Daughters of the Sea

by HR Mason

  “Listen to me. The Everwines cannot be trusted.”

  “That’s funny. Camille Everwine said the same thing about you,” Runa said flatly.

  “That woman—”

  “Look, clearly you had some type of history with them, but that’s in the past. You don’t even know Chase. The fact that you had issues with his parents has nothing to do with him, or with me.”

  “Runa—”

  “Tell me why you don’t trust them. Give me a solid reason,” Runa demanded, suddenly feeling very defensive.

  “Well….”

  “Go on. If it’s so imperative that I stay away from Chase, you need to tell me why.”

  “I… I… can’t…,” Asta fumbled.

  “That’s what I thought. Since you can’t back up your opinion with any facts, I don’t want to hear another word about it.”

  “Runa—”

  “I mean it,” Runa insisted.

  “All right. I don’t want to upset you,” Asta soothed.

  “Then be happy for me. That’s all I need,” Runa pleaded.

  “I’m not sure I can do that,” Asta answered sadly.

  “Then we’re going to have a problem, Mom,” Runa said quietly.

  Twelve

  Vardø, Norway, 1897

  “Sigrid, are you all right?”

  Fourteen-year-old Brynja ran into her twin sister’s bedroom as she heard the loud fit of coughing. Concerned, she placed her hand on Sigrid’s back, wincing at how thin her sister had become.

  “It’s happening,” the girl wheezed.

  Sigrid turned her too-pale face and held out the white cloth that was splattered with red bloodstains. Her body trembled, and her bony clavicle protruded through her nightgown. Sigrid’s weight loss had been steady and relentless, and in the past few months, it had stolen any excess flesh from the girl’s bones.

  “No, Sigrid, no. It can’t be.” Brynja shook her head violently in denial.

  “First Mama, then Papa, and now me,” Sigrid whispered as tears rolled down her sunken cheeks.

  “It won’t take you. I won’t let it.” Brynja stamped her foot in anger.

  “There’s nothing to be done. It’s consumption. We’ve tried all of our remedies, used all our power,” Sigrid replied.

  “There must be something else. I can’t lose you. I wish it would take me instead,” Brynja wailed.

  She grabbed her sister and pulled her close, crushing her frail body within her desperate embrace. Sigrid winced and Brynja released her grip.

  “Brynja, I am going to die. I’ve seen it. I saw it months ago, right after we lost Papa,” Sigrid admitted.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I couldn’t bear it. I hoped I was wrong.”

  “Mama always said we were powerful, stronger than any force she’d ever seen.”

  “We are,” Sigrid replied calmly.

  “She called us the generation of two.” Brynja’s angry voice rose as she paced the room.

  “And so we are. But she also said a sacrifice was necessary.”

  “And you’re the sacrifice?” Brynja railed.

  “Something must be given up to have the power,” Sigrid reminded her.

  “What does it matter if we can’t make you well?” Brynja yelled.

  “Our power isn’t given to us for ourselves, sister. It’s given to us so that we may help others,” Sigrid answered serenely.

  The twins had always been opposite sides of the same coin. Where Brynja was spirit and fire, Sigrid was calmness and tranquility. Never had it been more obvious than in that moment.

  “Well, I don’t want the power. If I’m not strong enough to help you, what good is it?”

  Brynja’s anger turned to desperation as she sank to the floor and began to sob.

  Sigrid, unable to handle the sight of her twin so distraught, knelt beside her and held her as tightly as her frail arms would allow.

  “You know the good our power can do. Mama taught us our history. It isn’t for us to control. We’re simply the vessels. God directs it.”

  “But how will I survive without you? How can I live without my breath?” Brynja raised her head and looked into her sister’s identical blue eyes.

  “I’m part of you, and I always will be.”

  “The very best part.”

  “And I’ll always be with you, but you will go on, long after I’m gone.” Sigrid smiled.

  “What will I do?” Brynja sobbed.

