Chapter 8

Hi gang,

This chapter is quite long and I apologize for that, and it is a bit ridiculous at times, and I apologize for that as well, but I assure you it is necessary to the story. I've changed the cover of the book and the introduction and description to reflect that I will be uploading all the books under the same banner, as it were. Please let me know what you think. Any ans all opinions are greatly appreciated. Thanks guys.

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For the rest of the day Cam never left Megan's side. His father had grilled him on what happened but Cam didn't have any answers for him, neither did Megan.

The storm raged on for about an hour and then it was over as quickly as it had started. When it was over Cam could see from his bedroom door that the beach was a mess of heaving sand where the waves had crashed ashore. It was also littered with beach debris: driftwood and seaweed were left deposited nearly at the back berm where his father and he had sat the other day. It wrenched his guts when he recognized pieces of Megan's Song scattered all along the shore.

He couldn't help but feel that the sea had missed its target yet it had still taken its toll. What the hell was going on? Sea storms just didn't happen that way they didn't come out of nowhere like that. It must be magic, but if it was it was some pretty F'N powerful magic.

He shuddered at the thought of that happening while they were on his boat he hadn't even had his skin on him. For once he'd left it home. They would have been swamped by the wind and waves and he would have drowned for sure. Megan would have survived, but maybe not. Considering her intense physical reaction to just the idea of swimming in the natural water.

When Cam asked her to tell him more about her phobia, where and when it began she completely shut down and refused. She had even threatened to go home to her step monster if he didn't stop.

So he relented and because she was utterly shook up he tabled his work for the day and they watched netflicks with the family and ate popcorn and ice cream. Megan stayed for the afternoon and when the power went out (what did you expect there were three very agitated magical creatures in the house) they played board games.

For dinner that night Cam helped his father cook up some salmon filets on the barbeque and some shrimp kabobs. They did the dishes by hand and played a few more rounds of Munshkins with the girls before he walked her home.

He came back just in time for his nightly swim with his dad more than a little weary of swimming in the water that had tried and failed to kill him earlier, and truth be told he was also worried about a repeat performance of last night. Regurgitating the ocean once was enough for him.

But he dove into the water after his father regardless, because what other choice did he have anyway?

When he and his father swam out to the breakwater they were amazed to see that the huge boulders that make up the structure were actually shifter a few feet. His father swum around him obviously disconcerted. Nothing about today's storm had been normal right down to the strength it would have taken to do this kind of damage. Needless to say they didn't stay as long as they normally would in the water.

When they got out of the water and were already dressed and on their way home Cam asked his father, "dad what was that this afternoon? Have you ever seen anything like that before?"

His father stopped towel drying his hair and said firmly, "No I've never seen anything even remotely like that son."

"What or who do you think caused that?" Cam nervously ran his hand through his wet hair.

"I don't know son, but I only know of a handful of creatures that have that much power and none of them are on this continent."

"Dad, do you think it might have had something to do with Megan?" Cam asked worriedly.

His father just sighed as he slung his towel over his shoulder and said, "I hope not son."

He continued sternly, "but just to be on the safe side I wouldn't take her near the water again for a while."

"But Dad I'm trying to help her get over her fear of the sea." he whined.

"If today's events have anything to do with her, her fears may just be founded. Have you considered that Cameron?"

Cam hadn't considered that, not at all. What a pair they were: a mermaid that hated the sea and by the looks of things the sea didn't like her very much either and a selkie that loved the sea that was someday going to kill him -- The perfect fairytale romance.

"Dad life's 'F' up."

"It sure is son. It really, really is." his dad agreed as he shook his head and wrapped his arm around him. They walked home then with their heads hung low.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning at school Cam cornered Knight and George to ask for any alchemical or herbal remedies for his affliction. Thankfully they both agreed to look into it and get back to him by the end of the week. He was a bit bummed that they hadn't known any remedies off the top of their heads, but he'd take any help he could get.

It was a relief to think they were on it; if anyone could come up with something he felt certain it was them. They were both brilliant at what they did, and Knight had had centuries to perfect his craft.

By lunch he was feeling confident again. Meg was still a little shaken by her near miss yesterday. She had been quiet and contemplative all morning. He just wished he knew what to do to help her, but he was more than intimately aware that sometimes you just have to fight your own battles. Case in point, he still hadn't told Meg about his little rejection problem, and if she found out later he hadn't shared it with her, well does the phrase your ass is grass mean anything to you? He asked himself.

But he couldn't worry her for nothing, especially now that she had her own shit she was going through. Besides his dad had left this morning on his little expedition and if all went as well as planned he'd be coming back this weekend with the cure. So yeah there's no reason to tell her, he assured himself.

