OVERFALLS (The Merworld Water Wars, Book 2) (45 page)

Graduation
. The magical courtyard where I recited my butt poem not so long ago had been enchanted with some sort of imperceptible enlargement spell in order to accommodate the many attendees. Dressed in our aqua caps and gowns, we filed into comfy seats nearest the family section located to the far left of the courtyard. All seats faced a beautiful sandstone stage and podium; there, our goofy-faced principal waited for students to settle in their seats before commencing with our official sendoff into an uncertain adulthood.

Once seated, I studied the group of parents, watching their babies with pride. I didn’t recognize many of the faces, but a few I did, and some of the others were unmistakable: Mr. Gibbs dutifully held a box of tissues for Mom, who had waterfall-eyes and a faucet nose; Mrs. Waterberry sat next to Mom, patting her on the back; a slight man holding a yellow parasol high above an exceedingly thin woman wearing a veiled hat had to be Mr. and Mrs. Bubblestone; next to Bobby’s parents was a very self-important man with snowy-white hair, the build of a wrestler, and a suit covered in ornate pins—around his neck was an odd pendant…a talisman. Mr. Hail was a formidable presence, quite the opposite of Airianna’s petite, fragile, meek-looking mother, who wore a dark suit and tied her hair back so tightly, not a strand dared jump out of place. Then we had the royal families: Treeva and King Tombolo wore magnificent silver robes and sat amongst the parents, smiling and chatting; by contrast, King and Queen Zale, along with their brood, had their own personalized canopy.

“I am proud to be the first to congratulate this year’s graduates on a tremendous achievement,” said Doctor Tenly, reading from some notes. “From this moment on, you bid farewell to the comfort of childhood and enter the grownup world of chaos, unpredictability, and life-altering mistakes.”

“Tree tried to help with his speech,” whispered Troy. “He reverted to his first draft.”

“But all is not bleak. Adulthood also means a curfew-free life, full of choice, for instance…” Doctor Tenly dropped his notes, which a breeze saw fit to discard across the courtyard. “Uh…for instance…you can become a king’s spy or even a drunkard. Choice is yours!” Dear God.

“Principal Jeepers, perhaps we should turn the podium over to the valedictorian,” suggested Mr. Smarmy.

“But I had more—fine. Please welcome your valedictorian, Airianna Hail.”

“Airi! Why didn’t you tell me?” I said.

“I couldn’t,” she said, beaming. “It’s supposed to stay a surprise until Principal Jeepers announced it here.”

“I’m in love with a brain,” said Trey, kissing Airianna.

As Airianna headed to the podium, Mr. Hail popped up and pulled her into a hug, flashing an insincere grin at the crowd as he did. Airianna hardly hugged her father back and quickly separated to stand before her classmates.

She unfolded a piece of paper and frowned slightly. “My fellow Merp—” Airianna looked at me, smiled, and then wadded up the piece of paper, shaking her head. “Just now, my father gave me this speech to read. I suppose it is politically on point and polished to perfection. And since I’m really none of those things, I don’t think it would be right for me to read a lie, especially when he failed to include a group of people I’m proud to call the best friends I’ve ever known.” She tossed the paper wad off the stage. “See, Father has never been particularly fond of those who are different. In fact, the majority of merfolk have had a lifelong aversion to humans simply because they don’t have a fin, and for that, we should all be ashamed. Being different or odd or quirky or even weird defines individuality…and bravery. What a boring, sad world it would be if everyone acted like cardboard cutouts of each other. When you think about it, we all value love and friendship. Just think of the possibilities you’re missing out on by excluding people simply because they’re not like you. When two worlds come together, magic can happen. With an open heart and mind, I’ve found true friendships…and true love.

“Life for me started the day I talked to a certain redhead; before that day, life was like a traffic jam, never moving, never changing, and that’s not what life is supposed to be about. Life is a magnificent, never-ending gift, if you’re brave enough to untie the ribbon, rip off the wrappings, and open the box. It’s what I wish for all of you, but only you have the power to make it come true…to make your future—and the future of your children and grandchildren—full of endless possibilities wilder than your own imagination. Which is why, I am proud to announce that I will be attending a newly established college in the fall…Mer-Nor University—the first ever multi-species university, founded by Princess Treeva Tombolo…and Camille Valentine.”

