Daughters of the Sea

by HR Mason

  “Did something happen at the party?” Emily asked.

  “You could say that. She wasn’t exactly excited to see me there. I still have no idea why,” Runa admitted.

  “She said she knew your mother. Doesn’t sound like they were friends,” Emily mused.

  “No, it certainly doesn’t.”

  The buzz of Runa’s cell phone in her pocket startled her, and she grabbed it. Her heart fell as she looked at the display. It was Chase. She considered ignoring his call, then decided she needed to put an end to things once and for all. She couldn’t handle the drama of his mother in her life, no matter how attracted she was to the man.

  “Hello, Chase,” she said as she answered.

  “I’ve been thinking of you since last night. Are you feeling better today?”

  Chase’s voice reached through the phone, reeling her in like a fish on a line. She was drawn to him, and she wanted to know him better. The thought both angered and saddened her because it wasn’t possible. His mother had seen to that.

  “Not especially,” she replied icily.

  “I’m sorry you’re not feeling well. Maybe I can bring you dinner tonight after work? We wouldn’t have to go out,” he offered.

  “That’s not a good idea, Chase,” she answered, sorry to have to say the words.

  “Maybe tomorrow, then?”

  “I don’t think so.” Her heart actually ached when she thought about never seeing him again.

  “Is something wrong, Runa?”

  “It’s best if we don’t see each other, Chase. At all.” Tears fell from her eyes, and she wiped them away with the back of her hand.

  “Why—”

  “Please don’t call me again.”

  Without another word, she hung up the phone and dropped it into her pocket as she gave in to the sobs that racked her body.

  Ten

  Vardø, Norway, 1883

  Mille paced back and forth across her bedroom floor as her husband watched, a worried crease crinkling his forehead. She cradled her enlarged abdomen as the pain radiated through her midsection, gaining in intensity. Gazing out the window, Mille saw the rainbow of the northern lights dancing across the sky. She closed her eyes and tried to feel the colors inside her soul. She had always been connected to them, and seeing their glow calmed her tumultuous spirit.

  “Is it time?” Mathias asked.

  “Not quite,” Mille answered as calmly as she was able.

  “But soon?”

  “Yes. Soon, my love.”

  “Shall I get the book?”

  “Yes,” Mille replied. “I would like you to read it to me once more.”

  Mathias rose quickly, and Mille heard the attic stairs creak as they bore the weight of her husband’s large frame. She felt the quickening as her daughters tried their best to move inside of their cramped living quarters. The girls were anxious to make their entrance into the world, and she knew they would arrive before the night was over.

  For nine months Mille had been anticipating the birth of her twins. Mathias never questioned how she knew she was carrying more than one daughter; he simply accepted it as fact. He had known Mille her entire life, and to his credit, he always acknowledged that his wife was blessed with special gifts beyond his understanding.

  Mille had a reputation as the village healer, and the couple’s home was often filled with neighbors in need of help. Whether it was a special tincture she’d concocted to heal a sickness or someone seeking wisdom and advice, her neighbors held her in the highest regard.

  She had an affinity for wind, and she warned the village fishermen accordingly. Mille’s wind knots were legendary, and sailors visited her before charting their courses. Her potent charms were believed to be the most powerful, and her ability to call upon the wind was revered. She knew her daughters would be even more special than she was. She could feel it. She couldn’t wait to teach them about their gifts.

  A sharp pain gripped Mille’s belly, and she doubled over in an effort to find some relief. She let out a gasp and made her way to the closest chair. Mathias rushed into the room and dropped to his knees in front of his wife.

  “Is it time?”

  “Almost. Where’s the book?”

  “Here,” Mathias said as he placed the leather-bound pages into her hands.

  As she reached for it, she was gripped by another pain.

  “What should I do?” Mathias asked anxiously.

  “Read it to me,” Mille answered as she closed her eyes.

