It was a cool outside, with pink and gold clouds reflecting the sun as it sank towards the horizon. There were a few people here and there strolling on the beach, no doubt walking off their turkey dinner. Twilight was darkening the sky overhead to a deep iris blue as we picked our way across the sand towards the pier. I spotted a familiar silhouette fishing off the side.
“There’s Lue Khang,” I said.
We walked up the stairs and down the pier to the spot where Lue was fishing. He looked up at us, amused.
“Hi Lue,” I returned his smile.
I leaned against the railing as Ethan and Lue started discussing some business with the farm.
Staring off into the distance, I could see the last long rays of the sun glittering off of the sea. I glanced over to catch Lue’s gaze. He nodded his head towards the fish bucket and looked away.
It was full, and I knew what that meant.
I excused myself and hurried down the pier towards the cement boat. If she was here I couldn’t miss the opportunity to speak to her. I had questions about what was happening to me that simply couldn’t wait. I looked up to see Ethan walking along beside me. He reached over and slipped his arm around my waist.
“I’m not about to let you out of my sight around here,” he said, looking down at me with a smile.
I stopped, “I think she’s here now,” I said intensely, looking out towards the shipwreck,
“And I have to talk with her… It’s a matter of life or death.” The smile faded from his face.
“Fine,” he said gravely, taking my hand, “but you’re not getting near the water.”
“Believe me, I’m not planning on it.”
We got to the end of the ship and I could see the sea lions bobbing in the surf. I looked around to make sure we were alone before calling out for Lorelei. Ethan stood by my side, holding my hand tightly as though he thought I might fly away. Her head popped up almost immediately, and I saw her looking at Ethan nervously, deciding whether to leave or not.
“Wait! Lorelei! Don’t go,” I cried.
She swam back and forth hesitantly. When her eyes met mine she smiled brilliantly. With one powerful thrust of her tail she launched herself out of the water onto one of the flat slabs of cement. Her scales glistened golden in the waning rays of the sun; her skin was almost iridescent.
There was something wild and powerful about her, like the ocean she came from. Ethan gripped my hand harder and pulled me closer to him.
“Marina! Come into the water, ” she beckoned me to her, “We want you with us.”
“I can’t... ” I looked over my shoulder to see if anyone was coming, “Come closer, I want to talk. ” She flipped into the air and dove gracefully into the water. For a moment I thought she was gone, but she suddenly reappeared within inches of my face, just on the other side of the chain link.
“Lorelei, who was that other sister and why did you fight? ” She looked over at Ethan and smiled, beautiful and feral, free of any guile.
“It’s the wave rider, he’s a nice one, ” she said.
“Lorelei! I need to know what happened that day at the buoy.” She nodded, facing me, “She did not know you were a sister. She wants you to come with us too. We have something for you. ”
“What? ” I asked.
“It was your mother’s. It is your birthright. ” She held her webbed hand flat against the fence. I impulsively put my free hand up to hers. Ethan’s grip on me tightened.
“What is it? ”
“The powers of the moon and the tide, and all of your sisters, ” she said in her singsong voice, “You won’t be too cold anymore! ”
“What powers? ”
“Come with me, ” she motioned for me to join her again, tilting her neck enticingly.
“But why? ” I asked.
“Marina, ” she nodded her beautiful head, her eyes sparkling, “Just come with me and you will know. ” She lunged off the fence in one fluid motion and dove backwards into the water like an acrobat. The sea lions all started barking.
When it became clear she was gone I stepped back and looked up at Ethan. He was staring at me in awe. “My God Marina,” he said slowly, “You were out in the middle of the ocean with two of them?”
I pulled my hand back from him and rubbed it, trying to restore the circulation. “You didn’t believe me,” I said with a frown, feeling hurt.
“No… I did. It’s just that hearing about it and seeing it are two different things.”
“Ethan,” I asked, “What did she sound like to you?”
He looked freaked out. “Let’s get out of here,” he said, taking back my hand and pulling me away from the boat. He hurried me off the pier and over to the stairs, keeping my hand in an iron grip. When we got halfway up the stairs we stopped on the landing overlooking the beach. Ethan sat on the bench, pulling me down to join him.
“I owe you an apology,” he said, looking at me with wide eyes in the darkening gloom. “I had no idea what you were up against. She looked so... strong... and so much like you. It’s obvious you’re related. What did she say?”
I frowned, “You didn’t tell me what she sounded like to you.”
“I don’t know,” he said, “It sounded like waterfalls, or water running over rocks.”
“And me?” I asked.
He looked me in the eyes as if he were seeing her again, “The same.”
“It’s official,” I dropped my head to my hands, “I’m a freak of nature.”
“Stop that,” he said, rubbing my back, “Tell me what you said to each other.” I stood up and leaned on the rail, looking down at the beach.
“I asked her what they were fighting about that day. She said that the other one didn’t know about my mother. I guess they’re not supposed to be with people,” my voice trailed off.
“What else?” he prodded.
“She said they had something for me... she was talking about the moon and the tide. I don’t know– it was confusing. She said it was my birthright and I wouldn’t be cold anymore…” I paused for a moment, thinking I sure wouldn’t feel cold if I was dead.
