Part 22 (1/2)

I texted Carley, ”Where are you?” but again got no answer. I wandered down the beach, looking for any sign of her or Nick.

A little way down I saw a head of familiar blond hair. I smiled, but when the head turned towards me I realized my mistake. It wasn't Holt sitting on the sand with his friends. It was Logan.

He waved me over and I went to say hi. I actually felt a little relieved. It probably wasn't the best idea for me to be this close to the water without knowing that Holt or Samuel was close by, but I wanted to find Carley.

”Hi, Logan,” I said.

”Hey, Autumn. What are you doing here?” he asked, looking at me closely.

I chewed my lip and tried to think of a good excuse. Logan knew I wasn't supposed to be there.

”Carley texted me,” I said. ”We had a fight earlier, so I wanted to make sure she was alright. Have you seen her or Nick around?”

”Nope,” said Logan, ”but I haven't been looking either.”

I wished now more than ever that I had some sort of Fairy power that I could use to ask the plants a or something a where Carley was. This was annoying. Maybe she was just doing it to mess with me because she was still mad, but if she was going to text me and invite me somewhere she should keep hold of her phone and not walk off and leave it somewhere so that I couldn't find her.

”Thanks,” I said. ”I'm going to keep looking for her.”

”Want to join us?” invited Logan. I now realized that he was sitting with two very pretty girls. One had straight red hair, and her blue bathing suit fit perfectly over her very curvy body. She wasn't pretty like Susan was pretty, but she was definitely attractive. The other was a giggling brunette, who seemed to think that everything Logan said was the cutest thing in the world, and would emphasize that by covering her mouth and making some sort of twittering sound.

”No thanks,” I said. ”I should really find my friends.”

”Why don't I go look for them and you can just hang out here? It's really hot out,” Logan offered.

”That's really nice,” I said. I was surprised he'd offered. When he'd found me in his brother's room he'd seemed a little weird, but I guess he was making up for it now. ”But I really should just go find them.”

”I'll go with you then.” And he sprang to his feet.

Giggly Girl Number Two looked disappointed and showed it by tossing her hair and glaring at me.

”Can we come too?” she asked.

”I won't be long. Just have to help my brother's girlfriend,” he replied.

Giggly Girls One and Two looked happier now that he'd called me Holt's girlfriend, as if they felt confident that I would never switch brothers, and therefore they had nothing to worry about.

Logan and I started walking. I'd been avoiding him, but after a couple of minutes I realized that I didn't have to. He was really nice. He cracked jokes about the Ches.h.i.+res, particularly Lydia and Leslie, whom he knew I couldn't stand.

After walking along the beach for a while and seeing no sign of Carley and Nick, I decided to ask Logan what I'd been wondering ever since I had seen him. I could have asked Holt, but it always felt too awkward to bring Samuel up to Holt. Logan was a different story; I was pretty sure that Logan wouldn't say anything to Holt about my asking.

”So, I saw Lydia earlier,” I started. I was never very good with subtlety.

”How is she? Evil as usual?”

”Pretty much,” I said. ”But she said something interesting....”

”Oh? Was it the fastest way to freeze a person to death in temperatures of ninety or above?”

”What? No,” I answered. ”It's about Susan and Samuel.”

”Ha,” said Logan. ”You're just noticing about them?”

”What do you mean?” I asked.

”Susan's been in love with Samuel for years,” he answered. ”Totally head over heels. I think she always held out hope that she'd end up with him, maybe if it was only that he would choose a Queen he didn't really like and keep her on the side. Sometimes princes do that. I have no idea, because she's too good for that sort of c.r.a.p, but you never know.”

”Wait, but Samuel doesn't feel the same way, does he?” I asked. The thought of him with someone else upset me. Maybe it was that whole destiny thing. Then I had an even more unsettling thought. Maybe Carley was right. Maybe I just flitted around from man to man.

”What?” asked Logan. ”You look queasy.”

I glared at him.

”So, they're together?” I asked. I could barely get the words out, but I had to know the truth.

”No idea,' said Logan, shaking his head. ”Never been sure how Samuel felt about her and he always keeps to himself. But you came along this summer, which I think screwed some s.h.i.+t up for us.”

He said it while he smiled, but the smile wasn't friendly.

Not wanting to talk about this any more, because Logan was making me feel like Susan's predicament was my fault, I said, ”No sign of Carley?”

”No,” said Logan.

I stopped dead in the sand and looked at my phone. There were still no texts from her, which wasn't like her at all. The only time she didn't reply to a text within five minutes was when she was working, and I knew for a fact that she wasn't working today. She'd once said to me that she was worried about dying, mostly because no one would be there to reply to the text messages she got.

I grabbed Logan's arm. ”Run for help,” I cried.

”What are you talking about?” asked Logan. ”Run for whose help?”

I stared at my phone and started to frantically text Holt. He had to get here. Now. Carley had gone to the water. She'd been mad at me and gone to the water and now she was gone. I don't know if she'd texted me beforehand or not, but what I did know was that the Water Sprite must have her and for all I knew the Sprite could have killed her by now.

I started to race towards the water, ignoring Logan's cries for me to stop. I just hoped it wasn't too late.

Chapter Twenty-Two.

I ran into the ice cold waves. I had no plan. I knew very well that I wouldn't be able to stay underwater for more than twenty seconds or so without being forced to the surface. I wasn't even sure about that, because it wasn't as if I had made a practice of seeing how long I could hold my breath. The talents we don't know we need until it's too late, I thought.

I was waist deep when I turned around to make sure Logan had gone for help. He was nowhere to be seen.

I knew I had to dive under, to completely submerge myself in the water. I had to let the Sprite know I was there. So I dropped under the waves, pus.h.i.+ng my breath out as I went. I didn't dare to open my eyes because every time I had ever tried it, my vision had ended up painful and blurry.

I came up for air, then dove under again. All I could think about was Carley. I couldn't believe I'd gotten my friend into this. She didn't deserve it, no one did, and now she was lost at sea. I wanted to cry, but I was already too cold.

I came up for a second time, taking in one great big gulp of air.

That's when I felt something slimy encircle my foot. I fought not to flinch, even though terror gripped me. Gritting my teeth, I lashed out with my free leg, trying to hit whatever it was that was grabbing me.