Page 12 of Spirit Island

Belle smiled.“My parents were visiting my grandmother, and my mom was seven anda half months pregnant with twins. So, she thought she was safe.She had me in the village, and then an airlift got her, my dad, andme off to the mainland for surgery. Emerald was in the path of astorm, and we couldn’t go there. Deno wasn’t making any effort toarrive under his own steam, so he had to be surgically delivered.So, I have island citizenship, and he is a mainlander. Oh, and wehave different birthdays.”

Thera blinked.“Right, because of the airlift.”

“Correct. Well,our mom decided two was enough, and then, she just rolled her eyeswhen we both became stunt people. All that effort and we jump offbuildings and take punches for a living. Dad was so proud.”

Orc laughed.“Yeah, well, I would be proud as hell.”

Thera glared athim. “Shut up, and drive the boat. I am crossing my fingers for allgirls.”

Belle chuckled.“Yes, by all means. Girls are great at it.”

Thera looked ather, blushed, and said, “That isn’t what I meant.”

Belle and Orcchuckled, and Thera huffed. It was the start of a fun and prolongedconversation.

The straitloomed as they angled toward the port, gliding into the narrow spanand moving cautiously.

“So, on acatamaran, this is about six hours of travel. Do we have time toblaze through the passage and come around the other side of theisland?”

Orc said,“There is a speed restriction in this passage. The inhabitant isn’ta fan of waves. He’s an enhanced alpha and spends a lot of time inthe water.”

Belle lookedaround. “It’s gorgeous, but I don’t want to spend a lot of time inhere.”

Thera asked,“Why not?”

“You can’t feelit? There’s electricity in the air.”

Orc muttered,“If you insist on speed, we are going to find out soon.”

Belle walked tothe prow and watched the water. When something started to writheand bubble in the distance, Belle focused.

Orc muttered,“Shit.”

He cut theengine, and they waited. Thera asked what was going on, but he heldup a hand for silence.

Belle glancedback, and Orc put a finger to his lips.

The churning inthe distance approached them, and a line of fins appeared on thesurface. Belle whistled softly, and the line of fins shot towardthem. She quickly stripped as it approached.

She heard Orcshouting, but she hadn’t had a good run in the water, and as thehuge eel shot toward the boat, she climbed on the railing andjumped.

* * * *

Thera gasped. “Where isshe?”

“I don’t know.I can’t see her. Shit, he’s here!” Orc braced for the impact of theblunt head, but it didn’t come.

A being madeentirely of water rose from the surface with the eel in itsgrasp.

Thera gasped asthe female continued to rise until she was nearly as tall as themountains to either side. “Holy shit.”

Orc muttered,“She didn’t do that when she was ten.”

The woman wasmade of ocean water. Fish moved inside her, and the eel was in hergrasp.

“Wow. What isshe?”

Orc shook hishead. “I have no idea, but Xo is thinking twice about being anass.”

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