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there?”
    Silence. She decided bravado was the answer.
    “Come out, come out, wherever you are!”
    A bird called from the trees behind her, but other than that, nothing.
    He’s not even here. He’s just some punk kid fucking with Jason, and he got me too.
    The shotgun suddenly felt like it weighed a hundred pounds.
    Why the hell am I carrying this thing? And when did I become someone who even owns a shotgun, let alone plans on using it?
    Disgusted with herself, River sat down on the sand, staring down at the gun lying across her lap.
    She took a deep breath, then released it slowly, trying to get her thoughts back in order.
    Her beach was the place she retreated to so she could relax, be alone and finally feel at peace. It felt different now, knowing that Fen had been here, poisoning her brother with his lies.
    It felt like she’d lost one more place to feel safe, as if one more thing had been spoiled.
    That’s when the shape came out of the water.
    Springing to her feet like a ninja, River pointed the shotgun squarely at the intruder.
    Only to realize she was threatening deadly violence on a seal.
    It blinked its huge black eyes at her, its golden coat catching the last dregs of sunshine lighting the sky.
    Now River really felt like an idiot. She lowered her weapon.
    “Er, sorry, Mr. Seal. I’m not really going to shoot you.”
    The seal nodded at her, as if it understood her. Meanwhile, the adrenaline was still coursing through River’s system, with nowhere else to go but out of her mouth, in a stream of nervous babble.
    “You’re a strange fellow. What’re you doing here, all alone?”
    The seal’s only response was to come closer to her. Alarmed, she took a step back. It stopped its forward motion as she did so.
    Do seals attack humans? She frantically tried to remember her seal lore.
    It shook its head side to side, and then flopped down off its front flippers, staring up at her with its wide, innocent eyes.
    She suddenly really wanted to touch it.
    Despite herself, she took a step forward. It only watched her, so she took another. Only when she took a third did it finally move, rolling over on its back like a dog, still looking up at her in clear invitation.
    “Really?” she marveled. “Do you really want me to pet you?”
    She couldn’t imagine this was normal behavior, but for some reason it felt right. When she thought about touching the seal, she knew it wanted her to do just that.
    Taking a few more cautious steps forward, River edged around to approach the seal from the side. She figured if it was really a rabid seal intent on attacking her, she’d be able to get out of its way before it managed to regain its feet. Er, flippers.
    She crept forward two more paces and it snorted gently, reproachfully eyeballing the shotgun still clutched in her left hand.
    “Oh, right. Sorry,” River said, setting the shotgun behind her on the sand. She’d have to clean it when this was over, but she really didn’t think she was going to need it.
    The seal not only acted friendly, but also felt friendly.
    And the animal was so beautiful River didn’t want to question a notion that would have seemed crazy at any other time.
    So River kept inching forward, her hands clenched at her sides, until she was looming over it.
    That close, the animal was huge. Much larger than she’d imagined the seals she’d seen cavorting on the small islands dotting Maine’s coast to be. They’d converge in droves, rolling around each other sensually, their days seeming to consist of nothing more than playing, hunting and basking.
    More than once, River had wished she could be a seal, if only for a short time.
    “You’re beautiful,” she murmured, squatting down to sit on her heels, an arm’s length from the animal.
    It blinked at her as if accepting her compliment, snuffling in a seal chuckle.
    And then it held out its right flipper, as if inviting her in.
    Next thing she knew, her own arm was extended, her fingers brushing