Lady of the Sea: The Aureate Chronicles, Book One

by Heather Zwygart

  “Let me see your hand,” Ethan insists, turning my palm face up. I let out a hiss of pain. An angry gash stretches across the surface of my hand. My whole arm feels weak and useless. Nausea washes over me like a warm tide in the summer.

  “It’s not healing,” I say, under my breath.

  “What did you say?”

  “Help me get to the water, please.” Ethan lifts me from the sand. Placing his arm under mine, he helps support my weight as we tread the short distance through the sand to the water’s edge.

  Without ceremony, I stumble through the shallow water and fall to my knees. I place my hand in, soaking up the cool, salty, relief, and wait...

  Nothing happens. I glance back at Ethan who is watching me with concern in his eyes.

  “I thought the water would help it heal faster,” I say, shaking my head in confusion. I move away from the water. What is wrong with me? Have I been away from the ocean too long? I let myself fall in a heap to the ground, the sand giving way to my weight.

  “Avelessa, I don’t know what to say. This is all my fault. I won’t blame you if you choose never to forgive me,” Ethan says, in a rush of words. “We should wrap that, then go find Kai, he’ll know what do,” He rips a strip cloth from the hem of his shirt and joins me in the sand.

  Ethan begins to wrap it around my palm. He is careful, but I wince in pain just the same. “I don’t blame you, Ethan,” I say, in a hushed tone. “If it has this same effect on the Ael, then we have been given an advantage. I ignore his comment about Kai. I don’t have the energy to argue. “There’s only one problem.”

  “What’s that?” asks Ethan

  “It appears if I come too close to the pounamu itself, I lose control of my ability to reason. I’m stripped of my free will.”

  “How did Vailea know of the danger it presented to her,” Ethan asks, “but you didn’t?”

  “I don’t know. I always understood the pearl to be the only true weapon that could be used against the Aureate. Time to start back at the beginning,” I say, more than a little discouraged.

  “You said you were apprenticing to become the Keeper of Sol, what does that mean? What is it you studied?”

  “Books, history, yours and ours. For years, I have learned from Cian the secrets and mysteries of my race. Songs and plants to aid in healing. Songs to wake the seas and move earth.

  “Did you know there is a song for every creature that lurks in the depths of the ocean? I have only learned a fraction of them. But this greenstone… this is something I did not know,” I say, in misery.

  “Just how old are you?” Ethan asks, cautious but full of curiosity. “I mean, in all my eighteen years, I’ve managed to learn two languages and bits and pieces of a third. How…?” He doesn’t finish his sentence but stands there watching, waiting.

  “It might be hard for you to understand. Humans have such a short existence on this earth, but in Sol it is not uncommon for an Aureate to live a thousand years or more.”

  “You didn’t answer my question. How old are you, Ava?”

  “Seventy-five years have passed since my birth, a new pearl for every year,” I say, waiting for his reaction.

  Ethan shakes his head, as he has been wont to do in recent days. “You don’t look a day over sixteen,” he teases, the workings of a smile spreading across his face. The first since our little incident only moments ago. “And what’s with the pearls?”

  “A new pearl, every year since birth, to be worn as a sign of our age and station.”

  “Where are yours?”

  “I buried them where I found your tunic that day.”

  “We should get back to the village and let Ori take a look at that hand,” Ethan says abruptly, getting to his feet.

  “I’ll be fine, honest. It’s already beginning to hurt less. Ori will ask questions, and I don’t want to cause a fuss.

  “We’ll tell her you cut it on a rock. I know Ori will have some kind of salve she can apply to it… unless you have some medicinal plant in mind to use?”

  I don’t answer right away and he doesn’t press the issue. I’m not exactly feeling confident in my abilities to do anything at the moment. Ethan gives me a hand up and I follow him back to the village.

  The two of us are content to walk in silence. My thoughts stray back to my argument with Ethan, insisting I tell Kai my secret when the timing was right. Well, perhaps that time was now. What choice do I have? I have questions about the green rock, he called pounamu, and he seemed to have all the answers.

  Yes! I would tell him as soon as I saw him next. After last night’s implied promise of friendship, he might be more inclined to hear me out. And what was the worst that could happen? Without his help, I was as good as dead anyway. Ethan trusted him and I trusted Ethan. That would have to be enough for right now.

