A light knock on Cordelia’s door came around 10:30pm that night, right before it was pushed open. She looked up as Silka peeked around the frame, looking toward where Cordelia sat in the bed.

  “Just letting you know I got back and am heading off to bed. I think Kai’s movie is almost over, so he should be done soon.”

  “Okay,” Cordelia responded with a small quirk of her lips. Was this her mom’s way of trying to make up for the day?

  “Good night,” Silka said, pulling the door shut as she left.

  “Night,” Cordelia sighed, turning back to the video she had been watching. About 20 minutes ter, Kai came walking in.

  “You missed a great movie,” he said, heading for the dresser.

  “Did I?” Cordelia said with a chuckle. “Let me guess several car chases with a final battle scene.”

  Kai leaned against her bed, “It had an alien invasion, so you’re wrong.”

  “Really? No, final battle scene?”

  He huffed, “Okay, yeah. But no car chases.”

  Laughing as she pushed up from her bed, she went to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

  They both settled in for the night, and as usual, Kai was asleep within minutes. Cordelia gred over at the dark outline of him under the covers. If only sleep came to her that fast.

  Rolling onto her back, she wished she could look at her Instagram, let the lives of her friends drown out her reality, but she remembered her promise to stay off the grid. Still, she grabbed up her phone, pulling up YouTube instead. Was there any YouTube short she hadn’t seen? Clips and videos flickered by; nothing gained her interest. She locked the screen, plunging the room into darkness. The ceiling loomed bck above her, no moonlight shimmer to distract her, to help her drift off to sleep.

  Another sigh into the silence. Shoving aside everything that happened tonight, she let her mind drift back home. How had school gone without her? Were her friends freaking out when she disappeared, or had they carried on as usual? The number of unread chats kept growing, but now only a few a day, unlike the flood earlier in the week. It stung a little.

  Even more tragic, she only had those few minutes to talk to Hector tonight. She’d wanted to ask about the witches’ rumor. Then get his thoughts on the guests at the party. Had he overhead anything or noticed something she missed. Maybe he picked up a detail that could expin what everyone was trying to keep secret.

  Everyone knew something. Except her.

  A soft creak from down the hall drifted to her. Was that her mother’s door?

  Holding her breath, she listened intently for any noise outside her room. Maybe her mom just got up for a drink. She breathed shallowly, listening. A light footstep and then another. They were slow, and if she’d been asleep, they wouldn’t have awakened her. The cottage door creaked, followed by a gentle thump as it closed. Had her mom just snuck out in the middle of the night? Was she sixteen again? Why did she need to sneak out?

  Enough! Cordelia slipped out of bed, her feet hitting the cool floor. She shivered, reaching for the sweatpants that she had dropped on the end of the bed and tugged them on. In her dresser, she rooted around until she found a dark sweatshirt and socks, then stepped into her shoes. Not bothering to pull her hair out from the colr, she went out her bedroom door.

  Waiting in the small hallway, she listened for noises in the main part of their cottage. When only the sound of rolling waves met her, she dashed to the front door. The knob turned easily in her hand as she slowly opened the door, looking out to make sure her mom wasn’t standing right outside. Again, seeing or hearing nothing, she stepped out, closing the door quietly behind her.

  The moon was either hidden by clouds or new, as no light fell upon the walkway to help guide her. Her steps picked up as she hastened to look between the cottages for any signs of her mother.

  * * *

  As Cordelia rounded the second cottage down from them, ughter echoed along the walkway and shadows moved up ahead. People were definitely out on the beach. Turning to her right, she headed into the soft sand to get a closer look. Was her mother in this group? Keeping close to the bushes around the cottages, she stayed low as she moved toward the people out on the sand.

  The group was at the ocean’s edge, soft water pooling at their feet, as they stood together ughing and talking. From this distance, she could only make out shifting silhouettes. Peering up at the sky, hoping the moon would soon offer light, she found no clouds drifting there, only the deep bck of a moonless night.

  Then the lighthouse beam swept the beach, light spilled over the area revealing the group, and Cordelia ducked back close to the bushes to stay hidden. She recognized several of the people; they had been at dinner with her mother. Her gaze scanned quickly over everyone before the light moved away and she saw that her mother was indeed among them. As was Warren.

  Using the darkness, she moved closer to see if she could hear what they were saying. She knew the lighthouse beam would be coming around again soon, so she ducked next to a lounger on the beach. It still wasn’t close enough to pick up anything other than a word or two. The light fshed over the group again. And as she looked, she saw that some of them were removing their clothes. Actually, all of them were, and some were completely naked and running into the water. Her mother was skinny-dipping!

