Magicians of the Deep

 Colin stepped off the plane and pulled his jacket closed. Compared to Hawaii, Ireland was freezing. He waited for his adoptive parents to catch up. Apparently, their great idea of making him feel welcome was to rush him off to a foreign country for spring break.

Mrs. Layton—or Mom, as she wanted to be called—tugged his arm to get him to hurry into the airport when they caught up to him. He sighed and picked up his pace. The Layton kids walked past him, attached to their phones. They were used to traveling. He shook his head. He had to give them credit for actually caring about him. Many other families had left him behind.

After finding their luggage, they went to pick up their rental car. Colin was surprised to see the steering wheel on the opposite side of the car.

Mr. Layton climbed in and turned back to smile at Colin.

“Welcome to Ireland, where everyone drives on the wrong side of the road.” He winked before starting the car.

“They drive on the wrong side?”

“Yes. They’re one of a few countries that do. It takes some getting used to, but soon you won’t even think about it.”

Mrs. Layton climbed in and they pulled away from the airport. The scenery was breathtaking.

He grew up with the green bushes and palm trees in Hawaii, but this was different. There was an ancient air about them, and the rolling hills were so different from the island he lived on.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Mrs. Layton said.

Colin jumped. He turned and smiled. “It’s amazing.”

“Well, that’s not all. That is where we will be sleeping.” She pointed out Colin’s window.

“Where? I don’t see any hotels.” He could only see a large castle standing against the mountains in the distance. The grounds were immaculate. A river ran through the property, and he was sure he had seen a fish jump.

She laughed. “That castle is the hotel. That’s where we’re staying.”

Colin’s jaw dropped. He kept his eyes on the castle as they drew nearer. This was definitely better than any of his foster families. He glanced over at Ben and Samantha. They were too busy with their phones to notice anything outside.

How could they miss this?

They pulled up to the castle and the employees opened their doors for them. Colin stepped out and watched everyone else, trying to figure out where he was supposed to be going.

Ben pulled out his bag and handed it off before wandering into the castle. Samantha pulled her multiple bags out, threatening bodily harm to the bellhop if anything was damaged. Colin only had a backpack full of clothes, so he took it with him.

No need for the concierge to do it.

Colin followed Mr. and Mrs. Layton into the castle, unsure of what else he was supposed to do. While they checked in, Colin stared at the decor. Lavish red curtains hung from the tall windows and rugs filled the lobby. He walked around, examining closely at the vases and paintings. The marble finish must have cost a fortune. He had never seen money spent in such a way.

They were led up to their rooms, where Colin was told to drop off his stuff and freshen up. He was to room with Ben. It would be easy enough to do since Ben was still stuck on his phone, headphones in his ears. Colin had thought of checking to make sure they weren’t glued in.

Colin stared out the window, fingering the stone on the chain around his neck. The river running through the lush, green land, was choppy from the wind. In the distance he could see the Atlantic Ocean appeared gray in the mist. It was different from the ocean he grew up near. Heshivered again, missing the warmth of Hawaii.

He flopped onto his bed, exhausted from the trip. The sleep on the plane hadn’t fed his need for sleep. He told himself it would only be a couple hours as he crawled under the covers.