Chosen (13 page)

             
“Yeah, right,” I whispered my thoughts, attempting to brush his words off.

             
“I’m not me without you,” he vowed adoringly. “The possibility of losing you was almost too much for me to handle.  I compromised your trust and risked both our safeties by foolishly believing I could handle it all on my own.  But, I can promise you right now, I’ll never underestimate you again.”

             
“I just feel so much pressure,” I sighed. “Not only do I have to fight my way to become the leader of the Tydes, I have to somehow prove that I’m worthy of being a Nereid - and I have no idea how I plan on doing either of those things!  I need to practice.  I need to get stronger.  I need to come up with a plan.  And to top it off, Nadia and Keto are now best friends!  I just don’t think I can-“

             
“You’re not alone in this, Stasia.  I won’t let anything or anyone hurt you.  Whatever comes our way, we’ll handle it.  Together.”

             
“Together,” I repeated quietly.  It had been so ingrained in me that hardships and trials were something I stumbled through alone, that now I had a hard time seeing it from a different perspective.

             
“But by my calculation we have twenty-four hours before we have to leave this paradise, and I intend on making the best of it.  What do you say?”

             
“I think I can handle that,” I said and allowed myself to smile.

             
“Good.  But can you handle this…?” he raised an eyebrow at me, stood valiantly and did a back flip into the water, ten feet below.  Not one to shy away from a challenge, I stood shakily (note to self: no more rock climbing) and pivoted, backing up so that my heels were hanging off the rock.  I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and flung myself backward.

             
Unfortunately for the tender skin of my stomach, that feeble attempt at a back flip turned into more of a half flip-half flop.  Finn, of course, was several feet away doing nothing to contain his laughter.  My wounded pride burned inside of me and I chased after him.  I finally caught up to him at the bottom of another rock structure.  I followed quickly as he disappeared around a corner, and I realized with fascination that the sea had carved out a tunnel that ran the length of the rock; leaving about six feet of air between the ceiling and the water.  But Finn was nowhere to be seen.  I entered the tunnel and searched below me for a submerged Finn lying in wait.  Without warning, I was grabbed from behind by warm, strong hands.  An equally strong, warm darkness descended upon my heart, and I immediately gave in.  Finn twisted me around with a smirk and pinned me against the side of the tunnel, clearly pleased with himself.

             
“You shouldn’t swim alone.  You never know what kind of darkness lurks in these waters,” he mewled in a low voice; taking my breath away as the water rolled down his handsome face and swirled within his blue eyes, which were currently mere inches from my own. 

             
“The only thing lurking in these waters is you,” I countered with disregard.

             
“Exactly,” he gave me a crooked grin.  He licked his lips and moved even closer.  Those same perfect lips parted ever so slightly as they met mine; tasting of sea water and lighting my world on fire.  The heat that rolled off of his body as he pressed against me contradicted the cold of the rock at my back.  He broke his kiss and diverted his attention to my neck, slowly kissing his way to my shoulder.  The sound of the water splashing up against the tunnel walls didn’t mute the moan that escaped my mouth, as lips continued their southward course.  He followed my collarbone and gently kissed his way down to where my bathing suit clasped in the middle.  His head disappeared beneath the water as his mouth explored the now red and tender skin of my stomach, sending shivers down my body. 

             
He continued to sink, running his fingers down my legs and wrapping them around my ankles.  The next second he yanked me underwater with him, caught me at the waist and pulled me against him with a wicked glint in his eyes.  I shook my head at him and kissed him again.  As our kisses became hotter and deeper, we sank to the sandy bottom below; emblazoned by our own desire.  Out of nowhere, a massive impact from above broke us from our intimate trance as we shifted our focus toward the surface.  Finn went from completely unreserved to Prime in a nano-second, as he scrutinized the figure that was now in the water above us.  Another body splashed in, and we could hear the laughter and squeals coming from more people on the rocks.  Finn’s body relaxed and he smiled down at me with renewed mischief.

             
“I want to show you something.”

             
Swimming silently towards the shore, the sensation of his kisses stubbornly lingered on my body; counteracting the water’s velvety touch.  We made our way up to the beach, which transitioned from soft sand into large pebbles; making it difficult to walk without twisting an ankle.  The unsettling feeling of something looming over me set me on edge, until I peered up to see the massive limestone side of Aphrodite’s Rock.  It was utterly awe-inspiring, and easily commanded its own presence on the beach as it overshadowed everything else.

             
We strolled along its side and I marveled at the graffiti that littered its white stone face.  Hundreds of hearts decorated it, each incasing a different set of initials.  Some had been worn down by the hands of time, while others were newer and bolder.  I stepped on a loose rock that gave way beneath my weight and then sent me careening sideways.  Bracing myself against the rock, I did not expect the immediate explosion of thoughts and sounds.

             
Startling image after image slammed into me.   Pictures of people smiling, drawing, laughing, and talking flew across my vision with such speed, it almost knocked the breath out of me.  The odd part was the fact that my point of view was from
inside
the rock, looking out.  An overwhelming wave of pure love and adoration crashed over me, hitting me again and again.  I couldn’t tell if it was how the sea felt to the rock, or how the rock felt about its pilgrims, but either way it was magical and haunting…and then it was gone.  Finn had pulled me off of the rock and had me in his arms.

             
“I wish I had a warning sound that went off before that happened,” I said, my words only coming out as a whisper.  Tears of love and happiness rolled down my cheeks as I tried to speak louder. “I seriously need to get
that
particular ability under control.”

             
“I think I know someone who can help you with that once we return to Lorelei,” he informed me cryptically with a wink.

             
“Who’s that?”

