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Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

AQUA

Even though it's late morning and I'm not in the water yet, I'm smiling. How can I not be? This is the first time ever that we've gotten help—that's gotta be a sign that we're going to win this battle. And the help is River . He's so perfectly awesome. Amazing. Stupendous, even. He loves water and water loves him. He cares about marine life and is working to make things safer and better. He's dedicated to preserving the planet and is joining our fight.

He's the sexiest man I've ever met, and I've never had a night with any being as good as ours was.

I wanted to go with him to work this morning, but he said he'd be spending most of the day on paperwork and that I was better off in the ocean. He said he'd be back tonight so we could hang out and talk about how to handle his research. I can't wait to see him again. I think I'll take him for a late-night swim—there's something special about the ocean in the dark, and it's not like he'll be in any danger if I'm with him.

But before any of that can happen, before I can go spend all the hours he's gone in the water, I need to talk to Aether.

Unfortunately, he and Perry have decided to spend this morning in bed. They do that sometimes, and Perry gets super cranky if you interrupt. So I'm waiting.

"For fuck's sake, Aqua, do you have to splash water everywhere?" George snipes, coming into the kitchen, where I've filled the sink and am playing with my wind-up toy dolphins. They're not as good as real dolphins, but it would be cruel to put a real dolphin in the sink. Besides, it wouldn't fit.

"Yes," I tell him. "Water is perfect, and it belongs everywhere. I'll clean it up when I'm finished." I'm not even making that much of a mess; George is just a big grump lately. "Why are you here, anyway? Don't you have some rocks to yell at?"

I'm not all that sure what George does, really. Except when it affects my water or my water affects his dirt. We had to work together a few months ago because it rained too much and there were some cliffs that collapsed somewhere. Before that, a stupid rockslide dammed one of my beautiful rivers. Stuff like that is supposed to happen sometimes—balance—but it's happening too often lately, and that's bad.

"I don't yell at rocks. Why are you splashing in the sink instead of floating in the world's biggest ocean?"

"I need to talk to Aether." I wind up one of the dolphins and drop it in the water, where it performs perfectly, breaching three times before it runs out of pep. I swirl my hands through the water, enjoying the sensation of it eddying against my skin.

"What about?" George leans on the island, watching me with an expression of fascinated horror. I flick water at him just to hear him yell.

When he's finished sputtering and drying his face—he doesn't hate water the way Flame does, but it's not his favorite thing, either—I say, "I need to talk to him about River."

Just like that, all his anger dissipates, and he makes a humming sound. "River. Yeah. What the actual fuck is going on with that?"

"The actual fucks were amazing, thank you. I'm going to keep River. But we've never had people to keep before."

George sighs. "That's because you can't keep people against their will, you airhead."

I gasp. Airhead? Me? I'm water , not air!

Before I can splash him again, Aether and Perry walk in. "What the hell? Aqua, the ocean is across the street. Why are you playing in the sink?" Perry demands. His mouth is all swollen and he has glowy eyes. Aether's hair is all messed up, but his wide, satisfied grin tells me he really doesn't care.

"I was waiting for you," I whine. Why are people being mean to me on this gorgeous, glorious, perfect day? "Aether needs to tell me more about River."

Midstep, Perry swivels on his heel to face Aether. "Yeah. That. You distracted me last night before I could ask my questions. What the hell, Aether? Since when do we get help from the species we're trying to save?"

Aether shrugs and slides onto a stool at the island, reaching out to dangle his fingers into the sinkful of water. "It's never happened before."

"Dude, you've said that about a million times," I point out.

"And it doesn't answer the question," George adds. "Flame gave himself a headache trying to work it out this morning."

"Where is Flame?" I ask, looking around nervously. He really doesn't like when I splash water everywhere. That's why he talked the others into buying this house right across the street from the ocean, when we were also looking at one a few miles away that was cheaper. He wanted me to not make wet messes inside. I kind of get it, but… phooey to that.

"He's keeping an eye on a brushfire," George says. "His fireman is there."

"The sexy one who should be on a calendar and thinks Flame is an arsonist?" Perry asks, getting juice out of the fridge.

"Yep."

Aether makes a sound of interest, and we all look at him.

"What?" Perry asks. "Also, you still haven't said what's happening with River. Aside from him fucking Aqua through the mattress last night."

I smile, remembering. "That was so good."

"Trust me, we all know," George says dryly. "Stop distracting us. Aether, talk."

"About River fucking Aqua? I'd rather talk about me and Perry. Last night he did that thing with his tongue?—"

"They don't need to hear that," Perry interrupts. "Tell us what's going on with River. Why do we suddenly have extra help?"

Aether shrugs. "I don't know. I just know we do. He's here to help Aqua… and to be with Aqua."

My hands, which were wiggling through the water, flail, making an awesome splash. George immediately complains, but I'm too busy staring at Aether to pay any attention to him. "He's mine ? I get to keep him?"

"We don't keep other people," Perry says, but there's an uncertain note in his voice.

