“It definitely takes some getting used to. Especially if you haven’t been around our kind your whole life. That’s got to be hard.” If he only knew.
“A lot of things have been a shock, but I know things will fall into place with time.” I looked down at my trace. I tried to turn the conversation back to him, “So you and Logan are Tritons?”
“Logan is, but I’m not,” he told me. “I’m a Tyde like you.”
“Really? I have a hard time telling the Orders apart, except for the Sons of Daimon.” Which sent my thoughts to deep blue eyes.
“Well I’ll tell you a secret,” he leaned even closer. I thought about asking him if he’d be more comfortable sitting in my lap, “We all have different stones that represent our Orders. The Tyde stone is turquoise. Most of us wear one all the time.” He pulled a necklace out from under his shirt. It was a thin leather string with a single turquoise bead flanked by two knots.
“That’s amazing!” It dawned on me that maybe the decor in our living room was turquoise and white for that very reason. I’d have to ask Willow about that.
“My mom got me this when I started at Lorelei, but there’s a shop near The Hole that sells all kinds of stones.” He tucked the necklace back under his shirt. “If you want me to take you some time, just let me know,” he looked at me hopefully.
“Thanks, I’ll let you know if I decide to go.” He smiled and I felt guilty for giving him false hope. If I went with anyone it would be Kira or my roommates.
My mind wanted to ask what the stone was for the Sons of Daimon. Thankfully, it didn’t come out that way. “What are the other Orders’ stones?”
“The Sirens wear sapphires, the Tritons wear obsidian, and the Sons wear the black onyx.”
Definitely fitting. I’d have to see if I could spot one on Finn the next time I saw him.
“There’s so much I don’t know.” I looked out over the ocean. It was still and calm, reminding me of an infinity pool, not that I’d seen an infinity pool other than in magazines and on TV.
“You’ll learn,” he reassured me. “You’ve only been here a couple of days. You can’t expect to learn everything that quick.”
“I’m not the most patient person in the world.” I tossed a rogue seashell in to the fire.
“I can see that,” he laughed, and his dimples showed again. “You wanna go for a walk? The fire’s starting to get hot.” I glanced at Willow, who was now talking to Phoebe and the other guys.
What could it hurt?
“Sure.” We stood and strolled towards the point of the Cape. The sounds of the ocean filled my ears, and I had the strangest urge to run as fast as I could and dive beneath the waves. I also got the feeling of being watched. I looked around but no one was even remotely paying attention to us. I shrugged it off and zipped up my hoodie.
“I don’t know if I could ever live anywhere but the beach.” Noah said.
“I like how you can look out over the ocean and see the curvature of the earth.” I pointed out toward the horizon, “It makes you realize just how small and insignificant we really are.”
“I don’t think you’re small and insignificant, Stasia.” He was suddenly closer to me. Goose bumps popped up on my arms, but I couldn’t tell if it was because of the cool wind or his uninvited nearness. I felt his arm wrap around my shoulders and tensed. I knew I should probably relax and lean into him, but something stopped me. I turned away, towards the bonfire.
“I’m getting chilly, I think we should be go back to the fire.” he furrowed his brow in confusion, but followed me back. I got that feeling of being watched again, but still didn’t see anyone watching us. The hairs on my arms rose and my chill bumps started growing chill bumps. I began walking faster.
“Hey there, lovebirds,” grinned Phoebe. I gave her a look that could kill and Willow elbowed her in the ribs. I sat down beside her, suddenly very comforted by the fire and my friends. Noah and Hans began talking about the upcoming football season and I tried to relax. I should have probably found out what their names were instead of calling them Frans and Hans, but decided against it. After a while, I gazed back at the ocean. The urge to be underwater slammed into me again and it became harder to ignore. I could almost feel the water’s soothing touch enveloping my body, sweeping me away with the currents to places I’d never been.
Unable to concentrate on anything else, I informed Phoebe and Willow I was going to take a walk. They gave me a strange look, but warned me to be careful. Being that we were on an island not accessible by cars, I figured the chances of something bad happening were pretty slim. A flash of the dead woman lying on the beach entered my mind, but I pushed it away just as quickly. I walked down the beach and out of the fire’s light. The darkness of night brought a tender smile to my face. I made it to the water’s edge and took in everything around me. The wet sand beneath my feet mirrored the sky above. The water sparkled with the light of the moon. As the waves rushed up to greet me, I stood mesmerized and fought the urge to join them. My thoughts strayed to Finn. The turbulent water reminded me of his stormy blue eyes. I wanted to get lost in them again. I tried not to think about what it would be like to be close to him.
“You really shouldn’t fight it.”
Chapter 12
I jumped as Finn seemingly materialized next to me. I couldn’t tell if he was talking about the ocean or my desire to be close to him. I lost all train of thought as he fixed his blue eyes on me.
“What are you doing here?” I said, a little too spastic.
“Baking cookies,” he smirked at me.
“You shouldn’t tease me like that, it’s dangerous. I take baked goods very seriously.” A slow smile formed on his lips.
“Dangerous happens to be my specialty,” he said in a low voice, taking a step closer to me.
My entire body warmed. He was like my own personal bonfire. “Being afraid reminds us how alive we are. What makes you afraid, Stasia?” I felt my legs get wobbly.
“Nothing scares me,” I said with as much confidence as I could muster. He definitely terrified me, but only because I didn’t trust my body to function correctly around him.
“Nothing at all?” His gaze intensified.
“Nothing at all.” I straightened and held my chin slightly higher to prove it.
“You’re not a good liar.” He leaned in closer and I could feel his breath on my cheeks.
“What makes you afraid?” I whispered. I was having trouble breathing. His answer was another slow smile. If I moved forward even an inch, his mouth would be on mine. Trying not to hyperventilate, I noticed when his eyes glanced down at my lips. His smile disappeared abruptly and he took a step back. As he turned his attention to the water, I tried to figure out what had just happened. My entire body, humming with electricity, was instantly cooled by the distance he’d put between us.
“Come with me.” He took my hand in his, leading me down to the water. It fit perfectly in mine and warmth spread up my arm and into my chest. We stopped once the waves hit our ankles.
“Don’t move your feet.” He grinned down at me as I rolled up my jeans. He raked his fingers through his dark hair and the skull and crossbones trace on his forearm shimmered at me. In the pale light of the moon, it was dangerously alluring.
“I used to do this all the time when I was younger,” he explained with obvious nostalgia. My feet disappeared farther into the wet sand, locking me in place, while the water rushed onto the shore and then back out again.
“What happens if we need to go somewhere?” I asked. I could be buried up to my knees in no time at this rate.
“Who says we’re going anywhere?” He held my eyes and put a hand on my shoulder. Before I could come to grips with the tingling sensation his touch created on my skin, he lightly pushed backward. Too late, it dawned on me. Once set in motion, however, I had no way of preventing it. My knees bent and I fell right on my butt onto the wet sand. The water crashed over my knees, soaking my jeans. I tried to stand back up and failed miserably. I glared up at my assailant.
