Island Stars

by Elin Wyn

  She looked out to sea as they walked. This close to the beach there was no keeping the sand and strands of seaweed from encroaching on the boardwalk, no matter how fastidious the island’s owner was.

  “And now you're smiling again,” the deep voice drawled. “I like that much better than your worried look.”

  Elissa poked him in the ribs, and then caught herself. What was she doing? He was easy to be with, that was for sure, but she wasn't really a casual toucher. Oh well, she’d just think of this as part of her summer fling plan.

  “I was just thinking about the island’s owner. He's an odd sort to spend this much time by the beach. He seems to like things very neat and tidy, and the ocean doesn’t allow for that.”

  Silence was her only answer and she glanced up to see him staring out across the waves. “Certainly not,” he said after a long pause.

  He pulled his attention back to her with almost a visible effort. “Where should we go exploring next?”

  Elissa waved at Sada setting out flowers in front of the dress shop, getting ready for that day’s contingent of brides-to-be.

  “There’s the person who can tell us exactly what we should be looking for,” she said with relief. Sada knew everyone and everything about the island. Surely she’d be able to save her from this jam.

  “Sada,” she said brightly, “we were looking for some things to do around the island and I realized I haven't really explored much of the interior since I've been here. Is there a map of walking trails anywhere?”

  “I can do you one better than that,” Sada answered, straightening up from the basket of flowers she’d dragged to the front. “Adair has just started renting sand bikes at the dive shop. You should give it a try.”

  Down at the Sunset Lagoon, Adair was checking tanks for the day’s divers.

  “Morning, Elissa. Finally ready to go take a swim?”

  Elissa noticed Krys shifting his weight beside her uneasily. What was that about, she wondered?

  “Not today, but Sada said you had some bikes to rent. Are those ready to go out?”

  “Sure thing! You can be my guinea pigs.”

  Elissa laughed.

  Adair looked confused.

  "You're the second person today that's wanted to test something out on us, and it's not even noon yet!

  “Well,” Adair said. "Somebody's got to be the first at everything, I guess.” He brought out two bikes from behind the counter, with knobby, puffier wheels that Elissa was used to.

  “These will be good for sandy trails as well in town,” he explained.

  He pointed out where walking trails wound through the trees at the edge of town. “If you feel up to it, try to get all the way up to Hangman’s Point.” He tapped a dark green spot on the map.

  Krys peered over her shoulder. "Why, what is there?"

  The other man grinned. "Nothing but a fabulous view."

  They thanked him and pushed the bikes out of the shop and down the road.

  Elissa mounted and pointed towards the edge of town. Luckily ‘town’ here was really the one small street of shops and the houses for the residents of the island. They didn't have much more than a block to go before the street faded into a trail that twisted into the tree line.

  "Race you to the trees," she called out and then glanced back.

  Krys stood by his bicycle with a frown of concentration on his face.

  She circled back around him. "Everything okay? Is one of the tires low?"

  His answer came out reluctantly. "I do not know how to do this."

  Elissa leaned against her handlebars. "You mean the tires are different than what you're used to? The puffy tires are a little odd, but it won't take but a minute before they feel pretty normal."

  “No, I do not know how to ride this. I have never done this before.”

  Elissa laughed, then immediately covered her mouth, horrified at her rudeness. "I am so sorry. It just never occurred to me that anyone, anywhere, could manage to grow up without knowing how to ride a bicycle."

  Skepticism was clear in the line of his jaw.

  "Come on, it's easy."

  * * *

  They went to the edge of the street where there would be no traffic and she leaned her bike against a tree.

  Frantically she tried to remember long summer afternoons with her grandfather teaching her to ride about down warm California roads in their old neighborhood.

  Krys sat rigidly in the seat, and continued to place both of his feet on the pedals as if waiting for the machine to spring to life. No matter how she tried to give him instructions, Krys couldn't seem to understand what she was describing.

  The scowl on his face deepened. He was obviously not used to this level of frustration.

  “Let’s do something else,” she laughed. “It’s not worth spoiling our day on bike lessons.”

  “I will not be defeated by this primitive device,” he growled, then made it three feet before the bike wobbled once more.

  “All right, final ditch time.” She eyed the rack over the back tire warily then shrugged. “Nothing for it.”

  Elissa hitched the skirt of her sundress up to a little over the knees to swing her leg over the back tire and perched gingerly on the rack.

  “Not the most comfortable seat in the world, but it's not the first time I’ve ridden in back – even if it’s been a few years.”

  She let her hands rest on his waist gently. “I don't have handlebars to hold onto so this is going to have to do, I’m afraid.”

  “This is the best thing about the lesson so far,” he replied. “There's nothing to apologize for.”

  Elissa wasn't sure she should blush or laugh, so decided to ignore it.

  As she held on to his waist Elissa realized the problem certainly wasn't a lack of strength, it seemed to be uncertainty about how the entire device operated. “Don't think about it too much. Just pedal and try not to steer us into a tree. I'll make sure we stay upright. In a minute the bike will take care of it itself.”

  “I will trust you,” he said dryly. They walked the bike around so that a long stretch of clear road lay before them

  “Ready?”

