FINNED (The Merworld Water Wars) (31 page)

“What’s that?” yelled one of the guards, pointing to the sky behind me.

An enormous cloud of tiny orange lights barreled through the sky. Like a blur of fireworks, the mass of flickering lights darted past me, split in every direction, and attacked the Ravenflames.

“I return the favor, you see,” whispered a voice in my ear.

“Maryweather!” I gasped when I saw the tiny pixie flit in front of my nose.

“My family,” she said, gesturing the tiny balls of light. “We’re stronger than we appear.”

When I looked closer, I could just make out hundreds of tiny pixies forcefully attacking Kyle and his guards with their hands, legs, and little wands.

“Marleigh! This one!” shouted Maryweather, pointing at Kyle, who still had a firm hold of my ankle.

After taking a shot from Marleigh’s feet to both of his eyes, Kyle released me, and I floated to the heavens.

“Oh, whoa! Super fun…but what now?”

“Me.”

“Manakel,” I said, facing the remarkably handsome angel. “Damn glad to see ya.”

“Damn glad to see you, Cherry Blossom,” he said, winding his arm around my waist. Pulling me against him, he whispered, “Shall we Peter out of here, Wendy?”

“Peter me up! Uh, didn’t mean that how it sounded.”

“Ya wowser.”

“Ya…huh?”

“Killjoy.”

“That’s me, softly killing your joy,” I said as we soared in the direction of Hambury House.

Chapter Twenty-Two

2+2 = 4 Watery Graves

Flying. Coolest thing ever. With me tucked safely beneath him, Manakel gracefully guided my body higher into the sky, but all too soon we began our descent. The bright coral roof of Hambury House grew larger and larger.

“Going through in three, two—” said Manakel, tightening his grip.

“One,” I supplied, squeezing my eyes shut. I’m such a wimp.

Only when I felt the familiar creaky hardwoods of the study under my feet did I open my eyes. As soon as my eyes cracked open, a flash of face and a swirl of blond hair darted by, and I found myself in a crushing embrace.

“Oh! Marina! I was so worried! I hated leaving you there!”

“Airi…can’t b-breathe,” I wheezed.

“Oh, sorry! I’m just so glad to see you alive and all!” she said, keeping a firm hold of my arm.

“All alive. I’m not going anywhere.”

Doctor Tenly rushed over, leaving something blue and boiling on the desk. “Have you got the stone?”

“Good to see you, too,” I said flatly, before giggling idiotically.

Doctor Tenly eyed me, his eyebrows raised. “Ah, pleasantries. Glad to see you. You look lovely. Have you lost weight? Can I offer you a drink? How about some freshly baked cookies?” he said in a high-pitched voice. “Are we good?”

“Point taken—no time for fluff. I have the stone,” I sighed, rolling my eyes.

“Excellent! In your bag?”

“Well, that depends on your meaning of bag. Some people consider pockets to be personal mini-bags.” I started laughing again, only this time I sounded like a drunken hyena. When Airianna finally let go of my arm, I floated towards the ceiling. “Weeeee! So. Much. Fun.” Manakel eased me back down.

“Oh! She ate the Hazyfy cookies! That’s why she’s dancing around your questions,” said Airianna.

Doctor Tenly immediately twisted to grab something from his hidden cabinets. “It would explain her erratic behavior.”

“And the flying,” said Manakel.

“Last ditch effort on my part. I shoved them in my mouth after Airi jumped.” And so begins a phase of uncontrollable hiccups. Super.

“But, floating is a rare side effect, along with incoherent babbling,” said Bobby, yanking up his heavy man-belt. “How did you know you would float?”

“I didn’t. HICCUP. I figured a mercookie would react differently in a human, so-HICCUP-since I already have the babbling gene, I played the odds and hoped it would turn me into a floatation device. HICCUP. Worked like a charm, apart from the stupid laughing…and hiccups,” I said, sitting on the couch while Manakel and Airianna held me in place.

“That’s utterly brilliant.” Bobby stared at me with wide eyes.

“Very clever, indeed, Marina,” said Doctor Tenly, handing me a glass. “But I need both the intended and unintended effects to wear off if I’m going to get straight, uninterrupted answers from you. I have no patience for hiccups. Complete waste of human energy.”

“What’s in the glass?” Bobby asked. “A tonic? Stiff drink?”

“Root beer,” I said, taking a sip.

“Little known cure-all for mystical disturbances,” said Doctor Tenly, patting my head. “Now, is the stone in your bag? Not the pocket-mini-bags, mind you.”

