Vamping and Glamping (Enchanted Shores Book 2) Page 2

  I stopped on the very edge of the dock. Now all I had to do was dive.

  I could do this. I was ready. I took a deep breath and gave Steve a pet on his little head. "I'm so glad my family does exist. You know? I finally have my family back."

  "Of course." Jake's blue eyes glistened as he squeezed my hand.

  We both stared into the blue waves, the current revealing swirling depths of purple and black.

  "I'll do everything I can to be back for our date tonight," I said. " I promise."

  Jake nodded. He leaned over and kissed me. "Do what you need to do. I'll be waiting for you when you get back. No matter how long it takes."

  I kissed the top of Steve's head. "Will you keep an eye on him for me?" I asked. I slid the kitten into Jake's arms.

  "Sure," Steve and Jake both said at the same time.

  I laughed. "Good!"

  "I'll make sure this bear shifter is worth your time," Steve said in his ironic voice.

  "I'll keep your kitten safe," Jake said. "He sure does meow a lot."

  I nodded. I was set. It was time for me to learn the truth about my long-lost family. I raised my arms and clasped my hands above my head. "I'll be back soon!"

  "Good luck!" Jake and Steve both said.

  I took one more big breath and dove in to the ocean.

  Chapter 2

  Sadie

  As I pushed forward, soft waves caressed me, cool and calm. Tiny fish swarmed around, friendly and sweet, as a giant turtle swam past. I reached out my hand to touch his rocky shell. Shafts of sunlight broke through the surface, illuminating this magical world full of beauty and life.

  I stretched as I swam, moving my body with a grace I never felt on land. I was a sea witch. Being underwater felt so right.

  I didn't need to breathe air. Relaxing, I felt gills emerge from the skin under my collarbones, just like they had the first time I'd been in the ocean. I stopped holding my breath and let my gills do their work.

  That was just one of my magical powers. I could also command water to do whatever I asked, and not just ocean water—even tap water obeyed me. Although on land it seemed like a problem to be a sea witch, once I hit the water all my fears evaporated, and I realized how blessed I was.

  The salty taste of the water filled me with contentment.

  I twirled through the current and then dove deeper.

  All my concerns about leaving my life on land vanished. I knew I could come back to Enchanted Shores whenever I was ready. I felt sure that everything would be okay.

  I made my way through the seaweed that grew just past the surf break. Looking up, I squinted into the dappled light of the sun dancing across the ocean surface.

  I marveled that I had once been so afraid of the sea that I never even set foot in it. Now I felt an incredible sense of freedom underwater. It was my second home.

  The blue water became crystal clear as I emerged from the jungle of seaweed near the end of the dock. An octopus startled at the sight of me and jerked behind the huge white shell that was my destination.

  My aunt Tina had told me that all I needed to do to contact her was touch that shell. Somehow, it worked like a doorbell, alerting her to my presence. A gigantic, silent doorbell. It was the size of a Honda and glowed slightly with a pink light. I swam over and placed my hand where she'd shown me, about halfway up on the front.

  As before, the shell pulsed with warmth and life.

  Now what? I looked around but didn't see Tina.

  Suddenly, the spot where my fingers touched the shell grew cold. I pulled my hand away.

  A darkness spread across the glowing surface, engulfing the warmth until it was nearly black. Oh no!

  My gills closed abruptly, and I sank like a rock, feeling my magic powers drain from my body.

  What was happening?

  Fear gripped me. I didn't know how to swim! Not without my powers! I sputtered, breathing in a mouthful of brine.

  Without magic, I was just another idiot about to drown.

  Lift me! I silently commanded to the ocean. But nothing happened.

  Before, when I had commanded water, miraculous things happened. Water moved for me. Or at least, it had. Until now.

  I sank further.

  "Up!" I said aloud, making bubbles but little else.

  Well, forget this.

  I would not drown.

  I kicked at the water with all my might. I knew how to swim. I'd seen it a hundred times on movies and TV shows. Just kick and stroke. Hold my breath. What was left of it.

  I just had to focus. I had to be strong.

