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

“Uh, yeah, I dunno,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “As soon as Ophelia and I got back on land, it just kind of appeared.”

“It’s actually pretty hot, very superhero.” Trey’s smile went from meek to cocky in under a second. “Here,” I said, removing his lucky owl pendant from my neck. “Think this belongs to you.”

“Thanks for taking care of it for me,” he said, securing it around his neck.

“Think it protected me as much as I did it,” I said. “Now…what the hell was that God-awful clue you left for me?”

“You figured it out, didn’t you?” said Trey.

“It’s amazing. An intuitionist-slash-truth decipherer who can’t craft a clue to save his life…or, more precisely, to save mine, Meikle’s, or Polly’s,” I said, playfully punching his arms.

“Ha, ha, very funny,” said Trey, before being shoved sideways by an enthusiastic Airianna.

“Marina! Guess what?” said Airianna, grabbing my hands. “I got Katrina’s bracelet! We now have TWO Prehendo Animus stones! I’ve evened the score! Me!”

“Doctor Tenly told me! I’m so proud of you, sweetie,” I said, hugging her.

“Oh my Poseidon’s trident! I’m so sorry, Trey! I didn’t mean to shove you like that,” said Airianna, blushing quicker than a true angel on her wedding night.

Trey’s crooked grin and wide eyes gawked at Airianna as though she were some fantasy pin-up girl come to life. “Um, oh, yeah, no problem at all…I mean, it’s good…it’s fine,” said Trey. “I’m Trey Campbell.”

Airianna giggled. “Yes, I know.”

“This just in—severe drool warning ahead. Take cover before you dorkify this conversation beyond repair,” I whispered in Trey’s ear.

Trey growled at me before turning back to Airianna. “Right. You said my name before, so, you obviously know it. And your name is Airianna, just so
you
know,” said Trey, closing his eyes and grimacing at his severe lack of tact.

“Yes, I know that one, too,” she said, swinging her shoulders a bit, her silky blond hair swaying from side to side.

“Of course you do…because that’s your name…”

“Oh Dear God, you need a bib for all that drool,” I muttered.

“That’s it!” said Trey, laying a massive tickle attack on me.

“STOP!” I said, fighting for breath between tickle-induced belly laughs.

“Oh, dear. So many people. Excuse me, pardon me. Marina?” Ophelia Fountains had gorgeous espresso skin, violet eyes, and a smile that could literally light up the night.

“Ophelia! I’m so glad Trey got you out of that cage,” I said.

“I’m sorry it was me and not Polly,” she said, dropping her head.

“No, Ophelia, don’t say that,” I said, taking her hands in mine. “I’m glad you’re safe. We’ll get Polly back, don’t worry.”

She popped her head up to meet my eyes. “You’re not disappointed it was me?”

“Not in the least.”

“Oh, I’m so glad,” she said. “I kind of think Meikle would disagree.” I followed Ophelia’s gaze to a back corner of the study.

Leaning against the wall was our resident powerhouse Wiccan, Meikle Martinez. With her chestnut curls tied back in a messy bun, Meikle stroked her mysterious purple sequined bag and shifted her glowering, cat-like eyes from one person to the next. Preppy and persnickety Bobby Bubblestone stood nearby, keeping a rather intense eye on her.

“Meeks is…slow to take to people. I promise she isn’t blaming you for anything. Give her time,” I said. Ophelia nodded, but still looked wary of Meikle.

“Make way, mama with a bear hug coming through! Baby girl!” My mom’s hug was the biggest—and most crushing—of them all.

“Mom! Are you okay?”

“Well, considering I woke up days after that strange man—who turned out to be Principal Jeepers—knocked me out, altered my memory, reinstalled my memory, tried to convince me to leave my baby girl, and then decided we’d all come back here…I’m going to go with a big, fat ‘no’ to the ‘are you okay’ question,” said my mom. “And what’s with the gum-wad-covered wall?”

“There’s a gum-wad-covered wall? As in chewed gum wads?” asked Ophelia.

“Sadly, yes,” I said. “Right over there.”

“That’s revolting. So many germs. Perhaps this doctor has some air spray, like the kind that kills 99.9 percent of germs. Or maybe he keeps a nice collection of emergency gas masks in his cabinets. He is a doctor, after all,” said Ophelia.

“Ophelia raises an excellent point, albeit in a roundabout way. Marina, what
is
going
on
here?” Mom looked frazzled and possibly on the verge of being pissed.

Before I could even try to figure out how to answer her, a loud, strange whistle filled the room.

