Water

Contents WATER The Witches of Shell Island Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight About the Author Also by E.H. Demeter Acknowledgements Suddenly, I Do Chapter One WATER The Witches of Shell Island Book One E.H. Demeter This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Water Book One The Witches of Shell Island COPYRIGHT © E.H. Demeter. All rights reserved. Cover and interior design by The Dust Jacket Designs Edited by Lyndsey Rose No part of this book may be reproduced in any written, electronic, recording, or photocopying without written permission of the publisher or author. The exception would be in the case of brief quotations embodied in the critical articles or reviews and pages where permission is specifically granted by the publisher or author. Content Warning This novel explores aspects of adoption/involuntary adoption and contains depictions of blood, death of an infant, someone being drugged, kidnapping, physical assault and battery, and magical torture. Please take care of yourself and read with care. For a more in depth look at the content warnings, please visit my website: www.ehdemeter.weebly.com For Dad, Happy birthday. I miss you. Chapter One Nora The fine white mist of the sea washed over me, dotting my face with salty drops. I should have moved inside with the other passengers when the sky began to darken and the waves grew rougher, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave the ferry’s bow. I’d spent the last few weeks researching Shell Island. All I’d seen of it was from Google Earth searches and tourist photos. There didn’t seem to be much to it–nothing more than a blip surrounded by blue water. And green. It was so very green. That wasn’t so uncommon for Oregon, though. Most places in the state boasted lush, verdant colors. The drive from Eugene hadn’t been bad, just over two hours, but it had given me too much time to think about where I was going. And what I was running from. Coos Bay had been a pretty reprieve; a bit more touristy than I liked, but fun nonetheless. I hadn’t been looking forward to the ferry ride–the only way on and off of the island, apparently–even when I’d purchased my ticket. It was more time alone with my thoughts. More space for my anxiety and uncertainty to grow. I couldn’t help but wonder who in their right mind would voluntarily choose to live so disconnected from the rest of the world. The people of Shell Island, apparently. A spray of sea water shot up the side of the ferry, the murky cloud of mist mirroring the turbulence of my thoughts. If I were honest with myself, I was hoping to get a look at the island before we docked, to see if I felt anything for it. I wasn’t sure what, if anything, I would feel, though. Did I want to feel excited? I didn’t know. My head and heart were a jumble of emotions. Blowing out a breath, I closed my eyes, threading my fingers through my hair. The wind caught the pale blue flyaways, whipping them about my face and hands. What was I doing? So much had happened in such a short time, I didn’t even know anymore. Three weeks ago, everything had been normal. I’d been happy and comfortable, surrounded by family, whose only interest at the time was to celebrate my twenty-first year outside the womb. Then the phone rang and everything changed. Finding out the woman you’d called Mom growing up is actually your aunt is quite the buzzkill. I’ll never forget the look on my mother’s face when she came around the corner. Eyes wide, hands locked together in front of her, nostrils flared as fear and guilt warred in her eyes. Without me saying anything, she’d known who was on the other end of the line. Why hadn’t she just told me I was adopted? When I’d demanded as much, she claimed she’d been waiting for the right time. But was there ever a right time for something like that? Not in my opinion, there wasn’t. My fingers tightened in my hair, and for the millionth time, I wished I hadn’t given up smoking. I would kill for just one cigarette. But I'd promised Mom. Aunt? Maunt? Or was she just Gwendolyn now? Yanking my hands from my hair, I slapped them down on the weathered wood railing, frustration coursing through me as thunder rumbled above. Glancing skyward, I stared at the darkening clouds quickly overtaking the sunny sky. The forecast hadn’t called for rain, but there was always a chance. Inhaling the scent of sea and salt, I tightened my grip on the railing. I didn’t know how to feel about any of this. So I focused on the approaching island instead. Facts. Facts I can handle. Shell Island, population 4,096. At twenty-three miles long, it was the smallest place I’d ever gone to, but that wasn’t saying much. I hadn’t done much traveling, save for away trips for swim team and my brothers’ baseball games. I’d always dreamed of it, though Gwendolyn said there’d be plenty of time for travel after college. But now my entire life was on hold, college included. How could I think about school or traveling when I had so many unanswered questions? I reached into the pocket of my denim jacket and pulled out the folded letter from my mother–the one who’d given birth to me. The one who hadn’t been able to wait for the one