| |
Returning to the lake with Mom reminded me of summer days spent there when I was younger. It was still late summer now, but the school year had started and club activities were in full swing.
Dad opted to stay home with Marshmallow, so Mom packed a picnic for her, Pap, and me. My stomach was a tangled mess in anticipation of our meeting with Kai. Despite that, my smile grew wide as we walked from Pap’s house to the lake.
The sun warmed my shoulders and cheeks. The air smelled like the last wave of flowers combined with the crispness of the approaching autumn.
“This place never changes,” Mom said. “It’s exactly how I’ll always remember it.”
“I’ve managed to keep up with the grounds,” said Pap. “Frequent guests would force me to focus more attention on the house.”
Mom raised her brows. “Do you think you’re ready for that?”
“I just might be.” His eyes were keenly trained on the lake. He squinted.
The lake’s surface was smooth and glassy, reflecting the sunlight and cerulean sky. Except for a single ripple forming a few feet from where the water met the land.
I steeled myself. The disturbance in the water could have various explanations—a fish or turtle swimming below the surface, a bug caught underwater. Leaves or petals that dropped when we weren’t looking. I shook my head to clear the clutter of my thoughts, and glanced down at my wrist. Grandma’s bracelet sparkled in the sunlight.
I sighed. The disturbance could also be Kai, waiting just below the surface, having been drawn to the L’even pearls’ power as my family and I approached.
Cattails swayed with a light breeze. I shivered. If it was Kai, then why was he stalling? Why hadn’t he already revealed himself to us?
“Well, here we are,” I said, once we reached the lake’s edge. I crossed my arms, fighting back another shiver. “I hope he remembered.”
I felt the pressure of a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to find Mom smiling at me. “Everything will work out. Don’t forget that I saw Kai, too.”
“That’s true,” I said. Mom’s reminder meant that whatever happened today, she also knew the truth. Even if Pap hadn’t met Kai yet, we knew of the Perlnauts’ existence and my family was on my side.
As if reading my mind, a blue light shone from below the water. A head bubbled up through its clear surface. I sucked in a breath. Not only had Kai shown up, he’d worn Grandma’s necklace—his diadem—to meet us.
“You brought the necklace!” I blurted, remembering Mom’s demand that he return it to me.
I bent over and held out my hands.
His eyes passed from Pap to Mom to me. After staring at me like he was seeing all my features for the first time, he gave me a questioning look.
I huffed. “The necklace—what you call the diadem,” I said, pointing to my head. “It belonged to my grandmother. Aren’t you giving it back?”
Kai’s lips pulled into a frown. He rose until his shoulders and torso were above the water. In a smooth motion, he bowed to each of us.
Why is he acting so strangely? I wondered. He’d seemed okay when meeting Mom. Was Pap making him awkward and guarded?
I glanced over at Pap. His eyes were opened wide. He set down our picnic supplies.
“They are real, and I’ve finally seen it with my own eyes,” Pap murmured.
His gaze bounced between Kai and Mom. Surely he saw what I saw—the same black hair and moss blue eye coloring, as well as an intensity to their faces. Mom’s forehead and hairline had a particular height and slope to them that strongly resembled those of the Perlnaut, though he had a heavier brow.