body.
The slight vibration of the sand as someone stepped over me made me look up, and into the eyes of a surprisingly thoughtful Keto. I caught a trace of sadness in those evil green eyes, but it was gone just as fast. I glared up at her with unabated rage; any fear or trepidation I had before replaced with grave resolution and purpose. I demanded the full attention of her eyes as I shrouded myself and quoted my mother’s words, which had been directed at Keto so long ago.
“The path to obtain the love and respect of those around you is not through overpowering them. Strength and power must be used to protect and nurture those who depend on you. Those are the qualities our Order covets in a leader,” I declared, my tone wooden.
Stunned recognition flitted in her widened eyes. Ensnaring her shocked gaze, I slowly lifted myself up onto my knees to stand.
“Finish her off!” Nadia demanded from behind me. Without moving an inch, Keto’s attention snapped back up to Nadia, but quickly resettled on the image I had shrouded myself in.
“Thetis…?” she muttered quizzically, and squinted at me as if her eyes were playing tricks on her.
“What are you waiting for?!” Nadia prompted her again, her voice hysterical and much closer. When Keto didn’t acknowledge her, I suddenly felt Nadia walk up behind me and mutter something under her breath. Just as I heard a commotion from the sand dunes and recognized the voices of Natasha and Zara, my back exploded in pain as Nadia plunged the sharp blade of a dagger into me. My breathing hitched painfully and stalled, as Keto’s face blurred in my field of vision and I sank to my knees. Shouts and screams commenced all around me, but my world was quickly becoming a whirl of distorted sounds and colors. Everything shifted once more as I fell forward into the sand. It took all of my energy to force my eyes open; the pandemonium I knew was happening around me faded nicely into the background, leaving only me and the body of my father lying beside me. I memorized the silver gray hair of his beard, the pale skin of his face, neck and arm which was extended out towards me. With excruciating slowness, I slid my arm toward his and placed my hand in his. When I did, something fell out.
A necklace threaded through a single charm landed softly in the sand, calling my attention.
An orb. A dim miniature light danced within, like someone had picked a star from the sky and placed it within the glass ball. The pull of the tiny light wouldn’t release my attention, and I allowed it to entrance my mind. My hand moved towards it of its own volition and I managed to grasp it in my palm; tightly at first, and then much looser as my body stopped responding and I ran out of breath.
As if in a reverie, a dizzying sensation pulled me under; I felt my soul detach from my body and gently hover above. I rolled over to allow my eyes to fall upon the dark sky above. It glistened with a million stars, all blinking in unison as if trying to tell me something. A single cloud had passed below the moon, shrouding the beach in darkness for several seconds. After the cloud passed by and the moon’s light hit me with its full force, I froze as a thousand sensations pounded my soul at once.
It felt almost as if my entire body had fallen asleep and was being woken back up - the tingling sensation was almost painful and I wanted to twist and shake it off but I couldn’t move. All I could do was stare up at the bright orb of light in the sky.
Tiny streaks of light sizzled across the sky above me, as if someone was playing a dazzling game of connect the dots with the stars. They grew in number and spread like wildfire as they became brighter and more intense. A crackling resonance shook my ear drums and I was completely transfixed on the light show above me. The blazing ribbons of light joined together; sending electricity dancing from horizon to horizon. They quivered brighter as they gained more energy and culminated directly above my soul. Time slowed as a substantial bolt of lightning crackled and arced across the sky, followed by a tremendous boom that shook my world and then shot straight down at me. An internal fire inundated my soul; twisting and burning its way through each and every cell. It was only a matter of time before I burst from the immeasurable power that coursed through me. With another loud crack, my soul slammed back into my body and I opened my eyes.
What in the hell had just happened? Was I dead? Being stabbed and struck by lightning usually constituted dying. Unless… A burning sensation in my palm halted my thought process and I shook it out, noticing the small orb necklace fall to the sand. The orb held my attention as the intense burning continued on the skin of my palm. The dimly lit incandescence had shifted to a brilliant blue light, bursting out of the tiny orb. I rolled over onto my side and carefully clasped it around my neck.
Surprisingly, it was cool to the touch and glowed even brighter as it made contact with my skin. Just like the Auras.
Had the orb awoken something inside me, even though my Aura essence had been removed?
I regarded the moon thoughtfully as I remembered something Zara had said about my Epiphany ceremony, and what would happen when I became a goddess. Lightning. She warned I would be struck by lightning. Could it be? Was it possible?
I glanced down at my arm and gasped. The gash from Keto’s energy had healed completely.
As was the gash on my leg, leaving only my jeans in tatters. But my new healing ability wasn’t what had me gaping at my skin. I was…glistening? I inspected my arm closer and sure enough, it shimmered blue in the moonlight above. Just like Nadia’s golden skin, and Keto’s green-tinted skin.
It couldn’t be possible. My birthday was still a month away!
A shrill cry broke me from my shocked stupor and I blinked at the chaos unfolding around me.
After simply thinking about standing up, I was suddenly standing upright. I didn’t even remember attempting to get up. Talk about odd. The next thing I noticed, was how amazing I felt. A month long spa resort couldn’t have given me the energy I had at that moment. But it wasn’t just me.
The beach was buzzing with such violent and angry energy, the air was sizzling with it. It put my blood in a frenzy, and I wanted to protect my surroundings from the harm being caused. I could actually sense the disruption within the sand’s energy, as well as the creatures living - or at the moment - hiding, beneath it. I could feel the limitless pull of the tide as the ocean’s waves receded further out. It was a magical experience, and one that brought devastation to my heart as the beach itself took the brunt of our fight.
“Stasia!” I heard Phoebe shout and instantly zeroed in on her voice. She was crawling backwards in the sand as three stone-faced Auras advanced on her. Her shirt had become soaked with blood on one side of her body, and one of her legs didn’t seem to be cooperating. I hadn’t even thought the words before a wave of blue energy shot out from my body and engulfed the three Auras around Phoebe. She twisted to look at me and her eyes widened in shock. With another thought, the blue energy tightened and the three Auras went limp, unconscious but still alive. I slapped a hand over my mouth in surprise and new my face matched the look I was seeing on Phoebe’s.
The only explanation was the hardest one to believe. The evidence was becoming insurmountable, but I also had to admit to myself that I just sensed it was the right answer. I was no longer a Tyde. I was no longer mortal. I was no longer vulnerable. The impossible had happened. A month before my eighteenth birthday, I had just become…a sea goddess.
Chapter 41
A thrill shot through me and I almost teared up at the knowledge that I could actually not only defend myself, but also defend the ones I love. My thoughts instantly returned to Finn, and I ran toward the sand dune where he had been thrown. I was there in less than two seconds, which was a little unsettling, but very convenient. Willow was hovering over him with her eyes closed; her hands placed on his chest where Selene’s energy had pierced his body.
“Stasia!” Willow looked up in surprise and then her eyes ran down the length of my body in amazement. “You look…I mean - we thought you were dead!” I kept my eyes on Finn, who was beginning to moan as I answered.
“I think I was,” I contemplated, “But apparently the lightning changed that.”
“Lightning?” she furrowed her eyebrows.
“Yeah, didn’t you see-“ I was interrupted by a piercing shriek that sounded all too much like Carmen. I whirled around and saw several Auras holding her down and attacking her. She was completely outnumbered and
