By the Salt, Salt Sea

by R. L. Stuemke

  She sat on the walkway for a while, breathing deeply and trying to clear her head of all thought, just taking in the fresh air and sunshine, relaxing. She even dozed off for a while, and when she woke and went back to the house, she felt relaxed enough that she didn't need to resume working at the hectic pace of that morning just to keep from worrying, or blurting out words she knew she'd regret. Instead, she picked up her book again, and began reading, able to concentrate well enough that she found herself grabbing her writing pad to jot down some more notes.

  Gareth came out to the living room, seeming very pleased.

  "How would you feel about having a guest here for Christmas?" he asked. "I just got an email from Mum and she says she'd like to meet you, and see what I've done with this place. She hasn't been here since I first moved in last year."

  "That's great!" Shari said, faking more enthusiasm than she could make herself feel. 'His Mother' meant Elena as far as her nervous system was concerned, and as a result, meeting Mrs. Maclachlan was a scary thought. Yes, Elena was the one who provided her with money and its corresponding ability to get away, but up until that point, her mother-in-law had been persistently hostile, cold, and unforgiving, and her stated reason for helping Shari had been very self-serving. Still, maybe Gareth remained close to his mother for better reasons, and her wish to come for the holidays and meet Shari could be a good omen, not a threat.

  He hugged her briefly, and for a moment, all she could feel was desire, a stronger than ever wish that he would pull her down to the living room floor and make love to her tirelessly for the rest of the day, but before she could fully register that thought, he was bouncing back toward his office. "You'll like her, Shari, I promise you that. And I'm sure she'll love you. How could she not?"

  Shari set her book down and rubbed her forehead. She had to succeed that afternoon, had to learn once and for all if Gareth was just a wonderful, beautiful, kind man with one eccentric habit, or a creature of legend. She placed her hand on her stomach. What if he only wanted her child? So many of the legends concentrated on that theme, but again, obviously he had lived with both of his parents, and his mother was very much a part of his life. His father hadn't taken him away. And he had spoken, with sincerity and intensity, about 'stories' of Selkies who consecrated their love for their human mates with church weddings. Soon enough, Gareth pulled on a jacket and headed out the door with his canine companion. Shari watched him go for only a few seconds before reaching for her own winter jacket, the outside temperature finally having gotten too cold for just the sweater Bess had given her, and slipped outside herself, making once again for the light tower. Just as she went out the door, the house telephone rang, but she couldn't take the time to answer it, didn't want to take the cell phone with her, and so left the machine to pick up the call. It was getting darker, of course, and she found it difficult to see details along the coast. Still, she kept her eyes on the two figures moving along the rocks. She wasn't sure what she was praying for, beyond just knowing, one way or the other. She stood at the metal barricade, and kept watching Gareth and Aneurin as they proceeded toward the little cove. They walked around a rock formation, and suddenly, she couldn't see either of them anymore. Her heart almost stopped—to fail at this point would be a nightmare. She didn't know if her sanity could survive another 24 hours with these questions pressing on her soul. Then, she kneeled at the barricade, almost like taking communion. She settled back on her heels, closed her eyes, and tried to clear her head of everything but the smell of the ocean breeze and the sound of the breaking waves. She had heard him last night; he had known something was wrong. The connection his greatgrandmother had written of was all she had left, if she was to get an answer to her questions.

  The seagulls were calling, and a growing wind whistled around the tower. Gradually, starting in the distance and moving closer, the music of the ocean swept over the rocks toward her. Although Shari's eyes were tightly closed, she could see those rocks, and then the loyal dog sitting alone, waiting for his master to return. The melody surrounded her, and when it moved back out to sea, she was riding with it. Shari gasped. The water was so cold, and yet so ... safe!

  She felt it all around her, felt a moment's panic as she went under the waves, but her nostrils closed quite naturally, and then opened again as her head rose above the water. There was a kind of quiet collision, and she knew that Gareth felt her presence.

  Much to her surprise, she felt ... joy! He wasn't disappointed, or angry, he was happy, and she could sense that he had been hoping for this to happen. He continued his merry journey through the waves, and the music grew louder.

