He had finished off two that I had known to be almost full earlier, and three others were half empty. I put them back in the pantry and wrote a quick note to Jillian that said she might want to get more cereal when she went shopping.
Zale finished his last bowl and sat back in his chair. His expression was much lighter, it wasn’t happy, but it was better than the evil glare he liked to give everyone.
His eyes took in my clothes, “Are you going somewhere?”
“No, we are.” I confirmed, and one of his eyebrows rose.
“Where?” He asked and rose to his feet. He grabbed his jacket and he strapped the thick knife belt around his waist. I shuddered remembering what he really was and why he was here. Somehow, the threat of last night seemed unreal in the light of day.
“I don’t know,” I shrugged, indifferent. “I just wanted to get out of the house and go somewhere.”
Zale bobbed his head slightly at my words. I grabbed Sean’s keys and walked over to him to grab my coat. When it was on, I threw my wallet into one of the deep pockets and opened the side door. The refreshing wind hit my face and I took a deep breath of air. I glanced over my shoulder to see if Zale was following me and saw he was looking at me with a very strange expression that I couldn’t read.
Tossing the thought aside, I stepped down into the light snow and walked over to the tan truck that was parked in the driveway. I hit the clicker and when the car beeped, I smiled, this would be fun. A surge of anticipation began to build in my veins and I tried to stop a smile from spreading over my lips. There was a thrum of activity, a desperate need for movement, which I had grown used to in the merfolk world that I missed. In the same way running had become my substitute for swimming, I knew feeling the speed of the car beneath my body as I pushed the gas pedal would give me the thrill I often craved for.
Moving quickly, I hopped into the car and made sure Zale used the seatbelt before bringing the engine to life. A loud roar reached my ears and this time I let the smile pass over my lips. With hands moving by muscle memory, I grasped the stick shift and the truck responded as we hurried down the driveway and onto the road.
I smiled to myself as we drove through the more commercial parts of Coveside. I was moving carefully and the pace felt slow, but I didn’t want to attract any attention until we got outside of town, then I could pick up speed. Just thinking of it made me want to push the pedal harder, but I resisted the urge. I knew that this need wasn’t going to be quenched quickly and the streets outside of town provided long roads and straight pathways to accelerate on. Part of my mind wondered why I hadn’t enjoyed the car ride to the mall with Joey if I was now going to do it myself, but maybe there was the difference. Behind the steering wheel I was in control and it was a drug to the part of me which longed for the thrill of the moment. Beside me, Zale looked as though he was having a similar experience.
As soon as we had hopped inside the truck, his eyes had been kindled with a mix of curiosity and excitement. Once he had figured out the whole seatbelt ordeal, he watched my hand as I shifted gears and my feet as they pressed the clutch and accelerator. It was obvious he had never ridden in a car before and I grew amused with his state of awe. Although, it was unnerving when he concentrated so hard on my movements, I knew it was out of the need to recreate the rush we were both feeling.
A thought hit me as we raced past buildings and into the more rural parts of town. I wondered what he would do if I could teach him how to drive. Without thinking any further, I put on my blinker and made a sharp left turn that I knew led toward the rundown parking lot where my dad had taught me how to drive. It was only twenty minutes away, and in the meantime, I tried to break the silence by flipping through radio stations.
The closed shopping center came into sight sooner than I had thought and the entire area was practically deserted. It had once been the main commercial area of Coveside years ago, but then everything kept creeping out toward the ocean and had left rundown buildings behind. I pulled into the parking lot and turned off the engine.
Zale looked around at the run down place and a dark look crept into his eyes, it was frightening when he turned his gaze on me. I could feel the intensity of his stare and the muscles in his jaw tightened.
“Who’s out there?” he motioned to the outside with his chin. The fury in his eyes evident.
My eyebrows knit together, “What? No one’s out there.” I unlocked my seat belt.
He was still glaring at me, his eyes untrusting and wary. I could tell his senses were on full alert, he might be staring at me but his ears were listening for any noises that might come from outside.
“I thought you might want to learn how to drive,” I shrugged my shoulders, “but only if you want to.”
The glare subsided from his dark gaze and he stared at me again with that wearied look I couldn’t name. It was as though he didn’t understand me; I was something totally foreign to him. Well, that makes two of us.
“All right,” I said. “Let’s switch places.” I hopped out of the car and Zale followed my lead by doing the same. We passed each other and then sat back down in the cab.
I began to point things out to him and once I had gone through the instructions, he nodded his head and turned the truck on and revved the engine. A small half smile crept across his face and I stared at it for moment. It was the very first time I had ever seen Zale smile for real. The transformation was immediate. A lightness lifted his face, not as light as I used to remember it, but closer than I’d ever seen before.
I was quickly jerked from my thoughts when Zale put the truck in gear. I shouted for him to stop, but he continued to pick up speed, changing gears with perfect ease. We sped to the end of the parking lot, my eyes widened as I saw the curb approaching quickly and the needle on the speedometer continuing to move up.
“Zale, slow down!” I yelled, and braced myself with the door handle. He shifted down easily and made an expert turn and took off in the other direction. I gripped the door handle harder, realizing too late that this might not have been such a good idea.
