When Lil’s eyes met mine, she ran over. “I thought you’d never wake up.” She grabbed me and hugged me, and I dropped the blanket to the floor and clung to my best friend for dear life.
Annette came over and slowly eased herself down beside us. She hugged us both. Tears flooded my body again. But this time, I wasn’t alone. Lil and Annette were crying with me. Then Rachel approached from one of the back rooms. Her arms replaced Lil’s. We wept together. “Rachel,” I squeaked, “I am so sorry. I never meant...for Wes to...”
“Shhhhh. Solara. It’s not your fault. It was never your fault. I love you, Lara. I’m so glad you are okay. You got away. I’m so glad you got away.” She sobbed. She hugged me tighter, and I melted into her forgiveness.
Aniya wiped tears from her face, and Athena looked toward us with annoyance and boredom on her perfectly curved brow. Riven was still stoic, and Matthias and Faric looked sympathetically toward the group of mourning women in the floor in front of them. We needed this moment. We needed to grieve. I needed forgiveness from them all. I never meant for them to be imprisoned or for Wesley to die. I would never have left the kingdom had I known what would happen. I would have stayed and figured out a way to lure Altair away from my family. I told them all as much, and they reiterated that Altair was the only one to blame. In my heart, I knew that wasn’t true but was comforted that they didn’t hate me for what had happened to them and to Wes.
Twilight came quickly. Everyone ate while I slept in front of the fire, so I grabbed some leftovers and a blanket and asked Ruth if she minded if I headed down to the beach alone. She shooed me out the door and told me to stay as long as I needed. My bare feet were pricked by sand briars along the path from the house to the shore. I kept moving, numbly toward the waves like a siren’s song beckoning me to come closer. Closer. Closer.
The blanket’s warmth surrounded me as I walked into the surf, holding my hem up and away from the lapping waves. Salty foam flowed over my feet and receded toward its home again. Silhouettes of gulls moved black against the deep purple sky. Clouds enshrouded the moon every now and then. I just stood, staring at the ocean, taking in its beauty.
I didn’t know anyone was behind me until he spoke, “Lara, are you okay?” he said quietly, standing behind me. I didn’t turn around to look at him.
“Not really, Riven.”
“I’m sorry about Wesley. Faric and the others told me what happened,” he said.
“Thank you.”
“Lara,” he paused. “I—”
Athena came running up behind us. I turned toward her glowering face. “Riven, what are you doing? Come on.” She grabbed his hand and jerked him away from me.
I just rolled my eyes at her. Really. Like I asked him to come out here or something. He began to pull away from her, but I stopped him. “Riven, go. I need to be alone.” He hesitated but turned away and followed her back toward the house, pausing for a moment to glance back at me with the aqua pools with which I’d been so easily deceived.
The next morning, I woke up to Lil shaking my shoulders. “Get up, Lars!” she yelled. “The sun is actually shining, and it is a beautiful day, and we are going to enjoy the beach. So get your butt out of bed and put this on. Hurry up!” I untangled the midnight-blue bikini strings from my head and blew out a huge breath. She was right. It was sunny, hot, and humid. It was so moist that I immediately began to sweat, and my hair clung to my neck until I braided over my shoulder and secured it with a ribbon. Thankfully, we were the first on the beach. Lil’s petite frame was so tiny amongst the rolling swells. She waved excitedly and motioned for me to join her.
“Lars, I know you’re a mess right now. But I want you to know that no one thinks that anything Altair did was your fault.” She grabbed my hands, and we jumped with a large swell to keep from getting swallowed by the salty water.
“I know you think that, Lil. But how would you feel if you were in my place. Because you chose to leave, your friends were arrested and put in a dungeon, and former teacher and friend, your new husband was murdered in front of you? Because of you?”
She slightly winced. “I know. I’d probably feel the same way that you do, but just know that we don’t see it that way. I don’t see it that way. We all love you. I love you, Lars. I don’t want to lose you. And I don’t care if you are the chosen. I’m not even sure what that means at this point, but I don’t care. You will always be Lars to me, and I’ll always be here for you.” I nodded, trying to swallow the lump in my throat and squeezed her hands.
