Always Remembered (29 page)

You can make him human?
I spent enough
time in his mind these last few days to know that was what he
wanted. He didn’t want to be one of the Blue Men. He wanted to go
home to his family. I couldn
’
t say that I
blamed him. I was lucky to find my family here. In his shoes, I
might feel the same as him.

I cannot make him human.
Sadness
coated her words.
That is beyond my abilities. However, I can
help his body to change forms, despite whatever curse Ken wrought
on him. Please tell your father and friends to back up. I’ll need
some room.

“Make some room,” I said to the group crowded
around Evan. “Azuria is going to change him back to his human
form.”

“She’s here?” Vesh asked, glancing around
nervously.

She materialized next to him, dressed in a
long, silvery gown with flowing sleeves. Her hair was piled on top
of her head in a stylish mass of knots.
My poor sons.
She
leaned in and kissed his cheek. Vesh did not react to her touch
.
Tell them I love them and miss them. Could you please, Meara? Would
you do that for me?
Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears when
she moved her gaze from her sons to me.

“She’s right next to you, Vesh.” I pointed to
his right side. “She asked me to tell you that she loves you, and
she misses you.”

Azuria wiped her eyes and nodded as I said
those words.
Thank you.

Of course,
I said.
It’s the least I
can do.

The shock on the Blue Men’s faces melted to
wonder as they considered their mother’s words. The message seemed
to bring them some comfort, and it certainly brought peace to
Azuria. She moved from Vesh’s side to stand in front of Evan.
Placing her hands on his shoulders, she stood on tiptoe to kiss
first his left cheek, then his right. Her voice whispered the
command,
Change, my son.

The air rippled, and Evan’s image wavered
like a fun house mirror. The transition happened so fast that my
eyes barely registered it. Within seconds, the Evan I knew was
standing in front of us. Without thinking, I ran over and threw my
arms around his neck. “You’re back.”

He caught my waist and pulled me close. “You
don’t know how good it is to feel human again.” His words were
muffled in my hair, but I heard the relief in his voice.

Thank you, Azuria.
She had already
disappeared, but I knew she heard me.

Dad shook Evan’s hand firmly. “It’s nice to
see you this way again, Evan.” He turned to the others. “Let’s
retire to the fortress. A warm meal and soft bed will do us all
some good, I think.”

Evan walked on one side of me, and Kieran on
the other. The tension was thick, but I couldn’t think of anything
to say to diffuse it. Hopefully, they would learn to get along, at
least for the time it took us to defeat Ken. I knew that
ultimately, that was what we were going to have to do. Sure, we
rescued my dad, aunt, and the others, and yes, Azuria broke Ken’s
hold over Evan, but Ken wasn’t going to stop. He wouldn’t rest
until he killed us all, unless we killed him first.

Those are some pretty dark thoughts.
Kieran’s words came through just as his arm went around my
shoulders, pulling me close.
Don’t worry about it tonight,
Meara. Tonight, we should be celebrating our successes. Tomorrow,
we can worry.

I know.
I leaned into his side, taking
comfort in his warmth.
It’s hard not to worry, though. Are we
ready, Kieran?

He stared ahead for a moment, frowning as he
considered my question.
I don’t think we have a choice. We’ll
fight, and hopefully, we’ll win.

And if we don’t?

Don’t think like that,
he scolded.
We will.

I wished I had his conviction. I wanted to be
sure of our success. War was coming, whether we were ready for it
or not.

The
island of Ronac was breathtaking. Evan drank in the emerald-green
landscape, broken here and there by jutting rocks. As they reached
the top of the hill, the fortress came into view. It was old, but
that didn’t mar its splendor. He could see why Meara would like
living here. A few days on this island and he probably wouldn’t
want to leave. For the moment, he was enjoying the solid earth
beneath his feet and the air in his lungs a little too much. Living
underwater was not for him. The only thing that made it tolerable
was Deanna.

