Chosen (9 page)

             
A new storm of nerves erupted in my stomach as a striking woman dressed in the same traditional dress, but donning a bronze swath of fabric floated into the courtyard.  Her sandy brown hair and sparkling caramel eyes were almost muted by the energy that her smile radiated.  She breezed to a stop in front of me and clasped her hands together. I noticed her bronzed skin had tiny freckles that cascaded down her arms and dusted her nose. 

             
“I am Psamanthe,” she announced with a simple dignity. “Nereid and goddess of sand.” Phoebe was her descendent!  She definitely shared Psamanthe’s unique energy and innocence, which had a way of ridding the world of its harshness.  She smiled once more and held out her hand without another word.  I placed mine in hers, palm up, and she followed the same steps that Nemertes had a couple minutes earlier.  Another small drop of sparkling liquid pooled in my palm.  A light breeze blew up around Psamanthe and lifted my hair, bringing the wholesome aroma of sea oats with it.  Just as before, the droplet of liquid hovered briefly and then burst.

             
“Echete Epilexei” she proclaimed, tilting her head towards me respectfully. “Please tell Phoebe I am extremely proud of the young woman she has become.”

             
“She will be overjoyed to hear that,” I answered in an effort to sound as equally dignified and poised.  I’m pretty sure I failed miserably, being that I was neither dignified nor poised.  I inspected her warm, caramel eyes and found more of the same contagious energy swirling from within.  Apparently she was doing the same.

             
“You have a strong connection to the sand as well,” she stated with a child-like grin.

             
“I do,” I confirmed.

             
“I can sense its presence within you,” she said as she tilted her head in fascination. She stepped forward; her eyes darting back and forth and then whispered, “Try talking to the ghost crabs and see what happens.”

             
“Ghost crabs…?” I began to say, but she was already walking away with an impish grin.

             
As she took her place next to Nemertes, a third woman materialized inches away from me. I let out a light yelp and my hand went to my heart in surprise.  I heard a light tinkle of laughter from Nemertes and Psamanthe.  So much for the strong front I was trying to keep up.  The newcomer wore a lavender swathe secured with dark purple jewels.   As I met her enchanting violet eyes, a twisting wind whipped up around us.  Her hair, with every tone of purple represented, swirled around her heart-shaped face.  The loose sand and dust that surrounded the courtyard was swept up into a mini tornado that I now found myself enclosed in. 

             
“I am Plexaure,” she announced in a velvety voice. “Nereid and goddess of the twisting breeze.” No wonder I was standing in a tornado!  She presented me with her dainty hand, which was decorated with an array of silver rings that accented the row of silver bangles around her wrist.  I placed my hand on top of hers and watched the liquid collect once again.  After the sparkling droplet of liquid had disappeared, her tornado dissipated as well; sending spirals of dancing dust and sand across the courtyard.

             
“Echete Epilexei,” Plexaure stated before vanishing into thin air; reappearing next to Psamanthe at the edge of the courtyard.  Without skipping a beat, a fourth woman, wearing a pale blue swathe and who had sparkling, crystal blue eyes drifted into the courtyard.  Her unruly, thick hair extended almost to the ground and was as white as her dress, with only a handful of pale blue strands to add a touch of color.  A serene peacefulness settled over me as her eyes met mine. 

             
“I am Laneira, Nereid and goddess of Healing,” she stated quietly.  All of my anxiety mysteriously disappeared, confirming what I already knew - Willow was descended from Laneira.  I placed my hand on top of hers and warmth spread rapidly throughout my body; energizing and uplifting me.  “Willow has found a true friend and leader in you, Anastasia.” 

             
After going through the same steps as her sisters, she whispered “Echete Epilexei,” and then took her spot at the edge of the courtyard.  One after another, the Nereids introduced themselves and ‘Chose’ me.  Their names ran together no matter how hard I tried to remember them; Actaea, Halia, Glauke, Clymene and many, many more.  Several stuck out in my mind by their eclectic show of abilities.  One in particular left my mind reeling from her kaleidoscope eyes.

