The wind was bitter despite the bright morning sun, and I squinted at the horizon, holding onto the side of the boat as we jostled out to the wreck site. Jenks sat beside me in the lee of the cabin, both amazed and appalled that he could see his breath and wasn't freezing to death. It hadn't seemed this cold when we were on the dock, but it was frigid out here, with the water still holding the cold of ice, even through the rubber of the wet suit. When in hell were they going to give us our warmth amulets?
"You okay?" Jenks asked, his voice raised against the chortling engine.
I nodded, taking in his cold-reddened hands wrapped about his lidded coffee, trying to eek out some warmth from it as we bounced on the choppy waves the wind had whipped up. He looked nervous, though I didn't know why. He'd done well at the practice pool yesterday. I patted his knee, and he jumped. Cringing, I turned to watch the other passengers - high school students on a field trip.
We had lucked out yesterday. My call to Marshal's Mackinaw Wrecks got us an afternoon of practice at the high school pool and a place on today's boat. I still hadn't managed to talk to Captain Marshal, and it was down to the wire now. The man, whose day job was as the high school's swim coach, had been very nice as he treaded water and painstakingly coaxed Jenks in past his knees, but everytime I tried to talk to him about why I wanted to go out on his boat, someone, usually his assistant, interrupted. Before I knew it class was over and Marshal was gone, without my having gotten more than a good look at him in his Speedo and a bad case of the flushing stammers as I tried to gain his attention and his help. The guy probably thought I was a flaky redhead. I knew his assistant, Debbie, did.
Today was the season's first run, traditionally taking out the high school dive team to find what the last winter's storm had unearthed before the currents could cover it again. Come Friday and the first of the fudgies, all the real stuff would be carefully cataloged, and the nails and buttons planted for the tourists would be in place. Ethical? I didn't know. It would be disappointing to spend this much money and have nothing to show for it, even if it was fake.
With his youthful physique, Jenks fit in, looking good in the rented wet suit and his red local-yokel knit hat down tight about his ears. Cheeks ruddy with cold, he sipped at his coffee, so thick with sugar it was syrupy. God, he looked good enough to eat, I thought, then flushed and crossed my legs at my knees despite making it harder to keep my balance.
"Want some coffee with your sugar, Jenks?" I asked, and he froze as a wave dropped us.
"You going to ask Captain Speedo before or after you get in the water?" Jenks shot back.
I gave him a soft thwack on his leg to burn off a burst of angst. He didn't jump this time and I felt better, not minding that he was quietly laughing at me.
While Jenks snickered, I turned to Marshal. The captain had been watching me from the corner of his eye since I boarded. Unlike the rest of us in wet suits, he was wearing only a black Speedo and a red windbreaker, his bare, comfortably muscled legs showing goose bumps. Clearly the man was cold but too much of a stud to admit it. Bracing myself against the bouncing waves, I opened my mouth to attract his attention, but Debbie called to him, drawing him away again.
Damn it. I slumped back down in my seat. What in hell was wrong with me?
Forcing my breathing to slow, I waited for his assistant to finish asking him whatever deathly important question she had. The sun glinted prettily on the water, and I found myself thinking this was an ungodly time to be out here, much less awake. Jenks was fine, seeing as he was usually up long before sunrise, and I could hear him muttering, "Nine forty-eight, nine forty-eight," as he tried to shift his internal clock. The thrum of the engine was lulling me into a drowsy state despite the caffeine and the nap Jenks had made me take yesterday.
Trying not to yawn, I straightened, my hand straying to my waist pack with my charms and splat gun safe in their zippy bags. A good deal of yesterday had been spent in the almost unusable kitchen. I'd purchased a disposable copper insert for spelling at a discount store, and Jenks traded maple syrup for everything else I needed to craft the sleepy-time charms and the scent disguise spells.
The paint ball gun shop had been the hardest to find, being "left where the old post office used to be, past the Baptist church that burned down in 'seventy-five, and right at the Higgan's farm turnaround. Can't miss it."
