Vin disliked asking Caeli to wait indefinitely, but too much had already happened to her to change his mind. Vin absolutely refused to let her go out alone. Caeli understood Vin's well-founded concern, but she was determined to go out and would wait for Vin as long as necessary.
Salma, seeing that Caeli's mind was made up, regardless of objections and wait time, decided to tag along. She could use the time to talk to Caeli about another matter.
"Salma, could I speak with you in private please?" Of course, Salma's decision did not set well with Ben.
"Sure. What do you need?" Salma asked as she joined him on the opposite side of the lounge.
"You do remember that you are still under a protective custody order, right? Please wait a little while. I'll walk out with you later." Ben was no less worried about Salma than Vin was for Caeli.
Neither lady was pleased about the restrictions, yet each accepted them graciously in the loving spirit they were intended.
Caeli leaned on the door frame and stared out at the rolling tides as the sun edged its way toward the horizon. She could not seem to remember her last normal day. Her life was changing drastically, and she needed ten minutes to step off the roller coaster ride and catch her breath. After being in bed for what felt like months to her, Caeli really wanted to stretch her legs and get some fresh air in her lungs. The storm winds had died down and the rain stopped, though the waves continued to surge to larger than normal heights. Caeli didn't care. She would have walked in a downpour given her strong urge to move. Sitting idle provided her with too much time inside her own mind which, recently, was a dangerous place to be. Caeli needed something normal to do, however briefly, before the confinement of the walls drove her stir crazy.
Salma checked once more on Pete before the young man turned in for the night. His improvement was already noticeable, though he still had a long way to go. Then, with nothing more to do, Salma suggested to Ben that going for a walk with Caeli might, indeed, be a good way to end the evening and hoped he would reconsider.
"Ben, what if Caeli and I went for a walk together and promised to stay within sight of the hotel? You and Vin can catch up with us when you're ready. Look at her over there. She needs this."
"Perhaps she does, but she can wait a little while, and so can you. What's the rush? We won't be too long with Apela. I just need him to answer a few questions for me, and then we can all go out together."
"That sounds lovely, Ben, but I would like a few minutes to talk to Caeli alone." Salma wanted the chance to talk to Caeli privately about her sudden recovery. It was great to see, but Salma was still worried about the baby, especially after seeing the spots on Caeli's robe before dinner. They definitely were not on the robe before the incident with the strange man in the black suit. Caeli had managed to conceal the stains from Vin, but Max pointed them out to Salma when nobody else was looking. All Salma needed to do was convince Ben to give her and Caeli a little distance to discuss the issue.
Ben rubbed his chin as he considered it before eventually agreeing that it would be better if the ladies went together. Furthermore, he was not sure that either of them should hear the conversation he intended to have with Apela. Ben finally relented under the condition that Maku and Jeremy shadow the ladies on their walk.
"All right, that's settled. However, we've still got to convince Vin. He won't be nearly as easy to persuade," Ben stated.
Ben then had to help convince Vin that Caeli would be as safe as possible. Vin was reluctant, but also knew that Caeli was only waiting out of consideration for him. She did not join Salma and Ben as they asked him to reconsider the walk; she had already accepted his terms. At last, Vin fell victim to an irresistible plea from Max. The boy offered to go along and keep an eye on the pretty ladies, as if he truly believed he could make a difference.
Caeli and Salma walked slowly along the beach, each holding one of Max's hands as he walked between them. Vin insisted that they go no further than ten or fifteen feet away from the building. He wanted Caeli to stay close to the hotel and as far away from the water as possible. Maku and Jeremy followed a polite five feet behind them.
It was refreshing to be outside in the evening air. Caeli looked up at the night sky briefly visible between the clouds. The vast number of stars was amazing, and the moon was nearly full. Caeli inhaled deeply. The air seemed to support her, embrace her, and offer her protection. It was almost as if... She glanced over her shoulder with a smile, seeing Vin's tall stature silhouetted near the door.
"Thank you," she said through their special link. Caeli watched him move away from the door, but the feeling in the air remained.
"Max, please go and talk to Maku and Jeremy. Help them keep an eye on us from back there. I need to talk to Caeli privately," Salma told him. Max agreed, believing he was still doing his job like the grown men.
"That sounds ominous, Salma. Can't we just enjoy this walk without any dire conversations?"
"I want to know how you are doing. You seem to have made a speedy recovery after that bath, but then that man came after you. How are you really feeling? It's just us. Tell me the whole truth this time, Caeli. You know I won't reveal anything you tell me in confidence, but I need to know. As your doctor, I can't treat you properly if you continue to keep things from me. As your friend, I'm asking you to let me help you, please."
"I'm considerably better, Salma. The bath was a great idea. I was finally able to use my gift on myself, and the water worked wonders. Nearly all the damage has been repaired. There are only those large gashes left; they will take a little more time. And my cracked ribs are the worst, but my gift doesn't seem to work on bones."
"And the new injury? The one you called me about?" Salma didn't miss a beat.
"You already know?"
"I saw the spots on your robe. I was able to reach across the room with my gift and feel your lingering pain. I figured that you must be worried about the baby given the location of the injury. Tell me about it."
