Wrath of the Sea Queen

by Cynthia Woods

  But, Caeli recovered from the poison and was healing, at least from that incident. Unfortunately for Pete, he did not have Caeli's resilient blood, nor did he have her ability to wash the toxins from his system or heal as quickly as she could. The chemicals bonded to Pete's blood were killing him. The doctors had already tried the obvious treatments, but the chemicals could not be separated. Transfusions were not enough, and Pete could not afford them if they were. This did not deter Salma. She devised a plan that might work, but wanted to talk to Ben first, to make sure her thoughts on the matter were not clouded by her personal guilt.

  CHAPTER 40

  The lady standing aft of the small boat sadly watched the shore disappear as the men rowed further out to sea. Rika was traveling with her father and brother to a city on the distant island. The trip was going to be a long one, and she was not looking forward to their arrival.

  For years, Rika enjoyed a modest amount of respect in her village because of her ability to devise new ways to increase their bounty from the sea. She could relate to the water, and that relationship provided her with a keen insight. Rika shared her knowledge with the tribe elders, and they soon learned to value her ideas. This elevated her and her family to a high status among her people. The elders even granted Rika a position of leadership as a member of their council, an unprecedented appointment for a woman and for someone so young.

  This arrangement worked well for nearly a decade. Rika was content to live this life until the day she met a very special man. She was walking along the shore one day when a storm blew in suddenly and caught her out in the open. There was no shelter available for several miles, but Rika was not frightened. She did not feel threatened by the large swells building in the distance, and the rain cooled her skin as she inhaled the refreshing the air. It was only when a large wave rolled toward the coast that Rika realized her village could be destroyed if the water travelled far enough inland.

  Rika thought it was a brilliant notion to attempt to use her understanding of the sea to save her people. She tried to connect with the water and stop the monster headed straight for her. It was a selfless undertaking, but more than she could handle on her own. Her talent was not fully developed. She was not fluent enough with its use to succeed in such an undertaking. Without assistance, Rika might save her village, but she would not survive to celebrate the victory.

  Her bravery and sheer determination caught the attention of a man who had just emerged victoriously from a nearby fight. Unbeknownst to Rika, it was his unseen fight that indirectly caused her predicament. He was so moved by her spirit, that he rushed to her side and offered the aid she would need to accomplish her task. This particular man was one of a select few capable of saving her. His angelic strength and mastery of the elements, added to her efforts, succeeded in stopping the water. As soon as the immediate threat was nullified, he took a moment to look at the woman he had rescued. In addition to her spirit, she was quite lovely.

  "Who are you?" Rika stood amazed that this man had shown up, seemingly out of nowhere, and performed such an unbelievable feat. He was tall, and his sandy blonde hair was held back from his eyes by a shining band of silver. It matched the armor covering his well-formed body. Rika had never seen such wondrous attire. When Rika looked up into his startling green eyes, she knew he was more than just a man.

  "I am Michael."

  She and Michael became involved, meeting in secret each time the moon was full. It wasn't long before she found herself with child. Rika knew the child would be special, a true gift. Michael informed her that there were few such children ever born, and he was extremely pleased that she was willing to bear his child. Rika was delighted with the development and shared the good news with her father. Rika's father, however, did not fully believe the story of the man who, he decided, took advantage of his daughter. Therefore, he did not welcome the prospect of his daughter bearing a child while still unbound to a proper mate. Rika and her father fought endlessly over the matter. It became a growing wedge between them.

  Before too much time went by, and while her secret was still undetectable, Rika's father arranged to have her wed the son of a village elder on a neighboring island. Rika would be properly paired. Her father figured this would not only bring legitimacy to Rika's child, it would remove her from the reach of the man responsible for this egregious act. She would not be permitted to continue to disgrace their family by mating with a man whom they would never be permitted to meet and who she could not marry. Her father found the entire idea of this man to be a romance unworthy of his daughter's station. In fact, until she became pregnant, Rika's father did not entirely believe this man even existed. He believed his lonely daughter might have invented a companion to fill a void in her life. Now, of course, he knew that was not the case.

  Rika went to Michael with the news, but he was unable to help her. He could not intervene directly in such matters. Rika was forced to decide for herself what course she would follow. Michael could not make the decision for her, nor could he change her father's decision. The weight of the decision was completely on Rika's shoulders. Michael did tell her that if she ended up marrying the other man, he would have to end their relationship. He would not violate her commitment to another, and he could never give her such a vow.

  Rika considered all of this as the first signs of the island became visible in the distance ahead of them. Her emotions were in turmoil. She would not marry this stranger, a man she did not know. Of this, she was certain. She had defiantly notified her father of her choice, but he forced her to make the journey nonetheless. The closer they came to the island, the more upset Rika became. The more she worried, the worse the gathering storm became.

  The boat was still a good distance from the island when a large wave caught them by surprise and sent the passengers flailing into the angry waters as the small boat capsized. Rika's brother was not a strong swimmer, and he was quickly pulled under by the turbulent waters. Rika began to panic. Her last sight of her father was a moment etched in her mind. The look on his face was one of regret. He belatedly realized that he made a huge mistake in trying to force Rika to do something that she opposed. He finally realized that her talent with water was more than a mere understanding. His daughter had been given a special gift, and he did not see it until it was too late. His daughter and her unborn child were also gifts, but he had been too stubborn to accept them. He died with the dawning of that knowledge.

