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  “She knows we will be coming for him,” he thought out loud and approached the table, his bushy gray eyebrows pulling together in concentration. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Natasha send him a smile marked with relief. “We’ll need to move fast.”

  His bright blue eyes searched mine for a long moment. The corner of his mouth lifted as he seemingly found what he was looking for. As unsettling as his mind reading ability was, I couldn’t help but think how close Finn’s mannerisms were to his.

  “Well done, Anastasia,” he encouraged me with a twinkle in his eye. “Here I had an extravagant search party planned and you find him like that.” He snapped his fingers and shook his head in amazement. “It’s no wonder he’s so smitten with you.”

  Feeling the blood rush to my cheeks, I studied my plate like it was the most fascinating thing I’d ever laid eyes on. The delicious smelling bougatsa pastry that Charon had brought us for breakfast was making my mouth water, but the pain in my abdomen was making it difficult to breathe, nonetheless eat. I slowly took a bite of the cream filled pastry and prayed I could keep it down. I was going to need as much energy as possible if I wanted to face Nadia again.

  “But won’t she just move him somewhere else?” Willow looked up from her empty plate, wiping her mouth. “Now that Stasia knows her hiding place?”

  “Maybe, maybe not.” Natasha considered. “With the vacuum she has created in the cavern, she will need to keep him there as long as possible. The moment he leaves, his body will begin to heal at a very rapid pace. I’m sure that small detail has not eluded her.”

  “Why is she doing this?” Phoebe set down her fork in frustration. I watched as a slow fury lit up her green eyes.

  “I don’t know dear, but I promise you we will find out.” Natasha’s always supportive tone seemed to calm her. She crossed her arms over her Kings of Leon t-shirt, but remained quiet.

  “She’ll pay for this, don’t worry.” Ricker winked at her through a mouthful of the baked oatmeal that he had requested separately, claiming it was his favorite.

  “She will pay. She will pay. She will pay…” Carmen’s eerie voice began to chant his words from the bedroom. Willow shot me a worried look and Phoebe hopped down from her chair to attend to her. After second thought, she also snatched up an extra pastry to take to her in the hopes that she would eat it.

  “How was she last night?” I asked Ricker hesitantly. His face fell along with his shoulders and he shook his head in defeat.

  “Not so great,” he muttered. “She just rambles on and on like she’s gone off the deep end.

  And she won’t let me touch her or even barely get near her.”

  “I will be discussing her situation with one of the Nereids later today,” Charon stated. “I believe she will be able to help.” I was about to ask which Nereid he was referring to when a knock came at the door. Charon paused as if listening for something, and then nodded to Natasha. She disappeared into the living room.

  “I still can’t believe you figured out how to get into the Underworld!” Willow propped up her elbow on the table. “What was it like?”

  “Quicksand.” I shrugged, “I had no idea what it was until I landed on the bank of the marsh.”

  “Quicksand?” she asked in surprise, before becoming momentarily distracted by an incoming text message on her phone. “Liam says our new Maven will start Monday.”

  “Let’s just hope she doesn’t have psychotic tendencies,” I smirked. “That would be a nice change.”

  “Stasia, dear?” Natasha stuck her head into the kitchen, “Will you please join us in the living room?”

  I abandoned my half eaten bougatsa and strolled into the next room, followed by a very curious Willow still in her pajamas.

  Our visitors stood and stared at me wide-eyed until I wondered if I’d forgotten to put on a bra or brush my hair. Natasha cleared her throat.

  “Stasia, Willow, this is Christina and Dorien. They are fellow Tydes and current students at Eventide,” she introduced us cordially.“They’ve come to assist you.”

  “Nice to meet you,” I greeted them, grateful they were no longer staring holes into my head.

  Willow and I took a seat on the couch and I did my own staring. Christina oozed of Greek descent, with her shiny black hair that fell past her shoulders and flawless dark skin. Most impressive were her exotic crystal green eyes, which only enhanced her beauty. Skinny jeans that stopped just above high heeled sandals and a bright pink tank top showed off her thin figure and long legs.