  “At your command.”

  She held lightly to his waist and stuck her feet out so that just the tips of her sandals brushed the road. “Okay, go!”

  He started off slowly but then as he began to pick up speed, the momentum righted the bicycle.

  “Feel that?” she asked “The faster you go the more the bicycle will stay upright on its own.” They were going fast enough now that she could tuck her feet onto the nubs of the axle of the wheel.

  “How much faster can we go?” he shouted over his shoulder.

  While she couldn't see his face, his back was no longer rigid. Elissa suspected he was beginning to enjoy the ride. “As fast as your legs will take us.”

  “Let's see,” was his only warning as they shot forward.

  With a squeak Elissa wrapped her arms around Krys' waist, feeling the hard muscles of his abdomen slide under the fabric of his shirt as his legs pumped faster and faster.

  The sea breeze whipped her hair around her face. “Careful,” she said. “There's going to be other people and traffic if we get closer into town. We should turn back soon.”

  And with a speed that turned her stomach he leaned the bike over into a graceful turn and sped them back the way they came. She tightened her hold on him, nerves making her not care how recently they’d met.

  “You're a fast learner,” she shouted into his ear.

  “You have given me good incentive,” he replied.

  They reached the spot where her own bicycle waited for them and he slowed down.

  “But now, how do I stop?”

  After a short discussion they both agreed they would have a much more relaxed time exploring the island on foot.

  At sunset they made their way up the path to Elissa's cottage, both giggling and leaning into each other just a bit.

  “I sti
ll can't believe that you nearly fell off the cliff trying to reach that bird,” Elissa said, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes.

  “I thought it was wounded,” Krys said, all traces of dignity long gone with scraped knees and his gorgeous raven hair tousled by the wind.

  Elissa looked at him and shook her head.

  They reached her door. “I was supposed to be showing you around the island, but there are certainly things that I had never seen before today. Good job, co-tour guide.” She held her hand up for a high five and he stared at her quizzically.

  She shook her head. Nice guy, no really fantastic guy. Smart, had gone over the island like a botanist, curious about everything.

  But there were moments he was totally clueless.

  He hesitantly poked the palm of her raised hand with his index finger. “Good job, to you as well.”

  Elissa rolled her eyes. “Meet you down at the Blue Moon in half an hour? I've got to get changed and I think a shower would do a world of good for both of us.” She ran her hands through her hair, releasing another wave of the sand that seemed embedded in her scalp since her short tumble down a dune that afternoon.

  * * *

  “Certainly, I’ll…” Krys' face fell. “Actually, I must apologize. I just remembered that I have some research that needs attending to back on the ship. I will not be able to meet you tonight.”

  Elissa's heart fell to her stomach. She chided herself. They'd only met this morning, she had no claim on his time.

  She pasted a bright smile on her face. “Of course, I understand perfectly well the work sometimes can't wait.” She turned to unlock her cottage, but froze at a gentle hand on her shoulder.

  “Perhaps I could meet you instead for breakfast?” The slight wrinkle of his brow made her think he was serious, maybe he hadn't meant to brush her off after all. “Breakfast at the Blue Moon, then? Say 7:30?”

  Elissa decided. “I'd like that.”

  He lifted her hand and brushed his lips across the tips of her fingers. “7:30 it will be, then.” And he walked down the hill into the darkness.

  Elissa stood blinking by the cottage door, the fingers he had almost kissed pressed into her own lips.

  Chapter 4

  Krys stood, motionless in front of the control panel of his research pod, heedless of the soft blinking lights in front of him, calling for his attention.

  What in the world was he doing? Taking a day to explore the island he could justify to himself, if only barely, as being part of his mission. But he knew that wasn't the truth. Every time she laughed, every time she brushed against him, he remembered the feel of her body in his arms in the blackness of the midnight water.

  He thanked the ancient gods of his people that he had happened to be exploring that direction when the riptide caught her. His jaw tightened. She was so smart, and it seemed from their casual conversations as if she would have known better. What had she been doing out there so recklessly?

  The thought of her endangering her life made fingers of ice run down his spine.

  The black screen in front of him pulsed a deep maroon, demanding his wandering thoughts return to the task at hand.

  Krys’ shoulders sagged. He roughly combed his hair with his fingers then flicked open the com window.

  The maroon faded, revealing the face of a beautiful woman. Braids of her long ebony hair wrapped around her head in a crown. Her smooth dark skin was pulled taut over high cheekbones, and she gazed at him with the same deep shade of violet eyes he met in the mirror every day.

  Krys glanced at the room behind her. Her own chambers, good. And it didn't look like anyone else would be listening.

  “Hello, mother.”

  “Hello darling,” she said. “I would love it if this is when you told me that the reason you haven't contacted me is because you are busy with preparations to come home from your adventure.” She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. “That would be the reason, correct?”

  Krys sighed. “No mother, that wouldn’t be the reason. I haven't contacted you because I've been busy taking readings; exploring to see if this world would have been suitable for them.”

  Sure, keep telling yourself that's what today was.

