Chapter Nine

"It's crazy just how big these things get." Cee said, trailing her fingers down the antrorse bark of a towering redwood. Walking beside her, I did the same, my nails sinking into the tiny grooves.

"They've had thousands of years to grow undisturbed." I replied.

"So they were saplings when Kai was a baby!"

The merman walking beside us frowned. "I'm not that old."

Cee waved a hand. "You're a grandpa who just so happens to have the body of a college freshman on an athletic scholarship. Maren would know."

"Cee!" I warned her. She laughed wickedly, the sound echoing off the trees, drawing stares from a couple that had the misfortune of wandering down the same path as us. Unsurprisingly, they took the next turn on the path, winding deeper into the woods, far from our party.

It'd taken a little over an hour to drive to Big Basin, and Kai handled the drive well despite being folded into the backseat of Cee's convertible. We were dressed in her ‘Dust' collection, a patchwork design of muted earth tones in taupe, sage green, and black. After spending the day on a windy cliffside, following the morning tryst Cee had nearly walked in on, we now had only one collection left to photograph. This clothing line was like her baby, and with so much riding on its success, she was, understandably, freaking out. I assured her that Kai and I would help, especially since I had nothing to do except keep him under the radar. I didn't think anyone would go looking for a merman in the middle of the forest.

He'd joined me on smaller excursions this week, like grocery shopping or when Cee insisted we take him to the mall. I had put my foot down when she suggested we go to Vegas. Even if he could blend in, the idea of Cee teaching him to gamble, or taking him to a burlesque show…no, absolutely not.

Johnny was working a double shift, but had lent Cee his camera, and she'd taken on the role of director and photographer with brutal efficiency. "Let's get you over here," Cee said, pointing to a nondescript cluster of redwoods.

"Why these ones?" I asked, setting my backpack down so it was out of the frame of where she was indicating.

"I like it's spunk," Cee replied. "Plus, there's a stump you two can sit on."

Kai was already beside the tree, his hands splayed over the bark, head dipped like he was praying, or having a silent conversation. With what little I knew about his powers, maybe he was.

"Is it telling you anything interesting?" I smiled.

"Not in the way you'd assume," his lips tilted up as well. "I can feel the water running through her. She's old, very old…" his brows furrowed, then he stood back. "There's a waterfall not far from here."

"I don't hear anything," I said, straining my ears to listen. The only thing I picked up was the rustling of leaves and the bird calls from up in the canopy.

"The roots transport water from the river," his gaze traveled up, shielding his eyes against the sunlight filtering through, "It stretches all the way up to the top."

"Hollow tubes run throughout the bark," I explained, pantomiming. "It stores water and sends it all over the tree." I tried to think of an example that he could relate it to, but nothing came to mind.

"Alright Bill Nye, let's move. If there is a waterfall nearby, we can stop there for lunch." Cee tossed my bag to me. "Which way?" she asked Kai.

He pointed further up the trail, and we began walking, Kai in the lead.

I twisted my braid around my finger, pinning it to the back of my head to alleviate the sweat pooling at the back of my neck. It was another hot, cloud-free day. The tree cover helped with the sun, but not the humidity, and the anti-perspirant I'd lathered on wasn't doing jack-shit. I hoped Cee knew how to remove pit stains post-edit.

Our trek wound deeper into the forest, rounding rock formations, dense groves, and hundreds of redwoods. Ferns danced in the humid wind, sulfur-shelf mushrooms climbed up the bases of rotting and fallen trees. I enjoyed the crunch of leaves shed from the deciduous trees sprinkled in amongst the evergreens. On a high branch somewhere, I could hear the sweet trilling of a hermit thrush.

It was surprising that the park had reopened so fast. A bout of lightning strikes had sparked a massive forest fire that wreaked havoc on the area a few years ago. Like the resilient tests of time that they were, most of the redwoods survived, though not completely unscathed. But nearly all of the infrastructure had been burned to a crisp. Evacuations had been issued in the nearby towns, and a lot of trails were still closed to the public.

Still, even with so much destruction, life had crept back in the form of lichen, and green sprouts shooting up through the charred surface like scabs covering an open wound. In time, the forest would grow back, but with the temperatures getting hotter and drier, it was unlikely that this would be the last time Big Basin, or forests like it, faced an uncontrollable inferno.