  Dorien, on the other hand was the picture of an ideal Greek man. He reminded me of a bodyguard - at almost seven feet tall, his biceps had to be the size of my head. His features were just as dark as Christina’s, but with large, chocolate brown eyes. Despite his size, his movements were surprisingly fluid. He had on dark jeans, flip flops, and a plain blue v-neck shirt that emphasized his muscular build. He nodded respectfully at me and then Willow as they both sat back down on the couch. Christina’s green eyes became fixed on me again.

  “You look so…normal,” she sputtered out nervously. Phoebe giggled from the other room and Willow stifled a laugh beside me. I couldn’t tell if she sounded disappointed or surprised, but if she was expecting a toga and crown of leaves she’d been watching too many movies.

  “That’s because she hasn’t put on her spandex super-goddess suit yet,” Ricker scoffed. “She looks exactly like that Blue Man group - you should stick around for it. It’s really something to see.”

  Christina dipped her head in an attempt to hide her now-flushed face. I shot Ricker a punishing stare, but he just smiled with renewed audacity and disappeared into Carmen’s room.

  “That’s Ricker. We don’t let him out in public very often, Christina,” I came back loudly enough for Ricker to hear. Christina grinned, but Dorien’s face became distorted with suspicion and animosity. I noticed that his dark eyes veered towards hostility as he glared at the door of Carmen’s room for several seconds.

  “Please call me Tina – and yes, we had the pleasure of meeting him yesterday.” Tina attempted sarcasm that was slightly muted by her shy smile. I was having trouble understanding why I made her so nervous. I was just…me. And I could attest to the fact that I was nothing worth being anxious about.

  Dorien finally came to life next to her. “We’ll be escorting you to the Gathering of the Nereids this morning, which will begin at 10:00am. You’re expected to arrive thirty minutes early to get ready,” he announced in a robotic voice that made me wonder if it was possible for him to fully come to life. Then my heart plummeted to my feet as I realized the implications of his words.

  “I can’t go anywhere this morning!” I defaulted to Natasha for backup. Her mouth was set in a hard line. “We have to bring Finn back! I need to go to the Underworld!”

  “You must entrust Charon and I to find him and bring him back, dear. You must attend the gathering,” she instructed diplomatically.

  “I’m tired of people telling me what to do!” I stood and walked into the center of the room, my irritation rising. “You know she’s torturing him! I can’t go to the gathering while she’s ripping his soul apart!” Tina shrank back in her seat in response to my outrage, but Dorien shot to his feet and moved in my direction with distrust masking his features. Charon appeared behind me and his aggression was quickly replaced by fear. He sat back down and resorted to gritting his teeth.

  “Anastasia.”

  “Charon, I have to go with you!” I whirled around and pleaded with him, “He needs me!”

  “Of course he does,” Charon agreed calmly and placed his large hands on my shoulders. “But you’ve made our rescue attempt possible, Stasia! Without you we wouldn’t have known where to find him, but you must remember - leadership often involves trusting those around you.”

  “I do, but-“

  “But you love him. As do Natasha and I. I promise you we will bring him back. I am stronger than Nadia. I will let nothing stop me.” The
tenor of his voice lowered and sent my skin crawling with fear. The ferocity and conviction in his eyes was terrifying. If anyone could save Finn, it was surely Charon. I heeded Natasha, who smiled with encouragement.

  I held Charon’s gaze with an equally intense one of my own. “The cavern is below her river.

  She has him secured with some type of white vine, and he’s lost a lot of blood. He mentioned that she had been ‘draining’ him.” Charon nodded his head in acknowledgement.

  “You are an amazing young woman, Anastasia. You will be a great leader.” He looked lovingly at Natasha. “And every great woman needs an unworthy, less than great man at her side. I promise to deliver yours back to you with haste.” He bowed to me with a crooked grin and I embraced him in a hug.

  “Thank you,” I whispered urgently. I took a deep breath to collect myself, and then inclined my attention to Tina. “So, what does a girl wear to these gatherings?”

  Tina vaulted off the couch like a gymnast on crack, and brought over something that was hanging up in a garment bag. How I hadn’t noticed it before was beyond me.

