& it's hard to believe just what I've become Who: Lilith, Isolde, Cole & Niamh Where: The Landers' household When: Morning
Sugar and spice and everything nice, with a disturbingly dark dose of vampires that left Lilith feeling decidedly uneasy when she woke. She had opened her mouth to wish Neil good morning and half expected no sound to come out, the dream lingered so persistently. It was unsettling in a manner she could not place and she did not need to even turn her head in her husband’s direction to know that he had picked up on it immediately. She had always had strange dreams when the weather began to slide further away from her comfort zone, but that was—No, never mind. There was little to no point in dwelling on something her subconscious had dragged up. She just needed a little time spent in the pool, that was all – away from the heat, though she was grateful for the breeze that she was assuming Neil had let in through a bedroom window. Washing, then going straight for a swimming costume and sarong rather than a full outfit (though perhaps a costume less likely to make Cole blush after the incident with Bunny), she set her most noted Sunday morning routines of ‘coffee and newspaper’ aside on the garden table and drifted towards the pool.
‘Must you always allow your footwear to float off? It’s odd.’
The corner of Lilith’s mouth quirked up, both at Icarus’ statement and the feel of the water on her toes. If it was not so very hot she would have been quite content with her legs dangling into the pool and the rest of her stretched out while she read or some such. Worked. She had been incredibly negligent of work as late. Before her familiar reminded her, yes, she had had reason, but now she did not have much excuse. A glance back at the upper floor of the house – there were stirrings of someone other than Neil being awake – and the elemental shifted slightly uneasily before literally trying to shrug the feeling off.
‘You can’t keep them all safe all the time.’
“Which is the problem, since I seem to have it in my head that I am going to,” she answered with something of a sigh, tugging off her sarong and giving the snapping turtle an oddly affectionate glance before habitually dropping herself to the bottom of the pool.
Only, there was…
‘Lilith?’
Was there something in the water? It felt a little like, a little like…
‘Get out of the pool. Lilith. Now.’
Confused and subject to a touch of her own academic curiosity, the elemental was not listening in full. She had heard Icarus’ demands, but she had never been one to follow the orders of a turtle, familiar or no. Except this was… A deep burn, in her stomach, throat and chest, like when she was much, much younger and Barram persuaded her to hold her breath for as long as—‘LILITH.’ Out of shock and in a sudden panic, Lilith kicked against the bottom of the pool, trying to push herself up and out of the water – something she could usually do with ease, but now it seemed to require so much effort. Either she could suddenly not swim as well, she was too drained, or both, and she emerged from the water with a premature breath that left her choking and in blind panic. Was Water trying to drown her? Had she done something to—No, if that were the case she would have never reached the surface. Now though, she was finding it difficult remaining above it without the aid of the poolside.
She was a water elemental and unable to swim.
‘At all?’
What had been the point in taking lessons when it came so naturally? It was like asking a fire elemental if they truly never wore oven gloves. She could not swim, or had nigh convinced herself she could not, which was more or less the same thing, and there was nothing at all comforting about being in her own element. And she couldn’t stop spluttering.
Call Neil. The children. Anyone. – Icarus!
‘Just because you can’t hear me, it doesn’t mean I haven’t already.’
Lilith rested her side on the poolside. She was actually at risk of crying if she did not get out of the water soon.