  “You’ll tell our story. You’ll continue our legacy.”

  “I can’t do it without you.”

  “But you will. I’ve seen that as well. My story ends here, but yours will take you far away, across the sea, into a new land,” Sigrid explained.

  Sigrid reached beside her and grabbed the large leather-bound book from the table. She placed it into her sister’s hands and clasped her own on top. Blue streaks of light emanated from the book and traveled through their skin, crackling and illuminating, filling the room with magic.

  Thirteen

  “Mom, you’re here! I’m so excited to see you,” Runa gushed as she opened her front door and pulled her mother into a giant hug.

  “Hey, baby. I’m glad to finally be able to hug you.” Asta gathered Runa’s body closely to hers.

  It had been more than three months since Asta had seen her daughter, and things in Runa’s life had changed dramatically. Although it was difficult for her to leave Portland, Asta felt she had little choice in the matter. There were things she needed to discuss with Runa, and that was best done in person.

  “Come in. Let’s get you settled. I have the guest room ready for you,” Runa babbled on excitedly as she led her mother inside and closed the door.

  “You’ve really made this little house of yours into a home, haven’t you? It has nice ambience. Good energy. Very welcoming,” Asta complimented her daughter as she took in the view.

  “It’s great. I love it here. I feel like I’ve finally found my place, you know?”

  “Yes, it would seem so….”

  “What’s wrong, Mom? I know something is bothering you. That’s why you’re here, right?” Runa raised her eyebrow perceptively.

  “I’m just here to visit with my daughter for a few days. I missed you. Is that so wrong?” Asta strategically avoided Runa’s eyes as she spoke the half-truth.

  “Of course not. I’ve missed you, too, but I can’t help feeling there’s more to this visit than you’re letting on,” Runa answered.

  “I just want to check out your new life. I don’t really feel like a part of it, and that’s new for me. I want to spend some time with you,” Asta soothed.

  “Well, in that case, I’m glad you’re here.”

  The women deposited Asta’s luggage in the guest room and made their way downstairs, where they seated themselves at the kitchen table.

  “How are things at the shop?” Asta inquired, glancing around the homey kitchen.

  “Things are amazing. It’s been busy every single day. I’m constantly ordering more pieces, which is great. I’ve even hired an employee to help me out,” Runa shared.

  “That’s great news, honey. I’m so proud of you. You’ve really taken control of your life.”

  “I’m going to make us some tea.” Runa rose and went to the cupboard.

  Asta watched her daughter measure out the tea leaves and place the kettle on the stove to boil. Runa seemed different, guarded, changed. On the surface, things appeared to be going well, but her motherly instinct told her there was cause for concern.

  Asta had been having strong visions of Runa in trouble, but the messages were jumbled, and she couldn’t make sense of them. Still, change was in the air. She could feel it. Runa was involved with the Everwines, and Asta had to tread lightly in that department. She couldn’t afford to create an irreparable rift between her and her daughter. Not now, when there was so much at stake.

  “The shop sounds like it’s doing well,” Asta began. “How is ever
ything else?”

  “By everything else, do you mean Chase?” Runa turned her head toward her mother and gave her a knowing look.

  “Perhaps. How are things with Chase?” Asta’s heart rate sped up considerably as she dove into the murky waters.

  “He’s wonderful. Truly. I’ve never been happier. The past three months with him have been the best of my life. He’s so considerate, and he always puts me first, which is a change from any of my other relationships. He also doesn’t try to control me.”

  “It sounds like things are getting serious,” Asta hedged.

  “Well…,” Runa hesitated, knowing what she needed to say, yet dreading her mother’s reaction.

  “Well what?” Asta probed.

  Runa poured the tea into the pot, carried it to the table, and plopped into the chair across from her mother. She took a deep breath as she watched the steam roll from the pot, taking a moment to formulate her answer.

  “Well, you could say things are serious. As a matter of fact, I’m glad you’re here.” Runa reached across the table and clasped her mother’s hands in her own. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

  “What is it?”