  Rika was suddenly alone, struggling to keep her head above water long enough to draw a deep breath. Then she was pulled under again. On the third such attempt, Rika called for Michael to help her. She desperately tried to use her skill with the water to her benefit. The results were double-edged. The water seemed to cradle her briefly, and Michael answered her call.

  "I am sorry. I cannot undo what you have wrought. That is beyond my ability. Yet, I am not ready to lose your companionship. I can offer you one final choice. For a time, your spirit can endure within the water that has always supported you."

  "How long can I stay?"

  "I do not know. I know that the longer your spirit remains, the further it will slip from humanity. Also, if you choose this existence, your body will perish. Only your spirit will remain." Michael's offer would allow him to continue to enjoy her company, but their liaisons would no longer be the same. More than that, their unborn child would perish, too.

  Rika considered Michael’s offer. When she realized that her child would die, the choice was more difficult; but she made her decision. She was not ready to depart this world.

  As Caeli slept, she watched the scenes of Rika's life unfold as if through Rika's eyes. She could feel Rika's struggle. She agonized over Rika's choices and decisions. It tugged at Caeli's heart to learn Rika's fate. It also helped Caeli understand why Rika was relentless in her pursuit. Caeli now understood firsthand the depth of sorrow involved with losing a child. She could empathize with Rika's grief.

  "I did not want to resort to such drastic m
easures, but your stubbornness left me no choice. I needed you to understand the loss I suffered." Rika spoke to her sleeping mind.

  "Rest assured, I understand." Some of Caeli's words escaped her mind and mumbled across her lips as she slept.

  "Yet, still you chose to inflict that same suffering on me. How could you do such a thing?"

  "Your stubbornness left me no other choice. It was the only way for you to truly understand. I needed you to know exactly how I felt."

  "You succeeded in getting my attention and my sympathy, but not my friendship. You intentionally stole something precious to me to serve your own needs. You killed my child. You know the weight of the sadness I feel," Caeli continued internally.

  "I will never forgive you for this." There was no doubt or hesitation in Caeli's assertion as Ben continued to listen while she talked in her sleep.

  "You still don't understand."

  "Oh, yes I do! I understand completely. I understand that it was your own selfishness that left you where you are now. That same selfishness causes you to seek a new situation out of boredom. I understand your motivation, and I will fight you more vehemently because of it," Caeli was furious with Rika's revelation.

  Most of the time, Caeli worked her way, step by step, through a puzzle to reach the proper ending. This time, however, she was quick to solve the mystery. Rika previously mentioned that she chose Caeli because of her ability with water and two additional traits. After seeing Rika's life as it had been, Caeli easily discerned those two things. First and foremost, Rika wanted to exist physically. Her own life had been cut short, but her infatuation with Michael initially lessened that loss. After uncounted centuries, Rika was finally tired of being trapped in her watery existence. Caeli discerned that Rika could only join with someone from the proper bloodline. Not only that, but the person would also have to be a willing volunteer or too feeble to prevent it. Caeli had come close to the latter, but would never intentionally choose that fate.

  As for the second trait, Caeli no longer possessed that treasure. Rika's carelessness cost the life of her own child, and now she wanted a replacement. She wanted to feel life inside of her again. Caeli did not know how, but she suspected that Max was somehow involved with Rika's first unsuccessful attempt to make that happen. But, Rika messed up. She was responsible for having Caeli's child killed, and Caeli intended to see her held accountable for such an unforgiveable act. Caeli would reveal what she learned to Vin and let him help bring Rika to a reckoning for her deed. He deserved that right.

  "No. You are wrong. Your mind has been so polluted recently that you are simply unaware. You must listen to me. Give me a chance to explain."

  "No! Leave me alone. You have done enough."

  From where Ben sat in the chair next to the dresser, whomever Caeli was talking to in her sleep was causing her a good deal of stress. He only caught bits and pieces of what she was saying, and very little of it made sense. Nonetheless, he was strongly tempted to wake her. Just when he reached forward to do so, the conversation seemed to end and he refrained.

  Caeli woke, sore and thirsty, thirty minutes after Ben arrived. Her dream about Rika was temporarily forgotten. Ben brought her a glass of water and, with some assistance, she drank all of it. That helped take the edge off her pain, but she knew it would soon bring an issue of a different kind. She thanked Ben and closed her eyes again. She was not sleeping, but also was not in a mood to talk yet. Caeli struggled to figure out why she felt so unsettled.

  Last night, Salma made sure that Caeli understood that she lost her baby. Salma said it was important for her to know what happened. Caeli miscarried due to the damage of her recent injuries combined with stress and the toxins that ravaged her system and the baby's. She lost her baby boy; Vin's baby boy. She didn't know how she was aware of the gender, but Caeli was certain that she was going to have a son.

