Charmed Forces #19 Read online

  Donovan tightened the sails and they leaped ahead of Candace and Valerie. Gaby felt the wind pushing them across the water. “Let out the jib a little,” Donovan said. Gaby loosened the jib line and let the sail flap in the wind. “Not too much!” Donovan snapped. Gaby made a face at him—she couldn’t help it, it was involuntary—and tightened the sail. He was a slightly cranky skipper.

  Candace was gaining on them, but Gaby’s boat still had the lead. They reached the orange buoy and were preparing to go around it. “Ready about?” Donovan said.

  Gaby got ready to duck. But Tom’s boat suddenly darted in front of them—Alaric was steering. Donovan had to change direction quickly or they’d crash. He slammed the tiller to the left. The boom swung around and knocked Gaby off the boat. She flew through the air and splashed into the lake.

  “Whoa!” She sank into the water, but quickly bobbed to the surface, thanks to her life jacket. She sputtered and wiped the wet hair from her eyes.

  “Sorry about that!” Tom waved as he took over for Alaric.

  “Are you all right?” Donovan asked.

  “Fine,” Gaby said. “Great!” Inside she was burning mad. But she was determined not to show it, to be a good sport. She’d just blown the race—and it was stupid Tom’s fault. Or that kid Alaric’s. Whoever. It didn’t matter—she felt like a jerk.

  Gaby bobbed and floated in the lake. “I’ll be right there to pick you up,” Donovan called, but at that moment his boat was pointed in the other direction, moving away from her. He headed into the wind to stop it.

  Candace and Valerie neatly tacked over to Gaby, Candace at the helm. “I’ve got her!” she called, giving Donovan a wave. Valerie reached out and grabbed Gaby’s arm to help pull her into the boat.

  “Way to make a splash,” Valerie said. Then she looked at Gaby’s face and laughed. Candace laughed, too.

  “What?” Gaby said. “What’s so funny?”

  “What’s so funny is your makeup,” Candace said.

  “What about my makeup?” Gaby looked desperately around for some kind of shiny surface so she could check her reflection, but there was nothing. Why didn’t these stupid little boats come equipped with makeup mirrors? Better yet, built-in vanity tables? More comfortable seating wouldn’t hurt, either. A lounge chair would be nice . . .

  Candace and Valerie were still laughing. “What’s wrong with my makeup?” Gaby asked impatiently.

  “Well . . .” Valerie said. “It’s all smeared—”

  “—and you look kind of like a clown,” Candace said.

  Gaby’s hands flew to her face. She was horrified. “Like a clown! Don’t let Donovan see me!” His boat was headed their way.

  “Only kind of like a clown,” Candace said.

  “Yeah,” Valerie said. “Kind of like a clown, and kind of like somebody shot you in the face with a paintball gun.”

  “No!” Gaby cried, desperately wiping makeup from her eyes.

  “You shouldn’t wear so much makeup to go sailing,” Candace said. “People do end up in the water pretty often. And these little Sunfish capsize all the time.”

  “If you’re going to overdo it, at least wear waterproof mascara,” Valerie said.

  Donovan’s boat pulled up just then. “Come on, Gaby. Climb aboard.”

  Gaby turned her face away from him. “No.”

  “What? Why not?”

  “Gaby, get off our boat,” Valerie said. “There really isn’t room for three on this thing.”

  “No,” Gaby said, hiding her face with her hands.

  “Gaby, get back on here,” Donovan said. “That’s an order.”

  “You’re not the boss of me,” Gaby said. She knew it sounded babyish, but that’s how she felt just then. She wished she could snap her fingers and disappear.

  “Come on, Gaby,” Candace whispered to her. “You don’t look so bad. Lighten up. Have a sense of humor. It’s funny.”

  Gaby let her hands drop away from her face. She stuck out her tongue at Candace. Candace wouldn’t think it was so funny if it happened to her. But no, of course something like this would never happen to Candace, since she was such a good sailor and all.

  “Gaby, if you don’t get back on this boat I’ll consider it a mutiny,” Donovan said. “And I’ll have to find another first mate.”

  No, not that! Anything but that.

  Gaby turned around slowly. Donovan reached out to help her. He took one look at her face and burst out laughing, even as he pulled her aboard their boat. “Wear makeup much?”

