The Magickers by Emily Drake Page B

enjoyed the afternoon session. Warmer, then cool waters as the lake deepened, felt great against the heat. Emerging had made his skin tingle in the breeze. “I did all right,” he said.
    â€œAll right?” Trent sat down and ate half his meatloaf before expounding. “Boy’s a fish in the water.”
    â€œC’mon.” Jason stared at his dinner tray, too embarrassed to look elsewhere.
    â€œI kid you not. He’s a dolphin.” With a swoop of his fork, his thin friend devoured the rest of the meatloaf.
    â€œDolphins are sea mammals. Saltwater.”
    Trent shook his head vigorously. “There’s freshwater ones in China. Endangered, too. Ugly things, for dolphins.” He pointed at Jason, grinning. “And he swims like one!”
    â€œEat your Jell-o!” Jason got the extra dish off his tray and pushed it over to muffle Trent. That seemed to work. Trent looked rather like a chipmunk for a few moments.
    Bailey giggled. She jumped to her feet. “I’ll see everyone later at the campfire!” Passing Trent and Jason, she whispered, “I’m setting out a trap tonight.” Then she was gone with a smell of vanilla as well as dinner. He looked after her.
    Henry and Jonnard returned to their discussion on chess. Ting and Jennifer watched one another while they both ate alarmingly small portions of their dinner and said nothing. Jason thought guiltily of Sam and how he had hardly missed his best friend with Trent and Bailey around. ’Course, it had only been a few days.
    â€œSure you don’t want any?” His buddy circled the last bowl of dessert.
    Jason had to admit the cherry gelatin did look pretty, crowned by fluffy clouds of whipped topping. But even the sight of it brought back stifling memories of Grandma McIntire and his narrow escape for the summer. He shook his head.
    â€œYour loss,” Trent commented cheerfully, before diving in and polishing off the dessert.
    By the time they left the mess hall, dusk had started to fall. Bailey caught up with them as she had promised. “Let’s think of a ghost story to tell tonight,” she said excitedly.
    â€œOh, I’m not any good at that.” He didn’t have a tale he could make up, though the beast that had tackled him would scare anyone.
    â€œI am,” Trent offered. “I mean, I’ve read a lot of ’em.” They sat down at the fire ring with nobody else in sight. As Bailey and Trent put their heads together, deciding to tell a spooky legend about Dead Man’s Cabin, Jason caught a hint of movement. Almost as if his thought had summoned it, something moved in the growing twilight.
    He turned his head slowly.
    Something a little darker than the shadows made a gliding movement, then disappeared. He gathered himself, ready to leap to his feet, then told himself it was nothing. He heard nothing.
    Then, again. In the deep trees ringing this end of the lake, something very dark, low to the ground, moved.
    He fastened his gaze on the copse of trees and shrubs that hid whatever it was. The back of his hand throbbed slightly. Green glowing eyes flashed at him from the twilight. His breath froze in his lungs.
    By the time he could move again, the narrowed eyes had retreated into the shadows. He had seen something . . . or had he?
    â€œTrent.”
    â€œHmmmm?” His friend looked up. He’d been laughing at something Bailey said.
    â€œSee anything out there? I mean.” Jason cleared his throat. “Ever wonder if there is anything to see. Deer and stuff.”
    Trent gazed across the clearing toward the lake end. “Too early, isn’t it? I mean, they come out at sunset.” He turned his attention back to Bailey.
    Jason watched the forest, half listening to them, half nervously searching for that which he could not quite see. Was it out there? Or did he imagine it?
    A branch snapped. His friends didn’t notice it, but he jumped to his