Prometheus' Orb (Legends of the Dark Creatures Book 1)

Chapter Eighteen: No More Secrets

Three days till the solstice

"Ashley... do it one more time!" Robert shouted.

"Yeah Ashley... please," Luke added.

Ashley sent a deadly stare to Samantha, who simply smiled. After Samantha discovered her secret eight days ago, Ashley had no choice but to finally let in all of her friends. Richard did not object to this idea, though he clearly still felt that her friends wouldn't be safe if they all got caught up in Ashley's new world... and life.

"Come on Ashy! Show us! Show us!" Leah shouted.

They were all at a secluded part of the beach where people rarely visited. Salty air blew gently and the sound of ocean waves echoed throughout the area. Leah was acting more her age now than she ever did. The usually serious child was jumping and running around in a beautiful bright yellow dress and she wore the perfect smile to match it.

"Ashley!" Claire shouted this time, imitating the voice of a mother scolding her child.

"Alright alright... geez," Ashley retorted.

She dragged her denim clothed body towards some rocks and faced the pure blue water. After some quick hand and coordinated body movements, Ashley was controlling a puddle of water which she directed at Luke.

"What the... Ashley!"

"That's what you get for being impatient Luke," Ashley said. "And you're only wearing a short so, you shouldn't be complaining."

"So how does it feel?" Claire asked.

This might have been the first time she heard such a question from someone she had told her secret. Claire had only found out about Ashley yesterday. When Samantha found out, and Ashley explained everything, she was the one who suggested that it would be best if Ashley revealed her secret to one friend at a time.

"Well... To put it simply, everything is heightened," Ashley answered. "My senses, physical abilities, and my emotions... I feel like all these have become sharper. Sometimes I don't feel like this has been good for me."

Ashley remembered how angry she was when she fought Jacob at Alex's funeral. She not only wanted to kill him but she wanted him to suffer for what he did. That was a side of her she hoped she would never have to see again.

"On the bright side," Robert said, placing a finger on his chin. "At least now we know The Storm-Riders will never have to worry about losing a single match... Ow!"

Ashley had controlled some water into small round ice spheres and projected them at Robert.

The whole gang couldn't help but simply laugh... well, not the whole gang. One of them wasn't here.

"Guys," Ashley said, in a low voice. "Tonight... I am telling Adrian."

Luke and Robert's faces were gleaming with joy. Even when she shouldn't have, Ashley had made them promise not to tell Adrian about her. It was hard for them these past few days. They easily accepted what Ashley was and the real world she... they lived in.

"No more lies," Samantha said. "No more secrets."

Standing a few meters away from the group was Sara. The girl looked great in her deep blue skirt and a short white T-shirt. Ashley's friends also knew about Sara and Adrian being Hunters but there was still the one mystery that even Ashley had not quite figured out.

Sara walked to them. They all just stared silently. This clearly made Sara uncomfortable cause her little body was trembling slightly.

Ashley wrapped her right hand around Sara's shoulder and said, "The great Hunter, shaking before a mermaid and four mere humans... your superiors would be disappointed."