Wrath of the Sea Queen

by Cynthia Woods

  "Ben, that won't help. We've got to think about…ow! What the…?" Vin was trying to help calm Ben's anger when a sharp pain radiated across his shin, repeating twice more before he reached down and held Max out at arm's length, beyond kicking range.

  "You promised! You lied!" Max was still kicking aimlessly at Vin and trying to punch him. The boy was clearly upset, but Vin had no idea what he was talking about, at first.

  "Max, calm down. What did I do?" Vin knelt down and asked.

  "You said you would try to change the ending. You promised! You didn't even try to stop her. Now it's too late."

  Max managed to kick Vin again, nearly knocking the knee on which he knelt out from under him. Vin realized that he deserved it. In the rush to help Ben, he completely forgot about Caeli. He left her alone. Vin had no trouble guessing what she did after he left the room. Max, however, was keeping an eye out for Caeli from the lounge. He watched her walk down to the water, heedless of his calls for her to stop. Max did not follow her because the closer she got to the water, the stronger the storm outside became. The calm morning was all but forgotten. The rain poured, thunder rumbled loudly, and flashes of lightning danced through the thick clouds. Max’s fear of the Sea Queen kept him inside and sent him running in search of Vin instead.

  "She must have slipped out without me. Damn! Ben, I'm sorry. I have to go after her. I can't let her do this alone."

  "I understand. I know about her dream. It gives me hope that Salma will turn up somewhere near Caeli. Their troubles seem at least partially entwined. I'm going to check the other rooms to be sure I don't overlook anything. Go on, Vin. I'll only be a few minutes behind you."

  "I will have my men come inside and help. The search will be quicker that way," Colonel Franks offered.

  Vin was already running down the hall and out the door of the lounge, headed toward the now turbulent water. Max tried to keep up with him, but his little legs were not up to the task. The boy was quickly outdistanced and left behind in a gust of wind. Maku returned in time to see Max stop at the exterior door of the lounge, watching Vin run toward Caeli.

  "What's going on?" Maku asked when Ben came rushing around the corner. From the look on Ben's face, Maku could tell that they found something.

  Ben revealed the grim news about Pete. Maku had seen Lorrie do some pretty shameful things over the years, but never anything like this, and not to Pete.

  "She couldn't do that. She wouldn't." Maku couldn't accept it.

  Then, slowly, the reality of her deed sank in, and Maku knew the harsh truth. The loss of his brother saddened him greatly and the acute sting of Lorrie's betrayal made his skin burn. Lorrie was definitely not the same girl he fell in love with all those years ago. The flame he still carried for her was finally and completely snuffed out as Maku walked glumly into the lab to retrieve Pete's body. He wrapped it in the blanket that Lorrie had used to cover him. Colonel Franks and Apela helped Maku take his brother out to the plot to be buried alongside the others who took their final rest near the hotel.

  Ben and the guardsmen continued the search of the few remaining hotel rooms, but came up empty-handed. There was no sign of Salma. Ben did find what appeared to be a nozzle of some sort near the bathroom door in his own room, confirming his theory. Whoever did this used some sort of gas to put him out of commission long enough to take Salma and make a clean getaway.

  Where was Salma if not in any of the rooms? Lorrie had to have knocked her out and could not have carried her far. Lorrie would have needed help. They must be hiding her until they could sneak away safely, and it had to be somewhere close. The only thing that was close to the hotel was…the cave. Of course! Ben called for Max and asked the boy to join him, taking his hand as he hurried outside. Ben followed the path that remained of Vin’s footsteps through the wet sand.

  CHAPTER 49

  The time had come. Vin unwittingly gave Caeli this one chance to face Rika without putting him at risk. She could not let the opportunity go to waste. She walked down to the water's edge as she had done in her dream. Only this time, Caeli was not dreaming. Rika's presence in the storm mingled with Caeli's own gift as they surged through the rainclouds.