             
“You’ll see,” he answered vaguely.  I wanted to press further since it seemed that I was always the last to find these kinds of things out, but the intense cloud of joy that hovered over the beach stole my thoughts.

             
“There’s so much love here,” I marveled. “It’s intoxicating.”

             
“People come here to pray to Aphrodite and secure their love in stone,” he explained as he led me toward the sloping hill that led up the road above.  “Either by writing on the rock itself, or by creating their own memento.” What I had initially thought were just random rocks from the beach were now taking the shape of larger hearts that scattered across the hillside, created by the white stones from the beach.  Just like the ones drawn on the rock, each heart encased a pair of initials, usually created by smaller rocks.

             
Seeing all of the hearts had my own thoughts wondering to what our future held.  I knew that I wanted to be with Finn - I couldn’t see myself with anyone else.  But I couldn’t be sure that he was willing to claim the same.  I knew that he loved me, but there’s a difference between ‘love’ and making a commitment to spend the rest of your lives together.  Especially if you’re immortal.  Forever is literal. 

             
“When immortals are bound…” I began carefully, “is it the same as being engaged?”

             
His eyes flickered up to mine in surprise, and an uncomfortable shadow fell over his features.  He wiped all emotion from his face and answered robotically, making me wonder if there was a teleprompter suspended behind me. “What humans refer to as being ‘engaged’ is similar to binding, yes. But when you bind your soul to another’s, you are vowing to marry them and love them forever. Unlike engagement, binding is irreversible.”

             
“So you didn’t vow anything to Nadia,” I said before thinking, and then corrected myself. “Or…did you?” 

             
“Persephone overrode any normal traditions that went along with being bound or married.  I had no choice in the matter.  But the only thing I’d ever vow to Nadia is to rid the earth of her,” he answered coldly, and then fidgeted anxiously as he continued in a softer voice, marked by conviction. “In my eyes, the act of becoming bound before marriage is nothing like getting engaged.  When you are married in the traditional sense, you share each other’s lives, personal belongings and experiences.  When you become bound and subsequently married you share souls, emotions, and thoughts as well.”

             
“Wow…” Was all I could think to say, until I remembered something else I’d heard him say a couple of weeks ago. “And…binding usually happens on a person’s eighteenth birthday?”

             
“Usually, yes.  Especially if you’re Chosen.” He paused as if he wanted to say more, and I thought I saw a flicker of something in his eyes, but it was gone just as quickly. “But becoming bound is not to be taken lightly.” He bent down to collect a handful of stones that had trickled down to the base of the hill.  “Just like these stones.” He changed the subject, failing miserably to do so unnoticed. He walked up to the hill to find an empty spot, and created his own heart, retrieving discarded stones from the bottom of the hill until it was complete.  I took a handful of smaller stones and climbed up to meet him.

             
“I must say, that’s the most beautiful rock heart I’ve ever seen,” I complimented his work with a touch of cynicism and a smile, hoping to bring his back.  A heavy insecurity fell over my heart as I fought to understand the drastic change in his demeanor. It didn’t do much to help the fear that he could be unsure about our future.  The fact that my eighteenth birthday was only a month and a half away did nothing to ease my self-doubt. I shook myself mentally and reminded myself that there were many other things to worry about before my eighteenth birthday. I certainly couldn’t become bound to anyone if I was dead.

             
“Another ability of mine:” he quipped as his smile returned, “drawing perfect hearts.”

             
I snickered and handed him half of my collected rocks.  I placed mine in the shape of an F and then added a + symbol.  He placed his in the shape of an S, and we stood back to admire our artistry.

             
“Hmm, I think the F’s a little crooked,” he frowned dramatically, tilting his head to get a better look.

             
“I think
you’re
a little crooked, so it works out perfectly,” I teased him, and gave him a light shove.

             
“One more thing,” he informed me, taking my hand again.  We walked over the loose stones of the beach, toward what looked like a limestone tunnel that stretched beneath the road high above. 

             
“That’s how the non-water-breathing world gets to the rock,” he chuckled and gestured toward the dark tunnel. We came to a stop in front of a very large, very scraggly looking bush.  But that wasn’t the extraordinary part.  Every branch and every twig was overflowing with small strips of tissue or cloth that had been tied around them.  It reminded me of rolling a tree with toilet paper, although I was positive that was not the case here.

             
“What are they?” I asked curiously.  I refrained from touching even one branch, for fear of experiencing the visual onslaught of every person ever to stand in that spot.

             
“Wishes,” Finn explained nostalgically. “If you make a wish and then tie a piece of cloth onto the bush it will come true.”

             
“Like a wishing well,” I pondered.

             
“Except these are only wishes about love,” he said with a tenderness in his eyes.  He reached into his pocket and produced two strips of white cloth and handed one to me. “Make a wish, Pasha.”

             
I closed my eyes.
I wish for the safety of the people I love…and to be with Finn. Forever.
  Okay, so that was two.  Maybe Aphrodite wouldn’t mind.  I chose an empty inch of branch and tied the cloth to the tree; careful not to come into contact with any branches or leaves.

             
“Your turn,” I instructed him as he stared down at his piece of cloth and smiled.  Then he too tied it to the tree, right beside mine.  I couldn’t help but wonder what he had wished for as we strolled back toward the waves.  Not that I had the courage to ask.  Finn, however didn’t have that problem.

             
“What did you wish for?” he questioned me with a devilish gleam in his eye.

             
“Wishes don’t come true if you tell people what they were!” I scolded him.

             
“If that’s the case....” He pretended to lock his lips and throw away the key. “Mine will stay locked away forever.” His voice took on a serious tone as he continued. “Some wishes are too important to waste.”