Page 92 of Midnight Waters

Sammie wagged his tail, satisfied.

It’s a good thing he was cute.

“What on earth are you doing in here?” Sandra asked.

“Uh… would you believe me if I said I was sleep-drinking?” I said.

“Probably not.”

“Well… then I guess I’ll just bid you good night.”

With that, I got up and slipped past her, not looking back as Sammie padded after me. As soon as I was up the stairs, I smacked my forehead with the heel of my palm.

So, a day in which I slept with my worst enemy could get worse. At least I no longer needed to wonder.

“How bad could it have really been?” Kira asked.

She flitted above me and Allison, her wings brushing the underbelly of the canopy as we made our way through the Moran forest.

We had agreed that we couldn’t use my house to replicate the potion Ben and I had found in Michaela’s home. Too many of my family used the spell room and they would no doubt walk in on us.

Kira’s coven had a way better arrangement, and I hadn’t visited for years. The living space of the Dusk fae was out of this world.

“I promise you it was horrifying,” I said as I stepped over a large tree root.

“So bad you can’t tell us?” Allison asked.

She leaped from root to root, barefoot and with the grace of a swan. Since becoming a mermaid, I realised how clunky I was on land, especially compared with Kira and Allison.

When I stopped to think about it, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t realised I was a mermaid for so long.

“I will tell you,” I said. “Just not where anyone can hear us.”

If I could refrain from being physically sick while I told them, anyway.

“Good, because I don’t like secrets.” Allison stopped to let me catch up. “It’s bad enough you kept the fact you’re a mer?—”

“Shhh!” I picked up a pine cone and threw it at her.

It bounced off her bum and landed among the roots.

“Ouch!” She rubbed her rear and shot me a venomous look. “Nobody’s here!”

“How am I supposed to know that? Dryads literally are trees.”

“It’s not nearly as simple as that and you know it.” Allison flipped her hair at me.

“Stop bickering, both of you.” Kira flitted down and reached a hand out to me to help me over a large log. “She’ll tell us even if we have to slip her truth potion.”

“Or beat you with switches.” Allison jabbed a pointy finger at me.

“I’m so privileged to have such loving friends,” I said.

“Glad you know it,” Kira said.

A wall of blackness met us, and a shiver skittered across my skin. This was where it got good.

The very centre of the forest housed a Tree of Life— a tree born and grown with concentrated magic.

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