She walked down the steps to the lower level, lit only by a single soft light in the kitchen. But the moon was out and even though it was barely three-quarters, it lit the boardwalk, the dunes, and the beach beyond.
They didn’t use the alarm system, so she unlocked and slid the heavy glass door that led to the deck and, in a moment, she was downstairs and walking barefoot over the boardwalk.
The boardwalk where Nolie would dance, dropping rose petals and joy, her eyes on fire with her mission, her brain focused on something that certainly wasn’t…words.
Was Anthony right?
As she reached the end of the boardwalk, she stepped down and let the soft sand sift between her toes. Soothed by the feeling, she looked side to side, not surprised that this beach—as close to “private” as it could get—was utterly deserted.
The tide was high, though, and close, rolling in with the gentle and steady rhythm that Crista always thought of as beach music.
Listening to it, she gazed out and then squinted as something caught her eye in the water. A flicker. A shimmer.
Was that her imagination or some kind of light? Curious, she walked toward the surf and suddenly—there it was again. A glow, a brief pulse of blue light swirled beneath the surface.
Her breath catching, she crouched down, her heart rate rising as she reached out to the water. Dragging her fingers through the wet sand at the edge of the tide, a ripple of glowing blue spread from her fingertips, dancing like liquid stars.
Was that…magic?
“Are you okay?”
She gasped and spun around, seeing the shadow of a figure on the boardwalk. The moonlight caught the light of Tessa’s hair, clipped up on her head.
“Yes.” Crista stood. “What are you doing down here?”
“Checking on you,” she said. “I could see you from my deck.” She gestured behind her and Crista’s gaze moved to the house, seeing a light on the far right where Tessa’s room was. “I couldn’t sleep, and I saw you. I wanted to be sure you’re all right.”
She huffed out a breath, fighting the urge to dump it all on this woman’s shoulders. Instead, she turned to the water.
“Did you see that?”
“The blue light?” Tessa stepped off the boardwalk onto the sand, walking closer. “It’s bioluminescence.”
“Oh, I’ve heard of that,” Crista said, looking at the water, a little sad it wasn’t magic. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen it in person.” She knelt down again, moving her hands to send trails of glowing blue through the water.
“You’ve never seen it here at the beach?” Tessa asked, slowing her step when she reached Crista. “Of course, you’d have to be up in the middle of the night.”
“I was too young for that,” she said with a wistful smile. “I was always tucked into bed before your big adventures. Though I do remember you all talking about it—and other things that intrigued me.”
“Sorry we cut you out, Crista. You were young and we were teenagers.”
“I know. But now…” She looked out at the water, catching the blue sparkle here and there. “Sometimes I feel like I missed out on a lot.”
Which was yet another reason she wanted to keep this house and let Nolie have those experiences.
“Well, this only happens certain nights when the water is right. And don’t ask me what causes it,” Tessa added with a laugh. “That’s Kate’s department. My sister is the scientist. I just thought it was blue magic.”
“I was just thinking that,” Crista said, slowly rising. “And, boy, could I use a little.”
Tessa looked up and stood, too, brushing her wet fingers on her sleep pants. “Wanna talk about it?”
“More than I want my next breath, but…”
“But it’s me, not Vivien or Eli.” Tessa gave a playful jab in Crista’s arm. “Come on, you can unload. I won’t judge.”
Crista raised a brow.
“Hey,” Tessa said. “What’s said in the blue magic stays in the blue magic. We can walk and talk. Hike up those fancy PJs, Cris.”
