“Breakfast would be better.” Shelly was shivering. “The Flying Seagullhas the best brunch,andboys.”
Shelly wasn’t interested in going anywhere unless there were boys involved. But Isa needed more than a quick hookup. She wanted to feel alive. She needed something real. “It’s still dark. We’ll go there in a bit. Just a quick ride, Ipromise.”
Isa had no intention of going toThe Flying Seagull, but she said it anyway, just to make Shellyhappy.
At the mention of boys and brunch, however, now Harbor’s attention was captured. “Shelly’s right. We have been surfing a lot lately. Something different for a change would be cool. It’s already starting to rainagain.”
Isa didn’t want to tell her friends that they’d been surfing so much because it was her only way to handle life. She went surfing even more than her friends thought. If they knew how much she was on her board, they’d think she had a seriousproblem.
“You guys are babies,”Isasaid.
Just at that moment, a large lightning bolt lit up the ocean behind her. Shelly and Harbor took a few steps back, but Isa wasn’t afraid. If anything, she was moreexcited.
The wind started to pick up. The rain was starting to fall heavily now, and dark clouds were gathering, blocking out the moon and stars. Isa hadn’t seen a storm whip up so suddenly and so violently since the last hurricane had blown through. The waves were increasing in size and intensity. Only the most experienced surfers could expect to head into the storm andsurvive.
But if you could… man, what a thrill you’d get from it. It’d be more thanworthit.
Isa was in the mood to tempt fatetonight.
“Isa, no. I know what you’re thinking,” Shelly said the minute she saw the fire light up in Isa’s eyes. She tried to grab her, but Isa slid out oftheway.
“I’m only going out for a sec!” Isa shouted. She ran into the water before her friends could stop her and was on her board just as lightning lit upthesky.
“Crazy bitch!” she heard Harbor call over the storm. Isa crouched down on her board, and it was then she startedflying.
There was nothing better than the feel of a board underneath you as you skimmed over water. Nothing. It was like drawing energy directly from the earth and injecting it into Isamaria’s veins. She laughed with ecstasy as she expertly weaved her board against the water. For a brief moment, Isa thought that she could control the seaherself.
In the distance, a monster wave was growing. She spotted it in the corner of her eye as it rapidly approached, the size of a small building. The sea was growing stronger now, agitated by the demands of the storm and Isa’s arrogant claimtoit.
Her first thought was to turn back and head toward the shore. Isa knew better than to take her chances. No one she knew had ever conquered a wavethatbig.
She’d be thefirst.
Isa heard the shouts of Harbor and Shelly, telling her not to do it. Even Harbor sounded worried now, but Isa would show them. She smiled and gave a happy cry as the tip of her board broke upon themonsterwave.
She struggled to maintain her balance the moment her board was upon the wave. It was stronger than she thought, something she’d underestimated. But she could do this-- she could handle it. Hell, it was the only thing in her life shecouldhandle. Slowly, she gained control, water droplets spraying off the wave and sticking to her face. She felt the powerful rumble of the wave underneath her feet as the board shook, and the roar that it made in her ears as it crashedaroundher.
Isamaria felt joy explode in her chest as she spotted the end of the wave. She’d done it! She’d mastered surfing! Shelly and Harbor were cheering from the shore, and Isa’s smile grew wider at the thought of their reaction once she returned to thebeach.
Then something distracted her… the sight of that green fin again, and aboy’sface.
That broken second of concentration was all it took. Isamaria lost control. The violent wave tossed her into the sky, and her board broke. The line tying her to the surfboard snapped, and Isamaria felt her nose and mouth fill with seawater as she tumbled headfirst into the ocean, dragged down by the sheer power ofthesea.
She thought she could hear Shelly and Harbor’s screams as she wentunder.
The entire world went dark, and her eyes burned as she opened them within the saltiness. She tried to swim, but in the darkness and swirling tumult, she couldn’t be sure which way was up, and she wasn’t strong enough to resist the pull of the undertow. The wave churned her over and over, and Isa found herself swirling within the depths without awayout.
This was it. She’d finally gotten her wish. She was going to be a part of the sea,forever.
She was goingtodie.
ChapterFive
Adrian
Adrian and Moonawere listlessly swimming around, not quite sure where they were going but figuring they were heading somewhereimportant.
Adrian could feel it in his bones. Wherever he and Moona were headed, it was of the utmost importance tonight. He didn’t know why, but he’d toldMoonaso.
