Chapter 928 Chapter 928
Marie sat there looking at the others while Nolyn and Fionna talked about the different training programs. Muna, Averyana, Shandi, and she had been told to listen in. The other girls from her group were listening to every word. It had been exciting to be invited to join with the other younger people who were here. They were from different clans. She was trying to figure out what clans they were from. The girl, Akira, had to be related to Blair somehow. Their hair color and eyes were too similar not to be.
Nolyn crossed her arms over her chest. “Paxton, if you’re not going to pay att…”
He shook his head. “Sorry. I am trying, I’m just—” He looked at Muna. “Are you water clan?”
Nolyn jerked her head and looked at Muna.
“I-I-” Muna glanced at Marie before looking back at him. “I don’t know.”
Nolyn looked at Fionna, who shook her head. “The girls haven’t been tested yet.”
Paxton turned back to Nolyn. “I just feel–there’s a vibe or something. A familiarity.”
Nolyn quirked an eyebrow at him.
He shrugged. “I know big words.”
Nolyn moved around the table and sat across from Muna. “Do you like water and swimming?”
Muna nodded. “It's one of my favorite things to do when we can.”
She wasn’t lying. Too many times, they’d had to go searching for her to find her swimming, even in cold weather.
“I feel sick a lot, and just floating makes me feel better.”
Nolyn got up. “Everyone read through the lists for each job type. Circle the ones you like doing or want to do.” She went over to her table and picked up a stack of papers. “Muna, I want you to come with me for a bit.”
Muna turned and looked at Marie.
“Rhogue can come with you, if you like.”
Muna nodded. “I’ll come with you.”
Paxton stood up. “Can I…”
“No.” Nolyn looked at him. “You stay here and do what you’re supposed to be doing. Don’t make me regret talking Konner into letting you come here.”
Paxton sat down again.
Marie could see the disappointment on his face, but he listened.
Muna came over to Marie as she stood up. “Do you think it’s possible?” Her eyes were wide with excitement. She grabbed her hand.
“I guess we’re going to find out.” Marie didn’t know much about the water clan, but she wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to find out and possibly see one that had shifted.
Fionna came toward them. “Do you know anything about your family?”
Muna shook her head. “I was six when Cassius’ family found me. I don’t remember my family.”
Marie looked at Fionna. “I was eleven when she was found. We were hiding on some island, away from the mainland, but we couldn’t stay there for the winter.” She looked at Nolyn. “Cassius might remember where.”
Fionna exchanged a look with Nolyn.
“I’m taking her to the fresh pool.” She motioned to the door.
“Okay. I’ll stay here until you get back.”
“Thanks.” Nolyn went over and opened the door and waited for them to follow.
Muna was squeezing her hand so tight that Marie was sure she wouldn’t have any circulation left, but she understood how exciting this was. Any of them that didn’t know what clan they belonged to would be like this.
“What is the fresh pool?” Muna caught up to Nolyn, dragging Marie along with her.
“It’s a pool with fresh river water filtering into it.” Nolyn smiled. “Most others won’t go near it because it’s not a heated pool. The only ones that use it are Paxton and I.” She glanced at her. “And hopefully you.”
How did they know if she was water clan? Marie had to ask. “How will you know?”
Nolyn turned down a hallway that Marie hadn’t been in. “How old are you?”
“Twenty,” Muna said quietly.
Nolyn nodded. “If you are water clan, when in the water, I should see it in your eyes.” She stopped at the door and opened it. “You should already be shifting, but if you’ve been denied water, it can happen later.”
“I will shift?”
They went in and stopped. It wasn’t large, but the entire space was a pool with water trickling at the end of it.
“We had a few issues with freezing lines this winter, but the flow is getting better.” Nolyn went over to a bench and pulled her sweater over her head. “No need to be shy. We’re all girls here.” She continued to take off her clothes.
Muna released Marie’s hand and took off her shirt. “I haven’t been able to swim all winter.” She set it on a chair. “The tub was okay, with well water, but it’s not the same.”
Nolyn grinned. “No, it isn’t.” Completely naked now, she walked over and stepped right into the water.
Marie watched as she went deeper and was surprised at how deep it was. When she surfaced, her skin wasn’t the same. It shimmered, and she was sure that if she went over and touched it, it would feel nothing like her regular skin. Her mouth dropped open when she saw that her eyes looked silver when they hadn’t before. She bit her lip, not wanting to ask, but with the water moving, she couldn’t see. “Do you have fins?”
Nolyn grinned at her. “If you’re thinking mermaid, we’re not like that.” She looked at Muna and then back at her. “Not now, anyway. We had to adapt to live on land.” She pushed away from the edge and dove under, backward. When her legs were out of the water, they could see that her feet were not attached together, but they were webbed. When she came back to the surface, she lifted her arms out of the water, and there were honest-to-goodness fins on her arms, and between her fingers were webbed.
“Do I just jump in?”
Nolyn moved back. “Yes. Stay under for as long as you can, I’ll meet you down there.”
Muna nodded and then gave Marie a big smile.
Marie nodded to her. She was excited for her to possibly find out if she was water clan.
