Fated (Enchanted Gods Book 2) Page 3

  Rose leads us down the center aisle. As we pass each row of Enchanters, a tingle of energy races through my body and enters my chest with a jolt. It’s the same sensation I get when I’m energy sourcing, except I’m not doing anything now. Could the mere presence of other Enchanters give me greater power? I’m still pondering the possibility when we reach the center arena, where a long table and a podium sit. Twelve Enchanters fill the seats. When I notice Darla and Darryl French among them, I smile and wave.

  Charlotte leans over to whisper in my ear. “Those are the Elders, an elite group of Enchanters from various gods who oversee the ancient laws.”

  “So, they’re not all Solstice descendants?” I think about the Valli sisters.

  Her lips tilt up into a small smile. “No, not all of them. And there are many others all over the world who are not here today.”

  I look around, starting to feel uneasy. “Okay, then why am I here? I’m not an Elder, and neither are you.”

  “Rose wants to announce you. We do it for all new Apollo Beach Enchanters. I’m just keeping you company.”

  Charlotte tugs me over to a smaller table on the other side of the podium while Rose steps up to the microphone. Within two seconds, the entire room quiets, and everyone is on their feet.

  “Welcome, Enchanters. Welcome, friends,” Rose booms into the microphone with an infectiously bright smile. “Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy schedules to be here. As you already know, we have some trying items to discuss. After a recent Equinox attack on our town, I’ve received many questions regarding the history behind the attack, and I’m here to tell that story today. But before we get to that, I’d like to begin with a quick introduction.”

  Rose catches my eyes over her shoulder and nods for me to stand, so I do. “Please give a warm welcome to our newest member of the Enchanter community, direct descendant of the Summer Solstice goddess and my granddaughter, Katrina Summer.”

  The projection in Rose’s voice startles me this time. So does the blare of folk music that pours through some invisible sound system. The next thing I know, everyone is exploding with applause, dance moves, and laughter as unexpected celebration breaks out. The room is full of pandemonium, but it gets the energy pumping through me, like a rush of adrenaline from the afternoon of my Enchantment.

  Once the music fades out, I scramble back to my seat, my face hot with embarrassment at the introduction I wasn’t expecting.

  Rose gestures for the crowd to take their seats. “I hope you all get a chance to meet Katrina today. Until then, sit back, take in the story, and then we’ll leave time for discussion.”

  My eyes latch on to two familiar faces in the seats, and it’s like someone has just kicked me in the gut and stolen all the air from my body. My Enchanting was a chaotic day, but I remember the faces from the crowd well.

  My mouth falls open, and Charlotte turns toward me in response. “Kat, what is it?” Her eyes flicker from me to the crowd then back to my stunned face.

  I stare at her, wondering how long she’s known. “Alec’s parents are here,” I whisper as the blood slowly drains from my face. “They’re Enchanters too?”

  Charlotte hears me and relaxes visibly. “We just found out. I didn’t even think to warn you.” She’s whispering, but I know now is not the right time to discuss this. “They’re Solstice descendants, like us. They were hesitant to come forward to Rose since they’ve never lived in a community like this, but they finally did after what happened at their party.”

  My heart thrums in my chest as I search the crowd again. “Where’s Alec then? Shouldn’t he be here?”

  Charlotte shakes her head. “No, Kat. He’s not one of us.”

  I remember what Trisha said about his birthday being tomorrow. “So, he’ll start coming after he turns eighteen?”

  Charlotte frowns and shakes her head again. “No. I’m afraid he won’t.”

  “What? How is that possible? He’s their son.”

  “Of course he is, but Alec was adopted by the Stones when he was a baby. His bloodline isn’t what theirs is. And if he didn’t tell you that news himself, then I expect you to remain quiet about it until he does.”

  We face forward again, my stomach completely in knots. I’m not the only one keeping secrets from Alec, but I don’t have time to dwell on it now. I release a deep breath and tune in to what Rose is saying.

