Ripples (DROPLETS Trilogy Book 2) (3 page)

     “Goodbye Lissie,” Elik said and gave me a tight hug.

     “Goodbye,” I whispered. “And thank you.” He nodded and left the room.

     Daggin and Nixie hugged me next, followed by Shaylee. Her husband walked to me slowly and gave me a gentle hug but when he pulled back, he placed his hands on my shoulders.

     “Take care of yourself,” he said and I remembered him saying something like this before I had gone to confront Patrick with the truth; I nodded. “Patrick was like a brother to me, if you ever need anything, well, you know where to find us.” He swallowed hard, and I smiled at him in thanks. He turned and grasped his wife’s hand as they exited the room, leaving Kryssa behind.

    I tried not to think about saying goodbye to her, and instead asked, “Do you have one of those packs on hand? I could use it to carry a pair of clothes.” She nodded and went into the closet to retrieve one. The black bag was thrown out to me and I strapped it beneath my shirt. It was so light it was hardly noticeable.

     My fingers fumbling, I untied the arm sheath where my dagger rested and tossed it onto the bed. The blade looked more dangerous than it ever had before and I knew it was in response to what had happened to Patrick, but I didn’t want to think about it. More than anything I wanted the blade as far away from me as possible.

     “Here,” Kryssa said, coming out of the closet with a pair of jeans, shirt, and jacket. I would need it to blend in once I reached the shore, the black soldier’s garb from the Hyvar mission wouldn’t work for where I was headed. “These will help you keep your cover,” she half-smiled.  I grabbed the clothes from her hands and placed them tight within the pack.

     Aren’t you taking your dagger?” she asked. I looked down at the shiny blade on the bed and shook my head. “Take it,” she chided and handed it to me. When I declined to take it, she slipped it into the pack on my stomach along with my clothes, “Just in case,” she said and I reached out to hug her tightly.

     “Thanks, for everything,” I said and she nodded solemnly.

     “Goodbye,” she said trying to sound slightly cheerful. “I’ll miss you.”

     “Me too,” I replied and turned to leave, but stopped when I thought of something. “Can you do one thing for me?”

     “What?” She asked, confused.

     “Give Elik a chance. He adores you.” I smiled and she stared at me with a gapping mouth. How had she never noticed? “Bye,” I rapped the doorframe with my knuckles and headed out of the room before I could lose grip on my emotions again.

     The walk to the caves was much quicker than I had anticipated and I wondered if it was because I didn’t want to leave. Yet, a part of me did. I was reminded of when I had fled Coveside and how it had felt as though I was leaving my whole world behind. I would never be that girl who was on the boat humming in the evening ocean air. I would never know what it was like to live simply again, to not want anything more than living out my life in Coveside. I’d tasted something greater, and having it stripped away had left its mark.

     The cool damp air of the cave filled my nostrils and I stripped out of my dark clothing. I stuffed them into the bag and waited for the seal to press out the excess air until the pack was flat against my skin. The rough strap fit snuggly around my stomach and I waded into the water, letting its embrace swarm around my legs. 

     The water reached my ribs and I paused, there was no turning back now. With a deep breath, I dove into the cool depths. My fins sprouted in a shower of lavender, and with a giant kick I took off in the direction of my old home.

My arrival was timed perfectly. It was late, but not so late that my family would be asleep. I tried to figure out what I would say, or how I could explain my absence. Nothing clear entered my mind. All I could do was fight back the tears that had been streaming from my eyes since I’d left Lathmor. Their formations had joined in perfect acceptance with the salty waters all around me, disappearing like the world I had left behind.

     I tossed the questions aside and continued to walk down the beach. The last hour had proved difficult. I’d had to dodge boats coming into the harbor, returning from a long day of work. My fins, which shimmered more than I realized, forced me to the bottom where I’d tried to stay hidden while also getting as close as possible to the shore. I couldn’t help wishing that I was eighteen and had the ability to be submerged and keep my legs intact. It would have made the whole process much easier. At least the sun wasn’t shinning or my fins would’ve been much harder to hide. There was a close call with one fisherman, but I think I was able to disappear fast enough that he couldn’t explain what he saw.

     I was able to transform without difficulty and now clad in the clothes Kryssa had given me, I made my way up the beach. The lights from the Main Street of Coveside shined up ahead. My bare feet pressed into the sand, never sticking, but conspicuous in their paleness. It was late February and not wearing shoes in Maine was unheard of. I would have to stick to the outskirts of the buildings and hopefully hide in the shadows.

Moving as quickly as I could, I reached the first buildings and rushed toward the back. Between alleys, I darted from shadow to shadow while the streets were busy with the usual activity; the sounds so familiar that I wondered if I had ever left at all. But the flat pack on my stomach filled with the dark clothing from Lathmor and my dagger only reminded me of how far I was from this world. Feeling as though I could be easily spotted, I pulled the hood of the jacket up over my head to cover my hair.

