Across Torn Tides (From Tormented Tides series Book 3), page 6
I raised an eyebrow. “I don’t set the path, mate. I just follow it.” I balked at my own words. Because given the chance to forge the path I wanted to be on…back to Serena…I didn’t know how well I’d be able to stay on the current one. I’d try though. Because Milo needed us. Katrina needed me.
“So we sail on?” Katrina urged. “Where exactly do those coordinates take us?”
I glanced down, noticing at last the pressed stone we stood on. Ivy curled around it like snakes coiling through the mossy cracks. I nudged Katrina, asking her to step aside, revealing the remains of an intricate carving of a compass with mosaic tiles of shell and metallic stone.
“From here…” I uttered. “Oh forget it…Someone pull up a map on your phone.”
Noah handed me his cellphone, a digital display of the world at my fingertips lighting up the screen. What we once worked so hard to memorize, chart, and track was now available at the press of a button. No longer drawings, but now photos of the real thing, as though we were larks overhead with a bird’s eye view of the entire world. In some way, it saddened me. What was left to explore?
I studied the map, pinpointing where we stood, and followed the coordinates as they would lead. “Interesting.” I grumbled under my breath.
“What? What is it?” Katrina was practically leaning over my shoulder to see what I saw.
“The good news is it’s probably only a week away if the sea is on our side and the weather stays fair.”
“The bad news?” Katrina pressed.
“The weather is never fair west to east through the Caribbean Sea. Rough waters and upwinds the whole way.”
“What’s east of here? Where are we heading next, then?” Noah asked. It was almost entertaining stringing them along like this. I looked at them both before answering, building the suspense just a bit longer.
“A little blip in San Juan, Puerto Rico.”
12
Return of the Albatross
Katrina
“This is literally a building surrounded by souvenir shops and bars,” Noah argued, staring at the phone after Bellamy returned it to his hand.
“And?” Bellamy shot Noah a glance with a furled brow and eyes that looked on the verge of rolling. “After everything you’ve seen you still think there may not be more than what you realize under the surface?”
“Fair enough,” Noah clicked his tongue and looked away. I didn’t blame him for his bitter attitude towards it all. A wave of frustration crested within me. We’d come all this way for nothing. And now we had to set out again. With my mom on board and with time running out.
“Do we have enough fuel for that?” I asked, trying to mask the worry in my voice.
“We should have enough using what’s left in the tank and using some from the reserve we brought.” Bellamy scratched his head, squinting as a ray of golden sun broke through the forest ceiling and hit his face.
“As long as we can refuel in Puerto Rico for the trip back,” Noah uttered, kicking a crumbling rock across the stone.
“Right,” Bellamy sighed. “But let’s just worry about getting there first.”
We all turned to head back to the dinghy and board our boat, silence falling over the three of us except for the sound of lush leaves and sand crunching beneath our shoes.
A sinking realization hit me and settled in my stomach, dropping like the weight of Titanic to the sea floor. Despite the thick air and sweat on my forehead from the intense heat, I suddenly felt cold. “Do we have another week?” My voice cracked as I choked back the thought.
“What do you mean?” Bellamy glanced towards me, confusion written on his face plainly. “Of course we have another week. There isn’t exactly a deadline.”
“I mean, when we traveled to the past, we were there for days, but when we got back here, it had only been a few hours. So that means that weeks here could mean…”
“Years there.” Bellamy finished my sentence for me, a solemn shadow falling over his face as his steps slowed. “You’re not wrong.”
I fought back the hopelessness welling within me like a tide. What if too much time passed and we were too late? I wasn’t so sure if it all really worked that way, but I sure didn’t want to risk finding out.
“Time isn’t on anyone’s side now, then, is it?” Bellamy grumbled, helping me into the dinghy.
The short ride from the rocky shore to our moored yacht was silent as we all sat soaking in the dire reality of what we’d just discussed. I felt a tear threatening to trickle from my eye, longing for just a chance to talk to Milo just one more time. Just one more word. One more touch. One more kiss.
