At Rita's Seaside Grille later, Makenna and Jessica sat at one side of the table, which was outside, while Caleb and Makenna's parents sat across from them. They stuck Raeven under it, who napped while hanging upside down from the table's bottom. The extremely important parcel rested under him.
Everybody had just gotten their drinks when they asked the kind waitress, Brianna, for a few more minutes to look over the menu.
A warm zephyr gushed through each person's hair, and Makenna explained to her parents about what happened to her at McKevlin's Surf Shop. For once, Raeven was quiet. She was finally able to explain something without him annoying her.
Mr. Delling grasped his water glass with both hands and met his daughter's eyes, asking in a small voice, "So, let me get this straight. You were attacked by a man who was half octopus, and he started tormenting you?"
Makenna slowly nodded. "Yeah." That was all she could say. Makenna didn't feel like herself now. Something was up, and her family members and Jessica saw that.
"Are you feeling all right, dear?" asked Mrs. Delling. "You're looking a little pale."
Makenna slowly nodded and forced a feeble smile. "Sure. Sorry, Mom, I'm a little worried about Tracey." Her blue eyes landed on her full glass of water. Makenna stared at it. She seemed to go into a trance. She then reached forward and picked up the glass.
While she brought it toward her lips, Mrs. Delling added, "Don't worry. Tracey's a ninja. Not to mention, he's also Merlin's apprentice. He'll be fine. You can fly to him the second you get your wings back."
"That's right," Jessica spoke. "Tracey proved himself to be tough, Makenna, if he survived broken wings after dying three times. But please don't worry about him right now. You've got to focus your attention on winning this surfing competition if you want to be invited to Australia."
"Jessica speaks the truth," said Mr. Delling, sipping his own glass of water. "I can picture it now, Makenn. You're surfing with the Great Whites just outside of Sydney, and I'm conversing with the dingos and roos in the Outback. Ah, a dream come true. Um, Makenna?"
Mrs. Delling nudged him, telling him he was being rude, but then her eyes landed on her daughter as well.
It was unbelievable! Makenna sucked down her entire glass of ice-cold water in just one gulp!
Caleb, Jessica, and her parents stared.
After Makenna finished her drink, she set it back down and licked her lips. "Mm, delicious." She then noticed everybody staring. "What?"
Before anyone else could speak, Brianna returned to them. "Hey, partners! So, have we decided what we want today?" She was a pretty young woman with long, brown hair, like Makenna, but with light brown eyes instead of blue. She also had freckles on her face.
Mr. Delling took a deep breath and looked up to Brianna, saying, "I think we are, Ms. Brianna." He glanced at Makenna, who poked around in her empty water glass. "Makenna, why don't you start? As they say, ladies first."
"Hm?" Makenna asked. She looked up and blinked. "Oh. Sure, Daddy." She scooped up the menu and examined it again. "Ms. Brianna, may I please have your off the top, delicious King Crab Legs?"
Jessica and her family members each gave her a funny look.
"Crab legs?" Caleb asked after a bit. "What are you talking about, Makenn? You don't even like crab."
Mrs. Delling nudged him next. Mind your manners, she mouthed, and Caleb slowly nodded.
He, his parents, and Jessica ordered their food after Makenna, watching while Brianna wrote their orders down on her little pad.
She then picked up the menus and asked Makenna, "Do you want me to get you another glass of water, sweetie?"
"Yes!" Makenna stated, vigorously nodding her head.
Brianna chuckled and said, "All right."
Soon after she left, Mr. Delling looked at Makenna and questioned, "What is going on with you today, Makenna? You're acting strangely."
"What?" Makenna asked. "I'm thirsty. What's so dangerous about water? If you'll excuse me." She folded her napkin and set it on the table. "I'm going to use the ladies' room."
Makenna hopped out of her seat. She thought about grabbing Raeven, but then she decided that she didn't want to look strange carrying a bat around. Besides, she didn't really want Raeven bothering her right now. She wanted to be left alone. "Sorry, guys," she told her family and friend. Turning on her heel, Makenna left the table.
Soon after she did, Mrs. Delling glared at Mr. Delling and said, "Nice one, Andy."
"What?" he said. "It's true. She's acting weird."
In a stern voice, Jessica reminded him, "You have to remember, Mr. Delling, that she is going through a tough time."
"It's called puberty!" Mr. Delling stated. "She's a teenager!"
Jessica shook her head. "No, it's called one of her best friends nearly died last year, and she's worried about him. The least you can do is to try at least to comfort her." She, too, stood, and Mr. Delling, Mrs. Delling, and Caleb watched as she chased after her friend.
Makenna didn't go to the ladies' room. She just used that as an excuse to leave the table. She instead took herself to the Folly Beach pier. She could think better there.
Makenna took in the whiff of seawater and watched surfers catch waves from the pier's side. A few people fished at the end of it, but not many. That allowed Makenna to think.
She rested her arms on the pier's railing and tapped it with her thumb. It was strange—she didn't feel like herself today. She felt like she was losing control or something. It was weird.
The ocean called her name and drew her toward it.
Makenna removed her arms from the railing and stumbled to the end of the pier, where the fishermen were. Her eyes landed on one man's bait, sardines, and Makenna licked her lips. Mmm, those fish looked good.
Makenna couldn't help herself. When the man left for a bathroom break, she shot forward and picked up a can of sardines. Makenna opened it and reached inside. She removed the sardines and stuffed them in her mouth. Right after she finished her first can, she stole another one and ate those sardines as well.
"I need fish," Makenna mumbled. "I need water. I need strength to save Tracey."