  “It’s a trying time in Solstice history,” Rose begins. “A time that reminds me all too well of how it was almost two decades ago. For those of you who aren’t aware, I’ll tell you the story now. More information that we all have will only make us stronger. This, I’ve learned from our newest Enchanter, my granddaughter.”

  My entire body sinks with a hint of embarrassment at being called out. My cheeks grow warm, but something else bubbles inside me too—delight. Maybe Rose does listen to me.

  “Nineteen years ago, our community was bustling, healthy, and flourishing among the Normals, much like it is today. It was the first time in history that the Solstice community could successfully report inhabiting land in a community with greater Normal ratios than Enchanters and Followers combined. Over time, our numbers may have changed, but we’ve succeeded in keeping our secret from the outside world.”

  Rose looks around the room, and while no one else in the audience will notice, I’m well aware of the slow breath she’s taking in, like she’s preparing for something big. “My late husband, George, was working for the energy plant when he started to get reports of toxins from unidentifiable pollutant coming from the bay. The energy plant was blamed for the pollution, but we knew better. After some investigation, it was discovered that someone was purposefully dumping dark magic into our water. Sea inhabitants were dying rapidly, but that’s not all. Mysterious deaths began to occur within our community. Tragic, awful deaths of Elders. Then there was vandalism and arson. The Equinox had invaded our land and left their mark after nearly every destruction.”

  The room goes dark, and there’s a flicker of bright white light in the back of the room. The light thins out in my direction, and I turn to see where it leads. I hadn’t noticed the large projection screen before, but now I see the image illuminating the screen. It’s just a white background with a black infinity symbol, except when I focus in on the details of the infinity, I see a much more disturbing picture.

  The air around me runs cold, and the whispering begins. I grip the fabric of my dress, unable to pull my eyes away from the image. The texture of the infinity is formed by gold-rimmed scales of a snake. On one end of the infinity is a head with beady, evil eyes. The snake’s mouth is wide open as it swallows its own tail. I look away, but it’s too late—the image is already seared into my mind.

  “The symbol of the serpent represents the dual meaning of good and evil. Every god and goddess is given great power with good intention. Human nature, however, strikes us all. Even as deities, we carry jealousy, anger, and hate. We are far from perfect, but it’s up to us how we choose to express those emotions and how we choose to use the magic that’s been graciously passed down to us.”

  Rose frowns. “After Erebus killed the original primordial Equinox gods and instilled fear in their descendants, most chose to lean toward the poison from the serpent. So, while their nature is pure and kind and good, fear and loyalty to their new leader got the better of them, leading them to commit evil acts. You see, just as our ancestors passed down their powers of Enchantment to us, the Equinox did the same. However, Astina saw the evil Erebus was inflicting and stripped the Equinox of their magic.”

  Rose backs away from the podium for a second, like it’s all too much for her. She looks around the room as whispered chatter turns to loud conversation. She gives them a moment, but when she steps back to the podium, all conversation stops.

  “Nineteen years ago, we were blinded by those we loved and trusted, because it’s not our natural instinct to be suspicious or expect danger. As it turns out, Astina stripping the Equino
x of their magic backfired in some ways. The Equinox are able to walk among us like Normals. They blend in well with Solstice communities. And then they attack, killing off members of our Enchanted community like animals in the wild, all in an attempt to thin out our population—all for power and revenge.”

  “What happened nineteen years ago?” The question booms from someone in the audience.

  Rose squeezes her eyes shut before continuing. “Back then, we held elaborate events on the island, events that would draw in large numbers. At that point, Erebus was a story from our past. We were not expecting him to hit us where it really hurt, but war broke out on the evening of the Grand Ball. We were like soldiers, fighting to protect our entire community of Enchanters, Followers, and Normals. There were more of them than we realized. We defeated them, but it was too close, and we lost too many.”