  “Stop that!” Gaby said.

  “It’s just—” He was shaking with laughter. “You look like a clown . . .”

  Gaby grimaced. “Can we just get back to the dock, please?”

  Donovan pointed the boat toward shore. “Thanks for your help, Candace,” he called over his shoulder. “Nice sailing! But we would have kicked your butts if it hadn’t been for our little accident here.”

  So it was my fault, was it? Gaby fumed. She’d show him. She could be a great first mate. She just needed a few lessons.

  “Don’t worry, Gaby,” Donovan said. “We’ll beat them next time.”

  He confidently steered the Sunfish toward the dock. The wind blew back his dark mop of hair, exposing the shell necklace at his throat. Gaby sighed. She couldn’t care less about beating Candace or anyone else in a race. All she cared about was how cute Donovan was.

  But sailing was obviously not her strong suit. She needed to find another way to win Donovan over. The question was, how?

  After lunch the skies opened up and rain drenched the camp. “The swim relay is postponed,” Mandy announced, avoiding Alyssa’s eyes. Gaby snickered. Alyssa and Amy had been right again, but Mandy obviously didn’t want to admit it.

  “So you have a free period,” Mandy said. “You can hang out in the main lodge if you want, or stay here in the bunk and read or write letters. Up to you. I’m going up to the lodge to work on a mural for the Midsummer Dance. Anybody who wants to come help is welcome.”

  Gaby watched to see what Alyssa would do. Alyssa reached under her pillow and pulled out Amy. “I think I’ll stay here and read,” she said.

  “Me too,” Gaby said. She had a little favor to ask Alyssa, and this was the perfect time.

  Some of the girls left for the main lodge. Gaby, Alyssa, Sloan, and Natalie stayed in the cabin.

  Gaby glanced up at Alyssa, lying on her top bunk. Alyssa opened a book and started reading. Below her, Natalie lay on her stomach writing a letter. Across the room, Sloan sat on the floor, dealing tarot cards. Gaby stepped on Natalie’s bed to climb up to Alyssa’s.

  “I need to talk to you,” Gaby said.

  Alyssa rolled over to make room for her. “Fire away.”

  “I don’t know if you heard about my humiliation in sailing today . . .” Gaby began.

  Alyssa laughed, and beneath them Natalie snickered.

  “Guess that answers that question,” Gaby said.

  “Valerie and Candace told us,” Alyssa said.

  “It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Natalie said. “I’ve been in the exact same situation. Well, almost exact. I fell into the lake with a face full of makeup on in front of Logan last year. My waterproof mascara totally saved me.”

  “Yeah, well, I didn’t think that far ahead this morning,” Gaby said.

  “My point is, look where Logan and I ended up,” Natalie said.

  “Where did you end up?” Gaby asked. “Are you back together now?”

  “No, not yet,” Natalie admitted. “And I’m not sure if we will be or not this summer. I asked my Magic 8-Ball before I left for camp, but all it said was, Reply hazy, try again.”

  “I told you, the Magic 8-Ball doesn’t know what it’s talking about,” Alyssa said. “It’s a toy. It’s got no mojo.”

  “Anyway,” Natalie said, and Gaby could practically hear her rolling her eyes. “Last summer Logan and I did get together, even though I made a complete fool of myself in front
of him. So all is not lost, Gaby.”

  “All I wanted was to look good for Donovan,” Gaby said. “We’re going to be spending a lot of time on a boat together, and I wanted to make a good impression.”

  “Maybe you should focus on being a good sailor instead of looking like a beauty queen,” Alyssa said.

  “But that’s just the problem,” Gaby said. “I’ll never be a good sailor—not in the four weeks we have until the regatta, anyway. So I might as well forget about sailing as a way to Donovan’s heart. I need another way. Alyssa, you’ve got to help me.”

  “Me? How can I help you?” Alyssa said.

  Gaby cast her eyes toward the amethyst, which lay on the pillow next to Alyssa’s head.

  “What—Amy?” Alyssa said. She snatched Amy up and cradled her in her hand.

  “Ask Amy what I should do,” Gaby said. “Ask her what will make Donovan like me. You can do it. You’re totally psychic now. You predicted this rainstorm. You predicted we’d have pancakes for breakfast and pasta salad at the cookout.”

