Sea Dweller (Birthstone Series) (28 page)

“You think my speed will even
up a battle with someone who has strength or sword fighting abilities?” I was
doubtful.

“Let’s put it to the test,
shall we?” Aluce stepped back and drew a small, slender sword from the sheath
at her waist.

I scrambled for my mother’s
sword leaning against the cave wall where Aluce had set it earlier.  I wrapped
my fingers around the familiar hilt and twisted around to face Aluce.
Positioning myself in a semi crouched stance, I nodded at her, indicating I was
ready.

“Concentrate on the Warrior
Gem,” she said, preparing to attack. “Put all of your energy into it. Let it
take over.”

I mentally zeroed in on the
pulsing green stone, hot against my skin. Aluce lunged for me and I twisted
away, my natural speed saving me. I tried to strike back but knew I was too
hesitant. With the clang of steel on steel, Aluce forced my sword away.

“You’re not concentrating on
the gem, Aylen. Let it do the work for you. It will take over your instincts.
It will win your battle for you.”

“I’m trying!” I insisted.
Sweat had already begun to gather at my hairline and trickle down my neck as I
forced myself to wade through the storm of emotion flooding my mind. I felt as
though I was paddling through a swamp in search of a pebble.

“Argh!” I screamed, charging
Aluce. She blocked me easily and tripped me. I felt myself falling but couldn’t
stop in time. I hit the ground with a thud, clunking my head on the hard earth.
My sword flew from my hands and slid across the cave floor.

“Try again,” Aluce said,
nudging me with her foot. I flipped over and glared at her.

“It’s not working. Too much
noise,” I grunted. “I can’t find the right gem with all the others taking
over.”

“You sure about that?” Aluce
raised her sword and swiped it downward, toward the side of my thigh. I didn’t
have time to react other than to cry out as the skin separated in a clean but
shallow cut. Blood trickled from the slice in my leg and I stared up at her in
shock.

“What are you doing?” I
asked, incredulous.

Aluce didn’t answer. Her eyes
gleamed with a fierce, cold light and she raised her sword again. I watched as
it began to fall in a perfect line toward my uninjured thigh.

Time slowed as thoughts of
self-preservation crowded out the flurry of noise from the gems. I concentrated
on a mental image of the green rock pressing against my flesh and my heart
decelerated in rhythm, matching the beat from the center of the stone. My limbs
were filled with a glorious, raging fire, bringing my body to life. As the
sword fell, I twisted and spun away from the sharp blade.

Several things happened in
that moment. I heard Aluce’s sword scrape against the ground as it connected
with the earth where I’d been laying. At the same time, I reached out and
retrieved my sword while rolling away from Aluce’s assault. Before I could
contemplate my actions, I was on my feet again, crouching and ready to strike.

Aluce lunged again, a wild
grin on her face, sword slicing through the air and aiming for my shoulder.
Fire exploded in my legs and I twirled out of the way, swinging my sword in her
direction as I moved. She lifted her own weapon to block the attack but she was
a fraction of a second too late. I clipped her arm.

She paused, looking down at
the blood dripping from her wound. My body quivered in anticipation, waiting
for her next attack, but it didn’t come.

“Just as I thought,” she
said, raising her eyes to meet mine. “You needed a little incentive.”

“Injuring me is not
incentive,” I said.

“Isn’t it?” Aluce shook her
head. “There will be no mercy when you’re facing your grandfather’s soldiers.
There will be no mercy for them if they return without you. This isn’t like
sword practice with your father or target practice with Sai. You’re facing ruthless
men who must capture you to preserve themselves.”

I glared at her, the fire in
my veins still flickering. “Fine. Then let’s keep going.”

Aluce smirked. “Don’t you
want to bandage your injury first?” I knew she was mocking me and I hated her
for it.

“No. Do you?”

Ignoring my question, Aluce
raised her sword once more. “Release yourself from the Warrior Gem. You need
practice tapping into its power more than you need practice using it. It takes
over once you’re under its influence.”

I obeyed her and placed
myself in a battle ready position again, this time understanding better what
the stone felt like and how to focus on its power.

