by Lena North
My gaze locked on my phone, and the long list of messages. One of them had the title “Echo cave – you have to see it!”.
Yes, I thought. My buddy Cim had told me about the huge system of caves, and how beautiful they were. The stone in the main cave was apparently almost smooth, and the water at the bottom a beautiful turquoise color. At one side, there was a massive cliff, and if you stood there and shouted something in the right direction, it bounced off the walls for a long time, hence the name. Cim had been over the top enthusiastic and cursed the fact that he’d broken his shoulder in several places almost a year ago. It had been a nasty fall, and he still had several surgeries to go through before it was fully repaired, so he couldn’t fly out to the Islands and go with me, but he’d kept his promise to send directions for how to get there.
The caves were open to tourists, but his message was full of warnings, and it didn’t seem easy to get into them, which made me even more anxious to go. It wasn’t high season yet, so I might be lucky and not find them overcrowded. Without hesitation, I flipped Nick’s note around and wrote a message of my own, informing him where I’d be, and when I planned to be back. It felt odd because I hadn’t had anyone to leave a message for in a very long time, but I giggled as I got up on my scooter. Maybe we’d go to one of the restaurants that night?
I looked at the narrow path up the cliff and frowned. I had seen glossy brochures promoting the cave in town and had expected something more touristy. This was very low-key, and the path was steep. The Islands boasted that they had activities for everyone, though, and maybe this was what they meant by that.
The bird joined me almost immediately, and we talked as I walked, and half-climbed my way up the rocky path. I’d brought a few ropes and some anchors, just in case, and had started to think that I might use them when she suddenly stopped me.
“Wait here. I’ll look ahead.”
I sat down and pulled out my phone. The sun was shining, and in front of me, I had a spectacular view of the cliffs and the ocean where a group of dolphins was moving around. I snapped a few pictures, and then I noticed a message from Nick.
“Are you still in the cave? I can bring lunch, and we’ll have a picnic.”
“Should be on my way in there soon. Yes to lunch,” I replied, hesitated a little and then I added the tiny round face that blew a kiss. It felt a bit silly, partly because I never used emojis, although mostly because of the little heart on the screen.
I got the same little yellow face with a tiny heart next to it back, and I sat there looking at it for a long time, and since there wasn’t anyone around to see me, I was smiling like a fool.
“Lovey-dovey, Snow?”
Well shit. Someone had apparently seen me.
“Shut up,” I said, although I had to grin up at her when laughter echoed in my head.
“Don’t go straight forward. Fall off cliff,” she said.
Yeah, I absolutely didn’t want to do that.
“Where then?”
I’d started to wonder if I’d misread the instructions and was about to pull out my phone again when she made a sweep up the cliff and to my left.
“Up, not far. Opening. Look inside and then walk back down again.”
“No entrance?”
“No. Other side. Big opening. Down and around.”
Well, shit. I had misunderstood.
“Okay. I’ll take a quick look and then go back down.”
The opening wasn’t far away, and it was actually pretty cool to watch the cave from above. I seemed to be peeking into the cave from the side, but I was still pretty high above the turquoise water. 80 feet, I thought, maybe even a bit more. There were swirling sounds of voices coming from the cave, and I rested on my belly for a while, enjoying the view. When I got up to start walking back down, I slipped and felt my feet disappear underneath me as the rocks around the opening gave way. I went into the hole and spread my arms out to stop myself from falling all the way through. The rattling sound of rocks falling was the only thing I heard at first, and then the sounds of voices below seemed to increase.
“Rope,” the Osprey called out.
I didn’t hesitate and released the rope I had hanging across my upper body, hanging on in one hand. The bird immediately took it, circled a rock and came back with it. I pulled it, and it seemed to be secure, so I started pulling myself upward, but it didn’t help. As soon as I moved the side of the opening crumbled and more rocks fell off. I worried that the whole roof would collapse underneath me.
“How deep is the water below?” I asked, knowing that letting go and taking the fall all the way into the cave would be my best chance of getting out of the situation I was in.
“Will check, hold on?”
It was kind of a question although she didn’t wait for my reply, and I felt the movement of air as she dove behind me and into the cave. I didn’t dare to move and breathed slowly and evenly to not stir anything. It felt like forever, but then I heard her.
“Good. Deep. Straight down, very deep. To the sides, not good.”
Okay, so I’d better fall straight down then.
Slowly I inched my way downward, and a few rocks fell off, but they were small. Then I was hanging into the cave, holding on to the rope with my arms stretched out above me. There was definitely some screaming going on below, but I ignored that. I didn’t look down either.
My bird had told me what to do, and I trusted her completely.
“Thank you, Bird. Here we go,” I murmured.
“Straight down,” she repeated.
“That’s the plan.”
I turned my head a little to the side and grinned at her.
Then I let go of the rope.
Chapter Fourteen
Choices.
