"Wait a minute. The Deacon? That Antonius? How did Scott link him to my grandmother?"
This was a topic Vin wanted to avoid at all costs. Rika had almost revealed that news earlier; but Vin had been able to stop her. Caeli did not need to know the truth about her grandfather; especially not after what the Deacon put her through in Idaho. That incident was in the past, and Vin wanted to keep it that way.
"Let's not get sidetracked with that. It doesn't matter, but I'm fairly certain that's why they were after her. I don’t think they even realize the donor blood is as special as Salma's blood. Of course, that's only my theory. I don't have any proof."
"Then what about the requests for the name of Salma's donor? What about the protestors?"
"I think the government letters were a ploy to draw Salma out where she would be vulnerable. They tried to arrange several meetings, but Salma wisely refused them all. Your aunt is very smart. That's why they resorted to bringing her down here to the conference. I believe Dr. Jacobs arranged for Salma to be a speaker and to receive an award at the ceremony to ensure that she would attend. The protestors are probably nothing more than a group of bored, opinionated people who were easily rallied and got carried away," Vin offered one possible explanation; not the one he truly believed.
"That makes sense, I suppose. But there are still other matters, such as Max's talent."
"Caeli, I don't have all the answers, only possibilities, suspicions, and questions. I still don't know exactly what happened to you yesterday; but I promise we will figure it out together. All I know with certainty is that you are not responsible for any of this. It is important that you believe it, too," Vin said earnestly.
"I'm sorry. You are probably right, though it is difficult to accept. My mind is so messed up. It might be better if I don't think about it at all." Caeli did not completely agree with Vin's perspective. This felt too personal. She did feel responsible for her involvement.
"That's a good idea. Put it out of your mind, at least for a little while. And, for goodness' sake, stop apologizing. Why don't we get you into the tub before the water gets cold?" Vin suggested in an attempt to change the subject. He did not like the direction her comments were headed. He dipped his hand into the tub and casually flicked a spattering of water droplets at her. The water hitting her skin, the slight breeze Vin sent after it, and his small grin, made Caeli smile and shiver slightly. Vin knew by her reaction that he had succeeded in distracting her.
"Now, about this tub… Caeli, I don't think you have to be afraid of this water. From what you've told me, it's only seawater that causes you to struggle. I really think you should try this. I understand that after your ordeal in the cave, you are hesitant; but don't let this fear take root. I will be right here with you. I won't leave you."
Caeli knew Vin was right about this part. She did not want to live the rest of her life afraid of a little water. The only way to prevent that fear from becoming permanent was to meet it head on. This, at least, was something she could control.
"I think you might be right, as usual." Caeli offered him thanks with her smile.
Vin was glad to hear her response. He supported Caeli again as she stepped into the tub. The same tension clinched her shoulders as she drew near the water. However, she did not pull back, so he continued to help lower her the rest of the way into the water. Once she was settled, Caeli held onto his hand as he sat on the floor beside the tub. After several minutes, Caeli slowly began to relax and Vin began to get the feeling back in his fingers.
"Ok?"
"Yes. It really does seem silly now," Caeli said.
"Most fear does after you are able to get beyond it."
Vin leaned in and kissed her. For the first time since she had been hurt, he got a good look at the damage not covered by the bandages wrapped tightly around her ribs. There were cuts and bruises covering most of her upper body, some more noticeable than others. The worst injuries were centered on her midsection; lots of small cuts and three particularly nasty gashes on her left. Vin was suddenly angry, and he had to turn away. If he could get his hands on the person responsible, that man would not live long enough to regret his actions. Vin grabbed a newspaper that was left on the sink the day before and pretended to read so that Caeli would not see how upset he was.
But Caeli did not miss Vin's reaction; and because he hid a portion of it from her, she thought that Vin could not bear to look at her, injured as she was. Maybe he even viewed her differently now that she had lost his son. Caeli could only hope that his repulsion would lessen once she healed. Caeli wanted very much to do something about that. The only way she could think to begin that process was with the one element she could manipulate.
