“Are you okay?” His breath stirred the curls framing my face.
“Yeah.”
He took my hand and led me toward the giant white tents that were decorating the sand. Pendrell never did anything halfway, and the Prom setting looked like it could have been in a fashion magazine for a wedding. There were white lights and flameless candles set up on the tables, jewels and candelabras hanging from the ceiling, and fresh flowers set on round tables, all in different shades of blue.
We stood in the long line and got our portrait taken, deciding to get it over with early, and finally entered the tent. It was more than half full. Coach Tait was the acting maitre d’ and took us to our table. Three seats at our table were empty. Brent, Cherie, and Vinaya, who I knew from Calculus last year, were already there.
Brent held out my chair for me and pushed it in before sitting. We all said hello to each other. Vinaya’s brown eyes were usually warm and happy but tonight they lacked their usual joy. I wondered if it had anything to do with the empty chair beside her.
Tuxedo-clad waiters poured fresh sparkling cider in our crystal glasses. Linen napkins were placed in our laps, and fine china and silver utensils were set in front of us. Cherie and Steve sat across from us, whispering a private conversation. Audrey and Travis flashed us grins from the next table over.
Brent titled his head toward the silent Vinaya and lifted his eyebrows. Sad females were out of his depth.
“Where’s Josh?” I asked her.
“He got food poisoning.” She poured herself a glass of sparkling apple cider. “Is it awful that I came without him?”
“No,” Cherie said. “You can’t let things like that ruin your Senior Prom.”
Vinaya lifted her glass by the stem. “That’s what I thought, but now I’m alone. Everyone has a date so I won’t be dancing, and who wants to take a picture alone?”
“We could take a girls’ group picture,” I offered.
“That’d be good.”
Her mood seemed better and we all started talking as dinner was served.
At one point in the meal, Vinaya whispered in my ear. “There’s some girl I don’t know staring at you. She’s been watching you for most of dinner.”
“Where?” I followed the way she tipped her head but didn’t see anyone.
“She just moved.” She shrugged. “She was wearing a silver dress. I’m sure it was just someone’s date or something. Still it creeped me out a little.”
The five course meal tasted divine. I was stuffed when they served the chocolate soufflés. The music started before we’d finished our desserts. Cherie nudged Steve who asked Vinaya to dance. She agreed and Steve whisked her onto the dance floor.
“It wasn’t me being nice.” Cherie grinned at us. “While he’s gone, I’m eating his soufflé.”
She had already taken two bites when Brent and I headed toward the huge wooden dance floor set up over the sand. The white tent flaps were pulled open and even though it was dark, there was enough moonlight that I could see the water. I rested my head against Brent’s chest as a slow song came on, never wanting the moment to end.
After a few songs we got a glass of punch. Brent started shuffling his feet and looked just past me as he asked, “Do you want to get some fresh air?”
“Sure.”
Brent rocked back on his heels. He tapped the front of his tux coat. “Great.”
“I better use the restroom first.”
“I’ll wait here.”
I handed him my drink and walked the lit path toward the bathrooms. Before leaving the restroom I brought my face close to mirror to check my make-up when a hand touched the back of my neck. I jumped a little in surprise.
Behind me in the mirror a girl with strawberry blonde hair and gray eyes gave me a sheepish grin. I didn’t recognize her, but she wore a beautiful silver, strapless gown.
“Sorry you have something in your hair.”
“Thanks. Did you get it?”
She shook her head. “Want me to try again?”
“Yes, please.” I lifted my chin, giving her better access to my hair. Her slender fingers grazed my neck again. She gave my hair a tug. Something smooth glided along my throat before the weight of my necklace vanished. I spun around, reaching out to grab hold of it. She held it in her hands, swinging it from side to side.
“You need to be more careful with this.” When she handed it back to me I noticed her bracelet was made of same amber beads that were in my necklace.
I couldn’t fight back my smile. “You’re a Waker?” I refastened my necklace.
“Yes, and I’m more like you than you know.”
Her fingers touched my shoulder. A strange sensation rippled through me. The room spun and my head seemed to teeter on my neck. In the mirror, I saw her fingers resting on my shoulder, but I could feel her spirit hand reaching deeper, touching my own. I let out an audible gasp, my eyes widening.
That wasn’t a normal thing. And until I’d done that with Brent, I’d never heard of someone being able to reach into someone else’s body and touch their spirit.
“How?” I asked.
She shook her head. “Not here.”
She let go of me, then took a soft hold on my elbow and led me out of the bathroom. My senses were overloaded. The salty sea air was too strong and I gagged. The moon was too bright and I lowered my lashes as I stumbled behind her.
When we reached the sand she let go of me, and I rocked on the tip of my toes struggling to maintain my balance. She dusted off her hands
“Don’t worry, I’m not some rogue Waker working for the Clutch. I’m a member of the Waker Council.”
I rubbed my shoulder and snorted. “Waker Council? Please. There’s no such thing.”
“Yes, there is.” She placed her hands on her hips.