When he took his seat next to her in the caf she was pushing her food around on her plate sullenly. He bent forward and kissed her, but secretly he wished he could ditch classes this afternoon and take her somewhere fun to help get her mind off of whatever was worrying her.

"Hey sexy," he whispered in her ear taking a second to nip it playfully.

She shuddered in his arms which really made him want to have some alone time with her.

She giggled, "stop it you sex perv," she laughed.

He began to sing the lyrics of "Easy Lover" in a high pitched off key tone and he did a weird wiggle of his hips while he started clapping his hands to the rhythm.

They had heard the 80's pop song on the radio while on their way to school this morning. They had not been able to change the station fast enough before it stuck in his head. And as a result it had been playing in his head all morning. And so he thought why not use his mental torture to cheer up his girl.

Cam started bellowing out the high pitched song," She's and easy lover. She'll get a hold you believe it. She's like no other, before you know it you'll be on your knees.

Megan couldn't stop laughing which spurred him on. Others around the cafeteria were telling him to shut up and groaning and throwing wadded up napkins at him, but if she was laughing he was singing.

He jumped up then and started dancing like Carlton on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and started into the next verse:

"She an easy lover. She'll take you heart but you won't feel it. She's like no other and I'm just trying to make you see." He was theatrically and comically serenading her now.

Then his whole crew joined in with the next verse and it was just another reason to love them:

"She's the kind of girl you dream of, dream of keeping hold of. You'd better forget it. You'll never get it." He clutched his heart then dramatically.

"She will play around and leave you. Leave you and deceive you. Better forget it, Oh . . . you'll regret it."

He continued louder than before as she cracked up.

"No you'll never change her, so leave it, leave it. Get out quick cause seeing is believing. It's the only way. You'll ever know."

He dragged out the knooooowwww.

"She's an easy lover. She'll get a hold of you believe it. She's like no other before you know it you'll be on your knees.

At the end he fell to his knees and slide to a stop in front of her.

"She's an easy lover she'll take your heart, but you won't feel it she's like no other and I'm just trying to make you see."

The whole Caf got into the moment.

Now hundreds of voices were singing:

Some magical creature or another got the tune playing on the over head speakers. Probably Lauren he thought. He continued on to the music, "you're the one that wants to hold her, hold her and control her. You'd better forge it. You'll never get it."

His crew sang the next verse even louder than everyone else at him:

"For she'll say there's no other. Till she finds another, better forget it, oh you'll regret it.

He yelled out then, "JUST THE GUYS!" before the next verse, they responded with:

"And don't try to change her, just leave it ,leave it. You're not the only one, ooh seeing is believing. It's the only way You'll ever know, ooooohhhh"

Everyone dragged out the oh.

"NOW THE GIRLS!" and they sang even louder than the guys:

"She's an easy lover. She'll get a hold on you believe it. She's like no other. Before you know it you'll be on your knees. She's an easy lover. She'll take your heart but you won't feel it. She'd like no other and I'm just trying to make you see. "

By this time all the kids were dancing and singing an old Phil Collins 80's tune and laughing their asses off.

Cam looked around at the entire cafeteria. He loved his school and the kids that went there Enlightened and Unenlightened alike.

Megan was still laughing and singing along with the crowd as they sang the chorus over and over, but then he saw something which stopped his song mid lyrics. Some of the Enlightened were not singing and they weren't doing anything else either. Literally everyone was involved in one way or another in the impromptu craziness. Most people were singing, some were dancing, some were even trying to film it on their phones (those crazy kids he thought – good luck with that); everyone was doing something. They hadn't had this much fun on a Monday -- well frankly ever.

So why were those kids staring straight ahead like nothing was happening? There was one every second table, most were seniors, but there were a few third and fourth years too.

WTF!

The song ended and Megan stood up and kissed him full on the mouth to a standing ovation of claps, cat calls, wolf whistles, and cheering, still the strange students he had noticed sat staring straight ahead.

"Dance just like that at the Imbolc Ball this weekend and you just might get lucky." She'd whispered in his ear suggestively.

Oh yeah he'd nearly forgotten the Ball with all the stuff that was going on.

It had taken a while for him to get used to the Pagan holidays, now he and the Enlightened at his school couldn't get enough of them, four big parties a year, until last year when Liam's crew ruined the first two celebrations: the Samhain and Yule Ball had been nightmares. But this party should be fun especially since Xan hadn't once said 'Rumor has it' about it.

Just then he eyed the strange student's as they all stood up at once and empty their trays at the same time.

Ah HELLLLL . . . could they please dial down the crazy at his school for just one day!

