Kyle stopped Caesar with a small gesture. "It'll be easier for me to carry her." In one smooth, sweeping motion he lifted me into his arms and began walking back to camp, the others walking along with us.

Colleen tilted her head upward, her face pale. "What happened? Kyle and I heard you scream and came as quickly as we could. Did you fall?"

"No." I switched the hand I was holding the towel with. "No. I heard something in the woods. I was following the noise when something hit me."

Kyle looked down at me, his broad, dark face furrowed. "Something hit you?"

"Someone _attacked_ me. The hunter, it had to be"

"I'll take a look around," I heard Juan say in his distinctive accent. I couldn't see him from my position in Kyle's arms, but I heard his footsteps turn in the opposite direction before anyone could stop him.

Colleen shook her head. "You couldn't have been attacked. The boundary would keep out the hunter, there's no way he's here. We're the only people on the island, and everyone was at the fire—I'd just noticed you were gone when we heard the scream."

I'd thought we were the only people on the island too, but I wasn't so sure anymore. "No. He was here. He knocked my flashlight from my hands. Oh—my flashlight."

"Too late now," Caesar said, walking on the other side of Kyle. "We can go back and look for it in the morning."

"Could it have been an animal? A bird maybe?" Colleen sounded just like Amynta had earlier, when I'd heard noises in the trees. I sat up straighter in Kyle's arm, clear-headedness slowly returning to me.

"No. An animal wouldn't have attacked me. Not like that."

"Well, did you see him?" Colleen asked.

I bit my lip, hating to admit the truth. "No. I didn't see anything."

"Because there's nothing to see," Colleen sounded exasperated. "I'm telling you, Nessa. _We're_ all telling you—the hunter can't __ cross the boundary."

"Well, if it wasn't the hunter, then what was it?"

"The rum?"

"I'm not drunk."

"You're not exactly thinking straight either."

"Just leave it, Colleen. She's hurt, and she hit her head. She doesn't need to be arguing with you." Caesar reached up, giving me a comforting squeeze. Thankfully, Colleen listened.

Kyle pushed through the trees to the orange, fire lit campsite. Both Colleen and Caesar fell silent. Everyone looked up at us in anticipation—the dancing sea nymphs, the card playing Tiderunner's, and the psychic merfolk—but most of them kept their distance. Had I really screamed that loudly?

Telmath walked up to us, his voice deep and gravelly. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. Yeah. I'm fine. There was someone out there, something...it hit me."

"She thinks it was the hunter." Colleen crossed her arms. "Tell her it's impossible for anything human to cross the boundary."

Telmath frowned, wrinkling his algae and barnacle covered face. "Impossible is a big word. Either way, you do not have the strength of a vodiani to protect yourself with, Nessa. Maybe you shouldn't wander alone in the night." He grabbed one of my arms as Kyle lowered me to the ground. Telmath helped me hobble over to a log bench as Kyle disappeared to get the first-aid kit.

"Don't worry, she won't go anywhere alone again." Caesar stood over me, arms crossed. He looked furious, worried, and absolutely gorgeous in the firelight. His dark hair was hanging over his eyes. His lips were pursed. I wanted to kiss him for finding me, but I wasn't about to do it with Colleen standing over us like a disapproving principal. "Let me take a look at your head."

"Thanks for your help, Telmath," I said as the voidiani headed over to re-join the dancing sea nymphs.

Juan returned. He shrugged apologetically, tucking his hands into the pockets of his faded black jeans. "I didn't find anyone, Nessa. I'm sorry."

"Thanks for checking," Caesar said, kneeling in front of me. His warm hand overlapped mine as he took over holding Kyle's shirt to my wound.

"Are you sure you didn't have too much to drink?" Colleen asked, arms crossed.

I sighed with frustration. "I know what you're thinking, but there was someone there, I'm sure of it."

"But you didn't see him?"

I narrowed my eyes. "It was dark, I heard something, I turned on my flashlight and there was a bright reflection. So I went into the woods to check it out. A few seconds later someone hit me."

"So you didn't see an actual person?"

"No." I relented.

"It was probably an animal. Look, you're a city kid, obviously you're not used to the sounds of nature. It's perfectly safe here, Nessa. There's nothing to be afraid of. I bet you a caramel latte it was only an owl or something that you heard. You have to have faith that your grandmother's spells protect us. Sea-witches have been setting up boundaries for millennia."

"And I just did this to myself, did I?" I pointed angrily at my head, glaring at Colleen. "What if the hunter found a way to get through the boundary?"

"That's impossible," Colleen said.

"Nothing's impossible."

"Colleen, enough!" Caesar said, gently taking the bloody T-shirt away from me, peeling it from my forehead. "Nessa doesn't need you telling her what happened, or who she should be friends with for that matter."

"You know–"

"Colleen, could you please go get me a drink, hot chocolate or something? I'm really thirsty." I interrupted her in haste; she didn't need any more reasons to hate pirates.

Colleen glared at Caesar, then gave me a small smile. "Sure, I'll be right back." Colleen left for the drink table.

I sighed. "Maybe she's right. Maybe I did just trip on my own two feet—not that she needs to know that. Maybe it was just an animal. I've been wrong about a lot lately."

Caesar handed the bloody shirt to a silent Juan behind him. "It's not as bad as it looked in the forest." Caesar held my head firmly between his hands, leaning closer. My face was inches from his. I inhaled his comforting, forest-like scent. "I guess what they say about head wounds bleeding a lot is true."

"Uh huh," I replied, tongue-tied by his nearness, overwhelmed by the feel of his warm hands on my skin.

Caesar looked down at me, catching me staring at him. Our eyes met. I moved infinitesimally closer to him, studying the smooth curve of his lips.

"Here you go," Kyle returned from his tent, thrusting toward us a blue bag with white writing labelling it the First-Aid Kit. Caesar pulled away. I turned my head, looking back at the dancing sea nymphs, pretending that nothing had almost happened.

Caesar took the kit from Kyle. "What else have you been wrong about?"

I looked across the fire at Shia. She was playing a strange silent game with the other merfolk. From what I could tell, it consisted of them having one of their silent conversations for a few minutes before suddenly all lunging for one of five unique objects on the table, one person being left with nothing each time. I thought about how I'd been jealous of her, of how wrong I'd been to think Caesar liked her. Of course, that didn't mean she didn't like him.

"Well, for one, I'm pretty sure I failed that quiz yesterday," I tried to smile but lifting my lips hurt the side of my face where I'd been cut.

Caesar bent over the blue kit, opening it up and digging through it. "Can you shine the light over here?" he asked Juan, who quietly complied. "Did you black out when you hit your head?"

I shook my head. "No. Something hit me and I fell down, or...I ran into something, I guess."

Kyle laughed, his whole body shook. "You're just a bit of a klutz. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." He looked over his shoulder at the game of cards being played by his cousins. "If you don't need any more help, I'm going to go sit down."

Caesar nodded at Kyle who left for the other side of the fire. "Well, it's good you don't have a concussion; if you did, we'd have to take you back to your grandma."

"Even if I did have a concussion, I wouldn't let you. I'm enjoying my night away from her too much."

Caesar ripped open a small square package and wiped my wound.

"Ow." Pain burnt down the side of my face.

"Don't be such a baby. You're a sea-witch. Hasn't anyone told you Neptunians don't cry?"

"I thought it'd only be natural to cry once in a while—you know—salt water and all that." I gripped the bark of the tree trunk I was sitting on and focused on holding my tears back.

Caesar turned back to the kit, pulling out a dressing. He folded a bit of gauze underneath white tape and stuck it to my head. "You might be right, but I'm already done and look—no tears shed. It doesn't look pretty, but it isn't bleeding anymore. You're lucky I didn't have to give you stitches.

I reached up, gingerly touching my head. "Better Bride of Frankenstein than dead, right?"

Caesar nodded. "I'd better put this back." He stood up and left, Juan following loyally behind him. The moment Caesar was gone, Colleen was there, holding a cup full of cold hot chocolate. I used my sea-witch powers to heat it up.

"Are you alright?" she asked. "I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, I just–"

"It's fine." I waved off her apology. "I guess there's a reason I don't watch horror movies; I'd think there was a monster in every closet."

"Well, I promise there are no monsters out here, just merfolk, vodiani, and other fantastical and wonderful creatures." She glanced over her shoulder at the Tiderunner's. "Speaking of which, I'd better get back to the game. Zeke's not very good at playing my hand for me. Since I went to find you in the woods, I've been losing terribly. Do you want to come sit with us?"

I shook my head slowly. "No, thanks. I think I'll just sit by the fire for a bit, maybe I'll even join in the dancing." I indicated to the sea nymphs who were waving their arms about as they moved to the music. Rainbow—the only sea nymph who was in a fully human form—was currently trying to breakdance in the grass and spinning on her head of short, spikey white and blue hair.

Colleen left and I shivered, wrapping my arms around myself. I looked briefly for Amynta, but didn't find her.

A few minutes later, Caesar came back with a bulky black sweater in his hands. He draped it around my shoulders. I didn't know if it was the gesture or the hit on the head, but suddenly I was teary eyed. "Thanks." I pulled the sweater tighter around my shoulders. It smelled just like him.

"Why did you leave?" he asked me, sitting down at my side, his knee grazing mine.

"I went for a walk on the beach. I...wanted to get away."

He raised one eyebrow but said nothing.

"Anyway." I shook my head of loose red hair. I was getting colder now that I was still. I reached into my pocket for my toque. It wasn't there. "Oh no."

"What?"

"My toque, I must have dropped it when I fell."

Caesar reached behind me, raising the hood of my sweater. "I guess that's another thing we'll have to try and find tomorrow."

"Thanks, I should have thought of that."

Caesar found my eyes with his. "Why did you go walking alone? I'm your friend, I would have gone with you if you'd asked me."

My heart thumped in my chest. "Because–"

"Caesar, come and teach me more guitar!" I looked over at Shia; she was waving him over to her. I took a contemplative sip of my hot chocolate, almost scorching my tongue. I put it down on the ground to cool off.

"You need to practice what I already taught you," Caesar called back. Then he turned his attention back to me. "You were saying?"

"It really sucks that Colleen doesn't like you. If I was Shia, hanging out with you wouldn't be a problem."

"Nessa–"

"Wait. I...I've been thinking about this all night." I'd been thinking about it non-stop actually, and now, finally, I knew what I wanted. "I want to be friends with Colleen—but I want you in my life too. I know you'll try with Colleen, because you care about me. So I'm going to hope she feels the same way."

Caesar looked at me quizzically. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I want to be more than your friend. And I don't want it to be a secret."

Caesar's eyes reflected the firelight, exploding like fireworks. He smiled. "I knew you couldn't resist me."

"You're horrible. Absolutely horrible." I moved forward until my body pressed right up again Caesar's. I reached up, taking his head in my hands just like he'd held mine when he was cleaning my cut. Then I closed my eyes and kissed him.

His arms encircled my waist, pulling me even closer. His lips were soft and velvety against mine.

It was the best kiss I'd ever shared.

After a few long moments he pulled away. The campsite was practically silent. The moment I turned my head, everyone began whistling and catcalling, led on by Markus. Everyone but Colleen, who stood up, threw down her cards, and marched over to our tent.

"I'll be right back," I told Caesar, slowly untangling myself from him so I could chase after Colleen. "Wait," I called.

"Go away, Nessa."

"Colleen, I'm sorry. He's a good guy just–"

"No. If Kyle can't convince me pirates are good, you definitely can't. I'm not friends with pirates. I'm not friends with girls who kiss them either." Colleen ripped open the tent and dove in.

"But–"

"Don't. There's nothing you can say. I saw everything with my own eyes. You like him. Fine. You can sleep somewhere else tonight." Colleen threw my backpack and my still rolled sleeping bag out of the tent.

"Colleen, just because I like Caesar doesn't mean we can't be friends."

"Yes it does–"

"No it–"

"He hung me up in a net, Nessa. His dad's the reason that my dad's missing. How can we be friends if you're dating the guy who practically killed my dad? If you want to hang out with him, then we're done."

Gently, someone grabbed my arm. I looked over at Amynta. She was shaking her head. "Just let her be angry." Amynta pulled on my arm, guiding me over to her tent. She threw my bags inside. "If she wants to be your friend, she'll get over it. You can bunk with me tonight."

I looked back at the small tent Colleen had zipped herself in. I wrapped my arms around myself. "Do you think?"

Amynta tilted her head, her clear green eyes meeting mine. "I can't promise anything; but I'm your friend...and so is Caesar."

The way she said Caesar made me shiver and smile and feel guilty and good all at the same time.

"I think he's waiting for you."

I looked back over at the fire where the sea nymphs and vodiani were dancing to music. The orcies and merfolk had combined forces to play a new game. Caesar was still sitting on the log, alone, waiting for me to come back.

"You make a cute couple," Amynta said, interlacing her arm with mine as we walked.

"Speaking of couples, what's up with you and Markus?"

"We're officially boyfriend and girlfriend. So, you and Caesar?"

"Well, I did tell him that I want to be more than friends." I leaned over, resting my head on her shoulder. "And then we kissed, so I'm pretty sure he's my boyfriend."

Amynta giggled and almost squealed. Amazingly enough, I felt like squealing along with her. Caesar was my boyfriend—and we'd kissed. Colleen could sulk in her tent all she wanted, I was going to enjoy my first night as Caesar's girlfriend—it was just something she was going to have to get used to. Amynta went to join the dancers, leaving Caesar and I alone to talk.

Caesar turned his granite-grey eyes toward me. "I see she didn't come out of her tent. Are you okay?"

I stopped, tilted my head, and then stepped closer, wrapping my arms around his waist. "She'll come around eventually. So, until then..." I let my voice trail off seductively.

"Until then?" Caesar leaned closer.

My breath was shallow, my nerves excited electrons buzzing around in the night. "I'll have to hang out with you."

"Good." He kissed me. I could kiss him all night.

# Chapter 20

The next morning Grandma was dragging a bucket and a barrel out of the house and down to the beach as we approached the dock. Her hair was tied back in her usual braid, but instead of wearing some of her nice clothing she was wearing a pair of dirty jeans and an ancient looking purple and green plaid shirt. I groaned, realizing it was Sunday, which meant Grandma would make me take sea-witch lessons all day.

"Too bad we had to leave the other island," Caesar said, leaning close to my ear so I could hear him over the boat motor. His breath brushed across my skin, making me shiver. After a few hours of cuddling and dancing near the fire last night, stealing all the kisses I could, Amynta had finally dragged me off to bed. I'd only gotten about four hours of sleep. I felt dead tired after barely sleeping for two nights in a row. Amynta had to bribe me out of my sleeping bag by offering me hot chocolate and S'mores for breakfast. She'd packed the tent when I had my mouth full of marshmallowy goodness.

The shapeshifters had swum back to the island, leaving us land walkers to transport their stuff home. It was early in the day yet, and most of them were planning to spend the afternoon swimming. Markus pulled the boat up to the dock. Juan jumped out to secure the ship. I waited until it was tied up before I let Caesar help me over the side and onto solid ground. He leaned over stealing a quick kiss. I flushed and pulled away, looking at Grandma. Of all the boys I'd ever kissed, none of them had been in front of my parents.

Thankfully, she said nothing.

Caesar nudged me. "What? No more kissing?"

