Wrath of the Sea Queen

by Cynthia Woods

  "I didn't do this. This is Rika's storm. If they are so worried about it, they can stop it themselves," she stubbornly refused.

  "Please, Honey. Rika is gone. It is your gift that is perpetuating the storm. You have to get control of your emotions, and I don't think you are in any shape to do that on your own. You're too upset. You need help, more help than I can give you. Raphael will not hurt you. Please let him heal you," Vin tried desperately to convince her.

  "I will not allow him to erase my memory. I will wait as long as it takes; Salma will help me. I'm sorry, Vin. No."

  "Salma isn't coming. I think you know that. Caeli, they will force you if necessary," Vin was not making any progress asking her permission so he tried, against his better judgment, to scare her into compliance. That didn't work either. It only hardened her refusal.

  "They can try, but I will continue to fight them," the anger returned to Caeli's voice. She started to walk away from Vin, down the beach and a few steps into the water. She could go no further. Her way remained blocked.

  "What if I can get Raph to give you his word that he will only heal your wound and leave your memory untouched? Will you permit it then?" Vin attempted one final suggestion.

  Caeli turned to look at Vin, considering the compromise. While the mere thought sickened her, she very much wanted the cut on her stomach healed. She could endure it with Vin's help if she had to; but she would not concede at the cost of her memory. She understood that Vin wanted to help, but why did it have to sound so much like he was on their side?

  Vin read the opportunity in her eyes and did not hesitate. He quickly posed the arrangement to Raphael. To Vin's surprise, Raphael required one exception. Raphael insisted on removing the memory of her seeing the baby being removed and carried away.

  "No! I will never forget that!" Caeli's refusal was final.

  Her anger at the thought of having the truth taken away from her caused the rain to fall harder and the waves to crash loudly nearby. Her gift fueled the growing fury of the storm.

  Michael was suddenly standing before her and stretching his hand toward her forehead. Caeli managed to duck out of his reach. A large wave crashed into his back, but it could not knock him from his feet. Michael moved for Caeli again. Vin moved faster, like the wind, and placed himself between Michael and Caeli. He knew that this was a losing battle, but Vin was determined to defend her.

  "Please, Michael. Let me do this," Vin begged.

  Michael nodded and held his ground.

  Vin wrapped his arms around Caeli's shoulders from behind, hugging her close. He took one of her hands in each of his, gently letting his shirt fall away from her grasp as he moved her hands away from the cut on her stomach.

  "I love you, Honey. I'm trying to help you. Forgive me for doing it this way. Please try to understand," Vin said, agonizing over each word, hating himself for what he was about to do. Vin glanced over at Raphael.

  Caeli then realized there were hands other than Vin's on her stomach. Raphael was standing before her and sent a soothing sensation into her abdomen. Caeli immediately struggled to move away, but Vin held her firmly. Raphael's hands did not relinquish their contact.

  "Vin!? How could you? Is that why they let you come here? They knew I would trust you and let my guard down for you. Please, don't do this to me! You don't have to help them. They are only causing further harm. I'm begging you, Vin. Please! Please don't let him do this to me!"

  Caeli's desperate pleas nearly ripped Vin's heart out. He felt every ounce of the betrayal her words implied. He could not avoid second guessing himself. Was Caeli right? Would this cause her some further harm that he could not foresee? Was there another way to fix this? Despite his growing doubt, Vin held firm to his decision. He hoped this was the right choice and that she would eventually forgive him for it. At the moment, that seemed highly unlikely.

  The sensation flowed outward from Caeli's stomach to the rest of her body, and she could not resist. She knew, somewhere in the confusion of her mind, that she needed this help. Yet, she was unable to reconcile herself to fully accept it. She fought against Vin without success. He was too strong. Her strength was already depleted, and Caeli knew that Vin was doing what he thought was right. She called her gift in an attempt to save herself from this fate; but her gift was already responding to her anger, and she could not change its course while Raphael's hands were on her. Caeli half-heartedly struggled for another five minutes and then went still in Vin's arms, accepting the inevitable. The rain and rushing tides abruptly stalled. For the moment, everything was quiet.

