"Everyone here knows what you did for me," said Cryssa. "They won't hurt you."
Bey smiled at her. "I'm coming back for you," he said. "Wait for me."
The sound of the knights' approach grew louder, but Cryssa didn't look away from Bey. Even from a distance, she could tell that something had changed in his eyes from when she had last seen him. He stared at her with an intensity that she had not noticed before.
"I won't leave here!" she told him. "I'll never go back to Shark Island!"
Bey smiled down at her. "You're more beautiful than I remembered," he said.
Just before he turned and dove off the high rock wall into the ocean, Bey said four more words. They echoed in the cove as Bey disappeared over the other side of the wall, and they echoed in Cryssa's mind a lot longer than that.
"Are you all right?" said the head knight as he raced up beside her...but Cryssa didn't answer. Bey's last words before escaping continued to repeat in her head.
In the days to come, Cryssa and Seek were honored as heroes for driving off the Sharkites single-handedly. The Sylva and Kee celebrated with feasts, and Cryssa and Seek were given medals for bravery.
But none of the celebrations mattered to Cryssa. All that she could think about was Bey, who had returned from the dead, and the last four words that he had said before leaving.
"I love you, Raka," he had said.
*****
Chapter Twenty-Four
"You're going to get flattened," said Grandpa Po. "If you don't anticipate his moves, he'll knock you down every time."
Angrily, Cryssa looked up at her grandpa. She was flat on her back in the dirt, pinned down by her sparring partner, Colo.
It was just another of the fighting lessons which had quickly become Cryssa's least favorite part of each day. Grandpa Po had insisted, after the visit by the Sharkites, that Cryssa learn to defend herself...though Cryssa didn't think that the lessons had done much good so far. She never seemed to be able to get the upper hand against Colo, even though she knew that he was going easy on her.
Grandpa Po tapped Colo on the back with his cane, and Colo released his grip on Cryssa. Cryssa took her time getting to her feet, since she expected to get knocked off them again very soon.
"Remember what I told you about using your opponent's strength against him," said Grandpa Po. "Instead of resisting, flow with his movements. Take control of his strength and guide it away from you."
Cryssa nodded as she dusted herself off. She hated the fighting lessons, not just because she been unable to get the hang of self defense, but because they took time away from her afternoons with Seek.
Also, Colo had a crush on her. The daily lessons only seemed to encourage him to pay more attention to her, when what she wanted him to do was to pay less attention to her.
She already had one boy on her mind, and that was enough. In fact, she couldn't stop thinking about him, even though she had tried.
It had been months since Bey's surprise visit, but her thoughts of him were growing stronger rather than fading. She kept them to herself. No one but she and Seek even knew that Bey had been among the Sharkites interlopers that night in the cove. Seek had kept the secret without being asked, and Cryssa had told no one. She wanted time to sort out her feelings about what Bey had said.
Unfortunately, she had made no more progress with that in the past months than she had learning fighting techniques.
"All right," said Grandpa Po, hobbling away from her and Colo. "Let's try again. Colo, I want you to try to grab her arm."
Colo stepped toward her, crouching slightly, hands open and extended away from his sides. He had a neutral expression on his face; if he enjoyed sparring with Cryssa, he didn't show it.
Automatically, Cryssa moved into a similar stance. When Colo slowly circled around her, she followed, watching him carefully as she kept her distance.
Suddenly, Colo jerked forward. Cryssa ducked back away from him, but he was faking her out. Instead of trying to grab her, he bobbed back and continued to circle.
"When he reaches for you," said Grandpa Po, "grab hold of his arm. Pull it toward you and step to the side. Use his momentum to throw him past you."
Cryssa nodded, though she didn't expect to be any more successful than she had been all the times before.
As she and Colo continued to circle, Cryssa waited for him to move. When he changed directions, she did the same.
Then, Colo leaped forward, his right hand darting toward her right arm. Cryssa's impulse was to try to block the move by shoving the hand away...but instead, she followed her grandpa's instructions and reached for Colo as fast as she could. Her hands caught hold of his forearm, and she started to pull him past and step away.
