The Equinox (6 page)

As always, Rose has me hooked on her
story. “As an Enchanter we have ties to all earthly things. We seek out
protection of nature’s creatures on land, sea, and air. During the violence that
occurred a decade ago, such awful things were happening in the bay.”

Rose visibly shudders and the sight reels
me back. My grandmother rarely shows weakness of any kind but she is obviously disturbed
by the past as it threatens our future.

Then it dawns on me—I don’t know
why I didn’t think of it before. All of these warnings that Erebus is here and
ready to harm this town the same way it did a decade ago must remind Rose of my
grandfather’s death. I almost stop her to tell her that it’s okay if she
doesn’t want to go on, but she is already speaking.

“Isaac and his daughters are from Apollo
Beach but they migrated during the destruction. Not because they were swimming
away from the threats, but because there was a bigger destruction occurring in
Weeki Wachee. The Equinox evaded them too and took out almost an entire
community. The Valli’s sought out to salvage whatever they could and rebuild that
community to what it is today. They’ve been there ever since but we meet from
time to time to unite powers—this is one of those times.”

Rose stands. “Is that enough for now,
Kat? I will do my best to be honest with you from now on, keeping in mind that
you are a sixteen year old girl and my job is to protect you, not put a burden
on you.”

I stand with her and reach out for a hug.
The tensing of her muscles tell me that the hug is unexpected, but the release
of her tension tells me that it is also welcome. I linger for just a moment
before pulling away.

“Thank you.”

Rose looks at me, a hint of a smile appearing
on her face. She forgives me for dredging up bad memories, but where do we go
from here? That is still the lingering question.

My doorbell rings at nine o’clock exactly
and I race down the stairs at a speed that still surprises me. Alec’s face smiles
back as I swing open the door. His readiness for the sun and water is evident
in his light blue sleeveless top and black swim shorts. My smile meets his as I
eagerly shut the door behind me.

“I half expected you to be in bed sick.
This is a pleasant surprise.” He is teasing but the comment irks me.

I narrow my eyes at him with a sideways
smirk. “You know, I
am
starting to
feel a little sick.”

Alec’s eyes grow wide for a second before
he laughs. “No you don’t, Summer Girl. You are coming with us, even if I have to drag you to the Springs myself.
Your mermaid friends await your arrival.”

A bubble of laughter escapes me. “Is that
so? Well, I haven’t told them that I’m coming so that’s impossible.”

He shrugs and twists his face mockingly.
“Mermaids just know things.”

“What kinds of
things
exactly?” I test him to see how far he’ll push it, and
although I’m having fun teasing back, there’s an uncomfortable reverberation in
the back of my mind that knows there is a reality to what we’re discussing.

He taps a finger to his lips twice before
answering. “Well, they can read minds. They have to read minds because they
live under water. How else would they understand each other?”

Good point. Now he’s got me wondering if
the Valli sisters were reading my mind yesterday.

Alec gives up and tosses me over his
shoulder with one quick swoop. “C’mon!”

I shriek with laughter as he carries me
upside down the entire way to his parent’s Yukon. He places me gently in the
passenger seat and grins. It’s hard to keep my eyes on him with his white teeth
glaring back at me, flirtatiously. “Buckle up, Buttercup.”

I turn around in my seat as I pull the
strap down from the ceiling and smile at Trisha, Ava, Matt, and Brent who are
all grinning from the backseat of the car. Well—Ava’s smile looks more
like sneer. I could have lived without seeing her today, but she is Alec’s
friend so I will deal with it.

“Hey Buttercup,” Brent teases. You ready
to see some mermaids?” He asks this with a fist pump and I can’t help but roll
my eyes.

“I didn’t realize mythological creatures
were your style,” I tease, and turn to face out front.

If there was a phrase I could use to
describe Brent it would be class clown. He’s got a joke for everything but it’s
refreshing. There is a balance needed in every group setting and he’s got the
flair for the dramatic that releases tension in almost any situation.