Outside the main entrance, a small group of
Selkies waited to greet them. Evan recognized Ula among them. The
other two were men he did not know. One looked to be in his
mid-twenties and the other in his seventies.

“You did it, girl!” bellowed the older of the
two, and Meara took off in a run, launching herself into his open
arms. The man wrapped her in a bear hug, practically covering her
in his bulk.

“Uncle Angus.” She pulled back and grinned up
at him. “I told you I would!”

“That you did.” He chuckled. “That you
did.”

Who are they?
Evan asked Meara.

My great uncle Angus,
she answered.
My uncle Padraic, and you know Ula.

Ula nudged Angus out of the way and hugged
Meara tightly. Then Padraic had a turn. The three moved on to David
and Brigid. When the familial greetings were done, they turned to
the rest of the party.

“Are you going to introduce us?” Ula asked.
Evan noticed that she paid particular attention to Vesh. When he
caught her looking, she blushed and glanced down.

“Of course.” David took charge, although
Meara was clearly about to speak. She closed her mouth, and a
slight frown crossed her face. “These men will be our guests. They
are Blue Men of the Minch—”

Angus’ cry of protest interrupted David.
Meara placed a hand on his arm, and surprisingly, the man calmed
almost instantly. “It’s okay, Uncle Angus,” she said. “They are on
our side.”

David cleared his throat and continued.
“Vesh, Slate, Dex, and Evan were instrumental to our rescue. They
have offered to train with us and fight by our side.”

“We do not like Ken’s vendetta any more than
you do,” Vesh added. “It’s time to end his reign of tyranny.”

“He killed my girlfriend’s mother,” Evan
added, noticing, but ignoring, when Ula gave Meara a surprised
look. “And has the Sirens under his control. He must be
stopped.”

One of David’s guards stepped forward. “Sir,
with your permission, we would like to report back to the others on
what we have learned.”

David nodded to his men. “Go, but be sure to
rest and replenish. We will need you at full strength in the days
to come.” With a curt bow, the men took their leave. David watched
them go, and then turned to his brother. “Do you have enough food
for a few extra mouths?”

“Always,” Padraic answered with a smile. He
seemed easygoing and good-natured. In many ways, he was the polar
opposite of David. He even had light hair where David’s was dark.
As Evan glanced between the two brothers and their sisters, he
didn’t see much of a family resemblance. Perhaps that was the way
with Selkies.

“We’ll dine in my private hall this evening,”
David said. “And introduce our guests to the rest in the
morning.”

“I’ll send dinner up.” Padraic inclined his
head slightly to his brother, winked at Meara, and then went back
inside, presumably to prepare their meal. Evan’s stomach responded
with a growl. Warm food sounded lovely.

“Please follow me.” David led them inside.
The hall was cool and dimly lit by a few sconces on the stone wall.
They walked to a staircase and climbed three flights. David took
them to a large room full of comfortable-looking chairs. There was
plenty of seating for all. The room was toasty, thanks to a
crackling fire in the large hearth.

Between the cozy furniture and the warm room,
Evan struggled to keep his eyes open. It looked like the others
were having the same problem. It wasn’t long before he lost the
fight, his head resting against the soft back of the chair.

Evan woke to the soft jingle of bells.
Several wide-eyed servants stood behind a large banquet table on
the far side of the room. The places were already set, the table
laden with serving dishes of all sizes. How long had he been
sleeping? He must’ve been exhausted because he didn
’
t wake at the sound of people coming and going from
the room. By the way the rest of the group rubbed their eyes and
stretched, he knew he wasn’t the only one to take advantage of a
few moments of rest.

As the smell of roasted meat and fresh herbs
filled the room, his attention turned completely to the meal. It
was almost comical how quickly they made their way to the table and
sought seats. Evan sat next to Vesh, giving Meara some distance. By
the daggers Kieran was shooting him, he knew the Selkie was not
appreciating Evan’s relationship with Meara. Evan didn’t want to
cause her problems, so he gave them space.