The next thing she knew, she was on her back in the dirt again. Just as she had taken hold of his arm, Colo had grabbed one of her wrists with his free hand and pulled her forward, turning her own move against her. He had dragged her toward him and stepped aside, dropping her to the ground.
Grandpa Po sighed. "Let's take a break," he said. "Have a drink of water."
Irritated, Cryssa got to her feet and walked sluggishly to the clay water jug. Colo poured some water into a cup and handed it to her, then poured some out for himself.
"Colo," said Grandpa Po. "I'd like to speak to my niece privately for a moment."
Colo grinned and nodded. "I'll just go over and rest under those trees." He tipped his head toward a cluster of palm trees on the other side of the practice ground.
As Colo walked away, Grandpa Po hobbled over to Cryssa. "He's a nice young man," said Grandpa Po, nodding in Colo's direction. "The two of you would make a wonderful couple."
Cryssa sipped her water and didn't answer. It occurred to her that Grandpa Po might have had a secret motive for matching her with Colo in the fighting lessons.
"You know he really likes you," said Grandpa Po, leaning close to Cryssa. "Why not give him a chance?"
Cryssa glared at the ground. As much as she loved her grandpa, she was annoyed and embarrassed by his attempt at matchmaking.
"I'll tell you what," whispered Grandpa Po, leaning even closer. "If he wins the next match, I'll set the two of you up for some time alone. You can get to know each other better."
Cryssa flashed an angry look at Grandpa Po. Before she could protest, he hobbled away from her.
"All right!" said Grandpa Po, crossing to the middle of the practice ground. "Let's go, you two!"
Colo bounced up from under the trees and hurried onto the practice ground. Cryssa stomped over to join him, ready to tell off her grandpa.
She never got the chance.
"Grab her arm again, Colo," said Grandpa Po. "Start on the count of three."
Before Cryssa could say a word, Po had counted to three, and the match was underway. She glared at Grandpa Po, dying to say something, but Colo was already circling in preparation for his attack.
Furious, Cryssa turned her full attention on Colo.
This time, he was the one who ended up flat on his back, gazing up at her with a wide-eyed look of surprise on his face. Cryssa had thrown him down just as Grandpa Po had instructed.
She dusted off her hands and looked nonchalantly at Grandpa Po. "There," she said. "Can I go now?"
Grandpa Po grinned, eyes glittering. "All done," he said. "For today."
Cryssa stalked past him. She was still angry, but also proud of herself for beating Colo. "I'll be down at the lagoon," she said.
"I thought so," said Grandpa Po, watching her march off toward the beach. When she was far enough away that she couldn't hear him, he said one more thing.
"Now that I know how to motivate you," he said to himself, smiling, "we'll have the same prize at your matches more often."
*****
Chapter Twenty-Five
After her fighting lesson, Cryssa met Seek at their favorite cove, but she was still in a bad mood. Seek tried to talk her into having a race or exploring a new cave with him, but Cryssa sa
id that she didn't feel like doing anything. She swam around with him a little, then lay down on a rock and stared up at the clouds.
Slowly, Seek circled the rock. "What's the matter?" he said.
Cryssa sighed. "I've got a lot on my mind," she said.
"So tell me," said Seek. "What's on your mind?"
Cryssa hesitated before saying more. She and Seek had not talked about Bey since the night of his surprise visit. Cryssa had not mentioned him, and Seek had followed her lead and not brought him up, either.
Thinking about Bey and what he had said made Cryssa uncomfortable, so she had avoided discussing him even with her closest friend. Now, though, she felt as if she needed help...and if anyone could help her, it would be Seek.
"That boy who came here with the Sharkites," said Cryssa. "The one I thought was dead. His name is Bey."
"I remember," said Seek. "What about him?"
"I can't stop thinking about him," said Cryssa. "I keep thinking about what he said."
