Page 1 of A Sea of Secrets
MyStarfishhadfreedher Willys.
Yeah, this dolphin pod of men had turned into a deadly orca pod, and we were hunting our prey. We swam through the figurative ocean that was the House of Ascension, pursuing the dude who’d hurt the one person Noah, Ace, Kayden and I cared about the most.
Fallon Auger.
As we raced through the dark night, the chill breeze caressed my skin but did nothing to cool the vengeance powering me on. We would catch the slimy squid who’d dared to hurt our starfish. Then we would make him pay.
Ahead of me, Kayden and Ace led our pod, charging after the hooded dude and gaining ground with each second. They hadn’t hesitated when Fallon gave them her command. They’d raced after the coward who’d fled as soon as we’d arrived andinterrupted his attack in the auditorium, leaving Fallon with her likely fatally injured sister, Victoria.
We gave chase across the grounds, through buildings and rooms that, so fixed on our prey, I hardly noticed them. The dude in question suddenly darted right and scaled the wall of the gym, with Ace and Kayden quickly on his tail. I hadn’t even known there was a ladder there, let alone seen it in the low light. So whoever this hooded dude was, he knew the academy grounds well.
As the others pursued without hesitation, I stopped and noted the blood drops below the ladder, a wicked grin gracing my face. My starfish must have cut him. Her fierceness was so fucking hot. If the sneaky squid was hurt, then he wouldn’t be able to keep up his pace for long. The guy would be calamari in no time.
“Don’t follow,” Noah called, appearing at my side before I could take a step on a single rung. I chanced a look at his grim expression, but didn’t want to ask about Victoria’s fate; I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stop myself from returning to Fallon if it was bad news. So, I kept my mouth shut as tight as a clam protecting its pearl. “He’ll have to come down eventually.”
“Smart,” I said, tapping the side of my head. I left him waiting at the ladder, choosing instead to keep moving by running along the edge of the gym building, listening out to the footsteps on the roof above. He would have no escape.
The chase overhead was heated. Kayden and Ace shouted at the dude as they ran, their voices carrying through the air. Hearing them sent a buzz through me, like Ace was sparking me with his magic. My senses felt wired.
Chasing the attacker kind of reminded me of the games I used to play with Zach and Zuri back home. A fun one in particular was when they would go out without telling me where they were—instead leaving clues for me to figure out myself.Sometimes I’d have to hack into their messages or call up all their friends. You know, the usual. Then when I’d find where they’d gone, that was when the gnarly fun began. I’d turn up and Zach and Zuri would run off and try to hide.
I’ve always been super skilled at seeking. I’d find them pretty quick and chase them. They were no match for Zaney.
Ahhh, fun times. Real Loch family shenanigans.
Tonight wasn’t fun, but at least the games with my siblings had prepared me for this.
The voices above grew more distant as Noah joined me to round the corner and race for the other side of the building. There were no other Potentials in sight, not that there were many of us left. The poisoning earlier tonight had made everyone scurry away to hide like hermit crabs.
I was no crab looking for a shell to bury myself in.
Not going to lie. It had been a close call. Others weren’t as lucky as me and had died from that poisoned punch. I glanced at Noah by my side, the one who had healed me. My eyes were suddenly touched by water like the sand on a calm tide.
Fuck, I loved that dude. Noah was a real friend—a true podmate—and I was never going to let him go. He was usually so calm and yet, here he was, hunting the evil squid with vengeance in his brown eyes. Noah had a simmering rage like an underwater volcano beneath his skin. It would only be a matter of time before he exploded, and I wouldn’t miss that eruption for anything.
Ahead, a dark figure flew through the air, barking a cry when he landed. It was our squid prey. The guy’s voice was familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it and didn’t have time to ponder it either. Ace and Kayden were close on the dude’s heels, landing skilfully on the ground before continuing their pursuit.
Noah and I weren’t far off, racing along the side of the building before trailing the others. I smirked like a maniac as thehooded dude was once again in my sights. I caught glimpses of him beneath the bright beams of the light posts, his dark cloak flowing behind him. The sissy squid was fast, but we were faster. He’d be ours in no time and then I’d get another chance to test out my torturing techniques, cutting him up like sushi.
Ace had been impressed with my little snail manoeuvre that time we had been torturing Danger Dog for information. Just wait until he saw what I was capable of when a sad Starfish was on my mind. He’d be so impressed I’d knock his boardies off.
A crash drew my attention to a shadowy pile on the path ahead.
“He went left!” Ace shouted as he leapt over the heap. His metallic arm flashed briefly in the light as he ran past another lamp. “Towards the cafeteria! He’s bleeding!”
At that, Noah sped up, bypassing Kayden and joining Ace in the lead. I pushed myself to move faster and leapt over the pile at the same time Kayden did, missing the trash can that had been knocked on its side. The stench of rubbish filled the air. Kayden grunted as he landed with a heavy thud. I swear, I felt the ground shake beneath my feet. Even when he wasn’t in his rocky form, that dude was a massive unit of pure muscle and intimidation. He’d give a great white shark a run for its money, let me tell you. Yet another dude I was glad to have in my pod.
The cafeteria door swung open, slamming against the wall as we pursued the hooded dude. We spread out to cover more ground, and I caught my side on a table, causing me to gasp. I scolded myself for being such a clumsy clam.
We each took a path between the tables, running up the aisles as the dude shoved chairs behind him in an attempt to block his escape. I could almost taste the desperation in the air as he scurried away. He knew his time was up. There was no escaping us or his fate.
I darted onto the nearest table, leaping from one to the next like a dolphin jumping in and out of the water. Together, this orca pod was gaining on him, rounding him up from all sides and going in for the kill.
“Here squidy, squidy!” I sang as I leapt again. A grin stretched over my face as my feet slammed onto the tables, the sound like a war drum. Adrenaline pumped through my veins, the poisoning earlier in the night had become a distant memory. Now my mind was focused solely on Victoria’s attacker.
The hooded dude didn’t stop fleeing, though his movements grew more erratic as he threw more chairs down to block our path. I scoffed. As if that would stop Kayden. The wooden chairs were nothing compared to the giant boulder.
“There’s no getting away!” he shouted as if reading my very thoughts. He sent a seat flying as he batted it aside. “You’re just delaying the inevitable!”