She tried to relax in the water. When she did, Caeli was rewarded with the comforting sensation of her gift surrounding her and flowing through her. The pain in her body began to subside. Her gift began to mend her injuries and restore her strength. She was healing herself for the first time. Caeli sat this way for perhaps twenty or thirty minutes. Her hold on Vin's hand released and her hand slipped down into the water as her mind wandered. Salma was right; the water was good for her.
Caeli closed her eyes and drifted off. Outside the tub, Vin was already asleep. The stress and lack of sleep finally caught up with both of them. Vin’s hand holding the newspaper rested against his chest while the paper itself fell forward to cover his face. Caeli's head sank slowly below the surface of the water, but she did not wake. Her gift prevented her from drowning while she dreamed.
She stood alone on the shore. The man in black stood in front of her. Caeli did not see Rika, but could hear her laughing. The same scene began to replay in Caeli's mind. This time, Rika's voice interrupted the playback.
"Foolish girl, all water on this island flows from the same source. You cannot escape me there. I will break through your resistance yet. Why do you continue to force me to such extremes?"
Caeli was frightened as Rika's presence again drew near. The instinct to flee woke Caeli with a start. Her sudden splashing also woke Vin. As he turned to help her, Vin caught sight of a strange man dressed in black, approaching the bathroom door. Vin's gift responded instinctively to the threat, hurling the man away, slamming, and holding him up against the wall outside. Vin turned and snatched Caeli from the tub, quickly wrapping her robe around her, and sitting her on the chair. The wind gusted around them.
"Are you ok?"
Caeli nodded affirmatively as she tried to calm her racing heart and slow her panicked breathing.
"Stay here. Call Salma and have her send Ben. I'm going to take care of this man once and for all. Don't come out until I return." Vin turned and left in a rush, closing the door behind him. He knew Ben would be on his way as soon as Caeli called, and he would also alert the guardsmen outside. So he would have time to deal with the intruder. Vin was surprised that this man had slipped inside without alerting them.
"Vin, no! You can't fight him! Please don't go!" Caeli called after him, but Vin did not stop. She did call to Salma, asking her to send Ben in hopes of stopping Vin's pursuit of the stranger.
Suddenly, from the tub beside her, the man in black emerged and reached out to strike Caeli so fast that she wasn't able to make a move to defend herself. It lasted only a second, though to her it seemed as if the world were moving in slow motion. Two of his long fingernails stabbed through the front of her robe, piercing directly into one of her existing wounds. Caeli was too stunned even to cry out. Then the man vanished as quickly and mysteriously as he had appeared.
Caeli looked down at two small, dark stains forming on her robe where his dagger-like fingernails punctured the skin beneath. Now why would he do that? She asked herself the question as if she were a third party observing the sight from a distance. Seeing the stains, Caeli immediately thought about her baby. No! Not again, she thought as she rapidly reached over and turned on the water in the sink. Holding her hand beneath the steady flow, she concentrated on stopping the bleeding
as fast as she could.
"I won't let you hurt him, too."
"Salma, I need your help."
She also wanted to prevent Vin from seeing the damage. He would blame himself for leaving her unprotected. She refused to place yet another burden on him. Instead, Caeli used her gift to heal as much of the new wound as she could before Vin returned.
Outside the bathroom, Vin expected to find the man still pinned to the wall. He was not there. Vin looked around the room, but there was no trace of the stranger coming or going. He simply vanished. Vin was not only angry at the intrusion, but also at himself for falling asleep. Caeli trusted him, but because he fell asleep, something had happened to her. Then this man showed up, obviously trying to reach Caeli.
"Caeli! Oh, geez!" Her cautionary words now registered in his head, and Vin rushed back into the bathroom, pulling her into the security of his embrace, not having a chance to see the front of her robe.
"Honey! Are you ok? I'm sorry. I am so sorry that I fell asleep." Vin hugged Caeli tight, afraid to let her go.