Between yesterday's predive class, grilling Jax for details, my six hours spelling, and the three hours we spent at the Mackinaw Fort doing the tourist thing, I was mentally and physically tired. But the oddest thing by far had been watching Jenks teach Jax how to read.
The little pixy was picking it up faster than I would have thought possible. While I stirred my spells, Jenks and Jax had watched Sesame Street, of all things, the music and puppets seemingly making a direct line to the pixy mentality. One song in particular seemed to have wedged itself into my head, the tune-worm settling firmly around my cerebral cortex like an alien from an SF movie.
Seeing my foot tapping to its catchy beat, I stilled it, wondering if I'd be stuck with the tune the rest of the day and what Elmo would find wrong with this situation. The splat gun in my fanny pack? The six-foot pixy beside me? Take your pick, Elmo, and try not to giggle.
Bois Blanc Island was taking on definition, the top of a lighthouse peeking over the trees making me glad I was going in underwater. We had already passed the no-automobile Mackinac Island, and the huge bridge was to the left and behind us, spanning the narrows between the two peninsulas. Yeah, narrows. It stretched over four freakin' miles. An ocean-going tanker was passing under the bridge, looking like a mouse under a chair.
The bridge was enormous, and according to the place mat under my burger last night, it came in only feet shorter in height than Carew Tower, the support towers being five hundred feet up and two hundred feet down to bedrock. It was the third longest suspension bridge in the world, the longest in the western hemisphere. It was a big sucker, claiming five men's lives in its construction, one never found; hitting water at that height was like hitting a cement parking lot. I'd expect to see something like it in a big city, not out in the boonies where moose and wolves crossed the ice in the winter.
I lurched when the thrum of the engine dropped in pitch and the boat slowed, rocking as our own wake rolled under us. The six guys clustered at the back of the boat jostled and pushed, showing off for Debbie, all done up in her rubber wet suit. Her chest looked like a Barbie doll's, whereas mine was more like her little sister Ellie's. I couldn't help but wonder if she was the reason most of the slobbering sacks of hormones had joined the diving club in the first place.
"God, I feel old, Jenks," I whispered, tucking a stray red curl behind an ear.
"Yeah, me too."
Damn it. I wondered if I could jam my foot any farther down my throat. The wind seemed to shift as the boat turned, and Debbie expertly hooked the buoy and tied us off. The diving flag went up the pole, the engine cut out, and the level of excitement grew.
"Divers, listen up!" Marshal said, standing to garner everyone's attention. "Look to your guides. They'll give you your warmth amulets and make sure they're working, though I'm sure you'll sing out once you hit the water if they aren't."
"You got it, Coach," one of the kids sang out in a high falsetto, gaining laughs.
"That's Captain when we're on the water, smartass," Marshal said, flicking a glance at Jenks and me. "Debbie, you take the boys," he said, unzipping his windbreaker. "I'll take Mr. Morgan and his sister."
Not feeling at all bad for the lie on the release form, I stood and the butterflies started.
"Any time, Rache," Jenks muttered, and I thwacked him with my foot.
Two of the boys gave each other high-fives, clustering around the woman in rubber as she comfortably fended off their exuberance. She knew them by name, and it looked like this was an old game. My pulse quickened when the line of tanks got shorter as they unlatched them from the side and spun them to the back of the boat. Everyone seemed to know what to do, even the guy who drove us out there, now settling himself in the bow in the sun with a handheld game.
"Miss?"
I jerked, bringing my attention back to find myself eye-to-chest with Captain Marshal. My God, he was tall. And really, really...hairless. Completely. Not a hint of hair on him marred the even honey tone of his skin. No beard. No mustache. No eyebrows, which had bothered me yesterday until I realized that like a lot of professional swimmers, he probably used a potion to remove it. Earth charms aren't very specific, taking off everything, which might sound like a good idea, but isn't unless you don't mind being bald. Everywhere.
