Page 16

A s they breached the surface, Kai searched around them, looking for the boat that was supposed to pick them up to take them toward the mainland, but everywhere he looked, he only saw open water.

Hollyn asked, “What do we do now?”

Kai checked the coordinates again. The boat should’ve been right here. “I’m not sure.”

“There’s only one thing to do then.”

Kai glanced over at Hollyn, surprised to see her calm demeanor. Gone was the fear of the ocean and of her own power. He could see that she felt in control, and it was a good look on her.

“What’s that?”

“Catch a current and swim there ourselves.”

Kai shrugged and said, “I’m game if you are.”

Agreed on a plan, Kai checked the coordinates and got the general direction they needed to go. They both dove back into the water after Hollyn took a large breath, and they held hands as they were pulled into a fast-moving current in the right direction.

After a little time, they rose to the surface so that Hollyn could fill her lungs once more before diving into the current again and traveling through what was essentially the ocean superhighway system.

On the next trip to the surface, though, the pair were surprised to see a large volcanic island that hadn’t been on any map that Kai had ever seen.

He rechecked his coordinates and knew they were on the right path.

Then, where had this smoking volcano come from?

“Kai, do you see that?”

“Yeah, I see it. I’m not sure how it’s here though.”

“No, not the island. Do you see the figure way up on the mountainside closest to us.”

Kai searched the landscape of the mountainous island, noting the pillar of worrying smoke rising from the center, until he spied the figure Hollyn had noticed. It looked like a lone figure waving frantically.

“I think we have to go check it out, Hollyn.”

She agreed, and they swam toward the nearest shoreline that looked like they could actually access the beach.

Once they were standing on the rocky surface, they could no longer see the person that had seemed to be signaling them.

All they could do was climb, so they did.

They trekked upward, through a dense, rocky landscape, searching for any sign of life.

Halfway up, Kai heard a female voice calling out. It sounded familiar, and Hollyn and he stopped to listen closer. They looked at each other, and began to push themselves quickly up the mountainous terrain.

Sure enough, when they crested a particular rocky formation, Willow stood on the cliff above them.

Hollyn cried out, “Willow! Thank goodness you’re okay!”

At that moment, the entire landscape rumbled, and Kai reached for the side of the mountain to try to brace himself. He held out a steadying arm and grabbed Hollyn around the waist, pulling her toward him. The shaking faded after ten seconds or so.

Kai stated the obvious, “We need to get Willow and get off this island as quickly as possible. I wish the boat had been where they said they’d be.”

Hollyn raised a hand and pointed down toward the water below. “I think I know why they didn’t arrive on time.”

Kai followed the direction she pointed and saw a boat, nearly broken in half, leaning against the rocky shoreline.

“How do you know that was supposed to be our boat?”

She shrugged. “Call it a hunch, but…” She pointed upward toward Willow. Fate had been at work once more.

Kai nodded. It was as good an explanation as any. He looked upward and shouted, “Willow, do you think you can climb down to us?”

The teen cried out, “I’m scared. I need you to come get me, Kai. Please, come get me!”

“Stay right there. I’m on my way.”

Kai turned toward Hollyn and said, “I’m going to climb straight up the rock ledge. I need you to stay here and be ready to help her down. Okay?”

Hollyn nodded in understanding, and Kai tested a few handholds until he found two he could use to pull himself up.

He lifted himself and used his feet to find purchase while he searched for the next place to grab with his hand.

Over and over, he repeated the process, scraping holes in his wetsuit.

After almost fifteen minutes of struggle, he finally pulled himself over the ledge and saw a cowering Willow, huddled against the cliff face.

The minute she saw him, she launched herself at him, wrapping her gangly limbs around his torso, nearly knocking him backwards over the cliff.

But he held his ground, stepped away from the edge, and hugged her tightly back.

He was so happy to see her, and she looked completely unharmed.

Had she found someway to escape? She was a resourceful little Fate if there ever was one.

Yet, as she pulled back, he didn’t like the look of contrition that covered her face.

“I’m so sorry, Kai. I’m so sorry.”

“What? You didn’t do any…” Suddenly, he heard Hollyn yell out at someone, and the volcano rumbled once more, shaking so violently, that Kai and Willow went down to the ground.

Once the shaking stopped again, Kai looked over at Willow who had her hands covering her ears and tears streaming down her face. She was staring toward Kai.

“He made me do it. I didn’t want to hurt her, but Grigori said he’d leave me here if I didn’t.”

Kai’s heart pounded like a hammer in his chest. “What’d you do, Willow?”

“I just had to get you away from Hollyn. I handed her to him.”

A heart crushing panic came over Kai, and he scrambled to look over the ledge on which Willow and he were lying. The space below was empty of any and all life.

Kai leaped to his feet and shouted, “Hollyn!”

But there was no answer. She was gone.

Willow sobbed behind him, and he turned toward her.

He dropped to his knees and lifted her to hers. “Where is she, Willow?”

“Inside…inside the volcano.” She ugly cried then, big wracking sobs that overtook her. “I let him take her!”

Kai smoothed her hair back and said, “I don’t blame you, Willow. And Hollyn won’t either.”

“I was so scared!”

“I know. It’s okay. You’re safe now.”

He hugged her tightly to him. She was just a kid, and she had such a significant power. It was too much to imagine.

He pulled back as her cries began to ease.

“I want you to think hard, Willow. You’ve been inside the volcano, haven’t you?”

She nodded.

“How did you get inside and back out?”

She shook her head back and forth. “He has the place locked up tight with a whole bunch of guards stationed around the entrance. We wouldn’t be able to get inside easily.”

“First of all, you’re not going anywhere near Grigori again. Second, there has to be another way in. We just have to find it.”

“Oh, there is another way inside.” She pointed upward where the smoke continued to pour out of the cratered top of the volcano.

She was right. The way inside might be more dangerous than facing countless guards, but Kai would face any amount of danger to get back to Hollyn.

He looked at Willow and gave a hard nod. “You need to go down to the shore.”

“How?” The look of terror that crossed her face almost made Kai relent. “I’ve been trying to get down for the past two hours. That’s how I got stuck here.”

Kai couldn’t take her down and then climb back up. Who knew how long that might take. Yet, like the Fate she was, she brought the solution to her. Out of nowhere, a seagull with a beanie on her head landed beside Willow.

“Bertie! I’ve never been so glad to see your little stick legs and mouthy beak!”

“Good to see you too, you big jerk! But after this, you might want to get your eyes checked. These legs are gorgeous. You just have no appreciation for beauty.”