  Kick and stroke.

  It worked! I rose up from the strength of my arms and legs. Yes! And just when it felt like my lungs might burst, I burst from underwater and flopped onto my back to float on the water's surface.

  Jake and Steve stood on the dock staring down at me.

  They both looked shocked, open mouthed and wide eyed.

  "You're back!" Jake said, his face breaking into a grin.

  I shook my head. Tears streamed down my face.

  "Something's wrong, you idiot," Steve hissed, digging his claws into Jake's arm. The kitten jumped down on the dock and leapt over to its edge. "What happened, Sadie?"

  I paddled over to the dock and Jake helped pull me up. Steve paced back and forth next to me, avoiding the puddle that was spreading across the dock.

  "It didn't work," I said, once I'd caught my breath. "The magic didn't work."

  "What do you mean?" Jake asked, frowning.

  I shivered, remembering the darkness that spread across the shell. "I don't know what happened. The shell died. The magic disappeared!" I sniffed, wiping the back of my hand across my nose.

  "It wasn't that bad, was it?" Jake patted me but looked away.

  "It was terrible! I sank!" I erupted into tears again. "I almost drowned!" I'd just gotten used to having magic. Why would I lose it now? What could be worse?

  "Shhh… It will be okay."

  Jake's voice comforted me. But his words made no sense. Nothing was okay.

  "How do you know?" I grumbled.

  "We'll work it out together. Whatever it is. I promise."

  I tried to calm down and think. "I've got to find out what happened to my family," I said, turning and walking swiftly up the dock. "They're in trouble. I just know it."

  "There you go. Action. That's my girl," Steve meowed. He leapt forward and trotted beside me.

  "What can I do to help?" Jake asked, striding along.

  "I need to find out where my family lives. And the only one who knows that is Eddie. So we're going to see him." Once Eddie told me where my family lived, I could go to them and find out what the trouble was. I didn't care how far away they lived. "Let's go see Cormac at the police station."

  "Cormac took Eddie to magic jail," Jake said.

  Cormac was the chief of police of Enchanted Shores. He also was a wolf shifter and had been my foster mother Gwen's dear friend. When Gwen died last year, Cormac had been one of the pall bearers.

  I knew the chief of police had taken Eddie. I'd been there when he'd done it, up by the water tower in Enchanted Shores.

  "Where is magic jail?" I asked, still trembling although I had managed to stop crying. "Take me there. Take me there now!"

  Jake stopped me. He gripped my shoulders, looking in my eyes. He spoke slowly. "I don't know where it is, okay? No one goes to magic jail unless they’re getting locked up. But we can go to the police station and ask Cormac."

  "Okay." I nodded.

  "You need to dry off and change your clothes," Steve meowed. "You're a mess."

  I looked down at myself. "You're right," I said. "Thank you for pointing it out."

  "I'm right about what?" Jake asked.

  "No. Steve is right. He said I was a mess."

  Jake frowned. "Why can't I hear his words? I'm not used to the whole talking cat thing."

  "Then we're even!" Steve hissed. "I'm not used to the whole bear shifting boyfr
iend thing."

  I was just wearing leggings and a long-sleeved t-shirt, but they were dripping. I took my backpack from Jake and pulled out my brush. I yanked it though my long hair, then quickly made a braid. I put on my jean jacket. At least it was dry.

  "This will have to do," I said, striding off. "Let's go."

  "Hang on," Jake said. "Let me drive you."

  His truck was in the dock parking lot and we walked over to it. We jumped in.

  Enchanted Shores was a small town cradled between the hills and the sea. Within minutes we were at the police station, which was tucked into a residential neighborhood, very near my house.

  When we walked into the police station, Steve sat down and began licking his back leg. "I'll catch up," he meowed.

  "Don't get lost," I warned.

  Jake and I walked straight into Cormac's office.

  Cormac was sitting behind his large desk looking at a book. He was in his late forties with silver hair. Now that I knew he was a wolf shifter, I could see a certain canine intensity in Cormac's eyes. He wore his navy policeman's uniform, as usual. His office walls were covered with framed citations and awards.

