Huh.I guess Bracken’s hearing was almost as good as Declan’s.
“They’ve decided to let us in, but we’ll be watched,” he added as the man pocketed his phone and opened the gate for us.
“Go straight down the road,” he directed.“You can park to the left and wait on the deck until someone comes to get you.”
“That’s fine,” Bracken said.“We appreciate your help.”
Once the gate was open, Bracken nodded to the man as he drove past.“We make them quite nervous.I hadn’t realized how bad our reputation was.My goodness.”
“If the Swans have been bad-mouthing us for decades,” Faith said, “it’s no wonder they think we’re evil incarnate.”
Mom nodded.“New plan.Everyone be unfailingly polite.We need to jolt them enough that they begin to rethink their opinions of us.”
I laughed.“I think that plan is for you and me, Mom.Bracken and Faith are already unfailingly polite.You and I are the problem children.”
Mom turned in her seat to look at me.“We are, aren’t we?All right then.You and I need to be on our best behavior.”
Bracken parked and we got out.I shouldered my backpack and walked to the rocks at the edge of the water.I felt something drawing me toward the deck, something below it.The tide was rising, though high tide was probably still an hour or so away.
I walked over, flicking my fingers and cleaning off the deck.I lay down, my head and arms dangling over the edge.
“Oh, Arwyn, please.”Mom’s voice had a hint of a whine in it.“They’re watching us and you’re going to get all dirty.”
“I cleaned the deck,” I told her.“Besides, there’s someone down here who wants to say hello.”An octopus surfaced, one of his tentacles reaching up for my hand.“Hello, you.”The tip of his tentacle wrapped around my finger.When he tried to tug me into the water with him, I laughed and stroked his skin.“Maybe another time.I have to go to a meeting in a minute.It was lovely to meet you, though.”
I unwound my finger and stood.Mom was there, straightening my sweater and flicking her fingers to clean off any slivers of wood sticking to me.
“Look,” Faith squeaked.
When I did, I saw two orcas swimming toward us.
“How come you guys never visit me when I’m at home?”I called.
They crisscrossed in front of the deck.
“I can’t go swimming right now,” I told them.“I have to go in this building in a few minutes.Come visit in Monterey and I’ll swim with you.”
They spouted, then swam away from the coast.
“I believe they’re ready for us,” Bracken said.
I turned to see a crowd of wicches on the upper deck, watching us.
I held up both hands and called, “Sorry.Just making new friends.”
One of the women in the front of the group wore a black linen dress, very like something Mom would wear.She was a lovely Asian woman, who wore her hair in a chignon.When she smiled at me, I knew she was Lydia Wong.
“Why were you lying on the deck?”she asked.
“Oh.”I pointed down at the water.“There’s an octopus who lives under this deck.I was saying hi.”
Mom led the way up the steep wooden stairs to the upper deck where the Council had assembled to watch my shenanigans.I should probably have been embarrassed, but I wasn’t.My new sea friends had come to see me.What was I supposed to do?Ignore them?
When we got to the top, Lydia was standing in front, holding out her hand.She shook Mom’s.“It’s lovely to meet you in person.”She shook Bracken’s.“And it’s very good to see you again.”When she turned to Faith, she gave her the sweetest smile, which made me like this woman even more.“It’s very good to meet you.Faith, is it?”
Faith nodded, looking like she might pass out from all the wicches crowded around, staring at us with varying expressions of distrust and disgust.
Mom wrapped her arm around Faith.Dark clouds came in quickly and rain started to fall.Faith winced.Most of the wicches went back in.Only a few stayed on the deck, under the overhang.Lydia stared up at the sudden clouds, then at Faith.