  It took Raphael several minutes more to finish his work. When he was done, Caeli's midsection was whole. There was no trace of her previous run-in with the man in black or any of her other injuries since Sunday. Her internal injuries were healed as well, including her cracked ribs. The only indication that anything at all had happened to her were three tiny, wavy, white lines, running parallel to each other on her left side, visible through her tattered blouse.

  "Her wounds are healed, but she has closed her mind to me. I believe she is trying to protect herself," Raphael explained before walking off to join Michael a few feet away.

  The storm was stalled; no doubt a benefit of Caeli's current mental state, though Vin was not sure that was a good thing. He was deeply concerned about the way she looked. He feared that she might not be able to recover from the mental devastation. Vin let Caeli slide to the ground and sat down with her. She did so without resistance and stared off into the distance at nothing in particular, whispering something that he could barely hear. He leaned closer to catch the words.

  "I won't forget. I remember my son." She was repeating the phrases to herself with determination.

  "Caeli, it's over. You're all right now," Vin tried to reach her.

  "I won't forget. I remember my son."

  "So do I, Honey. I remember our son. I saw the terrible thing they did to you. Don't you want to find out why?" Vin tried again.

  Caeli stopped and looked up at Vin, eyes suddenly clear. Vin read anger in her eyes like he had never known from her. The waves lashed out again and the rain pounded against the sand.

  "No, Caeli. Not like that. Provoking them will not get us the answers we want. We need to talk to them. There must be a reason for what they did. I would like to hear it before I pick a fight with our friends."

  "Your friends!" Caeli said in a harsh, pain-filled whisper, no longer able to look at Vin directly.

  Caeli stood up and stalked away from Vin, away from the angels. She walked with determination out into the water. There was no resistance this time. She was no longer a prisoner, though she now had nowhere else to go. She continued out until the water nearly reached her waist and then stopped. After she stood there for several minutes, the thunder and lightning diminished. The rain changed from a downpour to a mild shower, and the waves slowly returned to an almost normal rhythm. The clouds overhead, however, would not be dissipated, especially over the small island.

  She calmed the unnatural, aquatic elements in the storm and the portions that her anger had fueled, but she could not undo the original threat instigated by Rika. She could not bring herself to care at the moment. Her emotions and her gift were under control, and that was the only point she needed to make. Caeli looked back once at Vin, making it evident that she knew exactly what she was doing. She looked away before he could see the shame in her eyes and continued to stare out across the water.

  Vin thought he understood why Caeli had no desire to talk to him or his friends. He could not begrudge her this reaction, though he wished there had been another way. All three of them hurt her, and it pained him to know the truth of it. Vin would have to deal with the consequences of his decision. Caeli was a reasonable person. He had to believe that once the rawness of this incident began to fade, she would eventually understand. In the meantime, Vin walked over to speak with Michael and Raphael. Unfortunately, Michael had already gone to attend to other pressing business.r />
  "She has obviously gained control of her emotions. That much is clear, though I already regret my actions. Please, tell me what happened. Tell me why it was necessary for me to betray her trust to save her from Michael's touch. How is it that you found it necessary to cut our child from her womb in that way and force her into such a state?" Vin would not be denied his answer this time.

  "Your child was already dead. You felt his loss, did you not?" Raphael began.

  "Yes. I didn't realize it at the time, but I knew." Vin did not feel the tingling sensation of the baby's response when he touched Caeli. That was why he refused her request after her walk on the beach with Salma. In a place he kept buried within, Vin had known why, even if he refused to admit it to himself.