To break the tension, in typical Lil fashion, she smiled sweetly and then squealed and splashed me in the face. I splashed her back just before she dunked her head underwater. We splashed and played, just two friends at the beach together for the first time. For a moment, we forgot about our nonexistent childhood, of the introduction, reveal, and marriages that no longer existed; we forgot about the chosen and the implications of that role, of the future, and of the lingering questions that it brought with it. We just had fun, laughed, smiled, and enjoyed the splendor of the magical water for one sweet much-needed moment.
The others joined us around noon and brought our lunch. Lil and I had a picnic on squished-together beach towels. Annette emerged from the path, wearing a modest black swimsuit, which was more like a short dress. Ruth followed her, sporting her bump-covering suit. Jacob, Matthias, and Faric ran around them and past us toward the water, kicking up sand from which we shielded our picnic. Awhile later, Riven showed up with Athena attached to his hip and Aniya following close behind the happy couple. Aniya angered me, jumping to do anything her sister asked. Aniya bring me this. Aniya go do that. It was so annoying. I just wanted to scream at Athena and tell her to get off her lazy butt and get it herself!
Lil grabbed Aniya away from them and led her over to hang out with us. We were the cooler choice anyway. Or at least we thought so. She wore a pretty purple swimsuit that covered her stomach. Her sister—and I had no idea it was even possible—had managed to string on the tiniest swatches of fabric imaginable that barely covered her most intimate parts, leaving little to anyone’s imagination. She rubbed some sort of lotion on Riven, and he looked coolly over at us. He didn’t appear to enjoy her. Not her company and not her touch. It was so strange. I could imagine that any other guy would be fawning all over Athena—her constant caresses, attention, not to mention her beauty and lack of appropriate clothing. But he just seemed so empty in her presence. It was strange.
Aniya went to grab a drink, and Lil pulled me toward the water, yelling back at Aniya to come out with us when she got back. I followed her, and she leaned in and said, “Riven has totally been staring at you like a crazy person since we’ve been here. It’s weird.”
“I don’t think he’s staring at me, so much as avoiding looking at Athena.”
She laughed and whispered, “Well, it’s weird. He’s totally not into her. He looks miserable, like he’s in pain or something. But I swear, Lars, he is staring at you. Y-o-u. It’s weird,” she said, giving me one of those “trust me I know what I’m seeing” looks.
Before I could respond, I was grabbed, spun around, and lifted onto a broad set of shoulders and thrown into an incoming swell by a very “soon to be dead” Rafe, who was now laughing hysterically as I wiped the salt from my eyes and nose and coughed like I had disease of the lungs. “That was so not funny!” I sputtered, lunging at him and tackling him into the surf. He came up coughing, and that was hilarious. Everyone else started dunking and splashing, laughing and generally having a great time.
A bonfire was on tap for the evening. The guys had caught several fish in the evening surf in nets that Jacob had woven himself. He was a big red strutting proud peacock because his nets and fishing skills helped provide a meal for his friend and his beautifully, glowing pregnant wife. The roasted fish was fall apart, moist, and delicious. Our drink was the milk of coconut, our fruits were apples and succulent strawberries and blackberries that Aniya grew in her own garden. Jacob,
Ruth, and Annette were the first to retire. I couldn’t help but notice how quiet Annette had been today. I vowed to make time to speak with her tomorrow privately. Though
Matthias promised that her husband, John hadn’t been killed by Altair and had in fact escaped after stumbling upon one of the other council members, I knew that his absence left room for worry in her heart. Athena soon whined until Riven reluctantly left to walk her back home. Aniya and Rafe left soon thereafter.
Lil and I sat with Faric and Matthias in front of the warmth of the fire. It was welcoming and soothing and dangerous and mystical. We all seemed pinker or darker from our afternoon in the sun, illuminated by the firelight in a most delicious way. Matthias stretched and stood up, his ebony skin glistening in the fire and moonlight. Lil cleared her throat and said she’d join him, and they walked off into the darkness toward the house.
“So,” Faric started, “I hear you have a strange and disturbing, albeit helpful power, Solara.”
