Kin (Annabelle's Story Part Two)

by Leigh Michael

  The fact he stayed the night in my room made the corners of my mouth turn up yet again.

  It meant a lot to me that he decided to camp out here. It acted as another reminder of how in tune Adrian was with me. He knew I needed him nearby after the evening we had. Who knew, an overzealous Mami Wata could’ve tried to sneak into my room to make sure I knew how appreciative they were.

  “Wake up!”

  Ripping my attention away from Adrian and toward my door, a huge merman overpowered the entrance of my room.

  “It’s time to leave,” he said firmly, waking up Adrian with his demand.

  “Oh, hey Maddox,” Adrian responded, calmly.

  Seriously? I swear that boy baffled me. I nearly peed myself at the sudden appearance of Maddox, but there he was: the definition of relaxed.

  Adrian sat up, stretching his arms. “Are we all set to go?”

  “Yes, my prince. Clemente and Shamus are waiting at the trapdoor.”

  After Adrian slipped out to go to his own room and Maddox again took up his post by my door, I threw my armored bodysuit back on.

  I recalled how last time I left for a leg of our mission I wrote my parents a letter. It’d been so long since I’d spoken with them. I hoped they were okay and that they didn't worry about me. I knew they did though. That was a wish to be left unfilled. Worriment went hand in hand with being a parent—to forever fear for the safety of your children.

  And this time, there wouldn't be an opportunity to write a letter. Maddox waited for me in the hall. With his back to me, his extremely muscular arm peaked out into the entrance of the doorway. Blackened tribal tattoos covered his mocha colored arm, bent so that his hand rested on his hip. I couldn't tell if his stance was one of protection or impatience. My guess: most likely the latter.

  I took a deep breath, my shoulders rising then lowering with the movement of my lungs. Adrian and I already accomplished so much together, even with all the setbacks. Somewhere along the way I acquired strength I never knew possible. I suppose when so many people counted on you to succeed, there wasn't a choice. I needed to step up and face this next chapter head on. I needed to find Triton's shell. Confidence flooded my body and carried me toward Maddox.

  Naturally, Adrian beat me into the hallway and currently spoke with Maddox in a low voice.

  “Ready to go, Belles?” he asked, turning his attention to me.

  I quickly gave a nod that Maddox returned with a similar shake of his head. He was a man of few words; that strong, silent type.

  I don't know why it surprised me, but even at this early hour, the people of Mamadjo lined the streets. They shouted greetings of “good luck” and wished us well on our conquest to fulfill the ABA prophecy.

  Last night the merfolk’s intensity was… alarming, but in the light glow of the wakening corals, their support warmed me and helped guide me to the trapdoor. From there, it was all business.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  It was unknown if the Trackers knew the location of the flower. Fingers crossed, we’d get lucky and they wouldn’t make the connection between the dolphins on Arethusa’s coins and the Columnea Billbergia flower. Without help from Queen Miriam, our mission would’ve been at a standstill.

  However, we didn’t know the resources the Trackers could get their hands on. They didn’t blink an eye at hurting others to get what they wanted. And right now, they wanted to stop us from succeeding. So far they had managed to stay either on pace or one step ahead. This streak needed to end.

  From our location in the Gulf of New Guinea, there wasn’t a need to go far before our heads broke the surface of the water along the shoreline.

  The rising sun just peaked out over the mountain range in the distance, momentarily blinding my eyes. As I squinted, I took a moment to even my breathing. This time as I transitioned from water to air, the effect wasn't as jarring.

  Grabbing my arm, Adrian pulled me toward him.

  “Annabelle,” he started, his voice sounding clearer than underwater. The non-muffled sound of it made me smile. “Even though I can’t go with you, Clemente and Shamus will be with you each step of the way. Maddox and I will be right here in the sea watching for any Trackers. You ready for this?”

  I stopped listening after he told me he couldn't come with me. The rest sounded foreign. I was annoyed with myself that I hadn’t thought of this before. Of course Adrian wouldn’t be able to leave the sea. With this very obvious realization, I couldn’t help but second-guess myself before I rediscovered my conviction.

