“I came to discuss—” Demelza starts.

  “Yes yes yes. And discuss we shall. But let’s wait until Felix is sorted for his adventure.”

  I look between them both, aware they’re not saying anything.

  “Now is a good a time as any,” Gran says, looking at me and smiling. “Just one moment.”

  Gran leaves Demelza and me silently standing in the kitchen.

  When she returns, she’s holding a wooden box the size of a cigar tin. A simple S is engraved across the top in silver ink.

  “For you,” Gran says, handing me the box.

  Demelza gives me a smile as I look down at the polished wood.

  I slowly pull the clasp around the divide and open the box to reveal a small silver teaspoon with a tiger’s eye stone nestled in the tip.

  “Gran, th-thank you.”

  The teaspoon emits a soft glow and vibrates through the box.

  “You’re as ready as you’ll ever be, my darling,” Gran says, pecking me on the top of the head. “Now, be careful.”

  I nod and walk toward the stairs before turning back and giving her an all-encompassing hug.

  “I love you,” I say, squeezing her tight. “See you soon, Demelza.”

  Gran strokes my arm. “I love you too, my special boy.”

  I head upstairs to my room and pull out my duffel bag from my wardrobe.

  Before grabbing my copy of Incantations, Herbs & Astrology and my new teaspoon, I stuff a change of clothes, deodorant, my toothbrush, and a pack of mints into the bag. Because my priority is a cute guy I’m kind of infatuated with.

  I turn the teaspoon over in the palm of my hand and feel a hum run through my arms. Gran seemed onboard, even without knowing what the hell I’m about to do. I should be really stoked, but I have a nagging feeling she knows more than she’s letting on.

  My phone vibrates.

  Fern: Meet at the White Horse at 7?

  That’s half an hour away. Time for me to give myself a once-over in the mirror and douse myself in cologne. I don’t know why, but ever since the night on the boat with Aero, I’ve become painfully self-conscious.

  I type back a thumbs-up emoji.

  When I get to the White Horse, the smell of stale beer and dusty floorboards is somewhat comforting. I shut the creaky wooden door behind me and find myself a table near the back. The seats are upholstered in scratchy paisley fabric with a few rock-hard patches where drinks have spilled.

  I throw my duffel bag under the table and sit on my leg to stop it from jackhammering the floor.

  Fern is the first to arrive, followed by Charlie. They both throw their bags underneath the table and sit in front of me, leaving the seat next to me open for Aero. I’m pretty sure we’re all on the same page when it comes to whatever is (or isn’t) going on with me and Aero.

  Charlie is fidgeting more than usual, but Fern seems completely calm and businesslike.

  Fern pulls her backpack out from under the table and opens it. “Aero is just picking up a few things from home, and then we can go over everything, but I figured we might as well start as close to home as possible.”

  I nod. Charlie doesn’t blink.

  “Just off the coast of Dorset Harbor are the Cornall Caves.” Fern takes out a small map from inside her bag and places it on the table. “Sailors have been warned to avoid the caves for centuries because it’s mermaid territory. They can be a little—”

  “Deadly,” Charlie chimes in, still unblinking.

  “OK, chill out,” Fern says, rolling her eyes. “First of all, they’re just territorial. If we can get there at night while they rest, it should be easy.”

  “Should be,” I say, more to myself than to them. “So, where are these caves then?”

  “Right about—”

  “There,” Aero says, as if appearing out of nowhere and tapping a point on the map with his index finger.

  “Hey,” I say, smiling up at him.

  He’s wearing a sherpa jacket over a flannel shirt and some black jeans. He looks ridiculously attractive right now.

  “Hi, you,” he says, squeezing in next to me and placing his hand on my thigh.

  A million bolts of electricity run through my body. That simple touch sends my heart into the stratosphere.

  Fern looks between both of us and giggles to herself. She flicks her finger to point between us. “If this weren’t such an important mission, you two would actually be very cute right now.”