"It's ok, Vin. He didn't do much…"
"No, it's far from ok. Rika got to you again, didn't she? Even in normal water? And who was that man, Caeli? You clearly recognized him. Is he the one who did this to you? It was incredibly bold of him to show up here. Don't worry. I will catch him this time. He won't get far. I'm going after him as soon as Ben gets here." It was obvious to Vin that Caeli knew and was scared of the man. Vin's unfettered anger stirred through the air.
"You won't find him. He's already gone. Nothing you could have done would have made any difference," Caeli informed Vin quietly.
"Made a difference in what? Did something happen after I left you? Caeli, was he in here with you?" Vin quickly understood the implication in her statement.
"Yes, briefly. He came through…"
There was a pounding on their door accompanied by Ben shouting for them. Caeli was grateful for the interruption. She did not want to answer the question Vin would have asked next. Vin left Caeli to stand there a moment and hurried to unlock the door before Ben broke it down.
Ben rushed in with Salma protectively in tow. Aware of an immediate threat, Ben would not leave her unattended. Vin was surprised to see Salma holding Max’s hand.
"It's ok, Ben. He's gone. I don't know where he came from or where he went, but I'm pretty sure that Caeli does. Oh, crap!"
Vin ran back to the bathroom a second time. Caeli waited near the door.
"Caeli, I'm back. Let me help…" Vin moved to pick her up.
"Stop, Vin." Caeli's voice insisted as she interrupted him.
"I just want to take you out to the other room..."
"Close the door. Forget about that man. I will tell you about him in a minute. First, I want to show you something."
Vin did as she asked. Her assertiveness only barely restrained Vin's need to go running off in search of the intruder.
"What is it, Caeli?" Vin asked anxiously.
"I noticed how you couldn't stand to look at my injuries earlier. So, I tried to use my gift while I was in the tub, and I succeeded. Salma was right. The water was very good for me, at first. It worked wonders. Most of the bruises are gone; the injuries are mostly healed. Look!" She began to open her robe so that Vin could see the change, but he put his hands over hers and held them, stopping her.
"Caeli, I was not turning away from the sight of you. I would never do that. You're beautiful. I was turning away because seeing how badly you were hurt made me angry at the person responsible. I didn't want you to see that anger and think I was mad at you or blamed you in any way. You're carrying enough unfounded guilt. That's why I turned away. I'm sorry I made you think otherwise. I love you." He pulled her close and kissed her.
Caeli smiled up at him, shamefully regretting her misinterpretation. She should have known better. It must be this whole situation. It had her too mixed up to think clearly.
"Vin, I still want to show you the results. Look!"
This time, he permitted her to hold the robe open. What he saw within stirred a strong response in Vin. Sure enough, nearly all of the bruises were gone. Most of the smaller cuts and scrapes had disappeared. The three large gashes on her left side were still there, but already healing nicely. There were two places in particular that still looked pretty raw. There was even a bit of blood, but Caeli appeared to be well on her way to a full recovery.
"And most of the things that felt beat up inside of me now feel like they have been fixed as well. Although, my ribs still hurt. I could not mend the bones, but they do feel better," Caeli added, omitting the details about the new internal damage. Vin was still too keyed up to hear about that. She would wait until he calmed down to tell him what happened.
Vin thought she looked more than healed; Caeli looked healthy and stronger than she had in days. The change was astounding.
"That's amazing! However, I would prefer if you explain it to Ben and Salma without the peep show. Come on. They are waiting for us in the other room. Can I assume you would prefer to walk?" Vin smiled at her, briefly noting that he did not feel the familiar tingling sensation when his hand brushed her stomach as he helped pull her robe closed. He decided to put the thought out of his mind for now.
"Yes. I'm most definitely walking, but perhaps with a little help. I would be grateful if you fend off Salma when she sees me disobeying her instructions."
"Happily into the lion's den for you," Vin grinned. He added his buoyant support, and Caeli thought she might float into the other room.