  Mathias’s shaking hands leafed through the book as he began to read the familiar words to his wife, just as he had every day for the past nine months, although he didn’t understand why. He’d spoken about Mille’s ancestors so many times that he had their stories memorized.

  “Tuva, born in 1803, could foretell the future in her dreams. Selma, born in 1825, could move any object with the power of her mind. Malin, your mother, born in 1843, was a healer who could keep sickness at bay with her knowledge of plants and herbs,” he recited.

  “They were powerful women,” Mille said between labored breaths.

  “Just as you are,” Mathias replied.

  She let out a loud wail and gripped her abdomen.

  “Is it time?” he asked again.

  “Yes, it’s time. Help me to bed,” Mille instructed.

  “Should I call the midwife?” Mathias’s face was a tumultuous sea of worry.

  “Need I remind you that I am the midwife?”

  Mille’s face twisted with pain as she spoke.

  “Yes you are. But perhaps another woman would be better suited to help you—”

  “We’ll do this alone. Everything will be fine. I’ve seen it,” she replied with certainty.

  “But if anything should go wrong—”

  “Nothing will. I promise.”

  Mathias lifted his wife’s slight frame and carried her to their bed. Her white-blonde hair fell across her sweaty face, and he brushed it away. Mille had insisted they would deliver their babies alone, and although he had agreed, he was having second thoughts now that the moment had arrived.

  She had delivered too many babies to count, and she was confident in her ability to talk her husband through the ordeal. As long as the book was close by, everything would be fine.

  “Where’s the book?”

  “Here, my love,” Mathias replied as he held it before her.

  “Place it under the pillow beneath my head.”

  Mathias did as Mille instructed, although the strange act made little sense to a man as practical and logical as he.

  “Now open the windows so I can invite the breeze inside.”

  “The breeze? Mille, it’s freezing out there. Are you sure?”

  “I’m certain. The villagers call me the Wind Witch after all, don’t they?”

  Mille did her best to smile at the moniker as her body was seized by another pain.

  “That they do. You’re the Wind Witch of Vardø.”

  Mathias unlatched the windows, opening them wide as the chilling arctic wind billowed into the room. The gust of air howled and nipped at the skin on his face as it whizzed past, snuffing out the candles as well as the fire in the hearth. Startled, he attempted to relight the flame, but it was no use. The wind rushed through the room, whipping and blowing everything in its path.

  “Mille—”

  “As You will… som du vil… as You will… som du vil….”

  Mille chanted and prayed in the darkness, her strained, haunting voice causing the hairs on her husband’s arms to rise. Mathias stumbled across the room and perched on the bed at his wife’s side. Gripping her hand in his, he watched as her face twisted with pain. She clenched her teeth and squeezed him with a force he didn’t know she possessed.

  Suddenly she stopped praying and her eyes popped open, locking onto his with a ferocity that took his breath away. She stared at him, unblinking, as if in a trance. A giant gust of wind blew into the room, powerful enough that it nearly kno
cked him over.

  Opening her mouth wide, Mille sucked in a deep breath, and with it, she swallowed up all the wind in the room. Mathias watched in disbelief as his wife held the air inside her body for a split second and then blew it out.

  A hurricane-force gale erupted from Mille’s lips, leaving her body and exiting the room with a whoosh. As it left, the windows slammed shut, the flames on the candles reignited, and the fire in the hearth relit. Simultaneously, her body gave its final push and her daughters entered the world, one right after the other. The book, which had been tucked beneath her pillow, was now lying across her chest as sparks of blue radiated from its cover.

  As she sank into the bed with relief, Mille’s eyes searched for Mathias’s.

  “Meet your daughters, Brynja and Sigrid,” she whispered weakly.

  “You were right all along,” he breathed, awestruck by his wife’s power.

  “The generation of two. I have never felt such potent magic.”