  "I need to talk to Eddie Cooper," I said. "Right away."

  "Hello, Sadie. How are you?" Cormac said, putting his book down. "What's going on?"

  "Eddie knows where my family lives and I need that information. I need to talk to him."

  "I see." He stood up and walked around the desk to where Jake and I stood. "Eddie is on his way to magic jail. Didn't you know that?"

  "Oh." His news deflated me and I sunk down into one of the chairs surrounding his office. I didn't know a single other person who might know how to get me home. The only thing I could do was go to the magic jail to talk to him. "Where is magic jail? Is it far?"

  "Very far. And only convicted paranormals can go there. No visitors, I'm afraid." Cormac perched on the edge of his desk.

  "When did he leave?" I couldn't believe I'd just missed him. "Can't his family visit him?"

  "Afraid not. And Eddie left this morning. He'll be nearly there by now."

  "No visitors doesn't seem right. What if his family needs to talk to him?" I asked. "Doesn't he get a trial?"

  "Eddie should have thought of that before he decided to kidnap you." Cormac shrugged.

  "There's no judicial process in the magic world. He's guilty, he goes to jail. Boom," Jake said.

  I couldn't believe it would happen so fast.

  "That's just the way it is. But maybe I can help you."

  "Not unless you know where my family lives. Do you?"

  Cormac shook his head kindly. "I like to think that Gwen was your family, and now the citizens of Enchanted Shores have become your family. Why don't you just go home and take a few days to recover from your experience with Eddie. You seem real upset."

  "Don't you want me to reconnect with my sea witch family?"

  "No. I don't." Cormac rubbed his chin and spoke slowly. "Have you stopped to consider that if you're a sea witch, you're banished from Enchanted Shores. I don't want that to happen."

  "You would banish me? Why?"

  "That's been the rule since before I started working for the police department, Sadie. No sea witches in Enchanted Shores. Not even to visit."

  "You've got to change that rule! Or someone does! It's not fair!"

  "I agree!" Jake said, taking my hand and pulling me close. "No one's going to banish Sadie!"

  I nodded. Jake and I hadn't even had an official first date yet, but we felt so strongly connected that I wouldn't be surprised if we were together forever. Marriage. Babies. Grandchildren. The whole package. I squeezed his hand.

  "I'll take it up at the next town meeting," Jake said. He was in charge of running the town now that Mrs. G. had left for an extended holiday.

  Cormac shrugged. "Until then, Sadie, go home. Don't go looking for trouble."

  I shook my head vigorously and stood back up. "Something bad happened to my family. My sea witch family. They need my help. And I'm going to help them."

  "How do you know something bad happened?" Cormac asked. "And why is it your concern?"

  "I just know it." I didn't have time to tell Cormac everything. I just needed to find Eddie.

  "Cormac, is there any way we can call Eddie on the phone? Or get a message to him?" Jake asked.

  "You can't talk to him, but I can try to get a message to him. No guarantees he'll respond, of course."

  "Ask him where my family lives," I said. "How do I get there? How do I contact them? It's urgent!"

  "I'm not passing that message on! And if you contact your family, you'll be banished. Sadie, please," Cormac pleaded, "just go home."

  Jake took my hand, and we made our way out of the office.

  "There must be some other way to find out where my family lives. Someone in Enchanted Shores must know about them. Can you think of anyone who might?" I asked Jake as we crossed the police station lobby.

  He frowned and shook his head. "Let me give it some thought. I'll ask my parents."

  "Meow?" Steve cantered up to us, his white whiskers twitching. "Don't go so fast!"

  "Where were you?" I scolded the kitten. "Eddie isn't even here. He's already on his way to magic jail, which is a place we can never visit."

  "Balderdash!" Steve hissed. "Who told you that?"

  I froze. "What do you mean, balderdash?"

  "What's he saying?" Jake asked, his voice rising. "I hate that you understand Steve's meows and I can't."

  "He says Eddie isn't on his way to magic jail," I explained. I turned back to the little black kitten. "Cormac just told us. Eddie left this morning."

