"Ben, Salma, bear with me on this, ok? It is not going to sound like it, but it's important. Max, I need to hear the end of your story. You never did tell me the last part," Caeli prompted him.
"But don’t you remember, pretty Caeli? You don't want to hear that. You already heard the best parts."
Caeli leaned over and whispered to Vin. He raised a questioning eyebrow, but then nodded and spoke to Max in a conspiratorial voice.
"Max, can I tell you a secret?"
Max perked up. He liked it when adults trusted him with grown up matters.
"Yes. I can keep the biggest secrets, can't I pretty Caeli?"
Caeli nodded and smiled at Max.
"Max, I have a gift. Michael helped me learn about it."
"You know Uncle Michael?" Max asked with excitement. He had never met anyone, aside from his Papa, who knew Michael.
"Yes. Michael is my friend, and he taught me something neat," Vin affirmed, taking special note of Max's proclaimed kinship.
"Uncle Michael teaches me things, too. He says I'm smart," Max beamed.
"He is right. You are very bright. That's why I want to tell you my secret. Max, I can talk to the wind."
Vin picked up a large, decorative seashell from the table in front of him and used his gift to make it spin in the air. The idea for the demonstration came from his recollection of Javeed's story. Max watched in wide-eyed wonder and clapped his hands when Vin finished.
"Do you know what this means, Max? It means that Vin can change the end of the story. But, he cannot change it if he does not know how it ends. So Max, will you please tell us the ending? I know it's sad. Vin and I are going to try to change it, but we need your help. I know you're a good helper," Caeli encouraged Max, hoping he would provide her with the information she needed.
"Are you sure Mr. Vin can change it?" Max finally asked her after considering her proposal.
Caeli paused for a moment. She would not lie to Max, but she did not want to discourage him either.
"I honestly don't know, Max. I hope so. Vin is going to try his best. Wouldn't you like him to try?"
Max got up and walked over to stand in front of Vin. The boy stared at him for several minutes with his head cocked to the side. Max had already proven to Vin that he carried some fire inside. The boy was protective and compassionate by nature, and he had claimed the role of Caeli's tiny guardian. As Max's green eyes stared at him, Vin was momentarily reminded of another fierce soul. Could that be why Caeli asked Vin to mention his name when talking to Max?
"Mr. Vin, do you promise to try to change the end of the story?"
"I promise to try to make the story have a happier ending." Vin used the words Caeli silently whispered to him.
"Ok."
Max climbed up to sit on Vin's lap this time and looked over at Caeli. He continued to stare at the red spots on her robe until she casually covered them with her arm. Caeli briefly summarized the story Max told her regarding the Sea Queen and the pretty lady. She explained that Max left off at the part where the lady was about to become a Sea Goddess as payment for the help she received.
"So what does that mean, Max? What is a Sea Goddess?" Salma was intrigued by the correlation between the story and the title Max attributed to Caeli.
"It means that whenever the pretty lady wants to, she can talk to the water, and it will help her. And, of course, only pretty ladies can be Sea Goddesses." Max squirmed uncomfortably at this point.
"What else, Max? What else does the pretty lady have to do?"
"She has to be borrowed by the Sea Queen whenever the Sea Queen asks. The Sea Queen cannot leave the water unless she rides inside a Sea Goddess. But the Sea Queen always has to go back to the water, and the pretty lady can go home. The Sea Queen is waiting for a pretty lady from her own family to become a Sea Goddess so that she can ride all the time without having to go back to the water."
Everyone was confused by that, everyone except Caeli and Vin. Caeli understood the tale perfectly, and Vin was beginning to better understand Caeli’s struggle.
"Max, please tell us the rest of the story. What happened when the pretty lady did not want to be a Sea Goddess anymore?" Caeli said.
Max looked at her with surprise.
"I thought you didn't know this story," he said.
"I guessed. Please, tell me what happened, Max. I need to know what happened to the pretty lady," Caeli pleaded softly.
Vin squeezed her hand in support. He made the obvious correlations from the first half of the story. If this story corresponded to Caeli's struggle with Rika, then Caeli was searching for a solution; a way to beat Rika.
