“We’re not sure.”
Not the answer I hoped for.
Sensing my unease, he continued, “The prophecy didn’t say anything about that. We knew you were the only one who could crack the sunken chest. But the trapdoor… we just don’t know.”
“Well, what if it opens. Then what? Is there anyone else who can retrieve the shell?”
“That’s what Natasha and Maddox are trying to figure out.”
He raked his fingers through his hair.
“I’m sorry, Adrian.”
“No, no, this isn’t about you.” He grabbed my chin to bring my focus to him. “Really. I’m annoyed with myself. We should’ve had contingency plans. We should’ve expected these setbacks and had answers in the ready. I didn’t question the Elders.”
“What else could you have done?”
“I don’t know. I feel like I don’t know anything. I was too naive, too accepting. We underestimated the depth of the prophecy. It wasn’t simply to get the coins, find the flower, and get the shell. Like Maddox said, we’ve been so foolish.”
I didn’t have time to console him before he slipped into the jet stream.
I followed, then streamlined my body to quicken my pace. Once I was even with Adrian, I reached out to grab his hand. I needed to feel like a team again.
“You weren’t foolish, Adrian. There was no way the Elders could’ve known about all this crap. And no one expected that foresight from you all on your own.”
“My father would have known. He always told me to look below the surface.”
“Think about it this way: If things went perfectly, if we didn’t face all this shit… then we never would’ve been in those dungeons. You wouldn’t know that your sister is still alive.”
“I guess you’re right,” he pondered in a low voice. “Everything happens for a reason.”
“So why do you think my sister was taken? What’s the reasoning behind that?”
“I’m not sure. All that matters is that we’re going to get her back.”
I couldn’t help but ask another question.
“Why’d you agree to help me, Adrian?”
My uncertainty puzzled him.
I continued, “I know you said you didn’t want me doing this alone, but why let me go?”
“I had to.”
“But why? You’re giving up so much to help me. The single thing the Tritons focused on for thousands of years could be ruined because of my decision.”
“It’s because of family.”
“You’ve lost me…”
“Aurelia was ripped from my family long ago, but I still remember it like it was yesterday.” He closed his eyes before he continued.
I imagined he pictured the scene all over again, down to the tiniest details. I would’ve done anything to clear that painful memory from his head.
“We were bickering like any siblings. When we were young, my parents made us share a hippocampus. Aurelia was the annoying little sister who couldn’t sit still. God, I can still remember how she talked my ear off. But when the Trackers appeared out of nowhere, I automatically went into protective big brother mode. She was no longer the brat who wouldn’t shut up.
“Still, I was young and weak. I had no real way to defend us. My instincts told me to shield her body. I squeezed her hand as tight as I could and tried to position myself in front of her. But before I knew it, two Trackers grabbed us each, tearing her away from me.”
He looked down at our interlocking hands and sighed. “One of the Guardians immediately jumped into action. I screamed for them to help Aurelia, but they got to me first. By the time they freed me, she was gone.”
“Adrian, it wasn’t your fault she was taken.”
“I could have done more.”
“No you couldn’t. You were just a boy.”
“Maybe.”
“It’s true, Adrian.”
He simply shook his head. “Look, I didn’t tell you all of that because I’m looking for pity.”
“Well of course I feel bad for you, for Aurelia, for your whole family.”
“No, I know. I told you because I know what it feels like to lose a sister, and wishing you could’ve done more. It’s hard to even put the emotions into words. Because of you I also know what it feels like to get her back. I want you to feel that too. I won’t let you wish you could’ve done more.”
As I looked at his face, it wasn’t one of a helpless boy. It was one of a brave and courageous man. His sentiment left me enamored⎯so much that I simply had no response.
The silence felt right. I didn’t need to tell Adrian that gratitude, fear, worry, regret, and even a pinch of hope swept through my body.
He already knew.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Our comfortable silence lasted through two more jet stream transfers.
Eventually, my anticipation of the corals awakening broke me from what could only be called… forced acceptance.
As the jet stream moved us through the water I recalled the feeling of being trapped in traffic. Honking the horn did nothing. Banging my hands against the steering wheel and screeching didn’t help. Cursing at the strangers in the next car wasn’t productive.
But then, there came a point when my eyes glued to the dashboard. I had to be at school, an appointment, wherever, at a certain time, and that time was running out. The clock mocked me as it registered another minute. That was when the horn beeping, steering wheel thrashing, and innocent bystander trashing became a reality.
This time, traffic wasn’t the culprit, but there wasn’t anything I could do to make us go any faster in the jet stream. I quickly approached road rage at the thought of not rescuing my sister by daybreak.
Of course, Adrian sensed this rapidly building melt down.
“We’re almost there, Belles. I suppose there’s no chance I can convince you to try to sleep for a little? You’ve been up forever.”
I ignored his question. “How much further?”
“Just a few more minutes in here, then land isn’t far.”
“And we’re going to make it in time?”