  Eleven

  Runa sighed as she unboxed her most recent shipment. She’d been in a funk, and no matter what she did, she couldn’t snap out of it. The shop was thriving, bustling with customers, busier than she could have imagined. Emily was a stellar employee and an asset to the store. Runa finally felt welcomed into the Departure Cove community. On paper, everything was perfect, and she knew she should be happy and content.

  But she wasn’t.

  As much as she hated to admit the truth, the reason for her dissatisfaction was Chase Everwine. Although the friction with his mother was a hurdle she didn’t want to jump, Runa couldn’t help but wish they could have given things a chance. There was magnetism between them, an undeniable connection, and if given the opportunity, she believed that spark could have ignited into a full-blown flame.

  It had been two weeks since she’d told Chase to leave her alone, and she’d second-guessed her decision every day since. She couldn’t stop thinking about him, partially because he kept dreaming up new ways to change her mind.

  He’d sent a dozen roses to the shop on three separate occasions, followed by expensive chocolates. One evening she’d arrived home and found he’d had dinner delivered with a note that simply said I’m thinking of you. He’d respected her wishes about not calling, but he had texted her several times, each message sweeter and more sentimental than the last. His various gestures let Runa know he hadn’t given up on them.

  Emily told her over and over that she should ignore his mother and listen to her heart, but she wasn’t sure. Runa couldn’t handle Camille Everwine’s obvious hatred and disapproval, especially when she had done nothing to deserve the woman’s vitriol.

  “Do you want me to change out the mannequins in the front of the store? We have those new dresses that would look great on display,” Emily suggested.

  “That’s a good idea. Let’s do it,” Runa agreed.

  The two women were lost in creative concentration when the bell on the front door jingled, signaling a customer. Runa glanced up from her work, her heart skipping a beat when she saw Chase. Her lips grew warm as the memory of their kiss surfaced in her mind.

  As much as she would prefer to hide and let Emily send him away, she knew she couldn’t. She needed to handle the situation. Taking a deep breath, she approached him.

  “Hello, Chase. What can I do for you?”

  She straightened her spine and tried to keep her voice as chilly and unwelcoming as possible. It was more difficult than she imagined it would be.

  “Runa, it’s been two weeks since I’ve seen you. I couldn’t wait any longer.” The sadness on his face tugged at her heartstrings.

  “Chase—”

  “You said not to call, and I haven’t. But you didn’t say I couldn’t come into the shop,” Chase said sheepishly. “I had to see you.”

  Runa cleared her throat and tried to ignore the nagging voice in her brain telling her she was being too harsh on him. After all, Chase’s mother was the problem, not him. Was it right to blame him for his mother’s actions?

  “I suppose I should have been more specific about you not calling.” Runa did her best not to meet his eyes, knowing her resolve would crumble if she did.

  “Did you get the flowers? And the dinner? And the chocolates?”

  “I did. Thank you, but none of that was necessary.” She kept her eyes focused on the floor.

  “But it was. I wanted you to know I was thinking of you,” Chase said helplessly.

  The desperation in his voice made Runa’s heart melt. She felt the veneer of her hard shell begin to crack open. She tilted her head up and looked at him, the sincerity on his face causing her heart to constrict.

  “Look, I appreciate all of it, but this thing between us—whatever it is—can’t happen,” she insisted, trying to make herself immune to his charms. It didn’t work.

  “I know why you’re saying that.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I know my mother came to see you, to warn you to stay away from me,” Chase stated.

  “How could you possibly know that?”

  “She told me. She was proud of herself for ‘fixing’ the situation,” he retorted, a flash of anger in his eyes.

  “She said some hurtful things to me, Chase,” Runa admitted.

  “I’m sure she did. Hurting people is her specialty. But forget whatever she said to you. As I’ve told you before, my parents’ opinions matter little to me.”

  “That may be true, but if you and I are together, your mother’s path will undoubtedly cross with mine. I can’t live my life on the defensive,” she argued, trying to make him understand.

