Always Remembered (35 page)

Bodies lie scattered on the ground, broken and bloody. It was both
raw and devastating to see that much blood. The stench of sweat and
death filled the air. I tuned it all out with a singular
focus—Kieran. I had to find him. I couldn’t breathe until I knew he
was okay.

Although I no longer needed it, I gripped my
dagger in my hand. It was my security blanket. If I focused on the
feel of the blade in my hand, it kept the nightmares at bay. My
eyes sought out the larger, male bodies, and with equal parts of
guilt and relief, I rejoiced at each one that wasn’t him.
Thankfully, many of the downed Selkies were injured, but not dead.
The injuries would need time to mend, but they would heal. If
Kieran were dead, my heart would never recover.

Arms wrapped around me, and reflexively, I
spun and raised my knife. It was lucky that Kieran had fast
reflexes. He caught my wrist, stopping the blade from slashing his
chest.

“I survived the battle with no marks, but you
almost took me out.” He smirked at me and let go of my hand.

“Don’t sneak up on me then!” I scolded, but
there was no bite in my words. With a sob of relief, I threw my
arms around him and buried my face in his chest. He hugged me back
just as intensely, kissing the top of my head.

“You fought Ken,” he said. “What were you
thinking?”

“Stop the mantle plume, save the island.”

“You’re crazy.” He kissed me. “And
incredible.” He kissed me again. “And mine.”

This time, his lips met mine in a long, slow
kiss. There was no need to rush. We found each other. We survived.
We were going to be okay.

*****

As the night grew long, the injured were
transported to the gathering room near the kitchen. It became our
temporary sick bay. Paddy and his staff offered to care for them.
The final count was twelve Selkies dead. Any loss was painful, but
I was numb. Among the twelve was Uncle Angus. He was my friend and
my champion. At times, he believed in me more than my own father.
How often had I gone and sat in his room, swapping stories about
human life? We were the same, he and I, and now he was gone.

Kieran’s shirt was wet from my tears, but he
held me tight and stroked my back while I drained my emotions.
Wracking sobs turned to sporadic hiccups. I was spent, for the
moment.

I looked up when I felt a firm hand on my
shoulder. Dad stood there, his own eyes red and watery. Without a
word, I left Kieran’s arms and went into his. Dad hugged me tight,
and I hugged him back. Uncle Angus was gone. Ula was… something
else now. My family was dwindling almost as quickly as I found
them.

The tears started again, and Dad comforted
me. “It’s okay to grieve, Meara.”

“Why?” I asked. “Why Uncle Angus?”

“He was protecting me.” Arren stepped from
the shadows. His eyes were swollen, one bruised and bloody, the
other from crying. A sling supported his left arm. He was in worse
shape than many of us. “I thought I was being brave, but I was
stupid. I rushed two Blue Men at once. I would’ve died if Angus
hadn’t stepped in front of me. He took the blow.” Arren’s voice
cracked on a sob. He coughed and regained his composure. “He was a
great man and a friend. I… I’m sorry.” Again, his voice cracked,
and he began crying in earnest. “If you want to exile me, I
understand.”

Dad met my eyes.
Talk to him,
he said.
He’ll listen to you.

I crossed the room to Arren, my head
spinning. Was this the way of war? Senseless violence struck like a
typhoon and left a wake of death and injuries. The survivors
remained to wonder why and relive with guilt every decision that
they made.

“Arren,” I said, keeping my voice soft and
soothing. “It was Angus’ choice to help you. His choice, not yours.
I don’t blame you, so don’t blame yourself.”

He wouldn’t meet my eyes, but he nodded and
wiped his nose on his sleeve.

“Are you staying down here for the
night?”

With a shrug, he shuffled his feet.

“You need to stay here,” I told him firmly.
“You could have a concussion.” I searched the room and spotted an
empty bed close to the fireplace. “Follow me. I’ll get you
settled.”

I led him over to the simple cot, unfolding
the blanket. He hiccupped and swayed on his feet. “Sit down and
take off your shoes.”

Like a small child, he did what he was told,
but nothing more. Inwardly, I sighed, but with a gentle voice, I
said, “Now lie down and I’ll cover you with this blanket.” He did,
and I tucked him in. “Close your eyes.”

I sat on the edge of his bed and held his
hand. At first, I didn’t know how to help him fall asleep, but then
I remembered a lullaby my mom sang to me when I was young. I might
have been a little off key, but he didn’t seem to mind. By the time
I reached the end, he was breathing deep and evenly.

Dad and Kieran still stood together on the
other side of the room. They appeared to be having a serious
conversation. I let them be and headed to a table in the back of
the room set with sandwiches and drinks. There were no bottles or
cans, but several kinds of punch in bowls. I poured a cup of a
pretty, orange drink that smelled like melon and honey. My throat
was raw and scratchy from crying, and the cool liquid soothed
it.

“Where is Ula?” Brigid picked up a sandwich,
inspected it, then put it back and picked up another. That one
must’ve met with her approval. She took a bite and looked at me
expectantly.

“I haven’t seen her for hours,” I said. I
couldn’t begin to explain to Brigid that her sister was not the
same. Ula would have to explain it herself.

“I’m here.” Ula spoke from the doorway. Once
again, she had red hair and green eyes.

“Where have you been?” Brigid asked. “You
missed practically everything.”

“Oh, I did. Did I?” Ula’s eyes danced with
mischief.

“Is Evan with you?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said, adding vaguely. “And others.
Where is your father?”