  As I listen to her words, my heart beats too fast, effected by too much oxygen racing around my body. There is so much to be terrified of in this moment, yet my grandparents have always looked out for this town. They didn’t give up on the Solstice community when it was threatened. They kept fighting. Now it’s almost as if history is repeating itself.

  I grip Charlotte’s hand. She seems to understand, because she squeezes mine firmly.

  “After that horrific event, George was adamant that there was a way to utilize Solstice regenerating energy to protect our sacred communities. In his first attempt, he worked with fellow Enchanters to produce a protection for the island from invasion. When that worked, he began to protect individual homes. So, while our Equinox enemies may walk among us, Erebus’s magic is banned from many of the Apollo Beach common areas. While it was a groundbreaking development of the times, we are still working on expanding that protection to the rest of Apollo Beach. We will not let that destruction occur again.”

  Rose raises her fist in the air, matching the power of her words. Everyone rises to their feet, including me. There are even tears from some of the Elders.

  For the first time, I truly understand the demanding role that Rose plays in this community. It’s not just about power and societal rankings. It’s about the strength of the community and everything that Rose and my grandfather did to protect Apollo Beach from ruin.

  “Why is he back?” someone from the crowd asks.

  Rose leans into the microphone. “The Elders have been digging into this. We aren’t quite sure yet, and I’d hate to throw speculation out there until we’ve concluded our investigation.”

  “Why can’t you protect more of Apollo Beach?”

  Rose nods, as if she knew the question was coming. “One day, the entire world will be under our protection. That has always been the plan as blueprinted by my late husband. Unfortunately, it takes massive amounts of Solstice energy to do so. As we currently stand, we are not in a position to widen our walls of protection, but we will get there. An Equinox attack like the one we just experienced does push back our timeline. The longer a threat exists on our land, the longer we must reserve our energy to defend ourselves against future attacks.”

  “What do we do? How can we help?” Arabella asks next.

  “For now, we just ask that you all be ready. Our power is greater together. And there may come a time when we’ll call for large numbers to stand against our enemy.”

  Rose continues to answer questions confidently and calmly until there are no more. I hang on every word, too afraid to miss a single detail. Then a hush falls over the crowd, signaling that it’s Rose’s turn to lead the session again. “Now,” she says with a smile. “For the fun part of our evening.”

  Everyone laughs.

  “Despite what is going on, we are still planning our annual carnival four weeks from today. All profit made from the event will be donated to the various local environmentally friendly charities. Darla has been kind enough to put together a list of volunteer roles, categorized so that you may pick anything that interests you. We’ll pass the lists around now.”

  With a flick of her arm, Darla propels a stack of papers in the direction of the audience. They scatter around the room, landing in different hands. Tinkles of laughter sprinkle the room like raindrops on metal during the mad rush to contribute.

  Rose approaches me, holding a single piece of paper, and puts it down in front of me. “Charlotte told me that you got the job at Island Grille.” She gives me a smile. “Congratulations.”

  I beam back proudly. “Thank you, Rose.”

  “Do you mind working with Roy to plan out the food?”

  “Sure thing,” I say. “I can do that.”

  Rose’s eyes widen. “Trisha Sparks works there too. Is that right?”

  I nod, wondering what that has to do with anything.

  Rose’s eyes sparkle as she points to the audience. It takes just a few seconds to gauge where her finger is directing me—to a petite blond-haired couple smiling brightly as they sign the volunteer sheets. “Her parents are there.”

  I register what Rose is about to tell me and gasp. “Trisha is one of us?” I just knew there was something I liked about her.

  “Yes, but not yet,” Rose adds quickly. “Her birthday is in two weeks. Make sure to keep quiet until after her Enchanting. We don’t want to freak the girl out just yet.” She winks, and I know it’s in reference to my own Enchanting.

  I smile and promise her I won’t say a word. Then I sneak out the exit and head back toward the garden for some fresh air. The night’s events have drained me, and it’s as if a million new locked doors have been added to the world I belong to. There’s still so much more to understand.

