WaterMage Rising

Chapter 9

This was going to take a lot of work, but Selena would be ready when the inevitable moment came. "Yeah, I should go prepare in case I end up near him at dinner. Goodbye, Olivia." Selena turned on her heel and strode through the doors inside, practicing her new walk. A whoosh of air buffeted her, causing her to stumble, but she righted herself.

Behind her, Olivia slow clapped. "Graceful recovery. Heels might not be your friend, but keep trying."

"Whatever." Selena focused on her movements, timing her walk to the strains of the music, muffled now as the doors slid shut behind them. "Are you following me?"

"Of course not. I'm going to my stateroom. We splurged on the penthouse as a graduation treat. You're not on this deck, are you?" Olivia paused at the first stateroom door on the right. She placed her palm to the panel beside it, and the door clicked open.

"No, nothing so fancy." Selena couldn't resist a peek inside the stateroom, and through the cracked door, she saw a spacious living room, beyond which was a wide balcony overlooking the sea. Girls like Olivia seemed to get everything.

"Well, happy graduation, enjoy your cruise, and good luck hiding from your father." Olivia disappeared into her lavish suite, leaving Selena to practice her new, confident walk. On a few occasions, she tried smiling at people she passed on her way downstairs and received bright smiles in return. Their approval filled Selena with an unfamiliar warmth, and she wondered if this must be what it was like on a daily basis for the beautiful, popular girls.

Maybe she could fool Father, after all.

In her stateroom, Selena continued to practice smiling and walking with confidence in front of her mirror for the next half an hour. After her mini practice session, she still had no idea whether her acting skills and disguise would fool Father or not, but she'd never know until she tried. At least this new persona she was adopting for the trip felt more natural now.

The thought of going to the dining room unaccompanied to face Father and his coworkers made Selena queasy, but she refused to let herself chicken out by going to the much more casual cafeteria for a dinner buffet. Sure, she'd be less conspicuous eating alone in the cafeteria, but she'd miss overhearing crucial information there. She needed to go where the Defense Bureau team would be.

By the time Selena strode into the dining room, few seats were available, and all were the two-person tables by the windows. Beyond, Selena could glimpse nothing but ocean sparkling in the bright evening sunlight. Music wafted downstairs from someone playing piano on the second level of the dining room. Would this ship insist on having music everywhere she went? Selena scanned the vast space for a table with enough seating to accommodate a large group like the Defense Bureau, and her heart clenched as she found them in the back left corner of the room.

The host, a skinny man with salt and pepper hair in a slim-fitting suit, glanced up from his reservations list and flashed her a polite smile. "How many in your party, Miss?"

Selena coughed, heat flushing her cheeks. Reminding herself that she was supposed to act confident, she faked a grin and said, "Just me, sir. I'll take the table by the window over there."

She gestured toward the closest two-person table to Father's group, which may or may not be close enough for her to eavesdrop. It was the best she could do. If all else failed, she could always find the nearest restroom and cloak herself in air magic to listen in on their conversation.

With a pitying look, the server retrieved a menu from his stand. "Of course. Right this way."

Who was he to judge her for traveling solo? Selena seethed at his condescension, but she bit her tongue to keep herself from saying something cutting, something that would make a scene and give herself away. Her hands started to clench, but Selena flexed them to cover her tell and faked a pleasant expression.

As Selena passed by a table, a snippet of conversation caught her attention.

A woman in an expensive cream dress with dark hair styled in a bob set down her glass of red wine. She appeared to be in her forties. "Strange times we're in, I must say. My best friend lost her husband, you know the one who worked for the Defense Bureau, to a draining curse. Something's not right with that department, I'm sure of it."

Her companions, another woman and two men of similar age, nodded their agreement. The other woman wiped her mouth and set her napkin on her lap. "So sorry to hear about her loss! Well, the government should step in to clean up its own mess and stop these awful things from continuing to happen, but it won't. Half of them consider this Cunningham to be the Messiah, and the other half demonize him as a danger to us all with his promotion of unity with nonmagicals. Imagine, allowing us to mix with people who have no magic. If he does get elected Prime Mage, Great Martyrs of Salem help us all."

A shiver ran down Selena's spine as she followed the host past the two gossiping ladies.

It was bad enough to read the newspaper articles, but now people were talking about what was happening with the Bureau. What was this guy Cunningham's agenda, and what would he do to the magical nation if elected Prime Mage? What was Father's role in all this?

"Here you go, Miss." The host's smooth, deep voice drew Selena out of her musings as they reached her table. He pulled out her chair for her, and she sank into it, relieved that she'd snagged a table where she could sit with her back to Father. It would have made for an awkward scene if she'd had to request a different one. Perfect. Father wouldn't see her, but she could overhear the lively chatter around his table. "And your menu."

"Thank you." Selena gave him a polite smile, playing the role of a typical young woman as best she could manage. Any hints of her usual surly self might draw unwanted attention from Father, so she forced herself to play nice. As the host gave a nod and retreated, Selena perused the menu. Her eyes widened in disbelief at the abundance of elegant dishes to choose from, most of which had names she had no idea how to pronounce. The only one she recognized was a crab cake dish with corn and asparagus drizzled in some sort of fancy sauce. It sounded safe enough to try.

While she waited for her server, she buttered a dinner roll and tore off a small bite as Mom had taught her. In the evening sunlight outside, Sailboats and yachts drifted by, all carrying people who were relaxing and having fun.

It was exhausting pretending to be one of them.

"We meet again, Mystery Girl."

The now familiar voice made her want to groan in frustration as she tore her gaze from the window. One eyebrow raised, and Selena's faux smile of contentment dropped. "Are you stalking me?"

Cute Guy held up his hands in mock surrender, and he gave a nervous chuckle. "I'm meeting my father and his coworkers. In fact, I'm running a bit late, actually. If you're available, please join me and save me from all the boring shop talk."

"I'm fine here, thanks." Selena turned her face to the window. Instead of taking her clear dismissal for what it was, he plopped down into the seat across from her.

"I'll just sit with you, then. I like the company better."

Selena's lips quirked upward despite herself. "And what if I'm expecting company?"

"Seeing as how you're avoiding people, I'll take my chances." Adam grinned and helped himself to a glass of water and a dinner roll.

"I didn't say you could stay," Selena objected.

"You didn't say I couldn't," he said through a mouthful of roll.

"Adam, get over here!" An older man in his late forties, with the same auburn hair, same bone structure, and grey eyes, beckoned Cute Guy — Adam — over to where he sat at the large table set up for the Defense Bureau. This must be his father. "We're just about to order our food, and you're keeping the team waiting."

Selena's mouth went dry. Adam's father worked for the Defense Bureau. Did that have anything to do with why he kept seeking her out? He might already know who she was and might even have told Father she'd come onboard.

What a disaster.

As if sensing her thoughts, which was ridiculous because he had no magical abilities, Father turned in his chair to face them. His gaze snapped to hers, and his eyes first widened, then narrowed.

Selena froze. Her heart pounded against her ribcage. He saw through her disguise, didn't he?