Always Remembered (32 page)

Satisfied that they had our army under
control, my eyes roamed the perimeter of the entire island, from
horizon to shore. At first, I saw nothing. There were no boats, no
mammals, no fins, nothing unusual—only the steady breaking of the
waves against the shore. Then, Kieran shouted and pointed to the
southwest. “Over there… do you see that?”

A thick line of steam was rising above the
water about a mile off shore. The surface of the water bubbled like
a boiling pot of water.

“What is it?” Ula asked.

No one answered her, because we didn’t know.
I had a guess. Was the fault line truly that close to us now? That
amount of cold seawater should cool the lava. What would be hot
enough to make the ocean boil? The vaporous column inched slowly
forward. The scary part was that we could actually see it
moving.

“That has to be them,” I said. “I’ll tell my
dad.”

Dad?

His response was immediate.
Did you spot
something?

Yes. About a mile out on the southwest
side of the island
.
The sea is boiling and steaming. It’s
approaching at a steady pace.
Fear froze my blood, but I tried
to appear calm.

Can you estimate a time of impact?

The pace was about the speed that someone
could walk on land.
At the rate it’s traveling, it will reach
the island within a half hour.

Very good. We’ll head them off at the
shore.
Before I could say anything, he added,
Stay up there
until I call for you.

My back stiffened. After all I showed him,
after his speech about how proud he was of me, he still felt he
could tell me what to do. He cut the connection before I could
protest. At least anger at my father gave me something to focus on
other than my fear. I’d been preparing for this or something like
it ever since I came into my dad’s world, but now that the moment
was here, I was afraid.

“Do you ever get used to this?” I asked
Kieran, knowing that he had fought in battles when defending his
own clan.

“Never,” he said, lifting my hand to kiss my
knuckles. His dark eyes held mine. “It’s okay to be afraid.”

“Good.” I tried to swallow my unease.
“Because I am.”

My teeth chattered. I couldn’t remember ever
feeling this apprehensive about anything. The closest feeling to
this was when my mom was dying, and then, I knew what was coming
and had time to prepare.

Ula stepped behind me and rubbed my shoulder.
“I’m afraid, too, Meara.”

“As am I,” Uncle Angus chimed in with a deep
chuckle. “But I’ll be damned if I let some blue scumbags destroy my
home.”

The tension eased, and we laughed. Especially
when Kieran added, “You certainly have a way with words, sir.”

The laughing stopped abruptly when the ground
shook violently. We tried to maintain our balance, but the
vibrations were too much. Awkwardly, we fell, landing hard on the
ground. Below us, I heard screams. Since the earth was still
shaking, I crawled close to the edge and looked down. Several
bodies were lying in broken positions. Most likely, they had been
climbing down the side of the cliff when the quake struck and lost
their footing. A few seemed to be recovering, but one body was not
moving. From this altitude, I couldn’t tell who it was, but the
person was wearing a dress, so I knew it was a woman, possibly
someone’s wife or mother. I prayed that she was simply unconscious
and not dead.

The ground trembled again, not aftershocks,
because these were stronger than the first. It felt as though the
island was struggling to stay together. The bubbling water was only
about a quarter of a mile out now. The water churned with a mass of
swimming blue bodies.

Dad, Brigid, and several of our guards stood
in the shallows waiting for the enemy. The other Selkies formed
ranks behind them, weapons raised. Most touched the surf to get as
much energy from the water as they could before the battle. I
sensed their fear, but I also saw their bravery. Through their
courage, I found some of my own. These were my people. I wouldn’t
let them down. From here, I might be able to stun the enemy with
magic at least.

There was a deafening roar as the Blue Men
broke the surface of the water and raced toward the island. They
held long, deadly-looking spears and well-honed swords. Our weapons
were just as formidable, as was our skill. I didn’t see Ken, and
from this height, most of them looked the same, impossibly tall
with deep blue, muscled bodies and long, clawed fingers.