Cee fell into step beside me, our shoulders bumping as she saddled up close enough that I cringed from her body heat. I felt like I was soft boiling. "So, you finally ready to tell me what I walked in on the other day?"

I shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I got a very interesting alert on the security system that night saying the back gate had been opened after midnight. You"re lucky I didn't call the cops."

I stifled my blush. "I was making sure he got back okay, and he wanted to swim."

"And you ended up swimming in his sheets," she went on, inspecting her nails. "Glad to see you made up after your little lover's spat."

She was more pleased that her evil plan seemed to be working. "I'm done talking about this," I said, facing the trail, but added, "I don't pry for info on you and Allie."

She waved a dismissive hand. "You're shagging a mythical creature, can't I try to live vicariously through you for a while?"

"You've lived vicariously enough for the both of us." I laughed. Cee was the very definition of ‘wild child' and took things to a whole new level when she breezed through nearly every guy in our senior class, hiding from the subsequent, real issue-that she knew her dad would accept nothing less from her than an advantageous marriage to one of his associate's sons. It wasn't until college, when she truly got to explore, that her ‘bitch-switch' flipped, and I, as her roommate, was privy to every partner that she let in and subsequently threw out. It had taken a lot of trust and sacrifice for her and Allie to make it to where they were now, but I'd never seen her happier. I know she only wished the same for me, but... "You're not prying into my sex life. That"s final."

Her eyes went wider than saucers, "So you do have a sex life?"

It wasn"t as much of a sex life as it was a lot of kissing and heavy petting mixed with a killer line-up of nautical cinema. So far we'd watched both Little Mermaids, Aquaman, and three out of the five Pirates of the Caribbean movies, and only because we had to start one over when Kai had become too distracted in our…other activities…to focus on the movie. When it came to seductive prowess, he blew every male lead out of the water. Cut your heart out with a rusty dagger, Will Turner.

I shrugged. "I don't kiss and tell. Get your kicks from your e-reader."

"Okay, I hit a nerve," Cee apologized. "I just want to make sure you two were comfy before he officially becomes your sleepover buddy."

"Your parents are coming back?" I asked. In the pause between her response, I could make out the sounds of roaring water ahead.

"Mom rang me and said they'll make it for graduation, but I wouldn"t be surprised if that means as the ceremony is starting."

"Any luck convincing your dad?"

"Not from the other side of the globe, and no word on the yacht either. His brilliant idea to torment me, I'm sure." Cee rolled said eyes in exasperation. "So I ruined a few of his suits, he's trying to ruin my life. We're far from even."

I waved a hand. "I thought of a backup plan." I'd messaged Juno the afternoon following our photos on the cliffs, and he'd agreed to lend us the boat as soon as he returned from a research excursion of his own. Since I knew we'd be spending today in the woods with no cell service, Becca had volunteered to get the keys from him, and I offered to cook dinner tonight as a thank you. "And the investors from the gala?"

She bit her lip, "No leads, but I branched out through a mutual contact and got an interview with Laurel Thorpe. I can see that name means nothing to you, but she's super important in the fashion world. She wants to see the designs after our next shoot, which I told her would be tomorrow."

No wonder she wanted a distraction. The course of her entire future would be decided in less than a day. "Consider my incredibly busy schedule cleared."

"Good, cause we're gonna be doing some more driving. Palm Desert to be exact. Unless of course you want to reconsider Vegas?" Her eyebrows wiggled and she nudged me.

"That's still the desert," I pointed out.

"Yes, but with gambling, running water, and a top-notch stripper-"

"Not gonna happen."

She pouted. "Fine. Palm Desert it is. With any luck we'll have the weather on our side. Oh!" she cried. "You just reminded me, I have to show you the photos from the aquarium, they came out great!"

"Who knew Kai had a secret model in him?" I mused.

"You haven't been doing so bad yourself," Cee said. "If this science thing doesn"t pan out, you can always work for me."

I laughed. "Sorry, but the ocean has my heart. Once everything's sorted with Kai, I'm going to send out some resumes. Juno even said he might take me on as his teacher's assistant."

Cee threw her arms around me, pulling me down to her height as I lost my balance. "Ah, my girl's gonna save the world!"

"You're helping," I protested, disentangling her. I really needed a bath, my skin was so sticky. "One sustainable clothing item at a time."

"You think?"