  “You won’t have to defend yourself. I’ll do it for you. I’ve warned my mother to stay in her place. And if she is ever a problem, you must come to me right away. I’ll take care of it,” he explained.

  “I don’t think it’s going to be that simple. Your mother’s feelings are intense. That won’t go away.” Runa shivered as the image of Camille’s angry face surfaced in her brain.

  “Perhaps. But she will keep her opinions to herself. Or else.” Chase grinned, but there was an edge to his words.

  “Or else what?” Runa inquired, curiosity getting the better of her.

  “Just leave my mother to me.”

  “I’m not sure it’s going to work.”

  “I’m sure enough for both of us.” Chase grabbed her hand and squeezed it, pleading silently.

  Runa’s heart begged her to lower her guard and give him a chance. She knew her feelings for him were strong, and from the look in his eyes, he felt the same way about her. She didn’t know how or why, but something about Chase pulled her to him. She was tired of resisting.

  “Okay,” she whispered, giving in.

  “What does that mean?” he asked, a tinge of hope in his voice.

  “It means we can give things a try.”

  A giant smile bloomed across her face as she spoke the words she’d wanted to say for weeks.

  Chase sighed with relief and pulled her close to him in a crushing hug. He held her tightly, running his hands across her back in rhythmic strokes that soothed her frayed nerves. Being in his arms felt right, and although she couldn’t explain it, maybe she didn’t need to.

  “You have no idea how happy you’ve made me,” Chase whispered. “You’re like a dream come true.”

  Runa beamed as she allowed herself to be fully engulfed in his embrace. She didn’t understand her intense emotions, or why she was so certain she belonged with Chase. All she knew was she’d been lucky enough to catch his attention, and she wasn’t going to blow it. She’d made terrible choices in the past in regards to men, but her dreams of a perfect life in Departure Cove were coming true. She was going to listen to her heart and forget about the rest.

  “So we’ll have dinner tonight? I’ll pick you up at seven?” Chase offered, still holding on to her.

  “I’ll be ready,” she replied, feeling completely content for the first time in ages.

/>   Chase pulled away and tilted her face up toward his. He simply looked at her for a couple seconds, seemingly drinking her in. Leaning down, Chase cupped his hand behind Runa’s head, gently pulling her face to his and lightly brushing his lips on hers. The kiss lingered, igniting a spark inside, filling her with anticipation. When he pulled away, it felt too soon.

  “See you tonight,” he whispered before he turned to leave.

  Runa watched him go, mentally calculating the hours until she would see him again.

  “I knew it. I knew the two of you belonged together,” Emily gushed as soon as the door closed behind him.

  “He’s really something, isn’t he?” Runa agreed, still a bit breathless.

  “He’s a good catch, Runa. Every woman in town is going to be jealous of you.”

  Still reeling from the kiss, Runa tried to bring herself back to reality by working on her inventory in the back room. She was going through her list when her phone rang. Glancing at the display, she smiled when she saw it was her mother.

  “Hey, Mom,” she answered happily.

  “Hey, baby. Tell me,” Asta stated, not wasting a second on small talk.

  “What do you mean? Tell you what?”

  “Something’s up,” Asta said knowingly.

  “How do you know?”

  “Your aura is red.”

  “Mom, you know I don’t buy into that stuff,” Runa replied with a roll of her eyes.

  “That’s your choice, but the fact remains.”

  “Fine. Enlighten me. What does a red aura mean?”

  “Red auras signify love, passion, energy,” Asta began.

  “I suppose that makes sense.”

  “It can also be the warning of danger,” Asta continued.

  “Well… the first part is accurate,” Runa hinted.

  “What are you not telling me, Runa?”

  “I’ve met someone, and he’s wonderful.”

  “And?” Asta prompted.

  “And his name is Chase Everwine—”

  “Everwine?” Asta drew in a sharp breath. “No, Runa. You must stop this very minute.”

  “Mom—”