He was smiling, his brown eyes expectant. The man was in his late twenties by the look of his lean muscled legs, bare to the wind, and the defined abs stacked above his tiny Speedo. Bald looked good on Marshal, I decided. Well-defined legs, wide shoulders, and in between was mmmmmmmm good. And he was a witch with his own business. My mother would love this one, I mused, then grimaced, remembering the last time I'd thought that.
"I'll be your guide today," he said, glancing from me to Jenks, now standing behind me. "We're going to let the dive team get out of the way, and then we'll follow."
"Sounds good," I said, hearing a forced cheerfulness in my voice, but inside I was scrambling. There were too many people. I wanted to ask him privately, but I was running out of time.
"Here's your charms," Marshal continued, handing me a plastic bag with two redwood disks in them. His gaze landed on my neck, still bruised from Karen, and fell away. "They're already invoked. You can put them on now, though you'll be toasty until you get in the water."
"Uh, thanks," I stammered, fingering them through the insulating plastic. They were stickered with his name and license number on one side. All I needed to do was put one on so it touched my skin and even the slight chill from the morning would be gone.
I handed the bag to Jenks, who immediately shook one into his palm, sighing in relief at the warmth. Satisfied they worked, I gave serious consideration to shooting everyone with a sleepy-time charm and just stealing everything. "Um, Mr. Marshal..."
He ducked his head, smiling at me to show even white teeth. I could smell the heady scent of redwood coming from him like spice. He made his own charms; I could tell. "Captain Marshal," he said as if it was a joke. "Marshal is my first name."
"Captain Marshal," I amended. "Look, I've got to ask you something."
Debbie called, and he put up a long finger. "Just a sec," he said, and walked away.
"Damn it!" I exclaimed under my breath. "What in hell is wrong with that woman! Can't she do anything without asking him?"
Jenks shrugged, squinting at the morning sun as he took off his knit hat and messed with his gear. "She thinks you like him," he said, and I blinked.
"Miss?"
I jumped and spun when Marshal's hand landed on my shoulder.
He tightened his grip, and I looked into the depth of his brown eyes, surprised. "Ready to go?"
"Uh," I stammered, my gaze flicking behind him to Debbie. She was glaring, adjusting her fins with sharp motions before she fell over the back of the boat. It was just me, Marshal, Jenks, and the guy at the front of the boat hunched over his game in the sun. Yesterday's fiasco at the pool was making a whole lot more sense. "Ah, Marshal? About the dive..."
The witch's lips turned up into a smile. "It's okay, Ms. Morgan," he said solicitously. "We'll take it step by step. I know the straits look daunting, but you did well at the pool."
Pooal, I thought, liking his mild accent. "Uh, it's not that," I said as he selected a tank and beckoned me closer. But when I met his eyes, I was shocked to find him grinning at me, more than a hint of attraction in his dark gaze. "Captain Marshal, I'm very sorry," I said flatly. "I should have brought this up earlier. I didn't come out here to dive on the wreck."
"Sit," he said. "Right there so I can get your tank hooked up."
"Captain." He took my shoulders and sat me down, reaching to adjust my gear. "I meant to ask you before we got all the way out here..." I looked at Jenks for help, but he was laughing at me. "Damn it," I swore. "I'm sorry, Marshal. I'm out here on false pretenses."
"I'm flattered, Ms. Morgan," Marshal said, glancing up under his hairless eyebrows. "But you paid for a dive on my wreck, and I feel obligated to do my best to fulfill it. If you're going to be in town a few more days, maybe we can have dinner."
My jaw dropped, and I realized why he had been watching me. Oh God. Debbie wasn't the only one who thought I was interested in him. Suddenly I saw my stammering attempts at trying to talk to him in an entirely new way. Jenks snickered, and I felt myself blush.
"Captain Marshal," I said firmly. "I'm not looking for a date."
The man's face slowly lost its expression, his faint smile wrinkles easing to a smooth nothing as he straightened. "I, uh...You're not? I thought you two were brother and sister."
"He's my partner," I said, adding a quick, "business partner."
"You like women?" Marshal stammered, backing up a step and looking like he was going to die of embarrassment. "Shit, I hate it when I misread people. God, I'm sorry."