  "Then why is Eddie sitting in this very building in a jail cell right now?"

  Chapter 3

  Sadie

  "Eddie is in jail? Here?" I couldn't believe it.

  "That's impossible!" Jake said, his jaw dropping.

  Steve hissed and arched his back. "I wouldn't say it if it weren't true! I slipped into the back of the station to look around and there he was. Behind bars. No one notices kittens around here. Or anywhere. It's unbelievable." His voice trembled with hurt.

  No one liked to be underestimated. Not even a kitten.

  I scooped up Steve and petted behind his ears. "Good boy." He was such a cutie that I could almost forget about his antagonistic personality. "Thank you, Steve. You're amazing, you know that?" It was true.

  "That's better," Steve purred. He leapt from my arms, shook his whiskers, and sat down at my feet. He lifted one of his white paws and licked it.

  Bath time.

  I turned back to Jake. "Why would Cormac tell us Eddie was gone?" I put my fists on my hips and headed toward Cormac's office. The chief of police had a thing or two to explain.

  "Hang on," Jake said quietly, taking my arm. "Just wait a minute."

  "What?" I asked.

  "Let's go around the back of the building. There's a window to the jail cell and we can talk to Eddie without asking anyone's permission."

  "How do you know that?" I asked.

  "Let's just say that Nate and I got in trouble a time or two when we were teenagers."

  Jake and his brother Nate were both such upstanding citizens now that it was almost hard to believe they'd been hooligans. But then I saw the glint of mischief in his eyes and had to smile.

  "We took turns going through rough patches. Nothing too serious, just driving too fast and brawling with other bear shifters. Cormac always brought us here to cool down. When my brother got caught, I brought his meals to the back window and later he did the same for me."

  "What a rebel!" I smiled.

  Jake nodded. "Cormac must have a reason for lying to us. But let's not worry about that now and talk to Eddie while we can."

  Cut out the middleman. It made a lot of sense.

  "Okay," I said. "Show us."

  Jake led me out the front door and down the sidewalk. The yard around the police station was heavily forested. We stealthily
made our way past the station and then into the trees where we cut back to the station's backyard.

  Steve followed us, trotting along proudly, then he leapt ahead. "Hurry up!" he hissed, slipping behind a bush. "Come on!"

  "We're coming. Be quiet!" I admonished.

  "I wish I could understand Pudgie—or Steve—as well as you can," Jake said quietly.

  "He just told us to hurry."

  "What is he anyway? Besides a kitten that talks."

  I shrugged. That was a good question. "I haven't figured it out. Any ideas?"

  "He's unique," Jake said. "That's all I know."

  "You've never met a talking kitten before?"

  He scoffed. "Never."

  "Is he a shifter?" I asked.

  "I don't think so. Have you ever seen him in another form?"

  "No, but how would I know? It feels like I've known him forever, but he's only been with me for a week."

  "I'll ask my mom," Jake said. "She knows most everyone who's ever been in Enchanted Shores."

  Steve glared at us over his shoulder. "I'm right here, you know. I can hear everything you're saying."

  We snuck around to the back of the building.

  Jake pointed out the lone window that pierced the back wall. It was covered with narrow metal bars. "There it is," Jake said. "The holding cell is behind that window."

  "Won't someone see us?" I asked. "If we go over there?"

  Jake just shrugged. "Does it matter?"

  "Not to me." Steve padded his way to the window.

  Jake waited for me.

  "Okay. Let's do it," I said, and dashed over. A grimy light poured through the bars. I couldn't see inside because the window was above my head. "Eddie! We know you're in there!"

  I heard a rustling from inside.

  "Eddie! It's Sadie. You owe me an explanation, but I'll settle for directions to my family's house."

  More rustling. Then I heard a creaking sound. "Get me out of here and then we can talk." It was Eddie's voice.

  He'd tried to kill me. There was no way I would let him out. "Forget it," I said.

  "Then you forget it."

  I heard the creak and squeak again. Had he sat down on a bed?