Page 116 of Bewitched By the Sea Monster
And I’d ached to comfort the girl, to tell her that Alistair was just a big, gentle derp. But her mom had quickly scooped her up and pulled her aside, murmuring assurances and singing until the girl calmed.
Outside, the Alistair assault continued. A towering mural of him scaled the full length of the cerulean wall on the backside of Misty Mages. His big, green-scaled body turpentined around the wiggly building, while his scathing orange eyes leered at the queue.
A few slots in front of us, a family waited with their two kids, and both boysoohedandaahedover the big mural. It got some huffs of appreciation from all the adults too.
I frowned at it.
This island needed to fire their stupid, violent artist.
Jackson had said nothing, not asingle wordsince we’d left the cottage. But as we shuffled off the land and prepared to steponto the dock, he laughed darkly and flicked one of the A-frame signs that flashed a few final warnings at us.
This one had “Arms are a yummy snack” in bold orange letters that wove around a crude sketch of a Loch Ness Monster biting the arms off the stick figure tourist who’d waved them over the side of the boat. And under, in smaller writing, “For your safety, keep all arms and legs behind the rail. Absolutely no diving.”
I wondered grimly,sadly,if Jackson had tapped that sign to indicate that hehopedI’d become sea monster food on this tour. But then he went right back to giving me the silent treatment, even as we strolled across the rickety dock to the smiling young attendant handing out goggles at the ship ramp. “Sorcerer’s vision,” he crowed as he handed two sets to Jackson.
Jackson smiled, thanked him, and chucked my goggles at my head once we boarded the ship.
They bonked off my cheek, hard, and I had to scramble to catch them.
Jackson kept walking. And I followed…until the ship rocked under my feet and my brain bulldozed past the anger and hurt to remind me where I was.
This ship wassubstantiallysmaller than the one we’d sailed to the isle on, built to hold only fifty adults, or so the max capacity sign at the entrance had said. And this old-fashioned vessel, boasting weather-worn wood from the 1800s, creaked its geriatric bones in the swaying dance of the sea.
My stomach slithered.
Alistair’s down there,I reminded myself as I fought the swelling panic.You’re safe, Pippi, like he always says.
Jackson cocked his head over his shoulder, saw me getting a little green around the gills, and walked back.
I reached for him.
“I hope you took your meds,” he snapped as he snatched my hand.
“Yes.” My teeth ground the word out.
He harrumphed and twisted his arm through mine, leading me across the ship deck.
I smiled, as best I could, with my stomach doing loop-de-loops and my lips quivering, and leaned into him, hating the pressure broiling between us.
I didn’t want to fight. Or spend the rest of the trip scowling and throwing jabs at each other.
“Jackson”—I slung the goggles up on my shoulder and used my other hand to rub his arm—“can we?—”
“Hey! Jackson!” a deep male voice called.
Jackson raised his goggles in a cheery wave. “Kian! Hello!”
Rune Bloodworth and the rest of the Sorcerers had an area roped off near the front of the ship—although the ropes weren’t attached to anything. They floated in mid-air, joggling threateningly at any plebeians who dared to wander too close. And people were milling around it, ogling longingly at the minibar and snack tables lining the ship bow.
From the throng of Sorcerers, the dimpled Kian beckoned for us to join them.
The ropes exuded a droning fizz and slithered to the side when we approached, giving Jackson and I entry into the Sorcerer Club.
Jackson yanked me into his side, bending his head like he was going to smooch my cheek. Instead, he hissed in my ear, “Please do not puke in front of these guys. Use the bathrooms below deck.Please.”
Anger gashed my skin, no doubt leaving red patches over my cheeks and chest. And it possessed me to say something utterly wretched, “Maybe I’ll puke on Rune Bloodworth’s shoes.”
Jackson said nothing. But the uttercontemptthat spilled into my stomach left me shaken.