“We’re doing everything we can right now. Just hang in there.”
“Okay, okay. Sorry.”
“Don’t be. Look, I naturally can’t go with you, but I can get you close. Maddox suggested the Chelsea Harbour. Do you remember where the fountain is?”
I quickly scanned my memory bringing a vision of London into my head.
I thought of Tower Bridge that stretched across the River Thames. The grandeur of it was unforgettable. It looked like two castles joined together to let people pass from one side to the other.
I remembered Buckingham Palace with its huge iron gates adorned in gold. It had countless windows that covered nearly every inch of the facade.
The thought of climbing the five hundred and thirty steps to the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral left me breathless. So did the expansive view of the city from its peak.
I could feel the energy of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater. Just the thought caused me to tumble back in time.
And I could picture the crowds in Trafalgar Square, the statue known as Nelson’s Column soaring into the sky.
Of course, that wasn’t the statue I was concerned with. What was important was the statue of Arethusa in the midst of the water, residing just beyond the Hampton Court Palace.
It was as if she sat atop a four-tiered wedding cake. There she stood with two small children at her heels. Beneath her, figures reached desperately toward her. Then, amidst the tiers, a plethora of frogs were arranged.
On my family vacation, I put little thought into the statue⎯of who the children were supposed to be or if it held a deeper meaning.
Could Abas have been one?
I didn’t think about the people that reached out to her.
Did they yearn for her because they needed help?
And the frogs… I wasn’t sure of the significance of the frogs, but I remembered how they spit water i
nto the surrounding pool. Perhaps they meant something more. After all, the dolphins had meant a great deal on Arethusa’s coins.
The only thing I didn’t doubt was my resolve to get to the fountain to save my sister. I knew the way to her. At least I thought I could figure it out. I remembered a nearby rail station at the harbor. We stopped there for lunch to gawk at all the fancy yachts in the marina.
Just find that station.
I nodded to Adrian without saying a word. He must have recognized the intent in my eyes as he nodded back.
Moments later, we both rolled out of the jet stream, then paused in the cool water to get our bearings.
Our hands had separated as we made our exit. Adrian casually found mine again, pointing to the west with our interlocking fingers. “It shouldn’t be long from here. Just need to go a little further inland.”
“What time is it?”
“I’m not sure, but the corals are still sleeping. That’s all that matters.”
With each stroke, I stared at the corals Adrian spoke of. I willed them to pretend it was a Saturday morning after staying out too late.
“You know, my mom used to tell us bedtime stories every night.”
I was too consumed with my thoughts. It was evident in my lackluster response. “Oh, yeah…”
“Yes. I think it was my mother’s favorite time of the day. The craziness of the past hours lost their importance. The craziness of the hours to come weren’t yet upon us. It was just the three of us… my mom, Aurelia, and me.”
The use of Aurelia’s name brought my attention back to the story. I felt a pang of guilt for my dismissal.
“The story was different each time. Legends of Kings, Guardians, and Gods. Fables and folklore from our great history. She even threw in tales with our father as the knight in shining armor. The thing was, no matter the ending… if the kingdom was saved or if all was lost… she’d always tuck us in and whisper the same three words into our ears. πίστις, ἐλπίς, ἀγάπη.”
“What’s it mean?”
“Faith, hope, love.”
I smiled, a completely unforced smile.
“There’s so little we can control in our lives,” he continued. “Sometimes it just chews us up and spits us out. What’s important is having those three things. The faith to continue, hope for what’s to come, and love for another. She’d always say that the greatest of all was love.”
“Your mom sounded extremely wise,” I replied, squeezing his hand.
“She was… Aurelia said that even when our mother was inches from losing her life she recited those same words. It’s what kept my sister going for all of those years. I whispered it in her ear before she left with Natasha.”
“I’m sure she appreciated it. That you remembered it.”
“I hope so.”
After a pause, I looked again to Adrian. “I could do it, right?”
“Do what?”
“I could get my sister back and get to the trapdoor in time.”
“Yeah… I mean it’s possible. But, Belles, I think it’s best to just concentrate on Lindsey.”
“You don’t think I can do it?”
“It’s not that. I have so much faith in you. It’s just the prophecy—”
“What about it?”
“You know how I told you that we weren’t sure if it had to be you who planted the flower?”
“Yeah?”
“We also can’t be certain that the trapdoor will remain open past midnight. All the prophecy said was that it could be opened one time each year… on New Year’s Day.”
“So I could get locked inside?”
Adrian looked straight ahead as he answered, I was left staring at the side of his face. “Yes.”
I didn’t have a response. Of course this new information worried me, but I needed to push it aside—for now.
Fortunately, we were mere strokes away from Chelsea Harbour.
Adrian turned his head toward me this time as he spoke. “After you break the surface, I’m going to meet up with Natasha and Maddox.”
Panic ensued. “What?! You aren’t waiting for me?”