Aluce lunged again and I
deflected it, forcing myself to concentrate on the green jewel rather than my
movements. Once again, it was nearly impossible to sort through the dizzying
assortment of emotions and images bombarding my mind. This time, however, I was
able to tap into the Warrior Gem sooner, knowing how it worked and what to look
for.

Aluce forced me to practice
through the night, asking me to break my connection with the stone and fighting
with me until I reconnected with it, again and again. By the time the first
rays of dawn began to blush the horizon, I was more exhausted than I’d ever
been.

“Rest,” Aluce finally said,
sheathing her sword and dropping to the ground. She leaned up against a part of
the cave wall still bathed in shadow. Nodding, I obeyed her, letting my sword
clatter to the ground. Collapsing, I closed my eyes as the cool earth kissed my
skin. Moments later, I was unconscious.

Chapter 23

I awoke to the soft murmur of
voices and the wash of sun bathing the cave in light. Every muscle in my body
throbbed with pain and I groaned as I tried to roll over.

“That was attractive,” I
heard Faema say followed by a snide, little chuckle.

“Shut up,” I managed to
croak, forcing my eyes open. Not far away, my necklace had been draped over the
hilt of my sword where it rested against the cave wall with my carrying pouch.
I silently thanked Aluce for having removed it after I’d fallen asleep. She
must have also dressed my injuries because my thigh was tightly wrapped in
clean, white cloth and I felt the tingle of medicine beneath the bandage on my
foot.

“If only Sai could see you
now.” Faema tossed me one of her typical sneers but it was the rest of her
appearance that I zeroed in on.

“We’re in the middle of a war
and you took time to change clothes and bathe?” I pushed myself up and noticed
Haran and Sai’s friend, Tash, standing idly in the cave entrance.

“It was just a quick clean
up,” Faema said, picking at her nails. “Unlike some people, I take pride in my
appearance. Besides, I wouldn’t have been convincing if I’d asked other
islanders to risk life and limb while dressed like a vagrant.”

“Of course not,” I said,
rolling my eyes. I glanced around, looking for Aluce and found her bent over a
piece of parchment, carefully forming letters. “What are you writing?” I asked.

“Your letter to the
mainlander leader. You’re going to be meeting him on the top of the mountain
near their cave this evening.”

My stomach twisted at Aluce’s
words. “You really think they’ll go for this?”

“Time is running short for
them as well as for your parents. If they think they can at least get you in
their sights, they’ll most likely take it.”

I tried not to fidget when I
pictured myself confronting the mainlanders. “And you’re telling them I’ll be
there to negotiate the release of my parents and Haji?” I had run through
Aluce’s plan countless times, but I wanted to make sure I hadn’t missed
anything. The few hours of fitful sleeping Aluce had allowed me hadn’t done
much to clear the fogginess in my brain. I wasn’t sure I trusted myself to
remember everything I was supposed to do.

“Yes, which they won’t
accept. They want all three of you, but we’ll try to at least move them to
safety if we can, using you as leverage.”

I nodded and turned back to
Haran and Tash who both stared at me in silence. 

“Do I honestly look that
bad?” I asked, running my hands through my hair. I had to admit, it felt pretty
snarled.

“Yes,” Faema said, not
missing a beat.

“Give her a break, Faema,”
Aluce said amidst her scribbling. “She had a rough night.”

“That’s putting it mildly.” I
winced, attempting to stretch. Faema sighed in exasperation and stepped
forward. Too focused on my pain, I hadn’t noticed the large basket sitting on
the ground near her feet. She dragged it toward me.

“Here,” she said digging
through the contents of the basket and pulling out a large pineapple and knife.
“I brought food. You haven’t eaten for a long time, I’m guessing.”

Mystified, I accepted it.
“Thank you,” I breathed.

“There’s more when you finish
that. I brought a few other things too.”

I cut through the pineapple’s
rough outer layer and bit into its golden flesh, rolling my eyes as sweet juice
filled my mouth and dribbled like ambrosia down my parched throat. Next to me,
Faema rifled through the basket and motioned to Haran.

“Bring me the bucket of
water,” she barked at the boys.