I pointed across the room, and Ula left to
talk with him. Who else would be here with Evan? Ula sent the Blue
Men home. I wished I had been able to say goodbye to Vesh, Dex, and
Slate. Hopefully, I would see them again.

Dad, Ula, and Kieran kept glancing our way as
they talked. “What do you suppose they’re saying?” Brigid asked
between bites. She was already on her third sandwich. I guessed
fighting gave her an appetite. It had the opposite effect on me. My
stomach was queasy. It was enough to sip the sweet, cold drink.

Finally, Dad motioned for Aunt Brigid and me
to join them. She snagged two cookies off a plate on our way. When
we got there, Ula said, “I have something to show you.” She
exchanged a knowing glance with me before transforming. Like
before, she changed into a long, flowing gown of ice blue. On her
head was a small, silver crown. Her skin, hair, and eyes became
aqua.

Dad’s mouth hung open. “What happened to
you?”

“I am the new queen of the Blue Men,” Ula
said.

“Azuria? How?” Dad asked in confusion.

“I’m not Azuria.” She patted her chest. “I’m
Ula. Your sister, remember?”

For once, neither Brigid nor my dad had
anything to say. Kieran reached up and touched her crown. “You look
kind of badass, Ula.”

His statement broke the tension, and we all
laughed. Then, she said, “I’ll go let Evan and the others know that
they are welcome to stay tonight.” She glided across the room and
into the hall, her movements more graceful than before. She held
herself regally, which made sense since she was now a queen. A
queen! When I first came to Ronac, she insisted she was one of the
weakest of our kind. Now, she was powerful and something completely
unique—a blend of Selkie and Blue Men. The first of her kind.

Ula had been
gone about twenty minutes, and Evan was getting worried. David
wasn’t going to turn them away, was he? If they had to, the Sirens
could swim home, but they looked exhausted. Traveling here as
quickly as they did took a lot out of them.

“What’s taking her so long?” Deanna
asked.

“Good question,” Evan said, and then he
caught the flash of blue at the entrance. “Look. She’s coming.”

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting,” Ula called
as she approached. “I needed to talk to my brother first. You are
welcome to stay at the castle. I’ll show you to your rooms.” She
led them inside and up to the second floor. They went to the same
hall where Evan stayed with the guys the night before. Hard to
believe it had only been a day ago, so much had happened.

“You may need to share rooms.” That was the
truth. Deanna brought many Sirens with her. At least forty women
stood in the hall. Evan was too tired to count. “And there is a
large room with a fireplace in the middle here.” She pointed to a
door that Evan didn’t notice yesterday. “There are no beds inside,
but you’ll find plenty of comfortable chairs and couches.”

“Thank you,” Evan said, speaking for them
all.

“Are you hungry?” Ula asked.

According to his stomach, Evan was always
hungry, but he didn’t want anyone to go out of their way for him
tonight. Food sounded good, a bed sounded better. “I’m okay.”

“We’re fine,” Deanna told Ula. “Thank you for
everything.”

“Sleep well,” Ula said. “I’ll return to get
you in the morning for breakfast.”

Evan stood with the Sirens in the hall
watching Ula leave. At first, no one moved. Then, Deanna asked,
“Which room is yours from last night?”

Leaning against the door, Evan grinned. “This
one.”

“What are you waiting for? Let’s go in.”

The rest of the Sirens watched them with
growing interest. “What about them?” Evan asked.

Deanna’s eyes widened in mock horror. “You
want them to join us?” Laughing, he rolled his eyes. He loved how
she could lighten the mood. She leaned in and kissed him before
adding, “They’ll be alright.” Without taking her eyes off Evan, she
called, “Won’t you, girls?”

Those were the magic words that got everyone
moving. With murmurs of consent, the Sirens dispersed by twos and
threes into the rooms, some giggling or casting last-minute,
knowing glances at the couple.

When the hall was clear and all that could be
heard were soft whispers behind closed doors, Deanna asked, “Now
can we go in?”

With a flourish that earned an amused squeak
from her, Evan opened the door and drew her inside.

“Meara!”

Evan’s voice stopped me in my tracks. With
all the extra mouths to feed at breakfast, I was helping Paddy
serve our guests. I hadn’t even noticed Evan enter the room with
the Sirens, although it was funny to see him with a crowd of women.
I couldn’t help thinking of them as his harem. I was sure he
wouldn’t mind the reference.

“Hi, Evan,” I said. “Did you sleep okay?”

I asked the question without thinking, and
then my face grew warm when I realized that he probably spent the
night with Deanna. I hoped he didn’t answer me honestly. I didn’t
want to know.

“Yeah, thanks.” He grinned and touched my
cheek. “You always blush so easily.”

“Yes, well…” I silently pleaded with my skin
to cool quickly. Why did it always have to betray my feelings? I
was a walking emoticon—”She’s embarrassed, she’s embarrassed.”

His charming smile and kind eyes undid me. “I
wanted to say goodbye,” he said. “In case I missed you later.”

“When are you leaving?”

A lump formed in my throat, though I tried
not to let him know how upset I was. Losing Evan again would be
hard. Not because I wanted to get back together. I didn’t, but part
of me would always love him. He was a great guy, and I really cared
about him. “How will you get home?”

“I can get him to Scotland.” Deanna came up
behind Evan and wrapped her arms around him. She was even prettier
out of the water, and she looked at Evan like he was her hero.
Truly, he was. He saved us all.