"My grandma," I whispered hoarsely. "I don't need to give her anymore reasons to make me stay home and study."

Caesar narrowed one of his grey eyes, watching as Grandma rolled the barrel closer to the water. "Why are you so afraid of her?"

"Why aren't you afraid of her?"

"Because I can see right through her stormy exterior." With a devious smile, Caesar leaned in and stole a kiss, pulling away quickly—as quick as I had last time—and turned to talk to my grandma.

"Can I borrow your boat and your granddaughter this afternoon, Shannon?" Caesar asked politely as Markus and Amynta began unloading the camping gear. "I promise to bring them both back in one piece. And if we find any pearls, I promise the biggest one will be yours."

I rolled my eyes at Caesar's charming effort.

"As long as you boys come back in one piece as well, you can borrow the boat. My granddaughter, however, I have other plans for. Nessa and I have some work to do around here this afternoon and we won't need the boat. Just make sure you're back by dark."

I gave Caesar an _I-told-you-so_ look.

"You know, Shannon, you have a really great sea-witch for a daughter. I was really hoping—Juan and Markus were hoping as well—that she could come along with us on a dive this afternoon. She could see what being a pirate's all about."

Grandma shook her head, her face as smooth as marble, betraying no sense of emotion. "Unfortunately, Nessa's too far behind in her training to spend the afternoon gallivanting with you—no matter what...feelings you have for each other."

I had to steal myself from crumbling to the sand.

Caesar seemed to be knocked speechless, too.

"You can see each other tonight if you want, _after_ Nessa's finished her work."

Caesar turned back to me, tilting his head sympathetically. "I guess I'm not as smooth as I thought. We could have a movie night later though. I'll even make the popcorn."

"I guess that will have to do. For now, you go be a pirate, and I'll be a sea-witch. But I get to pick the movie we watch."

"Wait a minute, I thought–"

"Nope. Not when I have to spend the afternoon studying."

"I suppose I could let it slide this time." Caesar gave me a slow, tentative kiss. We broke apart just in time for me to see Shia climbing out of the water with one of the first-year mermen—Nor—I realized.

"Are you taking the boat? Going out deep?" Shia asked Markus enthusiastically. He nodded and before I knew it she was on the boat.

Don't worry about it, Nessa; he likes you, not her, I reminded myself. I clenched my teeth together as I ran inside, imprinting the memory of Caesar's kiss in my head in order to drown out any other emotion. By the time I started a load of laundry and put my other belongings away, the pirates were gone and Grandma was impatiently waiting for me outside.

"What torture do you have in store for me today?" I asked, following her down to the water.

She walked right up to where the water met the sandy shore and knelt down. "Fill this entire barrel with seawater."

I grumbled but did as she asked anyway. Grandma disappeared into the house just like Caesar had disappeared—with Shia. I wasn't jealous of her—not exactly—I was just envious that she had the freedom to hang out with Caesar whenever she wanted. School would probably be a lot more fun if I was just a boarding student.

"Good, I see you've managed to move water without much effort today." Grandma peaked into the barrel as she reappeared.

"What's this for anyway?"

"We need to make potions for the merfolk, so they can continue walking on two-legs and attend class."

_What?_ I had to spend my entire afternoon making potions for _Shia_ just so she could spend more of her time hanging out with my boyfriend. Why did everything in life seem so backward at the moment? "You know, I don't feel well. I took a hit on the head last night and–"

"No."

I pointed to my bandage in case my grandma had failed to notice it. "But–"

"Do you want to be allowed to see Caesar later?"

"Isn't blackmail illegal?"

"Actually, Neptunian law doesn't have such terms, and no human court would take you seriously. Now, _if you wouldn't mind_ , go inside and get the dried water plantain and the water smartweed from the herb closet. The sooner we make the mermaid's wine, the sooner we can part from each others company."

Finally some good news, I thought, marching into the house. If only we could part company permanently and I could have the house to myself with Caesar, life would be grand. I sighed and daydreamed my way through the pantry, imagining the day when being a sea-witch would be easy.

"Just a little lower," I said to Caesar that evening. I was sitting on the ground in front of the television in Grandma's living room. My back was killing me from all the work I'd done. Caesar's hands slid down my back to the bottom of my ribcage.

"You should get sore more often."

"Why? Do you like that I'm in pain?"

"No. I just enjoy touching you."

I turned and looked at Caesar; he let his hands slide down my arms as I leaned in to kiss him. "I like it when you touch me," I whispered, pulling out of the embrace.

Pushing myself up, I stretched out my sore muscles. Our empty popcorn bowl and water glasses lay abandoned on the blanket that was spread out in the center of the room. It was getting late; and so far Grandma had stayed out of my way, but I knew that wouldn't last much longer.

"I'm glad you like it," Caesar said, turning at the sound of a door being shut loudly upstairs. She was coming.

"Do you want to go outside for a bit?" Caesar was still sitting on the floor, staring at me with his flecked-steel eyes.

"I'll go anywhere with you."

I reached for his hand, tugging on it. "Stop. You don't need to be so...romantic."

He stood up, enveloping me in his arms. I pressed my face into his shoulder, smelling his fresh forest smell. "All right, no more overtures. Let's just go outside and talk."

"Not too much talking I hope." A sudden wave of exhaustion hit me. I yawned.

"You aren't going to fall asleep on me, are you?"

"I'll try not to, but I can't promise anything. This weekend's been tiring—awesome—but tiring."

Caesar took my hand. "It's been more exciting than either of us bargained for, that's for sure. Did your Grandma say anything about the hunter?" Caesar led me out the doorway and into the wood-planked hallway. I slipped on my running shoes in the entrance and a minute later we were standing on the dock in front of my house.

"Only that they couldn't find him. Apparently they found the hotel he'd been staying at, but he checked out on Friday night. Probably after the grocery store incident."

"Well, that's a good sign at least. If he knows we're onto him, he won't come back and risk being caught. I hear Neptunian prison isn't a very cheerful place to be." Caesar nuzzled his head into my shoulder.

"Neptunians have a prison?" The waves lapped hypnotically against the dock. Caesar wrapped his arms around me, turning me so my back was up against his stomach. We both gazed out at the horizon as the sun began to set.

"I've heard about it but I've never seen it, so I can't swear it's real. There are a lot of myth and legends in our culture. One day I'll have to lend you my favourite book. Used to belong to my grandfather, it's full of old pirate legends, great stuff really. Tales of all sorts of lost treasure just waiting to be found."

"Oh, and just where is this treasure?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Why not? I thought you liked me? Don't you want to shower me with gold coins and jewels?" I batted my eyelashes jokingly.

Caesar spun me around. "Why my lady, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to seduce me into sharing my secrets."

"Maybe. But what are you going to do about it?"

He hefted me over his shoulder, marching me to the end of the dock.

"Stop, stop, stop! I take it back. I won't steal your treasure." My head dangled inches from the water, which was at high tide. I tried to right myself but it was impossible with Caesar holding me only by my legs.

"Say you're sorry. Say you'll never try to abscond with my treasure ever again."

I was laughing and screaming at the same time, still struggling to escape Caesar's iron clad grip. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I will never try to abscond with your treasure, I promise."

Caesar stepped back and flipped me back around. As I turned from upside down to right side up, I saw something in the water: a round shape, a slight disturbance. As soon as I saw it, it was gone, leaving me wondering if I'd seen it at all.

"Did you see that?" The sea was a bright glare of pink from the setting sun. I squinted, trying to find something—anything—in the water, but it was no use.

Caesar pulled me back into his arms. "See what?"

"I thought I saw something out in the water: a shape."

He kissed my neck. "It was probably nothing, just a reflection of the light."

I sighed, enjoying the feeling of Caesar's lips. "It didn't look like a reflection."

"Nessa, we're safe out here." Caesar brushed a hand near the cut on my head. "Yesterday was an accident. And the hunter is gone, your grandma said so."

I nodded but continued watching the water because, for some reason, I didn't believe him.

# Chapter 21

"Kyle, what are you doing here?" I held the door open, waiting for him to come in before realizing he was waiting for me to come out. "Just a sec, I need to get my backpack. We can talk on the way to school."

Kyle nodded silently. I ran into the kitchen, took my empty plate and cup to the sink. I snatched my schoolbag from the floor and slipped into my black Keds.

"So what's up?" The sun trickled through the heavy forest cover, lightening Kyle's dark brown hair and glinting in his eyes.

"I wanted to talk to you about Colleen."

I reached back, looping my thumbs in my bag straps. "Does she know you're here?"

"Nope, and I don't think she'd like what I'm about to tell you either, but I really think she's being an idiot. You two are good friends, and on this island it's good to have as many friends as possible. She shouldn't throw that away just because some pirate broke her heart."

I twisted, glancing at Kyle. "What? I thought they just embarrassed her, she didn't—she didn't have a crush on Caesar, did she?"

To my relief, Kyle shook his head. "Not Caesar, Jim. The pirate who was the mastermind behind the whole net thing."

"I never would have guessed. She never said anything." I thought back over our conversations about the incident. She'd never said much about Jim and I'd never inquired about him since he'd graduated last year. But now that I thought about her anger, and her feelings, it made sense.

"Jim tricked her into showing up that morning. He'd asked her if she wanted to go for a swim with him before school—as kind of a date. Only he didn't show up. Caesar and Markus did though, with the net and the sign. Jim never let her forget it. He joked about it all year whenever there wasn't an adult around to stop him. Jim was a bully, Nessa. A mean one. And Colleen used to like him—before she knew who he was."

I stepped on a twig that lay in the path, snapping it under my foot. "That's awful. The whole thing was awful, but it was a year ago and I know Caesar's not that guy anymore. I've seen the look in his eyes when he talks about it—I know how sorry he is. I'm not going to stop going out with him."

Kyle reached out a large hand and stopped me. "I don't expect you to." His brown eyes were serious and solemn. "I just wanted you to know everything so that when it takes Colleen a month or two to start talking to you again, you'll understand why. It might sound strange, but I'm asking you to forgive her for how she's acting right now, and to be friends with her once she's ready to be friends again."

The leafy green bushes behind Kyle wavered. I stilled, expecting to feel the breeze, but I didn't. The morning felt, and sounded, free of wind. I stared at the bushes, my gaze unwavering. I don't know what I expected to see, but whatever it was, it wasn't there.

"Nessa?" Kyle prompted me.

"Sorry, I just thought I saw something move." I shook my head, a tendril of my red hair drifting out of my braid and falling in front of my eyes. "After the weekend I've had, I keep seeing things everywhere. I think I'm a bit paranoid."

"I would be too if some creep had tried to kidnap me and sell me for my skin."

"Skin? Never mind, I don't want to know. I'm not sleeping very well as it is. Anyway, if Colleen does come around—and that seems like a pretty big if—of course I'll forgive her."

Kyle and I walked the rest of the way to school in silence. He entered the building ahead of me. As usual, the dormitory kitchen was buzzing with students cleaning up their breakfast dishes. Colleen was sitting on a tall stool at the counter to the left, chatting with Rainbow. I watched her for a few moments, reflecting on what Kyle had just told me, and tried to put myself in her shoes. Then I walked straight up to her and said, "Hey, Colleen, I brought you that book I told you about, I really think you'll like it." I reached into my backpack, ready to pull it out.

She turned her head and looked right through me. Shia!" she called, waving as the mermaid entered the room, dark hair flowing like silk around her shoulders.

I tried not to glare at the mermaid who smiled brightly and sat down next to Colleen.

"Last night was so fun. We should go out again tonight." Colleen smiled so widely I could count all of her teeth. She was purposely ignoring me and making friends with Shia—who always hung out with Caesar. What kind of game was this?

Shia tossed her hair over her shoulder, nodding. "Definitely, I loved that cave you showed me. I didn't know there were such amazing places around this island."

Colleen shrugged as if it was nothing. "I guess that comes with growing up out here. You know, there's this really cool old shipwreck on the way to town. I could take you there sometime. Once they decide to let us past the boundary again."

I bit my lip and turned away. I would have to catch Colleen when she was alone and didn't have anyone to use as a shield. I went over to the far side of the kitchen where Amynta and Markus were finishing their breakfast: bowls of grainy cereal with milk. They were discussing something animatedly. Juan scowled at the end of the table. There was no sign of Caesar.

"Good morning Caesar's new girlfriend!" I could see the teasing in Amynta's eyes. But even so, my face flushed.

"Thanks, but my name's Nessa."

She giggled. "I suppose I could still call you that if you really want me too."

"Please do," I said, my voice soft, tired.

Amynta looked at me and frowned. "Did things not go well last night with Caesar? I was pretty sure they did because he came back to the dorms with the biggest smile on his face."

"No, it's Colleen. She won't talk to me because I'm dating Caesar. Yet she seems to have no problems being best buddies with Shia who is _always_ hanging out with Caesar."

Markus shrugged, dropping his spoon in his bowl after finishing the last bite, he leaned back. "That's different."

"How?" I watched as Markus slid his silver ring off his thumb and began juggling it between his fingers like a magician playing with a coin.

"Shia's just friends with Caesar; _you're_ dating him."

I looked at Markus blankly. "That's not a difference. Does she talk to you guys? Colleen I mean?"

Juan almost laughed, but apparently was still too grumpy to do so. "Somos piratas." He was definitely grumpy if he was speaking Spanish. I looked point blank at Markus for a translation.

"We're pirates; of course she doesn't talk to us."

"Right. Wrong people to ask." I exhaled and looked around the room. "Where is Caesar anyway?"

"Trying to look pretty for you." This time Juan spoke in English and laughed. Apparently there were a few things he thought were worth smiling for in the morning.

"He is not." But right then Caesar walked into the room, looking gorgeous. His normally carefree, wavy black hair was slicked out of his eyes. He was wearing a new pair of loose fitting blue jeans, and his black button up shirt was clean pressed with the top couple of buttons left undone so I could see his shark-tooth necklace. I smiled at him, but before he could say good morning, Shia jumped up and stepped in front of him.

"Caesar, are we still going to study together later?" Shia rested one hand casually on her hip. She stood on one leg and rested the other on her toe. I moved my gaze over to Colleen, who appeared to be patiently waiting for Shia. My anger skyrocketed.

"Study?" Caesar looked as puzzled as I felt.

"Human math, counting—what do you call it? Shopping? I need to learn."

Shopping. As if Colleen couldn't have just volunteered to teach Shia that herself.

"I'll let you know," Caesar said, politely sliding by Shia. The mermaid sat down next to Colleen again, and two began laughing about something. Colleen had no problem being friendly with _her_.

"Earth to Nessa."

I jumped. "Sorry, still sleeping I think."

"I'd love to still be sleeping. Or doing anything other than spending the day in class." Amynta smiled wistfully. "I'm calling dibs on you today, now that you're off grounding. We can hang out in the social room after school."

"My first time to the social room, how thrilling."

"Don't get too excited," Markus said. "It's not much more than a television and a pool table."

"Time to clean up," Joanna called, stepping into the kitchen. "Class begins in five minutes." She spun on her heel and turned left, entering the classroom directly from the dormitory kitchen. The minute she was gone, everyone groaned collectively. Eight more hours until we could have fun again.