  “Your attire has already been provided,” she announced and held it up. “And I must say; it’s quite stunning.” Tina jumped when a loud thud echoed from the next room.

  “Liar!” Carmen shouted from her bedroom. I was a close second to Natasha as we rushed to Carmen’s bedside. Unfortunately, her bed was empty. She was holding Ricker up against the wall by the throat with a pair of scissors to his abdomen. The force of his head hitting the wall had created a large indention, and his face was growing redder by the minute as he gasped for oxygen.

  “Carmen, let him go!” I called out to her, but she simply twisted her head and smiled at me calmly. “Hey Stasia.” Her deadpan voice chilled me to the bone, but the unnatural way that her head had spun around threatened to bring up what little breakfast I had eaten. I shook myself and contemplated how I could pull Carmen off of Ricker before she was able to stab him.

  Natasha mumbled several words in a different language and Carmen was suddenly flung from Ricker by an invisible force. Her legs clipped the edge of the bed, which sent her onto the floor in a tangled heap. Ricker slumped down against the wall and began to cough violently. Natasha instinctively put an arm up to stop me from running to Carmen’s side.

  “Let me get the scissors away from her before anyone else gets hurt,” she insisted and held out her hand. The scissors magically left Carmen’s vice grip, skidded across the floor, and landed in the corner of the room. Phoebe pushed us aside and hurried to Carmen’s side; the three of us then lifted Carmen back onto the bed. Natasha re-administered the sleeping concoction, and Carmen drifted off to sleep. I hoped they could help her soon - drugging her each time she had an outburst didn’t seem like an especially healthy solution.

  Willow worked to heal Ricker’s red, swollen neck while Natasha and I rejoined Dorien and Tina in the living room. I got the feeling that Tina was about two seconds away from bolting out the door. Her eyes were as big as saucers, but she remained where she was. I collapsed onto the couch and closed my eyes in mental exhaustion.

  Natasha plopped down next to me and patted me on the knee. “Next time, let me know when you’re going to use your abilities.”

  “What do you mean?” My eyes snapped back open, perplexed.

  “Removing Carmen from Ricker using wind? I was in the middle of a chant to confuse her in an effort to get closer.” She smiled at me like I was missing the punch line to a joke I’d told. “But your efforts were much more effective.”

  “I…I did that?” I asked incredulously. Well that was news to me! It had been one of the possibilities that had flown through my mind in the split second before, but I didn’t remember deciding to actually do anything.

  “From now on, be very cautious. Your essence will continue to grow stronger - meaning that your abilities may have a habit of getting away from you. You’ll need to work on increased restraint and control once we return to Lorelei.”

  “Wow,” was my brilliant answer.

  “So…” Tina piped up from the other side of the room after glancing at her watch, “is there a room I can help you get changed in?”

  “I think I can dress myself,” I snickered at her. She raised an eyebrow and bit her lip.

  “You haven’t seen this dress,” she replied in all seriousness.

  Chapter 9

  “Please tell me this thing comes with instructions.” Phoebe scratched her head at Tina as she gestured for me to put my arms up. So far, the supposed ‘dress’ resembled more of a jigsaw puzzle, with its mountain of lacey layers placed in four different piles on the bed. From what I could gather, the dress was a montage of sheer white lace, a little bit of ruching, beading and more layers of sheer white fabric. They slipped the main bodice over my head and secured it in place. Actually, tugged and yanked was more like it - at some point during the mayhem my left arm had gotten stuck at an odd angle, resulting in a three minute discussion before five more minutes of tugging and yanking. The material was anything but forgiving, and I was beginning to worry that I’d be permanently wearing this dress for the rest of my life. The possibility of third degree fabric burns was also a likely conclusion.

  “Is it see-through?” I questioned Tina after the first layer was attached; allowing a full frontal of my not-so-subtle bright pink underwear. To my horror, she just laughed and got back to tugging and yanking.

  “It would be if it was only a single layer, but with the multiple layers it’s not. This is the traditional Nereid dress. It’s worn for gatherings, important meetings of your counsel, or a casual meal.” Tina had transformed from shy, awkward girl to focused seamstress in a millisecond.

  “Somebody should rethink their definition of casual,” I muttered under my breath as several more layers of lace were attached to my waist.