  Yes, having Adrian with me was a comfort, a very big comfort. But I could do this. All I had to do was grab the flower.

  Just grab the flower.

  “Do you hear me?” he questioned, dipping his head to catch my eyes.

  I quickly refocused. “Yeah, sorry. I’ll be fine. Just sad I gotta leave you, that’s all.”

  “Me too. I’ll be right here waiting for you though.”

  “I know.” I smiled again. I liked hearing that.

  Looking over my shoulder toward the shore, I saw two men waiting for me.

  The first had an explosion of freckles covering his face, with shaggy red hair and a lanky build accompanying it. I assumed this had to be Shamus. He was a lot younger than I thought he’d be—probably only a couple years older than me.

  The second guy I immediately recognized as Clemente. The same straw hat, white linen pants, and floral print he wore during my abduction were a dead giveaway. This time, he also had a sword attached to his belt.

  I turned back to Adrian, confused. “Where did they… never mind.”

  After my recent exposure to all this paranormal crap, the magical appearance of clothing on Shamus and Clemente was the least of my worries.

  “Looks like the boys are waiting for me,” I said instead.

  “You take care of my Belles,” he whispered, then followed with a light touch of his lips.

  Sighing, I took another second to commit this moment to memory. The combination of his intense brown eyes staring back at me, the softness of his lips, the heat of the sun on my shoulders, the cool water lapping against my skin, and the flutter in my chest made me want to linger here forever.

  Alas, it was time to go. Without another word, I turned and swam toward the shore.

  “You ready for this?” I asked the boys as the last wave quickened my momentum onto the awaiting sand. The weight of my body on my legs caused my legs to wobble and I threw my arms out for balance. Talk about sea legs.

  Shamus pointed high into the sky. “Aye, Maddox said the flower is on the top of that peak.”

  I followed the direction of his arm toward the cliff face behind him. Squinting, I felt like I peered up at a New York City skyscraper. I stumbled back a few steps as my mind registered the sheer height of the mountain.

  “We should keep moving,” Clemente’s voice cut in. The encantado are generally from around Portugal, which accounted for the Spanish tone to his words.

  As Clemente studied the rock face, I studied him and Shamus.

  Their human-like appearances made them seem like strangers. It was also weird to hear their voices. For the past week or so, Shamus and Clemente communicated through various barks and clicking noises. Now, they not only had human forms, but I could understand them. Hopefully that made this leg of the trip easier than what we’d faced so far. The clarity of the sounds above water versus under wasn't lost on me either. It sounded like I had just pulled plugs from my ears.

  “This way,” Clemente directed.

  After I detached the flippers from my bodysuit, I quickly followed after. The feel of the sinking sand beneath my feet was a welcomed change to wearing them. I was happy to leave my flippers behind for a few hours.

  Clemente and Shamus arrived at the steep incline first. Reaching up, Clemente easily pulled himself up over the large rock that jutted out of the rock face.

  Even at this early hour in the day the humidity in the air seeped into my body, but the surface of th
e rock felt cool and even hard beneath my grasp. Pulling my hands back, I examined my fingertips and palms. After being submerged in water for days, I figured they’d be wrinkled beyond recognition, but they weren’t. This wasn't always the case. As a child, I found amusement from my raisin-like skin after I spent the day in the pool. It’d be a mystery to solve at a later date. Wrapping my fingers into a groove, I pulled myself up to the same landing as the boys.

  I spared a quick up, sending a rush of vertigo and nausea deep into my core. The entire mountain looked like a steep ladder that disappeared into the clouds. There was one landing after another to drag myself onto.

  Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and reached up to grab another notch in the side of the rock. As I exhaled, I focused my sight on the next level and heaved myself once again.

  I’d say I was a strong girl. Swimming may not be the best way to build muscle, but it was a great way to tone. To help beef us up, coach sent us to the weight room twice a week. Every Tuesday and Thursday I’d drag my feet as I ventured toward the free weights.