CHAPTER 44
"Pretty Caeli!"
Max was standing in front of Salma, whose hands rested lightly on both of his shoulders. He wriggled out of her arms, and Salma tried unsuccessfully to catch him. He was as slippery as a greased pig. In his excitement to see Caeli, Max ran toward her and would have jumped straight into Caeli's arms if not for Vin's quick reflexes. Vin snatched Max up at the last second, hefting the boy over his left shoulder like a sack of flour. Max giggled and reached behind Vin to touch Caeli's hair. She turned and smiled at him. Both Ben and Salma immediately noticed the considerable improvement in the way Caeli looked and how she moved.
She walked slowly toward the couch under the window, turning on two more lamps along the way. Everyone found a comfortable place to sit. Vin sat beside Caeli on the sofa. Ben and Salma sat in the two chairs at the small dining table a few feet away. Max sat on the floor, leaning against the coffee table in front of the sofa, staring up at Caeli.
Vin explained about the visit from the man in black. Max climbed up and huddled against Caeli's side when he heard the details, and she soothed him by rubbing his back. Max casually placed his little hand over the two red holes in her robe. To Caeli's relief, he did not say anything about them. The others could tell that the two shared some sort of special bond related to this man, and perhaps something more. They were hoping to find out what. They also wanted to hear what happened while they were away at the conference. Since both Caeli and Max were now in the same room, they thought they would finally get the whole story and could possibly begin to see the big picture. Salma, though she eyed Caeli suspiciously, did not ask the question Caeli expected. She posed a different query instead.
"Caeli, what can you tell us about your eyes changing color?" Salma asked.
"Not much. Vin noticed it when I was tired and sick. I have never seen it myself, and I cannot tell when it happens. I don’t know why it happens," Caeli replied.
"Fair enough. Max, would you like to help Caeli? You would be doing her a favor if you could tell us why Caeli's eyes change color?" It was Max's previous comment that Salma wanted to clarify.
"Salma, how could he know such a thing?" Vin asked, surprised that Salma was looking to the child for such an answer.
"I do know! It's because pretty Caeli is a Sea Goddess. A Sea Goddess makes her eyes turn blue like the water when she is borrowed. Pretty Caeli knows she is, but she keeps trying not to be," Max's answer made it clear that
he knew something about Caeli that the rest of them did not.
"Max, they don't want to hear that story," Caeli politely tried to get Max to drop the subject of his favorite bedtime story. To Salma, it seemed as though Caeli was asking Max to keep a confidence. Vin noticed the same tone in Caeli's request.
"Caeli, I would like to hear what Max has to say," Vin added.
However, it was unnecessary. Caeli's request was not sufficient. Max would not be silenced that easily.
"But, pretty Caeli, she borrowed you. She can only do that if you're a Sea Goddess; and the water…," Max tried to explain, but Caeli cut him short.
"Max, please! Remember our secret?" Caeli silently pleaded with him not to reveal anything further.
"I remember, but I only promised the first time she did it," Max said dejectedly.
"What did you promise, Max? Who borrowed her? Caeli, what did you say to him?" Vin wanted answers, and he was not going to let Caeli avoid the subject this time, even if it meant getting those answers from Max.
"Vin, it's complicated. There are other details that you need to hear first in order to understand. It will help me, too. Please, can you be patient a little longer?"
"You know patience is not my strong suit. Why won't you talk to me about this, Caeli?"
"Please, Vin. I'm trying. I promise that I will explain everything, but I need to understand it myself first. If you listen carefully to Max's story, you will understand, too. You need to hear this in the proper order otherwise you are going to react to the wrong piece of news, and it won't help me at all. Please, bear with me on this?"
"All right, I will listen."
"And one more thing; Max is not going to want to do what I'm about to ask him. When he declines, I need you to do something for me," Caeli leaned over and kissed Vin on the cheek, smiling at him to help reassure him that this was the right course.
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