"The pretty lady went to talk to the Sea Queen. The Sea Queen was very mad and sent the man in black to take away the pretty lady's baby."
Vin's grip on Caeli's hand unconsciously tightened as he listened. Caeli knew that Vin now understood who attacked her and why they lost their son, but she could not offer him the specific details yet. She desperately needed to know how the story ended.
"Why did the Sea Queen take her baby, Max?" This time it was Ben who voiced the question.
"Because she thought that would make the pretty lady change her mind, but it didn't. The Sea Queen was mad. When the water turned red, the Sea Queen took the pretty lady away, too."
Silence followed the end of Max's story. Looks of puzzlement rested on every face, except for Max and Caeli. They understood. They both knew why the man in black was sent to visit Caeli a second time.
"Thank you, Max. You're a good storyteller, and you're very brave. Your Mama would be very proud of you. You are right, though, I don't like that ending," Caeli agreed.
"Me either. I miss my Mama," Max sighed, and Caeli reached out to pull him into a hug.
"It is a very sad story. Caeli and I are, indeed, going to do our best to make a different ending," Vin added, for Caeli's benefit as well as Max's.
He thought he now understood Caeli's interest in the tale. Vin believed he understood the entire correlation, and he did not like where it led. It did not provide the answer Caeli sought. It did not offer her any hope of success.
There was another knock at the door as Apela came looking for Max. They invited him in to join them and talked of more pleasant topics for a while. Then Caeli decided to let Salma go ahead with her treatment on Pete.
"I told you that we needed to wait until you were stronger," Salma tried to object.
"That was before. I'm better now, and I want to do this while I'm still well enough to help."
"What exactly does that mean?" Vin wondered if Caeli had reason to believe that she might not be well at a later time.
"It's nothing specific. I just want to do it now because I'm not certain what may be waiting around the next corner for me or Pete. Please, let me do this, Vin."
"And you're sure you're up for this?" Vin asked quietly, while Salma and Ben were across the room rummaging through Salma's medical bag, which she had brought along when Caeli called. The water had worked wonders on Caeli, but she was still in a delicate condition and not fully healed. Vin found it difficult to overlook the sense of urgency in Caeli’s request; almost like she was up against a deadline. He did not want her to risk too much.
"Yes, I'm sure. It's just a little blood. Give me some water and some food, and I'll be fine. Now that I think about it, I am hungry," Caeli said with a smile and an enticing kiss, "for food, too." It was the first time her appetite had resurfaced in days.
They sent Apela and Max off to get things set up in the lounge. Max was excited that he would get to see pretty Dr. Salma fix Pete. Salma gathered everything needed from her bag and drew a large vial of Caeli's blood. When she placed a small bandage over the puncture on Caeli's arm and packed away the equipment, she and Ben excused themselves to go take care of Pete who waited in the lounge after a summons from Max. Vin assured them that he and Caeli would be out to join them as soon as Caeli got dressed.
When they were alone, Caeli donned a pair of lightweight, pale blue
pants and an airy, pale blue and green, off the shoulder blouse. It was a flattering outfit, though incomplete. Vin could not convince Caeli to wear any shoes since they were not going outside. By way of compromise, she slid on a pair of thin, ankle-high white socks. Caeli stood up in front of the bed, brushing out her hair, letting it fall free beyond her shoulders. Vin appreciated how lovely she looked. Much of the color had returned to her pale skin. If he hadn't known better, Caeli’s appearance might have been able to convince Vin that none of the wrenching events of the past three days had ever taken place.
"You're staring at me," she said softly, noticing Vin's gaze and sensing the emotion behind it.
The wind in the room stirred along with Vin's thoughts, playfully rippling through Caeli's hair. Vin's heart beat faster as his desire for her suddenly surged and became overwhelmingly strong. He stepped up close and held her in his arms, passionately pressing his lips to hers. The emotion she reciprocated flowed stronger than ever through their special bond. When Caeli allowed herself to be pulled further into his inviting embrace, Vin could not restrain himself. He needed her. He wanted her. For several minutes, nothing else existed except the two of them.
