Tempest

Fourteen

[dulce et utile / a sweet and useful thing]

For a moment, everything was black. Tessa couldn't see a thing, and she wondered if she had epically failed enough to kill herself on accident. However, the blackness faded gradually, and she blinked.

            She was still underwater, but her surroundings looked different. Not only that, but the water felt different than how it had in Yellowstone Lake. It felt chlorinated, and it dawned on Tessa that she might just have done what she needed to do.

            Tessa whirled around underwater, and thankfully her friends hadn't drowned yet. Their cheeks were puffed out like pufferfish, and while Tessa held back a laugh, she pointed above them to the surface. They got the message and began to paddle upwards. Tessa followed, and broke the surface.

            She looked around and her eyes widened. Surrounding them were grand resorts and hotels, masses of tourists moving down the streets. Music played somewhere in the distance, filling the air with a jazzy tune that could only mean one thing.

            She'd gotten them to Las Vegas.

            The gasping of breaths and blubbering coming from behind her made Tessa turn. Sure enough, her friends were astonished as well.

            "You actually did it," Mark mumbled, looking behind them at the massive hotel. "Holy crap."

            Tessa smirked. "Did you ever doubt me?"

            "Yes."

            Tessa shook her head. "Come on, before someone reports us to the cops or something." She laughed and started for shore. Her friends followed, and they made their way for the hotel as the reservoir they were in erupted into a waterworks show.

~~

            Tessa, Kaden, Dale, Mark, and Reese stood in front of the goliath hotel, faced with their next obstacle in their master plan.

            "Tessa?" Reese tapped her shoulder.

            "Mhm?" The daughter of Poseidon responded.

            "How are we going to get a room?" Reese asked.

            "I'm not sure, I didn't think we'd get this far," Tessa admitted. She looked up at the grand marquis, folding her arms. She had dried off her friends, although her energy reserves were screaming, but hadn't thought to plan how they could afford five rooms in a Vegas hotel.

            Mark clapped his hands together and turned on his heel. "Well, I'm sure we can find a random box in the trash somewhere to spend the night." He started to retreat, but Kaden clamped his hand on the son of Iris's shoulder and turned him back around.

            "Slow down, I've got an idea," Kaden said, his eyes drawn on the front doors. "After all, we're here because of me. Come on." He glanced at Tessa and together, they started for the entrance.

            Tessa's jaw dropped as soon as they passed the doors. The lobby seemed to be glowing in gold, and people ushered past them as they headed in and out of the hotel. Music echoed through the hall, putting a smile on Tessa's lips as she looked up. A decorative ceiling met her eyes, where a display of colors that reminded Tessa of jellyfish became the crowning jewel of the interior.

            Dale grabbed Tessa's wrist, dragging her away from where she stood in her stupor. She was led to one of the plush waiting seats in the center of the lobby, where Mark and Reese sat.