Ugh. Here we go. Couldn’t Matthias keep his mouth shut! “Um, yeah. I don’t know what happened or how I did it though, so I’m not sure I would call it a power.” I pushed my hair back behind my ear, still fuming from Matthias’s betrayal. Although I guess I hadn’t actually asked him to keep it secret. I didn’t even know what to call it. Demon scream? Scream of one thousand banshees?
“Well, it could come in handy,” he said, drawing lines in the sand. “Solara, I need to ask you for a favor.” He looked up from under his brow and waited. A favor? “Well, I guess I owe you one. You got my family out of the kingdom. So what can I help you with?” I sat up straight, bracing for whatever he was going to request.
He hesitated. “Well, there was a reason I was a guard in the tower. It’s a long story, but my father is the leader of the seafarers. He arranged for my position within the kingdom so that if the chosen were revealed, I could sneak her away and take her to the seafarers.” He looked down, almost embarrassed.
“Your father is the only one who can decipher my mark, right? I mean, that’s what we were going to do before we had to go get the others from Altair, right? So it’s not really a favor. It’s just us continuing with the plan.” Okay, this I could handle. Nothing new or surprising.
“Well, there’s a bit more. There’s a reason my father wanted the chosen. He never actually said, but I think he wants to use your power, but I’m not sure if it is for the benefit of his people or for himself. Anyway, I helped save most of your family. I’m sorry I was unable to save Wesley, but I think Altair would have killed him anyway so that you were released legally and under God from your marriage to him. But that’s neither here nor there. God, I’m rambling.” He took a deep breath. I’d never seen him so worked up.
“You see. I lived in the kingdom as a boy. Our father sent Riven and me to live with a local family after our mother died. I was raised there, educated there. I fell in love there. A girl named Rebekah. We were to be married. When my father found out, he had her taken from the kingdom and brought to him. She’s still there. Unless I bring you to him, he will marry her himself.
Not that he needs a wife. He has probably a dozen. But she is his leverage against me. His words after taking her were that if I failed in my task, I could ‘lie awake each night, knowing it was him that made her moan in pleasure’ instead of me.”
His face fell. Oh my goodness. How cruel! “Faric,” I said softly, “please look at me.” He lifted his eyes and threw a stick in the fire. That must be why his eyes are so stormy and his face heavy with burden. “I will gladly help you get Rebekah back, and we can ask your father to help with the mark at the same time. It’s a win-win.” I smiled and prayed that it extended to my eyes. I was inwardly very nervous. A man that callous and calculating was dangerous. I didn’t doubt for a second that Faric’s assumption of his father’s intentions for me were probably true. But I felt that God had sent Matthias to help me escape Altair and that he would help me escape Faric’s father as well if the need arose. Maybe I could use my demon scream on him.
He smiled and grabbed my hand and squeezed. He felt torn asking for me to save his love when he was unable to save mine. But he had saved the rest of my family, and I would eternally be grateful. Even if he hadn’t saved anyone or done anything, it was the right thing to do. And I would do it.
“When do we leave, and who’ll be traveling with us, if anyone?” I asked.
“I think we should leave tomorrow as quickly as we can be packed and ready. The winds are favorable, and the currents are ideal. Jacob expects them to remain as such for a few days. I’m not sure if anyone will accompany us other than Matthias. He wishes to go home.”
“Matthias is a seafarer?” I asked, unable to contain the surprise that raised my voice an octave.
He laughed. “Yes. He was a shipbuilder, but my father sent him to the kingdom to assist me in my mission. I hated him at first, thinking he was just Father’s lapdog, but soon we became friends. He is actually a very good guy.” Well, at least Lil left with a good guy this evening.
“All right then. Tomorrow. We should rest up. I’m heading back to the house,” I announced as I stood and dusted the sand from the backs of my legs. Faric walked me back to the house and said he would be staying with Riven at Rafe’s house (which happened to house Athena and Aniya), and I couldn’t help but feel my stomach clench. What? Why did I care where they all stayed? Probably because Athena was such a revolting piece of trash. Ugh! Why do I let her get under my skin? She can touch Riven if she wants. I don’t care.