"I doubt there's anyone out there that could stop you." When Cee put her mind to something, it was impressive to witness how fast she cut through the red tape.

"Shut up, you'll make me blush and I'm already sweating my tits off." she fanned her cheeks. Strands of hair had fallen from her messy bun, and she halted, "Hold up a second," she said, bending over to redo it.

I smirked, turning to tell Kai we were pausing.

He wasn't there.

"Kai?" I called, turning in place.I hadn't been keeping track of him during our conversation, hadn't seen which direction he wandered off. I took a few steps further up the incline, shouting for him again, "Kai?!"

"Where'd he go?" Cee asked, adjusting the camera bag on her shoulder.

"Let's go," I rushed up the hill, my lungs burning as I pushed myself faster. The top of the hill plateaued out to a flat expanse cut by a ravine. The river was a steep drop below, a knife that had carved up the landscape over millions of years. Up ahead, a golden cascade of water tumbled in the distance. A wooden bridge had been erected across the gap, artfully rendered to look as if it had grown there and could lead you to a hidden world of fairies.

My heart lurched as I gazed down both sides of the ravine. What if he missed the bridge and slipped? Could that happen? Suddenly all I could feel was his absence, like water carving out my insides leaving nothing but a gaping hollow. Oh god, was he hurt?

"Kai!" I called again.

"Kai, where are you?!" Cee joined in, cupping her hands over her mouth to magnify her voice.

This wasn't happening. I did not just lose him, and in the woods of all places! I rubbed my temples, feeling the sharp pain of a headache rising with my anxiety. Did we keep looking or go back for help? I'm pretty sure if anyone besides Cee or I found him, it would spell trouble. He was still wary of humans, and if he perceived any of them as a threat, he might hurt them in self-defense.

"Maren, there." Cee's cool voice snapped me out of my panic, as did the hand resting on my shoulder as she pointed to the base of the waterfall. White mist rose from the river where the thundering water crashed, making the visibility hazy. But I could still see him, so small and far below us. He was waving, trying to get our attention.

I nearly jumped over the cliffs and swam after him. Only Cee's hand on my shoulder kept me in place, and I grabbed it, tugging her over the bridge and off the trail. We picked our way over to a calmer section of the river, and Kai met us halfway. I stumbled over a root, and right into his awaiting arms.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" I hissed, clutching the soft fabric of his shirt, damp from the mist. I was half-tempted to beat my fists against his chest.

He stroked a hand over my hair. "You told me to lead you to the waterfall."

"Yes, lead. As in, don't leave us behind," Cee said, unslinging the camera bag and rummaging inside.

"I didn't mean to worry you." Kai whispered, his lips pressed to my ear. "Please don't be upset."

"I'm not upset." I said, voice muffled.

"Liar," he said gently. "You have tears in your eyes."

Damn him and his freaky water powers.I sniffled, using my knuckle to press on my tear ducts. The heat had already smudged my makeup, but if I turned into a water-logged raccoon before Cee got her photos she'd dunk my head in the river and start over with whatever she had in her bag.

She was unpacking the camera, having set the rest of our supplies at the base of a tree. "Well, that heart attack shaved a few years off my life," she said dryly, twisting a lens into place until it clicked. "How about we get some photos before you disappear on us again? In my clothes, I might add."

"How about it, little star?" Kai said, tilting my chin up, bringing me in for one chaste kiss that definitely didn't go unnoticed by my best friend. In fact, I'm sure I heard the shutter go off. "Are you ready?"

"Yea," I murmured. "Just, don't vanish this time, alright?"

"Not without you," he promised.

After nearly an hour of posing near, against, up, or in the surrounding trees, Cee blessedly called for a lunch break. We couldn't have picked a more idyllic setting, the tang of the water rising from the falls cooling the otherwise blistering heat, casting prismatic rainbows where the light hit at just the right angle.

She had even gone as far as to bring a picnic blanket, blue and checkered, which she laid out over a nearby clearing deemed the most devoid of roots and undergrowth, before unpacking our supplies. I picked out the dirt from beneath my nails as we ate in peaceful silence, the deamflum and trilling sound of birds lending a calming ambience. I let my muscles relax and sank into the bliss, resting my head on Kai's lap as he experimentally prodded the tuna sandwich I'd made him, taking a slow bite. A little laugh escaped me when his eyes lit up and he began to eat with gusto.