He hit sixty on the next trip and hardly slowed down for the turn, and then we hit eighty on the way back I found myself smiling again. I knew I should have been screaming, yelling at him to stop or angry with him for not listening to me, but the need to feel adrenaline surging through my veins was stronger than any logical thought.
We were flying across the pavement with the curb approaching quickly when he suddenly slammed on the brakes and the truck fishtailed around with a loud squeal. We came to a rocking halt and my heart was pounding loudly in my chest and the thrill of it all filled my eyes. It took me a long time to find my breath, but when I did, I voiced my opinion.
“That was, interesting,” I said and chuckled as I stared out the windshield. He turned to his head in my direction and I noted the same rush in his eyes that was in my own. The slightest hint of amusement played around his lips.
“Again?” He asked and lifted an eyebrow. As much as I was tempted, reason won out.
“I think that was enough for today,” I said. “Switch places with me, I’ll drive back.”
“No,” he shook his head.
“Yes,” I said and almost laughed, but thought better of it. “You’re going to get us killed.” I spoke with authority even though I knew it was the thrill of danger that had made it all so exciting to me.
“No,” he said again, but this time it was a challenge and one that I rose too.
“You don’t know where we’re going,” I pointed out and he scoffed. “Just switch places with me.”
A full smile spread across his face this time. “Make me,” he said and revved the engine again.
I closed my eyes as we shot out of the parking lot back toward Coveside, wondering what I had gotten myself into even though the adrenaline returned to my veins and I reveled in its existence.
12. Lessons
We were flying down roads breaking all traffic laws, and I was frantic we woul
d get caught. Zale wasn’t the least bit concerned and only slowed down slightly, when he saw another car. I relaxed momentarily and tried to dispel the disappointment filling me as the needle on the speedometer dropped. For the moment, the thrill caused by our speed dissipated.
I glanced over at the figure beside me, completely amazed at how normal he looked. He had one hand on the steering wheel, the other resting on his leg. He wasn’t smiling, but his eyes weren’t so fierce and that’s how I knew he was enjoying himself. His brow was creased as though he were thinking deeply about something, I hoped it was about where he was going, but had reason to think it wasn’t. Just then he turned expertly, zipping around a corner, and I gripped my seat to stay in place.
“Is there somewhere private we can go?” He asked, his voice always surprising me with its deep baritone.
“What do you mean?” I asked
“I want to teach you something. Is there somewhere we can go that would have a lot of space but out of general view?” He spoke conversationally and I realized it was the most words I’d ever heard him speak calmly. Maybe if we got in trouble, this would make it worth it. Probably not.
“Umm,” I said and bit my lip trying to think of a place similar to the one he’d suggested. “There’s always the beach. I know of a place that would be out of the way and no one would be able to see us.” I raised my eyebrows and turned my face to his.
“That would work. How do we get there?”
“Will you let me drive?” I challenged.
The half-smile reappeared, “Not a chance.”
“Fine,” I consented. “Just head back toward my house and then we can walk to it from there.” In my mind I was thinking of the place where Morven had taken me the night he had shown up in Coveside. I knew a path that led to it from my house, it was convenient because the walk was shorter and private. Before Zale had shown up, I would often go there to relax and think of Patrick. The sound of the ocean and the feel of the sand brought the memories back easier than just thinking about him.
Zale made it back to my house without any help; apparently he had a very good sense of direction. Once we reached the top of the driveway at an alarming speed, he parked the car and unlocked the doors. I hopped out and he followed my lead.
My boots hit the frozen ground and the wind rippled the hair that had fallen out of my bun. I pulled the band out of my hair and let all of it blow in the wind, only to notice his moved similar to mine. In the same way he no longer remembered himself, his body was no longer human.
“This way,” I said, walking around the house to the opposite side and he followed me, moving with very little sound.
We trudged down the winding path, still laden with slick snow. My steps were cautious, unsure, a few times I almost did slip but I caught myself just in time. I thought I heard him heave a sigh once, but I decided not to say anything about it.
The slope ended and we continued to walk straight toward the coast; my feet loudly crunching against the new fallen snow. Finally, we reached the beach and turned left with the ocean to our right. The sand was a mix of light brown with speckled white flecks of snow and it was odd to walk on. One moment my foot would fall stiff on a patch of icy snow, and the next it would squish in the soft sand.
I saw the massive rocks that would create a sort of barrier for privacy, up ahead. We reached them quickly and I stopped after making my way around to the other side.
“How’s this?” I lifted my arms and gestured at the open space.
“Fine,” he shrugged and then walked around, his eyes searching the area. I went to his side.
“What are you looking for?” I asked and he didn’t answer, so I stayed silent and looked around. There was nothing on the ground anywhere, but he wasn’t looking near us. He was scanning the beach for something.
“Wait here,” he said and strode off. I watched as he went about a hundred yards down the shore. He stopped next to a rather large log and picked it up as though it hardly weighed anything.
He came back to me quickly and propped the old withered log against the rock wall that created a barrier from the harbor. I wondered what he was doing, when he pulled a knife out from his belt and marked the log at exactly his height.