The social room was on the second floor of the dorm. It was wider than it was deep, with plain white walls decorated with old movie posters in cheap black-rimmed frames. All of the movie posters had ocean themes, which I thought fitting for a school of Neptunians. There were two small, square windows on the back wall with the kind of curtains that could block out all natural light, though they were currently drawn open. When we entered the room, we were on the right hand side. There was a pool table, currently empty, and a rack of cues on the back wall straight ahead. On the other half of the room was an old, worn blue couch that didn't have any legs. The couch was pushed against the back wall with a bunch of beanbag chairs stacked to the left. Hanging on the wall across from the couch was a very large, flat-screen television, which was hooked up to a Blu-ray player and an Xbox on a low-lying entertainment stand.

"It's not much," Caesar said. His hand was warm in mine. He rubbed his thumb across the back of my hand. I tried not to melt; the way Caesar touched me made me feel so...good.

"It's a warm dry place you can hang out in without my grandma around—that sounds like a good deal to me." I let go of Caesar's hand and plopped down on the couch, which was much less comfortable than it looked. "Are there any pillows?"

Amynta reached around the far end of the couch, picked up a pillow, throwing it at me. "Yeah, the stuffing's a bit worn out on that thing. I prefer the beanbags."

I snatched the pillow from the air before it hit me on the head, tucking it behind my back. Caesar sat down beside me, pulling me close to his side. "You can just lean on me."

I poked him in the bicep; it was rock hard. "Yeah, I don't think you're as comfortable as a cushion—too many muscles."

"A pirate's got to keep in shape. I swim at least ten miles every morning."

"Ten miles? Are you serious? I don't think I've ever swum that far in my life. Well, except for maybe last week, when I went swimming with Colleen, Kyle, and Zeke. But I cheat when I swim, so it isn't that much of a workout."

"Don't say that too loudly," Juan said in his thick Spanish accent, entering the room carrying five cans of cold ice tea. "It's never a good idea to admit to cheating."

"I'll give your advice some consideration." Juan handed me a can. I took it gratefully just as Colleen and Shia walked by, giggling. I got a sudden sick feeling in my stomach, like my insides were too thick and nothing could move around.

"Don't let her bother you," Caesar whispered in my ear. "She'll change her mind eventually."

"Yeah," I dropped my hands into my lap, looking at my chipped, pale-peach polish. It was the colour I'd bought on our first shopping trip to Tofino. "But we're supposed to be friends. She was the first person I met out here, the person that showed me that all of this is real."

"If she cares about your friendship she'll change her mind." Amynta plopped down onto a beanbag. "Enough of this un-fun talk. Let's do something exciting."

I raised one eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Have you seen the underwater dorm rooms yet?" Amynta wiggled her eyebrows at me.

"I've never even heard of the underwater dorm rooms. I thought everyone stayed here."

Caesar chuckled. "Do you really think that merfolk with tails, and sea nymphs that are made of water, would really want to spend their nights in dry beds?"

I shrugged. "I guess not."

"Well, let's go," Markus said, walking arm in arm to the door with Amynta.

Caesar pushed me up from the couch. "Are you coming?" He asked Juan, who waved us off with the hand that was holding the remote control.

"All right then, guess it's just us four." Caesar led the way downstairs and out the kitchen door. We walked out to the rocky shoreline directly behind the building. "Now all we need is a good little sea-witch that can help us all breathe underwater."

"I can do that?" I asked, looking over the rocky drop off. Navy coloured waves crashed against the rocks below.

"Sure, it's just like you're doing it for yourself, only you think about us too."

Amynta stepped up, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "Just remember to keep us _all_ in mind, hey?" Then with a gentle push we were both falling off the small cliff. I'd barely had time to ask the ocean for air for myself, before plummeting into the icy depths, which promptly reminded me to warm the water.

We sank to the bottom and I looked around. Amynta, Caesar and Markus were all smiling broadly at me. Markus gave me a thumbs-up and I smiled in relief, apparently I'd worked my magic right and they were all breathing with ease. Everything was a murky green-grey colour. The rocky sea floor abounded with seaweed, starfish, sunstars, muscles, and anemone. Amynta waved at me to follow her, swimming along a rocky shelf into the deeper water. About halfway along the shelf was a door in the seafloor. It was well camouflaged, hidden by seaweed and sea-life including my favourite violet starfish. I swam up to the door, waiting as Caesar and Markus pulled it open.

Caesar nodded at me to enter after Amynta. I smiled at the way his dark hair floated about his head. He looked even more vibrant and full of life under the water than he did above. I swam down into the cave—or what I assumed would be a cave—and was astounded. There was a hallway with doors on both the left and right sides. Each door looked like the one that we'd just swam through, but instead of lying on the floor, these doors were set into the walls. Almost the entire hallway was covered with a colourful mix of living sea life and seaweed.

Amynta swam ahead of me, opening one of the doors, waving at me to follow her. I peaked into the room, surprised to find that it was large and round. Was this Grandma's creation? Could I make something like this? The room had a single seaweed-woven hammock hanging from the roof, though not much else. I couldn't help but wonder what the rooms that were occupied would look like. How would a mermaid choose to decorate a room?

I turned around, stepping out of the room, almost crashing into Telmath. I bowed my head in apology. The vodiani nodded back before disappearing down the hall and into one of the closed rooms. Caesar grabbed my hand and tugged, pointing up to the surface. I followed him out of the watery dorm, and was just about to follow Markus and Amynta out of the water when Caesar wrapped me in his arms, giving me a soft, slow kiss. I was kissing him back when a rush of cold current pushed up against me. I pulled away.

Shia was swimming in circles around us giggling. Her long, blue-green tail glittered in the water even though there was no sunlight filtering down through the depths. Her hair moved around her body like silk. She laughed, clearly enjoying herself. Caesar waved at her and she flicked him once with her tail and then was off, following a brown seal out into the ocean.

The sight of Colleen upset me. Out the corner of my eye I saw Caesar waving at me urgently. His face was red, his cheeks puffed out. Caesar kicked up to the surface and I followed him.

"Are you okay? I'm so sorry."

Caesar sputtered. "I'm alright, I've done enough diving to know when not to breathe underwater. It just surprised me, that's all."

What was I thinking? My first outing with my boyfriend and I'd almost killed him. "I'm sorry. I'm such a crappy sea-witch. I shouldn't even be allowed to practice magic." I searched Caesar's face for any sign of serious damage. Thankfully, there wasn't any.

"It's alright. I'm okay." Caesar treaded water, moving closer to me. I used my powers to help him stay afloat. "And you're not that bad—you're just new." He pulled me closer to him and I felt infinitesimally better.

"Right, new and awful. No wonder Grandma won't let me go home." As I said the words, an electric current ran through me. I hadn't thought about going home for a few days now—even with everything that had happened with the hunter. Somewhere between the start of school and now, I'd begun enjoying myself. I'd been so distracted by all of the new experiences, I'd almost forgotten to miss home. Now that I was thinking about it, I could tell that the pain was still there: I still ached when I thought about Dad, I got teary when I thought about not seeing Mom, and I felt a hollow where all my old friends used to be—but it wasn't as big as it had been before.

"You want to go home?" Caesar studied me with deep eyes.

I reached up, brushing my fingers on his cheekbone. "No. No. Not yet. One day. And I'd definitely go visit this weekend if I was allowed. But I'm having a good time here." A relieved look reached Caesar's eyes. "So, should I push us to shore?" I asked, changing the subject.

"I'll swim. I could use the exercise."

"I thought you swam this morning?"

"Yep, but a little more couldn't hurt."

It was possible he didn't trust me after what happened, and I couldn't really blame him. I pushed away from Caesar, using the currents to push myself to shore much faster than Caesar could swim.

"What were you and Caesar doing?" Amynta said as I exited the water.

I stepped onto the rocky beach beside the cliff we'd jumped off. "We ran into Shia. She flicked Caesar with her tail. Flicked him," I whispered in quiet agitation so Markus wouldn't hear.

Amynta bit her lip, appearing to hold in giggles.

"It's not funny."

"It is a bit," she replied as Caesar arrived, exiting the water, dripping wet. I hungrily eyed the way his black shirt clung to his skin.

"Why are you dry when the rest of us are soaking wet?" Caesar shook out his hair.

I looked at Amynta, Markus, and then down at myself. I'd managed to keep myself dry but had forgotten everyone else. "I'm so sorry. I was too focused on helping you breathe—and I even failed at that."

Markus frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I'll tell you later," Caesar said. "Let's go back to the dorm; I need a change of clothes."

When we arrived, I headed into the classroom to grab my backpack while everyone else went to change. I expected to find my backpack on my desk, where I'd left it, but instead I found it lying open across the desk, the contents scattered on the chair and floor below. "Damn," I said to myself, knowing that I must have knocked it over during my rush to get out of the classroom.

I quickly tossed everything back inside the bag, zipped it up, tossing it over my shoulder. As I left the classroom, the hairs on the back of my neck began to tingle, and I turned around, taking a fresh look at the empty room. For the first time, I noticed a bit of water on the floor. The tiny puddles were almost like footsteps, leading from the doorway to the back corner of the room. I stared into the corner, thinking again about the hunter.

"He can't cross the boundary," I whispered to myself, hoping that saying the words out loud would convince me of their truth. Dad dying, my moving, and a complete change of lifestyle had put me under a lot of stress lately—I was probably seeing things. But then again, there were still a lot of things I didn't know. For all I knew, sea-witches could become invisible and the strange noises I'd been hearing was Grandma spying on me. I grimaced; that explanation sounded all too plausible.

"Are you sure you just didn't leave your backpack unzipped? Because anyone could have knocked it over," Amynta said the following afternoon. We were hanging out in her dorm room, painting our nails.

"I'm sure. Someone went through it. I just have this feeling that someone is...watching me, or something. After all that stuff that happened with the hunter, and on the camping trip, I can't help but be weirded out."

Amynta blew on her right hand, trying to speed the drying time of her bright red polish. "Well, _if_ someone did go through your bag, it was probably Colleen's brother, Jack. He's always doing stuff like that. I think he gets pretty bored out here since there are no other kids his age. And I really don't think you're being followed, Nessa. Though I can understand you having that feeling since you were almost kidnapped last week. But the boundary–"

"I know. I know." I didn't want to hear her say it, but I had to admit, Amynta was right. I was hearing things in the bushes, thinking I saw things moving when they shouldn't be. I was really starting to lose my marbles. "I just...I guess I'm just used to the city, and concrete, and loud noises that mask all other noises. This world is different and I'm not used to it. Not to mention I've been sleep deprived—mostly thanks to the books Grandma is making me finish reading by the end of the month." I finished putting the gold polish on my toes and wiggled them, smiling at the way they shone. I checked the clock for the fourth time; it was only four-thirty, I didn't have to be home for dinner until seven. The school schedule only went until three o'clock, which allowed the students to have enough self-study time to fulfill the human government requirements. Mostly, we used the time for socializing. "Do the pirates go out on these treasure hunting adventures a lot?"

Amynta screwed the cap back on her bottle of polish. "I don't know about these pirates, since I've only known them as long as you have, but the pirates that I have known in my life would be out on the water every chance they got."

"Oh."

"Don't sound so down about it, Caesar really likes you. Pirates that have girlfriends and wives tend to spend a lot more time on land. I know Markus wants us to spend some time together after supper, so I'm sure they won't be out too long." Amynta sighed dreamily. "He's the best kisser." She tilted her head, looking out the window at the rain. "How does Caesar kiss?"

"I'm not telling you that." I climbed off Amynta's bed, leaving her there to giggle at me.

"Tell me, or I won't let you borrow my gold polish ever again."

"Not fair, that's the best colour for toes and I can't buy it anywhere around here."

Amynta shrugged nonchalantly. "It doesn't matter to me what colour your toes are, but if it matters to you..."

"Fine. He's dreamy. Best kisser I've ever kissed." I walked over to the far wall where Amynta had a laptop open to play music. I chose a new song.

"That's not the kind of detail I'm looking for." She rolled her eyes at me.

"Feel free to tell me about Markus if you want to gossip. This doesn't have to be a one way street."

Amynta's lips curled up into a smile. "Well, he likes to be all tough and bossy, but when we're alone together he's so nice to me. My favourite thing is the way he loves to run his hands through my hair, it makes me tingle."

I scrolled through Amynta's music list absentmindedly. "Caesar's touch makes me feel like I'm on fire."

"See, that's what I'm talking about." Amynta jumped off the bed with an overabundance of energy. "Do you want some tea?"

I nodded and she bounded out of the room just as quickly, leaving me alone. The dorm rooms were a descent size; there was enough space for a double bed, a desk, a dresser, and a closet. On the wall above the desk, Amynta had hung a large Grecian flag. The opposite wall had a large window. I walked across the room and looked outside. From the second story, I could just make out some of the shapeshifters through the rain. They were jumping off the cliff into the water. I watched Colleen take a running leap, shapeshifting in mid-air, diving into the water as a seal.

What would it take for her to be my friend again? I missed hanging out with her more than I thought I would. She was different than my other girlfriends. She loved swimming and sushi and wasn't into clothes. I found it refreshing. If only she liked pirates everything would be great. There was no way I'd give up Caesar, he was fun, handsome, and _such_ a good kisser, and he meant more to me than anyone else on the island—except maybe Amynta who was already feeling as much of a best friend to me as both Marnie and Colleen had been.

"What are you doing?" Amynta came back into the room carrying a tray with a pale blue teapot and two large, white coffee mugs.

"Just watching my non-friend go swimming with other shapeshifters—including Shia—yet again." I rested my hands on the windowsill.

Amynta put the tray down and came over to look out the window with me. "She's just trying to get you to flip—you know, trade Caesar for her."

"You think?"

Amynta tossed her long blond hair over her shoulder. "Of course. She's jealous. You found Caesar and you're happy. If I had to guess, I'd say she's had her heart broken."

"You can say that again," I muttered under my breath.

"What was that?" Amynta asked.

I debated telling her what Kyle had told me, but decided it wasn't my story to tell. "I said I think you're right. It would make sense if she's had her heart crushed in the past."

Amynta picked up the teapot and nodded. "Eventually the jealously will fade away and she'll talk to you again. You just have to give her time."

"How can you know that?"

"I don't; I'm just being positive." Amynta handed me a steaming mug of tea and sat back down on the bed just as the sound of a large crash came from downstairs.

"Was there anyone else in the kitchen?" I asked.

Amynta shook her head. I slipped off the bed and put my mug back on the tray, hoping no one had been hurt. Amynta did the same, following me down to the kitchen. The long white room with wooden tables and benches was empty. I nodded at a shattered jar in front of the doorway. Splashes of raspberry jam were scattered all over the floor and the lower part of the walls. Broken glass was everywhere. "I don't suppose you know who did that?"

"Wasn't me."

There was no one in the kitchen, so I hopped over the mess of jam and looked out the door, checking the nearby woods. "There's no one around. That's weird. The jam definitely didn't try to walk out of here on its own." I placed my hands on my hips, studying the shattered glass. "If someone wanted a snack, why wouldn't they just make it here instead of taking the jam wherever it is they were going?"

Amynta was already at the sink wetting a dishrag and unspooling a handful of paper towel. "I don't even know why someone would need a jar of jam at this time of day. Jam is strictly a breakfast food in my mind."

"Maybe there's a hoarder."

Amynta laughed. "Maybe there's a thief."