  “Last night, Chase asked me to marry him. And I said yes.”

  Asta’s head spun with the unexpected information. Her breath came in rapid spurts, and she yanked her hands away from Runa’s, gripping the edge of the table as her body grew stiff. The room began to twist, and her vision clouded with red. She tried to find her daughter, but Runa was surrounded by a solid red wall, and Asta had no idea how to get around it. She opened her mouth to speak, but rather than what she wanted to say, strange words that she didn’t understand flowed from her lips instead.

  “Du er i fare. Du er i fare. Du er i fare.”

  Runa gasped as her mother spoke the strange phrase, the same one she’d heard numerous times since arriving in Departure Cove.

  “Mom, what does that mean? What are you saying?”

  Asta didn’t answer. She stared blankly ahead, as if in a trance.

  Runa sprang from her chair and knelt before her mother, shaking the woman’s shoulders in an effort to bring her back to reality.

  “Du er i fare,” Asta whispered again.

  “Mom—”

  As suddenly as the strange behavior began, it stopped. Asta’s vision cleared, she straightened her body in her chair, shook her head, and glanced around the room in confusion.

  “What happened?”

  “I have no idea. Are you okay?”

  “Yes, I think so.”

  Runa slowly took her seat once again.

  “Why did you say that? What does it mean?”

  “I don’t remember saying anything,” Asta replied, her forehead wrinkling with confusion.

  “You kept saying a phrase over and over again, but the words weren’t in English.”

  “Runa, I don’t know any other languages.”

  “I’ve heard the phrase before. Several times, in fact,” Runa continued. “Du er i fare.”

  “I wish I could be more helpful, but I have no clue what that means.” Asta shrugged. “All I remember is seeing a red aura all around you after you told me—”

  “That Chase and I are getting married?” Runa finished.

  “Yes. Runa, won’t you please reconsider?”

  “No. I won’t. I love Chase, and he loves me. We are getting married, and that’s final.”

  “How can you know you’re doing the right thing? You just met him. Your relationship has moved so quickly. Give yourselves time to get to know each other,” Asta pleaded.

  “I know everything I need to know. Chase loves me. He practically worships the ground I walk on. What more could I possibly want?”

  “Honesty, transparency…,” Asta began, her eyes filling with tears.

  “Here we go again.” Runa stood from her chair and began to pace. “What makes you think he hasn’t been honest and transparent?”

  “Because I know the family he was raised in. People live what they learn.” Asta sighed, wiping her eyes. “Some legacies are too difficult to overcome.”

  “What does that even mean, Mom? You talk in circles without ever giving solid answers.”

  “The Everwines are a powerful, controlling family. People are simply a means to an end with them. Relationships are disposable in their eyes. Is that solid enough for you?”

  “No!” Runa exploded.

  The women didn’t speak for several minutes, each trying to corral their runaway thoughts.

  Finally, Runa took a deep breath and sat down once again. “Look, I know something happened between you and them.”

  Asta reached across the table and gripped her daughter’s hands in hers.

  “Yes, I have a history with the Everwines. There’s a lot of bad blood.”

  “Won’t you please tell me what happened? Help me understand,” Runa begged.

  “I grew up in Departure Cove. We all went to the same school.”

  “Were you friends?”

  “For a while. Until things grew… tricky.”

  “What happened then?”

  “I became dispensable,” Asta remarked coldly.

  “Can you tell me more?” Runa begged. “Give me something else to go on.”

  “No. I wish I could, but I can’t. It’s for your own good.”

  “But why?”

  “I have my reasons. It’s best if we leave it at that.”

  “I thought honesty and transparency meant so much to you.” Runa leveled her gaze at her mother as her words filled the quiet room.

  “Runa….”

  “Fine. Don’t tell me. But Chase and I are getting married, and you’re going to have to find a way to come to terms with that.” Runa crossed her arms over her chest in defiance.

