“We’d better make sure those gardening forks are sturdy.” Vanzir let out a hiccup. “Who’s driving? We can all fit in your Lexus, but not with wet suits and everything else.”
I glanced at Delilah. “You and I’ll drive. Morio, Trillian, Roz, you come with me. Shade and Vanzir can ride with Delilah. Where’s our first stop?”
“Shimmer called, asking if we can pick her up instead of her meeting us here. So off to the Fly By Night Agency, then head up to Fresia’s shop in Edmonds.” Vanzir consulted his notes. “There’s a scuba shop just down the street from there.”
With that, Delilah and I commandeered our cars. As I eased out of the driveway, Delilah following with her Jeep, I thought about just how many times we had done this. And how long the house and land had been part of my life. I was silent on the drive north, thinking about Raven Mother and the Primordial Fae and my life to come.
SHIMMER WAS WAITING and she jumped into Delilah’s Jeep without hesitation. We didn’t know her all that well, but we knew she was serving time Earthside for some fracas back in the Dragon Reaches. Smoky said she’d been dealt a raw deal and that it was better for her to be over here, and Smoky’s word was good enough for all of us.
After another quick stop at a hardware store for gardening rakes, we decided to avoid the freeway on our drive into Edmonds. Instead, we wove through the city. Aurora Ave N. was a straight shot for a while. It was also known as Old Highway 99, and ran a good share of the length of the I-5 corridor. Traffic was thick, but not at a gridlock yet—it wouldn’t be until later in the afternoon. Rush hour around the city was from about 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. We continued through the parade of shops on either side until we hit the area where the Evergreen Washelli Funeral Home and Cemetery spread out to both sides of the road, and then after a stretch, we were back in the city. We passed mini-malls and park & rides, salons and auto shops, through Seattle into Shoreline, and then into Edmonds with nothing denoting the difference except for signs placed strategically to tell us we had entered a new city.
Shortly after Aurora turned into Pacific Highway, I veered left at the juncture, easing us onto Edmonds Way, which curved west toward the sound through a heavily wooded residential area, then past the salmon hatchery and Edmonds Marsh, which offered interpretive walks and bird watching.
“Ferry terminals coming up on our left,” Trillian said, consulting his phone. Vanzir had texted him our directions. “Shortly after we curve around the ferry toll booths, you’ll make a left onto James Street, and then before we hit Third, park by the building on the left. Fresia has her magic shop there. It’s called Marsh Briar Fortunes.”
I kept my eyes open, and sure enough, less than a block after I turned onto James, I saw the building. I made sure there was no oncoming traffic and turned, easing into one of the parking spaces. Behind me, Delilah followed suit.
“Here we are.” I turned off the ignition and glanced at the guys. “Maybe we’d better not all go in. We’re likely to alarm her if we do.”
Delilah must have been thinking the same thing, because she texted me pretty much what I had said to Morio and Trillian. As I stepped out of the car I could smell the brine coming up from the sound, and it sent a calm, soothing caress through my jangled thoughts. If I could change one thing about our house, it would be to move it to the waterfront.
Everybody waited while Delilah and I entered the building. The shop was filled with ocean imagery, and was a lot more open and airy than I had expected. A lot of humans seemed to feel magic had to be filled with cobwebs and spiders, but though the shadow-energy was definitely a very real factor, it didn’t have to enter every aspect of practice.
The main room was large, painted in delicate shades of blue and rose and gold, reminding me of a sunrise. Besides the counter display case, there were shelves filled with books, potions, candles, and herbs, and a side table with four chairs around it. A pale blue cloth covered the table, and in the center sat a crystal ball and a flameless candle. A side door led to the back.
The woman behind the counter had golden-brown skin, and her hair was black, curling tight around her head. Her brown eyes seemed to melt with an inner warmth, and she was dressed in a flowing gown in blue, white, and tan, reminding me of waves crashing against the sand.
“May I help you?” She turned to us with a wide smile.