"That he's coming back to get you?" said Seek.
"Yes," said Cryssa. "And that he loves me."
Seek kept circling the rock. "Do you think he was telling the truth?" he said.
"Why wouldn't he?" said Cryssa.
"Maybe it's just a way to get you to go with him," said Seek. "Maybe he's working for King Ikaz and just wants to take you back to Shark Island."
Cryssa frowned. It was a possibility that she had not considered. "I don't think so," she said. "He's not that kind of person."
"Maybe he's changed," said Seek.
"He helped me escape," said Cryssa. "He saved my life. I trust him."
"All right," said Seek. "Then what if he's being forced to lie?"
Cryssa said nothing. Again, Seek had brought up a possibility that she had not considered...a possibility that she didn't like.
"Ikaz might have threatened him," said Seek. "Or his family. There were other Sharkites with him, remember? Maybe they were making sure he did what he was supposed to."
"No," said Cryssa. "I think he meant what he said. I just don't know how I feel about it."
Seek stopped circling the rock. "You mean you might love him?"
Cryssa sighed. "I don't know," she said. "He was my best friend on Shark Island. We grew up together. I've always cared about him."
"But you're not sure?" said Seek.
"When we left Shark Island," said Cryssa, "and we were out in the boat...I don't know. Things were different. And then, when I thought he was dead...it was awful." Cryssa turned her face from the clouds to look at Seek. "Now, I can't stop thinking about him."
Seek moved closer and laid his snout on the edge of the rock. "If he came back right now," he said slowly, "would you go with him? Would you go back to Shark Island?"
Cryssa thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I wouldn't want to go back there for anything," she said. "This is my home."
"Let me ask you a different question," said Seek. "If he came back and said he'd be willing to stay here, would you ask him to stay?"
As she thought it over, Cryssa looked at the rock wall where Bey had once stood, lit by the full moon and the glowing cove. "Maybe," she said softly. "I don't know."
Seek slid his snout from the rock and backed away. "I don't think he'd be allowed to stay," he said.
"Really?" said Cryssa. "After all he's done for me?"
Seek bobbed his head. "He's still one of the Sharkites. They've done nothing but betray and attack the Sylva and Kee."
"But I was one of the Sharkites," said Cryssa.
"Only because you were kidnapped," said Seek. "You were always Sylva at heart."
Cryssa sat up. "Wait a minute," she said. "You're the one who told me that the Sharkites aren't all bad. Now you're telling that one of the good ones wouldn't be allowed to stay on the island?"
"From what you've said, I'm sure he's a good person," said Seek, "but I don't think the Sylva and Kee would ever feel like they could trust him. I think they would always be worried that he'd turn on them or that the Sharkites would use him to get to us."
Cryssa scowled and shook her head. "But he's not like that at all."
"Other people might not be so sure," said Seek. "They might not be able to see past the fact that he's one of the Sharkites."
"Well," said Cryssa, "that's just your opinion, right? Maybe the Sylva and Kee are more understanding than you give them credit for."
"Maybe," said Seek, and then he dove under the water. He popped back up with a small fish in his mouth and gulped it down. "So isn't there anyone you like who's already living here?" he said.
Cryssa rolled her eyes. "You're not talking about Colo, I hope."
"No, no," said Seek. "Of course not. Isn't there anyone else?"
"You mean someone the Sylva and Kee would approve of?" Cryssa said with a touch of sarcasm.
"What if there was someone you already know?" said Seek. "Someone you've spent a lot of time with. What if you found out that person really cared for you?"
Cryssa smirked. "Like who?" she said.
Seek hesitated. He backed away, then drifted forward again. "Like me," he said.
Cryssa blinked. Usually, she didn't have trouble thinking of what to say to Seek. He was the one person on the island with whom she always felt completely relaxed and able to say whatever popped into her mind.
But not now.
All of a sudden, she was at a loss for words. She couldn't say what was on her mind because her mind had suddenly gone blank.