The food was delicious. Meara’s uncle was a
culinary genius. Then again, Evan hadn’t eaten a home-cooked meal
for several months. Raw fish was okay, but there was nothing like
rich sauces and savory spices to add a little zing to the
experience.

A comfortable silence accompanied their
dinner as they all focused on sating their hunger. The dishes were
emptied in record time. Evan pushed back from the table with a
satisfied sigh, patting his now-full belly. “That was
delicious.”

“Thank you,” Padraic said from the doorway.
He crossed the room and stood by the table, surveying the empty
plates and dishes with amusement. “I trust you had enough to
eat?”

“It was perfect,” Vesh said. “Your
hospitality is much appreciated.”

The Selkie chef inclined his head in a slight
bow. “I am at your service. You have brought my family back to me
and for that, I am grateful.”

David stood. “It is late. Meara and Ula,
please show our guests to their rooms. They will be in the same
hall as Kieran.”

“But—”

“We will meet in the morning,” he continued,
not letting Meara finish her sentence. Her face flushed in anger,
but she remained quiet. “Tonight, I wish to speak to the
Elders.”

With a stiff back, Meara stood and walked to
the door. Evan didn’t miss Ula’s sympathetic glance in Meara’s
direction before she turned her attention back to the Blue Men.
“Come.” Ula stood and waited for them to follow. “We’ll get you
settled for the evening.”

Meara was unusually quiet as they descended
the staircase and made their way to the guest rooms.

Are you okay?
Evan asked.

I hate when he does that. Undermines me like
a child.

To him, you are a child. His child.
Evan tried to keep his voice neutral, reasonable. It wasn’t the
first time he had this conversation with Meara.

I don’t care. Angus more or less let me run
things while my dad was gone. He believes in me. Why can’t my
father?

Talk to him, Meara,
Evan encouraged.
Show him what you are capable of.

I’ve tried,
she growled in his
head.

Try again.
This time, he made his
voice firm. He wouldn’t let her wallow in self-pity. She was
stronger than that.

She stopped and opened a door. “Your room,”
she announced, not quite meeting his eyes. With a sigh, he walked
past her into the small, but welcoming space.

Okay. I will try.
Her words floated
softly to him, and although his back was to her, he smiled. She was
stubborn and proud, but she could be reasoned with. She was her
father’s daughter. Clearly, they shared several personality
traits.

He heard the door click closed and footsteps
retreat down the hall. The meal had energized him, and he found he
wasn’t all that tired. Exploring the fortress was probably not an
option. If the wrong person caught him, it wouldn’t be good for him
or the others. Nothing stopped him from exploring his room,
however. Besides the bed and the dresser, there was a tall bookcase
with delicate seashells, a jar of colorful sea glass, and several
classic novels. The books appeared to be first editions. Who knew
that Selkies had an interest in human stories? A narrow window let
in silvery moonlight and, looking down, Evan saw a stretch of rocky
cliff that met the water a distance below. The view was
beautiful.

A door to his left led to a small bathroom
with a claw-foot tub. No shower, but indoor plumbing. He didn’t
expect modern conveniences in a building this old on an island in
the middle of nowhere. Perhaps Selkie magic was more powerful than
Ken gave them credit for, only it was channeled into something more
useful than bloodlust and revenge. They would see tomorrow what
they had to work with when they met the rest of the
inhabitants.

Evan made his way over to the bed and
stretched out, placing his hands behind his head and staring at the
ceiling. He felt human again, and yet, not. He wondered if he could
change forms on his own, but he worried about being stuck in his
blue form again. He told Meara to be brave; he should heed his own
advice. With a sigh, he lifted one arm above him, concentrating on
his fingers. A slight tingle, and his fingers reformed to elongated
blue claws. With a little more concentration, he changed them back.
He could do it. He was in control again.