Alec puts the SUV in reverse now as Brent
answers. “Oh yeah! I’ve been to this place before. The mermaids are smokin’.”

Ava lets out an ugly groan and I hear
Brent cry out in pain. I’m certain Ava just jabbed him in the ribs. “Shut up,
Brent. You’re fishing in the wrong pond.”

Despite Ava’s harsh demeanor we all burst
into laughter, including Brent.

“That’s right, Brent,” Alec joins in.
“There are plenty of fish in the sea—if the mermaids don’t work out, that
is.”

“Okay, okay,” Brent says from the back,
laughing.

Matt takes his turn next to jab Brent.
“Don’t worry man. Just keep swimmin’.”

“Okay, I get it!” Brent shouts and we all
are laughing now.

“Pig,” Ava rolls her eyes and adjusts
herself so that she faces the window behind Alec.

My eye catches Alec’s as he turns to me
and we smile with a mutual understanding. With one look, I know I’ve been
forgiven.

* *
*

A passing sign tells me that we are
getting close to Weeki Wachee Springs. I take in the bright sun, yellowing
trees, and flat landscape in front of us. There’s a hidden beauty to Florida
that appears dry and colorless to others, but I find the scorched trees and
tortured earth quite beautiful. Although too hot for most to enjoy unless wading
in the water, the golden rays, gentle breeze, and sparkling water have grown on
me.

I hear giggling in the back of the SUV
and smile. I wonder how Trisha will take to Solstice life. I can only imagine
that she’ll be more prepared than I ever was since her parents are around to
help her through it, and I’ll help her however I can. It’s a comfort to know
that I will finally have someone to confide in about everything that’s happened
since my Enchantment, and even before it.

I notice that Trisha doesn’t complain of
headaches or awful nightmares. Is she going through the same experiences I went
through? Where will she be when she’s hit with her powers for the first time?

As someone who’s been through it before
and struggled with it, I would not want to be surrounded by party guests or the
boy I’m crushing on.

My own Enchantment hit me as I soaked up
the rays of energy beaming down from the sun. I didn’t realize it then, but it
was my first experience in energy sourcing. One second I was sitting with Alec
by the pool, and the next, I was blasted by a bright flash that transported me to
the beach. It was in this moment of utter disbelief that I could finally
confirm that something about me was changing. What was most frustrating was
that Rose knew what was going on—she had always known. Come to find out,
my mom had always known too.

Everyone believed that secrets were kept
from me for my benefit. I still think everyone was wrong. How can ignorance
help anyone? Knowledge is power, as they say. Even Rose admitted that in her
speech to the community yesterday.

If it were up to me, I’d prepare Trisha
for what’s to come, but I know that it’s not up to me.

I’ve learned quickly, and I know that especially
in sensitive times like this I need to respect the Laws of Enchantment. I also need
to respect Trisha’s family for the choices they make. In doing that, I respect
who I am—even if I don’t completely understand it.

* *
*

The line to enter the parking lot reaches
outside the main gate. I watch as a security guard shakes his head and waves
the front car around back toward the exit. Everyone in the car groans loudly.

“We drove all this way! Don’t tell me
they’re going to turn us around.” Matt voices our frustration.

A different guard walks toward the front
of the entrance holding a large a-board sign that reads
Park Closed
in large letters. More cars turn from the entrance to
the park and my mood dims. Really? The park must be busy.

“Sorry guys, I guess we should have left
earlier.” Alec’s voice is filled with of disappointment, as if he’s to blame
for the park closing.

We follow the line of cars that are
forced to turn around just as they reach the guards. The line is excruciatingly
slow because everyone seems to be pleading with the guards to let them in.

“We’ll get in,” I say confidently, while
silently kicking myself for not warning the Valli sisters that I was coming. I
will find us a way in. I can’t stand to see how disappointed everyone is.

The guard doesn’t even look at us as Alec
rolls down his window. “Park’s full folks. Come back in a few hours and you
might have some luck.”