"Maybe it was Joanna?" I suggested, rolling through more possible scenarios in my mind.

"No, she always prepares dinner at her house and brings it over here at seven sharp."

Amynta handed me the wet rag and we bent over the mess, carefully picking up the glass before wiping the floor.

"There have been a lot of strange occurrences around here lately. Are there any Neptunian powers that I don't know about? Telekinesis, maybe?" I was hoping Amynta would say yes, because I didn't need any more reasons to starting thinking that the hunter had made it past the boundary and that everyone on the island was wrong.

Amynta shook her head. "No. Neptunian magic is purely water related and has nothing to do with mysteriously broken jam jars or searching through backpacks."

I paused in my cleaning. "You think they're related?"

She looked at me with her green eyes, the furrowed brow above them indicating she was thinking deeply about something. "I think it might be one ten-year-old neighbour, if that's what you mean...and I hope it's nothing more." Amynta bit her lip. I could tell she was thinking the same thing as me, even if she didn't say it. She, too, was hoping that it wasn't the hunter.

A small feeling of unease, the same feeling I got whenever I spent all night watching too many scary movies, moved from the base of my neck down the rest of my spine. "What if it is more?" I asked. I sat back on my heels, tucking my hair under my black hat. "What if he found a way to counteract Grandma's spell?"

"He wouldn't be able to do that...unless..."

I looked at her, eyes wide. "Unless what?"

"Unless he had a sea-witch in his employ. But there's no way." She shook her head emphatically. "There's no way that a sea-witch would work for a hunter."

"Boo!"

Amynta and I both screamed, falling away from the door. I looked up into the face of Juan, who was laughing hysterically, Markus and Caesar right behind him.

"Not funny." I said.

Juan stepped over me and kept going down the hallway. "Muy divertido," he called over his shoulder.

Caesar offered me a hand; I took it with a grumble. He said, "You two are a little bit wound up."

Amynta nodded at the pile of dirty rags and broken glass. "Someone created quite the mess down here. We've been cleaning it up. We were talking about the hunter."

I flushed. "But we know that the boundary is meant to keep him out." Meant to, but maybe not doing.

"Come on." Markus picked up our rags, taking them over to the sink to rinse them. "Let's go watch a movie, maybe something with real monsters in it."

I rolled my eyes as Caesar wrapped me in a hug. Real monsters: as if there were such things.

# Chapter 22

"Come on, Nessa. It's time for water polo! We're taking on the merfolk." Markus jovially slapped me on the back.

I shook my head. "I can't hang out today, the wicked-witch of the island is making me sit through some more lessons. As if I haven't had enough. They don't even help, I'm still not as good a sea-witch as she'd like me to be." _I'm still not good enough to be allowed a visit home._

Amynta leaned into Markus, showing me her sad face. "That sucks. You were great at water polo last weekend—we need you on our team."

Caesar stood behind me, arms hanging loosely over my shoulders. "Can I come over later?" He leaned close to me as he spoke. The warm air and tiny vibrations his voice created sent tingles of pleasure through my body.

The idea of Caesar visiting me later was a welcome one, but also one that wasn't likely to happen. I sighed, heavily. "I wish, but unfortunately, I'm not very good at Grandma's lessons. It'll probably take all night. Tomorrow's Friday though, which means the class trip to the other island and free time afterward. Grandma rarely makes me do lessons back to back."

"I could sneak in," Caesar whispered as Amynta and Markus politely excused themselves to search for an afternoon snack.

I turned to face my boyfriend, glad to have two seconds with him alone. "I'd say yes, but I know I won't be feeling up to it after working so hard all night. This magic stuff takes so much concentration that I almost always end up with a huge headache. By the end of the night, all I want is a hot bath and a good book, maybe a little bit of music. We'll hang out tomorrow though, I promise."

Caesar brought his lips closer to mine. My pulse pounded in anticipation. "I'm already looking forward to it."

After one of Caesar's amazing kisses, I forced myself away from his warm skin, strong fingers, and woody scent, and headed home. I could feel the smile on my face as I walked down the path. Lessons with Grandma couldn't dull my delight at finally being with Caesar. Ever since Saturday night, I'd known I'd made the right decision. I was attracted to Caesar more than I'd ever been attracted to anyone, and he'd been nothing but amazing to me. It felt so natural to be with him. We could talk about anything and he always listened. In fact, the only thing I couldn't talk to him about was, well...him.

That was what Colleen would be good for, I thought, catching sight of a familiar red sweater walking ahead of me. I bit the inside of my cheek, and then began jogging. The only thing that made my happiness with Caesar less happy was the fact that Colleen still refused to be my friend. I was determined to change her mind, and I was going to take every chance I got to do so.

"Colleen!" I called, coming up on the heels of her white sneakers. She started and then slowed and turned around.

Her normally wide eyes were narrowed into slits. "Shouldn't you be hanging out with your pirate boyfriend?"

"No. Just because we're together doesn't mean we have to always be together."

"Whatever." Colleen rolled her eyes. "I take it your grandma is making you go home for lessons? Good for her, if I can't keep you from hanging out with pirates, at least she can."

"Come on, you can't really think the pirates are all that bad. They've been nothing but nice to you this year. They haven't been mean to anyone else either. Caesar's just as worried and upset about his dad as you are about yours."

Colleen crossed her arms over her stiff, erect body. "I can be nice to him, Nessa. But I don't want to hang out with him. I don't want to hear him say how a pirate never gets lost at sea, or how sorry he was for embarrassing me in front of everyone last year. I just want to hang out with the people I like that I know like me. I don't want to hang out with people that make me feel like I have to look over my shoulder every two seconds." She spun on her heal and walked quickly through the trees.

"I like you. I'd never let Caesar hurt you—or say anything about you—I promise." I chased after her. How could she be this blindly determined?

"You shouldn't have to promise."

"You shouldn't be so pig-headed."

"I am not!"

"Yes, you are. You're so nice to everyone here—everyone except the pirates. You hate them because they hurt you, but most of all you hate them because they made you feel like an idiot."

Colleen stopped, looking at me with shaky eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Kyle told me that you used to have a crush on Jim. Caesar and Markus were only able to catch you in that net because Jim had asked you to meet him for a morning swim."

"Kyle told you that?"

"Don't get mad at him. He thought it would help if I knew why you really hate the pirates. He wants us to be friends Colleen, even he thinks it's stupid for you to throw away our friendship because of some embarrassment that happened a year ago."

"Some embarrassment? If that's all you think it is, Nessa, then maybe you should try it. Until then, leave me alone." Colleen bolted, running through the trees to where the fork in the path led to her house. I let her go. Maybe I'd try talking to her again once she cooled off.

The argument made lessons with Grandma more difficult. My concentration had been broken like a wave on the beach, and my magic was suffering for it.

"For the last time, you have to concentrate. You have to hold the thoughts and the words in your mind. Hard. Cold. Ice. Freezing. The tips of your fingers should feel it as the energy flows from you to the water." Grandma wore her glasses on the tip of her nose. She stared at me over the tops of the rims—she read while I struggled minute after minute to change the lukewarm water in the bowl to a solid chunk of ice.

"I _am_ concentrating."

She leaned back, crossing her arms. "Not hard enough. What's going on?"

Startled, I looked away, and then back at her. She was still watching me, like she actually cared. Maybe getting the words off my chest would help. "Colleen won't talk to me because I'm dating Caesar. And I don't want to lose her as a friend. I just don't get why she can't even try to get to know him."

Grandma nodded. "Everyone deserves the right to be heard, Nessa. Have you listened to Colleen about why she's angry?"

"Yes, but she won't listen to me, about why I want to be with Caesar."

She nodded again. "Then you will have to keep trying. And maybe even wait until she's ready to listen. Because in my experience, people who've been hurt need time to sort out their own feelings and emotions before they can truly listen to others."

"Yeah, I guess." I dipped a finger in the bowl of water, testing the temperature to see if I'd managed to cool it. I hadn't.

"Now, put your fight with Colleen on the shelf until tomorrow. There's nothing you can do about it right now. However, you can change this water to ice if you try." Grandma stood up and slipped off her glasses, putting them on the table. "I'll cook up some Fettuccini Alfredo for supper, while you continue to practice. But you're not leaving that table until you've succeeded."

I groaned, resting my head briefly on my arms. Why did everything have to be so hard? "Has Mom called at all?" I asked, suddenly longing for the days when Mom would bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies to encourage me to finish my homework.

"She called the other morning. She's beginning to feel a bit better. I wasn't going to mention it to you, but she said she'd try calling you on the weekend."

A heavy weight on my heart lifted. I raised my head back up. "This weekend? When? What time?"

Grandma pulled out the pots and pans. "She wasn't sure. But I'm sure she'll get in touch with you soon. Now, stop stalling and get back to work."

I sighed, turning my thoughts back to ice. The news that Mom was thinking of me lifted my spirits. I focused harder, buoyed by a new wave of energy. Maybe tonight wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Alright, everyone." Joanna clapped her hands, bring attention to herself. We were all buzzing about, talking excitedly about our first field trip which had taken us back to the small island we'd camped on just five days ago. Slowly, everyone quieted down, preparing to listen to instructions as the rain fell around us.

I was wearing my blue rain jacket and jeans that were already soaked. Unlike working my magic on a big body of water, I found it impossible to warm up the rain, which meant that not only was I wet—I was freezing. Caesar wrapped a warm hand in mine and I almost melted into his heat.

"Today I'm going to break you up in groups of two since I've noticed some of you have a tendency to always partner with the same person, and I believe it's a good experience to work with many different people."

Caesar squeezed my hand. I looked up at him with a frown; no way would Joanna put us together.

"Your task today is to compose a field journal of all the different animal and plant life you find on this island. I need sketches—including colour and scale—and when we get back to the classroom you'll be required to do research on each of the animals—including insects—and different types of plant life that you find. Sketches need to be detailed and have astute observations. Each group must have at least twenty different entries just from today, and you must work with your partner to make sure you don't do sketches of the same life forms. You won't get the marks if you have repeat entries. This is a year-long project. Today we will start with life that lives on the land. Later in the year we will move to life that lives in the ocean. Also, to ensure that no groups are doubling up or swapping partners, we're going to use this time to work on our orienteering skills, which means that each team will work only within a designated area." Joanna reached down into her bag, pulling out a handful of old-fashioned compasses.

Everyone groaned; orienteering was tough work.

"Alright, partners are as follows: Zeke will go with Rainbow." I watched as Joanna broke everyone into groups, splitting up the cliques of mermaids and sea nymphs, and assigning everyone an area to survey. I hoped she wouldn't put me with Colleen; that would be torture. I'd rather be put with Telmath or Paket, one of the grumpy, temperamental vodiani—they'd be easier to deal with.

"Colleen and..."

_Not me. Not me_. "Caesar."

I breathed a sigh of relief for myself but felt a twinge of sympathy for him—Colleen was not going to enjoy working with a pirate. But at least Caesar hadn't been paired with Shia—that would have made me feel worse.

"Nessa and Shia." Wait, I thought she'd said Nessa and Shia? I looked over at the mermaid; she was already heading my way with a bounce in her step, grabbing the compass from Joanna on the way over.

"Hi Caesar," she smiled brightly at him, barely acknowledging me. "I'm with Nessa. Who are you with?"

"Me," Colleen said, coming up on our right with a dark look on her face.

Caesar shrugged. "I guess I'll see you later." I reluctantly let go of Caesar's hand as he waved goodbye and took off into the woods, working the compass like a pro. Colleen lagged behind him, keeping a clear ten-foot distance between them. Hopefully, they'd both come out of the woods alive.

I straightened my backpack and took the compass and small map from Shia's hand when she held them out to me. I'd used a compass a couple of times at my old school. It didn't take me long to figure out that we'd been assigned the area closest to the shoreline. I smiled a little, glad that I would be able to hear the sound of the waves all day, and possibly even find my lost toque and flashlight, which I'd forgotten on Sunday morning.

"Nessa! Nessa, wait."

I ignored Shia, making my way across the mossy ground and over the tangles of tree roots and into the forest. I stepped over a wet log, splashing into a small puddle on the other side. The forest was like a giant fishbowl it was so wet.

Charging ahead, I gave Shia no time to catch up to me. Why did I have to get paired with her: the one girl that had everything? She got to be friends with both Colleen and Caesar.

"Nessa, I think we should stop and pick some plants to sketch."

"Oh, right." I'd been so distracted by my thoughts, I'd forgot. I stopped abruptly and unslung my backpack, dropping it onto the ground with a thud. I squatted down and opened it up, pulling out a purple spiral notebook.

"I thought you'd never quit walking," Shia said, panting slightly as she came up right behind me.

"I needed to make sure we were within our assigned area. I also wanted to make sure we were in a good spot, one with a lot of diverse life around. This looks good." I busied myself with finding a pen.

Shia nodded sharply. "Good idea." She pulled out a pink water bottle from her backpack and took a sip. "I call that one." She pointed to a banana slug making its way across the mossy, carpeted forest floor.

"Sure, I'll do that mushroom." I pointed at a tree a little further away, where a fat, white piece of fungus grew at the base. I grabbed my backpack by the top handle and moved over to it. The area I'd stopped in was a small clearing, where the moss and bushes seemed to be more trampled down, giving me plenty of room to work. I knelt down on the ground, and was hoping to have a few quiet moments to work, when Shia began talking again.

"So you and Caesar are a couple now?"

What kind of question was that? Everyone knew Caesar was my boyfriend; we'd made it pretty obvious. "Yes. I'm his girlfriend," I answered, peeking over my shoulder at Shia. She was tucking her water bottle away and pulling out her own notebook. She looked like a normal girl in a pair of blue jeans and a long yellow jacket that looked great in contrast with her dark hair.

Something shimmered in the corner of my vision and I looked up, hoping that the sun was making an appearance but all I saw were grey clouds and green treetops.

"He's a very nice person."

"I know." I looked at her quizzically. I hadn't spoken to Shia much in the almost two full weeks of school. She tended to stick around the other mermaids and Caesar. Now that I was out here, talking to her, I wondered if it was because she was shy or self-conscious. "That's why I'm dating him."

"I think Caesar would be a great boyfriend."

"Look, do you like him or something?" I spun around, popping up onto my feet and staring at Shia, hands planted on my waist, my notebook forgotten and abandoned on the forest floor. I was beginning to wonder if it was okay to flirt with someone's boyfriend in the merfolk culture.

Her pupils dilated with surprise. "What? Like Caesar? He's a good friend, of course I like him."

"I knew it." I could barely get the words out, as my heart thumped in fear. What was I going to do if Shia constantly threw herself at Caesar? Forbid him from hanging out with her? I had a friend that did that to her boyfriend and it just ended up pushing him and the other girl together.

"Why do you look so angry Nessa? Caesar and I are friends. I said he was nice."

"I'm not angry; I'm jealous."

"Jealous? About what?"

"About you and Caesar. You get along so well. Before I became his girlfriend I thought that maybe he was interested in you; that's what made me realize that I actually liked him in the first place. I can tell that you like him."

Shia tossed her hair back and looked at me with wide black eyes. "Why didn't you just say that? It's so much easier living with mermaids, there's never any hidden meaning behind people's actions." She looked back at me, an amused smile playing over her lips. "Caesar's a friend. He's great at teaching me human things. He never makes me feel stupid for not knowing something, like other students do. But I don't like him like you do. I don't want to be his girlfriend. My life is complicated—but there's kind of someone else...back home."

