really did believe all this talk about magic and Olympus.
I decided to compromise with myself. I'd take the
walk first, and then I'd read the book on the beach. By then,
I thought, I'd be able to approach the text more calmly.
The sun was just starting to set as I approached the
beach. To my surprise, although the torches had been lit, few
guests were swimming. Perhaps the whole hotel had been
booked out for the wedding reception, I thought. But as I
walked a little further down the coast, I heard a scream
coming from the water. I whirled around to see a splash in
the distance – a woman was crying out for help, the waves
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closing repeatedly over her head.
“Hello?” I called out. “Help! Someone needs help! Is
there a lifeguard around?” But there was no answer. I sighed,
placing my tote bag down on the shore. There was no help
for it; I'd have to go in myself.
I had been a strong swimmer at my old school –
although from what I gathered I had nothing on Haven – but
as I coursed through the water I was shocked by how rough
the sea had gotten. The placid beach had become a roaring
ocean in a matter of moments.
“Hello!” I called out, paddling furiously towards the
place where I had last seen the woman. But she was nowhere
to be found. I kicked my legs repeatedly, trying to keep my
head above water, scanning the horizon for some sign of an
arm, a hand, a body...but the water was flat and dark. And
then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a sight that made my
heart stop.
An enormous tail poking out of the water.
I gasped and tried to escape towards shore, but it was
too late. Something – something – had sunk its teeth into my
leg. I screamed with the pain, my mouth filling with water
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as the creature pulled me under. I struggled, trying to pull my
leg from the creature's grasp. I opened my eyes underwater,
trying to fight the creature off. What I saw astounded me. It
wasn't a shark at all, as I had thought, but a large scaly
creature, with what almost looked like a human torso and
face, shrouded by long, matted hair. And long rows of sharp
yellow teeth, like a barracudas, snapping at me.
The creature snapped again, catching the sneakers I
still wore in its teeth. Before it realized that what it had
caught wasn't my flesh, I wriggled as fast as I could out of
the shoe, paddling to shore. The mermaid let out a high,
unearthly wail that seemed to shake the waters; I swam
faster, my heart pounding with terror.
But just as the shore seemed to be in sight, something
else took hold of me. At first I thought the mermaid had
returned, but as I looked down I saw not scales but tentacles
– eight legs, lined with small suckers, wrapping around me,
pulling me into the depths.
“No!” I cried, but it was too late. The octopus was
dragging me into the water. I kicked and fought back, but it
was no use. My mind was going black from lack of oxygen;
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my lungs seemed to burst against my ribcage.
The mermaid I was able to fight off – but this creature
was too strong. As my mind grew hazy, my lungs screaming
for air, I felt myself begin to fall unconscious. Yet as the
blackness took hold of my mind, I seemed to see a man's
shadow swim towards us...
I gasped. Suddenly I was above water again; the dark
night sky over us. I was in his arms – a man's arms –
swimming towards shore, beating the foam with our fists.
The adrenaline swept over me, and everything once more
began to grow dark...
I woke up to his lips upon mine, breathing air into
my drenched lungs. The agony was gone now, replaced by
an ache in my chest. I could feel a hand stroking my hair,
another hand pushing down on my chest, expelling the water
from my lungs. His mouth giving me strength, giving me
oxygen. Giving me life.
I sat up slowly, shaking the water out of my ears.
Suddenly, the figure that had saved me took on a familiar
shape. I could recognize those broad shoulders, those tight
abs, that long golden hair anywhere.
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“Varun...” I whispered. “Varun, you saved my life!”
I coughed as more water made its way out of my lungs.
“You were almost a goner there, Mac.” Varun held
me close. “Thank goodness I managed to come when I did –
or you would have been done for.”
“There's someone else in the water!” I cried. “There
was this woman drowning, screaming for help – I went in to
save her, but there was nobody...”
“Hush,” Varun put a finger to my lips. “That was no
human in the water. That was a siren. She was trying to pull
you in, to lure you....”
“A siren?” I let myself fall back onto