  "The baby's body was poisoned by the same chemicals that made her sick. Had the child's body remained intact, it would not have been necessary to remove him. Whether the baby's body would sustain any damage is one outcome we were waiting to discover. When she was stabbed, the child's skin was punctured and the toxins began to leak into Caeli's body. She was again being poisoned, at a much quicker rate, and it was already causing her a great deal of pain. The chemicals were killing her much more rapidly this time. If the child's body had continued to pour forth the damaging toxins, she would have been beyond my aid. Caeli didn't stand a chance without our help. The source of the toxin had to be removed. We intervened at the first opportunity. Yet, that too, was deferred until after her fight with Rika was concluded and her final decision was made. Because she chose to sacrifice herself to save you and Salma, we were permitted to act. Even still, it was almost too late. She was only a few heartbeats away from the tipping point. We had to act immediately," Raphael explained.

  "What do you mean she sacrificed herself?" Vin asked.

  "Caeli chose to stay here and give you aid rather than leave the island before the tunnel flooded. Doing so left her too drained to use her gift to return. She did this knowing that she would not survive the storm out here; but she didn't hesitate. Caeli chose to help you and Salma. She gave up the chance to save herself. It was a truly selfless act."

  "And why couldn't you tell her what has happening?" Vin persisted with a tear-filled glance over at Caeli. Learning the details of what she did for him only made Vin feel worse about his choice.

  "There was no time, and she would not have believed us," Michael answered as he reappeared beside Raphael, loss reflected in his eyes.

  "Caeli said she heard the baby cry. Is that true?"

  "Yes, when I took him across the barrier, his soul lived," Michael confirmed.

  "Afterward, I tried to heal her, but she put the strength of her anger into her gift and managed to slip away," Raphael added.

  If Vin didn't know any better, he would have said that Raphael was embarrassed that Caeli had been able to do that.

  "What about her memory? Did you truly intend to make her forget?" Vin asked the final question.

  "Not entirely. We only wanted to lessen the harshness of it. Like you, we are fully aware of the severity of our actions. By removing the sight of the baby being taken away, it would make this easier for her to handle. Perhaps removing the pain of the cut would help her endure the loss a little better. Of course, we wanted to let her know the truth, but she would not permit any of it, as you saw," Raphael explained.

  "Brother, if we had not acted when we did, Caeli would have died," Michael asserted.

  "I understand, and I am grateful that you saved her life. You cannot begin to know how much. Yet, I cannot approve of your methods. I know that I have absolutely no right to criticize you, but I cannot help myself. Raph, you warned me of this possibility days ago. Therefore, you must have known that this could happen. There must have been time to warn her. There must have been another way to go about this. At the very least, you could have knocked her out or covered her eyes before you did such a thing. It was unimaginably cruel. I don't blame her for lashing out, and now, belatedly, I understand why she was adamant about not letting you touch her again. And I forced that on her. My own betrayal was no less cruel. I will understand if she never forgives me for forcing her to endure your touch after she fought so hard to avoid it." Vin walked away slowly, head hung low.

  "Eyvindr, you must understand that, even with your assistance, I could not have healed her if she truly and freely chose to deny me. Somewhere within, Caeli accepted my help. Do not give up on her. Hope is not lost," Raphael offered parting words of encouragement before he and Michael vanished.

  CHAPTER 58

  "Caeli, will you come back to the hotel with me, please?" Vin tentatively asked as he stood a few feet away from her, not daring to move any closer.

  She turned to look at him standing there. He looked like he might be cold without his shirt, which he gave up for her. The wind lifted goosebumps on his arms, but he wasn't paying any attention to them. Vin was not even looking at her when he spoke. He was facing out to sea as she had been. Caeli could tell that he was upset; rightly so. She fought him every step of the way, forcing him into an impossible position. Then, to top it off, she accused him of terrible things; things she knew he would never do. He had every right to be angry with her. She should just stay out here where she couldn't bring any more pain or sadness to anyone, especially Vin.

  "Yes, I'll go."

