OVERFALLS (The Merworld Water Wars, Book 2) (42 page)

Training (Savior and team). Enraged

Evening. Homework. *&!# the world

Bedtime. So over him…until the dreams start

Despite the ever-changing range of emotions, I haven’t actually cried over Troy. The lack of real tears disturbed me. Perhaps I was still in denial. Or maybe it was everything else, like the Overfalls, The Dealer, my mom, who was working herself sick…and Trey. First, he was a seal—then he was water—next up, was fire and wind—and now, he’s a merman, a Tombolo, and son of Doctor Tenly. Then there was Airianna, who was placed under a horrendous curse by her own father simply because she fell in love with a Normal…who wasn’t a Normal after all. How can people be so blind to the dangers and sheer stupidity of pre-judging and labeling others? The levels of sadness, rage, and disgust coursing through me were almost too much to handle. And with our final team match just hours away, I was two gags shy of checking into an insane asylum.

Knotty Nook Woods, final training
. What can you say about fire? It burned, was hot as hell, and instantly ignited irritation across the board.

“My hair is gray from soot,” said Polly, wiping ash from her clothes. “I’m sweaty, someone has very bad body odor, and I’m exhausted.”

“Have to echo Polly,” I said, breathing heavily. “Jex, you’ve had us face dragons, fire rings, fire tubes, lava baths…we’ve got it.”

“I suppose you all are adept at fighting fire,” said Jex. “Few notes, though. Trey, focus on your water and fire personas, but don’t forget some form of sand or dirt for putting out the flames. Ophelia, freezing fire flares will buy time and perhaps allow someone to smash it in half if they have a weapon. Speaking of weapons…Polly, don’t forget that any weapon forged of fire will defeat fire. Meikle…I dunno…just keep doing your witch-y thing. And, Gully, I’m begging you, please don’t think about how pretty the flames are, yeah?”

“Okay, coach,” said Gully, watching a firefly above her head. “Wouldn’t it be neat to light up? Maile sort of does that, though. Sometimes, I wish I was lit.”

“Who doesn’t right now?” I muttered.

“You mean she isn’t already?” said Polly under her breath.

“Wrong word choice, Gully,” said Trey, laughing.

“Pretty sure Rips could help you out, right Maile?” said Jex as Maile rolled her eyes and nodded. “Or you can try some of my hurricane rain. Does wonders for gray-winged angels. After seeing what aged root beer did to Marina’s mom, you may become successfully lit, Gully.”

With her delightfully blank eyes and wide smile, Gully said, “Um, what does that mean exactly?”

“Means we’re having a go at you, but only because we like you,” said Jex.

“Oh, okay,” said Gully merrily.

“Go on, get out of here. Get some rest and hydrate,” said Jex, waving. “Stay a minute, Savior.”

“I was wondering why you didn’t have any tips for me,” I said.

Once everyone had faded away, Jex conjured a couple of bright white cushions. “Sit. Heard about you and fish prince. You doing all right?”

“This news ticked all across the mer-magazines weeks ago,” I said. “You’re not just hearing about the ‘dump of the year,’ as Clarissa Smoggrove put it.”

“No. But, since your friends have been going out of their way to tiptoe around the topic, I just followed their lead. We’re on the eve of the final team event. I need to be sure you’re okay.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. You know, it is what it is.” I had to keep wiping sweat from my face. My body was dangerously overheated. God, I hope I don’t faint because, the way we’re positioned, I’d face-plant in Jex’s lap. I could never live that down.

“I am sorry.”

“No you’re not,” I said, laughing for the first time in weeks.

“Yeah, you’re right, I’m not.”

“I haven’t cried.”

“Over the breakup, you mean?”

Nodding, I said, “Is there something wrong with me? I hurt. I feel it. Sometimes, I even feel the sobs welling up. But, it never comes out.”

Jex wiped away a bead of sweat running down the side of my face. “You’re too hot.” With a swirl of his finger, a golden bucket of ice and gray cloth appeared at his side. He placed a few ice cubes in the cloth and gently wiped it along my face. “Crying isn’t a simple emotion—it has purpose. It comes from the soul.”

“Maybe I’ve had enough crying in my life.”

“Tears are a way of saying goodbye, of releasing. They free you. Too many humans see crying as a sign of weakness, so they fight the urge, not realizing they’re opening the soul to evils just waiting for a way in. When it’s ready, you will cry. Don’t fight it.”