  His mother rolled her eyes. “You're not even sure that's where the lost colony ended up. And even if it was, what does it matter what it was like for them? This was thousands of years ago.”

  “It's a part of our history. You've always drilled into me how important our heritage is. This is a missing piece.”

  Her lips pressed together and Krys knew he risked pushing her too far. It wasn't her fault she was worried about him. It had been a terrible year.

  He softened his voice. “Look, mother, just a few more days and I promise I'll come home. For good this time.”

  Her shoulders sagged, just a trifle, and Krys wondered how hard this must be for her, to be alone, even when surrounded by friends and courtiers.

  “I would like that,” she said. “Besides it's about time you started thinking of settling down.”

  Krys nodded, resigned. It had been his one leverage point in the final argument with his mother, which had let him go haring off on this crazy quest. One more adventure, one more attempt to discover the fate of the lost expedition and then he would settle down, take his responsibilities more seriously as his house’s only heir, and even find the dreaded mate.

  But even as his mother, now relaxed by his assurances that he would soon return to her side, told him of whatever the latest court intrigue was, he couldn't help but think of the glorious day with Elissa.

  Her full, unrestrained laugh, belying the occasional unguarded moment where she seemed to think of something far away. At times like that he had to fight the urge to take her in his arms again and do whatever it took to wipe away the hurt he saw in her eyes.

  “You aren’t even listening to me, are you,” and with a blink he returned to the present. His mother grinned at him, most traces of the imperious queen wiped away, now just his vaguely annoyed but still doting parent, waiting for an explanation.

  But what could he tell her?

  Chapter 5

  “Are you ready to order?” the waitress asked, yet again.

  Elissa smile, a little ruefully. She didn't want to think she'd been stood up so soon, but it was beginning to look that way. She tapped her coffee cup with one finger. “Not yet. I'll give him five more minutes before he finds out what it's like to deal with me on far, far too much coffee.”

  The waitress laughed as she topped up the cup and an added enough milk to make it reach that perfect creamy state.

  Why hadn't she found out if he was staying at the main hotel or if he had rented one of the cottages?

  Or, the small hateful voice in the back of her head whispered, why didn't you realize sooner he wasn't actually interested in spending time with you?

  Nonsense. Nothing had forced them to spend the day together yesterday, and it was his idea that they meet for breakfast today. He was just running late, that was all. She shoved the little voice back into its box and continued scanning the room.

  “Mind if I join you?” A man slid into the chair next to her, an easy grin on his face. Blonde, something of a surfer dude look to him which in another five years might be a little out of place, but for now he still manage to pull it off. Still, not quite the handsome god Krys was.

  Elissa glanced with distaste at the ball cap with the crude outline of a reclining woman. That, however, was completely out of date.

  The man leaned back in the chair across from Elissa. Although his pose seemed as if it should be relaxed, there was an odd, edgy air about him. Elissa sniffed suspiciously. Awfully early to be drinking, but she couldn’t smell anything. Maybe he’d been up all night as part of a bachelor party?

  “Great place they have here, isn't it?”

  Elissa nodded, uncertain how to deal with uninvited guest. She discreetly peeked at her watch. Krys was really late now, and she was starting to get a little
steamed. She glanced back up at the visitor. “Yes, it's quite lovely. “

  She couldn't help but notice that his answering smile didn’t reach all the way to his eyes.

  “You seem way too relaxed to be a bride about to walk down the aisle,” he said. “Keeping a friend company? Making sure her big day goes smoothly?”

  “Close,” Elissa took a sip of her coffee. “I was here for a friend's wedding and decided to extend my stay.”

  “That’s cool.” He was watching the room around her, not really paying attention to her answers. Annoyance flared. Then why had he decided to bother her?

  “And you?” she asked, trying to keep her temper and a semblance of politeness. “Are you here for a wedding?”

  “Me,” he laughed. “Oh no, just checking it out for a friend.”

  Elissa thought back to the stack of paperwork she’d filled out as part of her application. “Must be a close friend.”

  “More like work buddies.” He stuck a tanned hand across the table towards her. “Brad Singer, nice to meet you.”

  She shook his hand gingerly, chastising herself for her unkind thoughts of just a moment ago. Maybe he was just a little socially awkward. “Elissa Haddad. Likewise.”

  “You're spending your time here alone, just resting on the beach and catching rays? Do you have friends here that you’re meeting up with?”

  “I'm keeping it open right now. The people here are very friendly, though.”

  Brad cocked his head to the side. “Where are you from? I swear I hear bit of an accent in your voice.”

  Elissa shook her head. “Long Beach, California. I’m pretty sure SoCal doesn’t count as a distinct dialect.”

  “No, I swear there's something. Your vowels have just a little bit of a trace of something Mediterranean. Persian, Egyptian, maybe?”

  Elissa's eyebrows rose. “My grandparents are from Lebanon, but they've been in Southern California for the last 50 years. They don't even have much of an accent left themselves.”

  Brad leaned forward, eyes piercing beneath the casual mop of blond tousled hair. “You'd be surprised how much of those little traces of speech patterns can carry through families. Where in Lebanon did they come from?”