Ripples (DROPLETS Trilogy Book 2) (23 page)

     “Okay!” Kryssa said quickly. “That’s enough! We all saw it; please don’t bring it up again.” She pressed her fingers to her temples in distress.

    My gut felt twisted and torn. Somehow I couldn’t place the same person I was hiding as the one that had killed all those merfolk, and yet I knew it was true. I had seen it with my own eyes. I had seen the way he had cut one person after another down, as if for sport. Goose bumps rose on my arms and I didn’t know what to think.

    “He has to be killed,” my head shot up at Shaylee’s fierce words.

     Tunder let out an exasperated sigh, “What do you think we’ve been trying to do ever since we found out about him?”

     “Well, it’s not like we’ve made any progress.” Shaylee snapped, catching me off guard; I had never heard her speak harshly to Tunder. “Everything we’ve done has turned out to be wrong. We strategize and wrack our brains, and it all ends up in disaster.” The tension in the room began to grow as though it were another person, leering at us through the sun-casted shadows on the walls.  
eHe H

    “Maybe we just need to rethink what we’re expecting the Hyven to do.” Elik’s voice was ever calm and confident.

     “I have!” Shaylee’s voice rose to a high pitch and cracked; we all stared at her in shock. “I’ve been thinking and rethinking every move we’ve made. I don’t know what they’re doing, why Morven isn’t taking Lissie as we all thought he would, I don’t know why they decided to attack Lathmor and capture me, I just don’t know what to do about any of this! So if any of you have better ideas, please tell me and take over because I can’t handle it anymore!”

     With a large gasp of air, Shaylee covered her face and started to sob into her palms; Tunder reached out for his wife and pulled her up against his chest. Kyrssa’s mouth was hanging open in shock, as she looked at her older sister. Elik and I shifted on our feet at the same time; he noticed and his mouth quirked slightly.

     “Are you all right?” Kryssa asked, and she sounded so concerned that I grew worried. Tunder made a silencing motion above her head. We all stayed in the uncomfortable moment, unsure of what to do.

      Suddenly Shaylee’s head popped up, “We have to tell them.” Her eyes intently pleaded with her husband. “Not everyone has to know, just them. That way they’ll understand.”

    “It’s up to you.” Tunder looked doubtful, but I leaned in wondering what news Shaylee had that was so important.

     She took a deep breath and then said with a smile, “I’m pregnant.”

     A loud squeal escaped Kryssa and she ran over to her sister. Bright smiles adorned their faces and I voiced my congratulations from where I stood.

     “How long have you known?” Kryssa’s eyes were shining happily.

    “About three months.” Shaylee spoke and her face glowed. “I just wanted you all to know that’s why I haven’t been feeling well and why I’ve been so tired.”

     A recent memory clicked and I realized why Tunder had been so worried before we left the castle the night before. His whole family was contained in Shaylee and he could have lost wife and child, if she’d been taken.

     A thought occurred to me, “Is there any way the Hyven could’ve known?”

    “What?” Tunder’s head shot up, his eyes meeting mine intently.

     “Well,” I tried to form my words logically not quite sure what I meant by them. “If Morven found out Shaylee was pregnant, couldn’t that give him cause to try and capture her. Think about it.” As I spoke conviction filled me and I knew I was right. “He has always wanted what he couldn’t have. He has always tried to take what wasn’t his.”

    “Why would he want our child?” Tunder asked harshly, although I could see he was catching on.

     “Because he was thinking of undermining your power.” Elik spoke up softly; we all looked at him. I could almost hear the wheels turning in his brain; he was following the same track I had found. “It makes perfect sense, you’re the leader of the Lathmorians. If he was able to take your wife and child then you would be so focused on saving them, you would lack sight in other areas. Even if he didn’t know she was pregnant, it may have been an accident.”

     Tunder nodded his head following his friend. “So what you are saying is my worry for Shaylee would have made me blind to other things he’d be doing?” When Elik confirmed this, Tunder muttered, “brilliant” under his breath.

     “Yes, but maybe we can use that.” Kryssa’s eyes were alight with something mischievous. It reminded me of my reflection a few nights ago, when I decided to defy Zale’s wishes.

     “What if we used Morven’s idea on him? What if we try to capture the biggest weapon Morven has and held it just out of his reach?” Kryssa asked, and Tunder started to nod at the exact same moment my heart began to pound painfully in my chest.

     “We capture Zale, that way Morven is more distracted with finding him than hurting us.” Elik nodded along with this plan and a squeezing tightness gripped my stomach.