  "I knew it!" she heard him think. "I told Mum that we were joined, but you didn't know it yet."

  "You knew I'd figured it out?" Shari found herself talking to him as though he were physically beside her.

  "Last night, I thought you might have. I couldn't say anything. If I was wrong, you'd think I'd gone bonkers or something." He was laughing, and at first, Shari laughed with him, but his next words sent a kitten walking up her spine.

  "It's a girl, you know. The baby you carry, I can already tell it's a girl."

  "This is what you wanted, isn't it?" She couldn't help herself, she had to ask. "You wanted me pregnant, like in the song. You're going to take the baby!"

  "No, I swear! It was an accident; that first time, I wasn't thinking. You know I've been careful ever since." His thoughts felt sad, as though he was disappointed that she would believe him to be so cruel. "I love you, Shari! I want to marry you, and I don't intend to ever leave you. But the baby is a fact, she's real, and I can't help but be happy." Somehow, suddenly, Shari knew that he couldn't lie to her when they were communicating like this, and much of her fear drifted away. The water swept around her, and it no longer felt cold. In fact, it felt like ... his fingers, dancing along her bare skin as they lay together. His lips touched hers, and she tasted the salt. Her breasts rose, swelling in almost painful ecstasy. She threw back her head and pulled him to her chest, her fingers drowning in his thick hair. She felt a different wetness, and his fingers were probing her there, too, and she opened in full expectation of receiving him. She reached down and felt the fullness of his erection, singing of his need for her. There was so much joy in being able to excite him in this way, and in realizing that his own pleasure was multiplied by knowing that she shared it. Then they were joined, despite their physical separation, rolling in the wildness of the ocean waves, and the water sang to them, sang of their love to the whole world.

  The waves broke against the rocks, over and over, and she felt each one, thrusting into her until the last crash against the outer wall of the lighthouse, and there the water left her behind. Gareth had come ashore, and Shari gasped at the strange sensations under her skin, feeling his muscles moving in ways she had never dreamed possible, bones shifting and stretching, as he regained his human form, and she opened her eyes in wonder at this incredible phenomenon. She was still in the light tower, kneeling at the metal barricade, her heart pounding as her lungs struggled to return to their usual rhythm. Although the physical sensation of being with Gareth was gone, they were still connected, and she knew when his transformation was complete. She stayed where she was, closing her eyes again so she could watch with her mind, seeing him as he took his clothing from a water-proof box anchored in a cleft of rock, watched over by the faithful Aneurin. He dressed rapidly, and she could tell that now he was feeling the colder temperatures, as she was again herself.

  Man and dog walked up the shore, and Shari kept her position on the tower, enjoying the sound of Gareth's breathing, the feel of his hands as he thrust them into his pockets to keep warm. Somehow, she knew that as soon as she opened her eyes, the visual link would be gone. He had reached the house, and she knew he was looking up at the tower, searching for her. Aneurin started barking; a frantic sound, and then, she heard a voice, a horribly familiar voice.

  "Excuse me. I'm looking for someone and I think you can h
elp me." A tall figure moved away from the side of the house, just as Shari opened her eyes, sending a frantic thought to her lover.

  "Charles! It's Charles!"

  She stared desperately down at the house, which now seemed so far away from the tower. In the growing darkness, illuminated only by the single light on the porch, she watched as Charles moved toward Gareth. Aneurin growled and leaped forward; there was a dreadful exploding sound, followed by the dog's painful cries as it fell back to the ground. Charles pointed his gun at Gareth, and gestured toward the house. Shari turned and ran into the lens chamber. She started down the winding stairs, almost stumbling in her rush, and then she could hear Gareth's voice in her head. "Get help, Shari. Don't come alone."

  "There's no time!" she thought back, frantically. "It's me he wants ..."