             
Her dizzying fragrance wrapped around me before she had even made her way into the courtyard.  A vast meadow of flowers wouldn’t have smelled as rich as the wave of aroma that overtook my senses in that moment.  Once she stepped into view, I understood.  She wore the same traditional dress with a coral colored swathe over her shoulder; however I failed to notice those all-too-mundane details due to the fact that I was so captivated by her other, more riveting features.  Her long blonde hair was highlighted by flowing strands of flower blossoms in every color and size.  Her eyes were a swirling mirage of blues, pinks, yellows, and purple hues.  Beautiful designs of vines and blossoms wove around her arms and neck; taking your eyes captive and sending them on a journey.  As she stepped in front of me, the rich smell of flowers became intoxicating.  When she smiled, I was reminded of a blossoming rose.  It lit up her face and warmed the world right along with it.  

             
“I am Thalia,” she crooned, and I could have sworn that the sunlight brightened in response. “Nereid, and goddess of the blooming sea.”  Her hand was as soft as a flower petal, and instead of tingling, my hand glowed a warm yellow.  The sparkling liquid that collected in my palm resembled a ray of sunshine and smelled of a summer’s day. 

             
The entire experience was both exhilarating and humbling, all at once.  As they each took their spot around the courtyard, I felt a part of something much larger than anything I’d ever experienced before.  I was also completely caught up in the amount of power, wisdom, and love that I felt from them all.  My heart was filled with so much joy and acceptance, I thought it might burst. 

             
Once the last Nereid had entered the courtyard, I counted a total of thirty-seven. Thirty-seven beautiful and unique women surrounding me as a whole entity, representing every facet of the sea.  They closed the circle, held their arms in the air and began to chant:

“Echete epilexei, me ta podia to monopati.

Echete epilexei, me ta podia to monopati.”

             
The world around me completely faded away, and the only thing visible were these magnificent little lights above me.  Or were they bubbles?  It was the liquid!  Each droplet danced to its own tune, eventually finding the others to create a large puddle above my head.

“Echete epilexei, me ta podia to monopati.

Echete epilexei, me ta podia to monopati.”

             
The Nereids seemed to be spinning around me somehow, a whirl of color and voices as they chanted the same words over and over. As they said it one last time, the puddle above my head came crashing down on me, the world pitched violently to the side and everything went black.

             
The throbbing pain in my side was nothing compared to the blood-soaked gash running down my right leg.  As I ran, the humid air stung the ragged flesh and caused the blood to pour down into my shoe and saturate my sock even quicker.  The numbness I held onto when it happened had faded, replaced with a burning sensation that was quickly crawling up my leg and making my whole body hurt.  I wouldn’t be able to run much farther.  I had a find a place to sit down.

             
As I rounded the seventh block from our house, I spotted the neighborhood playground and made a beeline for the jungle gym.  I climbed the wooden ladder, crossed the chain bridge and climbed into a plastic tunnel.  The world turned watery and numb as I allowed myself to cry.  For several minutes the pain in my leg was trumped by the pain inside my heart.  That type of pain was worse than any physical pain.  Physical pain healed eventually; it closed up and stopped bleeding.  But the emotional pain could bleed for years.  No amount of band-aids could stop the hemorrhaging of a little girl’s heart.

             
I almost got away from him.  I almost slipped away unharmed.  But I wasn’t quite fast enough.  I pulled my leg back one second too late and the knife had dragged across my calf before I was able to make it out the back door and into the neighbor’s yard.  That’s when I started running.  I couldn’t go back there right away.  Not until he passed out.  I’d give it an hour or so, and then I could sneak back in and crawl in bed.  Having a plan helped me feel a little bit safer.  It wasn’t much, but if all I had was a tiny thread to hold onto, I’d hold on as tight as I could.  I wiped my nose on my sleeve and decided to take a good look at my wound. 

             
The knife hadn’t gone in too far except where it had started; the rest was just one long slit.  I didn’t think I needed stitches, but it sure needed something.  In a mountain of agony, I climbed out of the tunnel and scooted down the slide.  I limped over to the communal water fountain and did my best to throw my leg on top of it and under the water pouring out, failing miserably and scraping the underside of my leg in the process.  I turned on the water again and used my hand to collect and pour it over the gash.  I gritted my teeth as the burning intensified from mildly hot to erupting volcano. 

             
“You’ll need to stop the bleeding,” an endearing voice instructed.  I looked up into the eyes of a stunning woman with curly brown hair and bright blue eyes that were lined with unmistakable kindness.  As my eyes flitted back down, I remembered thinking how familiar those eyes seemed, but I dismissed the thought just as quickly as it had come.

