The Blue Divide

Chapter 28

Lainey rubbed her arms as she walked over the barnacled rocks of Mussel beach toward the figure standing on the shore. Peter was dressed in a grey pea coat and cabbie hat, blending in with the wet rocks like a ghost.

He didn't flinch as she approached, only tipped his head, listening. "He's at the house."

Lainey stopped walking. "You saw him?"

Peter nodded. "He's all right, if that's what you were going to ask. I ran into him on the beach talking to Mr. Leventis."

"Talking about what?"

He sighed, his breath clouding the misty air. "It's clear Mr. L wants him to join the Blood. I couldn't tell how Eko felt about that, but he seemed angry at one point and Mr. Ardent came to take him back to his room. I think they might be drugging him."

Lainey stepped in front of him and looked into his eyes. They were the exact same shade of brown as his hair. "I have to get him out of there."

Peter nodded, looking past her. "I want to help you."

She stepped back, surprised. "You do?"

"The Blood is toying with things they don't understand. They don't know what the consequences could be." The waves reflected in his eyes. "There's power beneath the ocean that none of us can comprehend. If we upset it; provoke it; all our lives could be at risk. If there's one thing I've learned working for my dad, it's that the sea can't be controlled. We can only pray it won't drown us."

Lainey's lips tightened. "Thank you, Peter. I want to tell him that I know the truth. I want to help him return home." She thought about him slipping below the waves and never seeing him again. His music haunting her dreams with the memory of an unfinished kiss. She drew her jacket more tightly around her. It didn't matter how she felt about him. How could he ever care for her back if he was unhappy?

"I want to go to the house tonight. Do you know any way of getting inside? Do your parents have a key?"

Peter shook his head. "Not even my mother gets in without going through Mr. Ardent."

She crossed her arms and pictured the mansion in her head. Windows much too high to get to, smooth gray walls without any adjoining plants or trees to climb up. Then a thought struck her. "Peter? The water that flows into the chapel in the basement. It comes from the ocean, right?"

He shrugged. "I never thought about it before."

"It has to. I saw some seals down there once. If there's a passage big enough for a seal to get through, it must be big enough for people too." She headed for her bike, itching to start searching the shore for the passage.

"Wait," Peter called, grabbing her arm. "You can't go now. All the back windows of the house look down at the beach. You'll be spotted for sure."

"What do you suggest?"

"Go home, put on something dark, then meet me by Mr. Leventis's driveway. It will have to be late so we can make sure everyone's asleep. Let's say midnight. Bring a flashlight."

She nodded, breath quickening, and mounted her bike.

Clouds were blotting out the stars when they started their search. Dressed all in black, they made their way down the steep cliff side, not daring to use Mr. Leventis's staircase. The beach was an empty stretch of white sand. She couldn't tell how far up the coast it stretched because the land curved around steep outcroppings, blocking the edges from sight.