OVERFALLS (The Merworld Water Wars, Book 2) (37 page)

“Where to, Prince Troy?” said the driver once we were in the carriage.

“Take Snowing Shore Drive, along the outskirts of Peppermint’s Forest.”

“This can’t be real,” I said, cuddling against Troy.

Covering us with a red velvet blanket, he said, “Welcome to everything you never imagined.”

Peppermint’s Forest was exactly that: a forest of red, white, and green peppermint trees. The scent was heavenly. The sleigh stopped opposite a small circle of trees near the edge of the village. Troy led me to the center of the trees and held me close.

“You know that old cliché about loving someone so much that you’d catch stardust for them?”

Oh, faint. “I adore cliché. You can be as cliché as you want.”

“Here’s the thing…it’s not cliché if I can make it come true.” Suddenly, the sky filled with shooting stars, each one of them exploding into shimmering stardust over our heads. “This is the only place in the world where you can actually catch magical stardust.” He retrieved a small jar from behind a tree and held it to the sky until it was full of stardust. Handing me the jar, he said, “As brightly as this jar may shine, it can never compare to what I feel when I’m with you.”

“I thought I was just too different to ever be loved. Then you happened. Promise to never un-happen, okay?” He wiped away my happy tears and kissed me under a shower of stardust.

Christmas Day
: Christmas morning was something out of a classic movie. Troy, Airianna, and Mr. Gibbs joined us for breakfast, presents, and fun. By the time we got to Hambury House, I realized something rather extraordinary. Though we were all misfits, we were also a family. Everyone was so happy, singing carols, laughing, and hugging (except Meikle). Polly even had better control over her demon bits, though she did have a rather poor reaction when Jex arrived, singing; his Crosby-like crooning resulted in her hanging from a chandelier, screaming demon-ish, and belching up ornaments, which she proceeded to toss at his head. Doctor Tenly was elated when I brought him the long overdue chocolate peanut butter bars, peanut butter cookies, and iced sugar cookies with sprinkles. His elation was, however, understated compared to his reaction over a plastic baggie full of my birthday gum wads. It was both hilarious and disturbing.

By the time night fell, I knew it was time to give Troy his present. After subtly gesturing to Meikle, she pulled a pouch from her bag and brought it to me.

“What’s that?” he asked.

“You didn’t think I wouldn’t give you something, did you? It’s your turn to come with me.” With help from Meikle and Ophelia, Troy and I slipped out of Hambury House unseen. Standing by the sea, I handed him the pouch. He carefully removed a heart-shaped box. Standing on a brass base was a red abstract heart made from sea stone. There were tiny drawers carved into the heart itself.

“Marina, this is amazing,” said Troy.

“My heart has been torn by life, loss, even people. But there’s this little known secret about a torn heart—there’s more room once someone comes along with a soul strong enough to put it back together again. That’s why there are little compartments. In each one, you’ll find a note from that piece of my heart to you…so you never forget the strength of your soul.”

Gazing in wonderment at the heart, he said, “Do I hear it beating?”

“That’s the sound of my heart when I’m with you. Here, feel.” I placed his hand over my heart.

His smile lit up the night. “How is it possible?”

“It’s helpful to be best friends with a witch. You once told me I had your heart, and it occurred to me that I’ve never said the same to you. Now you know…you’ll always have every piece of my heart. Always.”

With glistening eyes, he brushed the hair from my face. Running his thumb over my lips, he said, “Rubylocks, you
are
my heart…because without you, I stop living.”

As we kissed, a light snow began to fall.

“It’s snowing! And it’s only snowing over the manor and its property!”

“Must be a gift from Santa. Speaking of gifts,” he said, rummaging inside his jacket. “I couldn’t let Christmas come and go without having something for you on the day itself.” He handed me the little plush owl from Macallister’s Toy Shop.

“You remembered,” I said, hugging the little guy, who looked adorable in his big blue bow.

“Got him for you the very next day,” he said. “It’s becoming a tradition, you wanting a stuffed animal and me giving it to you on Christmas.”

“A boyfriend that accepts my vow to never fully grow up,” I said with a sigh. “Thank you for being you.”

“Thank
you
for being with me. I wouldn’t be the ‘me’ I am now without you,” he said, kissing me once more. “Well, as much as I’d like to keep this between us…”

“It’s snowing...on the beach…in Texas. We need to bring our crazy, mismatched family out here,” I said. “Hey! Y’all come out here! It’s snowing!”

