Page 53 of Hot in Witch City
I furrowed my brows. “It’s that easy?”
She nodded. “It’s part of who you are, Gianna. You’re one of us.”
Although those words filled a gap that I’d felt my entire life, not knowing exactly who or what I was, something about this situation struck me as utterly fantastical and insane.
“I want to try it.” I stood up and strode back to the water, the grains of sand rubbing between my toes. Once I submerged, I “willed” it to happen. It didn’t.
Maybe it wasn’t who I was after all. Once again, I was caught in between two worlds and belonged in neither.
I breached the surface and pounded at the water in frustration, spreading a spray of saltwater. I took three deep, calming breaths to focus. For some reason, Sebastian’s face appeared in my mind, his gentle eyes encouraging me. I swam beneath the surface, centering my energy.
I focused on shifting to that form again, like thinking of moving a limb. Without thinking too hard, it came naturally.
Magic flowed through me, an odd sealing of my legs binding together before reshaping back into a long tail. The gills emerged, enabling me to breathe underwater again.
Was this how I was truly meant to live?
And was this who I was meant to be?
Chapter 11
Gianna
The next morning, my eyes popped open. I pulled up the covers and exhaled. Oh good, my legs were there.
I touched the sides of my face. Nothing odd.
Had I dreamed what had happened last night? After I crawled out of bed, I wandered into my kitchen still in awe. I ran through my morning routine with making coffee and went over every incredible moment of the night. It had been real.
I wanted to talk to Nova about it, but not go over to her place. The temptation to see Sebastian would be too strong, and I needed girl talk right now, not a booty call.
But maybe later…
I shook my head and texted Nova.Can you come over?
Sure, in about an hour or so. Finishing up some work.
To burn through some of the restlessness, I played a salsa dance workout on the TV and followed it in my living room. Then I took a shower being particularly careful about washing my legs. Would they automatically shift when I was in water? That would make swimming at my gym problematic.
I turned on the bath and submerged myself. I tried to initiate the shift the way I had last night. Nothing. Phew. An accidental thought about swimming in siren form while at the gym could have been disastrous otherwise.
When Nova came over later, I told her what had happened at the beach house, hearing the wonder edging my voice.
“Wow, that’s crazy!” Her eyes were wide with incredulity.
“I know, right?”
She brought her fingertips to her mouth and then lowered them. “How did you end things with your mother?”
“She asked me to come back and invited me to stay longer.”
“Are you going to?”
“I don’t know. I’m overwhelmed by everything. I just needed someone to talk to about it.”
“You know I’m always here.”
“Thanks.” Strangely enough, I pictured Sebastian again and his warm eyes. How whenever I was feeling overwhelmed, thinking about him had a way of making me calm.