Caeli should have known that Salma would notice. That was exactly the sort of thing that would catch her physician's eye and that her gift would bring to Salma's attention. Caeli was impressed that Salma had been able to discern the pain without direct contact. Salma's gift was growing, too.
"Surprisingly, it wasn't all that bad. Vin ran out after him; but while he was gone, the man reappeared suddenly from the tub. It was so quick, I hardly even knew it happened," Caeli explained without mentioning the act itself.
"What happened so fast? What did he do, Caeli?" Salma persisted. She would not let Caeli off that easily.
"I guess you could say he sort of stabbed me," Caeli whispered so that Salma was barely certain of what she heard.
"What?! Stabbed you? Goodness sakes, Caeli! What is going on in that head of yours? Why didn't you tell me right away? Now I understand why Vin didn't want you to go for a walk. Thank heavens he has more sense than you do at the moment. We need to get you back inside. Why would you take such a risk after that? I need to look at your wound…"
Caeli immediately tried to calm Salma so the others would not overhear.
"Shh! Salma, please, not so loud. It's ok. I'm fine, really. It's not as bad as it sounds. He used two of his long fingernails to reopen one of the deeper gashes on my side and poke into my stomach. I panicked when I called you, concerned that he might have hurt the baby. But, I immediately used my gift to stop the bleeding. He only got me once before he vanished. I think he heard Vin returning. Please don't make a fuss. It's not that big of a deal. It's nothing really, but…" Caeli casually described the incident to Salma.
"But? Are you going to tell me it gets worse?" Salma couldn't believe that Caeli considered this a minor incident.
"No, but Vin doesn't know. The reason he did not want me to go for a walk had nothing to do with this. He is only being his normally protective self, which I love. That's why I couldn't tell him yet. Not only would he feel guilty, but he would likely already have us on our way to some remote
desert by now; somewhere where there wasn't a drop of water in sight for miles. I wanted to let him calm down before I told him. Vin has been through so much. I don't want to worry him over nothing."
"Caeli, getting stabbed is definitely something. The man must have had a reason for such a specific attack. Are you sure you fixed it completely? I still sense a change in you," Salma reached out and placed her hand on Caeli's stomach as they continued their stroll. Salma concentrated while Caeli walked on in silence, feeling Salma's gift inspect her most recent injury. After a minute, Salma removed her hand.
"How'd I do, Doc?" Caeli asked in an attempted jest.
"You seem ok, but…Caeli, can you tell if there was…well, are you sure he didn't hurt your baby?" The hesitation in Salma's question mirrored Caeli's response. She stopped walking and turned to face Salma, but did not answer right away. The look on her face spoke volumes.
Caeli wasn't sure she knew the answer. She walked a little further before stopping again in the next beam of moonlight. The men following stopped a polite distance behind, fussing with Max, who had found Maku's video camera in a holster at the man's waist and was pestering him about it.
"I honestly don't know, Salma. Nothing inside of me feels wrong anymore; not like it did when those bars were poisoning me. I feel healthier, stronger. I believe my injuries are mending well. I am not certain exactly what damage the last attack caused or why he did it. However, I am also not sure how the baby is doing. I haven't been able to feel more than a mild connection to him since I miscarried his brother. I can't feel him at all now. I know he is physically there, but that's all I can tell. Not being able to feel his life frightens me. Maybe the man intended to sever my link to the baby completely. Perhaps that's the change you noticed."
Salma considered Caeli's explanation, but reached a slightly different, much worse, conclusion. If Caeli had considered the possibility, she wasn't saying.
"Hmm…well, it's probably for the best that you can't feel the child right now. You would spend too much time worrying about the baby and not enough time taking care of yourself," Salma suggested.
"That sounds like an answer I would get from Vin. But, other than this disconnect, I am as good as I can be."
"Are you? Then why don't you remember everything that happened yesterday?"
Caeli was again surprised. How had Salma figured that out? It must be from spending so much time with Ben. Now that the topic was open, Caeli didn't mind sharing the details with Salma.
"I get bits and pieces, but not the entire event. How did you know?"
"Caeli, you are easy to read. You simply don't have it in you to lie or conceal your feelings. You have been hesitant when asked to talk about what happened while we were gone. Either you are not sharing everything or you simply can't remember. Vin would know if you were holding out on him, and that's completely out of character for you. I know you want to tell him. Therefore, the logical assumption is that you must not know the details."
"You have been around Ben too long. He is beginning to rub off on you," Caeli replied.
"I certainly hope so," Salma smiled.
"What does Ben really think about the explosion…?"
"Stop right there, Caeli Harding! Don't even think about changing the subject. We are not talking about Ben. We are discussing the holes in your memory. Tell me about that. I can't offer you any medical advice unless you tell me what you do know," Salma insisted.
"I remember most of it, but there is a gap in my mind after a certain point. I get a few flashes of the missing details here and there, but I cannot figure out entirely where I was and what happened from the time I left the shore until the time I entered that cave," Caeli confirmed.
"And when did you receive most of your injuries?" Salma asked.