Ethan stood and came up close behind me, his hands on the rail, arms on either side of me,
“What else?” he asked quietly in my ear.
“She said I needed to go with her to find out.”
“Marina...” his voice was husky. I turned to look up at him and he took my face between his hands. “Tell them no,” he said, “Tell them they can’t have you... I need you.” He bent down and kissed me softly on the lips. My knees wobbled and he reached around to pull me to face him. I kissed him back harder and held onto him like I was drowning. I looked down and buried my face in his chest.
“I don’t want to go with them,” I said into his shirt, thinking about how close I’d come.
“Just don’t,” he said, lips brushing my cheek.
I turned my face up for another kiss, wishing it was that simple. It was getting to be pretty clear that the decision wasn’t entirely up to me.
We walked back slowly, arms wrapped around each other. We stopped at the top of the stairs for more kisses, clinging together tightly. It felt so good to be pressed up against him I forgot all about my problems for a few minutes. My head was spinning and my cheeks were flushed.
When we walked in the door I was sure Abby would notice something different about us, but we found her and Dutch even more flustered than we were. Dutch got up and thanked Abby, telling her to come by early so they could take the boat out. We walked the guys out the door and watched them drive away.
“That went well,” said Abby with a big glowing grin, “Dutch has really good energy.”
“Yeah,” I couldn’t help but return her smile even as I started worrying about the night ahead. Abby gave me a joyful hug and practically floated off to bed.
I was in a darker place as I repositioned my furniture, afraid I might drown myself in my sleep. Now I was certain that they were calling me to them, and I
was pretty sure that if they got me into the water I wouldn’t be getting out alive. I prayed to be allowed to get some rest, but I kept my clothes on just in case. Despite my fear of facing the night ahead I was feeling excited, looking forward to seeing Ethan again.
I drifted off to sleep, thinking about the way his lips felt on mine.
CHAPTER TWENTYONE
HARBOR
It must have been the pain that woke me up.
I was in a dark undersea cavern one second, and the next thing I knew I was standing on the pavement leading up to the pier. It was a moonlit night, and I glanced down to see my bare feet standing in a pile of broken beer bottles. I looked around, but found myself alone. As I came fully awake the horror of my situation began to crystallize in my mind.
Blood started pooling around my feet as I hobbled to a nearby curb to sit. At least I had pants on this time. I tried to pick the glass shards out of my feet in the moonlight but the dark blood obscured everything. For a second I was tempted to go and wash them in the sea, but the prospect of crossing over the sand made me shudder. I was going to have to get home like this, and I walked painfully on the sides of my feet, leaving a bloody trail on the pavement. I passed a garbage can where I was able to find some old newspapers.
Paper sticking to the bottom of my feet, I climbed each step in excruciating pain. Clinging to wooden rails silvered by moonlight, I fought back waves of nausea as I tortuously made my way back home. When I got to the bathroom I looked in the mirror to see a face so pale it was ghostly. I think I was starting to go into shock as I rinsed my feet in the bathtub, wrapped them in towels and limped into my room. The desk and chair had been shoved aside; I tried to imagine myself moving them unconsciously.
It was four in the morning when I found myself digging tiny pieces of glass out of my feet with tweezers. Now I was almost grateful for the pain; it kept my mind focused on the task at hand and away from what might have happened. I dressed my wounds as well as I could with cotton balls and masking tape, and curled up in bed.
I tossed and turned for a while, nodding off for a few minutes here and there. I wondered if I should call Ethan and cancel our plans. I knew he’d think I didn’t want to see him, and I couldn’t bear the thought of that. I spent the whole day in bed, and when Abby came to say goodbye I pretended I was reading. I showered and redressed my swollen feet, putting socks on over all the tape.
I arrived at Ethan’s to find him waiting out front, leaning against the rail. It was starting to get dark and I hoped he didn’t notice how gingerly I was taking the stairs. He greeted me with a big hug and a lingering kiss, making me forget all about my throbbing feet.
“Let’s go for a walk,” he said. Going down the stairs hurt even more than climbing up and I bit down on my lip to keep from crying out. Ethan took my hand and led me along a dock. He noticed I was trailing him as we walked and he turned back to look at me.
“Are you alright?” I nodded and tried to smile, but he looked skeptical.
“I’m just tired– can we sit down somewhere?” I asked hopefully.
“Sure, there’s some benches up here.” As we went farther down the dock the crowd thickened, and all the benches were taken up. I followed along behind him numbly, each step opening up more cuts.
My mind wandered, and I was reminded the classic fairy tale about the little mermaid who traded her tail for legs. She could dance and walk, but every step she took came with agonizing, stabbing pain. I couldn’t help but wonder if my mother had made a bargain like that. I recalled that the story had a tragic ending.
I paused, “Uhm, I really need to stop.” He looked at me strangely. “My feet hurt,” I added feebly.
“OK, c’mon.” He led me down from the main dock to a locked gate where he typed a code into the keypad, standing back as the gate swung open. We walked along a row of darkened boats. We came to the end of the row and he turned to me in the dim light.