  Caeli hesitated at the water's edge and gave one last look toward her room. This was the right choice, but she disliked leaving the security of Vin's unwavering support. Yet, it was what she had to do. It was the only way. Caeli let her mind drift as she stood there. Over the course of the last few days, she had been exposed to her gift in a variety of ways and was given no instruction, no guidance. She clung to the few words that Urim shared with her, cautioning her not to let herself be overwhelmed. Most importantly, Urim told Caeli to find the strength within to master her gift. That was all well and good, in theory, but Caeli had to figure out the more practical details for herself.

  Caeli finally accepted the full nature of her gift, not only as a skill that she could use, but also as an extension of herself. She had successfully banished Rika from her mind and did not have to worry about having her thoughts breached or about Rika trying to take control again. Vin had provided Caeli with the solution to that problem as he steadfastly held her in the shower. It wasn't the water that provided the answer, but rather Vin's simple determination and relentless refusal to let her go. It made Caeli realize what she had known all along; that she could do the same. All she had to do was say no to Rika and mean it. It had always been her choice. That's why Rika kept asking for permission. Caeli had then called up all her recent frustrations and her anger about the way she and Vin had been manipulated. Foremost in her mind were thoughts about her baby. She absolutely would not expose her unborn child to Rika's parenting. The combination of all that emotion provided Caeli the necessary determination to permanently close the doorway into her mind.

  Unfortunately, Rika was still capable of harassing her in countless other ways to attempt to force her compliance. That's why Caeli needed to face her. She had to find a way to convince Rika to give up her pursuit. Rika was extremely angry after her master plan failed to get Caeli away from Vin; so she was not going to be easy to dissuade now. Caeli expected it to be more of a contest of wills than a conversation. With the way the storm stirred and the rain intensified at her approach, Caeli concluded that this fight would include a test of her ability to use her gift as well.

  However, Caeli was not completely unprepared. She even had a surprise of her own in store for Rika should she get the opportunity to use it. Caeli had given a lot of thought to Scott's presence. It reminded her that everyone, to some extent, possessed a dormant ability to connect with any of the elements. Caeli had felt the shocking truth of that fact firsthand when both Kent and Antonius, neither of whom were descendent of the two bloodlines, inflicted pain on her using their acquired ability to draw an electrical current from the air.

  It was Caeli's familiarity with that sensation that made her aware of the supercharged force bouncing around within the enormous tropical storm hovering over the island. Rika may be generating the storm, but Caeli was able to manipulate parts of it. She had managed to connect with the lightning at the edges of the storm yesterday morning after learning that Vin had set fire to the energy bar wrapper in the same manner. She wasn't entirely certain how she accomplished it, but she continued to feel the connection, even now. Caeli kept this new discovery well-guarded. She hoped it would give her a slight advantage in this inevitable, final confrontation between herself and Rika.

  She stood barefoot at the edge of the water. Caeli's gift immediately responded to the cool liquid. She closed her eyes, allowing it to flow freely through her. When she opened them, the man in black stood before her with a wicked grin on his face. This man, though he did Rika's bidding, had already cost her one child and tried to hurt Max. He had beaten her to within a few heartbeats of death. There was no telling how many others he had hurt over the years at Rika's request. Rika sent him to places on land where she could not go in her present state.

  Caeli's anger stirred
at the thought. The storm clouds overhead darkened in response to the open link with her gift. The rain and lightning intensified to match her mood change. Waves began to swell in the distance as she stared defiantly at Rika's errand boy. He was the first obstacle she would have to surpass. If she could not get by him, then Caeli didn't stand a chance against Rika.

  In her previous encounters, Caeli had been frightened, sick, or confused. But Caeli now understood the man in black. She subtly discovered his identity from Rika's mind. While Rika was busy taunting Vin earlier, Caeli took advantage of the opportunity to browse Rika's thoughts. Since Rika could read her thoughts when she touched her mind, Caeli assumed the process must also work in the opposite direction. She was pleased to discover that she was correct. As much as she disliked letting Rika struggle with Vin, Caeli knew this was the only opportunity she would get, and she could not pass it up; so she had allowed Rika to have control while she searched.