  “She also predicted that Donovan will ask Candace to the Midsummer Dance,” Natalie said.

  “But maybe that could change,” Gaby said. “If I can just get his attention somehow, in a good way . . .”

  “I don’t know,” Alyssa said.

  “Why not?” Gaby said.

  “It just doesn’t feel right,” Alyssa said.

  “Alyssa is right,” Sloan said from her spot on the floor. She flipped over a tarot card—the hanging man. “She is totally psychic, but she shouldn’t misuse it. If you use your power for selfish or evil reasons, it brings bad karma.”

  Gaby really wanted a boyfriend this summer, and she really liked Donovan. That may have been selfish, but wasn’t it understandable? The others had all been in the same spot before, she was sure of it.

  “This isn’t evil, Sloan,” Gaby said. “Please, Alyssa—help out a friend? Your bunkmate and fellow camper for all these years?” She batted her eyes at Alyssa and tried to smile her warmest smile. “It will only take a second. Just ask Amy what Donovan likes.”

  Alyssa shifted uncomfortably on her bed. “Sloan’s right. I already asked who he’ll ask to the dance. Isn’t that enough of an answer for you?”

  “Maybe something has happened since then to change the future,” Gaby said. “It can’t hurt to double-check.”

  “Sorry, Gaby,” Alyssa said. “I can’t double-check every prediction I make. Part of making predictions is trusting your first instincts.”

  “I’m not asking you to second-guess your instincts. Just to look for a possible new angle,” Gaby said.

  “I’ll think about it,” Alyssa said. “That’s all I can promise.”

  “That’s all I can ask,” Gaby said. But she was determined. Somehow, some way, by the end of the summer, Donovan was going to be her boyfriend.

  chapter SIX

  A few days later, Brynn went to the newspaper office to work. Drama and newspaper were her two electives. Drama she had down pat—they were doing Anything Goes, and tryouts were next week. But newspaper was troubling her. She was trying to think of something interesting to write about, but after so many years at camp, it all felt so familiar, so routine. There was nothing new, nothing exciting to report. Plus, it was a little awkward seeing Jordan—who was also a reporter—there.

  When Brynn walked into the office, there he was, sitting at one of the computers and talking to a thin girl with a thick dark braid gleaming down her back—the fifth-division girl Brynn had seen him with at the cookout. Brynn remembered her from the obstacle course, too. They looked up at Brynn and immediately stopped talking, as if they didn’t want her to hear their conversation.

  “Hi, Brynn,” Jordan said.

  “Hi, Jordan,” Brynn said. She smiled at the girl, even though she felt wary of her. “I’m Brynn.”

  “Winnie,” the girl said. “Nice to meet you.”

  Brynn settled at one of the other computers. “What’s new?” she asked Jordan. What a lame question, she thought, mentally kicking herself, but she didn’t know what else to say.

  “I’m starting a new column for the paper,” Jordan said. “It’s called Bunk Roundup. I’ll give the latest news from each bunk, just a few lines for each. Unless something really big is happening. So what’s going on in bunk 6B? Any news?”

  “News?” All Brynn could think of was Alyssa and her amethyst. The predictions, the psychic powers. That was pretty big news. But she superswore not to tell anyone about it. Alyssa said anyone who broke a superswear would be cursed. Brynn didn’t need any bad luck. And the last person she should break a supersworn secret to was a reporter from the camp paper. So she lied and said, “News? No, nothing. Nothing at all.”

  “Come on, it doesn’t have to be earthshaking,” Jordan said. “Just a little tidbit to round out the column. Otherwise the sixth-division girls won’t be represented in Bunk Roundup.”

  Brynn racked her brain, trying to come up with some little bone she could throw to keep Jordan satisfied. “Well, we beat 5C in an obstacle course last week,” she said. Then she remembered that Winnie was in 5C and regretted it. Winnie frowned. “Sorry. But it was kind of wild. Alyssa was the star—we totally couldn’t have won without her.”

  “Alyssa?” Jordan said. “But she’s not a jock.”

  “Exactly,” Brynn said. “That’s why it was so amazing.”

  “What do you think happened?” Jordan said. “Why did she do so well all of a sudden?”

  Brynn stopped. Alyssa’s explanation had been that the amethyst gave her new power—even athletic power. But Brynn obviously couldn’t tell Jordan that.

