by Tara West
Josef made the sign of the cross and slapped his hands together in a prayer pose. “I give you my word, mi reina, though I fear we will both regret it.”
Chapter Seventeen
Mrs. Jenkens hastily dressed Safina and pinned her hair. The old woman fussed, vacillating between shock at Safina’s indecency and amazement at her courage. The voices in the parlor below grew louder, and Safina feared Mrs. Jenkens’s home would be bursting with curious spectators who had no business being in the house other than to glean a bit of gossip.
Though she wanted nothing more than to hide from all the curious eyes, she needed to see Gabriel. His fear and self-loathing had left a hollow ache in her chest, and she had to know if he was all right.
She held her head high after she descended the stairs into the small parlor. Luckily, the crowd was too engrossed in watching two men argue to pay her any heed.
The men, one short and stout with white tufts of hair, and the other tall and lean with a bushy grey moustache, were pointing at each other, their voices growing ever louder.
“I saw something, Ball. A huge fin.” The tall man held his arms out, his eyes opening wider with the movement.
“Goldman, you old fool.” The short man called Ball tossed back his head and laughed, a deep, hearty chuckle. “You most likely saw a whale.”
“A whale?” Goldman shook his head, scowling. “Whales don’t come up these parts.” He turned his sharp gaze on Safina. “What did you see, girl? What was in the water?”
Safina did her best not to cower as all eyes in the room turned to her. She cleared her throat as she recalled the tale she’d been rehearsing in her mind. “The shark… he… he let go of Pedro and went after me. He ripped off my clothes.” She made sure to tremble at that part. “I kicked him in the eye and he swam off.”
Safina stared at bulging eyes and slackened jaws, waiting for some sort of reaction, and praying to the Almighty Mother they believed her.
The man called Ball marched up to her with a stiff back. He loudly cleared his throat as he addressed the crowd. “In all my days, I have never seen such bravery. To think, this girl rushed into the sea to save the boy while all the men watched on shore.” He held his hat against his chest and bowed. “Child, you humble this old man.”
“I’m telling you, I saw a big fin and a tail, like a sea monster!” Goldman shouted.
“Sea monster?” Ball waved his hat at the man as if he was shooing a fly. “Will you stop going on about that?”
The crowd broke as Gabriel wheeled into the room. “That’s a tall tale if I ever heard one.” He winked at Safina as he headed toward her.
Safina’s chest expanded with joy and relief when he came to her aid.
Goldman stomped his foot like a child throwing a tantrum. “I know what I saw!”
Mrs. Jenkens stormed into the room, waving her hands about like a fussy mother hen. “Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you kindly for inquiring about the boy. If you would please go. Miss Fiona needs peace and quiet if she’s to mend his wound.”
“That wound can’t be mended,” Goldman said in a tone mixed with morbid excitement and sadness as he bowed his head, his hat in his hands. “He’ll die before nightfall.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure.” Mrs. Jenkens wagged a finger before ushering him outside. “Miss Fiona is a skilled healer.”
“I don’t care how skilled she is,” Mr. Goldman said over his shoulder as she pushed him out the door. “I saw his innards.”
“Yes, well, thank you again for calling.” Mrs. Jenkens maintained a frozen smile. “Good evening,” she said to the others as they followed Mr. Goldman outside.
Mrs. Jenkens turned to Safina. “If you would excuse me, I need to assist your mother.” She exited quickly, leaving Safina alone with Gabriel.
Or so Safina had thought. At the sound of footsteps on the stairwell, she looked up to see Abby standing there as frozen as a statue, clutching the banister while she gawked at Safina.
Gabriel spun his wheels around, craning his neck and breathing out an impatient huff as Abby slowly descended.
She looked hesitantly from Gabriel to Safina as she stood at the bottom of the stairs. Safina felt fear and confusion radiating off Abby in strong pulses.
Abby turned up her chin and cleared her throat. “Safi, what did you see in the water?”
Safina matched the girl’s stare with one of her own. “I already said what I saw.”
