Chapter 5

Cam caught Zach's eye as he mouthed FAIL pretty distinctly. Then when he nodded his head Zach mouthed TELL THE OTHERS.

Cam looked around for members of his crew. He caught Kyle and Travis horsing around laughing and joking looking really pleased with themselves.

He slowly made his way over to them and said from the side of his mouth, "Guys, we need to suck."

"Nay no way Brah this guys going down," Kyle said as he poked Trav in the ribs.

"You must have been dropped on your head as a kid if you think you got this." Trav replied.

"GUYS," Cam stage whispered as he cocked his head repeatedly towards the other end of the field where the council officials sat.

Finally getting the picture, they looked over before he could warn them not to be too obvious.

"OHHH MAAAAN" . . . Kyle groaned.

"That sucks balls," Travis concurred.

Cameron leaned into them not wanting to attract attention.

"Tell the others, but don't completely stink up the joint. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah," Kyle whispered

"We'll let them know," Travis slapped him on the back as they went their separate ways.

Cam started searching the crowd for Meg, but she had already started making her way to the lake where all the undine where instructed to go.

He felt a tight knot of worry in his gut that no one had told her as he attempted to catch her before she started a test. That's what this was all about; he'd guessed.

He had to get to her, that girl was super fast and lethal and as competitive AF. If she can come out on top, she'll do it every time.

He breathed a sigh of relief that his slow nonchalant jog and his "Hey wait up a sec," hadn't looked or sounded like the way he felt inside -- all frantic and protective.

Meg looked back and her face spread into a wide grin. Her eyes even shone with anticipation. He gulped down the bile that rose to the back of his throat at the idea that she hadn't known.

"Hey Bae, Got a sec?"

If this is just a ploy to get me to take it easy on you, think again." She laughed, but stopped pretty abruptly when he continued to look at her with a stone cold expression.

"What's up Cam? You look like shit." She said as she worriedly grabbed his arm.

He pulled her into his arms and whispered in her ear, "The races are a test. Please don't do that thing you do when you wipe the floor with our asses." He chuckled nervously.

She placed her arms on his chest and pushed him back to look him deep in the eyes searching for the truth.

Cam inclined his head to the side and said don't look now, but there are some creepers over there ready to take notes.

Meg leaned in again and whispered, "I know I saw them earlier SO? "

"I don't think they're going to be handing out ribbons at the end of this little track and field meet." Cam insisted.

"Why do you think there here?" Meg asked.

"I haven't got a clue, but please Babe, please shelf your usual badass self."

"Only for you Babe." She hugged him fiercely before letting him go.

They took their time catching up with everyone after that.

Cameron and Meg joined the other Undine by the water where Eutie, another one of the Muses stood holding a stop watch and a whistle. Aside from the freckles she didn't look like her sister Clio at all. She was taller and had long dark brown curly hair and a pretty bodacious bod. She was the mentor of several of the siren's. Obviously she had an affinity for siren song. Heck she was the muse of Arts and Music after all.

Eutie spoke then with her lyrical sing song voice which was actually pretty soothing. Cam couldn't help but wonder if she was putting the whammy on them or something.

"Okay everyone please gather around, " she called out.

Cam and Meg moved in closer.

"Our first event will be for the sirens'."

Several of the girls stepped forward including Meg. Who although she was not a true siren still had the ability to call people to her using a siren song. So great she was included as well.

Eutie addressed the sirens then and said, "We're going to test the power of your song above and below the water.

When Megs eyes got as big as saucers Eutie jumped in.

"Meg I'm aware of your phobia, but you needn't worry the lake is not a natural formation. It is only spelled to look like it. Does that help" Euite finished?

Meg gave a tight nod in her direction. Cam knew she hated being called out on her weakness in front of the others.

The shifters who needed to undress before shifting started stripping including him and Meg. Megan wasn't shy about her body. Shifters tend not to be. He has a theory that when your body changes day in day out you learn to look at it as a sort of a tool rather than a part of you.

It's a means to an end. And the fact that Meg had nothing to hide also crossed his mind as he gave her an appreciative look while stripping down to his boxers.

She just smirked back and blew him a kiss before vaulting off her crutches doing a tight flip in the air and a swan dive into the crystal clear lake. She waved at him with a smile from under the water before turning to dive deeper.

God he loved that girl, he couldn't help thinking that at the same time as he started praying that her pride wasn't hurt enough to make her want to show up the others.

Cam tied his seal skin around his waist as he stood with the others on the shore of the fake lake and he suddenly felt it, the pull of Meg's song. How to explain what it felt like? It felt like slipping into a hot bath after a long day of training. That sigh you can't help releasing as your aching muscles sink below the surface of the incredibly hot water.

Then it becomes a pull on your mind like when you're trying to go to sleep at night, but you've got this nagging feeling like you forgot something important. Your mind won't relax until you figure it out.