I landed in the cold water, feet first, and immediately spread out my legs and arms to decrease my speed in case the bird had misjudged the depth. As I looked around, I saw that she hadn’t, although when she said that it was “not good” to the side, she’d severely downplayed the situation. A few strokes away there were rocks, and then the cliff rose into the cave wall. The rocks formed a big platform in the middle of it, which had been fenced in. People were standing there, waving at me to swim over and asking in loud, excited voices if I was okay. I raised a hand to give a thumbs-up, and a cheer broke out, but it quieted down quickly when the sound of boots echoed.
Then two police-looking men, who I unfortunately recognized as Nick’s cousins, moved everyone to the sides.
“Well shit,” I muttered to myself, fairly sure I knew who would be the next one to show up.
“Big guy. Not happy. Not happy at all, Snow.”
Yes. That was who I thought would be there.
“Are you unharmed?” Joao’s voice barked out even before he reached the fence.
“Yes,” I called back immediately, thinking frantically of possible ways I could make him not tell Nick about this until I’d told them my side of what had happened.
“Then get the hell over here asap.”
I started swimming immediately, hoping that I could ease his foul mood with a smile and some really fast talking. Nick stood next to Joao when I raised my head the next time, and he looked like he wanted to throttle me. The bird landed on the fence, and edged closer to him, chirping a few times to get his attention.
“It won’t work, Bird,” he muttered. “Too pissed.”
“I tried,” she sighed, but had obviously decided that it was time to get out of Dodge because she flew off without another word.
“Up.”
Joao indicated a ladder, and I obeyed his order. Someone handed me a towel, and I wiped off quickly.
“It is forbidden to swim here,” he barked and pointed at a sign on the fence with a crossed over figure seemingly enjoying a good swim.
I started laughing. I’d been hanging in a thin rope from the roof, and landed close to rocks with sharp edges that would have killed me i
nstantly, and Joao was scolding me for unauthorized swimming? Chuckles came from a group of young men who had gathered close to us. They were whispering among them, and from what I overheard, my actions had apparently made me their new goddess.
“This is no laughing matter. You also broke at least three other laws when you passed the no trespassing sign outside, jumped the fence, and walked on protected land. The roof could have caved in, which would have killed you, and probably a few innocent bystanders.”
Oh. Wait, what fence? I could have missed a sign, but I had not climbed over any fence.
“There wasn’t –”
“You have the right to remain silent,” Joao snapped and reached behind his back.
Was he –
“Anything you say…”
He kept talking, but I stopped listening.
“Are you arresting me?” I asked.
“You bet your ass I am,” he barked, turned me around and then I felt cold metal around my wrists. “If you don’t have the cash to pay the fines then you will find yourself in jail.”
“Fines,” I said weakly.
“A thousand for the swim. Have to look the rest up, but my guess would be ten in total.”
I swallowed.
“Ten what?” I asked, hoping that he’d say it was all a joke and he’d expect ten cupcakes to appear at his breakfast table the following day.
When he turned, I realized immediately that any hope for that was futile.
“Thousand!” he roared and yanked me along. “I am so unbelievably angry with you. You’d better shut the –” He cut himself off, took a deep breath and continued in a calmer voice, “Let’s go.”
“Okay,” I agreed.
Nick hadn’t said a word, and he remained silent as I was marched out of the cave via a wide tunnel. We stopped just outside, and I squinted a little in the bright sunlight. There was a huge parking lot and a low house that seemed to be a combined ice cream and souvenir shop. There were also an abundance of the typical touristy instructional signs for where the restrooms were located, opening hours and so on.
I felt like an idiot.
Why had I thought the narrow path was the right way, to begin with? And what the hell had Cim been thinking, sending me instructions that were so difficult to follow?
“Can I say a few things?” I asked quietly, facing Nick for the first time.
His face was a blank mask, and I swallowed again.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“Sometimes I wonder if you’re worth it,” he muttered and walked off.
My eyes burned as I watched him open the passenger door to a police car, and get in.
“I know I’m not,” I whispered.
“Come,” Joao said, but his voice had gentled.
We were half way across the island when I finally trusted my voice again, and I repeated my plea.
“Can I say few things?”
“Yes,” Joao said.
Nick didn’t move.
“I got instructions for how to get into the cave from a friend, but they were clearly inaccurate. I didn’t know, Joao. There was no sign, and I did not climb any fence. I parked my scooter and followed a path. It was narrow, but it seemed to have been used.”
I paused, but they didn’t comment so I continued and the words came faster and faster in my effort to make the two furious men understand.
“My bird went ahead, and she told me to stop. Said the cliff was dangerous. Then she said there was an opening just above that I could look down through before we went back, and I did but when I got up to turn back the cliff just crumbled. I fell, and she helped me with the rope, but I couldn’t get up. So I jumped.”
When they still didn’t say a word, I whispered, “I didn’t mean to swim in the cave, but I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t climb up.”