Uncle Angus, Kieran, Ula, and I stood near
the cliff’s edge, facing the fight. We called on our magic and
threw the energy at the enemy, especially those that were still in
the water and the easiest targets. I smiled when we knocked several
of them down, but frowned a moment later when they popped back up.
It was like we were mosquitoes buzzing around them. Annoying, sure,
but not deadly. Why wasn’t our magic powerful enough to stop
them?

Your magic cannot hurt them,
Azuria’s
voice whispered through my head.
Their skin is tough and
protects them. As Vesh explained, only your weapons, properly used,
will render them powerless.

Can you help us?
I asked, excited that
she might give us a winning edge.

I must stay out of this battle, Meara. I
cannot fight against my sons. I will be here with you, child, and
protect you as I can.
I felt her kiss brush against my
forehead.
I hope you understand.

I do.
How could a mother sacrifice her
own children? I understood her dilemma, and I appreciated whatever
protection she did give me. She had already done so much to help
us.

“Why isn’t it working?” Ula asked.

“It’s their skin,” I told her. “Azuria
reminded me that the only way we can stop them is as Vesh said,
either pierce their right side or their gills. Remember that.”

“I’m heading down there then,” Uncle Angus
said. “I can’t stand here and watch our people fight alone.”

“I’ll go with you.” Kieran leaned over and
kissed me hard and fast. “Stay here with Ula. Please.”

“That’s not fair to ask,” I said. “You’re
going.”

His voice filled with desperation. “Please
stay.”

It was the last thing he said before he and
Uncle Angus transported to the battle below. I saw them rush into
the crowd, and then I lost them in the action.

I paced around the cliff, quickly checking
the other sides of the island. They were all silent and empty. The
Blue Men brought the battle to one specific point. That, at least,
made things easier. Being ambushed on all sides would’ve made this
a harder battle to fight. Then again, as the ground continued to
sporadically shake and groan, I knew that their most deadly weapon
had yet to be deployed. They planned to rip the island apart.

“I feel completely useless,” I said, kicking
a rock over the edge. Bodies swarmed below in a mass of weapons and
magic. Several had already fallen from both sides. I frantically
searched for Kieran in the chaos, but I couldn’t spot him. “This is
ridiculous. I didn’t promise Kieran I’d stay. He asked me too, but
I didn’t promise.” I paced some more, and then made a decision. “If
I stay here, I’ll go crazy with worry. I’m going down there.”

“What can we do?” Ula asked.

“What about the mantle plume?” I pointed to
the smoky pillar, now mere feet from the shore. “We should get down
there and check it out. Our magic is useless against the Blue Men,
but maybe there is something we can do there.”

Her face lit up. “That’s a great idea. We can
come from the outside edge and avoid the battle. That way, you’re
not really going against your dad’s or Kieran’s wishes.”

“It was never their place to tell me what to
do, but I appreciate you finding a solution that makes it appear
that I tried to keep their silly promise, anyway.” I hugged her,
and then clasped her hand in mine. “Ready?”

“Let’s go!”

We transported to the far side of the cove.
While we could hear the fighting near us—the clanging of swords,
the grunts, shouts, and angry cries—we couldn’t see anything from
where we stood. That meant they couldn’t see us either.

The water bubbled and brewed. It was almost
here. The first earthquake must have occurred when it passed the
island’s wards. There was one way to determine what we were facing.
We changed into seals and slid into the ocean. The temperature was
raised, but not too warm, at least, not from this distance away. It
might get hotter as we got closer.

It was difficult to see through the turbulent
water, but I spotted two shadowy figures ahead. Of course! We never
saw Ken come out of the water. He was here, feeding the mantle
plume with his energy like Evan told us.

It’s Ken.
I pointed to the figures.
I’m not sure who is with him, but we need to stop them. It’s the
only way we’re going to prevent the plume from completely reaching
the island and destroying us
.

How can we stop them?

The only thing I could think of was to lure
him away. Would he consider us to be enticing enough bait? There
was only one way to find out.
Follow my lead.

If I changed back into my human form, Ken
would know who I was and that might goad him. I couldn’t risk
losing our seal skin, though, if it was protecting us from the heat
of the plume. It would be senseless to change back and boil in the
ocean.