Haran immediately obeyed
before shuffling back to stand next to Tash.

“You guys can relax while
you’re here,” I said, between bites.

“They’re sort of scared of
you,” Faema said, pulling out a seashell comb.

I laughed. “Funny.”

“No, it’s true. I kind of had
to tell everyone about the sea serpent and the lunatic who threw me into its
lair. They know you have the all-powerful necklace.” Faema exaggerated the last
sentence and I snorted.

“Did it get more people
willing to help?” I asked as Faema prepared to dump cups full of water over my
head.

“Of course. They thought you
would come after them next if they didn’t help. I sort of made them all
terrified of you.” She paused before adding, “I also told them you were from an
old line of Vairdan blood since you could use the Sea Gem and you would give
everybody one of their own after it was all over. That got them excited.”

“Are you serious?” I asked.
Turning to Haran and Tash, “Is she serious?” They both nodded.

“Great,” I muttered. Trying
to pretend Faema’s promises didn’t bother me, I grinned at Sai’s friends.
“You’re not really scared of me?”

Haran shook his head. “No,
but you’re definitely not the person we thought you were.”

“Tell me about it,” I agreed,
finishing off the pineapple. Behind me, Faema dumped one last cupful of water
on my head and began to scrub it with the soap she’d packed.

“Are you seriously washing my
hair?” I asked, incredulous.

“No. Shut up and eat this.”
She shoved a piece of flatbread at me and continued working out the filth and
sweat my hair had acquired in the last day and a half.

“You must be in a really good
mood.”

“I just hate having a slob
represent my homeland in what will probably be a historic event in Vairdan
history.”

“Thanks,” I said, surprised I
meant it.

Faema didn’t respond, but I
thought she began to work a little more gently. I glanced up at Haran and Tash
and saw Haran smiling at her, admiration singing ballads across his features. I
took another bite of my bread, trying to hide my grin.

Once I’d finished eating and
Faema had thoroughly washed my hair, she proceeded to tightly braid it and wind
it around my head.

“To keep it out of the way
when you fight,” she said, tying it in place.

When she was done, she
offered me soap and the remaining water and waited while I scrubbed my limbs,
face and neck. By then, Haran and Tash had finally made themselves comfortable
and were snacking on some of the food Faema had brought. Aluce had rolled the
parchment and passed it to Haran, who would be delivering it with Tash after
they saw Faema back to the village safely.

“My father almost didn’t let
me out of his sight,” she said, returning her comb and washing rags back to the
basket. As she did this, she retrieved the green, herbal paste we used to clean
our mouths and passed it my way. I took it, gratefully. “I asked him how he’d
ever let me get married if he couldn’t even trust me to help our homeland. He
gets pretty soft when I become patriotic.”

I didn’t say anything. I
watched as she prepared to leave, surprised at how the anger I’d felt for her
the day before had abated so much.

As the three of them exited
the cave, Faema turned back to me and paused. “I’m sorry about your parents and
what I did.” She bit her lip and glanced around the cave, resting her eyes
anywhere but on me.

“Thank you,” I answered, not
knowing how else to respond.

“That doesn’t mean I like you
or anything. You’re still spotted, ugly, and a bad match for Sai.” But her
accompanying glare wasn’t quite as malicious as the words left her lips.

“Apparently he doesn’t think
so,” I said, replicating her look with my own.

Faema shrugged and turned
around. As she made her way down the trail she called back, “We’ll see if I can
change his mind when this is all over.” I allowed her the last word. I figured
she’d earned it.

After she’d disappeared from
sight, I turned around, facing Aluce. Once again, she stood behind me, holding
the necklace out to me.

“Put it back on. We’re almost
out of time,” she demanded.

I did as I was told, cringing
when the flood of images poured into my mind.

“This stone,” she said,
touching the vivid orange gem at the base of my neck, “is nicknamed ‘The
Protector’. I’m not of that bloodline so the ways I can help you use it are
limited.”

“What does it do?”

“The Protector Gem does
exactly what it’s named for. It will keep you safe from physical danger of most
kinds. Arrows sent in your direction have a difficult time finding their
target. Swords aimed at your heart will swipe at the air. Those who try to use
force will find themselves unable to take hold of you.”