“A friend called earlier to ask about water breathing spells?” I rested my elbows on the counter, staring at the merchandise beneath the glass. Daggers, graveyard dust, statues, tarot decks, and wands were arranged neatly in rows.
“Oh yes, he said you’d have need of five of them? That’s quite a tall order, but as it happens, I’m a priestess of Yemaya and she gives me the strength of the water.” She turned toward the side door. “I’ll be back in a moment. I sorted them out and put them in the back so no one else would buy them before you arrived.”
Her movements were fluid and graceful, almost as though she were floating through the water. As she vanished into the back room, I took a turn around the shop.
“She has some lovely things here,” I said, pausing by the table with her crystal ball and tarot cards. “I wonder how clairvoyant she is.”
“She has help,” Delilah said, her voice low. “There’s a ghost standing by the table that looks like an older version of Fresia. I’d say it has to be a family member—maybe a grandmother or an aunt. I’m warded so the spirit doesn’t know I can see her, but Fresia isn’t working alone.”
Just then, the witch returned, five talismans in her hands. Each was a small round beaded charm on a velvet ribbon long enough to drape around the neck. She spread them out.
“These will last a few hours—four at the most. They can be renewed but it takes me a week to recharge them. To activate them, place them around the neck and say, ‘Yemaya, hear my prayer.’ That will set the charm to working.” She pushed them toward us. “You have payment?”
Delilah nodded and drew out a coin purse that I recognized as Shade’s. She opened it and withdrew five luminous pearls, setting them in front of the woman. “Five pearls for five charms.”
Fresia let out a little gasp as she picked up one of the pearls and held it up to the light. “Oh, these are exquisite. I’ve never seen quite so fine before.” She abruptly set the pearl down, looking at us for a moment. “Wait.” Sweeping the pearls into her hand, once again she vanished into the back. Another moment, and she was back. She set down a delicate shell that was iridescent white. The typical nautilus coil, it was polished, and emitted a pale glowing light.
“What’s this?” Delilah asked, leaning in.
“Moon snail shell. I collect shells and enchant them. Your pearls were far more exquisite than I expected. I drive a hard bargain but I’m fair. I couldn’t take all five for the spellwork—they’re a quality I’ve never seen. So I’m giving you this as an extra. I take it you’re off on some underwater adventure and, although I don’t know why, I feel you’re facing danger. This is enchanted. Carry it with you and it will illuminate even the murkiest depths to a radius of twenty feet. I guarantee, it will serve you better than any underwater flashlight.”
“It looks so delicate.” I reached out to slide my fingers over it, receiving a jolt in return. “That packs a punch.”
“That it does, but only when it’s out of the water. Take it beneath the waves and that jolt goes away. This only needs to be charged once a month. Place it in a bowl of ocean water under the full moon each month and it will recharge its powers. And it will serve you for hours—it will last longer than the water breathing spells will.” With that, she packaged up the charms, then wrapped the shell in a bag. “It’s not nearly as fragile as it looks. The magic has hardened it.”
As we thanked her and then left the shop, I glanced over my shoulder. “I have the feeling we’ll be returning here in the future. I wouldn’t mind getting to know Fresia.”
“I agree,” Delilah said. Back at the cars, we double checked the locat
ion of the scuba shop, which was two blocks north and one block west on Bell Street near the thin slip of land dividing Puget Sound from the town.
“Meet you there.” I waved at Delilah as I slid back in the driver’s seat. Within a couple of minutes, we were off again.
The stop at the scuba store necessitated all of us except for Delilah, Shade, and Shimmer to go in to make sure we found wet suits that fit us. I really detested the snug fit—it wasn’t like a corset or a bustier. It took a clerk tugging and pulling to help me into it, and the wetsuit clung to every inch of my body. It felt like my pores couldn’t breathe, but I figured I could handle it for the time needed. I thought about leaving it on to drive, but that just sounded way too uncomfortable. I had no clue how I was going to get into it once we were at the beach. I’d have to ask for help.
