Moondancers

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  I was breathing heavily when Roxanne Dupree opened the door.

  From the way she was staring at me, I had to be a sight, all hopped up over what I’d just seen on the video.

  “Josh? Are you all right? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “No, I’m not all right. Where’s Alan?” I barked.

  “Josh, you’re scaring me. What’s wrong?”

  “Where’s. Alan?”

  “They went for a yogurt,” she replied, her voice turning cautious. “Are you sure you’re oaky?”

  Hearing that my best friend hadn’t become a victim of the creature in his pool sent a shock wave of relief coursing through me. I sucked in a lung full of air and let it out slowly.

  “Are you telling the truth?” I asked.

  “Josh, why would I lie to you?”

  I didn’t know why. I didn’t trust her, though. Hearing that Alan was safe began to relax me. The news allowed my mind to slow down enough to think. I needed to attempt to find some reason in the madness.

  I decided to hang back and play it cool, not giving up any information about what I’d seen on the video. One thing was for sure, someone was messing with us, but I wasn’t sure who was involved.

  “I don’t know what’s going on,” I said. “But one thing I do know is if you move back up to the Applegate fortress, no one has to die.”

  I narrowed my eyes at her, and something in her expression changed.

  “I can’t do that,” she said, and I could tell from her tone she was digging in.

  “I can’t stop Alan from battling the creature, Roxanne. Your daughter has made sure of that. You and I both know if we battle the creature in Alan’s pool, someone is going to die, and I don’t think it’s going to be the creature.”

  “Oh, God,” she said softly, her eyes tightening with pain. “Come in. Please.”

  “I—”

  “Please!” she insisted, cutting me off. She pulled the door wide, and I entered.

  I settled in on the sofa with Roxanne seated across from me.

  “Can I get you anything?”

  “The truth,” I replied.

  “Yes, of course.” She sat back and sighed heavily, as if she were about to unload the weight of the world. “When we were growing up, my older sister, Eudora, was a great role model for me. Asia came later. Most of my childhood there was just the two us. We were best friends.” Her eyes softened as they looked into the past.

  “Okay,” I said, urging her on.

  “And then, when she turned sixteen something happened.”

  “What?”

  “She met her one true love. Petros. He was handsome and gallant, and they were so very much in love. They went everywhere, did everything together. You never saw one without the other.” A wistful smile appeared on her lips.

  “Petros the satyr?” I said, reminding her of what Eudora had done to him.

  “Yes,” she said softly. “That didn’t happen for several years, though, and before he became her slave they were so incredibly happy. After he became her slave, my sister turned dark, and mean. When my mother passed on she became even meaner. She was so unhappy, and she took it out on the Nereid. She insisted every girl take on a slave lover when she turned sixteen. Before then, a girl could choose to live her life as she pleased, but once the Countess took over, Nianis became mandatory.” I thought I saw tears forming in her eyes.

  “Why are you telling me this?”

  “We had to leave that place. My daughter was becoming like her aunt, mean and controlling. Eudora had taken a special liking to Alexia, treating her as if she were her own. Everyone knew she was grooming Alexia and not Lara to be our next leader. I saw how my daughter was changing, and knew I couldn’t let that happen.”

  “What became of Alexia’s father?”

  She stared at me for several seconds, and I could see the openness drain from her face.

  “He died,” she said softly, venturing no more.

  “Was he your one true love?”

  Another long stare. “No.” A slow tear traced down her cheek. “Alexia had been a wonderful child. I didn’t want her to turn out like my sister. So we left the compound and moved here.”

  “If that thing in Alan’s pool kills someone, their blood will be on your hands.”

  “Noo,” she crooned softly. “Remember when I told you you needed an enchantment? They’re impossible to get. The creature cannot be enchanted with pheromones, the way we enchant humans. You must have water from one of the five enchanted hot springs my people guard so dearly. Without the water from the spring, an enchantment is impossible.”

  “You’re saying you knew we couldn’t acquire an enchantment all along?” I asked. She nodded. “No enchantment, no battle; no battle, everyone lives. Is that it?”

  “Yes. Everyone lives.”

