Always Remembered (18 page)

“Sure.” Vesh took off his shoes and sat down.
“You can go for a swim if you like.”

“I’ve done enough swimming,” Evan said, and
then regretted the edge in his voice. Vesh was trying to be nice.
It wasn’t his fault that Evan was stuck here. “Sorry, man.”

“Stop apologizing. You have nothing to be
sorry for,” Vesh said. “C’mon and have a seat.”

Joining Vesh at the water’s edge, Evan put
his feet in the water. It was cool and refreshing. The sand was
warm, but not too hot underneath him. He laid back and put his
hands behind his head, once more closing his eyes. This time, he
felt Vesh lie back next to him.

“Can you tell me about modern life on land?”
Vesh asked. He sounded hesitant, like he was worried that Evan
would say no.

“Yeah,” Evan said. “Yeah, I can.” This was a
topic Evan was comfortable with. “When did Azuria die, if that was
the last time you were on land?”

“I can’t tell you the exact year. We don’t
track time like mortals do.” Vesh pursed his lips in thought. Then,
he said, “It was the seventeen hundreds. Maybe 1728?”

Evan stared at Vesh, struggling to comprehend
his age. He looked about twenty-two, and with the earplugs and
pierced eyebrow, he could pass for a modern teen. Then again, from
what Evan had seen in the city, piercings were common amongst the
Blue Men. Maybe early human tribes actually learned about
decorating their bodies with piercings from the Blue Men. That was
wild to consider. After all, Vesh had lived for a very long time,
so it was entirely possible.

“Evan?
”
Vesh frowned
at him.
“
Are you still with
me?
”

“Yeah, sorry. Just thinking about where to
start.”

If Vesh had been undersea since the eighteen
century, he missed a ton of advances.

“What might surprise you the most,” Evan said
when he figured out where to start, “is that man can fly.”

“Those metal contraptions,” Vesh murmured.
“Yes, I’ve heard of them from the others. They are called aero
planes.”

“Airplanes,” Evan corrected.

Vesh sat upright and stared down at Evan.
“What magic moves them?”

“Not magic,” Evan countered. “Technology and
mechanics. We built machines that can carry us through the
air.”

“They are like sky boats?” Vesh asked.

“Something like that,” Evan said, picturing a
Viking ship sailing through the sky. Then again, a blimp looked a
little like a boat. Vesh’s analogy wasn’t too bad.

They spent the rest of the afternoon lying
under the bright lights. Evan described life on land and answered
Vesh’s questions. They compared similarities and differences of
their worlds. Evan kept waiting for the light to dim, to change,
but it never did. He was anticipating the sunset, he realized,
something that would never happen here. An ache filled his chest
and spread. Would he ever see the sun rise or set again?

Uncle
Angus hugged me tight, then Paddy, followed by Ula. They embraced
Kieran too. The way they were treating us, it was like they were
sending us off to our funeral. Honestly, I found it rather
depressing. Thankfully, Cole was already gone, so that was one less
set of mournful eyes. He left right after breakfast to report to
Kieran’s dad.

Kieran and I needed to talk about his brother
and sister. He had an identical twin. How crazy was that? I knew
nothing about his family before yesterday. He never mentioned his
mom. Was she alive? I assumed that Ula knew about Kieran’s
family—they had been betrothed, after all—but she never mentioned
an identical twin. Was I the only one who thought that was big
news? Whatever, I needed to focus if we were going to rescue my
dad, my aunt, and the guards successfully. We were it, the last
chance for our clan. If we didn’t return… No, I wasn’t going there.
Success was the only option.

Kieran was discussing our travel plans with
Uncle Angus. We were taking a risk by changing into our seal form
and swimming to the Shiant Islands. Since neither of us had been
there before, we couldn’t transport. The only other option was a
boat, and Ronac had none. Under normal circumstances, Selkies would
never use one. Conjuring a vessel would deplete our energy and
delay us for at least a day, if not more. We already lost too much
time waiting for Drust and Judoc to return. Swimming was the most
efficient mode of transportation, given our limited options. I
prayed that we weren’t heading into a trap.

Ula hugged me again. “I’ll be in the surf
every morning. Contact me if you can. If it’s safe.”

“Of course.” It was my turn to blink back
tears. Leaving was harder than I thought, although my love for
family diminished my fear of the unknown. I prayed we would see
everyone again, and then said an extra prayer that the island and
our Selkies would be safe while we were gone. Ronac was dangerously
low on defenses.

“You’ll keep training with the others?” I
asked.

“We will,” Uncle Angus answered. “Don’t worry
about us. Focus on the rescue.”

“Meara,” Kieran’s voice was warm, but firm.
“It’s time.”

I wiped my eyes and gave them a wide smile.
It felt more like a grimace. I wanted to appear brave, but I was
sure it came across as nervous. Taking a deep breath, the resolve
settled in. I could do this. I had to do this. “Let’s go.”

I felt their eyes upon us as we changed into
seals and dove into the water. My fear disappeared as the utter joy
of swimming in the ocean overtook me.

I missed this,
I admitted.

Me too,
came Kieran’s deep reply.
I
wish we had time to enjoy it.

We’ve got at least an hour or two,
I
replied.
It’s better than nothing.

****

“What’s the plan?” Kieran strode to the edge
of the cliff and peered down before turning back to me. “Where do
we start looking?”

We had arrived at the Shiant Islands exactly
where my father told us to go. Rain poured down, a wet, cold
curtain. With my hair plastered to my forehead, it was difficult,
if not impossible, to see beyond a few feet around us. The water
chilled me to the core.

So cold.

So alone.

The thoughts drifted through my mind, though
they weren’t my own. Before I could give the words any
consideration, my vision went black.