Abby raised a shaky finger, pointing it accusingly at Safina. “Mr. Goldman wasn’t telling no tall tale. I saw it, too. I saw a big fin and a tail. I saw scales. Red scales.”
“Nobody would believe either of you,” Gabriel rumbled darkly.
Seemingly unaffected by Gabriel’s warning, she planted both hands on her hips, scowling down at him. “I know that.” Her assessing gaze shot back to Safina. “The shark ripped off your clothes, and you don’t have a scratch. How can that be?”
Safina shrugged, her bravery waning. “I told you I kicked him.”
Abby’s eyes sharpened to two fine points. “How is it that your mom can put her hands on people and make them well?”
Safina looked uneasily at Gabriel. His expression was as hard as granite, his stare fixed on Abby.
Abby took a hesitant step toward them. “You and your mama, you aren’t human, are you?”
Safina swallowed a lump of panic. She had no idea how to answer Abby’s question, for she knew Abby would run screaming if she knew the truth.
“Safi.” Abby tapped out an impatient rhythm with her foot. “Answer me.”
Gabriel wheeled toward her, looking up at her with a scowl. “What does it matter what they are? Have they harmed anyone?”
Abby took a step back, nearly falling onto the stairs. “No.”
“Then you’d do best to keep your suspicions to yourself.”
Abby’s face fell. “I won’t tell no one. Miss Fiona saved my life, and that shark could have come after me.” She turned her back on Gabriel and fixed Safina with a pointed stare. “Safi, what was in the water? I know you know.”
Safina heaved a sigh as she walked up to Abby. “I can’t tell you. It won’t hurt you.” She took a chance and grasped Abby’s shoulder, looking deep into her eyes. Strange, but she didn’t see judgment or fear there. “That I can promise.”
“And what about the shark?” Abby waved at the front door, as if the shark could somehow come walking up to Mrs. Jenkens’s house and present his calling card for tea.
Safina traced her tongue across the roof of her mouth, remembering the bitter, salty taste of the shark’s tail. “It’s dead,” she said with finality.
“I see.” Abby smoothed a hand down her skirt. “Well, thank you, Safi, for whatever you did.” Though there was little expression on her face, Safina read something beneath Abby’s eyes—resignation, and perhaps admiration. It was the first time Safina had seen Abby look upon another with respect and understanding. Perhaps she could count her as a friend after all.
Safina leveled her with a somber look. “You’re welcome.”
“I think I’ll retire early. Goodnight.” She made a slight curtsy and headed up the stairs. Stopping midway, she turned, looking down at Safina with a soft smile. “I won’t tell anyone, Safi. I swear on my mama and papa’s graves.”
Safina nodded her thanks. Only after she heard the sound of Abby’s door shutting, did her shoulders sag in relief.
She turned to Gabriel, wordlessly following him as he led her to the sofa. His wheel bumped a small table, nearly toppling a porcelain statue of a beautiful woman in a flowing gown. Gabriel swore, but Safina grabbed it in time. The smooth surface was cool against her skin as she righted the statue.
That beautiful, yet delicate, figure reminded Safina of her life, and how very much her world was on the verge of breaking apart. She slumped onto the hard cushion with a groan, burying her face in her hands.
“Safina, it will be okay.” Gabriel grumbled again as he bumped a wheel into th
e sofa. “Nobody will believe Mr. Goldman.”
Safina looked helplessly at Gabriel. “It’s not Mr. Goldman I worry about.”
He surprised her by pulling himself out of his chair and sitting beside her. “Your mother?”
“Aye.” Safina sighed, suddenly distracted by Gabriel’s nearness and his familiar scent of ink and earth. “She will be displeased with my carelessness.”
“You were not being careless. You freed my brother from the shark.” He grasped her hand and held it beside him.
At the feel of his tender touch, a wave of emotion surged inside her. Tears threatened at the backs of her eyes. “I hope she sees it that way.” Safina looked at her hand in his, so grateful for his comfort, which helped soothe her fears of her mother.
Gabriel cupped her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. “You went into the water.”
“I did.”
“But you’re afraid of the water.”
