PROLOGUE

I am a Water Witch: a magickal practitioner aligned with the element of water in all of its corporeal forms, whether it is the waves and tides of the oceans, or the swirling depths of the mighty river that flows past my hometown. Humble creeks and ponds, a hidden spring that bubbles forth from the ground, or the rain that falls from the skies…I have an intimate connection to it all.

The youngest of four daughters, my parents named me Cordelia, a Welsh name that means: ‘jewel of the sea.' My mother insists that I was so determined to make my arrival during the watery sign of Pisces, that I surprised everyone by showing up three and a half weeks early with an emergency delivery during a family vacation.

The story goes that my parents had taken the family to Florida over the spring holidays to visit with my Aunt Mia. One last hurrah, they'd always said, before they became a family of six. My mother's water broke while she was walking through the surf thinking to enjoy some alone time with my father.

According to my dad, I was in such a hurry to be born that he didn't have the chance to rush my mother to the nearest hospital. Once he realized baby was coming right then, he hollered for help and my mother began to push. The tide rolled in and washed over the two of them as they were down on the sand that night. The warm waves splashed my father as he knelt there, and water went up and up over my mother's straining belly.

Meanwhile, my father was trying to keep my mother calm, bracing to deliver me, and even though a bystander called 911, there simply wasn't enough time. All my father could do was catch. And so I was literally born into his waiting hands and welcomed by the ocean's waves.

By the time the paramedics had arrived, I was already wrapped in a beach towel that some kind passerby had given them and wailing my head off. In my baby book there's a newspaper article about it all. My mother proudly taped it to the pages, so I would always remember that the element of water had embraced me from the start.

During my lifetime, the element of water has both comforted and challenged me…and the truth is if I'm not swimming in it at least every other day, I never feel quite right. Probably because I was swimming before I could walk. I was so determined to get in the water that my parents—worried for my safety—signed me up for a baby swimming class.

As a child each summer, I was constantly in our small home swimming pool. The first time we went to a public pool I dove right in and started trying to swim laps. Exasperated, my parents went searching for a swimming team for me to join, thinking I would grow bored with the discipline required to race—but instead I loved it.

I kept on swimming competitively as I grew older. Swimming opened doors for me that I would have never even dreamed of knocking on. In high school I won the Greater Athletic Conference Championship for the 200m freestyle, also topping the standings alongside my team for the 400-meter relay.

That earned me a college scholarship and the chance to swim on the collegiate level, which in turn allowed me to compete in the Olympic trials. Making the Olympic team was a dream come true. After medaling at the Summer Olympics, I competed in both Nationals and World competitions for a few years, always chasing gold. I got one eventually, and then I knew it was time to retire from competition.

Because while I loved the competition, I absolutely hated the press and all the media attention that came with it.

But I will always be grateful for the opportunity that swimming has provided me. I have seen a lot of the world, met fascinating people… But in my heart I knew where I belonged: here at home, living quietly in southwestern Illinois, coaching and teaching kids how to swim.

Currently, I was floating on my back in the water. It was late and I had the aquatic center all to myself. I had finished my laps for the day and was cooling down. A slow backstroke helped me to stretch out, and I automatically kept my eyes on the lines in the ceiling to keep myself in the center of my lane. Then again, I'd been swimming for so many years I didn't really need the guide. My inner compass and training kept me on course.

I rolled over and touched the wall. With a contented sigh, I pulled myself out of the water and up onto the pool deck. Walking over to my towel waiting on the bench, I blotted my face and pulled the swim cap and goggles off.

As I was rubbing the towel over my arms, a loud noise had me jumping and turning to look over my shoulder.

"Sorry, Coach." The custodian of the aquatic center, Marcus, smiled sheepishly. "Didn't mean to startle you. I dropped some of my cleaning equipment."

"No worries, Marcus," I told him.

"How's the girls' relay team doing this week?" he asked.

I smiled. "Edging closer to triple A times with every practice." As I spoke, I tugged on a pair of sweatpants over my navy, one-piece suit and zipped up a gray jacket over it all.

"Want me to walk you out to your car?" he asked.

I stepped into my crocs and waved the offer off. "I'm fine." Fishing my car keys out, I stuffed my towel into my bag and slung it over my shoulder. "See you tomorrow."

"You bet." Marcus nodded. "Be sure and lock up after yourself."

"Will do," I called over to him. "Have a good night."

"Thanks," he said and busied himself by unlocking the maintenance closet.

As I moved through the aquatic center, the only sound was my footfall against the linoleum floors. During after-hours, the majority of the lights on our side of the building were off, leaving only the ones needed for security. I let myself out the doors, locked them behind me, and started across the lot to my car.

A breeze rolled through and caused me to shiver a bit. The smell of the autumn leaves and the spice of the purple chrysanthemums planted around the entrance teased my senses, a welcome respite from the chlorine of the pool. Halloween was two weeks away. I was looking forward to it and to attending the annual Halloween Masquerade Ball held at the Marquette Mansion with my handsome boyfriend, Tim Emory.

My cell phone rang, and I paused to retrieve it from the outer pocket of my bag. I hit accept and answered. "Hi Tim."

"Hey beautiful," he said. "Are you headed home from practice?"

"Sure am."

"Did Marcus walk you out?"

"Nope." I rolled my eyes. "I'm walking to my car all by myself, like a grown up."

"Cordelia." Tim's voice was disapproving. "You promised me you wouldn't walk around alone after dark."

"Tim," I answered in kind. "You don't need to call and check on me every time I leave the aquatic center."

"I should have sent a car from the sheriff's department to wait for you."

"Ha!" I laughed as I unlocked the door of my vintage VW Bug. "The Ames Crossing Sheriff's Department doesn't have jurisdiction in Alton."

"I could always ask Detective Callahan to have an officer escort you to your vehicle..."

"You leave my sister's boyfriend out of this," I said, opening the door. "Austin is a busy man."

"He's worried about you, and so am I."

"There's no need." I dropped down in the driver's seat. "I've dealt with overzealous swim fans before."

"Did you remember to eat dinner tonight?" he asked.

"I'm going to grab a roast beef sandwich on my way home," I assured him as I shut the car door.

"Cordelia." He sighed. "Did you work out on an empty stomach again?"

"I'm fine," I said firmly, even as my stomach rumbled.

"Call me when you get home."

"Yes, dear," I said playfully.

"Love you," he said.

"Love you, too," I replied and ended the call.

I was smiling as I put the key in the ignition and started my car. When the headlights came on, I noticed there was a greeting-card sized envelope tucked under the wiper on the driver's side of the windshield.

"Shit."

My heart slammed into my throat. Checking my surroundings to ensure that no one was lurking nearby, I opened my door, climbed half-way out, and snatched the envelope from the windshield. Quickly I dropped back down, then shut and locked the car door behind myself.

My name had been handwritten in block letters across the front of a blue envelope. With trembling fingers, I opened it and a single folded piece of paper fell out.

I unfolded it and saw someone had glued an old newspaper photo of me to the page. The photograph was one of me standing on the medal podium at the Olympic games.

But the photo had been torn so that my head was missing. I discovered that the absent part of the photograph was in fact pasted to the bottom of the page. All around it, red marker had been scribbled, giving the gruesome impression that I'd been decapitated.

Beneath it a single line had been printed out: This is what you deserve!

Reading the message, I swore creatively and with vehemence.