Chapter 28
The freezing water sent a shockwave through Gideon’s body as he dove into the lake. Eyes open, he could just make out the sprite’s form ahead of him. The dark, rippling shadows cast by the moon moved through the water, making everything surreal.
He swam like his life depended on it, and maybe it did, just a little. Sabrina would be wrecked if anything happened to the sprite. Gideon wouldn’t be pleased either, despite his feelings toward the creature. Annoying as Korrin was, he didn’t deserve to become something’s meal.
He surfaced.
Korrin’s eyes widened. “What are you—”
Gideon grabbed Korrin and put him on his shoulder just as the water’s tension broke. In front of Gideon, a very different kind of creature surfaced. One of fairy tales and mythology. One he’d never imagined was real.
Treading water, knowing there was no way he could outswim this thing, he stared up at what could only be described as the Loch Ness Monster’s cousin. He prayed it wasn’t carnivorous.
The gray-green creature sported thin spines that ran in V-shaped ridges from his brow all the way down his neck and disappeared below the water.
His dark, luminous eyes blinked at Gideon, his head tipping slightly.
Then a musical trilling came out of his throat, and he smiled, showing off rows of razor-sharp teeth.
Gideon swallowed. He hoped that was a smile. “Nice, uh, lake monst—er, creature.”
Korrin flew off Gideon’s shoulder, raising himself to eye level with the creature, and made a sound very much like the one the creature had made.
The creature made that sound again, along with a few new ones.
Korrin repeated several of them.
They were talking. There was no other explanation for it.
Korrin reached out and stroked the creature on the head, right between the eyes. The creature’s eyes closed, and another soft trill came out of him, lower in register and almost like a purr.
Korrin looked over his shoulder at Gideon. “Don’t worry, he’s not going to eat us.”
That was a relief. “Are you actually talking to him?”
“Yep. His name is Seymour. He seems a bit lonely.”
Seymour’s eyes came open, and he nodded, making a sad sound.
This was the strangest thing that had ever happened to Gideon in Shadowvale so far. And that was saying something. “Well, tell him to come meet Sabrina. I’m sure she’d love to talk to him.”
Gideon started backstroking toward the dock, not quite ready to take his eyes off Seymour. When he’d put a little distance between them, he turned and swam faster, his body starting to shiver with the cold.
Finally, he could touch bottom. He walked toward the shore next to the pier. His teeth were chattering.
Sabrina was staring in disbelief. “What just happened?”
“The sprite made a f-friend. Seymour. Don’t worry, he’s c-coming to meet you. I think.” Gideon looked back. “Yep. On their w-way.”
“You’re shivering.”
He nodded. “Water’s c-cold.”
“Oh! I have some men’s clothing in the car. Dry stuff you can change into. Hang on.” She ran to the car ahead of him.
Why would Sabrina have men’s clothing in her car?
She opened the rear hatch and pulled out a large, paper grocery bag.
“Let’s see what’s in here. Sweatshirt, that’s good.
What else?” She shoved the sweatshirt into his arms and dug into the bag again.
“Sweatpants, socks and a T-shirt. Stella, you are a gift.” She pushed the rest of the clothing into his arms and opened the rear passenger door.
“There you go. Get changed and meet me out on the dock. I’ll have hot chocolate waiting for you. ”
“Th-thanks.” He could barely get the word out, his teeth were chattering so badly. Clutching the clothing, he got into the car and pulled the door shut. He hated that he was getting her back seat wet, then realized he was sitting on a towel.
He went still, taking in the moment. This was not how his life went. He should have drowned out there. Or at least come close. Or gotten bitten by Seymour. Or something. And there definitely shouldn’t be dry clothes or a towel to sit on.
He looked toward the pier. Or a beautiful woman waiting for him with hot chocolate.
This was not what he was used to. What was happening?
Another shiver ran through him. He got to work shedding his soaking clothes, which wasn’t easy because he was shaking and the fabric stuck to him, but he soon had his shirt off.
He pulled the T-shirt on, then the sweatshirt over his head, and went to work on his pants.
The struggle to change helped warm him up.
By the time he got out of the car and walked down the pier in his new socks, he was feeling mostly human again. Still chilled but nothing like he’d been.
Sabrina stood there, thermos in hand. Seymour was at the end of the pier, most of his body visible. The spines went all the way down to his tail. He and Korrin were talking about something.
“Get your coat on,” Sabrina said. “Then I’ll give you a cup of hot chocolate.”
He nodded, grabbing his coat off the wood planks. She poured while he put it on.
She held the cup out. “What you did was really courageous. Thank you.”
He sipped the hot chocolate. It was piping hot, and he could feel it warming him up as he swallowed. “Just seemed like the right thing.”
She moved closer, eyes shining in the moonlight. She was looking at him like he was … some kind of hero or something. “You’re a good man, Gideon Locke. Strange. A little grumpy.” She smiled. “But good.”
He snorted. “Thanks. I think.”
Her hand came up to cup his face. It was soft and warm, and he couldn’t remember when he’d felt such a soothing touch. “You’re broken. I know that. I can feel it. But I don’t care. I like you. I wish … I wish you’d let me in.”
Seymour’s grunt saved Gideon from answering. She turned to look at the lake creature, and Gideon shifted his attention in that direction, too.
The sprite was now sitting on Seymour’s head. Korrin smiled cheerfully. “Seymour says he smells chocolate and would like to know if there’s any extra. Also, he wants you to know he really likes blackberry pie.”
“I have chocolate in the form of brownies but no blackberry pie,” Sabrina said. “Can he have chocolate?”
Korrin let out a series of little noises, to which Seymour responded. Korrin nodded. “He said he can definitely have chocolate.”
“Okay,” she said. “Brownies coming up.” She left Gideon and crouched next to the picnic bag. She pulled out a ziplock baggie. She looked at Gideon. “All things considered, I’d say you get the first one.”
She unzipped the bag and held it out to him. He took one, feeling much more human again. While he ate, she took the baggie to the end of the pier and gave one to Korrin and finally, Seymour, holding the brownie flat on her palm and feeding it to him like she might a horse.
She stood there, touching the creature’s snout while he ate. Gideon joined her, still drinking the hot chocolate.
She traced a finger up the bridge of Seymour’s broad face. “He’s really beautiful, isn’t he?”
Gideon nodded. “You are a handsome beast, Seymour.”
Seymour tipped his head back and snorted.
Gideon laughed. Laughed. With a sea monster. Or whatever Seymour was. Gideon’s world was so upside down. Sure, something bad would happen to him when he got home. He’d trip or break something or find a toilet had clogged or something, but right now, he didn’t care.
Right now, he was wearing someone else’s donated clothing, drinking hot chocolate, eating a brownie, standing next to a beautiful woman who liked him, and talking to a sea monster through his new friend and interpreter, a sprite.
But none of that was what made this so strange. What made it so strange was that he was happy. Genuinely happy.
Sabrina said she knew he was broken and didn’t care. How true was that? Would she change her mind if she found out the truth of his curse? No woman would want to be saddled with a jinx for the rest of her life.
But this was a conversation he couldn’t ignore much longer. After what she’d said to him tonight, she deserved to know the truth.
Should he wait until they were done with the music box? Just in case? Probably the right move. Then, when she decided it was too much for her to handle, it wouldn’t be so awkward. She wouldn’t have to see him if she didn’t want to.
A little of his happiness slipped away.
But that was to be expected for a man like him.