unnatural grace through the air until it had curved
completely around Brooke’s seated form. It swirled around her, separating
completely from the ocean and spiraling up.
Brooke was wide-eyed, and barely breathing, as she watched
the seawater move around her. It was like magic, and she had no idea how to
react. The water curved around her one final time before continuing on, this
time flying toward Blake. She watched as he held out one hand, palm up, and the
water gathered there, forming a type of puddle and hovering above his hand.
With a flick of his wrist, the water snapped quickly back
to the ocean before collapsing, as if the spell that had possessed it had
suddenly broken.
“ Wh -what … was that?” Brooke
asked shakily as she drew in a ragged breath. That was impossible, that’s what that was.
Blake stayed put, letting his arm fall to his side, and met
her gaze solidly. “That was my power. I have the ability, if you will, to
control water. It’s as natural to me as breathing.”
He said it with such a straight face, and such a serious,
calm voice, that Brooke found herself inclined to believe him. Except that it
was impossible. She just didn’t know how else to explain what she’d just witnessed. And that was a lot to take in. Did
she—could she—really believe what he’d just shown her?
She tried to surreptitiously look around, to see if there
were a more logical way to explain what she’d seen. But no one was there. No
boats lingered just off shore. The only explanation was the one he’d offered. No matter how impossible it should have
been.
Blake remained silent as he watched her process what she’d
seen. What he’d told her.
After several minutes, Brooke finally spoke. “Is that … why
you like rain so much?” It was such a stupid question that she couldn’t
actually believe she’d just asked. And yet it was the only real question she
could wrap her mind around.
His lips twitched again, though he contained the grin this
time, and he nodded. “Yes. The closer I am to water, the stronger I am, and the
better I feel. Which is why I live in a coastal town, and why I spend as much
time outside on rainy days as I can without looking like a freak.”
“Can you breathe underwater?” The question was past her
lips before she had even consciously wondered it, but she managed not to clamp
her hands over her mouth in embarrassment. At this point, she figured, it was
as legitimate a question as any other.
Blake allowed the grin to show this time as he said, “Yep.
But I can do more than that. If I want to, I can actually become water.”
Brooke blinked up at him. “I’m sorry,” she began slowly.
“You can do what?”
“Just watch,” Blake replied. He took a deep breath, closed
his eyes, and after a moment water began dripping from his fingertips. And
then, without warning, Blake disappeared entirely. His clothes collapsed, no
longer supported by a body, and it wasn’t until they landed that Brooke realized
there was a puddle of water where he’d been standing.
The puddle moved as she watched, pulling away from the pile
and somehow gliding along the top of the sand. It stopped after moving only a
couple of feet, and turned in a strange circle, like a ribbon of water being
spun around by an invisible pole, almost as if it were showing off. Then it
reversed course, returning to the pile of clothes. When the pile was entirely
encompassed, the water shifted, pushing against the fabric. Filling it, giving
the clothes an odd three-dimensional effect on the sand. The water seemed to
thicken for a moment, and then just as suddenly as he’d disappeared, Blake was
back, kneeling in the sand.
Brooke opened her mouth reflexively, intending to say … something … but she quickly found that
she had no idea what, exactly, she would actually say. So she snapped her jaw
shut and watched silently as Blake pushed to his feet.
He released a heavy breath and adjusted the collar of his
jacket,
completely around Brooke’s seated form. It swirled around her, separating
completely from the ocean and spiraling up.
Brooke was wide-eyed, and barely breathing, as she watched
the seawater move around her. It was like magic, and she had no idea how to
react. The water curved around her one final time before continuing on, this
time flying toward Blake. She watched as he held out one hand, palm up, and the
water gathered there, forming a type of puddle and hovering above his hand.
With a flick of his wrist, the water snapped quickly back
to the ocean before collapsing, as if the spell that had possessed it had
suddenly broken.
“ Wh -what … was that?” Brooke
asked shakily as she drew in a ragged breath. That was impossible, that’s what that was.
Blake stayed put, letting his arm fall to his side, and met
her gaze solidly. “That was my power. I have the ability, if you will, to
control water. It’s as natural to me as breathing.”
He said it with such a straight face, and such a serious,
calm voice, that Brooke found herself inclined to believe him. Except that it
was impossible. She just didn’t know how else to explain what she’d just witnessed. And that was a lot to take in. Did
she—could she—really believe what he’d just shown her?
She tried to surreptitiously look around, to see if there
were a more logical way to explain what she’d seen. But no one was there. No
boats lingered just off shore. The only explanation was the one he’d offered. No matter how impossible it should have
been.
Blake remained silent as he watched her process what she’d
seen. What he’d told her.
After several minutes, Brooke finally spoke. “Is that … why
you like rain so much?” It was such a stupid question that she couldn’t
actually believe she’d just asked. And yet it was the only real question she
could wrap her mind around.
His lips twitched again, though he contained the grin this
time, and he nodded. “Yes. The closer I am to water, the stronger I am, and the
better I feel. Which is why I live in a coastal town, and why I spend as much
time outside on rainy days as I can without looking like a freak.”
“Can you breathe underwater?” The question was past her
lips before she had even consciously wondered it, but she managed not to clamp
her hands over her mouth in embarrassment. At this point, she figured, it was
as legitimate a question as any other.
Blake allowed the grin to show this time as he said, “Yep.
But I can do more than that. If I want to, I can actually become water.”
Brooke blinked up at him. “I’m sorry,” she began slowly.
“You can do what?”
“Just watch,” Blake replied. He took a deep breath, closed
his eyes, and after a moment water began dripping from his fingertips. And
then, without warning, Blake disappeared entirely. His clothes collapsed, no
longer supported by a body, and it wasn’t until they landed that Brooke realized
there was a puddle of water where he’d been standing.
The puddle moved as she watched, pulling away from the pile
and somehow gliding along the top of the sand. It stopped after moving only a
couple of feet, and turned in a strange circle, like a ribbon of water being
spun around by an invisible pole, almost as if it were showing off. Then it
reversed course, returning to the pile of clothes. When the pile was entirely
encompassed, the water shifted, pushing against the fabric. Filling it, giving
the clothes an odd three-dimensional effect on the sand. The water seemed to
thicken for a moment, and then just as suddenly as he’d disappeared, Blake was
back, kneeling in the sand.
Brooke opened her mouth reflexively, intending to say … something … but she quickly found that
she had no idea what, exactly, she would actually say. So she snapped her jaw
shut and watched silently as Blake pushed to his feet.
He released a heavy breath and adjusted the collar of his
jacket,
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