I hadn’t even known about there being other Wakers in America until a few months ago. And now I find out there is a council? It would make sense that they would join together and form a council of sorts. Still, it seemed like something I should have learned.
I felt the need to make myself sound not totally clueless. “My grandma has never mentioned it.”
She rolled her eyes. “I work for the American chapter, but we’re not so rigidly organized in every country. It’s much less formal in Brazil. I bet your grandma and her Waker friends meet all the time though, right?”
I nodded.
“Your grandma has never been a problem for us, so we’ve never had issue with her. She’s been acting responsibly.”
“So why contact me?”
“You’re not acting responsibly. We only step in when someone is abusing her ability. I’m here to issue a warning, and try to intervene.”
I was pretty sure this had to do with questioning Sophia to help the Clutch. I hadn’t thought of it as abusing my gift but when I started to defend myself it sounded weak. It was like my grandma has said to me—I was using the ghost for my benefit, and not the other way around.
I stared out toward the sea. Bathed in moonlight, the seascape was even more beautiful than normal. The curling waves glowed in the light of the nearly full moon, rising high from the rest of the water before crashing back down, their spray spreading in the air like gossamer veils.
“What do you know about it?” I asked.
She pointed toward herself. “I have visions. I see the future.”
She could? The only other person I knew besides myself who had glimpses of the future was Vovó. I smiled at her. “Me too.”
She rolled her eyes again. “Not like me. I have them constantly.”
“Oh.” She apparently wasn’t feeling the need to find common ground.
“I’ve been dreaming about you. You’re involved in something bad. That organization has some really dark plans.”
“The Clutch?” Fear crawled across my skin like little spiders.
She laughed humorlessly. “The Clutch? Why did they call themselves that? Not very original. My favorite was the
Regents.”
“The Regents,” I repeated under my breath. “There are other groups like the Clutch?” That idea terrified me.
She strolled toward the water near a lifeguard tower. I followed after her so I didn’t miss her answer. “If you mean people who try to use our Waker gifts for selfish purposes, then yes. Although a group made up of members who can astral project, that’s unusual.”
Sand flowed into my strappy, high-heeled shoes. I tried to kick the excess out as I caught up with her.
She glanced at me over her shoulder. “Did you think that they were the only ones who’ve tried to take advantage of what we can do?”
“Kind of. Yeah.” I hated the idea that people out there would try and exploit our gift.
She spun around, crossed her arms and drummed her purple painted nails against her biceps. “What would it be like to be so naïve?”
I ignored her comment, still having more important questions. “How did you touch my spirit like that?”
“I’m one of the Returned, just like you. It’s a skill we have. That, and being tangible to ghosts.” She squinted up at the moon. “It’s a beautiful night. The kind that makes me appreciate being alive.” She took a slow deep breath, like she was savoring the intricate blend of the air. “You’ve probably never heard that word before. It’s what the council calls Wakers who’ve died and come back to life.”
“You died and came back to life, too?”
There were others out there like me. I wasn’t some random, albeit lucky, freak. There was someone who understood what I was going through. There was even a name for us. The Returned. I trudged the last few steps to the lifeguard tower and climbed up the steps, sitting on the top one. She watched me but didn’t speak.
I smiled at her through my suddenly tear-filled eyes. “You’ve just changed my life and I don’t even know your name.”
She gave me a tiny smile, revealing slightly crooked teeth. Somehow that imperfection made her stunning. “I’m Kalina.”
The rough wood of the tower rubbed against my hands as I leaned back on my knuckles. I tried and failed to find the Corona constellation Brent had told me about at the beginning of the school year. The universe suddenly seemed more immense than it had before.
“Do you know why I was able to change my death?” It was a question I had always wondered and been afraid to voice to anyone. I knew she was the right person to ask. She would understand its importance.
“I asked myself that same question for months after I altered my murder.” She pulled up her strapless silver gown that had started to slip. “The best guess I could come up with was that I refused to accept my death. Maybe my Waker gifts helped me to alter things. Maybe it wasn’t my time. Or maybe it was supposed to happen, that my death would make me a better, stronger Waker. I know I had more work with spirits I still needed to do. I think that experience will benefit the ghosts I work with. I really understand what they’re going through.”
I nodded, her words feeling true, hoping they applied to me too.
“Have you overcome your fear of water?”
“You know about that?” Wow. The girl did know everything.
Kalina pointed to herself. “I see the future and know all.”
I fought back a grin. “The water calls to me, you know. It tries to lure me to it, so I can drown again.”
She threw her hands up in the air. “It calls to you because it’s your pet element.”
“No, I find myself walking toward it and . . .”
“The only reason you haven’t figured this out already is because you’re letting your fear short circuit your brain. When you drowned, it enhanced your connection to water. Like my murder made my visions stronger.”
I smoothed down the soft fabric of my dress. I couldn’t believe that. “I don’t think so.”
“I bet you loved water before you drowned.”
“Yes, but—”I ground my teeth together as she interrupted.
“Your grandma must have known that. I bet she picked out your name.”