  “You have to remember that the Nereids have been around a very long time. They stand by tradition, and believe that it shows respect to yourself and to others when you follow it as well.”

  “Is the color white significant?” Willow asked as she handed Tina another layer of lace.

  “It stands for purity and grace, both of which the Nereids pride themselves on.” Tina wrapped yet another layer of fabric around my waist, and then attached it farther down my lower back so that it flowed behind me. With a satisfied smile, she wiped her brow and stepped back to take a look at her work. “Last piece…”

  She produced a shimmering aquamarine piece of sheer fabric that looked to be about six inches wide by ten feet long. She carefully gripped an aquamarine, diamond, and pearl encrusted clip in the middle and attached it to my left shoulder strap. The fabric hung down on either side of my body, and added an elegant touch to an already majestic dress.

  “This represents you specifically,” she clarified and readjusted the fabric until it met her approval. “It was your mother’s.”

  “It’s gorgeous.” I ran my fingers along the edge of the fabric and smiled at my memory of our time in the Underworld. A bubble of pride threatened to explode inside of me.

  “Okay, take a look!” Tina closed the door, revealing a full length mirror attached to the back.

  I gasped when I saw my reflection. It was the most amazing dress I’d ever seen. I couldn’t stop twisting back and forth; marveling at the masterpiece of art Tina had constructed around my body.

  The back of the dress was something fairytales were made of. It was a mass of woven, beaded lace intricately positioned to create an awe-inspiring pattern. “Are those…?”

  “Diamonds,” Tina answered my unfinished question with a smile. There had to be more than a hundred sparkling jewels that accented the lace drawn across my back. The many layers of the dress shifted and moved against each other, creating a magical, prolific effect. It was breathtaking. I peeked back at the suddenly silent Willow and Phoebe who were standing behind Tina.

  “What do you guys think?” I twirled around dramatically and faced them e
xpectantly.

  “You look….” Phoebe tried to say before her face crumpled and she rushed to the bathroom.

  “Well, I know I need some makeup…and my hair could use some help…I didn’t think I looked that bad though…” I trailed off, only half joking.

  “We’re just so proud of you,” Willow explained, as she smiled and quickly wiped a runaway tear from her cheek. “You look absolutely ravishing.”

  Phoebe sheepishly tiptoed back into the room with a fistful of tissues and I gave her a quick hug. “No reason to be proud of me yet. All I’ve done so far is put on a dress, and I didn’t even really do that…” I observed Tina appreciatively. “I’m afraid to ask about the shoes?”

  “You’ll be barefoot,” Tina answered. “Which brings us…to these.” She slid open a small silver box and lifted a pair of sparkling items that resembled bracelets from within.

  “Ooh, what are those?” Phoebe whispered in awe.

  “They’re called barefoot sandals and they go on like this…” Tina slipped the ankle part over my foot and secured the loop over my second toe; then repeated the process with the other foot. I held my feet out for inspection as she continued, “These are made up of diamonds too.”

  “This is all so unbelievable!” I shook my head in amazement.

  “I have a feeling you will be a soaring success at the gathering.” Tina’s emerald eyes lit up, but my stomach dropped to the floor. Only if I could avoid puking on one of the Nereid’s feet during the gathering, could I be called a success. Until then, the jury was definitely still out.

  * * *

  “We’re heading to the ancient city of Kourion, which was demolished by a series of earthquakes in the fourth century. The ruins still hint at what used to be, though. It’s on the top of Mount Kourion and overlooks the sea. The sunrise is really pretty there! And it’s near Aphrodite’s Rock…!”

  As we rode southeast along the coast of Cyprus, I listened to Tina’s long-winded history lesson and tried to remember as much as I could; but it was difficult with so many other thoughts sprinting around in my head. I constantly pictured Finn’s sunken cheeks, unfocused eyes, and the dried blood that covered his bruised arms and legs. The thought of Nadia torturing him kept the silent rage in my heart churning. It was a miracle that I was able to keep it at bay long enough to function normally. I trusted Natasha and Charon, but having to remain completely in the dark as to what was happening was heart wrenching.