“Huh? Ooh, headache. Um, it’s just here,” I said, pulling the stone from my bag.

Yanking on a pair of gaudy blue gloves, Doctor Tenly carefully retrieved the stone from my shaky hands and carried it to his desk.

“Nice gloves. Very sparkly,” I groaned, clutching my head.

Dropping the stone in the beaker of boiling blue goop, Doctor Tenly brought on the spirit fingers. “I like them. Adds a little flare to the mundane…and Treeva gave them to me. Airianna, grab some aspirin for Marina…middle drawer of the desk. Commando Bobby, you may want to call Mrs. Waterberry. Let her know the mission was successful. Use the phone in the kitchen. Manakel…you can…I don’t know…flutter.”

“Can do,” said Manakel.

“Here ya go, Marina,” said Airianna, handing me some aspirin.

“Thanks,” I said, downing the pills. “I’ve never heard of cookies giving you a hangover. Stomachache, yes. Hangover, no.”

“Mercookies!” shouted Doctor Tenly in a singsong, almost operatic voice.

“Not from your Normal neighborhood bakery,” said Manakel.

“Hey, Doc?” My head was already feeling better.

“Mmm hmm?”

“I was reading that book you gave me and—”

“Why in Poseidon’s name would you read it? Didn’t you find the map?”

“Not at first. Why didn’t you just hand me the map? Why hide it in a book?”

“Well, it’s not as much fun, is it? Handing it to you out in the open is so boring! Hiding it in a menacing old book is much more in keeping with the classic mysteries of the day,” he said with a goofy giggle.

“You are so strange,” I said, shaking my head.

“I prefer to call it irresistibly intriguing. Now, what did you find while spending pointless hours over an unimportant book?”

“I was wondering what you could tell me about the deliverer.”

Airianna wheezed like a whale on dry land, and Bobby, who had just returned to the study, froze mid-step. Manakel, meanwhile, chuckled, thoroughly amused.

“The deliverer?” Doctor Tenly repeated, unfazed.

“Yeah, it said something about ‘the anointed deliverer’ being an ‘all powerful, soulless demon.’ What is it exactly? A sea monster?” I asked.

“Well, first, Airianna, kindly stop rocking back and forth. And, Captain Aquatic America, you’re not an action figure...move. Second, the deliverer came along after the pact. For obvious reasons, I haven’t exactly frequented the local waters since the Poseidon-damn pact. So, it’s a bit of a mystery to us land-dwelling merps. From my limited research, the deliverer has a propensity for finding and retrieving exceptional commodities. As far as what it looks like, what it seeks, or what its purpose is, I know not,” said Doctor Tenly, continuing to run tests on the stone. “Ah! There we go.”

This whole deliverer thing was seriously bugging me. And it sucks that Doctor Tenly has no knowledge of this creature. He should know these things…or, you know, be able to figure them out.

“Marina, earth to Marina Valentine,” called Doctor Tenly.

“Huh? What? Sorry. Lost in brain slush.”

Taking off his gloves, Doctor Tenly joined me on the couch. “Did you see anything while you were near the porthole?” he asked.

“I had visions. Most of them made zero sense.”

“Did you see anything in sixes?”

“No, I…wait…yes! I saw a flower with six petals. It was red with—”

“—red stones at each point,” supplied Doctor Tenly.

“Yes.”

“Marina, this stone is one of a six piece structure. I would assume the structure resembles a flower, based on your vision. Of course, I’ll have to research the meaning, if one exists, of the flower shape itself. One thing is absolutely certain. The Zale’s are trying to collect all six stones for something very bad and very big,” he said, standing up.

“We have one now. Can’t we boom it up and kerflooey their plan?” I asked.

“No. Just as I believe they will only work when pieced together—”

“—we can only destroy them if they’re all together,” I said.

Doctor Tenly nodded. “We need all six pieces.”

“We know Katrina has three of them—her necklace, ring, and bracelet,” I said.

“That’s only four that we know of, including the one we have from the porthole,” said Airianna. “Where are the other two?”

“Maybe they are shoved up Katrina’s significantly uptight buttocks,” said Bobby.

“It’s a thought.” Doctor Tenly nervously paced around the room. “According to legend, each single piece, even if it’s a small sliver, can communicate with other lost pieces. They forever try to piece themselves together.”

“To do what?” I asked.

“I’m not sure, but you can bet it’s something big, bad, and hideous.”

Airianna started rocking back and forth again. “Do you think the Zale’s had all six pieces before we got this one?”