  We sat in silence for several seconds, staring into each other’s eyes.

  Then a voice said: “I can get the spring water for the enchantment.”

  I looked up to discover Alexia Dupree standing in the doorway, glaring at her mother. Alan stood a few feet behind her, a single scoop cup of yogurt in his hand.

  “Hey, Josh. What are you doing here?” he asked. He did not seem happy to see me.

  Turns out, there was another step in creating the enchantment Roxanne had left out. A member of the royal family had to say an incantation over the spring water. Then, once the enchanted spring water was poured over a Lycorian, he would lose his speed, as well as his ability to shrink in size. Alexia assured us she had the incantation covered as well.

  “Alexia, I told you, I forbid you to go back up to the compound,” Roxanne said, attempting to exercise some control over her daughter.

  “Oh, Mother, please. We can get the water from one of the other hot springs,” Alexia replied in a dismissive tone.

  “What are you doing here, Josh?”

  I still hadn’t answered Alan’s earlier question. He was standing near the door, holding the yogurt, staring at me.

  “I came looking for you… to practice,” I lied.

  “Alexia told me everything,” Alan said, his tone turning accusatory.

  My gaze ping-ponged between the two. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean everything,” Alan repeated. “About the Nereid, about Eudora Applegate, about you and Lara. When were you going to tell me about that, best friend?”

  I gazed into Alexia’s eyes. She was relishing the fact she was separating us.

  “Did she tell you knowing what you know puts you and your entire family in danger?” My eyes were still on Alexia. Her self-assured expression vanished, and I knew I’d scored one.

  “What kind of danger?” Alan asked, now facing her.

  “It’s nothing, baby. Aunt Eudora loves me. She loves me more than she loves her own daughter. She won’t do anything to my baby.” She smiled to reassure him.

  “What could she do?” he asked.

  Alexia shot me a quick, searing gaze. Then she moved to Alan, removed the yogurt cup from his hand and melted into his arms. “Thank you for being so understanding,” she said.

  “Sure,” he replied. He again looked at me. “Why didn’t you tell me?” And just like that, the ground I’d gained was lost.

  “I… couldn’t. You know I’d have told you if I could have.”

  “Told you,” Alexia said in a sing-song, the spider dancing along her web, regaining total control of her fly.

  “Told him what?” I asked, steaming at her.

  “I told him people change. It’s all part of growing up,” she said, running her hands through his hair. “I told him that just because someone was your friend when you were kids, doesn’t mean they’ll always be your friend.”

  Alan gazed at me with sad eyes, and I knew I was losing a friendship I’d had since the seventh grade. Back before either of us knew Conner, it was just Alan and me.

  We shared our first slice of Mulberry Street pi
zza together back then. We’d heard how good Mulberry Street pizza was but were never able to afford a slice. Then one day we decided to pool our money. We scraped up enough change between us to buy a slice to share. Best. Slice. Ever.

  That was the stuff great friendships were made of, little things you might not remember were the invisible glue that held friendships together.

  “Don’t let her come between us,” I called to him. I was surprised to hear desperation in my voice.

  “She’s just telling it like it is, bro,” Alan replied, shaking his head sadly.

  “Should we go get the water now?” Alexia asked, her voice going soft and sultry. She may as well have said: ready to go to bed together? There was that much implied sex in her question.

  She was again smirking at me. I had to say something. I had to try and salvage my friendship.

  “I knew Alan was an odd choice for you. I couldn’t figure it out. I thought you wanted to take him as your lover, your slave, but I was wrong, wasn’t I? He’s just a pawn in your game.” I faced Alan. “Dude, you’re nothing more than a sacrifice for her. If we kill the creature, fine. If we die trying, she’ll just con the next sucker into trying. Alexia is nothing but a conniving shrew.”

  “Don’t talk about my woman like that,” Alan said, taking a menacing step toward me.

  Woman?

  “It’s all right, baby. He doesn’t bother me,” Alexia said, running a soothing hand along his shoulders. “Let’s just go get the water, okay?”

  Alan nodded stiffly.

  Alexia smirked over at me. “Coming?”