Pretty soon, everyone was outside on the beach, dancing, laughing, and cuddling under the snow.

“I think we need a grand and glorious ending, just like in the classics!” said Doctor Tenly, hugging Treeva.

Mom started us in a sing-along of perhaps the greatest Christmas carol of all time. And that’s how we saw Christmas come to an end: together, as a family, full of love.

Chapter Seventeen

Buried Under

January: New year

Monthly Life Caption: New Same Old Crap

Mood: Antsy

Eating: Back on leafy bunny blah

Music: Anything that puts me in attack mode

New Year’s Day, match two, earth element
. It can’t be easy being the holiday to follow Christmas every year. I mean, look at all the wonder and tradition that comes with Christmas. What does the New Year bring to excite the masses? A new number. Thrilling. I’d feel bad for the New Year if it didn’t always, without fail, suck.

Following the most magical, romantic, uplifting Christmas in the history of Christmases with the sight of twelve coffins resting next to twelve empty graves awaiting our burial was just so damn wrong.

“Ready to go six feet under?” asked Jex, picking up Spritz.

“I can honestly say nuh-uh,” I retorted.

“Eh, the worst part will be busting out of the coffin,” said Jex airily. “The trick is ripping through the lining first, and then pushing, not punching, through the wood. And no using your blasting palm-power stuff, unless you want to end up staked like a vampire.”

“Is there anything you haven’t done?”

“Uh…no,” he said, smiling.

“I didn’t even get a birthday party, and now I have to crawl into a grave,” Polly huffed.

“This again?” Meikle growled. “It was you who didn’t want a party. Besides, Mrs. Valentine made you a cake and you still got presents. Quit your griping.”

Polly tugged on her earlobe. “I didn’t get a tiara.”

“You need help,” said Meikle. “When can we climb in our coffins?”

“Any minute,” said Jex.

“Excellent.” Of course Meikle would be on the edge of her seat to take a coffin ride.

For tonight’s match, all of the judges wore green; I swear Madame Helena decided to wear her curtains, à la Scarlett.

Kori Naughtin ignited the men in the crowd with a semi-sheer, lime green dress. “Okay, fans! Loving those ‘Team Spritz’ shirts, by the way! So…are ya ready to hear what the teams have to do? Yeah? All right, then! Teams, once you are buried, you’ll hear a beep. At that time, you must free yourself from the coffin, dig through the ground, and find your hidden tunnel. Crawl through the tunnel until you arrive in an underground chamber. There, you’ll need to retrieve a pentacle and staff. Once you have both items, climb out of the chamber…if you can. Remember, time and technique will be critical to your team’s success. And because neither team captain used their tridents during the water element, that option is still available to both. Contestants, please approach your coffins.”

Both teams stepped up to the coffins. Staring into the coffin, with its white silk lining and cherry wood exterior, images of my father stole my mind. His wake was the only time Madame Helena permitted me to leave the institution. She sent a troop of guards to watch me; they didn’t even let me hug my mom. There wasn’t much about that day I remember, apart from how lonely he looked in the coffin.

“Please get into your coffins.” Kori’s voice sounded like an echo.

I put my hand on the edge of the coffin, the tips of my fingers brushing against the silky interior, and I saw him, dead inside the casket. “Dad?” Daddy’s red hair was so bright against the satiny beige cushion, and the strangulation marks around his neck seemed to pulsate, almost tauntingly. My throat started to close, and my erratic breathing forced a strange pressure to push behind my nose and eyes.

“Marina, find me.” Troy, standing on the other side of the coffin, urged my mind to escape the past. When my eyes found his strong, loving gaze, he gently said, “Fight the fear.”

Nodding, I once again peered into the coffin; the image of my father was gone. Smiling at Troy, I climbed in. The lid slammed shut as soon as my head touched the pillow. “This is some screwed up crap.” As the coffin shifted, lifted, and lowered into the ground at an agonizingly slow speed, I made a decision. “Crisp me up like toast, because I’m never ending up in a box in the ground for the bugs to nibble away at. No way.”

As the coffin continued to lower, I heard the muffled voice of Kori addressing the crowd. “Don’t worry about missing any of the action down yonder, because as soon as they’re buried, the ground will open, and down we’ll go to watch the fun!”