Little did she know that Jessica had just appeared on the pier, and her eyes landed on Makenna stuffing her face with canned sardines. At the sight of her, she turned on a grossed-out face. "Ugh!" Jessica yelped. "Makenna! What are you doing?"
Makenna heard her and turned her head. "Jessica, oh, Jessica," she spoke in a trancelike voice, "come eat fish with me. Then we'll go for a swim in the Bermuda Triangle."
Jessica slowly and carefully approached her. "What in the name of blazes are you doing, Makenna?" She snatched the empty cans of sardines out of her hand and examined them. "Sardines? Why are you eating sardines? These are someone's bait!"
"Oh, Jessica, oh, Jessica, come swimming with me," continued Makenna's trancelike voice.
"What is wrong with you?" Jessica frightfully asked. "No, I'm not going to go swimming with you, Makenn! Why are you acting like a mermaid when you're a fairy? I don't understand!" She took Makenna's arm and helped her onto the ground. Jessica dragged her away from the sardines. "Raeven will be here soon. He'll know what's wrong with you."
Makenna smiled and patted her cheek. "Nothing's wrong, Jessie dear."
Jessica gave her a strange look.
Makenna soon lost her smile and complained, "This is boring. I don't want to be here. I want the ocean. I need sardines! Must have sardines! Jessica, come to the Bermuda Triangle with me."
"Bermuda Triangle?" said Jessica. "What are you talking about? The Bermuda Triangle is a deathbed! Oh, where is Raeven?"
Right after she asked that, "Hey, Jessica!" came from behind her. It was Raeven. When Jessica left to chase after Makenna, he woke up and slipped out of her family's sight to track her down.
Jessica released Makenna's arm and hurried to him. "Raeven! Thank goodness, you're finally here!"
"Ah, Jessica," Raeven spoke, "I didn't expect to see you out here. I thought you would be back at Rita's. What's up?" He gave his wings a small flap and landed on Jessica's shoulder.
"What's up?" Jessica asked him. "I'll tell you what's up, Raeven! It's Makenna! She's acting like she's possessed!"
"Possessed?" said Raeven. "Huh, interesting. Very interesting." With his claw, he scratched his chin.
Behind him and Jessica, Makenna rotated her head, and her eyes landed on the fisherman from whom she stole the sardines. He finally returned from the bathroom, and it looked like he had made a small stop in the fishing shop because he had a new bag of bait with him. Makenna could smell it a mile away, and her mouth watered. As quiet as a mouse, she stood and slipped by Raeven and Jessica, who were still conversing.
Makenna approached the man with the bait and smiled. "Hi, sir."
The man met her eyes and lifted his brow. "Hi," he said back. "Um, can I help you with something, miss?"
"Sure," Makenna spoke. "By any chance, do you have sardines in that wonderful bag of yours?"
"I do," replied the man. "Why, miss?"
Makenna shrugged. "No reason, sir. I just wanted to know. Sir, will you come to the Bermuda Triangle with me?"
"Bermuda—?" the man started, but he didn't finish.
Makenna nodded. "Please, sir, it's such a beautiful place. We could live down there forever." She passed him, on the lookout for food.
The fisherman turned his head and watched her.
Raeven and Jessica were unaware of Makenna's disappearance.
Instead, they faced each other, and Jessica gasped. "What?" she asked. "You mean, Raeven, that Makenna is turning into a fish?"
Raeven shook his head. "No. You misunderstood me, Jessica. She's turning into a merfairy. After all, her next transformation is her Merfairy one."
"Merfairy?" Jessica inquired. "What in the name of is a merfairy, Raeven?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Raeven answered. "Mer-fairy?"
Jessica gave him a funny look.
"Oh, come on, Jessica," Raeven added. "It's a water-based power, and it's very special. With it, Makenna will be able to explore both the sea and the sky."
"Water?" was Jessica's next question. "Wait a minute, Raeven, do you mean 'mer' as in mermaid?"
Raeven nodded. To help Jessica understand, he acted out a swim on her shoulder.
"Really?" Jessica piped, amazed. "Makenna will also be part mermaid with this next transformation? That's so freaking awesome!"
"It is," Raeven explained, "but it's also a tough transformation to acquire. However, it's the only way Makenna can defeat the Octopus Man and break the curse on Tracey." For once, Raeven sounded serious.
Jessica listened, intrigued.
"It doesn't mean that she's not going to start experiencing water-like powers now," Raeven continued. "Water-like powers are just telling her that she is eligible for the Merfairy transformation, Jessica. The process is like the one she went through when she received her first pair of wings. New powers build up inside the Metamorphic Fairy during a process of metamorphosis, and are complete when they reach the next level. Selene told me to tell her this, but I haven't been able to yet."
"Well, we've got to!" Jessica announced. "This is so amazing, Raeven! Makenna is going to flip with joy when she hears she'll be able to explore both the sea and the sky! She's always wanted to be a mermaid, or well, at least like a mermaid. Makenna! Makenna! We've got some news for you!" Expecting still to see Makenna on the edge of the pier, she turned, but her eyes widened.
"Where is she?" Raeven asked Jessica.
"She was here just a second ago!" Jessica yelped. "Where could she have—? Oh no!" Jessica clutched her head and hurried to the pier's railing. She grabbed it and peered down at the ocean, in which waves continued to slap the pier's columns. "You don't think she, right, Raeven?"
Raeven twisted his head, and he gasped when he saw Makenna sauntering down the pier, heading toward the railing. "Not yet!" he yelped. "Look!" Raeven pointed at Makenna.
Jessica turned and gasped, too, when she saw her. "Makenna, stop!" she blurted. "Raeven, if she jumps, then she'll be splattered all over the rocks! We need some fish!"
"Fish?" asked Raeven. "Why fish?"