  Facing the massive cliff face, I was rather gracious for those painful hours pumping iron. Otherwise, I knew I wouldn’t have been able to drag my body higher and higher away from the ground.

  About halfway up the mountainside, I called to Clemente in a weak voice that I needed to rest. Even though my time lifting weights was well spent, the strength in my arms had dissipated from overuse. His hesitation to stop wasn’t a well-kept secret. With his hand lingering on the rock, he sighed then turned to face me.

  “Five minutes. That’s all we can afford.”

  I was fortunate for even that little of time. I’d take whatever I could get. I immediately sank to the ground and leaned back against the cool rock. My lungs heaved as my heart rate slowed to normal.

  As we climbed, the humidity in the air quickly dried my hair. Just as fast, my sweat saturated my hairline and plastered it to my face and neck. With each sweep of my dirtied hands, marks were left on my face.

  Looking out over the ocean, I cupped a hand over my eyes as I strained to locate Adrian along the surface. The darkness that cast from the mountain stretched far into the water, leaving me with a sense of dread in the pit of my stomach for the amount I still had to climb. Along the edge of the shadow, I barely made out his dark hair bobbing in the water. It felt good to know he kept a close eye on me. Shifting my gaze, Maddox was nowhere in sight. His job consisted of patrolling beneath the surface for any signs of the Trackers.

  Regret instantly consumed me as I dropped my eyes over the edge of the rock toward the sand. A tingling sensation crept into my hands, feet, and stomach as my body acknowledged the great distance I’d fall from this height. And, still, at least another fifty yards were left to climb.

  Before I knew it, rest time was over and Shamus helped me back to my feet. Although sweat dripped down his face, and gathered as a triangle of wetness at the top of his shirt, he still looked like he had a reserve of energy ready to go.

  “You got this,” he encouraged me.

  I smiled weakly back before leaving another dirtied streak across my face, and then reached to grab the next notch in the rocks.

  I sure hoped so.

  The thought bounced around in my head as I willed myself to “not look down.” My muscles strained to pull my body weight off the ledge, the tips of my toes the last to leave the hard rock surface.

  As a distraction to my body’s protests, I forced my mind to concentrate on something else, anything else. The friendly banter of Clemente and Shamus fit the bill.

  They had a playful way in which they related to one another. Funny, I hadn’t noticed this underwater; I guess because it was more verbal than anything. Shamus jokingly referred to him as an “old man.” Clemente shot back how things got better with age and how he was a fine wine. They had a kinship that worked for them and made my head lightheartedly shake from side to side. It even brought a smile to my face amidst the pain that radiated through my body.

  The pain continued until rays of sunlight bombarded my face as I dragged my torso onto the crest of the mountain. Flopping over onto my back, I didn't want to move for days. Oddly enough, the throbbing sensation in my arms felt good. Proof that I had just accomplished a great feat.

  The side of the mountain was rocky and lacked vegetation. On top, the view changed drastically. It was green and lush. Trees in all shapes and size, vines, bushes, and smaller plants created a blanket across the earth. The flora formed somewhat of a barrier to enter into the forest.

  Clemente and Shamus were already on their feet and scoured in all directions to determine our next move. While waiting, I pushed to my feet and retreated to the shade of the trees, pushing aside a mass of branches to steal some of its shadow. Even though my muscles ached with the movement, the heat and humidity was too much to bear in direct sunlight. Besides, my skin tended to burn in a matter of minutes. I sighed as a few drops of water slipped off a leaf, landing on my forehead.

  Just a few moments later, Clemente was on the move again. He wiped his brow as he formed his words, nodding his head toward the lush undergrowth. “This way..."

  “How far is the flower?” I asked.

  “We’ll soon find out. Queen Miriam’s dream depicted that the pattern of Arethusa and her dolphins would lead us to the flower.”

  “There!” Shamus shouted, pointing.

  Off in the distance a large tree with an exposed trunk marked the way. The trunk disappeared into a higher level of branches. Surrounding it, four smaller shrubs created a circle. Otherwise, the immediate area around the tree remained bare—an oddity in the forest that awaited us. I barely saw the formation through the wall of green. Shamus apparently had the eyes of a hawk.