MOM! With tears in my eyes, I turned to Mom, who mouthed a very weepy, “Surprise.”

“Make your future matter, let your voices be heard, and allow your choices to create change. Only then will we break free from fear and finally live. Thank you.” Airianna started to step down, but stopped mid-step when the vast majority of students jumped from their seats, cheering and applauding. Surprisingly, many of the parents showed their approval, including King Tombolo and, of course, Treeva. The Zale clan was predictably unresponsive, unless you count the violence lingering just behind their narrowed eyes. And though Mrs. Hail sat as still and frozen as her husband, a single tear trickled down her cheek.

When Airianna rejoined us, I hugged her. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Thanks, I—what’s going on?”

The sun disappeared behind a rapidly blackening sky; dark purple clouds whipped around us, distorting everything into a blur of colors. When the blur was gone, so was the courtyard. Instead of caps and gowns, we were wearing our uniforms for the Overfalls and sitting on our benches in the stadium. With Spritz at our feet and Crustrex pacing behind team Merpeople, the ever-rambunctious crowd eagerly chanted for the final match.

I looked across the field to Troy, Airianna, and Benji; they appeared confused and concerned, just like me. Even Doctor Tenly looked perplexed. “What the hell just happened? One minute, we’re graduating, and the next we’re in July, preparing to start the face-off match?”

“Think you’ve been warped,” said Jex.

“Okay, that’s just rude,” I said.

“He means time-warped,” supplied Meikle.

“Oh.” Idiot. “You’re saying we’ve been fast-forwarded to the future?”

“Yep,” said Meikle.

“Well, if we were warped, then so were you,” I said to Jex. “Unless angels are immune.”

“Earth angels are still tied to the ground, so I got hit with the warp, too,” he said. “Very bothersome. Woke up to find my favorite bottle of hurricane rain gone. Figured I was pissed and downed it in one flapping.”

“Are you saying they robbed us of over an entire month of our lives?” said Polly angrily.

“No, I don’t think so,” said Trey. “Look at the crowd—they don’t look the least bit confused.”

“So, we contracted a wicked case of amnesia, but everyone else remembers?” I said.

“Or everyone else has had their memories altered,” said Gully.

“Right before graduation, I read a chapter on time-warping in my witch book,” said Meikle. “It’s a witch’s tool. Basically, our memories are somewhere inside our minds, but in order to find them, we have to travel back in time.”

“Why would they accelerate time?” I asked, my mind instantly going to Trey’s mother, the witch.

“I dunno,” said Jex.

“Will the two highest scoring members please step into the white circle,” said Kori, her pink dress sticking against her body in the constant breeze.

Katrina immediately moved inside the circle.

“She remembers,” I said.

“At least it confirms who’s behind the time travel,” said Trey.

“Team Normals? Aren’t you going to send your representative forward?” said Kori.

“Uh, I think a formal announcement would be…fair…for both…who, uh, excelled so, um, amazingly,” stuttered Doctor Tenly.

“Not a problem, Principal Jeepers,” said Kori. “Katrina Zale will face-off with…Marina Valentine for the title of the Overfalls victor!”

“Really? Could it be any more cliché and predictable?” I groaned, kicking sand.

“Well, you know what they say about predictability,” said Jex. “It’s unpredictable.”

“Guess it’s go-time,” said Trey.

“That’s not all,” I said, a mix of anxiety and anger welling up inside of me. “It’s Dealer time. The Dealer kills someone tonight, unless we stop the asshole first.”

“I’ll amend my earlier statement: Guess it’s go kick-some-ass and stop-an-asshole-time,” said Trey.

“Oh, you have no idea how badly I want to mess The Dealer up,” I said, seething.

“You ready for the face-off Marina?” asked Gully.

“Am I ready to take this bitch down once and for all? Oh, yeah.” I scratched Spritz on his head and walked resolutely into the circle. “So, it all comes down to this.”

“News is you’re gonna lose,” Katrina sneered.

“You might want to work on your originality. Really, cleverness isn’t needed in these situations. A simple, ‘I’m about wipe the sand with your face,’ will suffice.”

“Words mean nothing. I’ll be crossing the finish line first,” said Katrina.