  “You are my daughter, and I will give my life to protect you. I hope it doesn’t come to that, but I’ll do what’s necessary,” Asta replied cryptically.

  Fourteen

  The next afternoon, Asta and Runa took a stroll around town in an effort to avoid conversation. They spent the previous evening dancing around the elephant in the room, neither woman anxious to circle back to the subject of the Everwines. They were at an impasse.

  Runa hated the divide that existed between her and her mother, but she didn’t see any way to bridge it. She was marrying Chase, and Asta didn’t approve of her decision. Rather than argue, it seemed best not to discuss the matter at all.

  “What’s this place? I’ve never seen it before,” Asta mused as she glanced inside the window of a curious-looking shop.

  “Talisman. It looks like a hippie shop. That’s right up your alley. Let’s go inside.”

  “Great idea,” Asta agreed as they opened the door.

  The smell of patchouli wafted through the air as the women entered the dim candlelit storefront. Various crystals, small vials of essential oils, and a plethora of glass jars packed with fragrant herbs lined the shelves. Runa tentatively ran her finger across the edge of a Tibetan singing bowl, and the sound echoed in the quiet room.

  “This is amazing.” Asta nodded in appreciation.

  “Hello there,” a voice called from the back room.

  A door closed as a woman approached them. She was about Asta’s age, with wild brown curly hair. The woman had the most astute green eyes Runa had ever seen, the kind that could look at a person and know everything about them in an instant. They were equally enchanting and unnerving.

  “Welcome to Talisman. I’m Tawney, the owner,” the woman greeted.

  “Tawney Berg? Are you kidding me?” Asta raised her hand to her mouth in shock. “I haven’t seen you in years!”

  “Oh my goodness. Asta Brandon? I can’t believe it’s you,” Tawney gushed as she grabbed Asta and pulled her into a huge hug.

  Runa watched with surprise as the women babbled on about how long it had been since they’d seen each other. After a few moments, they seemed to remember she was standing there.

&n
bsp; “Tawney, this is my daughter, Runa. She moved to Departure Cove a few months ago. She opened a boutique around the block,” Asta explained.

  “Runa’s, yes, I’ve seen it. You have some beautiful things in your window. I’ve been meaning to stop by,” Tawney replied.

  “You should,” Runa urged. “So how do the two of you know each other?”

  “Oh, Tawney and I go way back. And I do mean way back.” Asta chuckled as she grabbed the other woman’s hand.

  “Your mother and I were inseparable from kindergarten all the way to graduation.” Tawney shook her head as a look of sadness swept over her lovely face.

  “Yes, we lost touch after I left town, didn’t we?”

  “We did, although I never understood why. We were so close, and then you just… well… disappeared after—”

  “That’s one of my biggest regrets about my past,” Asta interrupted as her hands fluttered nervously toward her throat. “Perhaps we can make amends. What do you say?”

  “Of course we can. The past is in the past. All things happen for a reason, don’t they?”

  Tawney’s astute eyes met Asta’s, and the women stared at each other, seemingly sharing a lifetime of unspoken messages. After a couple minutes, they nodded, confirmation of a silent agreement to something Runa didn’t understand.

  “So, how are you enjoying our little town, Runa?” Tawney asked.

  “I love it so far. The people have been quite welcoming,” Runa replied, a blush creeping into her cheeks as she thought of Chase.

  “You’ll be settling down here?” Tawney’s all-seeing eyes bored into Runa, reading and understanding things she shouldn’t.

  Runa squirmed under the scrutiny. “Yes. I’m getting married soon, so I’ll be staying.”

  “Married? To someone local?” Tawney raised her eyebrow quizzically.

  “As a matter of fact, yes. I’m engaged to Chase Everwine,” Runa replied.

  “Everwine?” Tawney’s eyes met Asta’s, and once again, the women seemed to communicate without saying a word.

  “Yes.” Runa stiffened her spine. “Let me guess, you don’t care for the Everwines either?”