  “It’s gotta be it,” I chimed in. “All the other trees are swarming with vegetation.”

  Nodding, Clemente lengthened his strides toward the Arethusa-like formation. I had to jog to keep up, igniting the soreness that had built in my legs. He paused a moment to study it before he scanned the forest for another clue. As his hand rested against the rough bark of the tree, his eyes locked onto another set of trees. Without saying a word, he motioned for us to keep up.

  Once again, my legs protested but I pushed on. Over the next hour, we weaved throughout the forest following the trail the prophecy had created long ago. Clemente led the way with Shamus’ keen senses aiding in the discovery of each new clue. Then we saw it: a large clearing with an oversized rock smack dab in the middle. I swear it resembled a woman in swaddling clothing. There were four smaller rocks around it that took the shape of dolphins.

  From my spot on the outskirts of the tree line, I didn’t see a flower. I had this feeling it was there though. Like with the chest, it called to me.

  A wide smile spread across my face as I took my next step closer.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Clemente’s strong arm shot out across my body as I neared the clearing, acting as an iron bar that stopped me dead in my tracks.

  “You must wait until we make sure there are no Trackers.”

  “I don’t see anyone,” I whispered while scanning the area.

  While we followed the cues the prophecy left behind, we eventually cut back toward the edge of the mountain. Here, trees created three sides of the clearing. The last part jutted out over the ocean hundreds of feet below.

  Satisfied that we were alone, Clemente turned to Shamus, his hand landed firmly on Shamus' shoulder.

  “I’ll go first, then, Annabelle. You come last.”

  “Got it,” Shamus responded while he tentatively looked over his shoulder. An audible gulp filled the silence while he adjusted his sword at his side. His unease was palpable. It reminded me that the past few days were a big deal for Shamus. This mission was his first real assignment as a Guardian.

  Up until this point, I kept my nerves under control (for the most part). Seeing Shamus on edge released a cocoon of butterflies in my stomach—ones that took flight all at t
he same time. I quickly studied Clemente’s face. Thankfully, it resonated nothing but steadfast confidence.

  Before we made our move, I instinctively shook my arms at my side. I felt like I was back up on the starting blocks before a race. I always did the same routine. First I’d shake out my arms, and then I’d turn my head in hopes of a loosening neck crack. Lastly, I’d lower into a start position to wait for the gunshot. At that moment, my body relinquished all of my nerves. I was in race mode, concentrating on my initial dive into the water that’d lead to my first stoke.

  Along the edge of the clearing, I was in position, waiting for Clemente to take his first step. The anticipation coursed through my limbs, but I was ready.

  Then he made his move away from the undergrowth, bringing his finger to his lips to make sure we treaded lightly. He then reached back to grab my hand. It felt coarse, seasoned, and strong in my grasp.

  Before taking another, he nodded toward Shamus. Being that he was behind me, I wasn’t able to see Shamus’ response. By the look in Clemente’s eyes, his protégé had made him proud.

  I felt a little ridiculous that Clemente led me across an empty area, but the tautness in his demeanor kept me from proclaiming my independence. He looked like a protector. Not just of me, but also of Shamus.

  Step by step, the two of us slowly crept across the grass. Shamus followed close behind, taking backward steps to better examine the trees for any sign of movement.

  It seemingly took forever until we finally stood in front of Arethusa’s rock. The pulse from the flower nearly shook my body and I pressed my free arm tightly to my side. Sidestepping, we peered around the rock. The color of a setting sun immediately caught my eye. It seared through my retinas and into my brain. A single orange flower in the shape of a dolphin swayed softly in the breeze only a few feet away.

  I immediately threw myself at it, dropping to my knees.

  I knew I had to be careful as I pulled it from the dirt as not to disrupt the roots, but I also needed to be fast. I felt the heat of Clemente’s eyes on me as I worked. With the coast clear, Shamus turned to watch as well from his position across the clearing.