Then, with regret, Vin forced himself to pull away. He could not only feel Caeli's excitement through their bond, he could also feel the pain he was causing her where his arms put pressure on her injured ribs and tugged against the wounds still mending on her stomach. Despite outward appearances, Caeli was not fully recovered. It was much too soon to entertain such thoughts as were coursing through Vin's mind at the moment.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you," Vin said, trying to calm his heated emotions as he held her at arm's length.
"A kiss like that was worth it." Caeli found it impossible to resist her own emotions after having them so fervently stirred. She purposefully closed the distance to Vin and returned his favor, encouraging the emotion she felt rising in him, successfully tempting him to draw her close once more.
Unfortunately, Caeli could not stifle a small whimper of pain as Vin pulled her down to the bed. She did not want to deny him; she very much wanted to be close to Vin. When Caeli involuntarily flinched and pulled away with pain in her ribs a few minutes later, it finally broke the intensity of the moment. Vin could not continue with her in pain, and she simply could not conceal her pain while allowing her other emotions to run free. Vin got up and helped Caeli to her feet. After one last kiss, they both managed, reluctantly, to put a lid on their simmering passion.
"I'll take a rain check," Vin smiled at her.
Shortly thereafter, Vin and Caeli walked out of their room and headed toward the lounge.
Maku was across the way with his video camera. He intended to film Pete's treatment so there would be a record of it in case it might be helpful in the future. He looked up when Vin and Caeli approached. Both were smiling, mainly at each other. Maku had met Vin previously, but this was the first time that he got to see Caeli. He immediately agreed with Apela's description of her. She was certainly worthy of the festival contest.
He turned the video camera to film the couple as they walked toward him, arm in arm. After all, Maku still needed a few candid shots of one more lady for the contest. Maku would submit the final entry today, and Vin’s wife was perfect. Unbeknownst to Salma, Maku had submitted her photo the day before. He had asked Pete to get a few shots of Salma during her seminar. Maku had no doubt that either of these two lovely ladies could take home the prize this year. Of course, that was provided the storm didn't last too much longer and force them to completely cancel the festival activities. The weather still looked grim.
Maku next aimed the camera toward Dr. Erickson as she finished setting up the equipment for Pete. His brother was sitting comfortably in a recliner by the far window with his feet propped up and an IV line inserted into his arm. Attached to the other end of the IV line was a partially filled bag containing Caeli's diluted blood. When everything was connected, Salma set the machine so that it would drip slowly into Pete's arm. Her original plan had been to give Pete a series of shots over the course of a half hour, getting the blood into him quickly. Then Ben reminded her of the nature of Caeli's gift, causing Salma to decide on this method instead.
After a parting kiss from Vin and arriving in the lounge, Caeli went over to sit on one of the sofas opposite where Pete was being treated. Max climbed up beside her. Since the ladies were not alone, and Maku agreed to keep an eye on them, the other three men went into the kitchen to cook dinner. Caeli was confident that they would come up with something interesting, but it was Pete who currently held her attention.
"Salma, how long do you think it will take?" Caeli asked curiously of Salma, who stood next to her.
Caeli spoke quietly so that Pete would not overhear. She had been studying Pete ever since she walked into the room. It was obvious that he was very sick. If she tried to make an estimate, Caeli would say he was treading on death's doorstep. If Salma's treatment did not work, Pete probably would not last more than another day or two, at the most.
"It's difficult to say. I added water to the blood. It seems to respond better that way. I hope he will see improvement as soon as it integrates with his own."
"Will it be soon enough? He doesn't look so well. Is there any way that I can help?" Caeli offered.
Maku, who was sitting in a chair near Caeli, overheard her comments. He had been thinking along those same lines regarding Pete's condition. Hearing such concern from this virtual stranger impressed him. This lady was not just a pretty face, but was also caring and generous. She didn't even know Pete, but readily offered her aid. Having heard Apela's account of Vin's rescue mission, it became clear to Maku why Vin was so protective of his wife. She was a treasure, indeed.