After paying far more than I ever wanted to spend on a neoprene bodysuit and swim mask, we were off again, this time heading toward Camano Island. By now, it was nearing eleven-thirty.
The drive to Camano Island from Edmonds was a little over fifty-three miles. While there were some beautiful scenic back roads, time was a factor and so I swung over to the freeway, taking I-5 north. Luckily, traffic was light and we made good time.
We passed over the Snohomish River where it was on its last leg of the journey to meet up with Puget Sound, then into Marysville and over Union Slough, past the windswept corridor that separated the freeway from the water. By now, we were into agricultural areas where they grew mostly berries, until we reached the Highway 532 interchange. Heading west on 532, we drove through Stanwood—a town with Scandinavian roots—and finally, over the Stillaguamish River, onto Camano Island.
Another twenty minutes saw us around the island, down to Camano Island State Park.
I glanced at the clock. “It’s almost one o’clock. We have to get a move on.”
“Because of the charms, we’d better plan on being out of the water by three hours at the latest to ensure our safety,” Morio said. “And then, two to three hours home, given we’ll be hitting rush hour. So we go now, to avoid you popping out of the car to race away on the Hunt, and Delilah turning into a tabby while she’s driving.”
We piled out of our vehicles. The parking strip was empty except for us. I carried the bag of charms and the shell, along with my horn. I had bought a belt to go with my wetsuit and strapped on the homemade sheath I used to carry the unicorn horn.
Camano Island was a long, finger-shaped island that looked a lot like an upside-down comma. It was heavily wooded, with about fourteen thousand people living there year round. Originally a target for loggers, it was now a haven for birdwatchers and tourists. The island boasted a beautiful state park, as well as numerous other public beaches. The Camano Island State Park was composed of 244 acres of camping, with almost seven thousand feet of shoreline. While there were plenty of people here even on a weekday, we should be able to find enough privacy for what we needed to do.
As I shaded my eyes, looking across the rocky beach, I basked in the wind that swept by us. I loved the water as much as I loved the deep woodlands. “There’s a bathroom over there we can use to change in. While I’m not shy, I want to draw as little attention to us as possible.”
“Agreed.” Shade gave a half-shrug. “I’ll get the wetsuits.”
Shimmer, who was almost as tall as Smoky, lifted her chin, inhaling deeply. “The water calls to me. I wish I could turn into my dragon self and fly, but at least they left me my natural form in the water. I think I wouldn’t have much to live for if they hadn’t left me that.” She shook her hair back, the black strands streaked with purple and blue flying as a gust caught them up. “Oh, I am glad I came with you, even if there’s danger. I needed to be by the water today.”
I joined her at the edge of the pavement. Just beyond, the beach started. In Washington State, the beaches along Puget Sound were often rocky and littered with giant trees that had washed in the water long enough to become huge, polished driftwood logs.
“You miss being in the water, don’t you? It’s not like my husband. Smoky’s content on mountain tops or in the city, though he prefers the mountains.”
“He’s a mixed blood—silver and white. They aren’t as tied to an element as I am, or as Shade is tied to the Netherworld. Blue dragons are connected at a core level, at the heart, with the Ocean Mother. She sings to us, she calls us, she summons us, she commands us. Every drop of rain contains her essence. Every bath, every glass of water, every snowflake. All tied to the great tides of the Earth.” She looked almost starry-eyed and it hit me: she didn’t just like the water, she wasn’t just connected to it, but she worshiped and loved it like I worshiped and loved the Moon Mother.
“I think I understand. That’s the way I feel about the Moon Mother. Her essence is in my soul, in my magic. I run with her on the Hunt. I hear her calling to me even in the dark nights when she’s brooding and has turned her face to the earth.” I shivered, folding my arms as I stared at the wide stretch of rocks between us and the water. “I’m not afraid of the water, but I respect her. The Moon Mother rules the tides.”
Shimmer nodded. “You and I, we have this in common. I value the moon for her movements on the ocean. She’s a powerful force. And the ocean, she sings to the moon.”
After a moment, I said, “So, I’d better go get dressed. What will you wear?”