     Still in the shadows, I saw the back of Darrow’s Catch come into view. The memories washed over me quickly, but I didn’t have time to reminisce. My timing was just right, the restaurant was closed and everyone had left. The last thing I needed was to bump into my cousins on their way home.

     My feet reached the worn path that led toward my family’s house. The grass was cold against my bare feet, but it didn’t bother me. I wondered how cold it really was; every time I exhaled a large frosty breath clouded my vision, but my body remained warm; perfectly acclimated to the weather.

     The house came into view at the top of the sloping hill quite suddenly. What I really needed more than anything was time; time to think about what to say. What would my father do? I had left so suddenly. I bit my lip as I thought of Derek and Sean. It had been so long since I had seen and talked to them. I knew that Tunder and Elik had become like brothers to me, but I would never care for them as much as I did for the twins. They had a special place in my heart that no one could touch.

     My limbs were shaky as I walked up to the side door that we always used as an entrance to the house since it was right off the driveway. I placed my foot onto the worn brown step and raised my hand to knock. Hopefully they were all still up, at least the adults. I was sure that the little ones were in bed, which was for the better. I wanted to get my story out of the way without them present

     A strong knock resounded when my knuckles hit the door and I pushed the hood off my head. The sounds from inside paused and soft footfalls approached the door. The brass knob turned as my heart accelerated and I could feel the clamminess in my palms as the door swung open.

     There was Sean, his face the same as it had always been and I watched as the laughter in his eyes slowly slipped into confusion.

     “Hey,” I said, dully; my throat clogged. Without saying anything, he suddenly pulled me into a big bear hug. I sighed and closed my eyes, for just one moment reveling in the comfort that I needed. 

     “Lissie!” Derek’s voice yelled from across the room. I lifted my head and looked at him. He ran over and grabbed me in an identical hug, I smiled a little through my tears this time and the tension was broken. Dad and Jillian hugged me tight and I wiped at my cheeks even though the tears left no trails. This was coming home, the closest I could ever feel to how I was with
him
. I shook the thought aside.  

     Derek pulled me over to the kitchen table; I could tell they had been sitting here before I had interrupted. Mugs were scattered over the surface and Jillian went to get me a cup of her best hot chocolate. An awkward silence suddenly filled the room as if another person had followed me inside. Each sound was like a shattering boom in the stillness as all eyes rested on me. In some way I felt as though I was seeing things through a different person’s eyes. I knew what they were waiting for, but any form of an explanation had long since left my mind. There was nothing that I could say or do to make them understand what I had been through.

     I swallowed heavily and opened my mouth to speak, “How is everyone?”

     “Fine,” Jillian said after a pause.

     My father cleared his throat and the twins shifted as though of one mind while I kept my eyes on the table, too afraid to meet their gaze.

     “Wh—where—” Jillian choked the word out, but I cut her off.

     “Emly must be big now, huh?” I asked, the question sounding silly, but Jillian smiled and whipped a tear from her cheek. With a giant sniff and a careful look thrown in my father’s direction, she began to talk and didn’t stop for ten minutes.

     Time had certainly passed while I was gone. The months seemed like years as she spoke of how Emly was holding her head up and rolling from stomach to back with ease. Aaron, Caitlin, and Sara were all enjoying school. Kaleb was learning his ABC’s and Justin had lost his first tooth. Much to my surprise, she said that Derek and Sean had moved out and now owned a small house closer to the docks, that way they could work more efficiently. It sounded like they were taking over more and more of the family business.

     It grew quiet again as Jillian finished telling me about the goings on at the restaurant and I knew what was coming. It was my turn to talk, but I didn’t want to. For one thing it was strange, but more than anything I wanted to get away from the idea of
him
. I couldn’t think of his name without feeling the pain in my heart and I didn’t want them to know. I wanted to hold onto his memory forever. Talking about what had happened would only make it real, and for now I needed to believe that it wasn’t real. I needed to believe that he was still waiting for me, even though my heart knew that he wasn’t.       

     “Where have you been?” Dad said, pulling me from my thoughts. There was a harshness in his tone that I didn’t remember and lines around his eyes that never used to be there. More guilt fell onto my shoulders; he was still angry with me for leaving. 

     “That,” I said, staring at my hot chocolate as I swirled it in my mug, “is a really long story.”

     “We have time,” Derek shrugged.

     “I know you do,” I said, but I didn’t enlighten them further.

     “Are you going to tell us?” Sean asked and I could hear the hurt in his voice. Did he think I didn’t want to share things with them anymore? 

     I nodded to let him know I would, “Eventually I will. It’ll just take some time, and it’s kind of weird talking about it with you guys.” They all nodded realizing that this was awkward for me and I knew they felt the same way. My being here forced them to accept things that were supposed to only be myths. Suddenly, I remembered that there was one person in this group who didn’t even know the truth about me. I looked at Jillian.