"Oh." I lowered my head, too embarrassed to look at Shia. As my eyesight focused on the ground, I noticed something strange, out of place. "My toque." The small, knitted hat lay in the moss beside a tree. I took a step toward it and then sucked in my breath sharply. In the moss beside my toque it looked like there were the indentations of bare human feet. The longer I stared at them the easier it was to make out five toes. I looked up again, but this time I looked into the space between Shia and I, the space above the impressions of feet in the moss where I'd thought I'd seen a shimmer a few minutes before.

"I hope you'll let me hang out with both you and Caesar. We can all be great friends," Shia said, almost a bit timidly.

Barely registering what Shia had said, I answered, "Of course. " I kept my eyes fixed on the spot only ten feet away from me. I glanced downward to the imprints of toes; they hadn't moved. Then I followed the line up from the feet. There was a thickness to the air, as if the two sides of the clearing were separated by a thin piece of glass. Slowly, I began to see the shape of the glass: an outline of a leg, then a torso, and then a neck. My body was tingling; the hair on the back of my neck was standing up like I was watching a horror movie. The hunter. It had to be. But how was this possible? How could he be here? And how could he be invisible?

"Nessa?" Her voice made me jump. I looked at Shia who tilted her head and blinked her wide mermaid eyes at me. "Is something wrong?"

My stomach was churning. My head felt light. "Just a sec, I want to try something." I turned quickly back to my backpack and crouched down. As quickly as possible, I ripped the mushroom I'd been sketching out of the ground, turned on my heel, and threw it. Shia's eyes widened in surprise as it flew through the air. They widened even more when the mushroom suddenly stopped its journey mid-flight, falling straight to the ground, as if it had been thrown against a wall.

"What's going on?" Shia's eyes moved frantically, as did mine.

The moment he sprung into action, I saw him more clearly. I could now see not only the legs, torso, and head, but also long tentacles hanging where arms should have been. I recognized the face of the hunter, but at the same time I remembered something else: the tale Telmath had told at the fire, the tale about the kurage—the invisible jellyfish.

"Run, Shia!" I yelled, cutting through the trees as the creature reached for me. I jumped over a fallen trunk. Shia was right behind me.

"What is it?"

"It's the hunter—he's a kurage," I glanced backward, searching desperately for the outline of the thing. "I can't see him, he's almost invisible."

"Agh," Shia let out a small cry as she tripped and fell to the ground. I stopped, turning back to help her up. "A boat!" Shia pointed through the trees.

I could barely make it out: a small, black inflatable craft that was mostly covered with tree branches.

"We have to hurry." I clasped my arm with hers and pulled. But it was too late.

I saw the tentacle-like arms flying toward me. They were almost pink now. I reached out a hand to slap them away, but I was too slow. The tentacles wrapped around me. A stinging pain shot through my forearm and up to my elbow, culminating at the base of my skull. I screamed in pain as I looked up into the face of the kurage, and then collapsed in darkness.

# Chapter 23

"Nessa. Wake up. Nessa!"

I opened my eyes. My heart was fluttering, panicked. I looked around, the blackness moved from my vision. My thoughts and memories became clear as the pain in my arm burned. "What's going on? Where's Shia?" I demanded the answers from Caesar and Colleen who were standing over me, pale, worried.

"We heard screaming. We came as quickly as we could. We haven't seen Shia. What happened?" Caesar asked. Colleen waited silently to my right.

"How long?" I asked, rubbing my throbbing head.

"It took us about ten minutes to find you, maybe a bit more."

"No. That's too long. They could be anywhere." I tried to get up but Caesar pushed me back down.

"What happened?" His eyes were narrowed, intense.

"We were attacked," I said, the minute an ear-splitting wail reached our ears. It was coming from the beach. I glanced around again, this time looking specifically for the boat I'd seen through the trees; it was gone. "It was the hunter. He's a kurage. He...he was like a jellyfish. He had these arms. They touched me. It was so painful." I searched the woods from my place on the damp ground, looking for any sign of Shia or the kurage. There was nothing. "We have to hurry."

"The kurage?" Colleen asked, her large eyes moving from me to Caesar, challenging him. "We already talked about this, the invisible jellyfish is just a myth, a tale invented to scare little kids. And the boundary would–"

"No. It's broken. He's here. I know you don't believe me. But he has Shia and we have to save her! He could kill her with his tentacles, Colleen. He shouldn't even be on this island!"

"Okay," Caesar said, placing a calming arm around my shoulders. "We'll take you back to the beach. Obviously something's going on: Shia's missing and the other merfolk are upset." Caesar looked in the direction of the wail that was still streaming through the trees. He lifted me up, slipping an arm under my shoulders for support. "Colleen, can you grab her other side please?"

"Got it." Colleen's tiny frame slipped easily under my arm.

My sketchbook and backpack were forgotten as we rushed down to the beach, the wail guiding us. Our feet flew over the dirt, tree roots, and twigs that lay in our way. We moved through the forest as fast as we could, keeping our eyes fixed ahead, looking for signs of Shia as the wailing grew louder.

When we broke through the last of the trees and onto the beach, I saw that the wailing was coming from five people—not just one. All of the first year merfolk students were huddled together, worried, drawn expressions on their faces and tears in their eyes. I didn't need a psychic connection with them to know they were in pain. The rest of the students had returned to the beach and were looking around, some panicked and some...dumbfounded.

Caesar had a tight, pained looked on his face. His grey eyes moved across the beach as Joanna ran up to the merfolk, trying desperately to calm them down.

I rushed up to her. "It's Shia, we were attacked. Someone attacked us and Shia's gone. It was the hunter. I...I think he's a kurage." I held out my arms, which were now displaying bright red welts that were growing darker every minute.

"Yes. Shia. She's gone." Nor—one of the first year mermen, the one I always thought of as the leader—bent over, crumpling to the sand, holding his head. "We can't feel her. We can't hear her. We felt pain. So much pain, then...nothing." Nor turned his dark eyes on me, looking up from where he lay on the beach. "You were with her! What did you do to her?"

I flinched in the heat of his anger. "Nothing. We were attacked—both of us—by the hunter. I recognized him. I'm telling you, he was human, but...not human. He had jellyfish arms. Long tentacles. He stung me. He had a boat! He's a kurage; he has to be."

"You lie! The invisible jellyfish is just a story, Telmath told us of it to scare us." Nor tried to lunge at me but Zeke, who stood beside him, grabbed him with one arm, stopping him.

"It wasn't Nessa, look at her arms, she's hurt too!" Caesar defended me.

"It was a kurage," said a deep, gravelly voice. I turned my head, rubbing my sore arms gently, trying to dispel the burning, tingling sensation. Telmath moved closer, and Paket followed him, nodding. "Back in Japan, the kurage is spoke of as a legend, yes, but there are old women who insist the kurage exists. Even my own grandmother swore she saw one once, and my grandmother is not the kind of woman who tells lies, even in humour."

Joanna inclined her head to Telmath, studying him with the calm eyes of a school teacher. "What else do you know about the kurage? Could it break through our barrier? If it's the same hunter that tried to take Nessa last weekend, why would he leave her and take Shia instead?"

Telmath shrugged. "These questions are beyond my answers." His short, green tentacle hair slithered on top of his head. "A kurage is cursed by the sea, but he is still Neptunian. He could break through the barrier if he had help. As for kidnapping Shia instead of Nessa, my guess is that he values the immortality which eating mermaid flesh can provide. Kidnapping a sea-witch would not have given him the same gift."

I didn't think it was possible to feel worse, but I did.

Joanna's eyes narrowed. "You really believe the hunter could be a kurage, and that he had help?"

"The vodiani believe everything is possible. But if you are looking for proof, then we must first find the missing mermaid."

"Joanna." Caesar stepped up beside me, as did Markus. "I can read the ocean, if he took Shia in a boat like Nessa believes, then the sound of the motor could have been blocked by the mermaid's wailing. But if you let me listen to the sea, I'll know if he's out there," Caesar nodded at the open water, "Or still on this island."

Joanna looked from one pirate to the other, as she did I saw a light bloom in her eyes, a spark of hope. "Do it."

Markus nodded, as did Caesar as he let go of my hand, walking to the shoreline. The pirates knelt down in a few inches of water, oblivious to the cold waves splashing up, soaking their jeans. Markus and Caesar locked eyes; each was crouched over the water, and each reached out with one hand and let their fingertips touch the ocean. Their expressions went blank. I watched them, curious to see Caesar use his magic, wondering if I could use my magic to help as well. A few seconds later, the pirates abruptly stood and made their way back to us, grim expressions on their faces.

"There's someone within the boundaries that doesn't belong here. But they're leaving. Quickly." Markus' face was white.

Joanna pulled in a sharp breath. "We need to stop them."

"Then we must go. Now!" Nor charged at the water. "Which direction?" he demanded of Caesar.

"Wait." Joanna reached out, stopping him. "We must be prepared. If he took Shia, he'll have defences, weapons. There will be others."

Nor tried to shake Joanna off, his face red with rage. "She's our princess, no harm shall befall her!" Everyone stopped cold at this revelation. Shia was a princess?

"Princess?" Joanna was just as puzzled as the rest of us. The merfolk nodded. Joanna bit her lip in thought, then nodded once, firmly. "Colleen, Kyle, I need you two to shift and swim back to the main island as quickly as possible. Get Shannon and all of the Tiderunners; we'll need their help. There are strangers in our waters and we can't let them get away. This will be dangerous. I won't force anyone to come who doesn't want to."

I stepped forward. "I'm going with you."

Caesar and the other pirates moved forward, forming a line next to me. "We're going as well."

"There's no way you're stopping us." Nor moved forward with his kin, speaking on their behalf.

"I'm definitely helping," Kyle said.

The chorus of agreement sounded out; no one was staying behind. Shia was our friend. We wouldn't let her be taken.

Colleen was down to her bright red undershirt and matching underwear before she paused. "What do we tell them?"

Joanna turned to her. "To bring everyone and everything they have. The rest of us are going to try and stop the hunter before he reaches the boundary. Go!"

Everyone rushed for the boat and the water. I jumped into the York's boat after Amynta. She turned to me, her blue eyes steady and determined. The pirates jumped in after us. The shapeshifters waded into the water, some of them already transformed.

Caesar addressed them. "The kidnapper's due west of here, in a small boat moving fast but still within the boundary. I also sensed a bigger boat outside the boundary; that'll be his support."

Nor nodded. "We'll find the boat and report back to the sea-witch; she'll be able to hear us if she's listening." The merfolk dove into the water, disappearing.

"I can hear merfolk?" I muttered to no one in particular.

Caesar looked at me out of the corner of his eye. "If they want you to hear them."

Markus fired up the engine and we sped toward the boundary of our land-marine refuge, with no idea of what—or who—was waiting for us. I could only hope I was ready.

# Chapter 24

I forced my panic down. Someone had kidnapped Shia—it just as easily could have been me. My arms stung and my head was throbbing. Did Shia feel like this? Or were they doing worse things to her? I shuddered.

Caesar came over and wrapped me up in his arms. "You're our best shot at rescuing Shia, Nessa. You can stop the boat. Use your powers to freeze the kidnappers in the water. You're a sea-witch, the most powerful of all Neptunians –"

"No I'm not. I suck as a sea-witch. I didn't even know I was one until a month ago. I almost let you drown the other day, not to mention it takes me forever to get through Grandma's lessons."

"But you do get through them," Caesar said as a powerful, ripping ribbon of wind tore my hat off my head, tossing it to the waves.

My hair flew around in the wind, red and long. Powerful sea-witch hair. Hair that meant I had a shot at saving Shia—saving her so I could take back some of the things I said in the moments before we were attacked. "I wish I would have paid more attention to Grandma. It's her we need; she's the powerful sea-witch."

Amynta brushed my hair back for me, stopping its whipping movement "She'll come, but you still have to be ready. You can stop them with your powers, freeze them in the ocean like it's a block of ice, or use the tides to turn them back."

I grimaced. I'd only just learned to turn water to ice last night, and it took me three hours to do it. How was I supposed to freeze a whole boat in place? It sounded impossible. I shook my head. Using the tides might not be so hard; I was better at moving water than I was at freezing it. I looked out at the ocean and opened my senses, using them to latch onto the tides and control the water. I would be ready. I wouldn't let them hurt Shia anymore than they already had. I wouldn't let them take her.

"Why do they hunt us?" I asked Amynta as Caesar left to speak with Markus and Juan.

Amynta's eyes grew fierce. "What Telmath said about eating mermaid flesh is true; consuming the tiniest piece will add a hundred years to your life. And I didn't even know Shia was a mermaid princess...but if _they_ did, they could be after a hefty ransom—the kind of ransom that could change the world."

Tears formed in my eyes. This was a dark part of the world I'd hoped to never venture into. My stomach churned as unbidden images formed in my mind; Shia being served for dinner on a rich man's platter; being roasted over a fire; her eyes staring up at the starry night sky she loved, lifeless.

We needed to save her. We needed to save Shia. We had to get to her.

I nodded. "I can do this." I forced the words into my bones. "I _can_ do this." I closed my eyes and took deep breaths. I tested my link to the sea, and then I called on it to slow the boat that carried Shia. I churned the water with my mind, creating currents that any boats but our own would have trouble navigating through, that any creatures other than my friends would find as thick as jello, that anyone who had vile intentions would find as hard as ice.

I was concentrating so hard my head began to pound. I used all my mental strength to pull on the currents, but still I felt my target slipping from my grasp. I felt the sharp smack when they crossed the boundary; they'd gotten away.

"It's too late," I felt a tear slide down my cheek. "They're over the boundary." I opened my eyes. Amynta was shaking her head, her green eyes encouraging me.

"It isn't too late. You can still influence the water outside the boundary. You can still stop them, just keep trying." Amynta leaned closer and whispered in my ear. "If you get me close enough I can entrap the humans with my voice."

I closed my eyes again, concentrating on my breath. I reached out with the core of myself that was bound tightly to the sea. _Please. Slow them. We need to save Shia._ I could feel it working, but it wasn't working fast enough; we were barely gaining on the other ship.

_We found the boat._

My eyes popped open. I'd heard the voice in my head, faint and quiet. It was Nor. I leaned over the side of the boat, dipping my hand into the spray.

_Shia's awake, but she's hurt. She said she's locked in a dark room at the bottom of a ship._

"What is it?" Amynta reached out, gripping my forearm in concern.

"Nor. They found her." I shook my head. I needed to keep trying. I needed to stop the boat. _Stop_ , I commanded silently, imagining the ocean thick like liquid concrete, growing more solid every moment. With each try it was becoming easier and easier to influence the currents. I could feel us drawing closer bit by bit. Even though the other boat was still progressing forward, I could sense the gap between our boats growing smaller.

"Come on," I whispered under my breath, reaching out to grip Amynta's hand.

"I think I see something," she said, giving me encouragement. Another sharp snap in my mind told me that we'd crossed over the boundary.

"Can you go any faster?" I called loudly, so those at the front of the boat could hear me.

"I'm going as fast as I can," Markus called back.

