wrinkled papers down in front of her.
“Yeah, that was supposed to be my job,” Marcy said, and adjusted her thick-rimmed glasses.
“Really? The thing that hadn’t been done in months is your responsibility? I’m shocked,” Gemma replied dryly.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m lazy, it’s hilarious.” Marcy waved her off. “But I was doing that on purpose. The noon sun is ridiculous through that window, so I was making kind of a paper curtain.”
“Maybe you could get some of the kids to color pictures or something, and post them.” Gemma pointed her thumb back at the Children’s Circle behind her.
“Meh.” Marcy picked up the stack so she could throw it in the recycling, but then she wrinkled her nose at one of them. “God, how old
“What?” Gemma leaned over the desk so she could get a better look. “No, it’s the Founder’s Day Picnic one. So it’s not quite that old.”
The words “Founder’s Day” had been written in faded brown ink along the top, but Marcy’d apparently missed that. A caricature of Thomas Thermopolis took up most of the space, drawn to be a rotund man with a large beard. Compared to the pictures of him that Gemma had seen in school, it seemed fairly accurate.
“Oh,” Marcy said. She wheeled her chair back to the recycling bin, tossed the papers aside, and wheeled herself back to the desk. “Thomas Thermopolis always did remind me of Santa. I wish we got presents on Founder’s Day. That would make it a better holiday.”
“Presents do make everything better,” Gemma agreed.
“So what’re you doing here?” Marcy propped her chin on her hands and looked up at Gemma. “Want me to help rescue you from more sirens?”
Gemma smiled wanly and tried not to stare at the pink scar that ran across Marcy’s neck from when Lexi had scratched her with a talon. Fortunately, early on in the fight, Marcy had been knocked unconscious, so she’d been out of the way and hadn’t gotten that injured, although she had a few bruises.
“Oh, I do have good news for you.” Marcy picked up her phone and scrolled through it as she spoke. “Lydia’s combing through her great-grandmother’s journals and trying to match dates up with Thalia’s. She thinks it’ll help find the immortal you’re searching for. Look.”
Marcy shoved her phone right in Gemma’s face, so Gemma had to lean back to read it. The name “Lydia” was at the top, and the text message was below.
“This is amazing news.” Gemma smiled. “We should celebrate!”
“Like how? Like … wanna go to a cook-off in Bayside Park?” Marcy shut off the phone and put it back in her pocket.
“Okay,” Gemma said uncertainly. She’d been thinking of something a bit more adventurous, but if that’s what Marcy wanted, then why not? “Sure, that’s one way to celebrate.”
“I just saw Daniel across the street, going into Pearl’s.” Marcy pointed to the front window. “We can grab him, then we can show the people in Capri how we really like to party.”
“Oh, excellent,” Gemma said, pulling out her own phone. “I’ll text Alex and see if he wants to meet us because he should be just getting done with work now.”
“You’re back together with lover-boy?” Marcy asked. She grabbed her car keys from a desk drawer and stood up.
“Why do you need your keys?” Gemma asked. “Pearl’s is just across the street.”
“Like I’m coming back to work later to get them.” Marcy snorted. “Anyway, are you back with that kid or what?”
“Yeah, I am…,” Gemma replied absently as she typed the text message. Marcy started walking toward the door, so she followed her, but she paused when something occurred to her. “Aren’t you supposed to like punch out or something?”
“Nah, I’m good. It’s easier if I just go,” she said as she pushed open the door. “Fewer questions.”
“I’m not convinced you do a full day’s work here,” Gemma said.
“Neither is my boss.”
Once they met up with Daniel at Pearl’s across the street, he and Marcy led the way down to the park since Gemma was moving much slower because she was walking and texting. They’d considered driving down there, and in fact, Marcy had fought for a bit, but there wouldn’t be parking anywhere near the bay anyway. Traffic was always ridiculous during At Summer’s End Festival.
Bayside Park went right up to the beach next to the bay. It was a lush, grassy area with only a few trees, a small playground, a large pavilion in the center, and a band shell at the far side, near the docks. During the winter, it sat mostly deserted, but in the summer, Capri held all kinds of activities there. It’s where the Founder’s Day Picnic was and where people watched fireworks on the Fourth of July.
Since it was the last week of summer, Capri was busy, and the park itself was packed. Gemma, Marcy, and Daniel had to wait over five minutes across the street from the park until traffic slowed down enough that they could make it.
“You’re gonna try all the chowders before you cast a vote for Pearl’s, right?” Marcy asked Daniel as they made their way through the crowd toward the pavilion where the cook-off was being held, and that’s when Gemma finally figured out why Marcy had suggested coming down here. She never turned down free food, especially when it was Pearl’s famous clam chowder.
“Yeah, those are the rules,” Daniel said. “But I already know hers is the best.”
Marcy furrowed her brow. “You seem pretty biased. I’m not sure if you’re qualified to make this kind of judgment.”
“Oh, I am an expert on chowders,” Daniel persisted. “Nobody is more qualified than me.”
“We’ll see about that,” Marcy said.
“Do you wanna chowder off?” Daniel turned to face her, pretending to look all angry like he wanted to fight, and Marcy met his fake rage evenly.
“Oh, hells yeah, I wanna chowder off,” Marcy shot back.
“What is a chowder off?” Gemma interjected.
“I have no idea, but we’re going to do it, and I’m going to rule at it,” Daniel said.
“We need to set up some serious ground rules then,” Marcy said.
While Marcy and Daniel debated the rules of their new challenge, Gemma looked around to see what else was going on.
Somewhere nearby, she heard a band playing a weird country version of a Rihanna song. Little kids were walking by with tigers and butterflies on their cheeks, so she guessed a face painter had to be close.
Since she was right by the cook-off, the scent of food should’ve overpowered everything, but she could still smell the sea, like the cologne of a lover left lingering long after he’s gone. She could even hear the waves, calling to her over the crowd and the music and her friends’ bickering.
Gemma closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, hoping that would satiate the hunger inside her somehow. Swimming yesterday with Harper had helped, but her appetite was only growing stronger. Her transformations yesterday must’ve taken something out of her, and now her body was demanding to get it back.
Her only hope was that Diana would have an answer and that that answer would come quickly. She would sooner kill herself than hurt another innocent person. She might not have been able to remember clearly when she’d killed someone, but the image of Lexi’s tearing out Sawyer’s heart was still vivid in her mind.
And Gemma would never do that. She could never be that monster.
Then she felt a hand, strong and warm on her shoulder, startling her from her thoughts, and she turned to see Alex standing behind her.
“Hey.” She smiled and tried to erase her dark thoughts. “That was fast.”
“I just came from the docks.” Alex motioned to the other end of the bay. He must’ve had a chance to change out of his work clothes because instead of oil-covered overalls, he had on a pair of jeans and a shirt with an extra button undone on the top, revealing a bit more of his tanned chest. “Sorry if I smell like fish.”
“Actually, you smell like…” Gemma didn’t even have to breathe in, and her nostrils were filled with the scent