             
“Thanks,” I muttered and did my best to limp away as fast as possible.  I didn’t get far.

             
“What kind of knife was it?” she asked conversationally.  I spun around and inspected her further with guarded eyes.  She wore a simple light yellow sundress and a beautiful yellow stone pendant around her neck.  She waited for me to size her up and decide if I wanted to trust her.  “The sharp ones are usually not as bad, they cut clean through.  It’s those butter knives you have to watch out for.” She grinned and raised an eyebrow.  Her casual confidence blew over me like a fresh breeze, and the mischief in her eyes reeled me in.  She still gave me an odd feeling of déjà vu, although I couldn’t figure out why that would be.  I had no reason to run into grown-ups as put together as she was.

             
“I think it was a steak knife,” I admitted quietly. “It had ridges on it.  It really hurt.”

             
“I happen to have something we can wrap it up with, if you’d like?” she asked, holding up something white in her hand while still keeping her distance. She held out her hand and waited.  I shifted to my working leg and considered my options.  I could either let her help me or bleed to death.  I figured bleeding to death wouldn’t be a very good way to go, so I took her hand.

             
“Okay,” I agreed timidly. She allowed me to lean on her until we got to a wooden bench a couple yards away.  I watched and tried not to cry out as she slowly wrapped my leg in a piece of fabric.  She secured it with a pin and smiled warmly up at me.

             
“There - all better.” Somehow her words made me feel safer. Or maybe it was the new experience of having someone take care of me.  “What’s your name?”

             
“Hannah,” I told her.

             
“I’m Charlotte,” she said, and peered up at the sky thoughtfully. “Have you ever seen a live oak tree, Hannah?”

             
“The ones with the crazy branches?”

             
“Yes, those are the ones,” she chuckled. “When a live oak tree grows near the shore, the constant battering of the sand, wind, and water start to take its toll.  However, instead of the branches breaking, they adapt.  They twist and turn, eventually growing into a completely unique and beautiful tree.  Once full grown, those twisted and mangled branches give that same tree the strength and courage to weather any storm.”             

             
“That’s kind of cool.”

             
“So when things get bad and you start feeling all twisted inside, just remember that’s what will give you the strength and courage to weather any storm.”

             
“But, what if I do break?” I asked quietly.

             
“That won’t happen,” she said confidently.

             
“How do you know?”

             
“I have a very special talent for seeing who you truly are,” she winked at me and smiled widely. “And you, my dear, are plenty twisted.  No storm could ever break you.”

             
For the first time in a long time, I laughed and forgot about my pain - not only the pain in my leg, but the pain in my heart as well.

-----

              As I found my way back to the glaring reality of consciousness, the haze around my mind was almost as comforting as the strong arms around me.  My entire body was wrapped in a world of soft sheets and feathery pillows, while a light breeze on my cheek tickled my skin.  Wait.  Breeze?  Strong arms?  My mind instantly focused, and all of my senses sharpened as I underwent a quick inspection of my surroundings.  Where was I, and most importantly - who the hell was lying behind me?

             
I realized with a start that the breeze I felt was the mystery person’s light breathing.  I lifted the sheets ever so slightly to peek under and look at the arm that was wrapped securely around me.  I blinked.  Then I blinked again.  It couldn’t be!  But after another blink I realized it was really there.  A black skull and crossbones covered the forearm.

             
“Good morning Pasha,” a magical voice whispered in my ear.

             
“Finn?!” I twisted around so fast I almost fell off the bed. My heart jumped into overtime as I took in his handsome face and the strands of dark hair that skirted his piercing blue eyes. “It’s you!”

             
“Were you expecting someone else?” Those deep blue eyes danced with mischief as his mouth curled into a crooked grin, and I almost fell apart right there beside him.  That’s when I noticed his warm darkness wrapped around us.  A feeling I had missed so much it made me ache inside.

             
“How did you..? When did I…? You’re okay!” There were so many frantic thoughts going through my mind I couldn’t seem to choose just one.  I smothered him in a hug; breathing him in and touching the smooth skin of his arms, chest, back, and face just to make sure he was real.  To my surprise, he was also completely healed.  It was such a contrast from the last time I had seen him, the time in the cavern could have been a dream.

             
“I missed you so much,” he whispered and brushed a renegade piece of aquamarine hair away from my face; tucking it behind my ear.  The sensation of his soft touch felt so good it hurt. 