“If they had all six pieces, believe me, they would’ve put together a nice, evil puzzle by now,” said Doctor Tenly.

“At least we have one of the pieces. Now, they’re short one they thought they had,” I said, smiling.

“Precisely,” said Doctor Tenly. “It will be safe here. Even with their communicative capabilities, I have this place encased with so many enchantments, no Ravenflame, apart from King Zale himself, will be able to penetrate it. And, truthfully, even he would find it challenging. Yes, I’m
that
good. Marina, you need to get home. They know you stole this stone. I’m sure they’re looking for you. Manakel, please fly Marina home. Bobby, Airianna, swim through the lagoons. I’ll be in touch when I learn more.”

Trey’s face in the porthole flooded my mind. “I need to make a stop first.”

“No stops,” said Doctor Tenly.

“There will be stops.”

Spitting out a piece of gum, Doctor Tenly shook his fist at me. “Straight home.”

“Not thinking home is my safe harbor.”

“Don’t question a genius,” he said, placing the gum on the wall.

“See you’re back to the gum thing.”

“No thanks to you. I have catching up to do. Did you really think I’d quit?”

“Hoped is more like it.”

“Aren’t you glad I didn’t make you chew tonight?”

“Surprised, actually.”

“You had root beer and Hazyfy cookies—that will taint the effectiveness of the gum. Although I did get some excellent new flavors! How do you feel about bananas?”

“Uh, I like them in cereal,” I said, shrugging.

“Hmm. Interesting. Bananas in cereal. Must try that tomorrow morning! Well, get on, now. I have work to do. And, Marina?”

“Yes?” I said, taking Manakel’s hand.

“I am genuinely glad you’re safe.”

“Me too. I would have missed your weirdness.”

Doctor Tenly grinned, stuck more gum in his mouth, and went back to work on the stone.

*****

Once we reached my house, Manakel set me down in the shadows near my bedroom window.

“They’re hawking the streets and alleys,” he said.

“I saw,” I said. “Do you think they’ll find out about Airianna helping me? I think Bobby and Mrs. Waterberry are safe, but they saw Airi.”

“She’s safe, at least for now. The baddies won’t know they skipped the festival, thanks to the doc. You’re the big, shiny target,” he said.

“If you’re here, I’ll be fine. Reckon you must be my guardian sorta-angel. Don’t let it go to your head…the one on your shoulders.”

Manakel smiled warmly. “I’m much more than your guardian angel, Cherry Blossom. Much more.” His sexiness trickled from every pore on his body.

“Ugh, do you have some
I’m an angel, think I’m sexy
power that you turn on or something? Because I know for darn sure I’m devoted to one otherworldly man, and it ain’t you.”

“Yet,” he said, leaning closer.

“Oh, you’ve just gotta stop that.”

“Stop what?”

“You are infuriating…um…can I ask you a question?”

“Please do.”

“It’s not
that
kind of question. Is your name really Manakel? I mean, did you have a different name before you, ya know, died?”

“No one’s ever asked me about my name,” he said, softening the sexy a bit. “Manakel is more like an angel-label. Not my favorite, but not the worst. Yes, I had a name. No, I’m not telling you.”

“Why?”

“You’re not ready.”

“Not ready to learn someone’s name? How in holy holly does that make sense? Wait. Do you have a really awful name that I can use to make fun of you? Because I’m so on that if you do.”

Manakel grinned. “When you’re ready to scream my name, I’ll tell you.”

“Okay, that’s it. You are absolutely ridiculous. Goodnight…and thank you.” Anxious to leave the awkwardness, I practically threw myself through the window and landed in a crumpled heap on the floor.

“Graceful,” shouted Manakel.

“Oh, shut it,” I grumbled.

“Young lady! It’s one o’clock in the morning!” screeched my mom, flying in my bedroom.

Oh, crap. Mom looked beyond ticked. “I’m sorry, Mom. I was with Troy.” I lied. Bad me.

She started the foot tapping. Never, ever a good sign. “No matter how much time you want to spend with your boyfriend, staying out until the wee hours of the morning and making your mom a nervous wreck is simply unacceptable. Do you understand?”

“Understood, and I’m sorry.”

“Oh all right,” she said, hugging me. “How about a late night snack? Some cookies, maybe?”

“Yum!” I said, rubbing my tummy. We won’t mention my mercookie hangover.

Following her into the kitchen, I soon saw another reason for her being so upset: someone ransacked our home, unless…