Frustration bubbled up in my chest, and I wanted to mutter “nice throw,” but I reined in my emotions once more. Yelling at Gramps wouldn’t help … but I was tired and not in the mood to dive under really hot water and hunt for a crystal.
I blinked, and the heavy mist in the room cleared—there and then gone.
What the Mage?
The smell of sunbaked sand filled my next breath. Warm air lifted the ends of my hair—my dry hair, and I stared out over the expanse of turquoise water to where the sun kissed the horizon, leaving the clouds above me pink and violet.
What the mage?
I did a full spin, totally caught off guard by my instant transportation to another world. Note to self: that was one powerful magic crystal.
Waves lapped at the beach, soothing my frayed nerves, and a gull cawed above. I glanced to my right and then my left, but the beach was empty except for me.
The area seemed vaguely familiar, but I had no idea where this beach was. It wasn’t anywhere I’d been on Alpha Island or the beach near the ferry…
I rotated in a circle again, shaking my head. Well, I was no longer in the pool of water and no longer in the strange cavern-like room attached to the castle. In fact, I was sure I wasn’t even on High Mage Island anymore.
A cacophony of voices suddenly exploded to my right as five people popped into existence, not even ten paces away from me. They all looked to be in their mid-thirties, and they all appeared to have the same silvery blond hair as me—even the one wearing a head-to-toe black ninja costume straight out of a Halloween catalogue. He had silvery wisps sticking out from under the fabric covering his head.
“Geoff said beach clothes, Than,” a young woman in a skimpy lavender bikini said, shaking her head, which made her shoulder-length curls fan out. She pointed to the person dressed like a ninja. “Why would you—?”
“I know what he said,” Than, the ninja-guy, snapped, waving his hand in a clear indication of dismissal. “But I wasn’t about to stop and change clothesagain. Last time he told us to be ready, he didn’t show up for a dozen years—and then he camealone.”
“He’s not even here, Lucia,” another young woman said, this one in a black one-piece and sheer cover-up.
“His time is almost over,” another guy said, this one wearing bright green boardshorts with a white hibiscus print. He glanced at his watch and shook his head. “If he doesn’t declare his heir soon—”
“Hush,” the third young woman said as her gaze landed on me. Her white eyelet sundress reached her ankles, but the halter style V dipped almost to the base of her sternum, revealing the curve of her breasts just like a swimsuit would. She wore her silvery wavy hair pulled into a low side ponytail. Petite and thin, she was by far the smallest of the group and, by all appearances, the youngest. However, her icy green eyes were filled with intensity, and the group grew silent with her command. Still staring at me, she raised her hand and pointed at me. “She’shere.”
“Uh … hi,” I said with a lame wave.
The silence stretched into Awkwardville as they just stared at me like I had three heads.Lovely.
“My name is Nai. My grandfather, Geoff Drudner”—my stomach sank with the overwhelming sense of impossibility at what I had to accomplish, but I gritted my teeth and plowed forward—“sent me here to meet my ancestors—you, I assume. I’m his heir.”
The woman in the white eyelet dress wrinkled her nose and sniffed like my words smelled rancid. Then she turned her back on me.
Huh?
“Oh, Zia, stop it!” Lucia, the young woman in lavender, waved at the woman in white and then cocked her head to the side, and her brow furrowed as she studied me. “Where’s Geoff?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. He said he wasn’t coming this time or something.”
Fatigue made it impossible to recall his actual words, and these people didn’t look like they were expecting me, so this was uber awkward.
“Is he still alive?” Lucia asked, her eyes widening, and her lip trembled.
I freaking hoped so!
“Yes,” I replied, but her question sent a punch to my guts. “He sent me here just now.”
“Why wouldn’t he come too? How are you his heir?” Ninja-Than asked, pulling the black sock thing off his head. His eyes were the same color green as Zia’s. “I thought Elia was … before she died.”
I had no idea why Gramps didn’t come, but I’d already said as much, so I focused on what I did know. “Elia was my mother. Gramps said I had to meet you for some blessing or initiation before we could put my name in some scroll or a book.” Tension and exhaustion were making my brain mush. “Listen, it’s been a pretty stressful day—or week rather—so I might’ve missed some detail, but I am who I say I am. Can you help me?”
The young woman in black swallowed, and her eyes filled with tears, which she quickly blinked away. When she spoke, her voice trembled. “Of course we believe you. We just thought … all hope was lost. My name is Aine.” She pointed to the man wearing boardshorts. “This is Raiden.” She continued to point and introduce everyone. “Lucia, Than, and Zia.”
Each of them stepped forward to shake my hand—except for Zia.