“Well, it may not happen for a while,” I said, as he added more ice to the cloth. “I’m too irked about—”

“The fire match?”

“The prom.” Shoot me.

“Prom, eh? Left you without a date, did he?” said Jex. “As always, scale-y has the timing of a tick.”

“I don’t even know why I’m thinking about it. It’s not like I care that much. Guess I sort of craved the idea of one classic high school moment from start to finish, like you see in movies and stuff—no monsters, no worries, no memories of needles or institution hell.” I shrugged my shoulders, a sudden flush of foolishness making me laugh at myself. “Stupid, really. I’m being completely shallow, huh?”

Jex paused, staring hard into my eyes. “Not stupid. Not shallow. So, are you still going, then? To the prom?”

“For my mom’s sake, yeah. She didn’t think high school, much less prom, was possible, given my whole institution stint. It would make her happy to see me go to the prom, date or no date.”

“How’s she handling demon-Troy?”

“Not well. Even though she’s sad about how things have ended up, Mom’s found some peace in our breakup. Of course, she’d never admit it. Anyway, Gully, Polly, and Maile are dateless. On the bright side, a certain wizard wonder boy made the stag tag pretty epic, so…”

Jex grinned. “He made a lot of things epic, even glasses. Can never tease the four-eyed bunch again. Know how challenging that is for the likes of me?”

“That explains why you haven’t been all over Maile’s stylish spectacles.”

“It’s been like holding hot coals to my nether region,” he said, playfully gritting his teeth.

Crying might be a release, but so was laughing, and it felt fantastic. Standing and stretching, I said, “I should get home. Thanks for the ice…and the laughs.” I lightly punched him in the wing, and…he flipped me onto my back, once again pinning me to the ground. “Son of a bitch!”

“Just testing the stop, drop, and roll on you.”

“Cute.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard. Can never be off-guard, Savior.”

“One of these days, I totally vow to be on top of you,” I growled.

“An angel can hope,” he said, helping me up.

I tripped over my own feet and fell against him; our mouths were barely an inch apart. “I’d better get some sleep.”

“Right, yeah,” he said, studying my face.

The heat coming off of him was exhilarating, and though my body awakened, my heart felt nothing but sorrow and longing for the one who was no longer mine. “I’m going now.”

“Going now would be in everyone’s best interest.”

“Yep. Night. See ya tomorrow at the stadium.”

“Sweet dreams, Savior.”

Damn.

*****

Stadium, final team match, fire element.

“Should’ve known they’d turn up the creepy for the final team match,” I said.

“This is more than creepy,” said Jex. “Bad inklings are tickling my feathers.”

Lava rocks replaced both team benches, and the stadium was in the shape of a towering volcano, crackling flames circling the upper rim. Fans, judges, the band, and Kori sat in frozen, glowing lava seats carved into the walls of the volcano. The judge’s section shifted, parting from the volcano like an old drawer.

“Personally, I find the setting sensuously serene,” said Polly, eyeing Jex.

Kori, in an extremely low-cut orange gown, stepped up to a flaming red and yellow microphone. “It’s time for the final team match of the Overfalls, and y’all better listen up, because the rules are about to change. In this challenge, teammates will be allowed to work together. Teammates will need to help each other in order to get past…the other team.”

“Oh, you’re kidding,” I whispered, staring over at Airianna, who had her worry-brows in full effect. Troy stared at the sky, then at our bench, but his eyes weren’t on me. Meikle patted her bag, to which Troy acknowledged with a quick nod. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Meikle lied. “Don’t worry about it.”

Right, because not worrying was such an easy thing for me.

“Both teams will battle each other to save an innocent hostage. Madame Helena,” said Kori, offering the stage to the Head Hoodooess.

“Jex, what are they up to?” I asked.

“Haven’t a bloody clue, Savior.” He sounded concerned, and that unnerved me. “Just make sure you all coordinate your powers. They’ll be stronger together.”

Madame Helena rose from her seat, rounded the judge’s table, and smiled like a crocodile at the crowd. Raising her hands, she spoke in an odd language, ending with the words, “Hostages be held.”

Jex made a strange grunting sound; before anyone knew what was happening, both Jex and Margaretta spun through the air in opposite directions; their bodies crashed against the stadium with a disturbing thump. Bands of lava wrapped around their wrists and ankles, holding them high above the ground; their screams were those of profound agony. I stood up, as did my team, ready to save our coach.