****

I stood alone on the shore. The ocean was
calm, the sky clear. Where was Kieran and when did it stop raining?
As I watched, the water iced over. Crystals danced outward, forming
a lacy, solid surface. The latticework spread as far as I could
see. In the distance, a shadowy figure glided toward me.

The figure drew near, and I realized it was a
woman. She wore a beaded, strapless gown that sparkled as she
floated on the ice. The fabric looked heavy, but the way it swirled
at her ankles told me it was not. Her feet were bare, though she
seemed unbothered by the ice. Like the ground beneath her feet, her
skin was a pale aqua. Her long. wavy hair appeared white in the
bright sunlight, though by the time she stood before me, I could
tell that it was really a very light blue. Her eyes, the brilliant
turquoise of the Caribbean Sea, mesmerized me.

“My child.” She reached out to embrace me.
Her touch burned, and the kiss she placed on each cheek bit like
frostbite. “The time has come for the truth to be revealed.”

“Truth?” What was she talking about? What
truth? It was difficult to think in her presence. Where was Kieran?
Where was I for that matter? I started with the most pressing
question, “Who are you?”

“If you look within, you’ll find the answer.”
Her finger touched my collarbone. Through the icy spark that
followed, I knew.

“Azuria,” I said. “Queen of the Blue Men of
the Minch.”

“Queen Mother,” she corrected with a soft
smile. “My sons have been without their mother’s influence for too
long. A change is overdue. You must help me.”

Her bright eyes shimmered with unshed tears
for her sons. She was not requesting my help. She demanded it.

“What can I do?” I asked.

“Make them see the truth. My son, Ken, thinks
I was seduced by a Selkie, which resulted in my death. He’ll stop
at nothing until he feels he has avenged me. Selkies are not our
enemy. I did not die at my lover’s hand.” She closed her eyes, a
trail of tears glistening down her cheeks. She opened her eyes
again, twin pools of sadness. “I will show you the truth.”

Placing her slender hands alongside my face,
she tilted my head down. She was a few inches shorter than I was. A
faint floral smell enveloped us. Water lilies, maybe? Standing on
the tips of her toes, she kissed my forehead. I had the strangest
feeling of falling, although my feet were planted on the ground.
The world spun. Light and color flashed by in a dizzy array. When
the motion stopped, I stood on the same shore, but the landscape
looked different. The queen was gone. A man sat on a boulder in the
distance, watching something out at sea.

Movement in the water caught my attention. A
slim arm cut through the surface, followed by a thick ribbon of
light blue hair. Was it Azuria?

The swimmer drew closer to the man on the
rock. That was when I knew it was Azuria because I could feel her
emotions and understand her thoughts. She was joyful and
exhilarated from her swim. She did not notice the man sitting on
the shore. It wasn’t until she emerged from the water that she saw
him. She jumped back in alarm, covering her exposed flesh with her
arms.

“Who are you?” she asked. “And why are you in
my cove?”

The man turned away when he saw she was
naked. His face slightly red, he stood and murmured, “My apologies,
m’lady. My name is Zane. I did not realize this land belonged to
anyone. I was simply looking for a place to rest.”

“You were mistaken, of course, for it does
belong to someone. It belongs to me.” She strode toward him, a
simple gown forming over the curves of her body, her hair dry by
the time she reached him. Standing regally before him, she offered
her hand. “I am Queen Azuria.”

“Your Majesty.” Zane bowed, took her
outstretched hand, and kissed it lightly. “Your loveliness knows no
equal. I am at your mercy and pledge you my loyalty.”

“I know not if you mean what you say, but
your words flatter me all the same.” Her eyes softened at the
beautiful man before her. When he smiled at her words, Azuria
gasped at the way it lit his face. He was truly lovely with dark,
wavy hair and sapphire blue eyes.

He bowed again before offering her his arm.
“Then allow me the opportunity to prove myself to you.”

The scene faded out. Azuria’s voice filled my
mind.
That is all you will learn here. Let us travel ahead to
another critical moment. This is the moment that changed
everything.

The sun rising and falling rapidly as time
moved forward. A sense of foreboding filled me, and once again, I
found myself on the same shore watching a scene unfold. Azuria and
Zane were wrapped in each other’s arms. Neither looked happy.

“You must stay.” She clung to him and cried.
“I love you.”

“And I you,” he whispered into her hair. “But
staying means death. I am a Selkie. Your ways are not mine. I must
be with my own kind.”

“What if my ways could be yours?” She
clenched his shirt between her hands, her face turned up to his
with hopefulness. “What if I used my magic to change you? Would you
join my men?”

“I would do anything to be with you forever.”
He lowered his head and kissed her. “Nothing would make me
happier.”

“Lie down,” she commanded. He obeyed. The
trust and hope on his face matched the determination and love on
hers. She opened his shirt, laying her hands flat on his chest over
his heart. Chanting in a language I couldn’t understand, the words
formed a haunting melody. Blue light flowed from her fingers into
his skin. The color spread out, staining him, and his eyes closed,
a small smile on his face. She continued her song. It was working.
He was changing. Then something went wrong. Zane’s eyes flew open,
and he gasped for breath like a fish out of water. The blue
receded, leaving his skin ashy gray. Azuria’s chant turned to a
wail of agony. She tried everything to revive him. It was too late.
With one last shuddering breath, he died. She collapsed to her
knees, crying on his dead body. Whether it was her tears or the
remaining magic, his body rapidly decomposed. The ashes blew away
in the wind. Soon, there was nothing left of Zane except Azuria’s
grief.

No. No. No. No. No. No.

I didn’t know if they were her words or mine.
Her grief overwhelmed me and drove out my own sense of
self-awareness. Heartbreak was a knife in my chest. I couldn’t
breathe. I couldn’t think. How did she live with this agony? Then I
knew the answer. She didn’t.