“Hello, all! Welcome to Hambury House! Some of you know me as the coolest principal in the universe; others know me as Doctor David Tenly.” Doctor Tenly stood in front of the room with Troy’s sister, Treeva Tombolo. “If everyone will just take a seat, we’ll get started.”

“Get started doing what?” asked my mom.

“Explaining,” I said.

Mom and Mr. Gibbs sat together on a loveseat opposite the couch, where I plopped down with Troy, Ophelia (whose perfect posture put us all to shame), and Airianna. Trey, having given his spot to Airianna, propped himself on the arm of the couch next to her. Meikle grabbed a chair and slowly dragged it across the room, making a horrendous screeching sound as she did. Stopping alongside my end of the couch, she twisted the chair around and straddled it; Bobby rushed to take post behind her.

“Okay, let’s see, I sent Benji to update Mrs. Waterberry on everything, so…everyone else here, then?” asked Doctor Tenly.

“We’re missing the feathers,” said Treeva.

Doctor Tenly sighed. “Manakel! Meeting time!”

“Not sure why I have to be here, Doc,” said Manakel, diving down from the ceiling.

“Marina,” whispered my mom, “that man has wings…gray ones. Is he suspended from wires? Maybe he’s dressed up for some early Christmas play prep or something?”

“Uh…not exactly,” I said, looking to Doctor Tenly for help.

“Our feathered friend up there is Manakel,” he said, pointing to the hovering angel.

“What’s a Manakel?” asked my mom.

“It’s his name,” said Troy.

“Well, not really. I mean, it’s an angel label. He’s keeping his pre-death name a secret. Lame,” I said, shooting him a glance.

“He’s an earth angel—one that doesn’t exactly reside in heaven, for reasons that will become plainly obvious, but who protects our seas,” said Treeva.

“Uh-huh. Pardon my disbelief, but I’ve just had a fuzzy wad of make believe shoved in my ears,” said my mom.

“Promise we’re not screwing with you,” said Treeva. “Everything you’re about to hear today will hit you like a damn riptide of emotional turmoil.”

“‘Damn riptide of emotional turmoil.’ Great line,” said Mom. “Scaring me a little, but…great line.”

“Wish I could take the credit, but it actually originates with my BFF in kick ass fun, Ash. She heads up the Splashzers Puncture Patrol—as in she bashes those brainless fin-eaters into worm food. Ash and her team protect the United States from a zombie invasion. See, Splashzers are mer-zombies, and they have the power to awaken walking zombies on the mainland. It’s all very scary, super top secret, hush-hush, stuff.” I just looked at Treeva and shook my head. “Too much, too soon?” This time, I closed my eyes and slowly nodded. “Um, so, David, maybe you’re better suited to do the whole mythological creature talk thing with Marina’s mom?”

“Ah, this is your mommy, then?” asked Manakel, turning up the sexy.

“Yes,” I groaned. “And don’t even think about it.”

“'Bout what?”

“About being your usual horny, semi-angel self around my mom,” I warned.

Mom, her face entirely expressionless, blinked her eyes about a thousand times at Doctor Tenly, Treeva, and Manakel before bursting out laughing.

“Oh, this is so not going to go well,” I said as Troy rubbed the back of my neck.

Doctor Tenly rushed over to his hidden cupboards, grabbed a glass, and filled it to the brim with something from an ornate, purple potion-like bottle. “Drink this, Mrs. Valentine. I promise you’ll feel better momentarily.”

“What are you giving her?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

“Just some specially aged root beer. It’ll help her absorb the shocks a bit better,” said Doctor Tenly as Mom literally downed the entire glass in one gulp.

When she slammed it down on the coffee table between us, Ophelia gasped and leaped up.

“Wet glass on wood—bad. Coasters, coasters, there must be coasters,” she muttered, rifling through drawers. “This will do!” While Doctor Tenly refilled Mom’s glass, Ophelia hurried over to wipe down the table and place a coaster upon it.

“There’s no easy way to say this, Mom, so I’m just going to blurt it. Apart from the Normals—uh, students from institutions—and their relatives, every single person in this town is a...merperson,” I said.

“Mer-what?”

“Merperson,” I repeated.

“As in mermaids, like me,” said Airianna.

“And mermen…like me,” said Troy.

“And scales and tails…not like me, thank the good Lord himself,” offered Manakel. Troy subtly flipped him off.

Mom slowly picked up her glass, raised it to her mouth, and, once again, downed it all at once. HICCUP. “So, let me get this straight…the town is full of Merpeople, which would mean my daughter is dating a mermaid?”

“Merman,” said Troy, shifting his eyes.

“Think she had it right the first time,” Manakel quipped.

“Swear to God,” Troy said through clenched teeth, glaring back at Manakel.