“Not yet, Marina,” said Madame Helena. “Your coaches can withstand the pain…for a time. Team Merpeople, take your place in front of Jex—make it impossible for the Normals to get their coach back. Normals,
try
to block Katrina Zale and her merps. Bodily injury is permitted. Anything short of death is a go. Watch for weapons along the way; they may help in your rescue mission.”

“Huddle up,” I said. “Focus first on taking down our enemies—Katrina, Muriel—”

“Irving,” Polly added.

“Shut up, Polly, I swear,” said Ophelia, her voice shaking.

“Just create paths,” I said, frowning. “Gully, stay behind us—you’ll see a path to Jex open up before we do—tell us where it is by calling the names of merps we need to take out. Go easy on those we love, whether we agree with those choices or not. Got it Polls?” Polly rolled her eyes, but agreed. “Three of us need to stay midfield to guard our end. The rest of us will get Jex.”

“Marina, you need to help Jex. I’m best at blocking,” said Trey. “Think Polls would be a great distraction, and Gully would be my early warning system, letting me know which paths they might take.”

“Sounds good. Meeks and Ophelia can help me save Jex. Okay. Let’s do this. Oh, and one more thing…Katrina’s mine.”

We stood before Margaretta, her body twitching from the pain, and faced our opponents poised beneath Jex at the opposite end of the field. In mere seconds, friends would fight friends, loves would fight loves, and the conscience would fight the memories of today forevermore.

Though I lined up opposite Katrina, the wimpy little bitch switched places with Troy at the last minute. Even from this far away, Troy and I locked eyes in sad resignation.

“The first team to free their coach wins the match! Ready? Three, two…FIGHT!” screamed Madame Helena.

We started running towards each other; cannons manned by demons fired large orange fireballs at us.

“POLLS! CATCH THE FIRE! MAKE WEAPONS!” I shouted, barely dodging one of the blasts.

Polly masterfully caught several of the blazing beasts and turned them into a powerful fireball launcher; wasting no time, Polly aimed the launcher at the demons, sending them heading for cover or turning them into ash with each successful strike.

“Gully! Stay behind us!” I screamed.

Nearing the midway point, Katrina, Muriel, and Irving created six massive silver snow orbs.

“We’ll be sleeping beauties if those hit us!” Encapsulating two with a gel shield and aiming them out of the stadium, I shouted, “Ophelia, freeze the rest!”

Ophelia stopped them in their blazing tracks.

“I’ll finish these,” shouted Trey. Morphing into a hurricane-strength gust of wind, Trey sent the orbs soaring over the top of the stadium. He landed in human form, right in step with us, laughing.

Muriel managed to scoot by Polly, who was manically taking out demon after demon with her fireball launcher; I quickly deflected Muriel’s progress with a shield, knocking her clear off her feet.

As our teams were about to clash, solar flares shot out from the sides of the field; there was no time to react. Before I knew what had happened, I was rolling on the ground beneath the deadly flares, entangled in someone’s arms. When the sizzling sound of the flames disappeared, I opened my eyes to find Troy above me, his left hand beneath my head, gently protecting my neck. Amazing, how a feeling so wonderful can be so painful.

“KATRINA! IRVING!” screamed Gully, surveying the field, her attention now focused on the leftmost side.

“MARINA!” Meikle, busy blocking Muriel and Benji, pointed to Katrina, who was already heading for Margaretta.

“Want a hand?” asked Troy, smirking.

“Do it,” I said. With one fantastic swing, Troy hurled me across the field. I landed like a panther right in front of Katrina, her shocked face making this all the more pleasurable. Pointing to my red hair, I snarled, “Red means stop.” POW! BOOM! I slammed her in the gut with two gel shields.

“Marina, go! Now!” shouted Gully. Her hair was soaked with blood.

I took off, flying past Trey, who just stopped Airianna’s progress by tossing her backwards (making sure he created a cloud to catch her); Meikle soon joined me, her arms covered in cuts; I started to call for Ophelia when Irving lassoed her legs with a spiked chain; he started swinging her around and around and was dangerously close to bashing her skull against a lava rock. I hastily blew up the rock, cut the chain, and had a gel shield scoop her up and carry her past the battle line. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Troy approaching Margaretta, and Katrina was nearly done peeling free from the gel shields.