  Plopping on the sand next to the lounger, she hugged her knees to her chest. She clenched her eyes shut as her face burned. Wishing those images out of her mind. What was her mother doing? Was it just a swim or something more? What did it mean for her parents?

  As she wondered what she should do - go back to the cottage or confront her mother on the beach - she looked back over at the group. All of them were now in the water, out around the waves, but she couldn’t see more than general dark shadows. Waiting for the light to fsh around, she heard ughter and talking. Everyone was obviously having a great time and not at all worried that they might be discovered swimming naked together.

  * * *

  Staring intently at the group, Cordelia watched the lighthouse beam sweeping across the bay. As it roamed, a rge tail fin rose up from the surface and spshed down near where the group was swimming. Her breath caught. She swung to look over at them, hoping they saw what she did, waiting for them to react and rush out of the water.

  Seconds ticked by; her heart clenched in her chest. She prayed now that one of them would notice that something was in the water near them. Their voices then became louder, but as the light fshed over them again, it was clear they were focused only on each other. They were still ughing and floating around; not acting concerned in the least. As the light moved off, another tail fin spshed down across from the group. Something surrounded them.

  She jumped up, waving her arms, shouting, “Mom! There's something in the water!”

  The ughter continued, and it was clear in those few seconds no one could hear her. “Mom!” she screamed louder, but again the waves crashed, drowning her out and, worse, it seemed like the group had drifted far out into the bay, closer to where she had seen the first fin.

  Despite the fear that crushed her breath, she turned to run toward her grandparent’s residence in the main resort. Maybe her grandfather could get their attention or call the Coast Guard.

  The sand dragged her down, pulling at her feet as she ran. A rush of heat smmed through her as her vision tunneled. She focused on the patio lights, then she fell, but caught herself with her hand, pushing off again until she finally reached the area around the pool. A stab of pain from her side didn’t slow her sprint to the door that led to the private residence, where she pounded on it with all her might.

  “Papou - please help,” she sobbed. “Mom and her friends are in trouble,” she gasped for breath, continuing to hit at the door. “Please help!”

  As she pounded at the door, calling for her grandfather, it seemed as if time slowed; seconds moved more like minutes, until her grandfather yanked the door open. She stumbled against him as he stood framed before her, wrapped in a dark blue checked robe, his hair tousled from sleep.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, reaching out for her, startled to see how panicked she was.

  Cordelia grabbed his hand. “Hurry,” she pulled. “Please. We need to help them. There is something in the water.”

  His forehead furrowed into a frown. “Slow down,” her grandfather took her arm, pulling her inside and guiding her to the kitchen on the left. “You need to take a breath. Then expin what is going on.”

  She resisted pulling against him. “There is no time. They are all in danger.” With a hiccup, “There is a shark or other rge creature out there.”

  “A creature?” Her grandfather narrowed his eyes as if he wasn’t hearing her correctly. “In the water?”

  “Yes, please. We need to call the Coast Guard or get them out of the water before something happens.”

  Her grandfather paused, his gaze intent on her. “Where did you see this?”

  “On the beach. Please, we need to hurry.”

  “Hold on. What did you see? Start from the beginning.”

  “There is no time. Someone could already be hurt.” Cordelia turned toward the door, pointing, “I tried to get their attention, but they were too far out. The creature or creatures were near them.” Cordelia tugged at him, and now tears were streaming down her face. Please don’t let anything happen to her mother.

  “Are you sure you didn’t imagine something in the water? It’s pretty dark out. Hard to see.”

  “I saw a fin come up out of the water when the lighthouse light fshed. It was right next to where Mom and her friends were swimming.”

  “You saw your mom?”

  “Please, Papou,” she begged. “Can we call someone? They may need help. An ambunce?”

  He took her by both hands, trying to settle her. “Cordelia. . . it is going to be fine. There isn’t anything out there that could hurt them.”

  “How can you know that? I saw at least two tail fins. Who knows how many creatures could be there?” She pleaded, “It’s dark, as you said. They were all ughing and talking and not paying any attention.”

  When he didn’t move, Cordelia yanked her hands away and swung around to hurry out of the kitchen. She’d have to try again if her grandfather wouldn’t help.

  As she neared the entrance, the outer door swung in. There, with wide eyes and her hand mid-motion adjusting a towel, stood her mother.