  The warm night breeze is comforting as it takes hold of my hair and swishes it gently to the side. Air prickles my neck as the breeze lifts a tendril of hair, and the citrus from my shampoo enters my nostrils. I release a sigh as my temperament returns to normal and my shoulders relax.

  I’m halfway to the garden when I look toward the front steps of the school and see Alec sitting on the top landing, looking directly at me.

  Alec’s eyes are already on mine before I can decide whether I want to be seen. I don’t know what makes want to run from him more—the fact that his parents belong to a secret society of Enchanters and he’s completely in the dark, or that I’m fully aware of what caused the horrific events at his party even though I can’t say a word. So many lies.

  He stands up, and I meet him halfway up the stairs, my heart pounding so hard that I’m afraid he might hear it. The way his gaze scrolls over my body almost makes me believe he does. We’re only a few feet apart when his hands slide into his pockets and he gives me an unreadable expression that only compounds my guilt.

  “Hey, Alec. How have you been?”

  “Really?” His disbelief stabs me. “I’ve tried calling you. I even showed up at your house, but you never respond. You totally ghosted me.”

  When my body starts to shake, I clutch my emerald and take a slow breath. “I didn’t. I’ve just been—”

  “Busy?” He lets out an airy laugh. “Why is that the only excuse you can ever give me?”

  I shake my head and plead with him, my eyes wide. “I’m not trying to make excuses. Rose has wanted to keep me close since the party. That was a scary night, for everyone.” At least this is the truth.

  “You couldn’t even return my calls? I really liked you, Kat.”

  The way he speaks in the past tense makes my heart ache. “I really liked you too. I still do.” It’s like a dark imaginary hole opens beneath my feet and swallows me. How can I fix this? “I know I’ve been quiet, and I’m sorry. Let me make it up to you.”

  His gaze narrows, but something about his expression tells me he’s not dropping his wall just yet. “How?”

  A glimmer of hope sparks in my chest. “Well,” I say slowly while tilting my head. “Trisha told me about your birthday tomorrow. She asked me to join. Maybe I could make it up to you then?”

  He shakes his head with a sigh. “How do you do that? I should be mad at you.”<
br />
  My cheeks lift in a smile, and I hop onto my tiptoes. “So, that’s a yes? I mean, you don’t really have a choice since Trisha invited me.”

  He chuckles, revealing a perfect set of white teeth. He’s a dreamy specimen of a boy, and just thinking about our last kiss makes my heart beat faster. “It’s a yes, but I’m still going to try to be mad at you. It’s only right that you work for my forgiveness.”

  I step up the only stair between us and snake my arms around his neck. “Can I start now?” Flirtation drips from my tone in obvious doses, and I don’t know what’s come over me, but I can feel my confidence bursting from every pore.

  His brows rise with a challenge. “I don’t know. Can you?”

  Tightening my hold on his neck, I urge him closer then sweep his lips with mine before kissing him fully on the mouth. He presses back almost eagerly, and the thrill that rose in my chest with our last kiss on the beach finds me again. I love that he’s not holding back. I love that he’s kissing me like he’s already forgiven me. And I love that I don’t ever want to stop.

  As we pull apart, he grins. “Well, that was a start.”

  I laugh and look down, realizing he’s still wearing his orange shorts from the pool. “Did you just get off work?”

  He peeks down at his attire then back up at me. “Yeah, long day.”

  More than happy that we’ve changed subjects, I remember an earlier discussion of ours. “I thought you mentioned that you worked at the marina.”

  Alec nods. “I do, a few nights a week. This lifeguarding gig is only two days a week. I really just do it for the discount. Work on the island, you get forty percent off all retail and meal purchases.” He raises his arms as if he’s just sold me a prize.

  With a grin, I remember playful Alec, and I like him a lot. “Wow, that’s quite the deal. What do you plan to buy next?” I humor him.

  He flashes a mischievous grin, and I almost regret asking. “If you play your cards right, I just might buy you dinner.”