  Caeli learned that Rika created this creature from nothing more than water and pieces of ocean flora. Beneath that black suit was no real man. The only parts of him that resembled a human were those which were visible; his face and hands. Rika created him as a collector, sent to run errands for her on the land that she could not traverse. His unique nature allowed him to travel in and through any natural substance. That was how he seemed to vanish and reappear. To beat this opponent, Caeli had to find the bonds Rika used to hold him together and break them.

  She used her gift to reach through the water and search for those bonds. The man was an intricately woven design, complicated beyond her expectations. It was going to take some time. Of course, Rika's servant was not standing idle while Caeli tried to unravel him. Instead, he repeatedly tried to trip Caeli and force her beneath the water's surface. Several times, his razor sharp fingernails sliced across her skin, but caused only minor damage. She dodged the majority of his strikes and side-stepped his attempts to tackle her, all the while working on the strings that held him intact.

  As she continued, Caeli misjudged a few steps and a resultant slashing pain in her stomach and across her left forearm were the penalties for her errors. A wave nearly knocked her over as she realized that her opponent had maneuvered her out into the deeper water. It now reached higher than her waist as she stood facing him. Caeli cautioned herself to be more careful.

  "There!"

  She found one of his primary strings and pulled with her gift. The man stumbled and appeared to lose some of his cohesion.

  "Caeli, no! Wait!" Vin's voice sounded in the distance, and Caeli reflexively turned to see him come running out of the lounge.

  It was a costly mistake. The man seized on her distraction and succeeded in knocking her from her feet. Caeli recovered her focus quickly, tugging again at the bonds holding him together. Even from her newly submerged position, Caeli was able to pull the man along with her as she tumbled through the tide. She could not stop and wait for Vin to reach her. Caeli had to finish this fight. She concentrated a final effort on the remaining bonds, pulling each string at the same time; separating them all at once. Her success was much greater than anticipated. The man in black was suddenly gone. He had not vanished this time. Caeli had ripped him apart.

  She felt no remorse for the death of this constructed creature, only a mild sating of her anger. Caeli slowly began to work her way closer to shore as she resurfaced in the chest deep waters.

  "Is that the best you can do? Send your lackey yet again? I even came to the water to make it easy for you. But, if you want me now, you are going to have to deal with me directly," Caeli demanded of Rika.

  "Really, Caeli, I have given you every opportunity to make this friendship pleasurable, but each time I reach out, you force me to remind you of your weakness." Rika's response was immediate.

  Caeli was inflicted by a sudden wave of pain greater than the one she suffered at the arena a few days earlier. It dropped her to her knees beneath the water. Caeli remembered vividly. She also recalled that Rika had been able to ease that pain. If Rika could do it, then why couldn't she? Their gifts were similar, if not exactly the same. Although Rika was more experienced, Caeli grew more confident with each success. She decided to learn from Rika's veteran skillset. Within moments, Caeli was able to undo the pain Rika was causing her and return to her feet. Vin was there to help her up.

  "Caeli, stop this. You can't face her like this." Vin pulled Caeli out of the water and several feet further up the beach.

  "Vin, please don't make this harder for me. Please go back inside. I have to do this."

  "I know you have to face her, but not like this."

  "You said you wanted to deal with me directly. Do so now. Come to me on the island."

  His contact with Caeli allowed Vin to overhear Rika's comment.

  "No, Caeli. You're weak, still recovering. Do not meet Rika on her terms, where she is at her strongest. You can't win like that. I want you to end this, believe me, but you have got to give yourself a fair chance," Vin tried to explain what he discerned from Raphael's visit.

  "How should I do that? I don't know any other way."

  "Give yourself time to rest and heal. Get well and build up your physical strength. Then make Rika come to you. Play to your strengths, not hers. There is no reason to rush into this. Take as much time as you need. Don't let her rush you."

  "You are out of time. I am tired of waiting and tired of playing games with you. Either you come to me now or I will unleash this storm's full fury right now. No one on this island will survive," Rika threatened.

  Caeli looked up at Vin. He had heard, too. Both knew that Rika was not bluffing.

  "I have to try. I have to go, Vin."

  A single tear joined the raindrops sliding down Caeli's cheek as she glanced back at the hotel. She could not take the chance that her entire family and her new friends would be lost. If she could prevent the deaths of so many people, Caeli had to make the attempt.