The car screeched to a halt, and I jerked forward. Joao took a black device from his dashboard and gave someone instructions to find my scooter, look for the sign and fence and be prepared to shut down access to the path again. His words were soft murmurs that I didn’t even listen to, though. I was busy staring at Nick, who had gotten out of the car and was in the process of kicking it. Then he opened the door and got into the backseat with me.
“Keys,” he growled and caught them one-handed.
He didn’t say a word as he unlocked the cuffs and moved my arms forward, but his hands were gentle when he massaged my shoulders and wrists. Then he raised my hand and kissed the palm softly.
“I’m so sorry, baby. You scared me out of my mind back there.”
I pressed my lips together and bent my head. This was all my fault. Why did I have to do these crazy things all the time?
“Snow?” he murmured and used a big hand around my jaw until I had to face him. “Of course you’re worth it.”
I shook my head a little but he leaned in and kissed me, softly at first, like he’d done before, but then it changed. His hand slid around to cup the back of my head and pull me closer as the kiss deepened and became harder. I knew that part of it was adrenaline, but most of it was just us, and I would have smiled if I wasn’t so busy kissing him back.
“Jesus,” Joao muttered after a while, and I jerked back, although not far.
Nick held me until our eyes met, and then he semi-repeated, “Totally worth it.”
“We have a shit-load of people waiting for us, can we get going?” Joao snapped, but it sounded like he was laughing.
“Am I under arrest?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he snorted as he started the car again.
“But –”
“There was a group of boys back there in the cave who thought you’d performed a miracle.”
“I know,” I smirked.
“What if they suddenly felt like trying it out themselves?”
Oh.
“Exactly,” Joao concluded when our eyes met in the rear-view mirror. “Had to make a point.”
“Who's waiting for us?” I asked to change the topic, not in the mood to admit that he’d been right, and also a little worried that he’d get upset and arrest me again.
“Aren’t you checking your texts?”
I looked at Nick, wondering if he’s already forgotten what had just happened.
“Fell through a hole and into a cave,” I said, dug out my phone and sure enough, the screen was completely black. “I was busy.”
“Right,” he snorted.
“So, who’s waiting?”
“Your cousin, his woman, a bunch of goons that look like hired muscle, a shorter guy with sharp brown eyes, and probably the geek.”
I blinked. Yikes, that was a lot of people.
“Hawker Johns also showed up, bringing the Reaper. He was shouting at d’Augustine when I left,” Joao added.
Double-yikes. What the hell was going on?
“Olly was shouting at Dante?” I asked, trying to picture my slick, suave cousin in a shouting match.
“Olly?”
“The Reaper,” I said and let air quotes accompany my words.
It really was too ridiculous that nickname. Apt, but ridiculous.
“No, he was leaning against the wall, mostly watching the spectacle. Johns was doing most of the shouting, but d’Augustine was getting unhappy, so there’s no telling what noise levels they might have reached while we’ve been off to get you.”
“What’s going on?”
“Don’t know. Everyone is waiting for you to arrive before they talk. They’re all at the restaurant, and we’ve moved everyone else out of there.”
“Okay.”
We continued in silence for a while but then Joao shifted a little in his seat.
“Um, Snow.”
“Yeah?”
“When they see your wet hair and clothes… How about we tell everyone that you went for a swim on a beautiful little beach you found?”
“Yes,” I agreed immediately. �
��Works for me.”
“Why would we do that, Joao?” Nick said sweetly.
I turned to him and met his eyes where a distinct smirk lurked.
“Shut up,” Joao muttered.
“Are you afraid that my vicious Papa will bring out his paring knife?”
Joao made a huffing sound, and I giggled. He was totally afraid that Nicholas would consider my incident the chief of police falling down on the job.
When we walked into the restaurant, the mood was tense, to say the least, but everyone was silent. My eyes met Olly’s and the corners of his dark ones crinkled a little. Then I turned to the man who had been my rock, and my best friend, for many years.
“Dante,” I exhaled as I walked across the floor and into his arms.
“Hey there, honey,” he murmured, and I felt the gentle probe in my mind as he checked how I felt.
He’d stopped reading my thoughts when I asked him to, but he brushed my mind with his sometimes. I found it comforting and annoying in equal measures, but I couldn’t tell him to stop. He’d seen me break, and he worried, so I let him.
Dante’s fiancée, and genius extraordinaire, stood next to him, and she often said that she wasn’t a “huggsy-feely” kind of girl, but she totally was. She was just awkward with people, so she didn’t know how to initiate the contact, but each time I hugged her I sensed her surprised delight.
“Jiminella,” I said as I stepped out of our embrace, and then I turned to look around the room. “Is it just me, or isn’t it crowded in here?” I asked no one in particular.
I grinned at the group of tall men from Marshes, and Dante chuckled quietly, but that faded away, and he straightened when Joao and Nicky walked across the floor. Nick's eyes were focused, and they were aimed at Jiminella.