"I wish we could stay here forever," Cee sighed, resting on her elbows after setting her food aside. Her tanned face was tilted towards the clouds, blonde hair spilling over her shoulders. "Are there other mermen on land?" she asked after a moment.

"Not that I know of. We don't linger outside of the water for very long. Eventually, the pull of the sea draws us back from wherever we are. " Kai said, wiping the corner of his mouth with a napkin and licking his lips. I had to blink a few times to refocus on what he was saying, envisioning all the places on my body that mouth had been, and vice versa. "Some come and go more often. And we have some, like me, who have studied your ways in order to fit in better."

I raised an eyebrow, "You didn't want to wear clothes." I reminded him.

"I find them confining, except yours Cee. I daresay they are some of the most comfortable I have ever worn."

"Can I get that in writing?"

He laughed, and the rich, warm sound of it made my breath hitch. He gave me a look that said my reaction hadn't gone unnoticed.

Cee watched us, probably wondering if she was missing out on a silent conversation. Apparently Kai's telepathy didn't work with her, even after several attempts. Yet another thing I had no answers for, but it didn't bother me as much as it used to. Kai, like much of the ocean, was a mystery, and I enjoyed taking my time uncovering his secrets.

Cee continued along her train of thought, "If merman can blend in with humans, do you think there are other things out there?"

"Like what?" I asked her.

"Fairies," Cee said, scanning the trees like saying the word would help her spot them flying through the woods. "Werewolves, vampires? Other mythical creatures that occupy every teenage girl's romantic fantasies?"

"Even if your Rosalie hall pass was valid, I doubt he would know about all the ones on land." But it did get me thinking of other kinds of monsters, ones that were as prevalent in our mythology as mermaids. "What about the Kraken?" I asked, "Giant squid, arms a quarter mile long..." I clarified when he looked at me questioningly. "The closest comparison we've found is the giant squid."

"That would be quite a beast to hunt," he said. I could picture it too, Kai facing down a giant cephalopod with nothing but a spear and that trademark smirk, "I can't say I've ever encountered one, but now you've piqued my curiosity.. What other creatures made their way into your human folk tales?"

I tried to compile a list, "The Greeks had Sirens that were half bird, but they often stayed near the water. Like modern day seagulls," he shook his head. "Alright, what about Scylla and Charybdis? A six headed-cave dwelling monster, and a giant whirlpool that could swallow ships."

"Humans and your active imaginations," Kai muttered. "I know of no such beasts. If they persisted today, your modern technologies would have already discovered them."

"We didn't discover mermaids until recently," I pointed out.

"And a few centuries ago, you thought the earth was flat,"

"Some still do," Cee pointed out.

"I'll never understand how someone could think they'd fall off the edge of the world if they went too far." I grumbled.

Kai rolled his eyes, a gesture too close to Cee's for my comfort. "Of course not."

"We still don't know if Nessie is real," Cee added.

"I've already told you, there's no way a creature that big could hide at the bottom of the Loch for that many centuries."

"She could be a dragon," She pantomimed a figure weaving through the water, "Able to breath underwater and hide out from submarines. There are a bunch of cave systems."

"If dragons existed on land, humans hunted them to extinction long before they were recorded." Kai said. "In the water, they have also perished, any remains consumed by salt and time."

I recalled the beautiful artistic renditions I'd seen of sea dragons. It was heart-rending that magnificent beings like them no longer existed. "What about Selkies? They look like ordinary seals until they slip off their skin."

"I haven't spent much time in the northern waters, but I know of brethren that have had encounters with them," Kai said. "I believe the tale goes that if a human captures their skin, they are bound to them for eternity?"

I sat up to face him. "Something along those lines."

"I know of no truth in those tales. There are few reasons that could keep our kin from the ocean's pull."

I opened my mouth, but Cee gasped, cutting off my unspoken question. "The megalodon?!"

I rolled my eyes. "We have historic and scientific evidence that the megalodon existed, Cee. We also know it went extinct over three million years ago."

"You said your people have long life spans," she continued, ignoring my quip. "Did they see them?"

"Saw them, fought them, ate them for dinner." Kai said, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "I'm told the battles were quite ferocious. We had a large hand in their extinction process. A reduction of their hunting grounds took care of the rest."

"I've been thinking…" I started, biting my lip.