    “I told her after you left,” Dad lifted his hands in innocence, “she needed to know.” I nodded, knowing he had done the right thing.

     “Well, in that case,” I took a big breath, not wanting to begin, but knowing I had to. “First you need to fully understand why I left. I know I mentioned in the letter that Morven had visited but I didn’t tell you why. He came to check on me and in that moment I realized my life was going to be forever tied to his. I didn’t want that, and so I left. I knew all of you would disapprove so I had to do it quickly. I’m sorry but it was all I could do. The only thing I could think of was to find freedom.” A weight I’d been carrying for the past months lifted from my chest when I saw the acceptance in all their faces. Beside me, Derek patted my hand.

     Without going into greater detail, I launched into the story of finding the island and meeting Patrick, and quickly mentioned Kryssa, Shaylee, and Nixie. I went on to explain how the merfolk lived and told them of Nixie’s wedding. I was very vague about my kidnapping and escape. In fact, I didn’t even tell them I had stepped foot on Hyvar. Instead I mentioned a girl had been spotted who looked like me and I had been free to go home. There was no mention of the love between Patrick and I, those were details I wanted to keep in my heart. The rest of the world never needed to know about the man who had changed my life forever.

     When I finished, there was a deep silence. I took a sip of my now cold hot chocolate and went to reheat it in the microwave. It gave them time to think, time to register their thoughts. The world had just gotten a lot bigger for them. I remembered that powerful overwhelming feeling when I had first realized Kryssa was a mermaid. I sat back down at the table knowing there would be questions.

     “Are you home for good, then?” Sean asked, and I tried not to feel guilty at the hope in his voice.

     “I think so,” I nodded and bit my lip debating on whether to tell them. “But I will have to leave eventually. I’m different now.” I tried to think of the words that would explain my problem. They waited patiently.

     “I learned about merfolk and they live a really long time.”

     “Are they immortal?” Jillian asked, and I smiled internally knowing this was the same question I’d asked when Kryssa had told me.

     “No,” I said, and shook my head. “But when I turn eighteen I will fully transform into a mermaid, as if I had been born one. That means for every fifty years you guys live, I will only age one.”

     They stared at me silently, and I looked down. Seeing the fear in their eyes was harder than I had thought. For the first time I really had to grasp what this meant for me. I realized my brothers would be almost seventy when I turned nineteen.

     “So we’ll be old and gray and you’ll still be young, huh?” Derek broke the silence.

     “Yep,” I said and a small smile passed over my mouth.

     “Well, at least we’ll have you around for a little while, right?” he nudged me with his shoulder and looked at his twin who nodded in response.

     “Yeah, you’ll have to put up with me for a while now,” I said.

     “Good,” Jillian sighed and smiled with warmth. “It’s been lonely being the only adult female in this house.” I  acknowledged her words with a small smile of my own; a reminder of the kinship we’d had before I left.

     A sudden yawn passed through my whole body, and the exhaustion in my muscles finally pushed forward.

     “Let’s get you to bed,” Dad said. “You look exhausted.”

     “Just a bit,” I said, through another yawn. I hadn’t slept in two days. I had been too afraid to sleep underwater by myself, all the while worrying Morven would find me. But I had also known that if I went to sleep I would have my nightmare again; the same nightmare I’d had in Lathmor before our attempted rescue. I shivered as I thought of holding his hand again, of hearing him telling me to save myself. Now I didn’t know what the nightmare would bring, now that I knew he was gone. I felt tears press against the backs of my eyes.

     “Come on,” Jillian stood quickly and walked toward the stairs. She looked different without her overly large pregnant belly. For the past months I’d still been thinking of her as pregnant, but she was back to her normal tiny waist.

     I said goodnight to Derek and Sean quickly and Dad patted me on the arm before sending me after his wife who was already upstairs. I climbed the staircase, my feet making padding noises on the light colored wood. I felt as though my body was on autopilot and I walked straight to my old room and shut the door.

     For the first time, I took a deep breath and turned around. Not surprising, tears filled my eyes and I let them fall. Ever since that merman had told me
he
was gone, I’d been left in a state of uncertainty. Everything felt weird, and uncomfortable. There was nothing that felt like home and I knew why. I’d thought maybe my old bedroom would bring me comfort again, but it didn’t. I knew why it felt strange; it was because there was another room I wanted to be in much more. There was another house, another home that was my comfort. If I closed my eyes I could hear the wind whistling through the trees and hear the fire cracking in the hearth.

     A soft knock sounded on the door, and I hurriedly wiped my face and ducked my head as Jillian entered the room carrying a clean towel and washcloth. I stood awkwardly to the side, trying my best to look normal but failing miserably.

     “We left everything the way it was,” Jillian said while placing the towel on the bed and turning on the bedside lamp. “Your father and I hoped that you would come back someday,” she sighed and faced me. “The little ones will be so happy that you are home. Especially Justin, he asks about you every day.”