“She did.” I propped my hands under my knees and swung my legs between the steps, like I had when I was a little girl. “This past year I thought it was odd that I was petrified of water when my name means ‘water-lady.” I let out an unhappy laugh.
She sucked on her bottom lip. “Do you know what your boyfriend’s name means?”
I shook my head.
“We’re interested in him. Men with his abilities are extremely rare.”
That made me pause. I already knew Brent’s skills were uncommon. I didn’t like that people knew about them. Did the Wakers want to use Brent’s skills like the Clutch did? I narrowed my eyes at her. “How do you know about him?”
“I’ve been dreaming about you for months, trying to decide if I needed to intervene. He pops up sometimes, too.” She sat down in the sand, crossed her legs and arranged the skirt of her dress over her knees.
I swallowed uncomfortably, wondering which parts of my life she had seen. “No intervention needed. My dealings with the Clutch are done.”
She picked up a handful of sand then let it sift slowly through her fingers. “They aren’t. This I know. I’ve come here to instruct you—no. No, I would say order you to not do what they’re going to ask.”
A spark of anger ignited inside me. “You order me?”
She nodded—her expression held no trace of humor. “You can’t do what they’re going to ask you to do.”
“And if I do?”
“We’ll have to step in, and we aren’t nice to people who disobey orders.”
I shuddered at the very real threat in her words. Her eyes could have filleted me like a piece of meat. I managed to swallow. “What do they want me to do?”
“There are some restrictions with my gift. I’ve overstepped already by coming to you and giving you an order. But I had to tell you not to make a deal with them.” She shook her head. “ Believe me that the consequences will be far- reaching if you help them.”
“I won’t help them,” I promised hastily. I hoped I wasn’t lying but I didn’t foresee any future were I’d be working with them again.
“Then my work is done.” Her voice held a sarcastic tone. The moonlight reflected in her eyes, made them look like hardened piece of stainless steel. She stood up and wiped the sand from the back of her dress.
“You’re going? I have still have questions.”
“They aren’t my concern. Rest assured, we will be watching you.”
With that she turned and walked away. I climbed down from my perch and walked along the beach until I found the pier. Water was my pet element? I edged forward to a concrete support pillar. I lifted my foot, shoe and all, hesitating before lowering my toes into the water. My heart thudded hard, like a boxers punch against my ribs. My toes flexed as I forced them near the water. An imaginary drum roll played in my head. I shoved my foot into the water with a tiny whine. I expected fear, sweat and panic. They flared to life, but were chased away as a feeling of comfort sprouted inside me. The cold water caressed my toes, its chilly temperature replaced with a warm, liquid caress.
What had changed? Had it been Kalina telling me water was my element or something else? I might never know. All that mattered was that the fear was gone. I hoped I would never feel it again. I leaned against the beam and stared into the cool evening. The moonbeams filtered through the pier, kissing the water with light. I stared down the length of the pier trying to take in all she had told me, all that she had warned me against. I didn’t plan on doing anything for the Clutch again, unless they had some other trick up their sleeve.
Finally I managed to shove all the questions aside. I would worry about them tomorrow. Tonight I wanted to concentrate on Prom. Tonight I wanted to pretend to be normal. I went to find Brent.
Chapter Eighteen
I found Brent standing in the tent by the punch bowl, talking with Steve.
“There you are.” Brent handed me my purse. “You were gone
a long time.”
“Sorry. What did I miss?”
“I was telling your boyfriend about the plan Cherie and I came up with for the senior prank.” Steve waggled his eyebrows.
I took the glass of punch Brent handed me. “Let’s hear it.”
“We’re going to throw a party,” Steve said. “And every student’s invited.”
“A party.” I was underwhelmed. “That’s it?”
“Please.” Steve looked offended. “Don’t you know Cherie and me at all? It’s not the event itself that will make it unforgettable, so much as the location.”
“Where?” Brent took another sip of punch.
“The headmaster’s private garden,” Steve said.
My shocked expression made a self-satisfactory grin spread on Steve’s face.
Brent and I exchanged a look. We’d spent a lot of time there together last year. It was easy for us not to get caught, since we were only spirits most of the time.
“You’re going to get so busted when they break it up.” Brent shook his head. “And you know they will. If it’s like any of the other parties broken up in the past, every security officer and faculty member will be roused from their bed to make sure no students escape.”
“Exactly.” Steve rubbed his hands together. “That is where the real plan begins. Every student will have a map of how to get to and from the party safely.”
“We all know where it is. It isn’t exactly treacherous,” I reminded him.
“Not that night. That night, every way to and from the garden, except for the ways the map shows, will be rigged with paint, feathers, water, eggs, anything. We’ll set up dump buckets, sprayers, catapults. It’ll be chaos. And all of the faculty, including Headmaster Farnsworth, will be doused.”
I gaped at Steve as he and Brent high-fived. “Okay, that is brilliant, but they will be out for blood.”
Steve nodded. “I know. It’s going to be epic.” Steve strolled away with a spring in his step.
“He’s going to get us all in so much trouble.”