Perilous Waters (13 page)

With surprising ease she swam toward the glowing bubble of golden light, feeling the power of the nymph’s hypnotism grow stronger the closer she got to him, until the full force of his influence slammed against her. Thoughts of Ethan tumbled to deep, guarded parts of her soul, locked away where not even the most powerful magic could reach.

By the time she rejoined the others, her mind was completely subdued. Whatever sway the seashell held was not enough to stop the nymph’s magic.

They surfaced to a time-frozen world. Even so, the ocean rush them forward. She wasn’t swimming and the ocean should have been utterly still, yet she was being propelled. As they reached the sand, the merman’s light dimmed to a shimmer.

Little by little she came to her own mind again. Ethan was already there. His gaze skipped over her. Heart fluttered as though he had touched it.

Angie pressed her palm against her temple and Kaitlyn stared dazedly at the nymph. The golden light left their eyes completely, and as it did, Julia felt her own release from the nymph’s hold.

“Wow,” Kaitlyn breathed, droplets of water clinging to her lashes as her eyes roamed the nymph’s bare, glistening body. She licked her already moistened lips, looking like she was ready to eat him alive. “How do we learn
that
magic?”

The merman’s smug smile disappeared as he dove back into the sea without so much as a wave goodbye.

A groan caused Julia to turn in time to see Brian fall to the ground. She rushed to his side as Ethan reached him.

“I thought the nymph girl saved him,” she said, panic threatening to choke her. Although the black veins had receded from his face and upper body, his slashed thigh still held traces of dark venom.

“She did what she could,” Angie said. “Let’s hope it was enough.”

“There has to be more we can do for him,” Ethan said in a low voice. “If her blood only staved off the venom temporarily, we need to discover how to rid him of it forever.”

Brian groaned again. His head turned as he croaked, “I’m okay.” He pushed himself up on his elbows, his normally golden lashes spiked and darkened. “Tired. My leg hurts, but I’m fine. Just flippin’ confused. Why do you all have powers? How could I breathe underwater and understand those sea people?”

“We’ll explain everything we can,” Angie said, dropping beside Julia. “But we ought to try using our powers to heal you. The fact that you were infected by Scylla poison is very serious.”

Brian sat up and looked out at the utterly still ocean. His eyes widened. “Someone please tell me what’s going on with the ocean.”

“Isn’t it obvious? Time is frozen,” Kaitlyn said, waving her hand as if she were mentioning something boring on TV.

“Please,” Angie said softly. “Just lie still until we’ve tried to heal you. I promise we’ll explain later.”

He lied back down. His chocolaty-brown eyes were now flecked with gold, which reflected in glints from the time-frozen summer sun. Julia searched her heart for a moment, wondering if she still felt anything for him… not that she had felt altogether much to begin with. Brian had been her sophomore boyfriend for a month. That didn’t make them soul mates. Looking at him, she knew in her heart that even if Ethan hadn’t come into the picture, her feelings for him hadn’t been strong enough to make it to forever.

And that was okay.

But he was still a great guy who didn’t deserve to be infected with poison that could turn him into a sea monster. The fact that he was Ethan’s brother, or her ex-boyfriend, had nothing to do with that.

“Come on,” Angie said. “If we stand any chance at helping him, it will have to be all three of us together.”

“I hope this works,” Julia whispered as Kaitlyn knelt beside them.

Julia bit her lip before holding out her palms. When Kaitlyn seemed ready, Julia took a deep breath and gathered all of the magic and energy inside of her, letting it build until she thought her chest might burst from it. “Restore,” she said, her voice cracking with the effort.

A steady flow of light fell from her outstretched palms, along with Angie’s soft, sparkling snowfalls and Kaitlyn’s bright stream of magic, the three of them coating Brian’s body until he shone.

After a few moments more Angie met her eyes. Julia withdrew her hands.

“Now what?” Brian asked.

“Now we wait and see,” Angie said softly. “If Meliah didn’t cure you of it, at least she bought you some time until we can find out how to stop this.”

He sat up fully, but as Ethan approached, Brian looked from his brother back to Julia, questions burning in his gold-flecked gaze.