I lean over Alec and smile at the man who
still doesn’t look back. “Sir.”

He finally looks at me, appearing
irritated.

“Hi sir, my friends, the Valli sisters
are expecting me here today. Is it possible to let us in to see them?”

The man stares down at me now, studying
me a little too long and then his face seems to register something—his
face changes shape as it clicks. “Ms. Summer.”

I tilt my head, unsure of how he knows
who I am. “That’s me. Do we know each other?”

He grins at me. “If you’re friends with
the Valli’s then I know you. You’re on my list. Go ahead through and park in
the security lot. I’ll have someone place a permit on your car.” He waves.
“Nice to meet you Kat.”

“Your name?” I ask but Alec’s already
driving away.

“That was strange,” I say out loud but no
one in the car hears me, they are too busy shouting and screaming with joy.

“I can’t believe you pulled that off!”
Alec says clapping a hand on my back. “We’re taking you with us everywhere
now.”

“Who are the Valli sisters?” Ava asks
curiously. Surprisingly, her voice is devoid of the usual irritation.

“The mermaids,” I say to her grinning,
because I know that will irritate her.

As we park in a stall marked for security,
another guard greets us and places a permit on Alec’s dashboard. We scramble
out of the car, happy to finally be standing in the sun. The guys grab the
heavy stuff; the chairs and cooler, while us girls grab the towels and bags of
food.

“Whoa,” Brent says before I hear a loud
crash.

I look over my shoulder at the cooler that
has fallen to his feet, his mouth agape. I roll my eyes knowing it can only
mean one thing; he’s spotted a mermaid. I turn in the direction he’s drooling and
see Latuana and Marabella approaching from the front entrance. They wear long, colorful
dresses. Their hair flows down their backs in perfect waves. It’s in their
relaxed smiles and overall appearance that shows me this is their natural
environment; this is their home. It must be unsettling for them to be around a
bunch of Enchanters when they come to Apollo Beach, no matter how much we all have
in common.

They smile brightly and embrace me with
strong arms. Their scent is a mix of fresh flowers and a hint of salt—exotic,
just like them.

I introduce the girls to the group and
leave Brent for last, just for fun.

“And this is one of your biggest
fans—Brent.” He glares at me and stares back to the girls, bereft of all
charm.

Latuana wraps her arms around him and squeezes.
I stifle a laugh. When she pulls away she smiles. “Great to meet you Brent. We
hope to see you at our show?”

Brent practically drools in response.

“That’s the plan.” Alec distracts the
girls away from the awkward Brent. “We were thinking about coming to the
evening show.”

Marabella grins. “Great! We’ll tell the
others you’re here.” I know she’s speaking to me but she looks at everyone, to
deflect, I think.

Brent responds, “yeah, okay.” He’s
looking around nonchalantly, with his chest puffed out.

I giggle and Ava slams a hand into his
chest before rolling her eyes. Someone should tell her that her eyes will stick
in mid-roll one day if she keeps that up.

“Here.” Marabella sticks her hand out and
I take the slips of paper that hang loosely between her fingers. “Vouchers, so
you don’t have to pay entry. You’re here as our guests.”

“Thank you,” we all say enthusiastically.
I pass the papers around so everyone has one and stare back up at the grinning
girls.

“We’ll see you later, Kat!” Marabella
winks and then turns on her heel, Latuana follows with a flicker of her fingers
and they are lost in the crowd, past the entrance gates.

We shuffle down the sidewalk, hand over
our slips of paper, and then head toward the water park area. There’s a tiki
bar set up on the right. Beyond that is a large water slide that empties into
the spring.

We find a spot in the sand which
overlooks the water. I claim my chair by throwing a towel over it and sitting
down. I’m pleased to see Alec take the chair beside me.

Everyone is stripping down to their
bathing suits or shorts and running for the water but I stay back as I see
Arabella approaching from a distance. She’s coming to talk to me. I sink deeper
into the chair and lay back.