I nodded, feeling my forehead begin to pulse as I tried even harder to reverse the currents of the wide open Pacific ocean and bring the kidnappers back to us. I wished I could push us faster, but was having a hard enough time trying to slow down the kidnappers. I could only concentrate on one thing at a time.

_Nessa, I'm here._ Another gasp as I heard Grandma's voice in my head. Today was full of nothing but surprises. "Grandma," I said out loud so that Amynta would know. "She's on her way."

_I will lend my powers to yours. We're behind you. Be careful, you'll be there much sooner than we will._ I felt our boat speed up and the intruders' boat slow as Grandma threw her magic in with mine.

_We're here for her. We will protect her._ I heard the cacophony of merfolk and sea nymph voices in my mind. I was shocked by—and proud of—their strength and determination. I felt stronger now that all of my friends, classmates, and family were with me.

We'd get Shia back. We had too.

"There." Amynta cried. "Just a little bit closer. Then I can sing."

I let my powers meld with Grandma's. I opened my senses until I could tell exactly where everyone and everything in the ocean was: the mermaids, the sea-nymphs, the vodiani, the kidnappers.

"There," Amynta nudged me. I opened my eyes and saw the boat. I risked a quick glance over at Caesar and saw him pull a belt with a short knife out from under one of the benches. A diving knife, I realized, just as Amynta let her voice free in a beautiful cascading song. The words were nothing I could make sense of, but I felt myself drawn to her a thousand times more than usual. I could only imagine what her powers could do to humans.

I turned my eyes back to the ship we were chasing and saw the small boat Shia had spotted on the island. It was tied to the side of a state-of-the-art, shiny white yacht.

There was no sign of Shia.

Standing guard on the deck were five men—all of which were brandishing bows and arrows or standing behind large, stationary harpoon guns—and only two of which were frozen in Amynta's song—there were more Neptunians involved in this than any of us had guessed. One of the men on the deck pointed at us as we approached. Another one pinched something at his collar, likely a radio. All of the guards turned to face us, weapons ready.

Markus piloted us as close as he dared, and then cut the engine as one of the intruders took aim at us with a long harpoon barrel. All around our little boat I could feel my classmates—my friends—moving closer, waiting to fight, waiting to get Shia back.

_We're going to climb up the boat and find Shia,_ I heard one of the sea nymphs say. _We can use our water form to slither along the floor like a puddle. This way the kidnappers will not notice us_.

_I'll help you all I can,_ I replied, trying to hold the kidnapper's yacht in place. I used my influence to move our boat closer to the white ship and the men standing guard on it. What kind of Neptunians were they? Pirates? Vodiani? Some other strange creatures I'd yet to hear of? And why would they want to hurt their own kind?

It took me a moment to realize that the yacht was running its engine's full out, yet it wasn't going anywhere. We waited in a stalemate, the intruders stared at us; we stared at them. What were they waiting for? With a sudden yell from inside the yacht's cabin, the crew began moving, pointing their weapons at us. They fired.

"Get down," Caesar yelled. I leapt for the floor, dragging Amynta down with me as she sang.

My adrenaline gushed through my veins and I used my powers to pull up an ice wall just in time. I heard something large hit it—a harpoon I assumed—and I heard the wall shatter. But my spirits soared—I'd just created an ice wall in seconds. As long as I continued to keep control over my powers, we'd be able to get Shia back. We had to.

An arrow tinged against the side of the boat. I looked up and saw the long thin rods flying into the water. The intruders were aiming for my friends. _I need to do more._ I heard a sudden, deep smacking sound. I peaked over the side of the boat, ready to pull up walls of ice to protect myself if necessary, and saw the yacht rocking fiercely side to side. The intruders momentarily lost control of their weapons. The firing stopped, and I saw the flash of a black and white body moving underneath the water, heading for the yatch. It was Zeke in his Orcie form, trying to capsize the ship.

But it wasn't enough, and seconds later arrows were again flying at us. I tried to work walls of ice up around the yacht while holding it in place, but it was too difficult. My head throbbed with pain and I was forced to duck down again, using the side of the boat as a shield.

_Join me, Nessa. We're almost there. Use the currents to help me tear their ship apart._ I heard her voice and felt her presence. Grandma was churning the water in a way I'd never felt before—full of anger: protective, possessive anger. I thought of Shia. I thought of what the kidnappers would do to Shia. I let my anger and determination flow from my body and into the deep, dark waters of the sea.

_I'm with you, Grandma._

I closed my eyes momentarily. The waves crashed dangerously around us. The sky grew dark and the wind began to pick up, almost drowning out Amynta's song. I worked the ocean currents. I used my mind to ask the ocean to pull at the nuts and bolts and welded joints that held the yacht together. Grandma worked with me.

I opened my eyes. Amynta was staring at me.

"We're going to sink it," I told her. She nodded in response, her mouth still moving in her beautiful song.

I sensed the arrival of the Tiderunner family, all of which joined Zeke in beating on the yacht. I could sense the merfolk, circling the boat, waiting for the sea nymphs to rescue Shia. I felt the deep rage of Paket and Telmath, bringing a forest of seaweed, growing the weeds thick and heavy, using them to pull the boat and its unsavoury crew under the churning surface of the ocean.

I looked over at Caesar, who crouched on the floor of our boat with Markus and Juan, attempting to stay out of the way of the flying arrows. I silently thanked the pirates for bringing us here.

The air grew quiet, and I stood up boldly, mentally preparing to protect myself with my magic. I looked at the yacht, the merfolk and sea nymphs were all on the deck, fighting hand to hand with the intruders, forcing them over the side one by one where some were ensnared in seaweed and dragged under. I looked over at Caesar and caught his eye. He winked at me, pulled out the dive knife and placed it between his teeth, and then he jumped over the side of the boat, swimming to help the others on the yacht. I gripped the side of the boat tightly, wanting to protect him, but finding I was too tired to do so. I was exhausted from using my energy to lock the yacht in place, and trying to tear apart the boat. There was nothing I could do to help him.

I let every feeling and emotion I had flow out of my body, mixing it with my magic. I let it tangle with Grandma's, feeding life into the ocean so that it could feed life into the storm around us. I watched eagerly as the vodiani seaweed slithered its way out of the deep blue water, brown and green tendrils wrapping themselves around the beaten ship, enveloping it. I cheered each time the merfolk won a battle and tossed an intruder over the side of the yacht, into the sea where the orcies and others could hunt them down. I cringed every time one of my friends took a hit and fell into the water themselves.

I saw Colleen jump up in her Selkie form. She leapt high above the water and then came down hard on the back of an intruder that was trying to swim away. He cried out as she dove down, preparing to do it again. But the second time he was ready for her. When Colleen leapt into the air he reached out a hand and grasped her by the neck, squeezing.

"Caesar!" I called out in panic, hoping he could hear me. He was only a few feet away from Colleen but his back was to her. He couldn't see her struggle. "Caesar." He turned toward me and I indicated behind him, pulling up an ice wall just in time to stop an arrow from piercing my shoulder. Caesar caught sight of Colleen and changed his trajectory. He dove at the intruder, hitting him on the back of the head with the butt of his hunting knife. Colleen scrambled away, submerging again.

_You can do this Nessa, I believe in you._ Grandma urged me on. _Together we can stop them from ever harming a Neptunian again._

I worked with Grandma; the closer she got the more I could feel her magic strengthen mine. Gritting my teeth, I worked through my throbbing headache. I used my mind to create fingers in the water. I stuffed those fingers into cracks in the yacht and I used those fingers to pull the ship apart. The minute the currents ripped open the bottom of the yacht, flooding it with water, I felt it. The pain in my head lessoned, as I no longer had to work so hard. I smiled, and then I panicked—was it too soon? Where was Shia? So many of my friends were still on the boat, were they okay?

My eyes scanned the ship; the last of the hunters had disappeared. Where had they gone? Had they all been dragged under by the seaweed, imprisoned with the ship at the bottom of the ocean for eternity? Could they turn invisible too?

I saw one of the watery sea nymphs carry Shia across the deck just as it began to sink beneath the waves. Shia was in her mermaid form, and her long, aquamarine tale hung from the crystal clear arms. A long stream of red stained Shia's scales. Her face was pale and her eyes were shut. I took a desperate gasp of air, telling myself she was alive—she had to be. And Caesar, where was he? I turned left, then right, and finally saw him swimming back toward me.

My eyes scanned the boat as my thoughts worked to sink it. Only the small tower part of the yacht was not submerged now. Slowly, the boat sank. In the final moments, I saw him, the grey-haired man, the hunter, the kurage, on top of the ship. He looked at me, making my arms burn with pain. The yacht sank just as the group of sea nymphs and mermaids reached our boat, supporting an injured Shia between them. I helped lift Shia into the boat, using my powers to push Shia's unconscious body up and onto to the padded bench. When I looked up again there was no trace of the yacht, or the kurage. I searched the sea and found no one in it other than my friends.

I looked over at Grandma's boat, which was drawing nearer.

_Where are they?_ I asked her with my magic, so that only she would hear me. _Where have all the hunters gone?_

_We cannot be sure,_ I heard her silent reply. _Possibly they all perished. Possibly..._

I swallowed thickly, it was a horrible thought, but the alternative was even more horrible: that the hunters had slipped through the water, and out of our net of seaweed, and that somehow they had escaped into the deep, vast ocean. Hiding. Waiting.

"We'll need something to stop the bleeding," I said, seeing the golf ball sized hole in Shia's tail.

Amynta opened up the bench on the other side of the boat. She came back seconds later, Nor in tow. "Will this work?" She handed me a thick, grey and red blanket.

"It will have too," I said, taking it from her and pressing it to Shia's wound.

"Nessa, thank goodness you're alright." I looked up as Grandma butted her boat up to ours. She looked down at Shia, her face blanching. "Quickly, help me transfer her over here." Without another word, Grandma called up tendrils of water and used them to lift Shia, transferring her to the other boat. "Mira, I'll need your help, and the stores of medicine you keep on hand." Grandma looked out at the water where the orcies, merfolk, sea-nymphs, and others waited. Mira transformed back into her human form, swam over to Grandma's boat and climbed onboard.

"We'll go straight to your house." Grandma nodded at the enormous, grey haired woman and then turned back to me. "Make sure everyone else gets back safely, Nessa." Her dark eyes filled with emotion, and then she closed them to focus on her powers. Her boat moved speedily through the water, back to the island.

Amynta grasped my hand. I leaned on her shoulder as Caesar climbed onboard the ship. As soon was everyone who didn't want to—or couldn't—swim back to the island was on the boat, Markus started up the engine. It was time to go home.

# Chapter 25

"Shia's in good hands," Joanna told us when she dropped Caesar and I off at my dock.

I nodded solemnly; she might be in good hands but nothing would make up for what had been done to her. They'd ripped a large portion of flesh from her tail. I shuddered with the memory; there'd been so much blood. Hopefully she would be okay.

"Come on," Caesar pulled me into his arms, almost cradling me as he helped me to the porch of the house. I slowed at the steps and turned around, the rest of my classmates were still in the boat, which would be driven around to the York's dock. Joanna would see everyone back to the dorms where she could take a look at them and assess their injuries—the majority of which were minor—and likely take a moment to dole out a therapeutic talk and some hot chocolate.

But would anything make this okay? It could have been me. I could have been the one who was kidnapped. I felt guilty for that thought, because it hadn't been me, it had been Shia, and she was the one I should be thinking about right now. Yet I couldn't help but wonder what would've happened if the kurage had taken me instead. Was there a use for sea-witch flesh that I didn't know about? Or would I have just been held hostage? Ransomed maybe? Or possibly even killed.

"Nessa." Caesar shook me. I looked up at him. His eyes were deep pools of concern, the tension in his jaw apparent. "Come inside, you need to get warm."

Caesar guided me into the sitting room and sat me by the fire—Grandma must have left it burning when she left to join us. I sat in the chair nearest the flames and stared out the window.

"You need to take those off."

I looked down. I was drenched from the splash of the waves and the rain that had fallen on us on our way home. I'd been too distracted to even think about trying to keep myself dry.

"Come on, Nessa. You've got to strip."

Caesar's voice brought me back again, like a gentle wave on a warm day. Gladness filled me. He was alive; we all were. Somehow, everyone had made it through the day. "I don't really think that's appropriate."

Caesar smirked. "Well, I've already seen you without your pants, and I'm pretty sure there are no surprises under there." He looked blatantly down at my T-shirt and I couldn't help but smile.

"After all this—that's what you're thinking about?"

He shook his head, his smile one of relief. "No. I'm thinking about how lucky we all were today, and how lucky I am to still have you here with me. And how amazing it is that you've agreed to be my girlfriend...and maybe just a little bit about how great it would be if –"

"Forget it," I pushed away the hand he was reaching toward the hem of my t-shirt, noticing for the first time the blood running down his arm. "You're hurt."

"It's nothing. A small cut." He pulled up the short sleeve of his shirt so I could see.

"It's shallow, but it still needs to be bandaged. Go upstairs, there's a first-aid kit in my medicine cabinet and a bathrobe hanging on my door. Bring both."

"Done," Caesar said, charging out of the room.

When he was gone it was quiet. The only sound was that of the fire crackling. I felt the heat roll off the hearth, slowly melting my icy skin. I slipped out of my pants, and pulled my t-shirt off too so I was only in my wet underwear, then I grabbed my favourite blanket—the one Caesar and I watched movies on—and wrapped it around myself. I walked to the window.

The waves seemed bigger now. I watched them crash violently against the rocks where I'd first met Colleen, where I'd seen her turn into a selkie and this crazy life had begun. It had only been a few weeks, but tonight made it feel like I'd been a sea-witch forever, and I knew, deep down, that I'd never be the same again. I'd never be able to go back to being a normal girl. I'd never be able to forget my bond with the ocean, and I'd never be able to leave this life. I was finally, truly, a Neptunian. I missed Dad like I would miss my own heart if it were cut out of my chest, and I only missed Mom slightly less, but I felt I belonged here. For the first time, I was glad I had come to the island.

"Here," Caesar handed me my robe. He waited until I put it on and then handed me the first-aid kit. Quietly, I bandage up his arm. Once I finished, he sat back on the couch, pulling me to his side. I rested my head on his chest.

"How can someone do that? How can anyone harm another living person?"

Caesar rubbed the cold out of my arm. "Only people who are less than alive can do such evil. But they won't be able to do it anymore."

"But what if more come? Will we ever be truly safe?"

"One day...hopefully. It's something we can spend our lives working on: making the world a safe place."

I smiled sadly. "One day."

"Caesar, Nessa." Grandma stepped through the door and into the sitting room.

Caesar and I broke apart. Earlier, I would have been angry with Grandma for interrupting us, but now I couldn't bring a single hostile feeling against her. She had saved us all today.

"How's Shia?" I asked, my heart racing. _Please don't let her be—_

"She'll make a full recovery," Grandma said, solemnly. "But she will be scarred."

My insides expanded with relief.

"Thank you, for tonight," Caesar said, awkwardly. "And thank you for teaching Nessa." He squeezed my hand and gave me a long, lingering look with soft eyes, and then headed for the door. "Take care of her tonight."

Grandma nodded, stepping aside to let Caesar leave. I let him go even though I wanted him to stay. There were too many things I needed to talk to Grandma about tonight. Things I needed to learn.

"You did well," she said to me once she heard the door close, signalling Caesar's exit.