"I got the large gashes when the man first showed up and a lot of the injuries during that last bout in the cave. I know that I was injured before I got to the cave as well, but I don't know how badly. How could you tell that I did not get hurt all at once?"
"When I looked you over, some of the bruises had already started to change color. I could tell that they were several hours old. Vin didn't notice, and I did not say anything to him. He was worried enough. Besides, I know you will tell Vin about all of this when you do finally remember. I just thought I might be able to help you in the meantime. What else can you tell me?"
"Well, there really isn't much to tell. I first saw the man on the beach that morning. I later saw him standing outside on the ridge. When Max said the man was standing in the lounge, I nearly fainted. At first, I believed he was there for Max. I hid Max and tried to lure the man away. That's when I got the bad slashes across my stomach. I ran down to the beach with the man following me. When I thought he was about to catch me, my feet hit the water, and he disappeared."
"Disappeared? He just vanished?" Salma asked in disbelief.
"Yes, and I know how that sounds, but it's true. Then I figured he must have turned back after Max, which he did. I ran to help and caught up with them on top of the ridge. I tried to help."
"That was a dangerous thing to do," Salma commented passively.
"I know, but I couldn't leave Max. He was terrified and there was no one else to help him. There was no time for me to get help from anyone else. When I reached them, the man spoke to me for the first time. His voice sent chills down my spine."
"What did he say?"
"He said that she demands payment. If not from me, then the boy would suffice," Caeli replied, remembering every word the man said to her. She would likely never forget them.
"Who demanded payment and for what? Caeli, what did he mean? Wait a minute. Is this about Max's story?" Salma thought this might be the connection.
"Salma, I'm tired. Can we go back now?"
"Caeli, you're avoiding my question," Salma insisted with a stern look on her face.
"Yes, I am. It's complicated, and I really am tired."
"Then skip to the part about the gap in your memory. At least tell me about that, so I can try to come up with a way to help you fill in the blanks. Then we'll head back. The rest of the story can wait."
"I eventually convinced the man to release Max and leave. I walked along the edge of the water to calm my nerves before going to pull Max out of hiding. The next thing I knew, I woke up in the cave, battered and hurting. I heard the explosion at the hotel and helped put the flames out before falling asleep again. Truth be told, I think I was overcome by exhaustion. I know that I fought someone when I first entered the cave, but I don't know how I came to be there. Vin found me in the cave about an hour after the explosion, I think. I'm not certain about the timeline."
"It was actually several hours later, but that's not important right now. You don't recall anything more before or after the fight? You don't remember where you were before going into the cave or any other details?"
"Some, yes; and I shared those with Vin. I know that if Urim had not found me, I would not have survived," Caeli announced as if reading the Sunday paper.
"You would have died!? Caeli, please! First you tell me you were stabbed and now that you might have died. My heart can't take many more bold revelations like that. Try easing into such news. What do you mean you would not have survived?" Salma did not like the way that Caeli kept such details to herself.
"I mean exactly that, Salma. I did not win that fight in the cave. I'm not entirely sure which injury was the final straw because I cannot remember the end of the fight; but, I know that Urim healed me enough so that I would not die. Urim is also responsible for the gap in my memory. I believe he was trying to do me a favor by temporarily blocking the damaging details from my mind," Caeli explained.
"Does Vin know about this?" Salma chastised Caeli out of concern for her safety.
"Vin knows as much as I do. He also spoke to Urim."
"All right then, for now. But something has definitely changed in you," Salma insisted.
"Now that you mention it, there is somethi
ng. I've done my best to bury it. Promise not to laugh? Ever since Vin found me in that cave, even with all my pain and exhaustion, I have had an incredibly strong desire to be with him. Of course, I couldn't have acted on my feelings before, but now…"
"I don't find anything unusual about that. Vin is your husband, and he rescued you from a dire situation. That's bound to stir up some pretty strong feelings, not that you two ever simmer down. Plus, your pregnancy will have your hormones running amok. Your reaction doesn't surprise me at all," Salma said.
"I don't think you understand, Salma. It's more than that. I think it happened to Vin, too. When we were in the cave, Rika used me to do something to him. She called it pulling his strings. Earlier, when Vin kissed me, I felt the same overwhelming desire coming from him. It was like he needed to be with me."
"I'm sorry, Caeli. I simply don't see the problem. You two have always been like that. As long as I've known you, you have never been able to keep your hands off each other. I don't understand the difference you're trying to describe. What exactly did Rika do?"
"She touched Vin's chest, and I could feel energy flowing from me to him. I don't know what she intended. Now, we both have this feeling. It is almost a sense of…urgency. I feel as if something inside of me is rushing against a deadline. I need to be with Vin," Caeli struggled to describe this new, negative aspect of what had always been a pleasantly undeniable and irresistible physical attraction between her and Vin.
"Need to? What deadline?" Salma was still baffled.
"I don't know. I don't have that answer. Of course, now that I say it out loud, it does sound rather absurd. Like you said, Vin has always had a fantastically unsettling effect on me, ever since the moment we met."
Wrath of the Sea Queen Page 62