             
“I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there - I wanted to come, I wanted to save you -“ He held a finger up to my lips.

             
“You saved me a long time ago,” he declared in a low voice, as his eyes fell to my lips and he leaned in.  I closed my eyes and melted into the soft caresses of his lips on mine, the warmth of his mouth, and the way he pulled me close as if he were afraid that I might disappear.  As the warmth of his darkness swirled around me and infused my senses with fire, his hand slid around to the nape of my neck.  His kisses endured deeper and he pulled me impossibly closer.  The heat of his body and the passion of his kisses healed the gaping hole that had been created by his absence.  Unexpected tears sprang to my eyes as I became overwhelmed with relief and happiness.

             
“Don’t cry, Pasha,” he breathed as he kissed away a tear. “If my breath stinks that bad I can brush my teeth again.” He feigned embarrassment and covered his mouth, eyes wide with fear.  I laughed through my tears and pulled him close once again; drinking up his nearness.

             
“It’s okay, I’ll just hold my breath so I don’t have to smell it,” I joked back.  His words reminded me of how horrendous I must look. Morning breath and bed head hair was
not
how I had envisioned our reunion.  I smoothed down my hair and wiped at my eyes to rid my face of any smeared makeup, as a litany of thoughts surfaced in my mind.

             
“So, when did you get back?  Are your parents okay? Where’s Nadia?” I surveyed my tank top and cotton shorts. “And how did I get back?” He simply smiled at the deluge of questions, and propped himself up on his elbow as he continued to watch me with amusement.  He laced his fingers through mine and gazed at me with an intensity that sent the thoughts into a tailspin.

             
“Nadia ran like hell when she saw Dad, so my parents are more than okay. I remember mom and dad returning with me yesterday afternoon and waking up in my body, but mom made sure that I went right to sleep.  I must have been out cold too, because I have no recollection of your arrival in my bed.  When I woke up to see you beside me, I thought I was dreaming.”

             
I looked around and realized I was, in fact, in the bed his soul-less body had been lying in.  And the bed his now half-dressed and very much alive body was lying in.  Dorien and Tina must have driven me back from Kourion.  The fact that Tina had been able to get that dress off of me while I was unconscious said a lot about her level of patience.  I was in trouble if I had to get back in that thing without her.  That’s when his previous words sunk in.

             
“Nadia…ran?” A sliver of dread blanketed my heart. “It’s all fun and games until Nadia doesn’t get what she wants.  I bet she’s still in the midst of a temper tantrum.  Or plotting her revenge.”  Indignation coursed through my veins as I thought about her. I envisioned her pouting in a diabolical lair, complete with shrunken heads and jarred body parts; adding world domination to her to-do list right below torturing Finn and suffocating kittens. 

             
“I have a bad feeling you aren’t far from the truth,” he snickered.

             
“Why was she so hell bent on having you as her husband if all she was going to do was torture you?!”

             
“She was more worried about obtaining my essence, rather than me,” he explained. “Which explains why she wanted to be bound in the first place.  It also explains the vacuum she created.  She wasn’t torturing me, Pasha, she was stealing my essence.”

             
“Being Princess of the Underworld not enough for her?” I replied cynically.

             
“Unfortunately not.  But stealing essence is one thing…infusing it into your own is something else entirely.  She wouldn’t be able to do that by herself.  This is more complicated than just a spoiled princess wanting to be stronger.  Others must have been involved.”

             
“Excellent,” I sighed. 

             
“Speaking of growing stronger,” he asked with raised eyebrows. “I hear you got to meet your future sisters yesterday?”  I couldn’t stop the wide grin that took hold of my mouth as the memory of the day before rushed into my mind.

             
“Oh my god, I was terrified, but it was incredible!” I relived the events of the Gathering with Finn while he grinned at me with pride.  I described the multi-faceted dress, the ruins that were anything but, and the awe-inspiring Nereids.  Even thinking about it again made my heart warm with a sense of belonging.  Once I finished my story, he leaned back to look into my eyes; his features suddenly serious.

             
“I’m going to take you somewhere today,” he informed me in a tone that implied there would be no arguing.

             
“Find Nadia and make her pay for what she did to you?  ‘Cause that’s now at the top of my Christmas list,” I told him in all seriousness.  He laughed and shook his head.