“This is the head,” he made an ‘x’ in the wood. “The chest,” a big square mark in the middle, “the waist, and the legs.” He turned toward me and walked to my side. I stood not knowing what he wanted me to do.
“Get out your dagger,” he said impatiently, as though I were a child.
I did as I was told and stood there uncertainly with the weapon in my hand. I slipped the hunting knife out of its sheath and let the leather case drop to the ground.
“Now,” he said, his eyes intense. “I want you to hit that target in the chest.”
I wasn’t nervous at all, if there was one thing I knew how to do, it was this. I had practiced throwing blades with Elik and had proved my expertise. It was only when faced with an actual threat, a living, breathing target, I grew fearful.
Shrugging, I lifted the dagger over my shoulder so the tip pointed behind me. Then I stepped forward and launched the knife at the log. It toppled perfectly blade over handle, blade over handle until it landed with a sharp thunk into the wood marked with the square. It was an excellent throw, one of my better ones. Right in the chest.
I glanced up at Zale, to see what he thought, but he simply walked forward to grab the knife. He pulled it out easily and came back to my side.
“Try it again, but from farther away.” I backed up about twenty-five yards and again threw the blade. Once again it hit dead on. I continued from this distance for another four throws, each better than the previous, until he finally spoke.
“Do you know how to throw it any other way?” he asked, having walked back from retrieving the dagger again.
“No,” I said confused. “I didn’t know there was another way.”
“May I?” He asked, lifting the dagger to indicate his intention. I nodded quickly and watched him.
He turned slightly so his left shoulder was the closest part of his body to the log. He lifted the knife with his right hand, but instead of raising it above his shoulder he held it out next to his side with his wrist cocked backwards. Then with a quick side step that moved him forward, he whipped the blade with a flick and sent it sideways at the log. It slid into the wood with a sickening sound and I realized where he had aimed. The blade was stuck in the wood, just below the head and above the chest. It was a fatal throw, meant to either slice the throat or decapitate. A shiver ran down my spine.
Zale walked forward again and retrieved the dagger. “Now, it’s your turn.”
My eyes widened and I shook my head. “I can’t do that.”
“Yes, you can.” He contradicted me. “We’ll start closer and then work our way back.”
“No,” I shook my head. “I mean I won’t ever be able to throw a knife like that at someone. It could kill them instantly.” I shuddered as I pictured myself decapitating a merman with a dagger.
“So you would rather have them suffer, in terrible pain, from the throw you showed me before?” He raised one eyebrow, taunting me. “No, I think you’ll find when you’re in danger, you won’t care what means you use to get yourself out of trouble, and you, Lissie, are in danger.”
“Fine,” I snapped and took the blade from his hand. My fingers brushed his and I realized it was the first time I had touched him on my own accord. Well, the first time since the dungeon. Shaking my head of that thought, I lifted my eyes to the log.
I mimicked his earlier stance by placing my left leg slightly in front of the rest of my body and my shoulders turned at an angle. My hand rose on its own and I cocked my wrist. Then with a surge of energy, I took a quick step forward and whipped the blade at the log. It was a perfect shot until it reached the dead tree. My timing had been off; the back of the handle hit the wood with a resounding thwack and fell to the sand, as if dead. I grimaced and walked forward to pick up
the knife, ducking my head to hide my embarrassment.
I tried to throw the dagger again and had the same result. After having done this multiple times, I took a half step back thinking it would leave enough time for the blade to circle around again, only the same thing happened. I was getting frustrated and with each throw, Zale grew more amused. My self confidence in my throwing was dwindling and I was angry that he was standing there watching.
“Here,” he said once I had come back from retrieving the dagger after another unsuccessful attempt. I thought he wanted to show me again and stuck the blade out, offering it to him.
“No,” he said and shook his head. “Get set up.”
I turned and stood with the knife cocked and waited. He stepped in close to me and I was very conscious of the fact that my back was barely an inch away from his chest. I could hear his every breath close to my ear and tensed slightly.
“You see this,” he placed his palm over the hand that was holding the dagger. “Your muscles are too tight, you have to relax.”
I tried to do what he was telling me, but I was so uncomfortable, I couldn’t get myself to do as he said. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.
“See, like this,” he covered my entire hand with his and held it in a firm grasp that was somehow light. I wondered how he did that. “If your hand was the knife then I still have a firm grasp on it, and it won’t fall from my hand. But my muscles are relaxed. If you’re tense the blade can go off course, but if you relax, it will go where you want it to.” I nodded at his words. “Now you do that, relax your hand around the handle.”
Opening my eyes, I concentrated hard on what he was telling me and somehow the knife became weightless in my fingers. It was as though I didn’t have to use any strength to hold it up. I took a deep breath and then lunged forward, while snapping the blade. It spun perfectly and landed in the exact groove Zale had made when he had first shown me. I smiled and looked at him. He nodded, but gave no other sign as to my accomplishment. I ran forward to retrieve the dagger.
Ripples (DROPLETS Trilogy Book 2) Page 12
