“You’re an action junky now?” I eyed her, trying to keep a straight face.
“Not exactly, but I am trying to nurture the adventurer that has blossomed inside me like a tree taking roots. You know, encourage it to grow by watering it once in a while.” She spread her arms wide. “Like right now. I’m fertilizing it as we speak. Then, I figure if I keep having adventures, they’re bound to grow on me, like tiny shoots that will eventually turn into one big, kickass oak tree.”
I snorted. “I’m not quite sure that’s how it works.”
“Oh, that’s how, all right. Just you watch.”
“Marcy, you’re welcome to have all the adventures you want. I’m sure the Everglades will be exciting, but we have bigger things to worry about than a few alligators and a little black magic from this priestess. When the Hags choose to come after us, it will be adventure on steroids.”
“Don’t underestimate the power of black magic or this priestess,” Marcy said gravely. “That’s some serious juju. It’s good you have me along with my twitchy fingers”—she wiggled them—“but even I can’t undo black spells. That magic comes from a much different place than mine, like a good-versus-evil kind of thing. Those priestesses kill things and use the blood to do their bidding. It’s heavy, and very, very dangerous.” As she said it, her eyes were twinkling with excitement.
“And that excites you?” I chuckled. “You just told me that black magic is serious and we should be afraid. Death and destruction shouldn’t be your go-to button for fun. You’re acting like a little kid in a candy store.”
“That’s exactly it! I am in a candy store—for the very first time,” she said. “My entire life I’ve been deemed not ‘powerful enough’ or ‘not witchy enough,’ and I’ve been relegated to the sidelines for everything. But now”—she hooted with joy, tossing a fist in the air—“I’m here to taste all the flavors life has to offer. This is the absolute best I’ve felt in years. I have James to thank for that too, because he’s brought out all my positives and has punctuated them with delicious exclamation points, and even though I’m still mad at that rat-bellied toad for making me stay home and wait for you—”
“There’s a baby alligator by your foot,” I said.
She shrieked loudly and jumped into my arms. It happened so fast, I hoped the guides hadn’t noticed her unnatural speed.
I chortled as I set her down. “I think adrenaline is your friend in more ways than one.”
“That wasn’t funny!” she accused, swatting me on the arm. “Having an alligator gnaw my foot off is not having an adventure. Do you know how long it would take me to regenerate a piece of my foot? And how badly that would hurt? I’m not an animal like you. Witches take a long time to heal.”
Before I could comment on the unfairness of it all, and that most of the adventures I’d been involved with over the last month had had their share of hurts, my brother called my name outside my head. I turned to see him loping toward me, Danny close on his heels.
“Jessica!” I was happy to see he and Danny were both fully dressed, which meant Naomi had found them first.
“Where’s Naomi?” I asked a second before I saw her emerge from behind the monster truck. “Ohmygods, are those hamburgers I smell?” My mouth instantly started to salivate and my wolf howled for joy.
Burgers beat raw reptile by several thousand country miles.
Naomi held up about ten greasy bags with a big grin on her face. “The wolf boys were hungry after their shift, so they sent me ahead to get food.”
I turned to my brother. “That was the best decision you’ve ever made in your entire life.”
5
After a quick but hearty meal of burgers and fries, we were finally ready to embark. Ray’s face was grim after his chat with the guide, but he stayed quiet. We all boarded the airboat, Rourke and Tyler heading for the two driver’s seats.
“Just like I said,” the taller guide called. “It’s as easy as one, two, three. This boat’s name is Betsy and she’s been suped up for speed. You can get ’er going to sixty. Find some nice flat vegetation to cross and you can go even faster. The green stuff gets the hull off the ground nice and quick like. You’ll make good time that way getting to the deep cypress.”
“Yeah, go and get dem assholes,” the other piped in. “If you do, we got plenty of moonshine to celebrate with. It’s not legal yet in Florida, but from where we come from it’s like mother’s milk, straight from the teat.” He smiled wide, and I noticed he had more than a few teeth missing.
“Don’t you worry,” Danny called, holding up the old ceramic jug they’d given him and shaking it. “We will indeed find something to celebrate along the way.” Danny popped the cork out and took a sniff. “Good gods, that’s strong enough to take the hair off my mother’s chest.” Then he waggled his eyebrows. “But that’s why I’m going to enjoy it to its fullest.”
“Best stuff in the state of Florida,” the tall guide called, “but be careful with it. That hooch’ll leave you shitfaced and groggy for two solid weeks if you imbibe too much.”
Rourke started the fan. It sounded like a jet engine readying for takeoff as the blades began to increase their speed. Very slowly he eased the throttle forward and began to glide us off the platform like he’d been operating this boat his entire life. “We go through the low grasses first to get to the main channel,” Rourke said. “After that, the start of the cypress swamp begins. The particular patch of cypress the guides are concerned about ends in the mangroves, near the coast, which is likely how the priestess entered this area.”
The fan found its rhythm, but it was irritatingly loud. None of us had to raise our voices to be heard if we didn’t feel like it, however. The boat skimmed over small swamp grasses, and as Rourke opened up the throttle even more, it gained speed. The scenery over the open water was beautiful and majestic. The sun glinted off the water and plants, making everything sparkle.
“Naomi,” I called. “Once we reach the cypress swamp, I want you to take off. I’m certain we’ll all feel the magic when we get close enough, but you have to rendezvous with my father to get us the directions to their camp.”
“Oui.” She nodded.
“Oh, and I never asked the first time, but when you were here last night did you notice any dark magic from the sky?”
“Non,” she answered. “I was too high up. I’m certain if I had come down farther, I would’ve detected something.”