Safina wished she could melt into Gabriel, letting him wipe away five hundred years of pain and sorrow. She hadn’t realized until she’d felt his human touch how very much her heart had suffered locked away in that prison, and how she longed for someone to love.
“I couldn’t let your brother die.” At the time, she hadn’t even recalled her fear of the water; she’d only known Pedro would surely die if she didn’t save him.
He cupped her face with both hands, his sideways smile hazy through her sheen of tears. “Thank you, Safi. I can never repay you for what you’ve done.”
“Just promise you’ll always be my friend.” Her throat was so tight with emotion, she could barely choke out the words.
He wiped her tears. “You already had my friendship. You will always have it.”
There was no mistaking the sincerity in his words, but Safina was shocked and humbled by the outpouring of love that radiated from him, wrapping her soul in warmth and peace.
For several moments, she could only stare into his beautiful, dark eyes. She was overwhelmed with gratitude for his friendship.
Her well of tears quickly dried as his love continued to surge through her. She couldn’t help but smile, for though she’d had a trying day, being this close to Gabriel made her happy. “Thank you for standing up for me today.”
He frowned. “I would have done more if I could.”
“I know.” Safina remembered Gabriel’s feelings of worthlessness and self-loathing after she’d come out of the water. He’d hated himself because he was incapable of saving Pedro and protecting her.
A soft moan came from beyond the kitchen door, making Gabriel sit up in alarm. “Do you think she can save him?”
Despite the differences she had with her mother, Safina knew the queen had a caring heart. She turned up her chin, smiling. “I know she can.”
* * *
The dragon queen emerged from the kitchen with a blood-stained dress, sallow skin, and heavy-lidded eyes.
Safina jumped from her seat and rushed to her mother. “Well?”
“Well, what?” She rubbed her lower back. “He will live.”
Gabriel cried out something in his grandfather’s foreign tongue before hunching over and sobbing uncontrollably. Joy and relief mingled with a new wave of shame. Safina wanted nothing more than to hold Gabriel in her arms, but she feared her mother’s censure.
Fiona scowled at Gabriel before stumbling to a chair and falling into it with a heavy sigh.
Mrs. Jenkens emerged from the kitchen and launched toward the dragon queen with a shriek. “Oh, Miss Fiona! Your dress is covered in blood! My brocade!”
Much to Safina’s surprise, her mother made no motion to get up. Instead, she slouched in the seat, letting her head fall to one side.
“So much blood,” she mumbled. “No more strength.” Safina had never seen her mother so tired.
“Help me get Fiona upstairs,” Mrs. Jenkens said to Safina. “A warm bath and then straight to bed for you.” She scolded the queen as if she were a child while hoisting her out of the chair.
Safina tried to help Mrs. Jenkens manage her mother’s weight, but the matronly woman was twice Safina’s size and bore most of the burden herself. Though she wanted to return to Gabriel, Safina reluctantly helped Mrs. Jenkens bathe and dress her mother before putting her to bed.
“Safina,” her mother mumbled as Safina tucked the blankets around her shoulders.
She bent closer, so close she could feel the queen’s breath on her ear. “Aye, Mother?”
“Stay away from him.” The words were surprisingly clear for one so exhausted.
Safina swallowed a lump of fear. Who was the queen talking about, her dragonslayer father or Gabriel? “Stay away from whom, Mother?” Safina cringed as she awaited the response, for she knew without a doubt if Mother meant Gabriel, she’d have to defy her.
Fiona turned her head, tucking her hands beneath a pillow. “Men bring only heartbreak, daughter… only heartbreak.”
Though the queen hadn’t answered Safina’s question, she feared her mother had been speaking of Gabriel, and staying away from him would not be an option. He had proven himself to be her only true friend. She was not about to throw away that friendship now, especially when she hoped it could one day be something much more.
* * *
The odd rumble of Señor Cortez’s cart forced Safina to make haste returning downstairs. She found his grandsons loading Pedro onto a bed of soft straw in the back.
Pedro moaned once, then went silent, with the exception of the occasional loud snore. He wore a fresh white shirt, which, surprisingly, bore no traces of blood.