  I grin as Aero gives my thigh another rub.

  “Back to the plan,” Charlie says. Do his eyes have any moisture left at all, or have they just dried open permanently?

  “Of course,” Aero says. “The plan! Well, to get to the Cornall Caves, we’ll need a boat.” He throws a set of keys onto the table and leans back, a giant grin on his face.

  “Perfect,” Fern says, giving Charlie a nudge. “You OK there, Charlie?”

  He blinks for the first time, which is a relief. It was starting to freak me out.

  “Y-Yeah. Yeah, fine. Just,” he looks down at the table for a moment, gathering his thoughts. “I guess I’m just worried my magic isn’t… well, up to par with you guys…”

  Fern places a hand on Charlie’s and gives it a stroke. “You have nothing to worry about, OK? You are more talented than you give yourself credit for, and you need to start believing in yourself.”

  “I agree,” Aero says.

  “Me too,” I add.

  Charlie’s shoulders release some tension, and the hint of a smile crosses his lips.

  “There’s no time to waste,” Fern says, addressing all of us. “I say we get going tonight.”

  Aero nods, and Charlie does too.

  We all order sausage and mash with Yorkshire puddings and thick gravy as we slowly go over the route on the map.

  Charlie’s fears linger in the back of my mind. What if he isn’t OK out there? I mean, my magic isn’t amazing, but I know how to do enough to keep my head above water. I don’t know if I’ll be up for looking after him too.

  After we’ve sopped up the gravy with our Yorkshire puddings and finished our drinks, we head out into the cool evening air.

  When we get to the dock, the stars are like a thousand pinpricks in a black canvas. The only sounds comes from the lapping of water against the dock and the occasional bullfrog or seagull nearby.

  “It’s nothing fancy,” Aero says, hopping into his small boat and putting his bag under one of the seats. “But it’ll get us there.”

  Fern looks paler than before, a hint of uncertainty on her face as she slowly steps into the boat.

  “As the famous Chief Brody once said: ‘We’re gonna need a bigger boat,’” Charlie says, shaking his head.

  “Charlie, come on. We’ll be absolutely fi—”

  “Fern, please. Just be real with me for a second. You know what mermaids are capable of. They’ll tip this thing the moment they see it.”

  I decide not to contribute. I have no idea what mermaids are capable of, and if Charlie’s right, then we’re taking one hell of a gamble.

  “Listen, it’s past eleven. The resting hours have begun. If we keep steady and make as little noise as possible, they’ll never know we’re there.”

  “Do I need to remind you what we need from the mermaid? Forgive me for thinking that it’s going to be difficult to go unnoticed while we give her a haircut.”

  “Charlie, if you’d rather stay, we’ll understand,” Aero says gently. “But at this point, it’s our only option.”

  Charlie leans from foot to foot, the tension in his shoulders building up again. “N-No, I’m coming,” he finally says, shaking his head as he gets into the boat.

  I’m the last in, and I put my teaspoon in my pocket as I stow my backpack underneath the seat next to Aero’s.

  “Ahoy,” Aero says as he pulls the engine cord and the boat rumbles to life.

  Fern places two hands on the engine and says, “Quiescic.” A faint gold glow radiates around the motor as it quiets down to nothing more than a whisper.

  Aero then taps the top twice and takes a seat next to me, placing his hand on my thigh again and smiling.

  “Cruise control,” he says as we continue puttering out into the black, velvety ocean.

  Twenty-Two

  Charlie has barely said two words since we set off from the dock, and Fern looks like she could be getting whiplash from the constant craning of her neck over the side of the boat. I haven’t taken my hand off Felix and, thankfully, he seems to be comfortable with it.

  We’re farther out than I’ve ever been before, the little dotted coastline barely visible now that we’re out on the blue ocean.

  I give Felix’s thigh a squeeze before standing and heading toward the motor of the boat, patting Charlie on the shoulder as I go to assure him that everything’s OK and we’re not about to sink.