When she dropped into the water, it was graceful, with little splash. She didn’t know if that meant anything, but Nolyn’s smile was wide.
With both of them under the water, Marie sat by the edge and dipped her hand in. It was so cold. Too cold for her taste.
Muna broke the surface first, and then Nolyn right behind her.
“Well?” Muna looked at Nolyn.
“Ask your friend.”
Muna swam toward her. “Do I look different?”
Marie was about to say no, but then she saw her eyes. “Your eyes. They have silver rings now.”
“Really?” Muna jerked her head and looked at Nolyn, who was sitting on the edge of the pool now.
“Can you hand me my phone?” She looked at Marie. “Don’t worry; it’s waterproof.” She laughed.
“I’m water clan!” Muna shouted and then dove beneath the surface again.
Marie found Nolyn’s phone and handed it to her.
Nolyn tapped the screen a few times, set it on the edge, and then dropped back into the water.
“Nolyn? Is Paxton behaving?” A man was on the other end.
“He’s fine, Konner. That’s not why I’m calling.”
“Is everything all right?”
“Where are you?”
Marie watched Muna swim. She always looked so happy and healthier when she was. Someone should have realized why before now.
“I’m in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I’m meeting up with Malik and Struan.”
“Still looking for the woman who jumped out of your helicopter?”
“Yes. No one knew about her, which means there are more that have been hidden all this time.”
Nolyn looked at Muna. “Tell me about it. I found one.” She smiled at the phone. “Actually, it was Paxton who found her.”
“Her who?”
“One of our clan. She’s one of Cassius’ group.”
“Cassius has water clan members?”
“One at least. She’s twenty and hasn’t shifted yet, but she’s been denied water most of her life. She doesn’t know anything about her family, but they found her when they were hiding out on an island.”
“Where is the island? What is her coloring? Pale? Light hair?”
Nolyn moved over and picked up the phone. Marie didn’t know how she was staying so far out of the water without holding onto something, but she was treading water with the phone now. “Tall, fair complexion, long light hair.”
“She might be sea clan.”
“You think so?”
“I think it’s a possibility we have to explore. Have you been maintaining the saltwater tank?”
Nolyn nodded. “Yeah, but I thought the chances of finding someone from an ocean this far from an ocean would be one in a million.”
“Get her to try the tank and let me know what happens.”
“I've been building up to it. I’m up to a whole thirty seconds before I want to chew my skin off, Konner.”
Konner laughed. “I’m able to do an hour now, in the real salt water, but I drink a pail full of Biotrien afterward.”
“Do you want me to talk to Cassius about where they found her?”
“I’ll call Devin and get his number and talk to him.”
“Okay, but it’s a storm of shit here right now. Some evil rogues are gunning for our good rogues, so if he doesn’t get back to you right away, there’s a reason.”
“Do I need to be there? Has Raymond covered it?”
“There are so many bodies here with weapons hanging from them, it’s like we're in a game of Halo.”
Konner laughed. “You’ve been playing too many video games with Paxton.”
“It passes the time. How’s Reeves doing?”
Konner snorted. “I think he’s through the mopey phase. He understands why you left, but he’s still not happy about it.”
“It was time. I need to help educate more than just ours, and he needs to see if he has a mate out there.”
“I keep inviting him along, but I think he’ll always stick to the bay.”
Nolyn looked at Muna. “You never know. She might come to find him.”
“I need to get in the water and build up to a longer swim. You leave me a message and let me know how it goes with—what is her name? I will ask Malik about her.”
“Muna is her name.”
“I look forward to meeting her. Stay safe.”
“You too, watch out for sharks, whales, and all those other sea things.”
He laughed. “Keeps me alert. We’ll talk soon.”
Nolyn hung up the phone and set it on the edge again. She turned and looked at Muna. “How do you feel about salt water?”
Muna stopped and tread water. “How should I feel about it?”
“We’re going to find out.”
Marie sat at the edge of the pool. “There are sea clans?”
Nolyn nodded. “Apparently. I haven’t met any of them yet, but they’re out there.”
Marie smiled. “That's awesome. Any clan that is still out there is a win for all of us.”
Nolyn looked at her for a moment. “You’re one of those happy, optimistic people, aren’t you?”
Muna laughed. “You have no idea. Rhogue could find the good in the worst of the worst.”
Nolyn swam to the other end. “That’s not a bad thing, just not my style.” She hopped out of the water and stood there for a moment.
Marie knew her mouth was hanging open as she watched her body go back to the way it was before she was in the water. She walked over to a door and opened it. “This is our saltwater tank.” She glanced at Muna. “If you can sit in it longer than thirty seconds, you are sea clan. If your skin feels like it’s peeling off your flesh, then you are water clan.”
Muna got out of the pool, walked over, and looked in the door. “Do I try it?”
“If you are sea clan, that might explain why you’ve never shifted.”
Muna looked back at Marie; her eyes were rounded. “I’m trying it.”
Marie got up and went toward them. “If you are, then you are the rarest of rare shifters.”
“She’s not wrong.” Nolyn stepped back. “Ready?”
Muna nodded and stepped into the room.