"No, it's not that either." I said, wincing as I pulled the hair out of my mouth, which the wind had tugged from my braid. "You're an attractive man, and any other time I would be salivating at the idea of a private lesson at your pool...pooal...but I need your help."
Marshal zipped his coat up, looking uneasy. I glanced at Jenks and took a breath. "My old boyfriend is on that island, and I need to rescue him without anyone knowing about it."
Smooth features blank, he stared at me, the sun glinting off the top of his head.
"I'm an independent runner," I said, shuffling in my waist pack and handing him one of my black business cards. "A pack of Weres kidnapped my old boyfriend and they're holding him. I need to get over there undetected, and you were in the book. Uh, if I could borrow a second set of gear and tanks for him to swim out with, that would be...great. I'm prepared to pay for it. You, uh, have my credit card on file, right?"
Brown eyes blinking, Marshal brought his gaze up from the business card. Squinting, he peered at Jenks, moving his head this way and that like an owl. An intent look came into his eyes, almost predatorial. Jenks backed up a step, and nervous, I watched. "What are you doing?" I finally asked.
"Looking for the camera."
My jaw clenched. "You don't believe me."
"Should I?"
Disgusted, I felt my anger rise. "Look," I said as the wake from a passing ship hit us and the bobbing boat added insult to my clenched stomach. "I could have come out here and shot you all with sleepy-time potions and took what I needed, but I'm asking for your help."
"And because you decided to not break the law means I should?" he said, feet spread wide against the boat's movement. "Even if I wanted to, I couldn't let you swim off like that. Even if I believed you, I wouldn't let you swim off like that. Not only would I lose my license, but you'd probably kill yourself."
"I'm not asking you to break your license," I said belligerently. "I'm asking you to let me borrow a set of gear and tanks."
Marshal ran a hand over his bald head, nearly laughing in anger. "It took me three years to get my license," he said with a mixture of disbelief and frustration. "Three years. That was for the dive business. Add on another four to get my earth magic degree so I could make my own amulets and the boat could be cost effective. You're a selfish little white-bread brat if you think I'm going to jeopardize that because your boyfriend ran off and you want to catch him cheating on you. Everything was given to you, was it? You know nothing about hard work and sacrifice!"
"He did not run off with another girl!" I shouted, and the guy at the front of the boat sat up to look at us. Furious, I lowered my voice and stood so I could poke my finger at his chest - if I had the guts. "And don't you dare tell me I don't know anything about hard work and sacrifice. I worked for seven years as a peon in the I.S., busted my butt to break my contract with them, and put my life on the line every day trying to make rent! So you can shove your holier-than-thou crap right back up where it came from. My old boyfriend bit off more than he could handle and he needs my help. The Weres took him," I said, pointing to the island, "and you are my best shot at getting over there undetected!"
Seeming taken aback, he hesitated. "Why didn't you just go to the I.S.?"
My lips pressed together, thinking this could go south really fast if he called the I.S. out here with his radio. "Because they're incompetent boobs and rescuing people is what I do for a living," I said, and he eyed me suspiciously, his gaze going to my bruised neck again. "Look, I'm usually better at it then this," I added, refusing to explain the teeth marks. "I'm sort of out of my element up here. I tried to ask you earlier, but Debbie kept interfering."
At that, Marshal smirked and relaxed. "Okay. I'm listening."
I glanced at the bow of the boat and the man with his game. Like he would even notice if a great white shark bit off the back of the boat? "Thanks," I breathed, sitting down again. Marshal did the same, and Jenks dropped to sit cross-legged where he could see both of us. The sun glinted on his yellow hair, and it was obvious the warmth spell was working: his lips were red again and he was very relaxed, almost basking.
"See," I said, embarrassed, now that I seemed to have my hat in my hand. "My boyfriend, my old boyfriend," I reiterated, flushing, "turns out he's..." I couldn't tell him he was a thief. "He recovers things."