  I pull my backpack from under the seat and retrieve the map Fern brought along. We’re getting closer to the Cornall Caves, and I feel my lunch churning in my stomach.

  I need to stop overthinking—the whole situation with Felix is making my head hurt. I figure if we cast the spell and reveal that Aggie has played a part in all this, he won’t take it nearly as hard as if I were to tell him I saw her out in the forest. The fact is, I didn’t see Aggie doing anything but standing near the girl. That’s not reason enough for him to believe that she was up to no good. I know it’s not the brightest move, to keep something from him, but I can’t see him hurt. I’m really starting to feel things for him, and that scares me almost as much as the mermaids.

  We keep puttering along until the faintest outline of cliffs come into view.

  Fern looks back at me and nods, and Felix smiles briefly before giving Charlie a thumbs-up, which he gives back half-heartedly.

  We round the outskirts of the cliffs, and I spot the first sight of the Cornall Caves as they come into view.

  The rocks around the entrance are jagged and mossy with thousands of oyster shells and crustaceans poking off the surface.

  Fern holds her hand in front of the engine, which slows it to a stop, and we sit bobbing in the waves for a moment to gather ourselves.

  “OK,” I say, looking between the three of them.

  Charlie’s knee has a mind of its own and is bouncing up and down, like he’s actively trying to kick a hole through the bottom of the boat.

  “Charlie, mate, you’re going to have to take some breaths, yeah?” I say, patting him again as I pull Felix’s backpack out from under the seat and hand it to him.

  Felix hands Charlie a small paper-wrapped parcel. “Here, take this.”

  “W-What is it?” Charlie asks, turning the parcel over in the palm of his hand.

  “Gran made it. It’ll calm you… I think?” Felix says with a shrug.

  My thoughts instantly go to Aggie, and I hate myself for thinking the worst.

  Charlie opens the paper and reveals a small chocolate brownie from within.

  “Got any more of those?” I ask, figuring there is no way Aggie would put her own grandson in any kind of danger. Whatever is going on with her, I know she wouldn’t do that.

  Charlie finishes off his brownie in two bites.

  “Yeah, I’d be up for one,” Fern says.

  Felix hands each of us a similar wrapped package, and Fern and I each take a bite. The chocolate gooey chunks are the first thing I notice. It’s probably the best damn brownie I’ve ever eaten, and I’m not ashamed to say it.

  Within five minutes, I feel the first flicker of anxiety leaving my body. It’s almost like watching the sun drift behind a cloud: you know it’s still there, but the cloud gives you a break from the rays.

  Fern looks around, like she’s seeing the ocean in all its glory for the first time. The tension in her shoulders from a moment before eases, and she sits up taller, more businesslike than usual—quite an achievement for Fern, considering she’s already the one who always has it all together.

  “OK, so our plan,” Fern says, looking at me and clapping her hands together.

  Charlie stands, hands on his hips and surveying the landscape like a safari guide.

  “We’re going to need bait,” Charlie says.

  Felix looks to me with raised eyebrows, and I can’t quite figure out what Charlie is on about.

  “Um… bait?” I say, taking a seat next to Fern.

  “Mermaids take sailors and fisherman by luring them in with their songs. We need someone to be lured and someone to be ready to get the hair.”

  Felix takes a slow, deep breath in, and Fern seems to be calculating it all the possible outcomes in her head.

  “OK,” Fern says, looking between the three of us.

  “I’ll—” I start, but Charlie cuts me off.

  “I’ll do it,” he says, nodding like the matter is settled.

  Felix wipes a crumb of brownie from the corner of his mouth and looks up at me, his beautiful big eyes searching my face for some reassurance that it’s all going to be OK.

  Fern hovers her hand above the engine, and it spurts to life, silently sending us toward the cave.

  Twenty-Three

  OK, so Gran’s brownies are next level. I knew whatever she was making would help with our journey, but hearing Charlie volunteer to be bait for a mermaid when only twenty minutes ago, he was going to have a full-blown panic attack makes me think Gran has some serious power.