Fun? Really? The coffin finally landed in the ground with a dull thud. The sound of dirt and sand hit the lid, and all I wanted was to hear the dang beep, so I could rip this crap up, hard. To keep from panicking, I closed my eyes and started counting as I tapped my foot on the end of the casket. I would do this until I heard the…BEEP. My eyes shot open; I shoved my nails into the lining of the coffin, tearing it apart and shredding it sideways, like a wild cat, until I could peel it away. Remembering what Jex said, I pushed the lid as hard as I could, keeping constant pressure on it with my hands and feet; little by little, it cracked open, allowing the dirt to pour in on top of me. Every attempt at breathing was suffocated by falling dirt and sand; my muscles quivered so badly, I knew it was only a matter of seconds before they gave out. With the fear of having to start all over again creeping across my mind, I screamed against the pain and sent a powerful surge through my arms and legs. The crack grew big enough for me to squeeze through. Squeezing my body through the narrow opening, the fractured wood of the casket slicing though my top, cutting my back, I plunged into the wall of dirt.

Feverishly clawing and punching at the ground, desperate to find the tunnel before I passed out from lack of oxygen, my elbow finally hit a hollow area. Using the right side of my body, I shoved through the hollow area and rolled directly into a dark, sandy tunnel. Tiny hermit crabs skittered by me—GAG—as I crawled—GAG—along the tunnel.

“Knees hurt, knuckles and back, total bloody messes...stinks like rotten craaaa—” Without the slightest warning, the bottom of the tunnel collapsed, and I slammed to the ground, landing on my hip and shoulder. “Ugh. Good thing Saviors heal fast.” I forced my sore body to stand up and stupidly tried to brush the dirt off my jeans. “Yeah, like imbedded dirt is going anywhere. Stupid ass.”

The underground chamber was drab and dirty; four torches provided a dim light. Two clear panels on either end of the chamber allowed fans to observe us, like mice in a maze. I didn’t see Mom in the sections watching my chamber—her blood pressure must be on the brink of ‘walking heart attack.’ I flipped around, busily searching for the pentacle and staff. Finally, in a small corner, I saw them peeking out from a large trunk.

“Wow,” I said, starting for them, “that was easy.” I really must learn to think before I, you know, think. Something smashed into my stomach, and I soared clear across the chamber and crashed against the hard, gritty wall. “So, not as easy as I thought.” Raising myself off the ground, I tried to cross the chamber once more, but an invisible power hit me upside the head. This time, the strike hurled my body sideways into a clear panel; I heard the crowd gasp. Before I could even attempt to stand, the invisible coward slammed my head against the panel again and again. “Just curious…what do you think of the phrase…‘Up yours?’” I used my gel shield to entangle whatever creature got its rocks off concussing me. Before it broke free, I rolled, ran, and soared to the trunk; snatching the pentacle and staff, I turned to leave, but found a gnome, staring me down.

“Pentacle on. Will protect. Hold up to evoke them. Talk. Hear. Cover it up. Go,” said the gnome.

Sighing, I said, “Once again, this is when Gully would come in very handy. Okay…pentacle on and hold up to evoke.” Studying the shimmering blue pentacle dangling from a dark blue ribbon, I noticed it had many different pictures and shapes carved into its face. “Wear it like a necklace, maybe?” The little gnome nodded. The instant I slipped it around my neck and held it up in my hand, four male spirits with strings of skin dangling from their mouths materialized. “Are y’all the ones kicking my butt around this chamber?”

“Yes,” said the eldest.

“Ah, well, tell your spirit leader I didn’t appreciate it.”

They all bowed their heads. “Ask your question.”

“Um, I don’t have one,” I said.

The eldest laughed. “All minds store questions. The question you most wish to ask resides in both your mind and your heart. We hear it, but you must speak it.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I do have one. Who is The Dealer?”

The spirits exchanged knowing glances. Joining hands, they formed a circle around me. “Truth bypasses a severed core, flowing through the veins of one’s beginning.”

“I’m sorry…huh? That’s not an answer! It’s a riddle!”

“They have answered,” squeaked the gnome. “Follow my directions.”

“Cover it and go were the next two on your list. So, yeah, thanks for all your non-help,” I muttered, placing the pentacle on the inside of my shirt. “Ouch! You bit my finger! Why, dude?”