Always Remembered (28 page)

“Ken and your mom—?” Kieran stopped talking
when Evan glared at him.

“She didn’t know.” Evan explained that Ken
seduced his mother by pretending to be her husband, Darren. His
stomach still churned in revulsion whenever he thought about
it.

“So Katie—?” Meara let the question hang.

“Is my half sister. Darren is her real
father,” Evan said. It felt strange to speak those words. If—no,
when—he got home, would he feel like he belonged or like an
imposter?

“Why can’t you change forms?” Kieran asked,
gesturing to the other three men. “They can, right?”

Evan was glad to change the subject. “Ken did
something to lock me in this form.” He hung his head and rubbed the
back of his neck. The attention was starting to get uncomfortable.
“I wasn’t very good at changing forms before it happened. I know
very little about what I’m capable of.” He nodded at Vesh. “Short
of what Vesh has shown me.”

“You can train at Ronac,” David said. “We’ll
give you space and privacy. I have a feeling we all need to prepare
for what’s coming.”

Evan agreed and hoped they would have time to
train. “My girlfriend, Deanna, stayed behind. She bought us some
time by telling Ken that I was sick. Tomorrow morning, Ken will
realize I’m gone. He won’t accept that I’m sick two days in a row.”
Evan’s chest panged from fear of Ken, who could rot in hell. Deanna
better be safe. If Ken hurt her, he would pay.

“Let’s rest,” David said, standing and taking
charge of the small group. “Tomorrow, we swim to the safety of
Ronac.”

“Is that the name of your home?” Vesh
asked.

David nodded. The name was new to Evan, too.
Meara hadn’t mentioned it. It was one of many things they failed to
discuss last summer. Maybe if they had been more open with one
another, they wouldn’t be in this mess. Then again, maybe they
would. How would he have known to stop Ken?

The group settled around the cave, some of
the Selkies piling up to keep warm. Kieran and Meara were curled in
the back corner. When Evan looked over at them, Meara opened her
eyes and lifted her head.
I’m sorry, Evan.
Her voice was
thick with regret.
I didn’t know.

He knew she was blaming herself again for his
transformation.
How could you have known?
Evan kept his tone
neutral. He didn’t want her to cry, and she sounded like she was on
the verge of tears.
What happened to me is not your fault. What
happened to us…

He paused at her soft intake of breath. She
honestly thought that he blamed her for ruining their relationship?
How? He was the one who pushed her away.

Is not your fault,
he said firmly.
It’s mine.

He actually felt her presence relax in his
mind.

I don’t want you to hate me.
Her words
were whisper soft.

His heart broke a little.
I could never
hate you.

Kieran stirred and nuzzled into her side. In
that moment, Evan was connected enough to Meara to feel her strong
surge of emotion at the Selkie’s touch. She loved him. Evan tried
not to let the bitterness of jealousy coat his tongue.

Get some sleep, Meara. Tomorrow is going to
be another long day.

*****

They woke early and headed out, once again
catching breakfast on the way. Time was closing in. It wouldn’t be
much longer until Ken discovered Evan was missing. He was tense and
edgy while he waited to hear from Deanna. A man of faith, he prayed
for her safety. Deanna was confident that Ken wouldn’t know she was
involved. Evan hoped she was right.

Meara swam on his right and slightly ahead.
He wondered if Azuria reached out to her again. It was odd to think
that Azuria was, in a sense, his grandmother. It was stranger yet
that she was dead, but could appear to Meara and still had
powers.

The rest of the group swam silently, but
fast. David was leading the way to their island. He warned the Blue
Men that as they neared it, they needed to watch the Selkies
closely or they would lose their way.

“The enchantments on the island are strong,”
David said. “Stay alert.”

The entire trip was fascinating to Evan. He
saw more of the ocean than he had seen before. Creatures he had
only studied in textbooks were within a hand’s reach. He wished he
had time to study them in their natural environment. Maybe when
things settled down. Peace had to return at some point, right?
Wasn’t that the nature of things?

Evan kept Meara in his sight as he observed
the world around him. He took David’s warning seriously. It was a
good thing, too, because he noticed immediately when she and the
other Selkies disappeared.

Meara?

What?
She sounded curious, but not
alarmed.

Where are you?
Evan squinted and
studied the water around him. It had grown dark and murky over the
last mile or so. Fish and other sea life were visible around him.
Where was she?

I’m right in front of you, Evan.

Where?
He saw nothing but ocean floor,
although he heard her frustrated sigh, and felt her poke him in the
ribs with her muzzle.

Can you see me now?

No.
Bewildered, he reached out and
touched her soft fur. Once he made contact, she came back into
view. Vesh pulled up short behind him and asked Meara. “Where’d the
others go?”

“They’re right next to me,” she said. This
time she spoke out loud to include the others. “You really can’t
see them?”

“No.” Vesh looked frightened and impressed at
the same time. “That is some strong magic protecting your
island.”

“We’re not even that close yet,” Meara
said.

They couldn’t see David, but he spoke,
addressing the Selkies. “Move by one of the Blue Men. Once they
touch your fur, they will be able to see you like Evan with Meara.
Stay in contact until we get to the island. We don’t want to lose
anyone.”

A moment later, Evan could see all the
Selkies again. Drust floated next to Vesh, Judoc by Slate, and
Brigid by Dex. Brigid was not happy about the situation if her
rigid posture was any indication. Poor Dex looked mortified. His
skin was nearly purple with embarrassment.

