wrath of the Sea Queen (245 page)

"I don't understand.  You came to help Max?"  Vin was confused.

"
No, I came to help C
a
eli.  Rika was trying to take control of her so that she could
return to a normal life and
have a child
of her own
. 
She
had hoped
to raise Max
,
but Apela's wife could not make the arrangement permanent
and
did not wish to continue the shared experience.  It pushed Rika to do terrible things which I cannot undo. 
However,
Rika
tr
ied
to
use
C
a
eli
without her consent
.
 
That
i
s unacceptable, and I
have only been partially successful in
tr
ying
to dissuade
her.  I was able to keep Rika at a distance when C
a
eli first used her gift on the plane,
" Michael explained.

"It was you that C
a
eli saw, not Urim," Vin now understood.

"
Yes.  Unfortunately, as C
a
eli grew stronger with her gift
and undertook the battle of free will with Rika
, there was
naught
that I could do for her.  I c
annot
directly
intervene
in such matters
.  The
outcome was C
a
eli's to decide.
I had to watch and wait,
like you,
hoping to find some way to
lessen
the harm Rika was causing
along the way
.  I am sorry for the hurt she caused you and your wife, but she will not be able to cause
any
further harm,
" Michael stated with great sadness in his voice.

"Where is
Rika
now?
  I thought she might still be
fighting
with C
a
eli.
"  Vin asked.

"
She has returned to the One. 
Rika was in control of
the young lady, Lorrie, at the time of her death.  She was not in the water that
has
sustained her
all these years
, and so her soul has returned home.  The Sea Queen
m
ight
truly be a legend from now on.
"

"I'm sorry, Michael.  This must be difficult for you," Vin sympathized.

"
It is as i
t should be.  But
,
enough
about
Rika
; y
our original question was about Max.
He
believes I am his uncle.  We
talk from time to time
, and he knows what I am.  He is perceptive, though I think he
i
s also a bit fascinated by me.
"

"
T
hat
obviously
doesn
'
t prevent
him from standing up to you.  He
ha
s got a pretty good kick for such a small foot," Vin remarked.

Michael laughed
again
as Vin rubbed his shin
, remembering Max's earlier assault. 
Vin was certain Max
g
ave
him a few good bruises.

"
He cares deeply for
C
a
eli
.  He is trying to protect her from the fate his mother suffered.
"

"Speaking of which…if Rika is dead, then where is C
a
eli?  Why hasn't she returned?  What did Max mean when he said that you should have been nice to her? 
Is she all right? 
Do you know where she is, Michael?"  Vin was quickly catching up.

"
She is
still
on the island
.
"

"But she said she was leaving.  Why is she still there?"

"
Raphael
is with her
. 
W
e cannot permit her to leave yet
.
"

"Th
en th
at is why she
would not let me meet her; why she
asked me to stay here."

"
That would seem
likely.
"

"Why can't she leave?"

"
C
a
eli
is linked to th
is
storm,
and
her emotions are
erratic
. 
If she were to return, the storm would follow her.  It would be disastrous for this island. 
A
s for your other question
, yes, I was unkind to her from a certain perspective.  As I anticipated, she will not hear my apology.
"

"If she cannot leave, can I go to her?  Please, Michael.  She
called me.  She
needs m
e.  Let me help her
," Vin was anxious to find C
a
eli and discover
exactly
what
had
happened.

"
Go to her if you like, but do not think it will change anything.  Look around.  The sea rages in unnatural patterns.  The storm
moves
unpredictabl
y
.  This
i
s not
completely
Rika's doing.  C
a
eli
, too,
has lost control
.  I
f Raphael cannot heal her soon, then I will be forced to return and deal with her myself.
"

Vin
was fully aware of
what Michael would do.  It was painful and unpleasant
.  Vin
once
suffered
it when he lost control of his own gift. 
Once was enough. 
He could not let that happen to C
a
eli.
  But, what injury did she have that
required
Raphael's
healing? 
Why would she refuse? 
Rather than discuss it, Vin preferred to
see for himself
.  He assumed there would be plenty of time to talk once he reached her.

"Michael, I can
help. 
She will listen to me. 
I
know I
can
get through to
her if you can tell me how to
reach
her," Vin insisted.

"
Walk with me, Brother.  We shall find someone who can take you to her.
 
Come, Max. 
Let's
also take care of this parental mix up once and for all, shall we?  Apela is your Papa, and nobody is going to doubt that ever again.  I have a
birthday gift
for you.
" 
             
Michael walked up and put his hand on Max's shoulder.  As he did, Max's hair and skin tone
began to
change.  They
darkened until the
colors were a near perfect
match to Apela.  Vin suspected that Max's blood would match Apela's as well.  The only thing that did not change was the color of Max's eyes; they remained green. 

The three walked up the beach together
.  As they neared Vicki's unmoving body, Maku
ran up to
them from the opposite direction.  Michael indicated that Maku could provide Vin with the assistance he needed, and the two men turned
to run
down the beach in the direction of the lighthouse.

Michael bent down and lifted
Vicki
into his arms, a dark
red
stain
visible
around the circular hole in
the f
abric
of her shirt.  He
then escorted
Max
over
to Apela and, after a brief conversation, carried Vicki
's body
off into the parking lot.  Neither
one
r
eturned.
  Apela took Max inside
to dry him off and fix him
a
mid
-morning snack.