Julia’s heart dropped to her stomach. So many secrets. So many lies. She searched Ethan’s face, looking for some sign. How long could they keep this up, hiding the truth from his brother about what happened between them, now that he knew about the magic?

“Your magic worked,” Brian whispered. Julia almost laughed at his surprised tone. If he were that impressed with just a simple Restore spell, wait until he saw them move objects and light flames from across a room.

“The skin on your leg is healed, at least,” Angie said, “but it still has the black lines.”

Julia watched him trace the completely healed skin. “That’s a start,” he said before glancing up. Julia shrank back as his eyes darted from her to Ethan and back again. “Why do you guys have powers?”

“Have you ever heard of the Fates?” Angie asked.

Julia hardly listened as Angie explained about their magical destiny, and how the Sorceress had discovered how to form portals connecting the nether to periods in history of extreme human ruthlessness and bloodshed. Because the Sorceress had abused her power, the magic of the Fates, which had been meant to be a gift to the priestesses and their descendants, had become a responsibility. The Fates called upon the chosen daughters of those priestesses to seal portals throughout time.

“That doesn’t explain you, Ethan,” Brian said, his golden eyes lighting on his brother.

Kaitlyn snickered. “Even
we
still don’t understand Ethan.”

“I can’t explain,” Ethan said flatly. “I vowed to the Fates I wouldn’t. Everything is supposed to happen according to the will of the Daughters and if I share what I know…” he trailed off, his silver eyes flashing on Julia briefly before staring out at the flat, lifeless sea.

Brian took a half-step away from them, his hand digging into his golden locks. “Fine, you can’t explain why, but you could have told me that you had powers. Why didn’t you?”

Ethan shook his head. “I was trying to protect you—”

“You’ve been doing that my whole life. You can’t shelter me forever.” He glanced from Ethan to Julia, as if trying to figure something else out, and his voice grew weaker. “You can’t lie to me to keep me safe.”

Ethan’s face became ashen.

“You’re still hiding something from me,” Brian whispered.

Ethan’s lips parted noiselessly. His eyes lowered, and with the motion, his shoulders dropped as though someone had loaded him with an invisible backpack filled with stones.

“I’m sorry,” Ethan finally said.

Something in Ethan’s tone made it seem as though he were apologizing for so much more than hiding his powers. Brian shook his head as he continued to look between her and Ethan. “If you knew about their magic,” he began, but his voice failed him and he stood there. The betrayal etched into his features stole her breath. “That means, at the party, you already knew who Julia was?”

She glanced at Ethan, knowing that there was no way to hide the truth, now.

“Answer me.” Brian’s jaw clenched. “That night I brought her to meet you and mom, it wasn’t the first time you’d met her, was it?” he demanded.
“Was it?”

Ethan shook his head. “No, Brian. It wasn’t.”

Brian’s head swung to face her.

Julia flinched. Her cheeks blazed with heat as she held her arms across her abdomen. How was this happening? How had this afternoon at the beach, this simple little bonfire party, how had it turned into this epic mess?

Brian’s fists clenched. He moved forward but Ethan only lowered his head.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked, his voice hushed and seething. “What was going on between the two of you that there needed to be secrets at all?” His voice rose with each word. “What, Ethan.
What?
”

Ethan swallowed. Julia didn’t know what to do. What could she do, other than leave? They were brothers, fighting because of her. It would be better if she never went near either of them again.

But Brian turned to her. “Tell me what was going on between you two. I have a right to know.”

She backed up, her arms tightening around her middle. “He didn’t know that you and I were together. He didn’t know.”

“Did you cheat on me?”

Her face burned as a rush of memories flooded her mind. She and Ethan had kissed, and she had liked it. She had wanted it to go on forever. She still remembered the feel of his arms around her. His lips pressed hot against hers.

“Damn, Julia,” Brian whispered. “It’s written all over your face.”

Oh god. She had cheated.
She had cheated.
Her body trembled against a wave of nausea. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

His breathing grew more rapid and his arms tensed up.

Angie sidled up to Julia and touched her wrist lightly.
Do something.

Like what? I’m trying not to throw up. It’s about all I can manage.

They’re going to fight,
Angie said.
You can’t let that happen.