“We’re not really supposed to be here, but the view will be great.” He helped me up onto the deck of a beautiful white yacht facing out to the harbor. We sat down on a comfortable padded bench, looking out over the lighted boats. I sighed with relief as the weight came off my feet.
“I’ll give you a foot rub,” he said, as he swung my feet onto his lap.
“No!” I cried, trying to pull them back. But in a flash, he had hold of my ankle, and already pulled off a sneaker.
“Are you ticklish?” he teased, and then stopped short. Even in the dim light you could see a dark blood stain seeping through my white sock.
“What the...” he pulled off the other sneaker and there was even more fresh blood. “What happened?” He looked shocked, and he peeled back the sock to see my makeshift bandages.
“I stepped in glass,” I said. Even in the near blackness I could see his eyes widen. “By accident,” I added firmly. I pulled back my feet, and reached across him for my shoes.
He grabbed my wrist, “On both feet? How? When?” He was upset.
“Promise me that you’re not going to freak out,” I said, pulling my hand back. He just looked at me.
“What did you do?” He sounded intense.
“I was sleepwalking last night,” I said, and it sounded weird. “There were some broken beer bottles down by the pier and I walked over them in my sleep...”
“Down by the pier?” He raised his voice.
“I can’t help it. I tried to stop it...” I grabbed my shoes and put them back on. “I told you I haven’t been sleeping...”
“How long has this been going on?” he asked.
“The first time was the night you got hurt,” I admitted.
I tried to explain myself, but as the story tumbled out I realized how crazy it sounded. I told him about how I had found myself, half dressed, outside in the middle of the night. I described finding myself going down the stairs to the beach, explaining how I’d been afraid to sleep, and started sleeping in my clothes. I told that I’d been barricading myself in my room, that it was getting worse, and that last night I’d somehow managed to move the furniture in my sleep.
“Why didn’t you tell me what was going on?” he choked out.
“You stopped talking to me,” I said. He looked agonized.
“Oh God, I’m sorry,” he groaned as he pulled me into his arms. He felt warm in the cool night air and I rested my tired head on his shoulder.
“It’s not your fault, I don’t like to talk about it anyway,” I mumbled, exhausted.
“You shouldn’t be going through this all alone.” He kissed my forehead, “Let’s go back to my house and look at those cuts– they should have stopped bleeding by now.” We stood up to go when a bright flash of light blinded us.
“Trespassers! I’m warning you– I’m armed!” a man’s voice bellowed. He was shining a flashlight into our eyes, “Don’t you move! The harbormaster is on his way!” Ethan stepped in front of me and held his palms out to his sides.
“Whoa– take it easy! We were just sitting here,” he squinted into the light.
“Amy– get the lights!” The man called out to someone else on the boat. Floodlights switched on and we stood there blinded for a moment.
“Miss Vanderpool? Marina– is that you?” I looked up to see one of my father’s colleagues. I recognized him from a Christmas party at the university last year.
“Professor Milton? Is this your boat?” I looked into his surprised face. He was a small man with a gray beard and goatee. I think he was a professor of economics. I tried to explain, “I’m staying with my aunt in town and, well... I’m sorry... we were just looking for a place to watch the parade...”
A much younger girl who I took to be Amy rounded the corner. She had on a short nightgown. The professor cleared his throat.
“This is my research assistant Amy Purvis. Amy, this is Marina, Martin Vanderpool’s daughter.”
Amy came up and shook my hand, “Congratulations, you must be so proud! The whole faculty is thrilled.” I looked over a
t Ethan and he was speechless.
I was confused. “I don’t understand,” I said.
A figure came hurrying down the dock with a flashlight, and Professor Milton rushed over to intercept him, “Sorry to trouble you, false alarm, it’s just an old family friend! Nothing at all.” The harbormaster looked annoyed and grumbled something to the little man as he turned and left. Professor Milton returned to us.
“You haven’t heard the news?” he asked.
“What news?”
“The prize? Your father?”
“What prize– what happened?”
“Martin has won the Nobel prize! It was announced today. He was nominated for his work fighting hunger in Africa and he’s won! We’re all absolutely over the moon about it! Of course they’ll be a major gala when he returns from Afghanistan. We’re forming a committee to select a delegation to attend the award ceremony in Oslo this December.”
“Wow!” I said numbly, still in a state of shock, “That’s great news.” I started backing away,
“My friend and I should really get going... I’m so sorry to have disturbed you.” Ethan and I beat a hasty retreat.
“Tell your father congratulations!” he called after us.
Once we got past the gate Ethan looked at me, shaking his head, “Never a dull moment with you,” he said, deadpan. He bent down, “Jump on.” He carried me on his back down the dock, weaving through the crowds of spectators. I wrapped my arms around his neck and went limp with relief.
“Thanks,” I said, “That was weird.”
“Yeah, I thought I was going to get nailed for sneaking around and get my dad in trouble.
What’s he going to say to your father?” he asked me.
Derrolyn Anderson - [Marinas Tales #1] - Between The Land And The Sea Page 23