  “Um, vitamins,” she said. “Alyssa’s been taking a ton of vitamins lately.”

  “Interesting,” Jordan said. He started typing something onto the computer. Winnie leaned close and whispered something in his ear. Brynn didn’t like the looks of that whisper. What exactly was going on between them?

  Jordan and Winnie stood up. “Sorry, Brynn,” Jordan said. “We’ve got to go. We’re working on a story.”

  “Oh?” Brynn said. “What is it?”

  Jordan glanced at Winnie, who looked, to Brynn’s mind, unbearably smug. “Um, I can’t say. It’s top secret.”

  “Top secret?” How annoying. He and Winnie were working on a top secret story together, which totally left Brynn out. “Good luck with that.”

  “Thanks,” Jordan said. “See you later.”

  “See you,” Winnie called as they left.

  Brynn sat at her computer, fuming. She could hardly concentrate on story ideas now. All she could think about was Jordan and Winnie working together. Having a secret. Winnie whispering into his ear.

  Jordan had been friendly enough toward her, but he hadn’t exactly sought her out since they got to camp. Brynn couldn’t tell from his behavior how he felt about her. And what about Winnie? Maybe Jordan liked her now. It was hard to say. But it sure seemed clear that Winnie liked him.

  Alyssa sat in the sun, in a swirl of noise and confusion. She was surrounded by her friends from camp, and crowded around them was a huge throng of thousands of people, yelling and cheering. She smelled food, a roasting smell, hot dogs, popcorn, peanuts . . . There they all were, all her bunkmates: Natalie, Brynn, Chelsea, Alex, Jenna, Gaby, Tori, Priya, Valerie, Candace, Sloan, even Mandy. Their faces were blurred, but she knew they were there.

  Suddenly, something small and hard and white flew at them out of nowhere. What was it? A small bird? A tiny angel? Alyssa shielded her face and ducked, but the hard white thing hit Chelsea smack in the head and knocked her over. Somebody screamed. Everyone crowded around Chelsea. The world went dark. Then, in the darkness, Alyssa saw a flashing red light. Chelsea’s eyes were closed, but red light pulsed over her face like the lights of an ambulance. Chelsea was taken away. Two doors slammed shut. The red lights flashed, and then everything went black.

  Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong . . .

 
; “Aaah!” Alyssa shouted and sat up. Her eyes flew open. She looked around.

  Morning sun poured in through the window next to her bunk. All around her, she heard the soft breathing of her bunkmates. Oh. She was at camp. She’d been dreaming.

  “What’s the matter?” Mandy asked from her bed.

  “I had a bad dream,” Alyssa said. She reached under her pillow for Amy the amethyst. The other girls began to wake up.

  “Are you okay?” Mandy asked.

  “I will be,” Alyssa said. “As soon as I figure out what my dream meant.”

  Mandy got up and bustled around the cabin, getting dressed. “I’ve got a counselor’s meeting in the lodge before breakfast,” she said. “So I might be a little late. I’ll meet you girls in the mess hall, okay?”

  “Okay,” someone said. Alyssa didn’t know who had spoken; she wasn’t paying attention. She was too busy trying to read the signals she picked up while rubbing the amethyst.

  The minutes flew by. Alyssa hardly noticed the time. Natalie shook her knee and said, “Alyssa? You coming to breakfast?”

  Alyssa opened her eyes. “I’ll be right there.”

  The other girls left for the mess hall. Alyssa dressed quickly, stashed Amy away in her hiding spot, and ran up the path to meet them.

  “What was all that moaning about this morning?” Jenna asked over scrambled eggs.

  “It sounded like someone was stuffing socks into your mouth,” Gaby said. “And finally you couldn’t take it anymore and screamed.”

  “I had a dream,” Alyssa said. “A prophetic dream. A bad dream.”

  The other girls stopped mid-bite. “About us?” Candace asked.

  “What happened?” Sloan asked.

  “We were somewhere outdoors,” Alyssa said. “We were all there, everyone in the bunk. Everything was okay until suddenly this white . . . thing . . . roared out of nowhere and conked Chelsea on the head.”

  Chelsea’s hand flew to her forehead. “My head? What kind of white thing?”

  “I couldn’t really see it,” Alyssa said. “Everything happened so fast. But after that you closed your eyes, and you never opened them again.”