Julia remained paralyzed. She hadn’t wanted this, but what could she do now? Brian’s arm pulled back. “Don’t,” she cried, watching as if in slow motion. Brian’s arm sprung toward Ethan as a string of curses left his lips.

Ethan could stop him, but he wasn’t doing anything. Julia wanted him to use his powers, or run or duck, anything so that he wouldn’t be slammed by Brian’s oncoming fist.

The sick crunch of flesh against flesh fell against Julia’s ears. Ethan took the blow, his head snapping to the side with the impact. Crimson poured from his lip.

Something inside Julia shattered. “Stop!” Her palms filled with light. “I told you he didn’t know!”

“But he should have told me as soon as he figured it out,” Brian said, each word a boom of fury.

“And hurt you?” Julia cried. “When he never wanted it to happen in the first place? He never even
wanted
me.”

“Don’t defend me,” Ethan said grimly. “You have no idea what I wanted.”

Julia’s throat seized up at his icy tone.

Brian roared, swinging at his brother again. Ethan shut his eyes as Brian’s fist crashed into his jaw.

“Fight me,” Brian screamed, punching him again. “Fight back!”

Ethan remained limp, accepting each punch without raising his arms to defend himself.

Julia watched in shock as Angie’s hands glowed. She turned her small face toward Kaitlyn, who nodded. Both of them looked to Julia, their hands primed with magic.

Julia tried to keep from hyperventilating. Blast them both? Was that the only way? She choked back tears as she lifted her own palms.

But Brian’s punching stopped. His body fell against Ethan’s chest, his breathing rapid and his face slack. “You should have told me as soon as you realized she was my girlfriend. You should have let me know she wasn’t worth my time.”

Julia flinched.

Brian’s arms sagged at his sides. He rested his head against Ethan’s shoulder, his eyes squeezing shut. “You should’ve had my back.”

Ethan’s face was a mask of pain. His lips parted, as if he would say something, but he remained silent, his arms coming around his little brother.

Brian shook his head, removing himself from Ethan. He turned to Julia, his eyes flat and his throat working. “I loved you,” he said hoarsely. “I can’t believe this. I just… I don’t understand.”

Love. There was that word again. Why had Brian fallen in love with her, but she hadn’t loved him back? Why couldn’t the Fates have woven things to be simpler for everyone?

“I guess,” he said haltingly, “since you never loved me, it was easy for you to cheat on me. I just wish you had picked someone else.”

“I didn’t know,” she said, her words tumbling out before she could stop them. “I liked being with you, it was fun, but—but—then Ethan and the magic, and I didn’t know that he was your brother, and then we kissed—”

Brian drew in a sharp breath.

Julia pressed her lips together, forgetting what she meant to say next.

“Skip the details,” he said tiredly. His hard gaze swept across the time-frozen sea. “In fact, skip all of it.”

Angie offered Julia her hand. Julia took it, and Angie said,
We should unfreeze time and give them a chance to go home.

Julia nodded, then looked to Kaitlyn, who took her arm. She shut her eyes, waiting as they fed her the magic before allowing the flow of time to surge forward.

A rush of sea salted wind whipped her hair. The sun’s light fell over her, warm and dazzling. She looked to Angie and then to Ethan. His silver eyes rested on her a moment and she braced herself for the accusation she expected to see, but instead she saw nothing… no emotion whatsoever. For some reason, that was worse.

Waves crashed and gulls screamed. A breeze ruffled Brian and Ethan’s hair, both still damp from the ocean. Yells and talking from the opposite side of the tide pools drew her gaze up. David still stood where they had left him by the lifeguard tower. Brian’s student government friends were racing to the tower as well.

“Everyone’s going to be worried if we don’t get back,” Angie said, her brows furrowed. “What do we say to David?”

Brian’s head turned up sharply. “He doesn’t know?”

Angie’s lips parted. Slowly, she shook her head.

“Of course he doesn’t,” Brian said, laughing humorlessly. “Nice double life you’ve all got going on.”

Kaitlyn snickered softly as her catlike eyes flicked in Angie’s direction. “It’s always the innocent ones.”

Brian’s gaze narrowed on her a moment, but almost immediately his sights shifted to his friends in student government, who scrambled to the lifeguard tower. “Tell them whatever you want about me. I’m going home. I can’t be here right now.”