Page 27 of Midnight Serenade
I got to the boat just as the crew was pulling her aboard. I hurried to pull myself up and get to Grace as she was led over to a bench and instructed to sit. Her mom was already on the boat and demanding to know what had happened.
“A scuba diver took a shot at her with a speargun,” I said, as I sat down behind Grace and encouraged her to lean on me for stability and strength.
“I saw the whole thing,” Rafe said furiously. “I was on the aft side of the boat when they took the shot.”
“They were aiming for the dolphins,” Grace said, shivering.
I privately disagreed, but I said nothing because I didn’t want to cause panic and frighten Grace. At least, not until we’d dealt with her hand and the blood dripping from her wound.
I had a slight problem, though. In that split second interaction, I’d been unable to determine if the person had beenparanormal or human, or even if they’d been male or female, as their face and hair had been completely covered.
If they were human, they now knew for a fact that Grace was not human. I wouldn’t go so far as to say they would think she was a paranormal, but humans having the equivalent of superpowers was definitely not the norm. Most humans tended to attribute what they’d seen or heard to other things, like natural phenomena, but some got vocal about things they saw and caused trouble for the paranormal community.
Grace was hissing as the boat’s medic pulled the lightweight, small spear out of her hand and deep-cleaned and disinfected the wound.
“You definitely need a hospital, hun,” the woman said, her expression calm as she wrapped Grace’s hand tight to stem the bleeding.
Grace nodded, resigned. I asked Mama Liora to grab two shirts from my duffel bag and bring them to me. She helped Grace into one while I hurriedly tossed on the other, and then we were moving toward land at twice the speed we’d come out in.
It waslate evening by the time we got back to the ship. Grace was tired and a little loopy from the pain meds that she’d been given at the hospital. She’d also been given an antibiotic that she had to take for a week or so to make sure she didn’t pick up an infection. Thankfully, the spear had only gone through the fleshy part of her hand and the slightest bit of muscle there. They’d had to stitch the wound, but it hadn’t been as bad as I’d first feared.
Mama Liora had gone ahead to find something for Grace to change into, and Rafe had long since returned to the ship to handle ship business while I wasn’t aboard. He’d also continuedthe investigation with the local police regarding the person who’d fired the speargun. A speargun may be an odd weapon, but it was still a weapon, and we’d been fired upon.
We were all still in our swimsuits, and none of us had eaten since morning, so we were all starving. Grace leaned into me, sleepy but happy as we waited. Mama Liora came quickly down the hallway with their clothes, and she and Grace went to a private staff member bathroom on level one to change. I slid my card into the access slot to let them in.
I was fine in my swim stuff. It was just shorts and a tee shirt, but I could see why the girls had wanted to be out of their swimsuits before sitting down to eat something.
I leaned against a handy wall and, for the first time since the incident, I tried to piece things together in my mind. I could see the dark shadow of someone as they aimed the speargun, the discharge, Grace screaming no and holding her hands up as though she wanted to stop what was happening, the spear as it pierced her right hand, and then the sonar boom that had shot from her left hand.
After that I’d had a minute or so of disorientation, and then I’d swam for Grace and the boat.
I’d never heard of a sonic offensive ability, but it was clear that Grace had one. Maybe it only came out underwater, and when she was in distress?
And the human, or paranormal? Hadthey been aiming for the dolphins? Or had they been aiming at Grace?
Regardless, I vowed to stay closer to her until we could figure it out.
We all wanted something easy for dinner, where our casual attire wouldn’t be gawked at, so we went to the level three Captain’s Buffet.
“Thanks, guys,” Grace said. “I just wanted a big salad tonight. It’s too late for something super-rich.”
“Well, that discounts Sebastian,” Mama Liora snarked. She winked at me. “Sorry, Sebastian. It seems you need to leave.”
I smirked just as Grace said, “Mama!” in a half laughing, half aghast tone of voice.
“Well, it’s true!” Mama Liora declared. “What do they say in my Regency romance novels? That he’s richer than Croesus?”
Grace groaned and her cheeks turned pink.
I, of course, found this adorable.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered to me. “My mama after ten p.m. is really something to behold.”
“I heard that, Grace Evelyn. I’m just fine.”
“Not the middle name, Mama,” Grace teased.
Her mom shook her finger at her, and they both laughed.
