Forgotten Souls (The Saving Angels 2)

Having no comment, he wrapped his arm around me as we continued to trail Sam and Shawn along the tide line. I could hear their easy laughter ahead of us and smiled at their antics as Shawn threatened to throw a squealing Sam into the churning waves.

"Hey guys, up for some more company?" Lynn asked as she and Robert joined us.

"Sure," I said, pleased that my whole group was together again.

"My sister's something else, isn’t she?" Robert asked with obvious affection, watching her scoop up handfuls of water in her hands to throw at Shawn.

"She sure is," I said, jogging away to assist my friend in her quest to drench my brother. Kicking off my flip-flops, I snuck up behind him swallowing a gasp as the cold water lapped over my bare feet. I kicked the top of the water with my toes sending a spray up Shawn's t-shirt-clad back. The cascade of water hit its mark dead-on, drenching Shawn's entire backside.

"What the hell?" Shawn asked, yelping when the cold spray hit him full force. Turning toward me, he slowly stalked me. "Oh, I get it. You choose your BFF over your own blood," he said in mock anger.

Backing up through the water, I turned to flee a moment before he reached me, counting on my extra speed abilities to carry me a safe distance, away. What I wasn't counting on was Robert and Mark joining forces with Shawn. Darting to the left, I tried to pass around Robert's outstretched arms. Misjudging the distance however, I tripped over his foot, as his hands made a grab for me, sending me tumbling into the ice-cold water head first. An unexpected wave tossed and turned me as I tried to break through to the surface. The force of the wave pressed my face into the rough sand. Gasping for a breath that wasn’t water-filled, I sat in the chilly water shivering from the cold.

"Oh, Krista, I am so sorry," Robert said mortified as water dripped into my eyes. He reached a hand out to help me up.

Using the uneven ground to my advantage, I pulled Robert down with me. Lynn and Sam whooped with laughter as Robert came up swearing from the cold water.

"Soorrrrrrrrryy, I cccoouldn't resssist," I said between giggles and my chattering teeth. Using each other for support, we staggered out of the freezing ocean with our water-laden clothes hampering our movements. "Wooooowww, thaaaat wattttter is freeezzingg," I said through chattering lips as we finally joined our laughing friends on the safety of the dry sand.

"See Sis, you mess with the bull, you get the horns," Shawn joked.

"Haha veeerry funnnny," I said as my teeth clattered together painfully. A breeze off the water blew across my already chilled body, making my skin take on a light blue shade.

Robert swore again as the same breeze hit him. "Holy flipping cow, how the Hell do people actually surf in that?" He said, with his own teeth chattering slightly.

"It's called a wetsuit, man," Shawn said chuckling.

"Har har," Robert said, shaking his wet head in Shawn's direction, sending droplets of icy cold water flying in all directions.

"Come on, we need to get you guys in the house before you get sick," Mark said, pressing my shaking body tightly against his. I welcomed his body heat as I snuggled in even closer. The walk to the house seemed endless as my unprotected side was exposed to the persistent breeze blowing off the water.

Robert kept up his colorful string of words each time the breeze blew across us.

I would have laughed, but the cold had sucked all humor out of the situation for me, as I focused, on placing one foot in front of the other. My frozen feet screamed at me with each step, but I clamped my lips together, not wanting to worry my friends.

Mark halted our progress when I stumbled over my next step, unable to feel my feet. "Are you okay?"

Finally caving, I shook my head painfully. "I cannnn't feellllll myyyy feeeeet," I said through my painful chattering teeth.

Mark knelt down in front of me to get a better look at my feet, but the lack of light made it hard for him to see. He scooped me up in his powerful arms as if I weighed nothing more than a toddler. "Shawn, come hold Krista's feet," he barked, striding toward his house at a brisk pace.

Shawn walked sideways, rubbing my ice cold feet with his hands. "Holy crap, your feet are like blocks of ice," he said, rubbing his hands over them briskly, using the friction to try to warm them.

"Soorrrrrrrrryy," I said apologetically. "They'reeeee alwayyyss coolld," I added.

I almost groaned out loud with relief when I saw the wooden staircase leading to Mark's house up ahead. Mark strode purposefully up the stairs with me still cradled in his arms.

"What happened?" John asked concerned as we climbed the last step.

"Krista and Robert went for a brief swim," Shawn said jokingly.

"Really, you choose a time like this for irresponsibility?" John asked reproachfully, taking in mine and Robert's blue lips and chattering teeth.

"Well, it's not like they did it on purpose," Sam said in a feisty voice, sticking up for her brother and me. "It was an accident, we were just messing around."

"That's all fine and dandy if we weren’t facing a life threatening situation," he said, clearly pissed off as he trailed after us. "It's time you stopped acting like kids and fulfilled your roles," he said in a loud voice, making me cringe deeper into Mark's arms. I hated to be yelled at more than anything else. I could feel panic clawing at me as he followed us into the house.

I was shocked at his tone and was surprised Mark didn't jump in with his own comment. I tilted my head to look at his face and saw his jaw was clenched as he strode with me through the house toward the guest bathroom.