“Aw, you should never swear to God, fishy,” said Manakel.

“Yes, Mom, I’m dating a merman…and, um, so are you.”

Mom shut her eyes, scrunched up her face, and said, “So, you’re saying I…slept with a merman?”

“Oh, God.” I slapped my hands hard over my face.

“Well, technically, you slept with a fish,” said Manakel.

“Oh, heaven help me. I had sex with a fish.” Mom waved her glass at Doctor Tenly, who dutifully filled it up.

“Dude, you’re not helping!” I shouted at Manakel.

“No, Marina…HICCUP…the chicken is right—”

“Angel,” Manakel clarified.

“Huh? Oh, chicken, angel…no big diff,” said my mom, her body looking far too relaxed and her eyes just a tad glassy.

“There bloody well
is
a big diff. I’m no cluckster! Not to mention there’s a completely different feather quality. Mine are designer-like.”

“You know, I think Mrs. V. is right,” said Troy. “Both cluck and crap when scared.”

“Aw, you want to talk living where you crap, sardine?” growled Manakel.

Mom flung her arm in the air and waved it about. “Gotta question.”

“It’s not a classroom, Mom. You can just ask it,” I said, eyeing Doctor Tenly, who was so obviously avoiding making eye contact with me.

“What if I’m pregnant?” blurted my mom.

“Excuse me?!” I said.

HICCUP. “Well, things aren’t exactly foolproof. So, will I birth a bass? Maybe a beardfish?”

“This is a nightmare,” I said, rubbing my forehead.

“Hey, Mommy’s wasted!” said Manakel, laughing. “Gotta love a woman who can take the drink and make a show of it.” He pointed to my mom and sexily growled, “I like you.”

Oh, save me. Mom just bit her lip, winked, and gave the horn-ball angel the ‘come hither’ finger.

When Mr. Horny Feathers made the slightest movement towards her, I stood up, flipped around, and uncorked on him. “DON’T YOU DARE MOVE ANOTHER INCH, OR SO HELP ME, I WILL HAVE YOUR ASS!”

“Kinky,” he said, rubbing his hands together.

“Please, go ice yourself.” Swiveling on my heel, I directed my anger at the guiltiest face in the room. “Doctor Tenly, what the hell did you give her?”

Doctor Tenly nervously scratched his chin. “I told you, some aged root beer…that apparently has an alcoholic effect on humans.”

“Can we please just drive this conversation away from the town of embarrassing escapades and hormonally charged trysts?” I asked, watching my mom tap the rim of her glass for more. This time, Mr. Gibbs obliged.

“Yeah, all right. Won’t be as much fun, though,” said Doctor Tenly. I glared at him, clenching my teeth. “Moving on! Ophelia, our newly returned Normal, what is your talent again?”

Ophelia’s eyes bugged. “It’s no big deal,” she said, anxiously bouncing her knees.

“She’s a witch,” said Meikle.

“No, no, I’m not. That was a misnomer,” said Ophelia, playing with the strings on her plaid skirt. “I, um, can freeze time.”

“Really? This I have to see!” said Doctor Tenly giddily.

“Oh, uh, I can’t really do it on demand or anything, it’s more of a spur of the—”

Before she could finish, Doctor Tenly picked up a vase and threw it at my head; Ophelia’s eyes shifted from violet to crystal blue, and her long, black ringlets grew into wild blue locks. Her eyes locked hard on the flying vase and, in an instant, stopped it midair. Ophelia shook her head as her eyes and hair returned to normal.

“—moment,” said Doctor Tenly, finishing Ophelia’s sentence while retrieving the vase from the air. “Incredible!”

Tossing my hands up, I said, “Really? You had to pick my head to throw it at?”

“Well, your head is the most visible, isn’t it? It’s the hair,” said Doctor Tenly.

Yeah, that was just so many levels of sarcastic awesome.

“That freezing thing was pretty epic,” said Meikle.

Leaning over to Ophelia, I whispered, “And that counts as tacit acceptance from Meeks.”

Ophelia bounced a little. “Thanks!” she said, beaming.

My awe was suddenly crushed by an icy realization: Ophelia and Odette are twins, born on the same day, so why was only one of them hooked up to Zale’s network of Normals?

“We need to talk about Zale’s matrix,” I said.

“Yeah, that’s an area I’d like to hear more about,” said Mr. Gibbs. “Lay it on me.”

“Not here, darlin’,” said my mom, patting his leg.

Shooting Mom a ‘what the hell’ look, I said, “King Zale and his crazy-ass-merqueen have been kidnapping Normals the night before their seventeenth birthday. Apparently, within our seventeenth year, we’ll either show an extra-special talent or we won’t.”