Seawitch
Author: Kat Richardson
Greywalker #7
Publisher: Roc
Released: August 7, 2012
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A current of green energy “water” tore at my legs and I crouched to make a smaller, denser target as I looked for the cause of the surge. The Grey looked strangely white here, like a day of unbroken, high, thin clouds reflecting the sun in directionless glare. The harsh whiteness felt wet and cold and rippling curves of colored light rose in waves ahead of me. t their core I saw flickers of amethyst light that stretched and receded as the waves drew and rushed toward me. I plunged forward, diving into the approaching wave, and gripped the violet light.
It slipped from my hand like a fish and rushed away with one final flick that sent me head over heels through the suddenly becalmed Grey. I fell toward the normal and tumbled backward over Solis.
He jumped aside with a yelp of alarm, one arm coming up as the other reached for one of my flailing hands and twisted it behind my back. I didn’t fight – even if it hadn’t been Solis, I was too dizzy from the spinning transition to catch my balance.
Solis pushed me toward the wall by force of habit as if he were going to snap the cuffs on me, then realized what he was doing and let go. I sagged forward, catching myself against the wall beside the door. I gasped for breath and turned, leaning back against the nearest firm, upright surface.
Solis faced me, braced, his hands slightly raised as if he expected me to lunge at him, but wasn’t sure I was actually dangerous as much as confused, like a holiday drunk. His eyes weren’t quite so wide, but his stance and expression were wary – no, alert, like a fighter waiting on the next move of an unpredictable opponent. That was interesting … He wasn’t freaking out, though his aura was jumping wildly and the tension in his body spoke loudly of a willingness to meet his fears rather than run from them.
I caught my heaving breath and kept my hands where he could see them. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall over you like that,” I said.
“Fall?” he repeated. “Say more like flying, as if someone threw you. What … was that?”
I chewed on my words before I let them out. “I … sometimes have a little disagreements with… um, with reality. And physics.” I offered a very thin, uncertain smile. As far as I could recall, Solis had never seen me interact with the Grey before – I usually kept that aspect of my job hidden and most especially from him, though I new he thought I was strange and that strange things happened in my proximity. Once or twice he’d even come close to accusing me of criminality – or at least lying through my teeth to cover up an unpalatable truth.
“So I see.” He seemed to be mulling over a few difficult thoughts of his own, but he didn’t speak them. He straightened up, letting his hands drop to his sides but still keeping a jaundiced eye on me. Maybe he thought I was going to lunge at him again. Then he asked, “Are you all right now?” Which I interpreted as “Are you going to do anything else disturbing?”
I never plan to be disturbing… “I’m fine,” I replied, trying to look innocuous and predictable. “Thanks.”
He turned his head a bit so he was looking at me from the corner of his eye- a posture I was familiar with from the many times I’d used it ot peer deeper into the Grey without falling in. “How did you get past me?”
I shrugged. “I’m slippery.”
“Yes, and you are, as always, not telling me something.”
I pulled a rueful face. “Can I explain later? Right now I just want to get alook at the problem and get out of here so I can change into dry clothes.”
He nodded and opened the door, keeping one eye on me the whole time.
Nothing new came out, but the tide of Grey surged a bit, as if he’d opened a gate at the locks and let a gush of water through. I waited for it to calm before I stepped into the doorway, mentally bracing myself, and looked into the cabin.