     “That’s too dangerous!” Shaylee’s eyes were filled with fear. “And how would you be able to find him? I’m sure Morven keeps him under the best guard possible.”

    “That’s not what I’ve heard.” Elik said, a light flickered in his intent gaze; he could see this plan working and I knew there was no chance of the Lathmorian soldiers turning back now. Dread filled me. “I’ve heard he is temperamental and too much to handle. It sounds as though Morven has his hands full.”

     “But how do we know if those rumors are true?” Shaylee pleaded, her fear evident. “He might not be as defying as we’ve heard. That could be people hoping for the best.”

     Kryssa shook her head, “That wouldn’t be the best thing, in fact it would be worse. If Zale is as demented and dangerous as we’ve heard, what happens when he starts acting on his own? Or for his own purposes? He could become a greater enemy than Morven ever would be.”

     Fear pumped through my veins; the picture they were forming was all too clear. I knew Zale was making moves on his own now, something that Morven had never anticipated. Morven had given him a little freedom, believing he had killed all human emotions that had been in his body. But he was wrong, Zale had a mind and more importantly a soul, of his own. The problem was no one on this earth knew what was going on in that brain of his.

     “I don’t care if he would be a greater enemy or not.” Tunder’s voice was strong and confident. “Regardless of whether he is with Morven, we’ll take him.”

     Goose bumps crept along my skin, signifying yet another time in which I was caught between loyalties. And all the while, a shadow of doubt began to grow in my mind. What if Zale did separate from Morven? Would he be the monster I had seen in Lathmor, or would he be the man I left behind in the cave? Somehow, I didn’t think he would be either.

     Like the chill of a harsh winter morning, ice filled my veins and I realized what I faced up ahead was more dangerous than anything from my past.

The following morning brought forth a pale blue sky unhindered by clouds. After a sleepless night the sight was welcoming, but the knot in my stomach continued to tighten as I thought of my meeting with the warrior.

     After our conversation, Tunder and Shaylee had departed back to Lathmor, to set forth plans for the capture of Zale. I swallowed heavily now, thinking of how close they were to discovering him when they ran toward the ocean shore and into the waves, leaving behind Elik and Kryssa to spend the day with me. I was positive their presence was more of a precaution than a friendly stay. Although they were thankful for what I had done in regards to Shaylee, there was a hesitance in their speech that gave them away. Kryssa was careful but the distance between us was evident. As much as I wanted to let her in and know what had happened, I couldn’t.

     But what really hurt was the lack of trust Elik had for me now. He tried to be genuine, but I could see it in his movements and hear it in his voice. Everything he said was calculated, and every move I made was watched carefully. Somewhere deep within, I mourned for the companionship I normally felt when he was near.

     “We’d better head back,” Kryssa said and placed her half-drunk mug of tea on the table. I noted Elik’s remained untouched.

     I nodded in response, knowing there weren’t any words to fill the void.

     “Elik,” Kryssa beckoned and he stood without a word to leave, his broad shoulders pushing out the door. The soft retreat of his footfalls soon fell silent to my ears.

     Kryssa cleared her throat and said, “Thanks for the tea and letting us stay.”

    
As if I had a choice in the matter
, I thought and nodded again.

     “Look,” she sighed, “I know the others are angry with you and I know you can’t tell, but I just wanted to say I’m glad you’re safe and I’m here for you if you need me.”

     “I know,” I said and the weight in my chest lightened. “Thanks, I wish, well, for a lot of things, but this is just the way it has to be for now.”

     It was her turn to nod and she left the cabin without another word. In the silence of the house, I waited for what seemed to be hours. The sun rose slowly above the trees and it was only then it felt safe to leave the cabin. Still clothed in my black fighting garb, I felt out of place wading through the winding trees along the path to the cave. The worries of the night before and the memories of his kiss all clouded my judgment as I pushed into the dark entrance of the cave. With clammy palms and a fluttering bubble of expectation floating in my stomach, I skimmed my way along the dark path until I saw the flickering light of the torches in the cave room.

      Upon entering, I saw the makeshift bed, but no warrior in sight. My heart skipped a beat.

     “Zale?” I asked, uncertain.