He took his seat beside Megan dejectedly. Everyone at his table was laughing and smiling. Cameron hated to burst everyone's happy bubble, but he just had to say something.

With a deep sigh he said, "Don't look now guys, but I think we've just been sucked into an episode of the Twilight Zone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When he told his crew about the strange acting Enlightened they agreed to watch out for any other weird behavior throughout their afternoon classes.

Turns out he had a second year pod person in his alchemy class. He watched her closely the entire class. There hadn't been any brews or potions to concoct today, just study and a lot of note taking, and a lively demonstration by Knight on how to properly milk the venom of an asp. As an afterthought Cam was really grateful it wasn't hands on today.

The pod person had taken notes just fine, but the strange student had shown no reaction to Knight as he walked around to give everyone a closer look at the deadly snake. Most everyone in the class had leaned back in their seats when it was their turn, but she had remained as erect as before and hadn't moved an inch.

Ahh . . . hell . . . he thought again.

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That afternoon in training everyone noticed that the pod people weren't in attendance. Training was mandatory. There were no doctor's notes or sick excuses accepted. So where were they? Even the common cold was no match for the loathsome liquid.

His thoughts were interrupted when Helsing stepped forward to speak in his stiff little Dutch accent and said, "Some of you children may be wondering where your colleagues are. We'll they have been taken to a special training facility."

His crew looked at each other over the crowd of student's getting ready to spar or train with their trainers and gave each other a look that screamed . . . doubt it!!!!

"It is also with a heavy heart that I have been charged with informing you that after much deliberation we at the school think it will be too dangerous to have the Imbolc Ball this weekend in light of recent events.

The entire Enlightened student body complained noisily. Some had even stared daggers at him and his crew as if they had anything to do with it. Other than saving their sorry asses. Geez! Ungrateful much!

What could the teachers be thinking: if they were trying to create converts to Liam's cause, they were going about it the exact right way? If you messed with a teenager's right to party you shouldn't be surprised if they riot.

For the remainder of the training class there was more crumbling and sulking then any teacher could stand so they were dismissed early.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After training Zach gathered them together.

"Guys I think we should meet up tonight to discuss what all this weirdness could mean." Zach suggested.

"Whose place should we meet at?" Cam asked already regretting saying anything. If this kept up he'd never get a chance to start his trials.

"You can all come to my place. I'm sure my mom won't mind." Lauren said caustically.

"Yeeeeessss," Kyle interjected, "I'll bring the pizza, brah."

"And I'll bring the munchies, "Trav added excitedly.

"You guys are always excited for any reason to get away from your foster parent's cooking, aren't you?" Ryan asked.

"Well technically since they're RAW vegans, they actually don't cook, but my guess is yes." Meg teased.

"I'll bring the jerky, for all you other meatarians," Marley chimed in, "oh yeah it's just me, yaaah more for me." She joked and laughed when Liv her girlfriend and a committed vegetarian rolled her eyes.

"Make one a vegetarian pizza and I'm in." Liv added.

"Ya'll are crazy if you think I'm coming to any dweeb's house." Kelly bitchily said before stalking away.

Xander jumped in then with a, "Count me in," which made her stop in her tracks.

Cam had to chuckle to himself when he thought oh yeah she'd be there all right.

Everyone else agreed to meet at Lauren's house in an hour.

Meg had swim after school so they all agreed to meet at Lauren's at seven pm.

Cam went with Meg for her after school dip. It was so relaxing to watch her in the pool. After the high strangeness of yesterday he was more than willing to let her stay there. No more pushing her to come with him anymore. He was pondering whether he was actually one of those boyfriends that push their girlfriends into liking what they like and always doing what they do. Shit he hoped he wasn't like that.

When Meg took one look at his worried expression she splashed him pretty thoroughly with her tail. He was almost as wet as her when she excited the pool, but he forgot how annoyed he was with her when she found a secluded spot to use him as her towel.

When Cam and Meg got into her car at the end of the day, he was feeling pretty F'N great and he was relieved to see her mood was back to normal too. Whatever was going on at school, it was a distraction that she sorely needed, and he should be grateful for that, but at some point he had to get back to finding a solution for him.

He knew his Dad, Knight, and George were on it, but he couldn't help feeling like the Sword of Damocles was hanging over his head and any minute now it was all going to come crashing down around him.

****************** THANKS FOR READING********************

I hope you all liked this chapter -- Do you think Cam will reject his skin or will his father be able to save him like he thinks?

And what the heck just happened with Meg? Why did the sea just react so violently when she touched it? Could that be why she is terrified of it?

Tune in tomorrow to find out.

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