  * * *

  With a gasp, Cordelia ran to her mother, throwing her arms around her wet waist and hugging her tight. Her mother grunted as she smmed into her, before closing cold arms about her with an equally tight hug.

  “I thought I might have lost you,” Cordelia mumbled against her mother’s stomach.

  “Lost me?” Cordelia felt her mother look up, assuming at her grandfather standing in the kitchen door.

  “Yes.” She shuddered as some tension drained from her shoulders, “It could have hurt you.”

  Again, an image of the swimmers passed through her mind. She pulled back to expin. “Mom, there was something in the water. Multiple things, actually.”

  When her mother’s only response was a frown, she squeezed her mother’s arms, “Listen to me. We have to warn your friends. Get them out of the water.”

  Silka blinked, her eyes scanning Cordelia’s face before she looked over at Kostas.

  Why wasn’t she doing something? “There were at least two creatures in the water out where you were swimming. I saw a tail come up and spsh back down. You were all ughing. You didn’t see or hear anything.”

  “I heard screaming. That’s why I came to check on your grandpa,” Silka said, still not seeming to understand how much danger there was.

  Her grandfather chimed in, “She came running to the house, pounding on the door, begging me to call the Coast Guard.”

  Silka’s gaze fell to Cordelia, “You were the one screaming?”

  “Yes,” Cordelia swallowed. “I was trying to get your attention, but you were too far out to hear me. I waved, but it was so dark.” Her voice tightened. “I had to get you help, so went to Papou.”

  Silka pced her hands on Cordelia’s shoulders, rubbing slowly down both arms in reassurance. “It isn’t what you think,” she said gently. “There’s no danger.”

  Cordelia blinked. Hadn’t her mother heard her about the creatures she saw? Peering into her mother’s eyes, she saw they were clear, not worried. The confusion was gone. Did her mother think she was making this up? “I’m not lying - there was something in the water.”

  “I’m not saying you’re lying; rather, I don’t think you saw what you think you saw.”

  “There was something near all of you in the water, I swear.”

  “A trick of the light, probably,” Silka retorted mely.

  Again, she met her mother’s eyes; they flicked away, and she knew that her mother was lying. “I saw something.” Cordelia turned to her grandfather, “Do you have a fshlight? I’ll go down there and look for myself.”

  Before her grandfather could respond, Silka decred, “No, you are going back to the cottage. To bed. Your imagination is running wild. It’s been a long week and you need sleep.”

  “I’m supposed to just forget what I saw?” She threw up her hands, looking between the two of them.

  Silka reached for her, but Cordelia stepped away.

  Her mother sighed, “You said it was dark.”

  “I heard the spsh.”

  “From us swimming around. Someone probably dived to go under the waves.”

  Cordelia shook her head. “I know it was a tail fin. The light from the lighthouse lit it up. Same for the other one.”

  “The wave breaking. It can look like a tail sometimes, right, Dad?” Silka gave him a look.

  Her grandfather nodded, but his eyes avoided Cordelia’s.

  More lies. “If it’s just a trick of the light, then why can’t we go look?”

  “Because it’s te,” her mother replied, her voice tight. “There’s a party, and we’re not interrupting because you were somewhere you weren’t supposed to be.”

  Cordelia’s jaw tightened. “What, would my searching interrupt your big orgy with your friends?”

  Her mother gasped.

  Blood rushed to Cordelia’s cheeks the instant the words left her mouth. Where had that come from?

  “Where did you hear about such things?”

  Cordelia began to reply, but Silka cut her off, “Nevermind. The internet, of course, or TikTok.” Muttering under her breath, “I’m taking all your devices,” she cleared her throat. “We weren’t having an orgy. Nor would I ever do anything like that. How could you think that? We are just friends out for a swim.”

  “Naked?” Cordelia fired back with skepticism.

  Her grandfather choked at her retort.

  Silka opened her mouth, then closed it again. A jumble of half-formed expnations gathered on her lips but never quite made it out.

  A new thought sparked in Cordelia’s mind. “Or were you all out there doing some kind of ritual? Is your social group actually a coven?”

  “What?” was the gasp that flew from her mother’s lips as she shot a wide-eyed look at her father.

  Cordelia looked back and forth between them, seeing her mother’s expression tighten as a silent plead flickered across her face.

  Her grandfather finally shrugged his shoulders, saying, “I’d just tell her. The truth is less damning than whatever she’s imagining.”