"There's a shocker." Cee laughed, and I shot her a half-hearted glare.

"It's a pretty safe bet that merfolk and humans share a common ancestor." I reached my hand over Cee, plucking her phone from her bag. I had left mine back at the house, again, somewhere in my room, maybe under the bed. They could invent a waterproof phone that stuck to the side of the body, and I'd still manage to lose it. Pulling up a familiar evolutionary image of fish like figures rising from the water and becoming human, I showed it to Cee, then Kai. "If our theory of evolution is as accurate as we'd like to believe, not all of our kind left the water," I stared pointedly at Kai. "And our evolutionary progress would be split into two categories. Those with traits embodying land species, and ones with aquatic abilities."

Cee shrugged. "Makes sense to me."

"It does," Kai agreed.

"What I don't get is how your powers developed. Humans can't spark electrical outages or move water with their minds."

"No way," Cee breathed. "You can do that! Omigosh show me, show me!"

"We would need to be by the ocean…" I started, as Kai rose to his feet.

"That's not necessary," Kai said. We followed him to the edge of the river, further downstream from the waterfall, where the current wasn't as swift. "I'm not sure why we differ in this, but my people have always gone to great lengths to work in tandem with the world around us."

That wasn't our species at all. Even in recent history, we were still working against nature, the need for money and power still played heavy roles in our choices. "Some of us are better attuned with the earth. They claim they can sense the energy around them and manipulate the elements." Of course, many of those people were hippies, pagans, and performers held in slightly higher regard than the average street magician.

But Kai held none of those preconceived biases, "Perhaps they are speaking the truth," he said, taking my hand. He extended his other hand to Cee, who took it tentatively. "Perhaps one day, humans will be able to do this too."

Water began rising from the river, flying through the air in acrobatic patterns. Cee squealed in delight as the water wound around her shoulders, her waist, in thin streams. When they wove through her hair, flipping it over her head, I was surprised to see it was still dry.

Kai noticed my confused look, "I have control over this water. Even the molecules won't separate unless I will it."

I traced the pattern with the tip of my fingers that weren't entwined with Kai's, imagining the feeling of having an element bend to my will like that, the way I watched him do in the pool. He wasn't looking at me, still messing with Cee, but he must have seen my hand because it swirled in the circular motion I was making. I dropped my hand, feeling self-conscious. "Would it transform you if you got wet?" I asked.

He shook his head, "Only the sea has that effect. I imagine this water would just feel refreshing, given the heart of the day."

"Would it, now?" I saw the smirk on Cee's face a moment too late. With a nudge of her hip, my five-foot one friend finally managed to catch Kai off balance, his sandal catching on an exposed root as he tumbled into the water.

And since my hand was still firmly grasped in his, I went with him.

The water was refreshing, deep enough that I didn't hit my head falling in but could stand without rising to my tip toes. At full height, it came to the top of my chest.

I spluttered, coming up for air. Cee was clutching her stomach, doubled over laughing, "You are so dead for this!" I called.

"You were the one complaining about the heat." she replied between giggles.

Kai rose beside me, giving Cee an unimpressed look. Then he glanced at his legs, kicking one up to remove his remaining sandal, and chucked it at her. It hit its mark in the center of her back. "Hey!"

"Nice shot," I smiled.

"You two have no sense of humor," Cee grumbled. "Enjoy your swim. I'll pack up and meet you back here."

"Do you want help?" I asked, already moving towards the edge.

Cee shook her head, flexing her arms like a bodybuilder. "Nah, I've got this." As she picked her way back up the river, Kai looked at the distorted image of his legs through the water. He leaned back, giving a few experimental kicks. After a moment, he seemed to get his bearings, diving beneath the water and shooting off towards the falls. I stroked after him, my pace leisurely as I floated on my back. He popped up in front of me a few moments later.

"Having fun?" I asked with a lazy smile.

"It's strange," he admitted.

"The same way I imagine swimming with a tail would be."

"You've imagined it?" he sounded surprised yet…happy?

I sat up, burrowing my feet in the soft silt of the riverbed. "I've used a monofin before," I shrugged. "And I've been scuba diving. But as a marine biologist, since meeting you, yea I've definitely imagined it." I'd been far too preoccupied recently to keep up with my normal swimming schedule, our midnight swim in Cee's pool aside and my muscles were protesting from being out of the routine.