  They walked in silence the entire distance. Caeli followed closely behind Vin, who used his gift to clear the tunnel and graciously kept the pace slow enough for her to keep up. She stumbled wearily several times. Each time she faltered, Vin was right there to help her; but then he turned around and continued forward. When they finally emerged near the lighthouse, Vin stopped long enough to turn off the flashlight and ensure that she was still with him. He moved down to the water's edge and walked slowly toward Apela's hotel, not yet visible in the distance. Despite how mad Caeli believed he must be, Vin never moved more than an arm's length ahead of her.

  Caeli didn't know precisely how long it took them to walk that last half mile, but it seemed an eternity to her. She frequently looked out at the storm over the island. It now seemed to be sitting there as if waiting for something. A natural storm should have continued to vent its fury. She knew this storm was anything but natural. However, Caeli had also used her gift to send it on its way, or so she thought. She wondered why it remained paused out there. The mystery gave her something to occupy her mind while she walked, but it did nothing to ease her tension.

  When they finally reached the familiar beach between the cave and the hotel, Caeli stopped. She turned to stand at the water's edge once again, letting her feet get wet. When Vin noticed that she was no longer following him, he turned and walked over to stand near her. He didn't say a word. Caeli could see that his brow furrowed, as if concentrating on something important, but she could not get a look into his downcast eyes.

  Ben and Salma were returning to the lounge to eat the simple lunch they prepared when they saw Vin and Caeli walking up the beach. They moved to look out the door, but neither went outside in the light rain.

  "Oh, Ben, something awful has happened. I have never seen such an obvious rift holding them apart. I can feel it from here," Salma expressed her concern at the blatant tension her gift and their postures revealed.

  "Yes, it would seem so. But, look on the bright side. They are standing down there next to each other. Neither wants to walk away alone. Perhaps they need a little prodding; someone to speak first," Ben remarked, but he was not any more eager to be that prompt than was Salma. This matter was obviously way too personal to get involved.

  "Pretty Caeli!" Max did not have the self-imposed restraint that Ben and Salma displayed. He ran right by them, out the door, and straight down the beach, hollering Caeli's name as he ran. Both Vin and Caeli turned to watch him approach. Once again, Vin came to her rescue as Max was about to throw himself into her arms. Caeli took a nervous step back as Vin caught Max and kept him grounded. Vin noticed her skittish reaction, but still did not say a word.


  "Hi, pretty Caeli. Did they make you better now?"

  Caeli was astonished to see the physical change in Max, though she made no comment; not knowing what happened while she was gone. Vin could tell by her expression that she was curious.

  "It was a gift from his uncle," Vin explained succinctly, purposely avoiding the use of his uncle's name.

  "Do you like it, pretty Caeli? Don't I look grown up now? Why are you sad? Uncle Michael said you would be better. Aren't you better?" Max fired off the succession of questions; the last ones nearly choking Caeli with thoughts of Michael. Yet, she finally answered.

  "I am better, Max."

  "Are you coming inside? You can eat with me if you want. Papa fixed a good lunch."

  "Not right now, Max. Please go back inside," Caeli replied. She was not ready to face anyone else; not while this tension remained between her and Vin. She desperately wanted to find a way to fix it if she could.

  Max was not deterred by her brisk dismissal. He tugged on Caeli's arm until she leaned down where he could whisper in her ear. She listened politely without any response except to repeat her previous request that he return to the hotel. Afterward, Max sulked back to the lounge. He ignored Ben, who was still standing at the door, and went to crawl up beside Salma on the couch.

  "They are not any fun right now."

  "Why don't you go and eat your lunch," Ben suggested.

  "I'm not hungry until pretty Caeli is hungry. Pretty Dr. Salma, will you play with me? Please?"

  Salma would have much preferred to take a nap after her traumatic morning. Now that her own belly was full, her eyelids were already drooping. But, she couldn't refuse Max's sweet request. She managed to stall him for a while, but then his boredom began to get the better of him. Thankfully, Ben stepped in to relieve her.

  "Max, why don't you find your cards or a board game, and then we will sit here and play for a while. Salma is going to get some rest. She has had a harrowing morning and needs some sleep so she will feel better," Ben answered.