“The only way I’m not crossing that line before you is if your cunning parents try moving it.” Glancing back at Troy, his smile screaming ‘This is yours,’ I felt his confidence lifting my own.

“Coaches, please stand with your face-off contenders. You have five minutes for final consultations,” said Kori as Margaretta and Jex joined us within the circle.

“Any final tips?”

“Nah, not really. Down this ulva and Gravity Gum. Apart from that, I’m pretty sure you’re good to go,” said Jex.

Eating the ulva, I relaxed for a second, taking in the moment…and then he did it: Jex made the move to pin me, except this time, I pinned him hard to the sand. Straddling him, I said, “Told ya I’d get on top.”

“Well done, Savior. Feel free to stay put.”

In my peripheral vision, I noticed the feathers on his wings slowly lifting one-by-one. “What’s with the rising feathers?”

“Well…ya know,” said Jex, glancing below his waist.

“Feather erection? Really?” I said, quickly standing up, stumbling a bit when I did.

“Wings don’t kill testosterone, Cherry Blossom.”

“Coaches, please return to your teams,” said Kori. “Due to the extreme changes in weather, elevation, and creature threats, fans will watch the face-off on two universal panels, one for each contestant.

“Contestants, your goal is simple: cross into the circle first. The winner gets twenty-five points added to their team’s total, and with the Normals leading by twenty-three points, Katrina is in position to steal the win. You’re about to face all the elements, including air. Some elements may work together, doubling the danger. Don’t discard anything you hear, see, or feel. The face-off starts…NOW!”

Katrina and I didn’t move an inch before the sand beneath our feet turned to quicksand; two giant human-like men made of molten rock and lava rose from beneath the ground, encircling each of us in a ring of fire; behind me, a massive salamander hissed and snapped its jaws at my head as I slowly sank into the quicksand.

The magma beast before me opened his gruesome mouth, strings of lava dangling from its upper fangs, and said, “Kill you can’t. Fight you might. And die you shall, if another I can’t bite.”

Effing riddles. Okay, so, I can’t kill it; fighting would be pointless, since the closing act would be me, croaking.
If another I can’t bite
. It needs a sacrifice! With the quicksand now around my waist, the fiery ring merely inches from my face, and the salamander able to slap its tail against my back, I knew I had to do something…pretty much now. I shot my hand back and encapsulated the salamander inside a gel casing. Holding my hands above my head, I tossed the salamander at the magma-monster, who gleefully shoved the creature into its mouth; guts and blood oozed down its chin, as he melted into the sand and the fiery ring disappeared.

“Enough of this,” I growled, the quicksand now under my chin. Aiming my palms towards the quicksand, I blasted my way out. I soared up and landed in a clump just outside the circle. Katrina was still fighting the magma monster, and a subtle cockiness entered my mind. “Well…that’s done. What does the Savior defeat next?”

Note to self: Leave cockiness to the fellas.

The sand around me grew very dark, and a growling sound hovering overhead forced me to throw my head back. The eye of a hurricane stared down at me…before sucking me up into its deadly churn.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Smells Like Death

July: Freedom Fights

Monthly Life Caption: The Fight for Freedom Continues

Standing within the hurricane, a large, glowing eyeball opened from inside the walls of the storm’s dark center. Communicating with my mind, just as Doctor Tenly would, the eye began to speak.

Three bands to travel—lightning, hail, and thunder; outsmart their guards. Only then will you be free to challenge my friend, the sea. To ignite what waits, you’ll need a key. These four words you must be: catch, spear, toss… flee
.

Turning to face the dark, stormy bands was like peeking down an incredibly long and wide hallway…with lightning, hail, and mind-numbing thunder. “Dear God. Why are riddles such a big freaking deal with you creature-people-things?”

Asking snarky questions was probably a very bad idea, seeing as I was soaring backwards into the first band. While mid-flight, I caught a glimpse of Katrina just now arriving for a little mind-chat with the eye. The minute my butt hit the storm cloud, lightning strikes crackled all around me. With each blast of light, I could just make out large fists throwing the lightning bolts. Barely escaping the last strike, I recalled the first of the four important words the eye mentioned: catch. Turning on my speed, I zipped through the strikes; as I neared the end of the first band, I caught one of the bolts inside a gel bubble and jumped across the border and into the second band.