I reached down, peeling the soaked shirt up and over my body. Kai's eyes latched onto the lacy bralette, which barely hid the dark peaks of my breasts. They turned ravenous when I began to shimmy out of my capris.

"Not that I have any intention of stopping you, but what are you doing?"

Clothes water-laden and heavy, I chucked them towards the riverbank, where they hit the rocks with a wet slap. My socks went next, and I hoped they landed somewhere sunny and would dry before we had to walk back, otherwise I was going to make Cee switch- and her feet could be the ones squelching back to the car.

"The clothes weigh you down," I said, moving to the far side of the river to time my laps.

"In that case, why not take everything off?" he asked. His tone was innocent, but the little grin and fire that danced in his eyes, that was decidedly not.

I rolled my eyes. "Public place."

"We're already breaking the rules. I believe I saw a few distinct ‘no swimming' signs along our path."

"They also said to stay on the trails," I countered.

"You asked me to find the waterfall."

"Find it, not touch it." I motioned to his clothes "Are you going to join me?"

He shrugged, moving to the bank where my clothes lay to take off his own. I turned and gripped an exposed root along the edge of the river to steady myself, starting off with a few rounds of scissor kicks, before sinking beneath the surface, the lure of the water too tempting to resist. Fully submerged, I adjusted to the river's rhythms, its bends and curves, the ecosystem of plants and fish that tickled the soles of my feet when schools swam past. I stretched my arms over my head, kicking with both my feet to streamline my body. I could feel the waters energy, how the current flowed and shifted around my body like a lover"s caress, so foreign and yet… and yet familiar.

I didn't know when I had closed my eyes, but they opened to a translucent aquascape of teals and browns. My legs kicked in tandem with the current, but I wasn't moving. It swirled around me in circular motions, like a miniature whirlpool.

I poked my head out of the water. Kai was standing beside me, an inscrutable expression on his face. His arms were crossed over his bare chest, making the muscles in his biceps bulge, and my mouth went dry, all the moisture pooling low and heating. I bit my lip. Being enveloped in the water he was controlling, it was extremely sensual. I could feel it dipping around my body teasing my curves.

"You look like my people when you swim like that," he said, his voice a low growl like the shifting rock-bed in the current beneath us.

"T-thank you?" I said uncertainly.

"It's a compliment, little star." he laughed. "You swim beautifully."

"You're not so bad yourself, swimming on stilts for the first time." I said. We maneuvered over to the rocks on the edge of the river, the sun drenched stone delicious against my water-cooled thighs.

"It's a strange sensation," Kai replied. He lifted a foot. "You would never outpace a shark on these."

I'd never seen him swim in the ocean, but I didn't doubt it. "How fast are you?"

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I'm not sure how you would calculate it. At my top speed, I could easily pass a pod of dolphins."

And I thought hitting a mile in twenty minutes was impressive. Meanwhile, Kai could outpace most cars on the highway.

"I was thinking," Cee said, shuffling back into view, our bags slung over her shoulders. She was really selling the whole ‘hermit in the woods' vibe, and I'm sure she'd toss me back into the water if I told her so. She stopped short when she noticed our clothes on the bank, grinning wickedly. "What were you two up to?"

"We're swimming, since you so graciously gave us the opportunity," I pushed back a bit as Kai dropped his control over the river, the water reverting back to its usual flow. "You were saying?"

"Since the ‘rents aren't coming back until they absolutely have to, what do you say to a movie night? Tomorrow, we can educate Kai on some real classics."

I glanced at Kai, who lifted his hands. "I have no preference."

"You haven't seen the movies she'll pick," I mumbled to myself. "Why not? I'll let Becca know."

"She won"t be mad at me? I know she's been happy you've been spending more time at home."

"I'm twenty-five. I can have a girl's night if I want to," I glanced at Kai. "Well, girls' night, plus you."

Cee squealed, bags jostling, and she bounced on her heels. "Fantastic! I'll call Allie once we have cell reception."

"Great, only I'm not ready to get out yet. Kai?" he shook his head sinking back into the river, "That's two. Are you coming in?" I said, a hint of a challenge in my voice that told her she could either jump willingly, or Kai would pull her in.

She met it, a grin spreading on her face as she dropped the bags beside our wet clothes and began unbuttoning her shirt "You don't have to tell me twice."