"You did better." I smiled a half-smile. "I couldn't have done anything without you. They would have gotten away. Shia would be..."

Grandma shook her head. "Don't think that. You're all right. Shia will recover in time." Grandma wrapped her arms around me. It was a much different feeling then when Caesar hugged me, this hug was like a pillow, whereas Caesar's hugs were like solid ground.

"Come on, I'll make us some tea." Grandma led me to the kitchen. I sat at the table, and waited in silence for the kettle to whistle, unable to stop the images and memories of tonight from returning. I lost myself in them, and didn't even see the oversized cup of cinnamon tea until it was clunked into existence in front of me. I lifted my head out of my hands and stared teary eyed into the face of my grandma.

"You proved yourself a great sea-witch today, Nessa." She sat down softly on the wooden chair across from me.

I looked down with no idea what to say. That tiny bit of praise was the warmest thing Grandma had ever said to me. "I could have been better," I finally said, turning my eyes back up to meet hers.

She nodded slowly, not with disappointment or anger, but with...respect. "You're new to magic. There are things about being a sea-witch that even I don't know yet."

"Did you know about the kurage?" I asked, wondering. "Did you suspect that the hunter was Neptunian?"

"There are many tales told through the lines of redheaded sea-witches, Nessa. But the kurage has never been one of them; a fact that I find more than a little disconcerting. And I have no idea how he got past the boundary, that also troubles me."

A golden light glittered in my mind. I stood up. "I do." I left the table and returned seconds later with the mysterious gold coin in my hand. "I almost forgot about this. I found it in my purse a few days ago. I thought maybe Caesar put it in there to surprise me...but now..." I handed Grandma the coin.

A soft gasp escaped her lips. "No, it can't be. He hasn't..." She flipped it over to inspect it more carefully.

"It can't be what? He who?" She looked at me, her eyes dark, secretive.

"There will be a time for me to tell you, but today is not that day. You've been through enough."

Her words made me shiver. After hunters, kurages, and kidnappings, was it possible that there was still worse out there?

I sipped my tea, it was hot, and there was nothing I needed more than heat right now. "There are secrets."

It wasn't a question, but Grandma nodded anyhow. "This isn't the first time a colony of Neptunians has been found. But it has been many, many years since a Neptunian dared to steal one of our own and injure them. I fear our times of safety are no more." Her blue eyes dulled, turning away from me and looking into the swirls and knots of the wooden table. "More than one of our own must have betrayed us for this to have happened."

As her words registered, I felt them implanting in my bones like heavy lead droplets. "This isn't the first time?"

She shook her head. "And it will not be the last. We will, of course, have to increase island security. I will need your help keeping the boundary strong. And we will have to look into new measures of security for the island. It would have been good to take a prisoner today. Then we could possibly have discovered what they were really after, and why."

"He'd been following me for a while; the kurage. We thought he was just a hunter. But...it sounds like you don't think that anymore."

Grandma raised her eyebrows. "I'm not sure of anything, Nessa, except that I will not let another day like this happen. I promise you. You'll be safe here." She reached out and gripped one of my hands with hers. She squeezed. I squeezed back.

"I know."

Grandma smiled sadly. "You will need to work hard, Nessa, to help me prevent this from happening again..."

"I will," I felt the raw energy grow in me as I said it. I felt the ocean swell within myself. "I'll be ready. I wouldn't let those...people...horrible people...take any of my friends again. Not when I know I can stop them. This is my home, Grandma, and I want to help you protect it."

"You will," she said, her eyes shining with pride.

In the morning, I dressed in my tight beige khaki pants and brown and green sweater. I brushed my hair slowly and carefully. My hat had been lost in the fight yesterday, and while I knew I could call it back to me, and have the ocean deliver it to my feet, I no longer wanted it. I let my hair hang down in straight vibrant lengths. I was a sea-witch, and that knowledge was something I held dear now, because I knew that with it I could protect my friends—I could protect the people I loved.

I headed to the York's first. There were things that I couldn't let remain the way they were, and my fight with Colleen was one of them. If she couldn't see that Caesar was a good guy, I was going to force it upon her. She was going to be my friend whether she liked it or hated it.

I steeled myself for a fight when I knocked in the back door.

"Nessa, I'm so glad you're okay." Colleen threw open the door and hugged me. "That we're all okay." Colleen pulled back, her dark black eyes glassy with tears. She was wearing her favourite red sweater and jeans, but her hair was messy and all over the place, which either meant she hadn't slept, or she'd just gotten out of bed.

"I want to apologize," I said. "But I also wanted to say that I really like Caesar, he's a good guy, and you're going to be friends with him whether you like it or not. I'm not giving you a choice."

Colleen reached up to grab the back of her neck. She nodded. "Okay."

"What?" I tucked my hair back behind my ear. I hadn't thought this would be so easy.

"He saved me. Yesterday, Caesar saved me. That man, he had his hands around my neck and I could feel him squeezing." Colleen ran a hand up to her collarbone where I could see faint traces of bruising. "But Caesar stopped him. He saved me. You were right, he is a good guy and I should let the past be the past. I should never have stopped being friends with you in the first place."

"Thanks. That means a lot to me."

Colleen smiled the small, shy smile that she so often shared.

"Do you want to come over to the dorms with me?" I asked her.

She nodded, "Yes, but first I need to help my brother finish washing the dishes. I'll see you over there in a bit?"

I agreed and said goodbye, anxious to see the rest of my friends at the dorms, and to reassure myself that they were all safe. I needed to quiet the parts of me that worried they wouldn't be there, that somehow the kidnappers had gotten onto the island in the middle of the night and whisked them all away. But I needn't have feared; they were all sharing breakfast in the dormitory kitchen when I arrived. A few were bandaged, more were bruised, but everyone was in one piece.

"Good morning," Caesar was the first to greet me. He gave me a tight squeeze and a quick kiss on the forehead.

"Where is she?" I asked, my eyes finding Shia before anyone needed to answer my question. She was sitting on a bench by the fridge. Nor and the other mermaids surrounded her protectively. I held Caesar's hand as I walked over to her.

"Hi Shia, how are you?"

She looked up at me, her eyes a reflection of pain, and fear, even though she was safe here. "Mira stitched me up well," she pointed at her knee, which was clearly displayed because of the short black skirt she wore. There was a large white square bandage on her thigh, held tight by gauzy white wrappings.

"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry about how I acted before. I –"

Shia reached out a hand and silenced me. "I know. I'm sorry, too. And I'm glad you're okay."

"I'm glad you're okay." I threw myself at her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders, my face buried in her wild, midnight hair.

Shia laughed. "Humans. What is with all this smothering?"

I pulled back and laughed as well. Caesar pulled me tightly to his side and began laughing too, and soon everyone was laughing—except the vodiani who were not prone to showing any emotion. It was the laughter of relief, the laughter of nervousness, the laughter of hope. We were together and we were okay.

"I like it when you leave your hair down," Caesar whispered in my ear as the laughter slowed.

I smiled as widely as I could. "Thanks. So do I." I reached up and gingerly brushed a hand over it. This hair was bright, this hair was strong, this hair was me.

# The Journey Continues in...

Broken Tide

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# Chapter One

My eyes opened. Fluid darkness surrounded me. I was in the ocean, so deep the light could barely penetrate. In the depths was a man, or rather, the outline of a man. He was there, and then he was gone. A deep boom reached up from the ocean floor. It came again. My heart thumped, matching it. Boom. Boom. Boom. Quicker and quicker it came, growing louder, growing closer. My eyes opened.

The boom came again. Now that I was awake, I realized it for what it was: a knock.

I sat up slowly, my heart racing in the dark. "Come in."

The door creaked opened, letting in light. "Good morning." Caesar, my pirate boyfriend, carried a food-laden tray into the dim room. I reached over, turning on my bedside lamp as he closed the door.

"Breakfast in bed? What's this for?" My alarm clock told me it was seven in the morning. It was still dark outside, the sun wouldn't rise for an hour yet. I could hear fat drops of rain landing on the windows and roof of the house. Typical for winter on the northern Pacific Coast.

Caesar slipped into bed beside me. "Because I have a feeling today's going to be a long one."

He placed the tray on his lap. I pushed up on my elbows to better see the selection: one fluffy, perfectly browned waffle bathed in maple syrup, three strips of extra crispy bacon, an already peeled orange, a large glass of apple juice, and a cup of coffee. The black liquid had become a staple in my diet ever since I'd lost the ability to sleep restfully.

"Is something wrong?" Caesar asked, when I didn't dive right into the food, but picked at the edge of the waffle instead, eating the crispy bits.

"No. No...It's just..." I sighed, looking at the wooden tray, unable to summon an appetite. "I had the dream again."

"Nessa–"

"No. I know what you think—what Grandma thinks: that it's just a dream." I turned toward Caesar. He looked back at me, his pupils dilated to let in light. "But it's been going on too long to be a dream. I think it actually happened, Caesar. The kurage got away—I know it." The anchor weighing me down lightened with my confession.

"I suppose there's a small possibility that he slipped through the vodiani's seaweed trap." Caesar pulled my hand away from the bacon and held on tightly. "But after the ass-kicking he and his groupies got back in September, I don't think he'll come back here—if he survived. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice." Caesar let go of my hand, picking up the fork and knife, cutting the waffle for me. "Eat. It'll make you feel better. Plus, you need strength today. With all the members of the North Pacific Council arriving—along with mermaid royalty—there's bound to be a lot of running around to be done for your grandma. You know she likes to keep us busy and away from all the fun."

I opened my mouth as Caesar lifted a forkful of waffle to my lips. The sugary syrup filled my mouth, sending a tingle of delight through me, chasing away the vestiges of my nightmares. "Thanks." I mumbled once I was done chewing. "For making me feel better. And for all this."

"Of course." Caesar stole a piece of bacon. "What else is a boyfriend for?"

"I can think of a few things." I entwined my arms around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. Caesar was a lighthouse in what had been a very dark autumn. The past five months had been long ones. It had all begun when Dad died in a car crash. Mom hadn't been able to deal so she'd sent me to live with Grandma. Right before I moved out of the only home I'd ever known, my hair had turned electric red and I'd learned I was a sea-witch. My entire life had turned around in the blink of an eye: a new look, a new home, and a new identity. I'd thought being sent to live on a remote island was the end of my life, but once I grew comfortable using my powers to control water, and made some awesome new friends, I'd realized it wasn't so bad.

Just when everything was going great, the kurage, an evil jellyfish-like creature showed up and kidnapped Shia—a mermaid classmate of mine who just happened to be a princess. I'd been with her in the woods when the kurage attacked us. I'd been stung and knocked unconscious. When I'd come too, Shia had disappeared. It had taken almost the entire population of our small island to rescue her from the boat of black market traders. But we'd done it, though not before they'd managed to chop off a good chunk of Shia's leg. Apparently, eating mermaid flesh is akin to the fountain of youth.

"You know, I think you taste better than the food," Caesar said, pulling me out of my reverie.

I laughed, turning my attention back to my still half-full plate. "Nothing tastes better than bacon," I teased. "Maybe they should just serve this at the banquet tonight."

"I can always eat bacon," Caesar said, swiping another piece from my plate. "When are they supposed to arrive?" Caesar nuzzled closer to me as I slid the tray to the side of the bed.

I wrapped my arm around his, burying my head in his shoulder briefly before lifting it to glance toward the window. I couldn't see anything since my curtains were still drawn. But I knew all I'd see were grey skies, rain, and rough waves. "Hopefully not until this afternoon; I want to spend more time with you before things get crazy around here."

"I can arrange that." Caesar's voice was low and husky. "I'm pretty sure I can block the doorway with your desk. That'll keep your grandma out. At least for a little while." He leaned over me, locking his lips with mine. In the three months that we'd been together, the kissing had only gotten better. My body melted into Caesar's as he held me tightly. His hands slipped over my clothes, down to my waist, and then slowly up under my shirt. I moaned, pressing closer to him, wanting more. But the internal conflict I'd been fighting for the past month reared up: did I _actually _want more?

We were still kissing—and I was still trying to figure out how far I wanted to go—when I heard the front door open. A rush of voices floated up the stairs. I groaned, pushing Caesar away. There was a small part of me that was thankful for the interruption. I wasn't sure I wanted to go all the way, and I didn't want to do it accidentally. I wanted to be really sure. "I think they're here."

Caesar sat up, pulling a hand through his shaggy brown hair. "Already?"

I bounced off my bed, heading for my closet. "I'd better get dressed. Grandma will probably want me to clean or show them around or something before this meeting tonight."

"Why are they here anyhow? I mean, why now? Shia was kidnapped three months ago, and nothing has happened since we rescued her. We already have Barry—as annoying as he is—and more of the Tiderunners acting as guardians, not to mention the numerous myrmidons the merking sent _just_ to guard Shia."

I grimaced, pulling the clothes I wanted to wear from their hangers. "Don't even mention the myrmidons, those guys give me the heebee-jeebies. I've never met such...cutthroats in my life. I can't lay eyes on one without feeling like my skin's separating from my bones." The thought of the myrmidons caused me to shiver, and the memory of the first time I'd seen one of the creatures came to mind. I'd been swimming, and I'd seen a sharp, black forked-tail whip through the water. For a moment, I thought it was a harpoon, heading straight for my head. Then I'd seen his face, the sallow, green colour and the scaly skin and the sharp pointed teeth. I'd later learnt that myrmidons were a distant off shoot of merfolk. They were known for their battle skill, warrior nature, and powerful physique. In their culture, everyone became a solider. They began drills and mock-combat scenarios at the age of three. At the age of ten, a myrmidon was cast out alone, and forced to survive a whole month without any assistance, all the while being hunted by their clan. The best won such challenges, becoming leaders. The worst, those who were captured, were put through another ten rigorous years of training. Myrmidon's used their skills to aggressively defend their lands, and lands that others hired them to protect.

The very best of the myrmidons were hired into the merking's guard, and by extension, Shia's. She'd told me they made her a bit uneasy, and that her trick was to, "Forget they're there." The Tiderunners, a large family of Orca whale shapeshifters who lived on the Northern half of the island, and had been there for hundreds of years, were positively friendly in comparison. And Barry, mine and Grandma's new roommate, a selkie, and a recent arrival from Ireland—was the friendliest security guard of them all.

"Exactly, so why do we need more security? There's already a housing shortage." The way Caesar's eyes narrowed, I was pretty sure he was referring to Barry and the fact that he lived in my house.

"I don't know, but if I did, I'd tell you," I replied. "Now get out of here while I change." I swatted at Caesar with my blue t-shirt. He dodged out of the way, gathering up the tray of dirty dishes, leaving the room before I could swat him again.

Every time Caesar left my sight I missed him. I felt smaller, somehow, when he was gone. I'd thought about saying, "I love you," but I wasn't sure I knew what love was. Did obsessive compulsive daydreaming and feeling like there was nothing better than being with him count? Was that love? One of my best friends, Amynta, a passionate siren, told me I should have said it months ago. Colleen—my other best friend, and a much more level-headed selkie—had given me the opposite advice, saying I should wait.

