“Funny.”
She bit her lip to keep the smile from forming. “It’s the only way to get across.”
“I know,” he said, resignation in his voice.
Avery could tell he was truly nervous. Out of all things that would best him, it would be the ocean.
As if nature wanted to remind them just how mighty she was, a large wave came up and drenched them both in icy water. It hit like a gut punch, stealing all the breath from her lungs as her already tight dress became heavier with the cool water.
Still, the water dripping off Felix’s brow onto his bare chest was enough for Avery to let a giggle slide out. His long tongue came out to catch the drop. Felix looked less than impressed.
“Do you trust me?” Avery said, echoing his words from before, holding out her hand for him to take.
“No,” he said, but she knew he didn’t mean it, as his hand slid into hers.
Avery gave him a reassuring smile.
“Just don’t let go of me, okay?”
She squeezed his fingers, looking over the moonlit water that thrashed against the rocks. Even with his body weight, she was a strong swimmer, and would be able to guide him through the water. “On the count of three, we jump,” Avery said, a wicked smile forming on her face. “One?—”
She pulled him into the water.
Her stomach lurched as the frigid water swallowed them. Cold pierced into her bones like knives, her muscles seizing. For a heartbeat, she couldn’t think, could only feel the shock of it as they were suspended beneath the waves, the calm beneath the storm. It was rougher than she thought, the waves pushing and pulling them towards the rocky edge. Currents tugged at her dress, trying to twist her around. She kicked hard, fighting to orient herself in the churning dark. It was violent and beautifulall at the same time. The force of it tried to separate them, but she clung to him and pulled them upward.
Their heads broke the surface, Felix gasping desperately for breath. He flapped and flailed, trying to swim, but instead pulled them under the water again. His weight dragged her down. Water filled her mouth, her nose, and panic spiked through her chest before she kicked harder, hauled them both up.
“Felix!” she managed to scream before he yet again pulled them under the surface.
Once again, she pulled them up and grabbed a hold of his face, shaking it. “For the last fucking time, calm down! You’ll drown us!” she yelled over the roar of the waves.
For a moment, he calmed on the surface, at least. She felt his legs thrashing, trying to keep his head afloat. His chest heaved against hers, his eyes wide and wild.
“Shift!” Avery yelled at him.
“Why?” he said through gargled breath.
“Just trust me.”
He gave her one last look, as if he was about to die, and he was memorizing her face for the final time. It took Avery all of her willpower not to slap him.
Felix shifted into a cat, looking like a soggy rat as she scooped him into her. She winced as his claws dug into her shoulder and onto her scalp. Finally, he settled on her head, like a very fashionable cat tail hat. But her arms were free, and she wasn’t getting kicked or dragged under the waves.
A piercing yowl wailed in her ear as she swam toward the entrance of the cave and fought against the dark waves while Felix’s tail obscured her vision. Hopefully, all this splashing around didn’t attract the sharks. Felix would never even look at the water again. The silver moonlight lit her path, almost as if the goddess were guiding her towards it. She even saw dust bunnies riding the waves. So theydidn’tdisintegrate.
The water became calmer as she swam into a deep pool cut off from the rolling waves, the sudden stillness disorienting. Gigantic rocks shot out from the water and formed a protective barrier between them and the force of nature, the sound of the waves quietening. She could only just touch the bottom by the time they reached the entrance.
She had been here before. It was a well-known spot on the island that only the strongest swimmers could get to. She and Wren used to jump off the cliffs and swim into the cave at midnight, much to the chagrin of her mother, who, in hindsight, only cared about Wren’s safety; she was sure.
They had come right on time. Despite it being called the midnight cave, it actually opened up a bit before that. The top lip of the entrance became visible as scarlet water bled out from the cave, mixing with the blue like an artist’s palette. She forgot how beautiful it was; it was truly a wonder of the island. It almost made sense that this would be where the final riddle would be solved. There were always rumors that this was where the ley lines converged on the island.
Avery waited until the water came low enough to fit herandher new hat underneath the mouth. Dust bunnies dived under with them, swimming into the cave. She ducked, holding onto Felix with one hand and using the slimy top as a guide with the other.
Moving through the tunnel, she noticed that the water that touched her created luminous ripples cascading outward, as if it were alive. That was new. The deeper she went, the more heated the water became, almost like a natural spring. All the cold left her body, replaced by a delightful warmth.
At the end of the tunnel, it opened up to an enormous cavern. Every other time she had been here, it had been pitch black. She and her sister had fumbled around in the dark with flashlightsfor hours just to find their way back out before the water swallowed the entrance once again.
But this time, she could seeeverything.Her lips parted as she looked around. Slowly, she watched as every inch of the cave walls lit up red, twinkling like a night sky. Even the plants that hung from the ceiling were a brilliant crimson color. It was another world entirely.