The thoughts continued creeping in, and the fear of not getting him back darkened my spirit. I blinked and the tear rolled down, plopping into the seawater below, and I suddenly remembered my unique abilities. It occurred to me that maybe they could give us just the boost we needed…literally. I decided to test it out.
With my fresh tear fallen, I summoned the water alongside the small boat as we charged toward the yacht. I painted the picture in my mind, clear as an image on canvas, of water roiling and rushing underneath us, propelling us forward with a lift as steady as a raft and quick-moving as a jet stream. Noah and Bellamy were thrown backwards from the force alone. Even the dinghy’s engine paled in comparison to the thrust from the water. We rolled in close to our yacht, and I released my hold on the water. I watched the rolling current dissipate, returning to the calm waters from which it came.
“If you can push the big ship like that, lass, then we can cut our time in half.” Bellamy said, his hand braced on his knee as he turned to look at me.
“I should be able to,” I uttered. “I think I’m strong enough.”
I was getting better at controlling the waves with just a single tear, sometimes even just the sensation of one. But I often wondered if I was really the only siren aside from Cordelia who’d ever realized this power. I guess I had to be…if mermaids truly didn’t cry. I wondered if my mom would be able to access this ability if she had long enough to find out. And then I winced. I couldn’t imagine what we were supposed to do with her for the rest of this journey.
As we climbed back aboard, I tried to think of what I would tell her, and I wondered what bits of information McKenzie had already let slip if she had woken up by now.
I took Bellamy’s hand as he helped me up the ladder, realizing how adept I’d become at being at sea. Standing up in the floating dinghy felt as natural as walking across solid floor. I helped Noah bring the little boat up, securing it again until the next time we needed it. Then I braced as I heard McKenzie’s voice and light, hurried footsteps closing in.
“That was fast!” She exclaimed.
“Because he wasn’t there. He’s moved. And now we have to track him down somewhere in Puerto Rico.” Noah interjected before I could answer.
McKenzie’s mouth stood agape as she listened to us explain what we’d encountered. I was relieved when she mentioned my mom still slept. But I knew sooner or later she’d wake up, and I was unable to cast out the guilt eating at me for leaving her in the dark all this time. She was just as much descended from a siren as I was. And though I was always afraid she couldn’t handle the truth, she deserved to know it. It was only fair to that part of her. But how do you explain to your mom that she’s a mermaid? I hoped I’d figure that part out when the time came.
“Allright, we can’t waste time,” Bellamy ordered, his voice loud and confident and reminding me of his 18th century self. “Let’s get this ship moving.” As he made his way to the helm, he glanced back at me. I watched him as he guided the yacht’s bow to face our new direction.
“You’re up, Katrina,” he called to me with a nod.
I took a step towards the stern, but not before stopping to ask McKenzie another favor. “Will you be able to keep an eye on her while I control the currents from up here?”
“Sure can. Turns out babysitting an unconscious woman isn’t all that hard.” McKenzie’s bubbly tone made me smile. It had been a strange while since I’d heard it.
“If…when she wakes up, can you come get me?” I asked.
McKenzie assured me with a nod, and I turned away to make my way to the stern. I could still feel my connection from the tear earlier, but it was fading quickly, so I had to grasp the power I still held over the sea before it left me. Fortunately, I didn’t need much power to tell the water to carry our boat along. With one vivid image in my mind of the water swirling around us, foaming and writhing like silver spinning silk as it lifted our boat like air beneath a bird’s wings. In combination with the strength of the propellers and my undertow flowing beneath, our yacht launched forward faster than I thought possible. I smiled as the sea sprayed up just high enough to mist my face. Perhaps there was hope yet.