     “In here,” his deep, familiar voice echoed off the walls. I bit my lip and proceeded to the little inlet where Patrick had kept his weapons and peaked inside. His back was turned to me, the wide muscular shoulders hunched as he looked closely at the weapon in his hands. The long black scar stretched across his right shoulder and shifted in what little light reached the small room from the torches outside. It was his mark, the one that labeled him a possession of Nerissa, one of her finger blades resided beneath his skin. It was different from the one I knew was on his left hip. Although it was dark in color as well, I knew it was Morven’s scales which lay underneath the skin. Subconsciously, I brushed a hand along my own scar. 

     The bandages around his torso were bloodied, but not enough to worry me that they were still bleeding. Kryssa had told me once, merfolk skin heals quickly, and she couldn’t have been more right. The gashes in his back and arms from the night when I was at prom were very nearly gone. But the worn scars, from his beatings in the dungeons of Hyvar, peeked out from the tops of the bandages and beckoned my eyes. They were scars of the past, scars from what he had been.

     Turning slowly, Zale caught me staring at him and his brows creased slightly. A twitch of my mouth into a small smile, reassured him everything was fine and he turned back to look at the weapons.

     “I was wondering when you’d come back.” He said, his voice filling the quiet cave. “I thought they would never leave.” His tone turned bitter and the disappointment I had been trying to hold off broke through what little grasp I had on it. Nothing was going to change. Some small part of me had hoped he would give up his harsh feelings toward the Lathmorians, but that was thinking irrationally.

     “What exactly are you looking at?” I asked, wanting to avoid anything that would set him off; while my brain thought of how Tunder was set on capturing him.

     “These,” Zale pointed to a brown coil that sat on a shelf. “What are they?”

     I peered in the dim light and tried to figure out what objects made the brown loops. “I don’t know.” Curiosity getting the better of me, I reached out and grabbed the object. It was obvious it was made of leather and as I pulled on one of the coils, I realized what it was.

    “Oh,” I said, comprehension dawning on me.
How did he not know what these were
?

    “What?” Zale asked, his curiosity evident.

    “It’s a whip,” I explained, while finding the handle. The cold leather slipped within the palm of my hand and I tried to bite back my repulsion as it uncoiled, the leather hitting the ground like a dropped snake. My fear of what had happened in that cell in Hyvar came rushing over me. For a moment, I could feel the crusted blood on Patrick’s arm as he held on to me through the cell bars, the desperation in his voice as he told me to leave, and the image of his back when I saw it for the first time in my living room.

    “A what?” Zale asked, clueless to the thoughts running through my mind.

    “You don’t know what this is?” I asked, biting back the bile in my throat. The slashes on his back proved he had seen it before.

    Zale shook his head; his eyes alight with a burning desire to know what this new weapon was. It reminded me of the look he’d had the day he drove Sean’s truck for the first time.

     His beatings with this weapon were unknown to him and I found, somewhere in my mind, the curiosity to instruct him. There was a reason he didn’t know about this weapon. Had Morven purposefully kept it from him? If that was the case, it was time he found out what it could do. If Morven wanted him to believe he was saved by his master, maybe it was time for him to remember who it was that swung the whip.

     “It’s a weapon,” I said and grasped the handle harder. I could feel the familiar hold; the same one Zale had taught me to use to throw my dagger. “You throw your arm forward and the leather snaps, it whips out hitting whatever you were aiming for.”

     He nodded his head and took the handle from my fingers. A small shock shot up my arm when his warm fingers brushed over my hand. Slowly and deliberately he examined the whip, then with a quick movement brought it to his shoulder.

     “Stop!” I yelled, and grabbed his shoulder. The powerful muscles beneath my hand twitched. “Don’t try that in here!”

     By the look on his face, I could see he found me crazy. He shifted, and I tightened my grip but I knew I could do nothing to stop him.

     “It’s really long,” I explained, pointing to the floor where the rest of the whip lay pooled on the ground near our feet. “And to tell you the truth, I don’t want to be hit by it.”

     He nodded and without a word walked past me out of the weapons room, through his new living space, and outside. I worried he had done some exploring earlier and the thought sent a chill down my spine. To think he was wandering around while Tunder was here, only brought dreadful images to my mind.

     I followed him into the sunlight and a cool breeze whipped by; our hair rippled identically in the wind. I knew that it was really rather cold, but my inhuman body adjusted to the temperature, keeping me warm.

    Zale walked to an open area and dropped the whip to the ground, the handle still grasped tightly in his palm. Thinking quickly, I moved aside and out of reach.

     For a silent moment everything stood still. His muscles rippled in a wave through his body as if making the whip an extension of his hand. He stared at the hand that held the weapon, making not a sound. His chest began to rise and fall in an increasing rhythm, as though he had already exerted himself.

