Call of the Sea by Amanda Labonte

Author:Amanda Labonte [Amanda Labonté]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Amanda Labonte
Published: 2022-12-14T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

Rocks rolled under his sneakers as he headed for the sandy stretch of beach in Cox’s Cove. The clear night gave off plenty of light, and he had no trouble making out the spot where they usually had their bonfire. He walked past it right to the face of the cliff that helped enclose the cove. A narrow, sandy path, not even two feet wide, ran the edge of the rock right out to the point.

He stumbled on wet sand as he followed the path. His sneakers were soaked through in seconds, but he continued going until a boulder blocked his way. He stepped into the water and got soaked to the knees. Gripping the side of the rock until he got round the other side, he stopped.

A narrow opening in the shape of an upside-down V split the cliff face not more than five feet from where he stood.

What if he’d imagined it all?

Letting out a deep breath, he walked through the cave entrance.

“Hello?” He paused in the doorway. The setting sun made it difficult to see anything inside. He was struck by the strange blend of salt water and incense that filled the air. Not an ordinary cave. A dripping sound coming from somewhere farther inside gave him the impression the cave extended fairly far back.

He took a few tentative steps inside but paused when he heard the scratching of a match. Her face lit up briefly as the flame flared. The flickering light was swallowed in the kerosene lamp, and the interior of the cave sprang to life.

Now that he wasn’t fearing for his life, he actually took time to look around. No longer filled with water, the cave floor was covered in sand and encompassed an area about the size of Artie’s office at school, but with a higher ceiling. The rocky ledge he’d woken up on earlier was about four feet off the ground and quite wide, holding an array of objects — an old sea chest, candle holders, some books — but the main feature at this moment was the girl sitting balanced on the ledge.

Her long red hair hung loose and appeared dry for once. It curled over her shoulders and back. She wore her usual dress — the dark shift that covered her from shoulder to tail fin. He figured she didn’t get much call for wardrobe changes.

“Welcome back,” she said.

“You were expecting me?”

She smiled, and her face radiated light. He lost his breath for a moment. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to stay away.”

“It’s not every day you meet a mermaid. Plus Annar gave me a heads up.” He cleared his throat and took a few steps inside. “It feels so … unreal.”

Her smile faded a little. “I know how you feel. I remember the first time I realized what was above, what was up here. It was so thrilling. I wanted to experience everything.”

“Really?” Alex took a seat nearby on the ledge. He couldn’t help look around at the collection of objects scattered in the nooks and crannies behind him.

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