“What are you going to do to
me to get it to work?”

Aluce tapped her chin
thoughtfully. “I could force you to defend yourself, but I believe the Warrior
Gem will overpower The Protector. Besides, from everything I understand about
it, it isn’t defensiveness that helps a person tap into it.”

“What, then?” I asked.

“An understanding of where
you’re safest.”

“That makes no sense,” I
said, exhaustion quickly melting into irritation.

“No, it actually does. Each
gem was created based on the strongest emotion or desire the founder had when
they discovered it. Obviously, the Warrior Gem was made by a very desperate
person and it works best in desperate situations. The Protection Gem, however,
was probably named by a person who desired safety. The founder was probably
remembering when they felt safest at the time they found the first stone.
That’s what you’ll need to do.”

“So, I need to focus on the
stone while picturing something like my hut and my parents?”

“If that’s where you feel the
safest.”

“I’m not sure,” I admitted.
“Is safety a place or an experience? What determines when or how someone feels
safe? I thought the island was safe and look how that turned out.”

“That’s something you’ll need
to figure out for yourself. It may not work for you tonight. The timing needs
to be perfect.” Aluce eased herself to the ground and positioned herself across
from me. She tapped the earth, indicating I should emulate her. I obeyed.

“Are you going to have me try
to work it right now?” I asked.

“For a few minutes just so
you can get used to the feel of the stone and where it is on the necklace.”
Aluce waved a hand at me. “Go ahead. Don’t waste time.”

I pursed my lips and shut my
eyes, grateful I didn’t have to look at her any longer. My patience had already
withered.

Mustering strength from some
unknown reserve, I forced my mind to wrap around the orange gem blazing with
life at my throat. It was a powerful jewel, it told me, and its center thrummed
with fluid-like magic. It seeped from the surface and oozed into my skin,
prompting and begging me to put it to work. It was one of the most insistent
stones on the necklace.

I pictured my home, my bed,
my parents, talking to Sai on the beach, Sai’s kiss, swimming for the first
time with the Sea Gem. I ran through my latest memories of safety and comfort
as rapidly as I was able but still, the magic of the stone remained dormant,
merely hovering instead of adhering to me.

Before I could go any
further, Aluce stopped me. “That’s enough,” she said, snapping her fingers. “I
hope it works when you need it but we don’t have time for you to stumble
through the learning process right now.”

“It seems like it could be
fairly important to have a way to protect myself. I could use it at the same
time I use the Warrior Gem. Then I’m untouchable.”

“Absolutely not!” Aluce
exclaimed, surprising me. “I didn’t think that would even be an option for you
considering the difficult time you’re having sorting through the stones while
they’re not in use.”

“What do you mean?”

Aluce sighed, impatient.
“You’re already struggling to keep the necklace from taking over. You’re always
just a hair’s breath away from being consumed by the gems. You’ve proven you
can use one at a time, but not without struggle and effort. If you manage to
use two, it might crumble your focus and you would lose your ability to control
your power.”

“If I did that, what would
happen?” I asked, thoroughly scared now.

“I’m not sure but the stones
could use you as an outlet to release much or all of their power at once. Your
grandfather has come the closest to losing all control and it was terrifying.
You’re a novice. The damage you could cause would be incomprehensible.”

I stared at her in silence
for several moments, too stunned to speak. When I found my voice, it came out
in a squeak. “Just using two at a time could do all that?”

“I don’t know how strong your
powers of resistance to the gems are yet so it’s better to be safe. You have
too much to do to risk destroying yourself so early in the game.”

“Fine.” I nodded dumbly, not
really believing anything was ‘fine’ at all. “What next?” I looked at Aluce,
trying to keep the defeat from my eyes. She wasn’t fooled.

“Aylen, it’s going to be
alright. I won’t let you destroy yourself or your family. I’m just taking extra
precautions to make sure there’s no danger of it happening.” When I didn’t say
anything, she sighed and continued. “There’s a gem I’m not really fond of and
I’ve never understood how it came into existence— a demented person had to have
named it.”