For a long moment, she sat in silence and stared at the Kee floating in front of her. When she finally managed to say something, all she got out was one word: "What?"
Seek didn't answer at first. He wobbled around in the water, looking away from her, as if he felt awkward.
Then, he steadied himself. He stopped fidgeting and looked her in the eye.
"Cryssa," he said. "I know you have a lot on your mind, but I think it's important I tell you this. You need to know before Bey comes back."
Again, Cryssa said the only word that she seemed to be able to force out. "What?"
"I love you," said Seek.
Then, as Cryssa sat there with her mouth open, unable to think of even one word to say, Seek turned and swam off. Frozen in place, Cryssa watched him go, his gleaming gray back rising and falling on the rippling surface of the water.
*****
Chapter Twenty-Six
"It is a great honor to win the heart of a Kee," said Grandpa Po as he stirred the pot of stew hanging over the fire. "I am happy for you."
Cryssa sat on the ground beside him as he prepared supper. She had been so confused and upset after talking to Seek that she had come to Grandpa Po for advice. Though she had not confided in him about Bey's profession of love, this time was different. This time, not only did she not know how she felt, but she wasn't sure that she should feel anything at all.
"This has happened before?" she said quietly, staring into the dancing flames under the pot.
"Yes," said Grandpa Po, "but not often. The Kee do not give their hearts easily."
"What happens when they do?" said Cryssa.
"It is a good thing," said Grandpa Po. "A good omen. But it can be difficult. As much as we think of the Sylva and Kee as one people, there are still differences. There are things that the people of the land and the people of the sea can never share."
Cryssa nodded, still gazing into the flames.
Grandpa Po spooned some broth from the pot and raised it to his lips. He blew on it, then sipped the broth and nodded. "This is good," he said, and then he put the spoon back into the pot and resumed stirring. "So, how do you feel about him? Do you love him?"
"I don't know," said Cryssa. "He means a lot to me. I don't want to be without him."
Grandpa Po looked at her thoughtfully. "He is more than a friend to you," he said.
"Yes," Cryssa said without hesitation. "He's special."
"But love is more than that," said Grandpa Po
, stroking his bushy white beard. "Love is everything."
"But not between Sylva and Kee," said Cryssa. "Because of the differences."
"There are many kinds of love," said Grandpa Po. "With a Kee, you could have love of the mind and the heart. Love of the soul. You could, if you wanted, be happy with that. There are stories of other Sylva long ago who did the same."
"There are?" said Cryssa.
"King Alo, for example," said Grandpa Po. "Many generations ago, it is said that Alo fell deeply in love with Cha, the queen of the Kee. He said that she was the other half of his soul. He never took a Sylva wife, because Cha was his truest love, though they couldn't truly be together in this life."
Cryssa knew the names of Alo and Cha but had not heard their story until now. She saw their statues every day at the Tree Castle when she attended her queen lessons there. "And he was happy?" said Cryssa.
Grandpa Po nodded. "So the story goes. His great love for Cha was what inspired the Sylva and Kee to unite."
"Really?" said Cryssa.
"To show his love for Cha, Alo gave her his kingdom on land as a gift," said Grandpa Po. "She gave him her kingdom of the sea. The two kingdoms became one. It is because of Alo and Cha that we are one people today...a people of the land and sea together."
"Huh," said Cryssa, staring into the flickering fire. "Love of the mind and heart."
"And soul," said Grandpa Po. He stopped stirring the stew and ladled some into a bowl. "It can work. In some ways, such a love can be greater than any other."
When he had finished filling the bowl, he handed it over to Cryssa. "However," he said, "there is a price to be paid."
"What price?" said Cryssa.
Grandpa Po gave her a spoon and turned to fill his own bowl from the pot. "You couldn't raise a family of your own," he said. "You would have no one to inherit the throne."
Cryssa dipped the spoon into her bowl but didn't lift out any stew. "What if that doesn't matter to me?" she said. "What if I don't want to be queen?"
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