Turning Tides by Mia Marshall

she chose because it allowed her to spend all day with her feet on the desk, a romance novel in one hand and a never empty mug of coffee in the other. As she was one of the few waters capable of keeping detailed records, everyone was grateful for her dedication.
    “What’s going on?” I asked.
    She grinned at the sight of me, the smile cutting across slightly weathered skin. She was a quarter elemental—strong enough to live on an enclave, but still prone to a few human weaknesses, like aging. She was blond like the rest of us, but a slightly darker shade, and I thought she might be the only water on the island with hips worth noticing. There was a medium-sized shed behind her that doubled as an office, but I’d never seen Robin sitting anywhere but her outside desk.
    As I approached, she bookmarked her place in her latest novel and set it aside. “Aidan! Glad you stopped by. I was hoping to see you before you left for good.”
    “It looks like I’m here for three more days. Still no flights out?”
    She made a face. “Unfortunately. These fools here seem to think they’re in danger, and they’re acting like such idiots I’d be plenty happy to get them off the island. I know we’re supposed to assume everyone’s a suspect until your friend is convicted, but that seems like a lot of bother to me. No offense.”
    I offered a noncommittal noise. I wasn’t offended, but I didn’t welcome the reminder that most weren’t viewing this as an “innocent until proven guilty” situation.
    I studied the panicked waters and saw no familiar faces. At least it wasn’t my relatives trying to flee for their lives. Visitors, then, come to witness the trial. “They know how elemental magic works, right? Sera can’t stretch her murderous claws across the island.”
    “I’m not sure there’s a lot of thinking going on at the moment. Still, you how how waters are. As unpredictable as they are fickle. They’ll find something new to panic about in an hour or two.”
    I wasn’t so sure. This wasn’t a typical situation, and I didn’t think we could count on normal behavior.
    As if to prove my point, three people decided arguing was getting them nowhere and dropped their suitcases, rushing up the stairs and into the plane. It was the possession is nine-tenths of the law approach to winning an argument.
    The pilot rolled his eyes and left the pier, the plane’s keys presumably safely on his person.
    Robin shook her head and sipped her coffee. “If they want to sit and try to will the plane to take off, I’m just going to leave them be. Now Aidan, what can I do for you?”
    As I watched, five more people pushed their way onto the six-seater plane. “I was hoping to get on that plane this afternoon. That’s not going to happen, is it?”
    An emphatic snort was my only answer. “What’s your hurry? You’ll be gone soon enough.” She actually sounded sad about it.
    “Oh, people to meet, more unbreakable elemental laws to flout. You know how it is.”
    “You shouldn’t joke,” she admonished, though she didn’t seem offended.
    “I shouldn’t have done a lot of things. That’s why I’m in my current situation.” I glanced at the neat pile of paperwork on her desk, kept from flying loose by a heavy black rock. “Hey, could I get a copy of the flight list? Everyone who’s on the island right now. Boats, too.”
    “Sure thing.” She rifled through the papers, pulling out the records from the last week. She disappeared into the shed, and I heard the groan of an ancient copy machine being summoned to life. A minute later, Robin returned with a thin folder in hand. “This should do it. You really think someone else killed Edith? Not your friend?” She sounded more curious than disbelieving.
    “I think it’s worth looking into all options.” I tucked the folder into my bag. “Thanks for the help, Robin.” She smiled, eyes already darting back to her book. I left her to her tale of rugged and misunderstood