I dressed quickly, thinking I would miss Caesar less this way. I slapped on my favourite t-shirt and ripped jeans, and a hooded sweatshirt that would fit snuggly under my rain jacket. I let my long red hair cascade over my shoulders, proudly showing it off. Things had really changed since I'd transformed from a brunette to a redhead. But a few things had stayed the same: my love of fashion, my taste for chocolate, the way my heart ached for Dad everyday—Mom too—although I'd get to see her in a couple of weeks during Christmas break.

I opened my bedroom door and walked out into the hallway, glancing over the railing to scope out the new arrivals in the entryway as I headed for the stairs. Below me, Caesar was holding the dirty breakfast dishes and talking to a beautiful, tall, dark-chocolate woman with a halo of dark red hair in the foyer. Obviously a new arrival.

"Who invited you? You don't belong here," Caesar said vehemently, before I even made it to the top step.

"I've come to help, Caesar," the woman said, her thickly accented voice carried up the stairs. Her speech reminded me of Juan's, a pirate classmate of mine, and one of Caesar's best friends. Juan was from Cuba, and I wondered if this mysterious woman was from somewhere in the Caribbean, too.

"Oh, you want to help, do you. After all this time? What's wrong with you? He's been gone for nearly a year and _now_ you decide to care?" Caesar's face was red. I bit my lip, briefly debating going downstairs before thinking better of it. Whatever was going on, it was private, yet I couldn't tear myself away.

"I always cared. Don't you dare accuse me of not caring. The fact that I didn't want to be reckless, doesn't mean I don't care. This wasn't the first time your father disappeared on one of his treasure hunts."

"So, it's about the treasure? I should have known. Just because–"

"Scary, isn't it?" Someone said from beside me.

I jumped, having not heard Barry come out of his room and join me at the railing. He was Colleen's selkie cousin. He'd come over from Ireland after his own father disappeared, and had moved in with Grandma and me because there was no room left at the York's house and we had lots. Plus, neither Grandma or I minded having someone around acting as our own personal security guard. Especially one who was as good-looking as he was. I didn't mention that bit to Caesar.

Barry was on the tall side of average and had the trademark pale skin and deep brown eyes of a selkie. He kept his hair buzz cut, so only a tiny bit of the dark black showed. He was extremely fit. I couldn't stop my eyes from drifting over his ripped, bare shoulders and the black, round Celtic knot tattoo on his left bicep. He had a second tattoo of a mermaid on his right bicep, which brushed against mine as we watched the scene below. Needless to say, Caesar did not get along with Barry, mostly because of the fact that Barry refused to wear a shirt when hanging around the house. I didn't mind his clothing choices in the slightest. A girl could be loyal and still enjoy the view.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Barry said in his lilting Irish accent. He nodded at the woman down below. "She's a fiery one."

"Do you know who she is?" I asked, keeping my eyes focused on Caesar.

"No idea," Barry replied.

"I don't need to listen to this. I'm not going to forgive you. You might as well go home!" Caesar stormed away from the woman and out of my view.

"I'd better go find him." I gave Barry an apologetic smile before running down the stairs.

The fiery woman was angrily digging through her purse when I reached the foyer. I didn't say a word to her as I stepped off the stairs, speeding through the hallway. I didn't want to upset Caesar by talking to the woman who appeared to be his mortal enemy.

Caesar was in the kitchen, standing at the sink. He turned on the faucet and picked up the soap bottle, squeezing it hard enough that the top popped off, dropping a gigantic dollop of soap into the water.

"Hey, how are you doing?" I reached for the bottle. Caesar slammed it back onto the counter before I could grasp it. In the sink, bubbles were quickly piling up.

"Great," he muttered under his breath. "Everything's just great." He plunked the dirty dishes into the water, loudly.

"Why don't you let me do this?" I reached for the plate Caesar was holding. He grasped it firmly, pulling it from my reach.

"I don't need any help, Nessa. I'm fine." He faced me; his eyes dark. He grabbed the silverware from the tray, dropping it into the sink. "Or don't you trust my judgement either?"

I took a step back in surprise; I'd never seen him like this.

"Come on, Mate, there's no need to snap at your girlfriend." Barry swooped into the kitchen with a powerful stride and a friendly, disarming smile. "Why don't you go calm down; we can handle the dishes."

Caesar spun round, fixing Barry with a cold glare. He tossed the wet dish cloth to the floor. "Perfect timing, Mate. I was just thinking how great it would be for a shirtless selki to guard my girlfriend for me because no one thinks I can do it myself."

"No one said that," Barry said, but Caesar just shook his head, stormed passed the selkie, out the back door past the laundry room attached to the outside of the house, and into the forest, without so much as a goodbye.

# The Torc - Prologue

_T he fog swirled through the air, tightening around his soul. The mist was confining, even with its lightness. It settled around him like a coffin, and he longed to break free. What would his life be now if he'd died all those years ago? What happened to the dead? Would he be a spirit, or a single droplet in a bank of white cloud? Would his essence be so controlled, so contained, as a speck of fog? The vapour surrounded him and he reached out into it, searching. But there was nothing there, no life—at least not the life he searched for. The hazy grey light of the fog darkened, as his mind dove into the cursed reality that his existence was now. Years of agony. He'd had so much taken from him. But it was almost time; the search was almost over. A flash of violet light and a rumble of thunder broke through the heavy, churning gloom. The ground shook beneath his feet. A storm. Not so rare in this place._

_Another flash and magic began to seep into his veins, cold like liquid nitrogen, almost unbearable, yet beautiful at the same time. He held out his hands, filling his body with the raw energy that brought on euphoria. The thoughts were too painful of late. The power, alone, kept him from feeling too much, too deeply. The power pulled him above all that, to the heights of the universe itself. He let himself become one with the mist, with the storm, with the crackling, electric night around him._

_It was almost time._

# The Torc - Chapter 1

I awoke to a dark dawn, the vestiges of a haunting dream hung from my shoulders. There had been a man, tall and thin, who'd come for me, toward me, as I fell toward him. I couldn't change course. I had been about to collide with him when I awoke. I couldn't remember all of the dream, but the sensation of a presence in the dark stayed with me as I climbed from my bed, opening my curtains to chase away the bleakness.

It was raining. Heavy, fat drops hit the ground below, but my window was sheltered by the large elm tree that grew at the side of the house. I shivered. The air in my room was cold—thanks to the air conditioning—and my nightgown didn't cover enough skin. It was probably warmer outside, even with the rain. I rubbed my bare arms for warmth, feeling a dull ache in the soft flesh of my left hand as I moved it. I turned my hand over and saw two red marks that looked like they'd been left behind by mosquitos. The minute I saw the marks they began itching. I scratched them mercilessly on the way to my closet.

I'd been hoping for sun for my first day of true summer vacation, a much needed break from my university course load. Instead, I settled for my new pair of jeans. They were expensive jeans. I wasn't usually so extravagant, but I'd allowed myself to buy them in celebration when my best friend Ivy and I published our first app. A simple game we'd called _Archeology Go!_. __ The game had made enough money to pay for my new pants. The jeans hugged my hips perfectly and with my billowing, ruby peasant top I actually looked pretty good, much better than the overly-tall, gangly college freshman who was only pretending to know what to do with her life. I went to the bathroom and combed some cold water through my short, dark hair—a pixie cut that paired with my heart-shaped face made me look somewhat ethereal, at least according to my mother.

Once I was clean and presentable, I headed downstairs and found a latte—handmade by Mom—waiting for me. Mom, who was the same height I was but not near so awkward looking, wrapped her arms tightly around me. "I can't believe my baby girl's done her first year of university!"

"I finished my first year two months ago," I said, trying to play it down. "This was just summer session. And I've still got three more years of school to go before I get my degree."

Mom stepped back and rolled her eyes. "Yadda, yadda, yadda. This is still a big step, Aurora. You've done an entire year plus an extra course! Celebrate the little things!" She pushed the coffee toward me along with an envelope. Her silver hair was pulled up into a bun and her glasses hung from her neck on a beaded chain. If it wasn't for her relatively youthful skin, she could have easily passed for a senior citizen, even though she was only mid-fifties.

"What's this?" I asked, ignoring my cellphone as it buzzed. Whoever that was could wait a few moments.

"Just a little something your dad and I got you." Mom smiled and I knew it would be exactly what they'd bought my sister, Willow, for every year of university she'd finished. I opened the envelope like I planned to use it again, attempting not to rip the edges. Inside was a prepaid VISA card loaded with five hundred dollars for me to spend however I liked. No wonder Willow had decided to do her doctorate. Too bad it wasn't quite enough money to move out and get my own place.

"Wow, thanks, Mom." I moved to give her another hug. "You really didn't have to do this."

Mom returned my hug and pressed her nose to the side of my head. Great, she was smelling me. She'd always done that. It was her Mom Thing, and even though it annoyed me, I didn't say anything. It was important to her. "We didn't have to, but we wanted to. It's fun to celebrate the small things, and this isn't even small!" She pulled back and gave me a sincere smile. I smiled back, and then returned to the latte waiting on the counter. It tasted like a slightly burnt marshmallow, just how I liked it.

"Where's Dad?" I asked, though I was sure I knew that, too.

"Oh, he's already out at the dig site." Mom wandered over to the fridge where she pulled out her pre-packed lunch. She'd be leaving soon for work. As an independent website consultant, she had more flexible hours than Dad—Professor Daniels the professional archeologist—did. "He wanted to get some hours in before it got too hot. Then he'll be at his office most of the day, but he promised to be home by six so that we can take you out for dinner before we leave on our trip."

"Right, your 'we're done raising children' trip, how could I forget? Even though you're taking it a year late." I slipped the VISA into my Kate Spade wallet before securing it in my backpack. I'd probably spend the money on clothes. I needed to refine my wardrobe. Now that I had two months off from school I needed something in my closet other than sweat pants and hoodies. My cellphone buzzed again and I answered it this time.

"First day of summer vacation!" Ivy's words were so loud that Mom heard them all the way across the kitchen and laughed.

I rolled my eyes. "Is it? I had no idea."

"Well, you better be ready, I'll be there in five. Now I better hang up before I get arrested." Ivy ended the call and I slipped my phone into my bag. I spent the next five minutes guzzling my coffee and helping Mom review her packing list for her European summer vacation. I was glad my parents were going. They'd never once left Willow and I alone when we were kids, not even for a weekend at our grandparent's house, but I still wasn't sure why I felt quite so miffed when I thought about the trip. True, they'd never asked me if I wanted to come. Or even if I would miss them. But I understood that. My parents were starting a new part of their lives, and battling empty-nesting or whatever it was called. I was an adult now. I was excited to be completely on my own for a couple of weeks. Still, Europe would have been nice. Even if it was with my parents and not some gorgeously hot guy that was head over heels in love with me.

I wished Mom good luck with her packing and raced out the door the moment I heard Ivy's Rav4 in the driveway. The rain had stopped, and the sun was beginning to break through the clouds. My best friend was dressed in her favourite denim short-shorts and grungy lumberjack shirt, and she looked ravishing. Just a tiny bit shorter than me, with a white-blond bob styled with an artful array of hair gel, she was much more fashion-forward than I was. She could wear a paper bag and find a way to make it look good.

"Ready for this?" Ivy turned to look at me. "The ultimate freedom?"

"Oh hells yeah," I said, and selected my current favourite track from the list on her iPhone, which just happened to be "Cold" by Maroon 5. Ivy peeled out of the driveway. I could sense Mom's heart attack as we sped down the road. Getting away would be good for her. She always worried about us kids way too much. My older sister, Willow, had gotten the worst of it, being the first child. I was the second and last and lucky that Mom had already been broken in. Still, now that I was an adult, one would think she'd be done parenting me. Yet, she'd made my lunch more often than not the past year. And she still reminded me to do my homework. If I could have afforded it, I would have moved out, but a Computer Science degree was expensive, which was probably why my hopes were so high that mine and Ivy's next app would be a best seller. I could definitely afford my own place then.

Ivy drove across the river and into the quaint downtown, nestled against the green banks of the South Saskatchewan River. Ivy headed straight to our favourite coffee spot, The Good Earth Cafe, and parked in front of the soon-to-be open art gallery. We grabbed hot sandwiches and cold coffees, and then walked down the cobblestones to the scenic park by the water.

"So, when are your parents leaving again?" Ivy asked, as we settled into a bright, sunny spot in the small grassy park clutched between two sprawling bridges. The grass was still damp, but Ivy had thought ahead. She pulled a thin blanket out of her large shoulder bag and spread it on the ground.

"Tomorrow morning." I smiled wistfully as I sat down to unwrap my egg salad sandwich. "I can't wait."

"You should come and stay with me," Ivy said, laying on her stomach and crossing her feet behind her. "I can make us margaritas and we can stay up all night programming. No one to answer to, nowhere to go. Let's see where the creative muse takes us."

"What about your brother?" I asked, pausing at the thought of the mysterious brother I'd never met. Somedays, I wondered if he was real or if Ivy was secretly shacked up with a really old guy or a monster from mythology. Yet she continued to swear to me her brother was real, and that I'd meet him soon.

"Garret? Bah, he sleeps all day." Ivy waved off my comment before pulling her chicken sandwich out of the paper bag.

"Well, I don't know. I mean, normally, yeah, I'd love to. But my parents are leaving and I'll have the house all to myself. Why don't you come stay at my place?" I took a long sip of my iced coffee while I watched Ivy.

She shook her head. Her tiny, thin eyebrows bunched together. "I can't. Garret has this thing about me being away from him. You know... since our parents..."

"Oh." I set down my drink on the blanket, momentarily feeling like an awkward idiot. "Right. Of course. Well, my parents are gone for a few weeks. So I guess I could stay at your place for a few days and yet still enjoy having the house all to myself. Are you sure your brother won't mind?"

Ivy laughed, the tepid darkness that had briefly coloured her eyes washed away. "Are you kidding? He'll be happy to see me working so hard. He actually likes helping me out with the programming, you know. And he really liked the animation you did on our first app. Just think, we're already making a couple hundred dollars a month from that first game, our second one will be even better!" Ivy was talking a mile a minute, which meant she'd already had too much caffeine, but she took another long drink of her iced latte and went on with all the plans she had for the second version of our game. Soon, I was wrapped up in the discussion. There was no better way to spend my summer. I'd only been friends with Ivy for six months, but I'd never had a better friend than Ivy. A few days at her estate in the country sounded like a great idea. Even if I'd never been there before. Even if I'd never met her brother.

"Just promise me you'll make real margaritas," I told her.

She smiled and winked. "Of course, I wouldn't have it any other way."

# Also by J. E. Hunter

Black Depths Universe

Sea-Witch

Broken Tide

Dark Shores

Doomed Seas

Twisted Currents

Windbound (novella)

Dead Water (novella)

* * *

Artifacts of Avalum

The Torc

The Circlet

* * *

Under Jupiter

# About the Author

J. E Hunter is the author of the Black Depths series, which includes _Sea-Witch, Broken Tide, Dark Shores, Doomed Seas, and Twisted Currents._ J.E. Hunter lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada with her family, and spends much of her free time reading, gardening, and consuming too much chocolate. Her next book will be released in May 2017.

www.jehunter.com

byjehunter@gmail.com

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Tales of a Redheaded Sea-Witch

Cover Art by Leah Keeler

Copyright © 2014 J.E. HUNTER

All rights reserved.

ISBN-10:1499300158

ISBN-13: 978-1499300154

  Created with Vellum