“Let’s move,” David ordered, and everyone
followed.

Holding onto Meara, the haze lifted from
Evan’s vision. The peaks and valleys of the ocean floor were once
more in sharp focus. In some ways, it was disappointing. The
landscape stretched for miles with no indication of an upward slope
toward land. How much further did they have to go?

I did it!

Evan heard Deanna’s triumphant cry as if she
was swimming next to him. The necklaces were amazing. He wondered
if Meara would let him keep them.

Evan? Are you there?

Yes. Sorry.
He made himself focus on
Deanna.
What did you do?

I managed to keep Ken at bay another day.
I used an evasion spell on your room. Every time he tries to
approach your door, he loses focus and walks away.
Her light
laughter floated through his head and made him smile.
It’s
pretty hilarious to watch.

That’s brilliant!
Evan was impressed.
He didn’t know that Deanna could do magic like charms.
You’re
keeping yourself safe?

Of course.
Her response was quick and
confident.
How is your mission going?

We rescued the Selkies.
It felt
strange to say it. The whole encounter had been relatively easy.
Something told Evan that was the last time things would go that
smoothly.
We’re on our way to their home, and we’ll hide out
there until we form a plan.

There was a pause from Deanna’s end. For a
moment, Evan thought he had lost her, but then she spoke, her voice
incredulous.
They’re taking you to their island? That’s unheard
of. No one has been there. Have you?

No, I’ve never been. David offered to let us
stay.

Wow.
In the silence that followed,
Evan waited, knowing she needed time to process everything.
How
long will you be staying?

I don’t know. We can’t come back until this
is settled. What do you think Ken would do to us?

Don’t come back,
she said quickly.
But keep in touch. I think my charm will wear off by tomorrow
afternoon. I can’t risk casting another, but I’ll tell you what’s
going on.

Same here.
Evan let the affection he
felt for her fill his voice.
I wish you were here with
me.

I know. Me, too.
Her voice was barely
a whisper.

I love you, Deanna.
He wished he had
said it to her in person, but he wanted to say it. He didn’t know
what tomorrow would bring, and he didn’t want to be too late.

He caught her surprise, a breathy intake of
air. Then, he heard the reply he was hoping for.
I love you,
too, Evan.

Her presence vanished like the sun
disappearing behind a cloud. For a moment, Evan was alone. Then
Meara’s voice filled the void.
Was that the first time you told
her you loved her?

At first, he was angry with her for
eavesdropping, but then he relaxed. Hadn’t he done the same thing
to her and Kieran? Besides, she wasn’t judging or teasing, she was
simply asking. He nodded, but he didn’t speak.

I didn’t mean to listen,
she
apologized,
but when we’re connected physically, and you’re not
shielding…
Evan felt the shiver travel through her body.
It’s overwhelming. I can’t block you out.

Her words made Evan think that he should
apologize. He didn’t. Instead, he considered their connection. For
some reason, it was stronger than any other was. He knew she was
right. When he was close to her, he really had to try and block her
out of his mind. If he didn’t think about it, she was just there,
especially when they were physically connected. Their thoughts
seemed to mingle freely. Usually, it was fine, but when he was
talking to Deanna…

I get it,
she said, and he knew she
heard his internal struggle.
It’s the same for me. Again, I’m
sorry.

Don’t worry about it.
His imagination
might be playing tricks on him, but it seemed that the ocean floor
rose slightly.
How much further?

Her mood shifted to something lighter.
Without words, he knew she was happy for the subject change.
You
see the ground’s starting to slope up. It won’t be much longer
now.
She picked up her pace, and the rest of the pairs did as
well.

Excited to get home?
he asked, and
then wondered, did she consider it home?

I am. You’re going to love it. Ronac is
beautiful.

They fell into silence, which was fine with
Evan. He busied himself studying the surroundings. The gentle
incline grew steeper, and soon the rocky shore was within sight. As
the group came out of the water, the Selkies changed into their
human forms, as did the other Blue Men. They turned and studied
Evan like a puzzle waiting to be solved.

“What?” he asked defensively. He took a step
back and raised his hands. “I’m stuck in this form, remember?”

“If you are, you are,” David said, gripping
his chin between his thumb and forefinger as he considered Evan.
“I’d like to try breaking Ken’s hold, though. Anyone else
interested?”

“I’ll help.” Meara stepped forward and gave
Evan a reassuring smile. Kieran moved to her side and agreed to
help, albeit less enthusiastically. One by one, the others all
agreed.

“You know how to do this?” Meara asked her
dad.

“No,” he admitted with a sheepish expression.
“I’ve never tried anything like this before. He will cause
widespread panic if we can
’
t help him
change. We need for him to look human again before we introduce him
to the clan.”

Human
. The words were ambrosia to
Evan’s ears. With everything in his being, he hoped they would
succeed.

Meara.
Azuria’s voice floated through my head, along with
the tinkling bells of her laughter. I was so happy to hear from
her, I didn’t even take offense that she was laughing at us. When
she hadn’t appeared all day, I worried that something happened.
Would you like some help, daughter? All you have to do is
ask.

I didn’t know you were here,
I said.
Have you been with us the whole time?

No, I needed most of the day to restore my
energy before I could contact you again.
Her voice was strong,
unlike last night.

I’m surprised you can get past the island
wards,
I said.
The Blue Men were blocked until they touched
us.

My connection to you allows me to contact
you here. But that is neither here nor there,
she said.
Would you like my help changing Evan?