The next morning, I felt a warm hand on my cheek and snuggled up to it. Until, that is, reality caught up with my unconscious.
Faric laughed silently as I looked up in horror at what I’d just done. “Shut up! I didn’t know what I was doing. I definitely didn’t know it was you!” I whispered hatefully.
“Get up and pack some clothes and a bathing suit and anything else girly you might need to bring with you. I’ve packed food and supplies. Hurry up and meet me at the beach. Jacob has readied the boat for us,” he said. “Oh, and, Solara...”
“What,” I groaned.
“I never pegged you as a nuzzler!” I threw my pillow at him, which he ducked, chuckling as he walked outside. Everyone was asleep. I gathered a couple of dresses and my swimsuit into a small leather bag and took a brush and some lotion and some mint leaves (bad breath, you know) and headed outside toward the shore.
The boat was impressive. I thought it would be simple and rickety. The ship was magnificent. It was solid and looked as if it had been carved recently. The wood was honey colored and smelled fresh. It was probably twenty feet long and six feet wide.
A billowing red sail hung from a solid mast. Three sets of oars were positioned on each side of the vessel. I threw my bag toward the bow, and Faric and Matthias each grabbed a hand and helped me climb in. It was my first time in a boat, and I prayed I had natural sea legs.
“Okay, guys. Where should I sit?” Matthias pointed at a center set of oars on the far side of the boat. I sat at the bench nearest the oars and waited.
Riven jogged down the path, and Lil followed him, clothes dangling from her hands. “You aren’t leaving me, Lars. I’m coming. Oh yes, I am. I’m coming. She threw her stuff into the front of the boat and tried to climb in. She was tiny, and it was funny watching her try to throw her leg up and over the edge of boat despite the ebb and flow of the waves. Riven resorted to pushing her bottom up so she could get enough leverage to fling her small form over the edge and into the pile of clothes and stuff she’d just thrown in. She sat up, laughed, and blew the hair out of her face. “Thought you’d sneak off without me, Faric? I don’t think so.” She narrowed her eyes, and he rolled his at her. She sat at the center oar position opposite me.
She smiled like she’d just won a marathon and claimed a first place trophy. Her ragged breaths calmed, and I laughed. She was a hot mess, and it was great. My best friend. Jacob and Matthias shoved the boat further into the waves, and then Matth
ias hosted himself in and climbed to the front right oar position in front of Lil. Faric sat behind her, Riven behind me, and the seat in front of me lay empty.
Matthias and Faric barked orders, directing the rows of the right side of the boat. Riven gave orders for our left side. Once beyond the breaking waves, the wind picked up as did the current, and it was much easier to row. The red sail filled with air, and the boat picked up considerable speed. The choppy water bumped the boat up and down. The guys assured us that it was smooth as silk and nothing to worry about. Unfortunately, my stomach begged to differ.
About a half an hour into our trip, I lost the contents of my stomach over the side of the boat. I didn’t even know I could heave so hard. I collected myself and sat back down, grabbing hold of my oar. I didn’t want to be the only one not contributing.
But again, my stomach rebelled. I lurched over the side of the boat again. This repeated even after I had nothing left to vomit. The dry heaves were almost worse than vomiting itself. At least when I vomited something, I felt I accomplished something by removing something from my stomach. Dry heaving led to nothing but misery. I heaved the entire way to the isle of the seafarers.
I’d just finished another bout of heaving when Matthias stood up. It was almost dark. We had sailed all day. “Land ho!” he yelled.
“We’re here. We’re home!” He jumped. Thank you Lord. I thought I would vomit my spleen next.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t finished heaving. I didn’t stop until long after my shaking legs hit land. I collapsed into the sand, my legs too wobbly to hold me.
“Oh gosh, Lars, I’m so sorry. Are you okay?” Lil asked, pulling my hair farther back from my face. “Get a cold rag!” she yelled at the boys. Matthias took off to find one. Before he returned, several guards surrounded us and our boat. Dressed in white linen pants that hit just below the knee and button-up white linen shirts that flapped in the breeze, they would have been perfect and beautiful had they not wielded six foot metal spears at us.
Pariah (The New Covenant Series) Page 21