     His name formed on my lips without sound, but it was as though he heard me. Gradually, his head lifted and his dark brown eyes met mine. For a moment our eyes locked and I didn’t know why he was staring at me so intently. There was a burning curiosity in his gaze that was imbedded deep within him. He stared at me and then looked back down at the whip in his hand, as though there was a connection. I opened my mouth again to say his name, but just at that moment, he raised his hand.

    With a sharp whistle, the whip shot through the air and cracked as it snapped back, once again coiling itself at his feet. His head was still down, staring at his hand, as though he didn’t recognize it. Again, I noticed his chest heaving, and although he tried to control it, his hand trembled.

    Ignoring my presence, he cracked the whip again, and again. The desperation in his eyes only satisfied each time he heard the crack. His face would grimace when it snapped, but with each crack he would pause. For just a moment he would hold still, his mind far away searching for something long lost.

     Feeling we would be here for a long time, I found a place to sit and pulled out my dagger. After a while, I had a little wooden spear with intricate curls and patterns along the shaft. The sun had long since passed overhead and was now settling near the tree tops. And still the whip cracked, and the face of the warrior glistened with sweat, as he tried desperately to recall something from the past.

_______________

    
The wind whistled past my ears with a blinding fury, and I squinted through the stormy air. The sky hinted rain but I couldn’t be sure. There was an all-consuming need to search, but to search for what I was uncertain. Then I heard the footsteps approaching behind me. The sand crunched as I spun around against the wind and saw the warrior walking toward me. He didn’t smile when he saw me, but came to my side and grasped my arm tightly. Confused, I followed as he pulled me along the beach. I stumbled in the sand, my feet dragging but he didn’t slow down. Then out of nowhere another hand grasped my other arm. Fearing the dark gaze of the merman who had changed me, I turned slowly and my eyes traveled to his face. I screamed. The warrior came to a stop and I looked to both sides. Zale held my left arm, Patrick held the other. Neither of them looked at me, but instead glared at one another in defiance; I could feel their grips tightening on my arms. Slowly, Zale reached up the sleeve of my shirt and pulled out my dagger. The blade gleamed in the shrouded gray air and he pointed it at Patrick’s chest; my heart thundered. Swiveling my head back and forth between them both, the wind whipped my hair across my face until I fell forward into blackness.

     Upon waking later, I remembered the dream vividly and chills spread over my skin. I wasn’t sure if what I was doing was right or wrong, it was all too confusing to think about.

     Sitting up, my neck cracked crudely. I had fallen asleep on the wooden bench in the cabin after having come back, while Zale still practiced with the whip. The book I had started reading while waiting for him to return, lay turned over on the floor. My mind had been far off when I started reading and even now I couldn’t remember what the story was about.

      It was dark in the cabin, and I made my way over to the front door carefully. A cool breeze brushed my cheeks as I moved out onto the landing, the silence of the night was still and quiet. A prickling thought entered my mind.
Where was Zale?

     With a heavy sigh, I looked up at the sky and watched my breath disappear in the air. My mind still dazed from sleep, I caught the sight of soft twinkles between the tree branches. The stars sparkled like dew hanging from a spider web, soft and bold at the same time. For a moment, I stood taking in the sight, until a feeling of
deja vu
spread over me. Puzzled, I tried to think of what the memory was but couldn’t. In frustration, I moved my hand up to my face to wipe away a strand of rippling hair when I felt it; the smooth rush of the soft round pearls sliding down my wrist.

     I had kept the bracelet on ever since Zale had given it back to me, but I had never let myself think back to that night. Like a crashing wave, the memories rushed through my mind. One after the other.

     It was like watching it all in fast forward, I saw Nixie and Daggin’s wedding, the lights twinkling in the trees, Patrick as he pulled me away, the way he smiled when he gave me the bracelet, the way the bracelet had felt on my wrist that first time, and the words I had said,
I’m going to wear this always. You won’t ever see it off me
. The memories stopped abruptly, my mind hung on to those last words, looking for meaning.  My heaving breaths created small clouds in front of my face.

     Wondering why all of this was taking a hold of me now, I began to walk down the steps toward the ground below. Was it because I was here on the island, so close to everything that spoke Patrick’s name? I wasn’t sure but there was a deep and burning desire to be as close to him as I could. My feet were working of their own accord taking me to the cave where I knew I would find Zale, the closest thing to Patrick I could get.