WaterMage Rising

Chapter 6

Selena stiffened. A pang of sadness squeezed her heart before she brushed it aside. What gave this girl the right to complain about Selena's presence on the ship, or anywhere else, for that matter? Where Selena went was no longer this girl's concern.

"Olivia? I could ask the same of you. I didn't expect to run into anyone I knew on the ship. I would've thought you'd have told your best friend about your summer travel plans." Selena quirked a brow and stared back. Well, so much for laying low. Of all the luck, running into Olivia. It wouldn't be long before Olivia talked to her father, and then he would know Selena was on board. This was a nightmare.

"Ex-best friend, since you stabbed me in the back, remember?"

"I told you I didn't — never mind." 

Olivia crossed her arms and glared. "No, go on. Spit it out. For once just admit what you did, you coward. You put me and my entire family in jeopardy without a thought over, what, some petty jealousy thing?"

"What are you talking about?" Selena blinked. "No, really, what are you talking about? It's bad enough you think I spilled your secret, but are you seriously telling me right now you think I did it over some 'jealousy thing'?"

"Stop deflecting." Olivia stood to her full height and stared down at Selena. "Tell me the truth. Now. I deserve that much."

Selena quirked a brow, unimpressed with the attempt at intimidation. Father was far better at it than Olivia could ever hope to be. "Not that you'll believe it, but I'll say this again one last time. I never told anyone. I have no idea who found out, or how, but for the millionth time, it was not from me."

"Who else could have told Sam?" Olivia threw up her hands in frustration.

Selena facepalmed. "Sam. You're worried about your boyfriend knowing? The same boyfriend who tried to torch my Elements final because he doesn't like my father's politics, but who worships the ground you walk on? I doubt he dumped you after he found out, so I'm going to hazard a guess here as to what happened. You brought up the secret that day, not me. He follows you around everywhere like a lost little puppy, so he overheard us talking about it. He doesn't like me, so he used the information to make you think I spilled the beans so you'd hate me."

This was the most she'd gotten out of Olivia since their fight, and at least now Selena understood better what had probably happened. 

"Word is spreading. My family and I deny it, of course, but don't you dare accuse Sam of betraying me that way."

Selena let out a mirthless laugh. "But you believe I did. Oh, and let's not forget that you accused me of doing it out of jealousy. Just what, pray tell, do you think I'm jealous of? Go on, say it. I dare you."

Olivia opened her mouth, then snapped it shut. She probably had realized that anything she said next would sound awful.

"Yeah, I didn't think so. Anyway, I'm out of here. Just pretend like you never saw me and enjoy your vacation fluttering around with all these other mindless idiots. I'm sure it will be no problem for you."

Selena swept out of the restroom, eyes stinging and throat tight. No, she would not break down. Olivia was not worthy of her tears, not if she could throw away their friendship over a lie.

At least Olivia didn't try to follow her as she headed for the staircase. Elevators, even glass ones like the ones in the atrium, made Selena claustrophobic, so she preferred the stairs. Some of her energy had returned since dropping the air magic, enough for her to make it up to the lido deck to refuel with a hearty brunch.

When Selena stepped onto the lido deck, she made a beeline for the nearest restroom down the hall on her left. So far, only a handful of people milled around the hallways, likely because everyone else was already at the brunch buffet. It would be best to cloak herself with air magic again before braving the crowds in the Seabreeze Cafe. Otherwise, the crew might notice she wasn't, technically speaking, a passenger. Or worse, Father might discover that she'd snuck on board. She couldn't risk being seen.

Selena emerged from the restroom cloaked in her invisible air bubble and already feeling the strain of maintaining stealth. This was going to be an exhausting week. 

It complicated matters that Olivia was onboard, Selena mused as she trudged toward the cafe, swerving around others as she passed. That girl was going to bring trouble. At the very least, Olivia's mere presence onboard was a huge distraction when Selena needed to focus on her mission and forget for a while that her ex-best friend ever existed. At worst, Olivia's presence could jeopardize the mission. If Olivia ran into Father, which would no doubt happen at some point, she would be unfailingly polite as always. There would be zero chance of her keeping quiet about encountering Selena onboard. Asking Olivia to keep quiet about it was out of the question because she could never know that Selena was a stowaway.

As Selena approached the cafe, the crowds were tighter here, and it became more difficult to maneuver around without bumping into someone. Sure, her footsteps or breathing wouldn't give her away, silenced as they were, but if she were to bump into someone, they'd surely notice the telltale shimmer around her and alert the ship's authorities. 

Maybe coming here wasn't such a good idea. She should've waited until the crowds died down a bit. Then again, if she'd done that, where would she go to get the sustenance she needed to keep up her shield?

She would be fine. She just had to sneak some food and find a private spot, maybe outside on the boat deck, where she could eat her meal in peace. Yes, she needed to get somewhere quiet away from the roar of chatter surrounding her in this crowded space, where she could hear herself think and figure out what to do next. She needed to deal with the Olivia situation, find an empty stateroom to claim, and plan her spying strategy.

Selena carefully maneuvered her way around the crowds, all the while keeping a watchful glance to make sure nobody nearby suspected her presence. First, she poured herself an unsweetened tea from a pitcher chilled in ice, then made for the closest food station. She snagged a plate and piled on a chicken and vegetable stir fry with rice, an egg roll, and a fresh fruit cup. Not the breakfast food she had planned, but the protein and carb mixture would provide the energy her body needed.

Time to get out of here.

Selena turned from the food station and collided face to chest with a solid, tall body. Her heart plummeted into her toes. She took a quick step back. Of all the times for Selena to have a dunderheaded lack of situational awareness, now was the worst possible moment, surrounded as she was by a huge crowd to witness her humiliation and inevitable capture. 

"Is someone there?" the man asked.

This was it; Selena's investigation had ended before she'd had a chance to start it.