  The Cornall Caves are enormous and intimidating as we make our way toward them. The water is gray, and the closer we get to the entrance, the more the swell of the ocean throws us around.

  Aero comes and sits next to me, putting an arm around my waist and kissing my shoulder. I don’t know when this kind of public display of affection began, but I am more than happy about it. I’ve never been with anyone who went out of their way to show me they care with the simple act of holding my hand or wrapping me in a hug in the middle of a busy street. It’s weirdly comforting. I guess this must be what it feels like to be straight. To never second-guess showing who you’re with that you care, to not be in fear of someone abusing you for being yourself.

  Fern looks over at us and smiles, and Charlie is looking in all directions, like he’s the captain.

  Charlie pushes the mop of hair from his eyes and adjusts his glasses. “We’re getting close.”

  Aero stands and joins Charlie as Fern waves her palm and cuts the engine, letting us slowly pass through the entrance and into the dark of the caves.

  It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust, but soon enough, they can make out the long, sharp teeth of the caves’ roof and the flickering glowworms that line the mossy rocks above and below.

  The water inside the cave becomes still, and our boat drifts for a moment, keeping its distance from the rocks and sharp barnacles.

  I’m about to speak when I first hear it. Soft, almost angelic tones whisper along the caves’ ceiling from somewhere deep below. It’s a language I can’t understand, not so much words as it is a melody of strung-out letters, each individually more haunting than the last.

  I wonder if anyone else can hear it when Aero lifts his hands and motions for all of us to stay still.

  Charlie gives Aero a thumbs-up and then looks to me and Fern with an expression that isn’t as confident as he was after eating the brownie.

  He then gets on his knees, holds the side of the boat, and peers into the deep blue ocean beneath us.

  Aero slowly makes his way to sit next to me, and Fern and I each retrieve a pair of scissors from within our backpacks.

  The sound seems to be getting louder, but I can’t tell if it’s just the echo of the cave or if there’s more than one.

  Charlie looks back at us as a splash from somewhere behind makes the boat rock, forcing Aero to grab hold of the side to avoid toppling in.

  “Charlie,” I say, helping Aero sit, “what now?”

  “It’s OK,” Charlie says, steadying himself in the center of the boat and craning his neck to listen. “D-Do you have any more of that brownie?”

  I dig out another piece from my bag and pass it to him. He inhales it, like he hasn’t eaten in days, as another splash, closer this time, makes all of us jump.

  “OK, maybe this wasn’t such a—” Fern starts as another splash, even closer, makes her stop mid-sentence.

  Charlie kneels along the side of the boat, spotting something below the surface.

  I look to Aero, who has the same confused look on his face as Fern.

  “Charlie?” I whisper.

  The water around the boat ripples gently, the last of the splashing drifting off and the water returning to calm.

  “It’s OK…” Charlie says. “I think they’re—”

  An eruption of water engulfs Charlie from where he’s standing, knocking Fern, Aero, and me to the bottom of the boat as a long, slick hand grabs Charlie by the throat, pulling him overboard and into the murky water.

  “NO!” Fern screams, scrambling to the side of the boat and grabbing at nothing as Charlie is pulled farther and farther under.

  Aero flings his arm at the ocean and yells, “Gurgitem Abripuit!”

  The water sloshes and turns over, like bathwater gurgling down a sinkhole.

  We’re thrown every which way as our boat churns across the enormous swell the whirlpool is creating.

  “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” I scream over the top of the roaring water.

  Our boat continues to thrash across the enormous waves as the whirlpool keeps up its spiral to the bottom of the sea.

  “AERO, I SEE HIM!” Fern shouts, pointing over the side of the boat into the darkness below.

  Charlie is twisting and turning under the ocean, grabbing at nothing as the long, ghostly mermaid drags him farther down.

  I feel sick. My head is spinning, and I can’t form a single logical thought.

 

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