I’d been holding the current all evening into the night. My outstretched hand throbbed with ache and my entire arm felt heavier than the anchor’s chain. I’d moved to a sitting position on the hull, grasping a rope for security with my free hand, but my body groaned for a break from this position. Just for a moment. I didn’t want to lose speed, but I couldn’t continue like this for much longer.
Stepping off the hull sent a wave of relief flooding through my limbs, as the blood in my body had returned to flowing without restriction. I stretched, my tendons and muscles loosening as they’d been begging to do for the past few hours. A quick walk around the ship would do wonders. Then I’d get back to it.
I was steadily pacing around on the deck, chugging water from the bottle I’d grabbed from the cooler out on deck. My weary shadow danced on the deck floor, a lone silhouette outlined by the full moon above. When a greater shadow overtook mine, I gasped, nearly jumping back as I whipped around to see the culprit. I blinked in wonder at the sight of the great albatross soaring not even a foot overhead, circling me. It grazed me with a wing, the strong wind tugging my hair as it swept past me. When I looked back, it was gone. But there remained a feather in my hand. He was there. He was still there.
Recharged with a renewed sense of hope that it most certainly wasn’t too late, I took one more swig of water and then rushed back to the stern. With my unexpected tears of joy, I called the ocean forth once more to carry us forward.
13
Only the Sea
Bellamy
As the sun rose, I watched Katrina as she spent herself controlling the current. She’d been there all night, and wouldn’t hear a word I had to say when I came to suggest that she should take a break. She didn’t need or want my help steering, so I just sat there, lost in the sunrise as I thought of the last time I’d sailed this route. My father sent me to meet one of his “associates” in Puerto Rico, a powerful woman with a string of brothels across the island who’d made her fortune from the ground up as a mere pick-pocketing prostitute with a vendetta, and of course, a desire to live forever. I was always the middle man, negotiating with my hellish charm and making promises on my father’s name. But dear old Dad had a thing about making the deliveries personally, so I usually had to abandon my own ship for a time to accompany him and be the face of his deals. I thought I enjoyed it. But then again, I don’t think I realized I had any other choice.
As I stewed over the way my father controlled every aspect of my life back then, I thought how pissed it made me that Bastian was now doing the same. I refused to let him have the advantage. If he wanted to whisper sweet nothing bullshit in my ear all day and thought I’d listen, he was wrong. I’d resist him even if it killed me.
Noah’s frazzled voice caught my attention from behind. I glanced over my shoulder to see him pacing the deck, phone pressed to his ear.
“You don’t have any reason to be concerned about me. I didn’t do anything, but even if I did, I can’t believe you think you can just ignore me all these years and then suddenly act concerned over something that has nothing to do with you.”
I couldn’t curb my curiosity, so I went on eavesdropping as Noah argued with someone I couldn’t identify. He finally hung up and shoved the phone in his pocket, taking notice of me watching. I didn’t try to pretend otherwise.
“What’s all this?” I asked, going over to where he stood with an irritated expression.
“It’s none of your business, really,” Noah snapped.
“You know you’re right. I’ve got enough shit of my own to slog through right now.” I walked away, tossing my hands up in a mocking gesture. I really didn’t care about Noah’s problems, but I was nosy as hell.
“It’s my grandpa,” Noah grumbled, earning a second look from me. I almost wished I hadn’t asked. He went on without further prompting.
“He thinks I helped someone steal my uncle’s boat—the one Milo took. Which, I guess I did. But my uncle outing my ass to my grandpa is just a whole new level. And now he keeps trying to call me, saying he’s worried about me. I don’t know. He’s just never really been part of my life. Now out of the blue last year he starts trying to call me and talk. But man, when my parents split when I was younger, I needed someone, anyone. He was never there for me. So I don’t understand who he thinks he is trying to waltz into my life and act like he gives a damn all of a sudden.”
I don’t know what I’d expected him to say but it sure as hell wasn’t all that. And it sounded like a hell of a lot more than I felt like getting involved with.
