Nelson,” ElsBeth said, but he didn’t hear. He continued to splash and hit out at her. They both went back under, sinking fast into the dark.
The air in her lungs screamed. She wasn’t ready to break the rules and use magic just yet, but almost. She dodged Nelson’s kicking feet, got behind him, and pushed up. Again they broke through.
ElsBeth gulped all the air she could while Nelson thrashed weakly, gasped and spit seawater.
From the pier Johnny tossed a life ring that perfectly lassoed Nelson, and ElsBeth guided him to safety out of the water.
With one look at his blindly blinking eyes, she knew she had to go back for his glasses. So she dived in and … OK, she broke the rules a little, and using her seventh or eight sense or whatever it was, she grabbed them away from a curious lobster.
Limp from her struggles she only barely managed to pull herself onto the pier, drop Nelson’s glasses in his lap and roll onto her back. Above her, Robert frowned down from the rail.
He seemed surprised and genuinely puzzled by all the commotion beneath him. And, oh no, she could hear his thoughts again. Loud, angry thoughts.
“I should be away on open water by now and searching for treasure. Instead I’m stuck dockside, with a bunch of wet girls to deal with. And Nelson.”
He never let enter his scheming mind that he had caused all this.
ElsBeth stood up, dripping, but with an eye on Robert. He looked out to sea, his thoughts still churning. Finally, he said the girls could come aboard.
That Veronica had continued with ever more fearful threats, and that the sun was coming up in the sky on a day made for treasure hunting, had probably urged him toward this most rational decision.
So — some wet, some dry, some mad, some even madder — the Cape crew was off.
But what was that black streak that crossed the plank just before it was pulled aboard?
Frankie swore he saw something. But when they all looked, there was nothing there.
Chapter 3
Storm Off the Vineyard
ElsBeth’s hair started to frizz, along with her mood. The rest of the drenched girls did not look at all pleased about the launch party, either. Even most of the boys looked at least uncomfortable that the girls were upset.
Hillman-Jones did not notice or seem to care about all this one bit. As they left the marina, he stood tall and looked completely content in command of his Uncle Preston’s made-for-racing yacht, the Sea Charmer. As if nothing had happened, he snapped out orders to raise the sails.
ElsBeth could see that Frankie wasn’t just uncomfortable, he was upset, too, and her attitude softened — though she quickly found out his upset had nothing to do with the mean prank Hillman-Jones had pulled in the marina.
“Man, I saw a Boston cream pie in the kitchen this morning,” Frankie said to Johnny. “Some of that should have been in my lunch, but look ... ” He opened his backpack. “All I got is whoopie pies. My brothers will have first shot at the Boston cream, and I’m sure they won’t leave me any. Some things can really get to a person.”
Johnny nodded, his expression carefully serious.
But ElsBeth had to laugh. Something about Frankie was just plain funny, no matter what else was going on. And it wasn’t just his crew cut.
The sun rose warm and full and so did their spirits, and attentions on board turned to the pleasures of a sail in the bright Cape waters.
Lisa Lee opened her pack and took out an antique brass instrument covered with strange symbols. She said it was an astrolabe, used for finding a ship’s position at sea. She showed them how it worked and explained in detail, painful technical detail, how she’d restored it with her father that summer.
Veronica rolled her eyes. ElsBeth poked her and whispered, “Don’t make fun. Lisa Lee likes science, you like fashion. What’s the difference?”
Veronica whispered back, “You’ve got to be kidding.”
ElsBeth laughed quietly, and Lisa Lee looked up, hurt.
“I’m sorry, Lisa Lee, but I’m not laughing at you, I’m laughing at her,” ElsBeth said, nodding at Veronica, who turned her head and rolled her eyes again so only ElsBeth could see.
Across the deck Frankie alternately practiced shadow boxing — he had ambitions of prizefighting like his Uncle Vittorio — and, between rounds, tucked into his whoopie pies. ElsBeth was glad Frankie was part of their crew. You could count on Frankie.
They were well underway in the stiffening breeze between the Cape and Martha’s Vineyard when Johnny said to Robert, “This sure is a beautiful ship.”
“Yeah, she’s just under forty feet and fitted for ocean travel. Custom modified for racing, of course.”
“But what happened to the navigation and communication equipment?” Johnny asked.
“Oh, you know Uncle Preston. He always has to have the newest and best. The old equipment was pulled out so new stuff can go in next week.”
“No problem. On a day like today only a blind man would need any help navigating.” Johnny chuckled at his own joke, while the friendly morning sun beamed down on his nut-brown face.
But ElsBeth shivered. The castle she saw yesterday, and the strange funnel wind, and the dream she had, they all nagged at her. Her radar was on high alert, and there was nothing she could do to turn it off.
Other things niggled at her, too. Like Grandmother teaching her about their responsibility as witches to care for the natural world — but that castle and that wind, they certainly weren’t natural, and she had no idea what to make of them.
Her thoughts continued to drift.
Her family ... she didn’t know much about her family. Except Grandmother, of course. And Sylvanas, he was family. Her parents ... well, that was a big, dark empty place. She didn’t know what happened to them since just after she was born. Grandmother wouldn’t tell her. Not yet anyway.
She really hoped she found out more soon, though. She was growing up, after all, and she could feel that her family history was important to her future.
These darkling thoughts rose up on her horizon, while Martha’s Vineyard rolled closer every minute, and she began to feel better as she listened to what the others wanted to do for fun on the island.
“I want to visit the Historical Museum,” Veronica said, “and find out more about Cape fashion in the old days. There might be some interesting styles I can update and bring back.”
Amy sat cross-legged, her dress almost dry. “I hope there’ll be some street music today. And maybe some mimes. I love mimes.”
Nelson’s eyes hung on Amy. He looked like he hoped he could just hang out with her for the day.
ElsBeth