“I can’t. I have to go help the others.” He quickly continued, “I promise you that someone will be right here waiting for you to bring you to us.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know yet. Maybe Clemente. I’m sorry, Belles. I’m figuring things out as I go along.”
I pulled my hair into a ponytail and twisted it into a tight knot. The familiarity of this action helped to calm my nerves. This wasn’t the time to act like a child. Instead, I released my hair, the water catching each strand. I then bobbed my head in agreement and tried for a fake smile.
“Okay, I’ll be fine. That sounds fine.”
Squaring my shoulders to his, he pulled me into an embrace. “You’re right. Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, then it’s not the end, right?”
This time a real smile spread across my face.
“Adrian, you keep quoting things.”
He chuckled. “What do you mean?”
“First you said, ‘Everything happens for a reason.’ And just now, you quoted again.”
“Well, how bout this? I’ve got another one of those human sayings for you.”
“Oh yeah? Let’s hear it.”
“All you need is love.”
My mind instinctively finished the beat and my smile deepened.
“And, Belles, I do. I love you.”
It was the second time in a matter of minutes that I couldn’t muster a response.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
For someone who’d done ample amounts of self-reflection and thinking over the past week, I didn’t want to do any more.
I couldn’t afford to doubt myself, to fear for Lindsey, to feel pangs of guilt over abandoning the prophecy, or to have an aching in my heart for how I left things with Adrian.
After he proclaimed his feelings like a love struck puppy, I acted like a tight-lipped moron.
He reassured me that it was fine, that I didn’t need to say it back. He knew he caught me off guard. The hurt in his eyes told a different story though.
It wasn’t that I didn’t care for him. It just… with all the recent craziness in my life, I wasn’t ready to speak the three words that’d unleash another change into motion⎯even if it was a wonderful one.
Instead, I let him pull me toward his chest to smother our awkward moment. Our foreheads came to rest against another as he told me one last time to be safe.
We remained motionless in the water for a moment or two before he backed away, telling me I needed to go.
My hesitation allowed for the tension to build again. My hand shot out toward him, then dropped. I raised it again but he’d moved further out of reach.
This time, my hand rested on the necklace he’d given me. It had become a place of reassurance I sought time and time again.
“Bye, Adrian,” I managed. “I’ll see you soon.”
He didn’t say bye. A half smile was all he offered me before turning away.
Now I kicked myself. But I needed to be strong. It wasn’t the time to scrutinize the decisions I’d recently made. My focus could be on one thing and one thing only. Right now, my sister.
As I neared the surface, the falling rain left dimples in the water. It reminded me of the times my sister and I swam in the midst of a rainstorm. We loved holding ourselves along the bottom of the pool and looking up at the tiny imprints.
This time, I was all alone.
Holding my breath, I poked my head into the cool air to meet the raindrops. After a few moments I released my depleting lungs then took in a mouthful of fresh air. I was told it made the transition easier when going from sea to land.
The barrage of raindrops dwarfed the sounds of the boats rocking against the pier. The good news, it was still dark. The bad news was this made it harder to see, especially with the current downpour. As I wiped my eyes clear, the nearest pier was
barely visible.
Without wasting any time, I swam arm over arm toward it. The dark wood glistened from the lights of the dock illuminating the rain. Along the far side, rows of yachts were the culprit of the initial thumping sounds.
I grabbed the first rung of the ladder and yanked myself up. My muscles ached; acting as a reminder of the hell I put my body through climbing that damn cliff. Before dragging my legs onto the pier, I scoured the area. My puffs of breath in the frigid air revealed the only sign of life.
A young girl emerging from the water in the wee hours of the morning would most likely turn some heads. Not to mention, I wore a skintight bodysuit. Here I suppose it could have looked like a wet suit. On land, people would question my choice of attire.
With the coast clear, I slowly stepped onto the dock and pulled off my flippers, making sure to remain in a hunched position. From there, I continued to scan the harbor. None of the nearby boats had outside lights flicked on. I took this as a cue that no one was home. Or at least I hoped so as I darted to the nearest one.
This particular yacht was huge. A clean, white deck opened to a row of windows and a sliding glass door that beckoned to me. The next level held another deck with stairs that led to yet another level, disappearing into the darkness.
As I softly padded across the dock toward the yacht, I imagined what it’d be like to spend the day on one of these, out there in the open sea, for once not under the water.
As quiet as possible I lowered myself onto the deck of the boat. In my bare feet, I tiptoed toward the door, my heart pounding each step of the way. Of course, my tug on the handle was met with resistance and wouldn’t budge.
After a slow, deliberate exhale, I peered over my shoulder, and then to either side while contemplating my next move.
Not a soul in sight.
The will to get to my sister drove my actions as I raised the backside of my flipper and crashed it into the door.
The sound of shattering glass mixed with the thuds of the rain hitting the deck. The clamor of the falling glass was fleeting, a split second, but as I stood there frozen in place⎯not even breathing⎯it felt like an eternity,.
Kin (Annabelle's Story Part Two) Page 9