“Sorry, mate, that sounds rough.” I intended to walk away on that, but Noah trapped me with his next question.
“Yeah, it’s just…sometimes I do wonder if maybe I’m being too hard on him. My dad told me he was never quite right in the head after his youngest daughter died. Said he’d spew all kinds of crap about her being kidnapped by pirates and…” Noah’s voice shriveled away at the mention of pirates, his speech slowing with each word. He turned to look at me, eyes wide. “Oh my god. Maybe he wasn’t crazy.”
I had an inkling of suspicion that I didn’t like, but the more he spoke, the more it made sense. “What’s your grandpa’s name?”
“Russell Loveday, why?”
“I can assure you, he definitely wasn’t crazy.” I pressed my tongue into my cheek as I squinted from the morning sun. What were the chances Noah was the grandson of the old man who hated my guts?
Noah’s eyes narrowed at me, his voice hardening. “Did you have something to do with my aunt’s death?”
How could I answer that truthfully? Of course I didn’t kill Serena. But it was my fault she died. I could never deny that. My conscience ached at the truth, but I couldn’t put the truth into words.
“No, but my father did.” I finally said, hoping he wouldn’t ask any more questions. “She was diving. He thought she was a mermaid. I tried to tell him.”
“Damn.” Noah groaned.
“Yeah.” It hurt to think of her now. I almost even felt bad for the old geyser being so bitter all these years and his family thinking he’d lost his mind. It was a shame he’d let it ruin the rest of his life. But I guess I was no different. “Maybe you could cut him some slack. Losing someone is…difficult to say the least. Does things to the brain; makes you do strange things. Sounds like pushing you and everyone else away was the old man’s way of handling it. But he learned the truth last year thanks to Katrina. Maybe that’s why he’s finally coming out of his shell to you. Grief is an ugly thing.”
Noah was silent. “You ever lost someone like that? Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”
I stared out to the horizon for a minute. There was no way I’d let Noah know about Serena. Only the sea knew my secrets. And that’s how I planned to keep it. “No. I’ve just been around a while.”
“Hm,” Noah huffed, looking away and down at the water.
I glanced back over at Katrina, who was still working her magic on the water at the back of the boat. “Katrina’s mom pretty much did the same to her. Turns out she had a decent excuse, but it doesn’t change what she did. I don’t think Katrina regrets giving her another chance, though.” I paused as Noah gave me a skeptical look. “My father used to tie me to the masts with no food or water for two days if I left a knot too loose. In his own mind, that was his way of teaching me to do better. And then I found out he bartered his soul to try to save mine, even though he was the one that got me cursed in the first place. It took me a while to realize the bastard didn’t deserve my loyalty. Point is mate, people try to love us as best they know how. It’s up to us to decide if that’s enough for us or not.”
When Noah didn’t say anything, I decided I’d spent long enough talking in circles. What did I care about his situation anyway? For all I knew Russell was an asshole who deserved it. Maybe Noah was, too. I couldn’t afford to invest myself in anyone else. It wasn’t worth the risk of seeing them suffer and actually caring.
I looked back once more to see Noah fiddling with his phone, staring at his screen. I hoped, for his own sake, he’d figure himself out sooner or later. But for now, he’d just better not let his personal problems jeopardize the bigger plan at play here. I was tired of finding myself mixed up in family dramas. But I thought I’d throw out one last piece of advice. “Maybe quit wasting the ship’s Wi-Fi on these calls and figure it out later!”
Noah flipped me off, and I left the deck with a shrug.
14
Deal With the Devil
Milo
Iwaited another night at the tavern for Bastian, and Clara kept close to my men, who I’d commanded to accept her as a crew mate. No one had objected, probably because I’d threatened to keelhaul anyone who did. I observed the way she fit right in amongst them, drinking and slinging curses at one another in jest. I still didn’t fully trust her or understand why she wanted this so badly, but she wasn’t the greatest of my concerns for the time being.