  "Then he could just kill both of us. Get help." Shari closed her eyes, hoping to see through his again, to know what was happening. She caught a brief glimpse of Charles, gesturing madly with the gun, saying something about how ultimately, everyone betrayed everyone else, and just as he had been betrayed, Gareth could count on Shari turning on him. Then, it was like a door closed in her face as Gareth thrust her out, once again telling her to get help. Shari's legs weakened, and she almost sat down on the stairs, but before the tears could begin and her old fears about Charles overwhelmed her again, a tide of strength swept over her instead. She wasn't that person anymore, she had found what love truly was, and she was carrying a baby who would need both of her parents if she were to have a better life than Shari had known as a child. Moving as rapidly as she could, Shari made her way to the ground level. Peering desperately through the dim light around her, she searched through Gareth's tools until she found a hammer. She hefted it, making sure that it wasn't too heavy for her to swing easily, and then she slipped out of the tower, moving quietly toward the house.

  There was a whimper as she passed Aneurin lying on the ground, and she had to suppress the urge to comfort the injured dog beyond one quick hand placed gently on his head, for barely one second. As she got closer to the porch, she could hear Charles yelling angrily about how women simply couldn't be trusted, ever, and couldn't Gareth see that he was being used? Not knowing if she could get the thought past the mental door that Gareth had slammed shut, she still had to try. "Keep his attention. I'm coming." As she quietly opened the door, she heard Gareth shouting back at her husband. "You deserve everything the courts can hit you with, you vicious bastard! You're a bloody mean one, you are, and a coward to boot! You think women are property, slaves to do whatever you order! How many times did you beat her up, and still expect her to love you?"

  "You really think she's going to stay with you when she learns what I know? I watched you yesterday through my binoculars, you filthy saltwater freak! I wanted to have a quiet look at the lighthouse, and the motel owner let me use his boat to get to that little island, just down the coast. Of course, he didn't know I used it, but what the hell? No harm done to it or him. Ah, but now, when I tell Shari what I saw, she'll beg me to take her back! I only wish I'd had a camera with me—National Enquirer would pay a fortune for you!" Somehow, Shari knew that Gareth had heard her message, and took strength from knowing that they were facing this together. The fact that Charles knew Gareth's secret only made it more essential that they stop him. Afterward, they'd just have to tell everybody the man was crazy, which wasn't really much of a stretch.

  She snuck through the kitchen, and looked carefully around the doorway into the living room. Gareth was at the far end, standing erect with his hands set angrily on his hips. Charles was a few feet ahead of her, facing Gareth. "And you think I'm a coward, do you? If I were such a chicken, I'd have run away last night when I watched you shrivel up into, whatever it was you became. Instead, I'm the one standing here in your fucking stupid lighthouse, and your pathetic excuse for a watchdog is dead outside." Shari took two steps into the room, raising the hammer.

  "Aneurin's not dead, you miserable pig!" she shouted. As he turned toward her, startled, she swung the tool at his shoulder, knocking him off balance. Gareth moved across the room faster than she would have thought possible, and engaged his taller enemy in a frantic struggle, trying to get the gun out of his hand. Shari circled around them, still holding the hammer. Dimly, her mind registered distant sirens, but she stayed focused desperately on the two men in front of her.

  She hit Charles again, in the side, and he stumbled, but recovered much faster than she expected, and threw her against the wall. She was stunned for a moment, and dropped the hammer. Gareth was distracted enough that he lost his grip on his opponent's gun hand, and dropped to one knee. They were back to a stand off, with Charles holding a gun pointed at Shari, making it obvious that if Gareth moved, she would be shot.

  Then there was an unexpected sound, a fierce, angry, threatening growl, much deeper than anything Aneurin would have been capable of even if he wasn't lying outside the house, bleeding. They all looked at the doorway, to see an incredibly tall, long-legged canine shape crouching there, its lips drawn back so all its teeth were on clear display. The new arrival continued growling, its eyes intent on Charles. Shari had time enough to think, no, it's not Aneurin, he's not that big. And then, as Gareth moved into position between her and the other man, the strange dog leaped at Charles, who screamed and fell to the floor, dropping his weapon. Both men reached for the gun at the same time, Charles with one hand while with the other arm, he was still trying to fend off his canine attacker. Gareth grabbed the pistol, and Charles desperately stretched to reach the hammer where it lay almost at Shari's feet. Charles swung the hammer toward the dog, causing the animal to lose his hold on the man's arm. With a mad, wordless scream, Charles rose just high enough to tackle Gareth at his waist, and the men started wrestling, each man determined to gain control of the gun. There was another explosion of blinding sound, and Charles doubled over, and fell almost in slow motion. Gareth reached for Shari's hand, dropping the pistol.