"No, I don't think there’s anything else to be done, Caeli. You've done enough," Salma replied.
Maku noticed the small bandage on Caeli's arm and understood Salma's statement. He casually wondered what was so special about her blood.
"Well, perhaps Max and I can talk to him; keep him company. He has got to be bored sitting over there all by himself. Perhaps you could go make sure that Vin doesn't empty the salt shaker into whatever he's cooking? What do you say, Max? Would you like to help me entertain Pete?"
Caeli got up, carrying the glass of water that Vin gave her before he left, and walked over to the chair where Pete sat. Max followed her and helped her pull over another chair from the table. She placed it up against Pete's chair, facing him. Caeli sat down, took a drink of water, and let Max climb up into her lap carefully avoiding her ribs.
"Hiya, Pete. This is pretty Caeli. She's my friend," Max introduced her.
"Hello, Pete. I'm Caeli Harding, Dr. Erickson's niece. Aunt Salma has told me quite a bit about you. I was very sorry to hear about your dad and the others who received the contaminated blood. You are very lucky to have received a smaller dose."
"Somehow, I don't feel so lucky," Pete replied in a tired voice.
"Well, you will. Aunt Salma is a wonderful doctor. I believe she will have you fixed up in no time."
"You bet! Pretty Dr. Salma is the best doctor. If she says you will be better, then it's true. Isn't that right, pretty Caeli?" Max chimed enthusiastically.
"I sure hope you're right. It would be nice to feel good again." Pete started coughing, covering his mouth with a white handkerchief. When the coughing fit was over and Pete took the cloth away, there were a few specs of blood on it. Pete looked exhausted. Caeli did not need any special gift to empathize with his plight. She remembered this stage of the poisoning well enough herself. Though she had received much stronger and repeated doses of the poison, Pete didn't have her natural healing ability. She truly hoped Salma's treatment would help, sooner rather than later. Caeli sensed that Pete might not have a later if this didn't work.
"Hey, Max, do you want to show Pete a magic trick? I bet that would make him feel better," Caeli asked.
"I don't know any magic tricks," Max replied
.
"That's ok. You will be the magician's assistant. I'll tell you what to do." Caeli dipped her fingers in the glass of water and Max did the same. She placed his tiny hand gently on Pete's arm and covered it with her own, both of them coming into direct contact with Pete's bare skin.
"What now, pretty Caeli?" Max asked eagerly.
"Tell Pete to close his eyes and don't peek," she whispered in his ear.
Max repeated the instructions to Pete and then kept watching to make sure he didn't peek.
"Now, I'm going to close my eyes and think about something that will make Pete feel better. You do the same, Max." Caeli concentrated on Pete and the sensation she could feel through the water. The now familiar tingling of her gift responded. Caeli sat quietly for a minute or two, moving Max's hand around to make him think he was helping. Max quickly began to get restless when nothing happened, so Caeli knew she would have to finish the trick quickly.
"Ok, Max. Say the magic word and then raise your hand up and open it."
"What's the magic word, pretty Caeli?"
"Presto," she whispered again.
"Presto!" Max hollered.
Caeli slipped a small, chocolate chip cookie into his hand as he raised it from Pete's arm. She had subtly retrieved the snack from a plate on the dining table at the same time they retrieved the chair. Max jumped up in excitement. He held the cookie out for display so Pete could get a good look at it and then waved it over his head so Maku could see it, too.
Pete stared at Caeli. What he felt was more amazing than the discovery of a hidden cookie. Caeli actually made him feel better. When the sensation first started to seep into his arm beneath her hand, Pete thought that it was either his imagination or his nerves. He always did get nervous around women. When the feeling persisted and began to spread through his body, Pete's uncertainty was dispelled. He was baffled by the method she used to accomplish it, but Max's new friend sent some sort of energy into Pete that immediately made him feel steadier and stronger.
"That was quite a trick indeed, Mrs. Harding. I would love to know how you did it," Pete said.
Wrath of the Sea Queen Page 60