  She understood that he died, but she was not certain that the cause was exactly what Salma determined. The loss had been intentionally inflicted by Rika's lackey, the man in black. Regardless, Caeli knew that she no longer carried the child inside of her. Salma, thinking that Caeli hadn't noticed, took him away in a wad of stained towels.

  Caeli placed her hands across her abdomen and sighed softly, tears welling in her eyes. She did not see Ben briefly glance up from his newspaper and then sadly look away again.

  Somehow, she did not feel any different, physically, after the miscarriage, than she did yesterday. She thought she could still feel a faint connection to the tiny life inside of her; a life she never really got the chance to know. She glanced over at the machine with the towel covering the screen. Caeli had known him, briefly, and saw him once before she lost him. Yet, aside from her injuries and her enormous guilt, Caeli could not detect any physical differences concerning her pregnancy between now and before the tragic loss.

  Caeli determined that it must be similar to the time she thought Vin died. She still felt as if he was standing beside her. She still expected Vin to be there. That must be what she was experiencing now. As much as it hurt her to know the truth, the lingering feeling inside made it much harder to accept the loss; especially when, against all odds, Vin had come back to her. That was not going to happen with her child. The loss was permanent. How could she ever explain this to Vin? He had been so happy. Caeli had felt the depth of his heartache as he sat in the shower with her the night before. His sadness only added to her burden. Although he was being genuinely supportive and would never admit it, Vin had to be terribly disappointed. It was almost too much to bear.

  "I can't believe I let her take Vin's son." Caeli did not realize she said it out loud.

  She could no longer suppress her tears. She spent the next ten minutes trying futilely to stop the geyser of emotion that burst forth along with those words. When she finally managed to bring her tears under control again, that wave of her grief was spent. Caeli fell asleep once more.

  Again, she dreamt of strange happenings. The dream quickly turned into a nightmare. Caeli was alone on the beach facing the man in black. He had already taken her child, and now he was trying to hurt her again. Vin was nearby, but he was hurt. Salma was being threatened. Caeli could not tell by whom, but her life was in danger. A choice was being forced upon Caeli to decide which of her two loved ones would live or die. The longer she delayed, the more she, herself, was hurt. The pain was incredible. Frantically, she tried to move, to help Vin or Salma, to avoid the damage being done to her, to do anything at all. She tried to stop the pain.

  "No!" Caeli cried out.

  "Caeli... Caeli, wake up, Lass," Ben's kind voice and his firm hand on her shoulder gently prodded her to open her eyes.

  Ben had moved his chair over to the edge of the bed when she started tossing and turning. When she shouted, he leaned over to wake her.

  "Ben!"

  Caeli reached out and threw her arms around his neck, clinging to him tightly, completely oblivious to her pain in the grip of her fear. Then, ever so slowly, her fear dissipated. She was greatly relieved to see his friendly face. Ben let her hold onto him for several minutes. It was long enough to gain a sense of security from his presence as she came fully out of her nightmare.

  "You were having a bad dream and tossing about. I was afraid you might hurt yourself further."

  "Thank you for waking me. Your timing couldn't have been better."

  Now that she was awake, the pain of her injuries returned in full force, and Caeli eased herself back to relieve the pressure on her cracked ribs.

  "Are you all right now? Would you like some more water? That always seems to make you feel better," Ben offered.

  Caeli accepted the refilled water glass Ben had retrieved from the bedside table. She hadn't seen him get up and refill it when she first started talking in her sleep; but Ben anticipated that she would want it when she woke. The glass nearly slipped from her grasp twice before she was able to drink from it. However, the water did help. Her lingering fear was washed away as well
as her frustration at her own weakness. To her own surprise, Caeli was trembling.

  "Thank you, Ben."

  Caeli laid there for several minutes, unwittingly winding and unwinding the cover in her hands. She remembered details from the unsettling dream. She also recalled bits of Rika's tale. It all seemed so real. Caeli even felt the pain. She heard the suffering. She could even smell the sea and taste the saltwater. Whenever Caeli experienced these types of bad dreams, they had a tendency to come true, at least in some manner, if not literally. That is what disturbed Caeli most. If her family was in danger, what, if anything, would she be able to do about it? If she could barely hold a glass of water, how would she be able to help them?

  Ben sat back in his chair watching her. He was familiar with her mannerism, and had a discerning eye for such details. Much like he rubbed his chin when working on a puzzle, Caeli twisted whatever was close at hand, whether it be her hair, a telephone cord, a computer cable or, in this case, the bed cover. Ben could tell that she was sorting through her private thoughts, so he waited patiently. When, at last, her hands were still, Caeli spoke again.

  "It's odd, you know. This trip being an exception, I almost never have nightmares. As a matter of fact, you woke me from the last one. Do you remember that, Ben?"

  He could hear the tension in her voice. The fact that she was no longer calling him uncle reinforced his earlier assessment. Caeli had something weighing on her mind, and it removed all the levity from her normally bubbly personality.

  "Yes, I do. Seems Idaho had a taste for a daring, young brunette at the time. Hawaii isn't after you now, is it?" Ben joked, trying to help ease her worry. He remembered all too well how accurately her last nightmare had played out.