The Rising

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  "Are they all gone?" Serena asks, stomping through the forest. She is only slightly less clumsy through the border of wolfsbane flowers.

  "Yes—" Murphy cuts off when he turns to look at her. "What happened to your face? And your arms?" He gingerly lifts one of her arms. It is covered in scratches from her fingertips to her shoulders. Several scales are missing.

  The cliff held strong for Serena, but at a price.

  Murphy's forehead is creased with worry. Until he makes a show about looking at both her hands, and behind her back. His lips turn down in a full frown. "Where in the hell is your trident?"

  Serena's arms drop to her sides. "Over there, come on."

  "Over there?" He holds his hands in the air. "Over there?"

  Serena emerges from the tree line, walking out onto the sand with Murphy on her heels, chastising her.

  "Was Kai not clear about keeping your weapon with you, at all times?" His eyes are already scanning ahead, spotting a gleam of gold in the otherwise beige sand. "Agh!" His throat makes a guttural, choking sound. "Unbelievable."

  Serena stops to survey her arms as Murphy picks up the trident, blowing sand off.

  "Here." He pushes the trident out to her so aggressively Serena has to take a step back.

  "Thanks," she mumbles, taking it.

  Murphy rubs his temples.

  "I'm sorry," says Serena.

  "What happened?" he asks.

  "Well…" Serena trails off, looking up at the cliffs. She doesn't really want to tell Murphy. Not until she has had time to process it herself. "Um, I tripped?"

  "You tripped?" he crosses his arms, and raises an eyebrow. His look all but tells her she can do better. "You know what?" he sighs, lowering his arms. "That doesn't really matter right now."

  Serena grunts. I almost just died and it 'doesn't really matter right now'. Story of my life.

  "We have to go back home. People will be watching us, believing we have a connection now. We have to play the part."

  "I don't exactly look like I've been rolling around in the sand," Serena says, holding her arms up.

  "No," says Murphy, looking at her. "But maybe the woods?"

  "Yeah, maybe." Serena smiles. The joke is his way of apologizing, but an uncomfortable silence follows.

  Serena takes a deep breath. Tonight was a success—for the Undine, anyway. She really couldn't have asked for it to go better, fangs and fur aside.

  Murphy clears his throat. "Shall we?" Murphy holds up his arm, bent at the elbow.

  Serena glances up at the cliffs, worried about Liam. But she certainly can't go back now and risk facing the beast if he is awake.

  She takes Murphy's arm, her hand nestled in the crook of his elbow. The pair walk into the waves, with only silence at their backs.