Then the intensity changes and you suddenly start feeling an actually pulling on your limbs and body. Like someone turned on a cosmic vacuum and it's sucking you towards the nozzle. Not literally, but figuratively.

He felt that, but he tried to fight it. No way in hell he was going to be the first in the water.

"Don't give in to the call. Try to ignore it for as long as you can." Eutie encouraged.

That's when it happen a tall slender water nymph dove in just as Cam's feet faltered, and he dove in right behind her.

The water nymph became one with the water and turned into a swirling vortex under the surface. She looked like the swirl of the water in a bathtub after you take the plug out.

Oh shit he thought as he started racing toward the epicenter of the call in his seal form. Please, oh please he begged inwardly: let nymph be faster than him. He tried to hold back, but he wasn't the one behind the wheel anymore; it was all his Meg.

They were doomed, he thought until he felt the loosening of the magical noose around his neck and he was able to slow down his urgent dive. The nymph made it to her mark a hairs breadth before he got to Meg.

She just shrugged under the water at him while he swam around her barking and squawking to show his annoyance.

He settled down though when she started running his silky soft hand over his back and stomach as he swam by. A shit he could never stay mad at her for long and she knew it.

The above water task had gone much better he was the fifth to give in to her call.

Then it was the speed trial: Meg had come in 8th  and he 10 th that put them right in the middle of the pack of water types at the school. No way would they stand out for that abysmal showing.

Next their fighting and strength skills where tested under water and above. He was instructed to lift an anchor off the lake floor, which he did with ease and then to lift the same anchor on the shore which he couldn't even budge. No surprise there he thought not a land type.

Meg had punched him in the arm when they watched every other water type fail to lift the anchor. He just blanched at her comically though which made her laugh, but it twisted his guts when he realized.

Then fighting skills were assessed. Needless to say everyone was pretty familiar with how much he sucked in that department, but surprisingly he was extremely hard to catch under water in seal form and a target you can't catch is also a target you can't hit.

Meg just gave him a hard look one that read as follows Are you crazy we're supposed to be losing here.

What could he do It would have been too obvious if he just swam into the guy repeatedly. He just had to hope whatever they were looking for wasn't the ability to get away every time.

When Meg lost both her under water and surface matches she looked as dejected as could be until he leaned in and whispered two words that lit up her face.

The first word was . . . Chunky and the second word was . . . Monkey.

They were so getting a triple scoop when the day from hell was all over.

They joined the rest of the magical creatures for the weapons trials, and Cam ended up being paired up with a whole bunch of people he'd never battled before and he lost every time. No ruse needed.

Meg had to hold back more than a few times and he was so proud of her restraint. He knew how much she hated to lose. Her undefeated status was a source of pride for her.

Cam could also see that the chair dwellers seemed to be pretty interested in what Zach could do. They just kept surreptitiously signaling the mentors to get him paired up with other students wielding other weapons.

And still Zach lost each and every time, but it was as if they knew he was holding back.

Finally, the magic wielders were tested and since he and Meg weren't able to conjure they sat on the sidelines with others of their ilk watching in fascination.

Lauren was involved in almost every challenge. They tested them on how fast they could draw a glyph and make it work, portal creation, galmours, and spells.

It was no surprise to anyone in the gang when Lauren created the anti-eavesdropping spell in record time, but they were all surprised to find that she was nearly the strongest in every other test except opening her own portal.

Cam searched the crowd opposite him and muttered, "SHIT," the moment he saw Zach's face. No one had managed to tell Lauren to play it cool.

She hadn't been holding back the entire time.

He tried to catch Zach's eye to reassure him, but they were glued on Lauren.

Cam started praying that Zach didn't do his hulk out and wing out thing because that shit was as impressive AF and there would be no way to escape notice then.

Finally training was over and he caught up with the gang before they left the gym. Obviously someone had told Lauren, because she just kept shaking her head dejectedly and saying, "stupid, stupid, stupid, I'm such a dweeb; how could I have not notice them?"

Zach just kept apologizing that he hadn't been able to tell her and everyone was just trying to think about something else when Cam came up with an idea.

"Hey guys let's go get some burgers and fries and just forget this whole day ever happen for a minute.

Everyone agreed that sounded like a great idea, but they were soon arguing about which restaurant served the best burgers.

Cam left school with Meg by his side with a tight knot of worry for himself and his friends in his stomach. What had the council been looking for and why?

That thought ran through his head all the way through dinner, but he tried not to let his worries show. He knew his friends were as worried about it as he was, but they all deserved a minute to just be kids.

****************** THANKS FOR READING********************

I hope you all liked this chapter -- What could be happening? What do you think the council is up to?

What do you think is going to happen to Lauren, because she didn't hold back?

Tune in tomorrow to find out.

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