The more he read, the more frustrated he grew. Every spell, every amulet or talisman or potion, called for strange rocks, herbs he'd never heard of, or planetary positions that made no sense to him. He slammed the book shut.
Then he opened it again. He'd only read ten pages of the countermagic chapter. He would read the rest of it. There had to be something in it that would help. Had to be.
Chapter Thirty-two
When Julie woke up, the towel beneath her was sodden. She used a corner to wipe her face, and lifted her head. Down at the end of the pool, Karen was stretched out on a chaise lounge, apparently asleep. Her father, sitting nearby, was reading a book.
Julie reached down at her sides, found the dangling cords of her bikini top, and tied them behind her back. Sweat streamed down her hot skin as she sat up. The concrete apron of the pool seared her feet. She slipped into thongs, and walked toward her dad. In a soft voice, so she wouldn't wake Karen, she asked the time.
Dad checked his wristwatch. "A little after three. Nick phoned while you were asleep."
"Oh, no! Jeez, why didn't somebody wake me up?"
"He just left a message with Tanya, said he'll be here at five."
"How's his mom?"
"He didn't say. Things must be going all right, though, or I doubt if he'd be coming."
"Yeah, I guess so." She sighed, disappointed about missing the call. "Anyway, are you gonna be sticking around for a while?"
"Yep. Why?"
"Nothing. Just thought I'd go in for a dip to cool off." With a casual shrug, she added, "Don't let me drown, huh?"
Dad raised his eyebrows. "If you're so concerned, maybe you should stay out of the pool."
The remark hurt. "Jeez, I was just kidding, for God's sake."
As she walked away, he said, "I'll keep an eye on you."
"Thanks," she muttered. At the edge of the pool, she kicked off her thongs and stepped down the stairs into the shallow end. The water felt cool and refreshing as it wrapped around her legs. She waded forward, sucking in her breath when the water touched her groin, wondering how she'd managed to stand the icy lake in the mountains. When the level reached her belly, she eased forward and left her feet. The chill water closed over her. After the first mild shock, it felt good. She swam beneath the surface to the far end, came up for air in the shadow of the diving board, and glanced at her father as she made her turn. The book was closed on his lap. He was watching her.
She backstroked slowly, keeping an eye on the pool side, trying to judge her distance so she wouldn't bump her head when she reached the end. Stopping, she glanced over her shoulder and found the wall two yards away. She sighed, annoyed with herself for being overly cautious, and plunged forward. Her muscles, sore from hiking, ached as they flexed and stretched. It was a good feeling. When she reached the deep end, she thrust herself away from the wall with such force that the water tugged her bikini pants down a couple of inches. She pulled them up and kept on swimming. When she reached the shallow end, she pushed off more gently.
If nobody else were here, she could forget about the suit and speed through the water naked. It was such a fine, wild feeling. Especially at night. Hell, though, if she were alone, she'd probably be afraid to go in the pool at all. That damn curse. Probably just bull, but how do you explain what happened to Benny, to Alice and Rose, even to Karen? Okay, Karen slipped in her tub. That happens to everyone. But what about.
She touched the wall at the deep end, and tucked. Her feet found the tile. Gripping her pants with one hand, she shoved. She skimmed through the water, let go, and began
to stroke. With her first kick, a muscle spasm locked her right leg. Crying out silently into the water, she clutched her cramped thigh. She rubbed it hard, pounded it. Though the pain was bad and her lungs started to burn, she was rather pleased that she felt no panic. She'd had leg cramps before. She was only a few yards from a side of the pool. The main thing was to ignore the pain, use her arms and her good leg to surface, and get the hell to one of the walls. Forcing herself to release her thigh, she paddled upward and kicked. With a shock of agony, her left leg froze. Both legs were drawn up, paralyzed. Her weight shifted backward as she clawed her way up. Her arms broke the surface, slapped it hard, but without enough force to bring her head out. Through inches of frothy water, she saw the diving board wavering above her. Though she flailed her arms, she kept sinking. The board became a hazy blur. Even her fingertips no longer could reach the surface.
This is insane!
Shit, I'm really.
Something stopped her right arm. Another cramp? No, this felt different, like a tight cuff around her wrist. Pulling. In an instant, her head popped through the surface. Gasping for air, she turned and saw her father in the pool, one hand clutching her, the other hanging onto the edge. Beyond him, Karen was kneeling, face twisted with fear.
Dad eased her forward. She hung onto the concrete lip of the pool while he climbed out. Together, he and Karen pulled her from the water. She lay on her side, rubbing her stricken thighs.
"Cramps?" her father asked.
"Yeah."
"Both legs?"
She nodded.
"God," Karen muttered.
"It's crazy," she said.
"You were pushing it pretty hard, honey." Crouching beside her, Dad started to knead her right thigh. Karen worked on the other. Soon, the pain began to ease. The muscles loosened, and Julie straightened out her legs.
"I guess I'm okay now."
"You'd better lie down for a while," Dad said. He and Karen helped her stand up. Holding her by the arms, they walked her toward the lounge chair. Her legs were trembling and weak.
When she was stretched out on the cushion, Dad bent over her. He stroked her forehead, smoothing aside wet strands of hair. "Are you sure you're all right?"
She nodded. "I guess I shouldn't have gone in after all."
"You just pushed it too hard."
"I guess so. Hey, thanks for pulling me out."
He pressed his lips together tightly, and nodded. His eyes were red and wet. He patted her cheek. "Take a little nap now. I'll wake you up in time for Nick."
"Let me know at four, okay?"
"Sure."
Karen gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, and smiled down at her. Then she and Dad walked toward their recliners, talking quietly.
Julie shut her eyes against the sunlight. She flexed her leg muscles, and felt them tremble. Then she relaxed. She was drained of energy. The heat was a comforting blanket. She tried to think about what had happened to her, but her mind strayed. She was stretched out on a hot granite slab by the lake, Nick's body wet against her, his lips caressing her mouth.
A hand shook her awake. "It's just past four," Dad said.
"Thanks," she murmured. She lay motionless for a little while after he left. She felt groggy, and weighted down by the heat of the sun. Then thoughts of Nick's arrival pushed away her weariness. She sat up, sweat trickling down her body, small puddles spilling from the hollows of her throat and her navel. She looked for her thongs. They were still at the shallow end of the pool where she'd left them. Clutching her towel, she raced over the burning concrete to the house.
Benny, seated in the den, looked up from his book as she slid open the door and entered. He wrinkled his nose to hold his glasses up. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"Sure. Dad tell you about it?"
"Yeah. I was in the john when it happened. Wish I'd seen it."
"Too bad. It was quite a spectacle — your sister nearly drowning. You'd better keep on your toes so you don't miss any more fun."