"River is meant to be with Aqua. I don't know the details, but I know that. He and Aqua are matched, and they're going to work together and be together." He punctuates the best sentence I've ever heard with a firm nod.

"I don't get it." George is staring at Aether, water still dripping off him. "Why is this happening now?"

Aether spreads his hands. "It's the will of the world. Who am I to question it?"

Perry groans. "Babe, you're the essence of all freaking life. Your literal job is to question this shit. Aqua," he turns on me sharply, "do not tell River that he's yours or that you're keeping him. Let him set the pace in your relationship."

I nod happily. "Okay. Aether says I get to keep him, so he's going to want to stay anyway." I sigh. "I get my very own person to love. The perfect person. The water loves him! It told me to save him. This is the best day ever."

Perry presses his hand over his eyes. "Oh sweet baby Jesus."

"How come Aqua gets a person?" George demands. "I want a person too!"

"Don't you spend enough time yelling at the rest of us? Why do you need someone new to be a huge grump to?" Perry demands, and I tsk.

"That's not very nice. George might be…" I trail off, trying to think of a way to say this that won't make George yell at me. "He might get loud sometimes, but he's loveable sometimes too."

"I hate you," George tells me, finally snatching up a dish towel and mopping the water from my big splash off his face. "Aether, is that why you made that weird noise when we were talking about Flame's fireman? Is Flame getting a person too?"

"Oh. I don't know. I was just wondering if Flame does count as an arsonist. Because he's had to start fires on purpose before, when the balance required it, but he's also spent a lot of time trying to control fires and put them out, which is the opposite of an arsonist. Can you be something and not be something at the same time?"

George stares at him, then turns to me. "Where's the weed?"

"I'll get it," Perry volunteers. "I've only been awake for an hour and already I?—"

A very bouncy tune starts to play from the windowsill, cutting him off. It takes me a few seconds of humming along to realize it's my phone ringing. "That's me! Maybe it's my River!" I yank my hands out of the water and race for the sill, sending droplets flying everywhere. River and I exchanged phone numbers this morning. I don't use my phone much, but it seemed important to him, so I charged it and everything.

I slide my fingers over the screen until the ringing stops. "Hello? River?"

"Aqua." His voice booms out, which I don't think is supposed to happen. I look at the screen. There are a bunch of symbols there, but I'm not sure what they all mean. Maybe this is the normal volume and humans hold their phones to their ears because they have bad hearing? "I think I need help."

"River, this is Perry. You're on speaker," Perry says, coming around the island and giving me an exasperated look.

"Oh. Hi. Uh, that's fine—this isn't private. Not from you guys, anyway."

"What's wrong, my River?" I ask anxiously. "I can help you. Do you need a tidal wave?"

"No!" The shout echoes from four voices.

"No tidal wave," Aether insists.

"I'll second that," River says. "Listen, Aqua, I need you to tell me exactly what happened yesterday. How did you know I was running out of air?"

"The ocean told me," I reply promptly. "That's never happened before. Oceans are big, and water is eternal. It doesn't really care when one person dies. But it really wanted me to save you. So I found you and saved you." I beam at the phone. Best thing I've ever done.

"Oh… Oh-kay. Um… did the ocean say how it knew I was in trouble?"

I frown. "No. But let me check…" I reach out to the beautiful water, pushing down the immediate longing to be in it. Streams of knowledge flow through me, and I say, "It felt the weight of the air tanks when you got in and knew how long you'd be able to stay down, and then felt the air bubbles escaping and knew you'd have less time. It really likes you—it looks forward to when you visit, so it's noticed these things." I'm smiling again, because the water does like River—adores him. It recognizes him as part of me, but I don't think I should say that.

There's a little silence, then, "So this is the weirdest question I've ever asked, but does the ocean know how my equipment got faulty? Not just the air tank but the dive computer too?"

More knowledge rushes into me. "Not exactly. Only that they already were when you first got into the water." Something new. "The ocean says someone dived six tides ago with your equipment, though. Do you share equipment sometimes? The water seems to think that shouldn't have happened."

"It shouldn't," River says grimly. "We don't share equipment. I don't suppose the ocean knows that person's name?"

I shake my head, then realize he can't see me. "Sorry. The ocean doesn't know names. It doesn't like them, though. Am I helping? What's wrong, my River?"

"I'm going to try to get out of here early," he says. "Perry, you still there?"

"Yeah. What's going on?" Perry's brow has that little crease in it that means he's worried.

"I don't know for sure, but I think someone tampered with my equipment. I want to get my research and gear out of here—can you bring the car and help me?"

Tampered with his… My eyes widen. "Someone tried to drown you?"

Outside, the crash of waves increases and thunder booms, dark clouds gathering. George and Aether are by my sides a second later.

"Rein it in," George orders, even as Aether puts a hand on my shoulder and peace floods into me.

The fury of the ocean eases, and the sky clears.

"I don't know for sure," River's saying. "But I don't want to take chances. I've told my boss that I'm setting up a field lab, and he signed off. We're cramped for space here anyway."

"I'm on my way," Perry assures him. "Don't worry—we've got this covered."

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