My target was the taller of the two figures,
which I assumed was Ken. I hadn’t seen him in his blue form, but
that man seemed to be doing the most work. I sped at him and rammed
him in the back, knocking him forward and almost pitching him into
the hot lava. Too bad I didn’t. That would have been a quick and
appropriate end for him. Ula attacked the other man in a similar
fashion. What we succeeded to do was make them mad. They chased us,
and we led them back to land.

As soon as I was out of the water, I changed
back and conjured my dagger. Ula stood next to me with a small
sword that she must have transported from the pile in the cove. Ken
and the other man wasted no time attacking us. They fought fast and
dirty. I defended myself and dodged Ken’s blows, but I couldn’t
find an opening to attack. Then, I made a misstep and his claw
scratched my right cheek. It burned when I touched it, and my
fingers came away coated in blood. I screamed in rage.

Meara, where are you?
Kieran’s
panicked voice filled my head.

Fighting Ken,
I told him.
I’ve got
this.

Are you insane?
He swore in a rather
colorful stream.
I thought you were going to stay on the
cliff.

And risk the island being destroyed? Hell
no!
I crouched just in time, avoiding Ken’s fist, and managed
to come up behind him.
Quit distracting me. I’m fighting
here.

I tried to stab Ken under his ribs, but he
turned. My dagger met his stomach instead. While it wasn’t a deadly
blow, he bent over in pain, glowering at me.

“I knew you were trouble the day I met you,”
Ken growled. “I look forward to watching you die.”

“That’s interesting,” I said. “I was thinking
the same thing.”

We circled around each other, watching for
weakness. Somewhere in my peripheral, I knew that Ula was still
fighting the other man. I hoped she was able to hold her own. There
was no way to risk taking my eyes completely off Ken. Although,
minutes later when I heard her scream, I couldn’t help but turn.
She crumpled to the ground.

Anger surged through me. Without thinking, I
threw my dagger, leaving me weaponless. It hit my target, directly
in the man’s gills. He crumpled next to Ula. Unfortunately, that
meant I exposed my back to Ken. When I realized what I’d done, it
was too late. He bent my arms behind me, stretching them almost to
the breaking point. Black spots filled my vision, and my breath
came out in pants.

“Who taught you that?” His words were clipped
and angry. “Who taught you how to defeat us?”

“I did.”

Ken whirled us around. Vesh stood before us
like an avenging angel. His broad sword was coated in blood, but
there was none on him. He stepped toward us, pointing his sword at
Ken. “Release the girl, brother. Your battle is not with her.”

“My battle is with all Selkies,” Ken spat.
“The fact that she is a half blood is of no consequence to me.
Selkie blood still runs through her veins.”

Vesh didn’t take his eyes off Ken. “Azuria
speaks to her. Did you know that?”

“Lies,” Ken hissed. “All lies. Our mother
would never speak to filth like her.”

“She does speak to me,” I said.

“Shut up!” Ken and Vesh said it at the same
time, although Vesh’s command held no bite. He was trying to help
me. I realized too late that my words only fueled Ken’s anger. He
wretched my arms back further, and blind pain made my knees go
weak. My right arm was popped out of its socket, and the left
wasn
’
t faring much better.

“Let her go!”

I recognized Evan’s voice before I saw him.
My pain was nothing to my fear.
Oh god, no
. I couldn’t
handle it if something happened to Evan. He ran to Vesh’s side, and
the two of them slowly advanced on us. I felt Ken’s indecision. At
the last minute, he threw me to the ground and raised his
sword.

The island shook violently, and although I
was thankful I was already sitting, the movement shot pain through
my arms, causing me to whimper. A loud crack resounded and the
ground split, leaving Ken and I on one side with the two
unconscious bodies, and Evan and Vesh on the other. The chasm was
deep and full of red, hot lava.

“It’s begun!” Ken laughed gleefully. “It’s
only a matter of time now before this island sinks in a fiery
bath.”

Ken was so busy gloating that he didn’t
realize I had recovered my dagger. My left arm was bruised, but
okay. It wasn’t my dominant hand, but it would do. Before Ken could
turn, I thrust the dagger into his neck, and he crumpled. “Over my
dead body, you bastard.”