  Shari and Gareth stared down at her husband where he lay, not breathing, blood spreading out beneath his body. In shock, they watched the dog that had given them their chance sniff at the enemy on the floor, and then slip away as fast as it had come in. They just barely registered some new dog sounds from outside, whimpers and a worried whine. Shari took Gareth's hand, and then they both jumped, as lights poured through the windows, accompanied by the sound of sirens. A uniformed figure burst through the kitchen, in the classic pose that Shari remembered from watching countless police shows on TV.

  The policeman moved carefully into the living room, and bent down over the crumpled figure, keeping his own gun out and ready until he was able to touch Charles' neck with his free hand. He relaxed a bit, and looked up as Gareth reached Shari's side and wrapped her in his arms. "It's okay, folks, he's gone."

  Shari started to cry, shaking as the reality of the last few minutes began to sink in. Had she really attacked Charles?

  Was he really dead?

  "How did you know to come?" Gareth asked, breathing hard.

  "Your lawyer called Gil, said he hadn't been able to get hold of you, but that this guy knew where you were, and he wanted you to know. Bess called us." The cop put his gun away, pulled out a handkerchief and reached for the other gun. What seemed like a lifetime earlier, Shari remembered the phone ringing as she left the house, it must have been Colin. So close ...

  "What about the...strange dog... it was here just before you came in... where did it come from?" Shari gasped, trying desperately to stop crying.

  "Where did it go?" Gareth asked.

  "Oh, that was just Gil. He told Bess he had to come right away, because he was really scared for you both. Colin wasn't sure there was any real danger, he figured this jerk might just be running for his own life, but Gil, he saw somebody watching your place yesterday, didn't think much of it then, but later he figured he should have warned you, so he headed straight over."

  The cop stood up, and caught the confus
ed expressions on their faces. "Yes, I mean Gil," he repeated, with a quiet smile.

  "The old guy's a shifter. They're not really like the movies, you know. We got a few of them around these parts, one of the reasons everybody likes to keep things private. Anyway, he was worried we wouldn't get here in time. Only reason he slipped out of here so fast is he's gotta put clothes back on. Most of the time he's harmless—to his friends that is. Nothing to worry about."

  Shari's tears froze, and she stared blankly at the policeman. Gil? A shapeshifter? Is that what Bess had really been talking about? Gareth looked down at the floor, shook his head a few times, and sighed. "He tried to tell me, I think, but I just kind of laughed it off and he gave up. I never sensed anything different about him," he whispered. "All this time ..."

  The cop turned away, as someone else called from outside, saying something about the fallen dog. Concern for another friend abruptly took over their thoughts. "Aneurin!" Gareth cried out. "He got shot!"

  "Calm down, Gil and Kathy there will get him to the vet. He was trying to get up when we got here, so we can hope he'll be okay." The policeman stepped around them, walked through the kitchen, and could be heard talking quietly to his companion. Shari had a very brief memory of meeting a policewoman one day as she left the library, and somehow being able to visualize a face made her relax a little about leaving the poor dog in a stranger's care. Of course, Gil wasn't a stranger either ... was he?

  A few minutes later, Gareth and Shari were sitting in the kitchen, listening as the policeman, Chief Corrigan, told them more about the phone calls that had brought him to the lighthouse.

  "His mother bailed Charles out, and then, when they got home, apparently he beat her up, took some guns from the house, and left. It took a while for the woman to get help, and by the time someone was looking for Charlie here, he'd already chartered a plane. So much for his bail. Anyway, eventually his mother's lawyer figured things out, called your lawyers there, who called Colin Simpson. When Colin didn't get any answer here, he called Gil, and Bess called us. Lawyers! He should have called us first, but like I said, he wasn't sure there was any immediate danger. Warning took way too long to get to me, though you three handled things okay."