"He's a thief," Marshal said, and I blinked. Seeing my muddle, the man snorted. "Let me guess. He stole something from the Weres and got caught."
"No," I said, tucking a windblown strand away. "Actually, he was contracted by them to recover something, and when he found it, he decided to give them their money back and keep it. I need to get him off that island."
Marshal looked at Jenks, who shrugged.
"Fine," I said, feeling stupid. "I don't blame you if you want to take me back to the dock and tell me to get lost in a ley line. But one way or the other I'm going over the side of this boat. I'd rather it be in a wet suit with one of your charms." Eyes squinting, I peered at him. "Could I at least buy a spell from you? So he doesn't freeze on the way back?"
Marshal's smooth face scrunched up. "I'm not licensed to sell my charms, only use them in my work."
My head bobbed, and I felt a finger of relief wedge itself between my heart and the band wrapped about it. "Yeah, me too. How about a trade?"
He leaned toward me, and after meeting my eyes to ask for permission, took a deep sniff of me. I could smell a hint of chlorine on him over his redwood scent. Apparently I smelled witchy enough, since he settled back, satisfied. "What do you have?"
A exhalation of relief slipped from me. Pulling my waist pack around, I dug in it. "Ah, on me? Not much, but I can send you something once I get home. I've got some sleepy-time potions in splat balls and three scent amulets."
Jenks closed his eyes, seeming to soak in the sun. He was smiling.
"Scent amulets?" Marshal said, a hand tracing the line of muscle of his upper arm, hidden under his windbreaker. "When would I ever use one of those?"
Affronted, I froze. "I use them all the time."
"Well, I don't. I bathe every day."
Jenks snickered, and I warmed. "They aren't deodorant charms," I said, offended. "They disguise your scent so Weres can't follow you."
Marshal glanced from me to the island. "You're serious. Damn, who are you, girl?"
Sitting straighter, I stuck my pasty white hand out, thinking it must be really clammy from the cold damp on the water. "Rachel Morgan, third partner of Vampiric Charms out of Cincinnati. That's Jenks, second partner of the same."
Marshal's hand was warm, and as we shook he gave Jenks a sideways glance, a smile quirking the corner of his lips. I didn't think he believed me yet. "You're the silent partner, eh?" Marshal said, and Jenks cracked an eyelid and let it shut. "You know," he went on, releasing my hand, "I was willing to go along with the joke because you're cute and we don't get many cute witch tourists. But this?" He gestured to the distant island. "Can't we just go to dinner?"
My eyes narrowed. I leaned forward until I was too close for my comfort. "Look, Mr. Captain of the good ship Lollypop. I don't care if you believe me or not. I need to get to the island. I'm going over the side of your boat. I want to trade for an extra charm from you so my boyfriend - " I gritted my teeth. " - my ex-boyfriend doesn't freeze on the way back. Actually, I want to trade for three, because I don't have any warmth amulets and I think they're pretty cool. The equipment, I'd like to arrange for an extended rental. If I lose them on the way, which is a distinct probability, you can take the price of them off my card. You got it on file."
He looked at me, and I felt queasy from the adrenaline. "Is it real?"
"Yes it's real! It ran through, didn't it?"
Hairless brow furrowed, he eyed me. "How do I know your magic is good? You smell good, but that doesn't mean fish guts."
I looked at Jenks, and he nodded. "He's a pixy," I said, tossing my head to him. "I made him big so he could handle the cold temps up here while we rescued his son." Okay, technically Ceri made the curse, but I could stir rings around this guy.
Marshal seemed impressed, but what he said was, "His son is your boyfriend?"
Exasperated, I felt my hands start to shake with my desire to scream. "No. But Jenks's son was with him. And he's not my boyfriend, he's my former boyfriend."
Exhaling long and slow, Marshal eyed first Jenks, then me. I waited, breath held.
"Bob!" the man shouted to the front of the boat, and I stiffened. "Come on back here and help me get my gear on. I'm going to take Mr. and Ms. Morgan on an extended tour." He looked at me, taking in my obvious relief. "Though I don't know why," he finished softly.