She laughed. “My skin. Well, I’ll come with you. I have a bathing suit on beneath my jeans and top. I won’t need the wetsuit to stay warm.”
I stopped short, realizing how far we would have to swim out. We had to dive deep enough to reach K’thbar and while we had the rough coordinates, it meant going out a distance. While I knew how to swim, I hadn’t been in the water for a while and I felt a pang of fear. What if my stamina gave out? What if I wasn’t as good of a swimmer as I remembered?
Shimmer glanced down at me. “Don’t worry. I will be there. I’m quick enough and alert enough to notice if one of you ends up in trouble. I won’t let you drown, Camille.”
Her words stoking my courage, I looped my arm through hers as we headed toward the bathroom.
I STARED DOWN the neoprene monster. Two attempts and I still hadn’t managed to get it on. I could lace myself into complex corsets, I could manage stilettos on city streets. Hell, I could even run in them. But as I stuck my foot through the leg of the wetsuit, willing myself to try again, I began to think that maybe I could handle the chill of the water.
“This is worse than the one time I tried to fit myself into a pair of Menolly’s jeans. It just didn’t work,” I grumbled, staring at the damned thing. “Can you help me?”
Shimmer giggled. “I’m glad I don’t need one of those. Here, let me see what I can do.”
With a tug here and a grunt and groan there, between the two of us, we managed to get me squeezed into the butt-and-boob-hugging nightmare.
“I feel like an overstuffed sausage. But they assured me this was the right size. Give me a corset any day over this.” I stared in the mirror at the sleek, otterlike second skin I was wearing. It didn’t look bad—it didn’t cause any untoward bulges—but it was uncomfortable to have so much material binding my body.
Shimmer stifled a smirk. “Well, I don’t envy you. Shall we go see how the men made out?”
“This I gotta see.” I followed her out to the other side of the beach house, which contained bathrooms, showers, and an information booth that opened on weekends and served coffee and snacks. There, as the men emerged from the men’s restroom, I tried not to laugh.
Oh, they didn’t look bad. All the men were fit—they had to be for as much fighting as we had all been through the past years. But Morio, Trillian, Vanzir, and Roz were all covered from neck to ankle in the same form-fitting suits as I was. And it showed every curve of their body too, including their privates.
“Impressive,” I said with a grin. “Very impressive.” But then again, I had slept with all the men he
re except for Shade and Roz. I knew just how impressive they were under those suits.
“Shuddup, woman.” Roz frowned as he looked down at himself. “This…is not my idea of fashion. Let’s get a move on. What’s the game plan?”
“The game plan is,” Shade said, “that we start swimming out in that direction.” He pointed in a southwest direction. “We need to swim out quite a ways. I realize that some of you might not have the stamina, so I propose that I go in, turn into my dragon self, and then you can ride on me through the water. I can change after only a few minutes of swimming. The shoal drops off quickly, enough for me to shift.”
I glanced around. The beach was empty, not surprising for the time of day and the fact that it was a weekday. “All right. I’d feel better that way. I don’t have nearly the stamina that the rest of you do, and I don’t know how good my swimming is.”
“I can change as soon as I can submerge completely in dragon form,’ Shimmer said. “Shade and I can swim quicker than any of you, so we can navigate smoothly and save all of you some strength.”
Morio shaded his eyes before putting on his swim mask. “Good idea. All right, let’s break out the water breathing charms.”
“I wish I wasn’t so afraid of the water.” Delilah hung her head. “I feel like I’m letting you all down.”
“We need somebody up here to keep an eye on things. You just wait on the beach and keep an eye on the cars. It always pays to have a lookout, my love.” Shade kissed her on the forehead and she smiled again.
I handed the others their charms. Shade and Shimmer didn’t need them, of course. One by one, we each held our charm and said, “Yemaya, hear my prayer.” The charms activated, emanating a gentle blue glow, and I draped mine around my neck. Immediately, I was gasping for air and yanked it off.
“Crap. I guess we put these on as soon as we submerge.”