  "There has to be another way. Please, Caeli! Undo her damage. You can call off the storm, can't you?" Vin asked desperately.

  Caeli looked up at Vin and smiled. Why hadn't she waited for him? Why had she so foolishly rushed out to meet Rika? She kissed him for what she hoped would not be the last time.

  "I love you, Vin."

  Caeli sensed the approaching danger and knew that if she resisted, Vin would be Rika's first victim. She would not permit that. Vin was so focused on Caeli that he did not notice the odd shift of the tide rushing inland. In the next instant, an unusually powerful wave knocked Caeli from her feet. It was almost as if hands reached out and pulled her down. Vin tried to hold on, but Caeli was yanked away from him. In the blink of an eye, the water receded and Caeli was gone.

  When she was finally able to stop the tide from carrying her further, Caeli trudged out of the water and onto the shore. She was no longer near the hotel. Vin was nowhere in sight. Caeli stepped onto the small island from her dream and from recent memory. She saw the shelter a little further inland, but did not move toward it. To do so would bring her dream into reality. Caeli waited, knowing Rika would soon emerge from the water to put an end to this once and for all.

  "I have to admit, you handled that well. You learn quickly, but are a fledgling still. Your skills are no match for mine. My resources are far beyond your comprehension. My helper was merely the smallest example of my skill, and pain is the least of the emotions I seek from you. You see; I am not merely a representation of the Sea Queen of island folk lore. I am the Sea Queen. No one is my equal."

  "Really? Then why are you so scared of Vin? Why drag me away from him? For that matter, why sneak up on me while I slept? Why not meet me face to face?" Caeli taunted.

  Her mind was made up. Her choice was made. Caeli refused to allow Rika to intimidate her any longer and adamantly rejected Rika's proposed friendly arrangement. Oddly, Caeli's refusal was based largely on the strength of an emotion she had not expected to feel during this encounter. While she did not like the idea of Ri
ka taking over her body or her life, Caeli was even more disturbed at the thought of this woman getting anywhere near Vin with the intent of starting a family of her own. That thought stirred anger in Caeli such as she had never known before. Was this jealously? No, Vin would have to have an interest in Rika for Caeli to be jealous of her. That definitely wasn't the case.

  This emotion was quite different. In fact, Caeli now recognized it as something about which Vin enjoyed teasing her. He derived great pleasure out of seeing her blush. Though she trusted Vin completely, Caeli had a tendency to interpose herself between him and any woman she thought to be overly interested in him. He called it a natural instinct to defend the one you loved from predators of any kind. Vin told her he suffered much the same response when men approached her, though he was surprisingly better at concealing it. Caeli often got the impression that Vin even enjoyed the way she, as he called it, staked a claim on him. Well, if that is what she was doing, then so be it. It gave her strength. If she was going to confront Rika in person, then Caeli would take any spark she could ignite to help her see this through. When it came to Vin, Caeli definitely had more than sparks that she could call forth.

  "Ah, but we have already had a personal meeting. If you would allow yourself to remember then you would understand that you were always meant to join me. You have belonged to me since you were a child. I have waited over twenty years for you to return."

  That took Caeli by surprise. She could not recall ever meeting Rika before. Was it true? Had they met previously?

  "I belong to no one, especially not you."

  "You don't remember. It was your first trip to the beach. You were seven and loved to swim. The sight of the ocean fascinated you the first time you laid eyes on it, but you did not realize how large the sea truly was or how strong the tides could be. You snuck away from your mother and set out to swim to the other side. It was an impressive, though naive, attempt. You nearly drowned. Naturally, I was obligated to rescue you. For even then, the strength of your gift was formidable. We spent the entire day talking and were becoming good friends by the time the sun began to set. That was when I first told you how special the water was for you. Naturally, when your mother found you washed up on shore that evening, chatting with an invisible friend, she thought you had been careless. She was right, of course. Yet, she knew nothing of your gift and kept you away from the water after that. I sent my man to bring you to visit me each night after your mother went to sleep."