After he was safely secure in the cart, Gabriel’s brothers got in, one up front with Señor Cortez and two in the back.
The brother who sat up front, a lean young man with a bushy moustache, pushed one of his brothers out of the cart. “Manny, you have to push Gabriel.”
Manny appeared to be the youngest of all five. He had a baby face, more so than Gabriel. He grumbled as he got down. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he dragged his feet toward Gabriel.
Safina possessively took hold of the handles on the back of Gabriel’s chair. “Help your grandfather, Manny. I’ll walk him home.”
His eyes lit up as he raced back to the cart. “Thanks, señorita!”
Gabriel smiled at Safina. “Are you sure? I don’t want to be a bother.”
Safina made a snorting sound that took her by surprise. Gabriel’s self-loathing made her sad, especially since he obviously failed to see how much she enjoyed his company.
Pushing Gabriel’s chair across the bumpy road was a lot more cumbersome than she expected. The terrain was unforgiving to Gabriel’s wooden wheels, jarring her bones with each step. She considered herself fortunate, though, for Gabriel had to endure it every day.
Even more reason for you to heal him, Safina.
They walked in silence, giving Safina time to reflect on her day, which had begun pleasantly enough with Gabriel, burritos, and little chicks. Then the afternoon had turned sour after her frightful encounter with Dr. Straw. She wondered what he’d say when he heard of the shark attack. Would he believe Mr. Goldman’s account, and would he suspect Safina knew more than she’d been telling? A feeling of dread settled in her gut when she realized Dr. Straw had the ability to cause her a great deal of trouble.
But the risk had been worth it. Safina would never forget the fear that gripped her when she’d seen the shark eating Pedro.
Even though Pedro had never shown her any particular kindness, he was Gabriel’s brother, and she couldn’t stand the thought of Gabriel mourning such a loss.
They arrived at an intersection. Though it was not busy, they still had to wait for a slow mule-drawn carriage to pass.
“Look, it’s her.”
Safina jerked her head at the urgent whisper, though it was not spoken in her ear. She knew without a doubt the women who walked by were gossiping about her, for they eyed her suspiciously while taking behind their hands.
; Her heart quickened, blood rushing to her ears when an elderly couple hurried past. The woman nodded at Safina, whispering something into her husband’s ear.
Gabriel looked up at her and cleared his throat. “Ignore them.”
“It’s hard,” she murmured and then regretted her words. Gabriel most likely dealt with far more censure on a daily basis.
By the time they arrived at Gabriel’s house, Pedro had already been put to bed, and Señor Cortez was sitting on the front porch, chewing on an unlit pipe.
The old man stood up and whistled as Safina and Gabriel waited at the bottom step. Safina noted Señor Cortez’s stooped posture seemed even more bent than before. He looked to have aged ten years since she’d seen him that morning.
Gabriel’s brothers appeared and grabbed his wheelchair, hauling him up the steps with practiced ease.
Once they reached the top, Manny said, “You coming, señorita? Papí has supper waiting.”
Safina was surprised by the invitation. Gabriel’s brother was actually speaking to her, and there was not a glint of terror in his eyes. She stood rooted to the spot for a moment and then her stomach rumbled loudly, answering for her.
She smiled at him before ascending the stairs. “Aye, Manny, I’d be delighted.”
Even more surprising was when Manny held the door for her. So this was all it took to gain their respect? Bite the tail off a little shark? She was even more pleased when the rest of Gabriel’s brothers greeted her inside, asking her to take a seat for supper as if she were part of the family.
Safina inhaled the rich and spicy aromas of the spread before her and looked into the eyes of every smiling face, suddenly feeling she finally belonged.
She heaved a sigh of contentment as Gabriel filled her water glass. She’d finally found a place with people who knew what she was and liked her. There was absolutely no way she’d ever let her mother take that away.
Chapter Eighteen
Supper with the Cortez family was wonderful. Even though Señor Cortez assured her they were not zealots, they did bow their heads to pray before beginning the meal. Gabriel held Safina’s hand during the prayer, which made her heart soar with joy.