  Chapter 23

  Nearing my whare, I catch sight of Kai nearby, leaning up against a tree. He pushes off, heading our direction.

  “Where have you been?” Kai asks, stopping a few meters in front of us. From his stance, feet planted, arms folded, I can tell he is not pleased. Ethan saves me the trouble of answering.

  “Down by the beach.”

  Kai eyes make a trail from the spear in Ethan’s hand to my own hand, bandaged, hanging limp by my side. “What happened?”

  “She stumbled on some rocks and cut herself,” Ethan says.

  “Lost your voice again? Or is it only me you refuse to speak to?” Kai asks, directing his attention at me. There a hint of hurt in his voice and anger I cannot account for. “It doesn’t matter. You both need to come with me.”

  “What’s going on, Kai?” Ethan asks, becoming angry himself.

  Kai shakes his head. “Perhaps you’re more of a fool than I thought.”

  Ethan looks about to argue. I reach for his arm, calling for a truce. He sighs and we both follow Kai back toward the village without further protest. My thoughts are a jumble of fear and confusion. Had fate really been so unkind as to afford us only one-night’s worth of reprieve? The quiet before the storm, as it is often said.

  We head in the direction of the wharenui, meeting house. It’s the largest structure in the village. I note the ornate carvings of the tribe’s ancestors along the diagonal bargeboards but they don’t end there. Carvings run along the beams, and walls, and I suspect inside as well.

  I see a handful of Guardians standing outside. They watch us as we approach, wary and fierce. This is it. I don’t know how, or when, but they know that I’m not who I say I am.

  It occurs to me to run, but where? Back to the ocean, back to Sol? Do I single handedly take on Vailea and the Ael in the Pit of Despair? The thought is almost too much to bear.

  Maybe this was my destiny all along, to join my family in whatever afterlife they had been granted. Or will it be sea foam for me? I don’t know what I believe. But in this moment, I can’t seem to find the will to fight what I know is coming.

  Kai stands at the open door, waiting for me to pass. I search his face for clues but he stands there, stone faced, refusing to make eye contact. I hear a scuffle behind me and turn to look. Kai is blocking Ethan from following.

  “Not you,” says Kai, baring the way with his arm.

  “You can’t be serious?” Ethan protests. “What’s going on here, Kai? If you’re accusing her of something, just come out and say it. Why all the secrecy?”

  “If I find out you knew anything about this…” growls Kai, not finishing his sentence.

  Ethan doesn’t reply. He shakes his head in disbelief. “I swore to her you would come around.”

  “Come around to what? Do you even realize the danger you have put my village in?”

  “Danger? You’ve got to be kidding me. Does she look dangerous to you?”

  “Just forget it, Ethan. I don’t want you to get caught up in all this.”

  “I’m not leaving Kai. She’s my friend. She’s your friend, or have you conveniently forgotten?”

  I mak
e eye contact with Ethan over Kai’s shoulder, willing him to stay out of it. His face is lined with worry and his body is full of tension, like a coiled Moray eel waiting to strike at the least amount of provocation.

  He turns and stomps off, but I know he won’t go far. I find comfort in this; I still have one friend in this world.

  Kai turns and walks through the door, closing it behind him. I remain standing in the middle of the room. I wiggle my toes, finding my center, feeling the dry soil beneath me. I speak first.

  “I wanted to tell you.”

  Kai’s head snaps up. “Then why, in the name of the gods, didn’t you? It’s not like you didn’t have the chance.”

  “Look at it from my perspective. You hunt my kind!” I exclaim. “People were dying and you wanted to believe I was the cause from the moment you met me.”

  “What about last night? You could have told me then?”

  “Honestly, would you have done so if you were me? You see the world as black and white, and perhaps it was the same way for me once, before…”

  Kai looks at me, his features stern and unwavering. It’s as though he’s already made up his mind. “My father will be here soon,” he says. “As a Guardian, I am bound by the laws of my people and you are a trespasser, a hated enemy, a murder…” Kai’s face screws up in a mixture of anger and confusion, fighting his own internal battle.

  Just then the door opens. In walk two Guardians, followed by chief Tupaea, shadowed by two more guards. A crowd has started to congregate just outside.

  Chief Tupaea meets my gaze head on. His skin is wrinkled and worn from age. His expression is much like that of his son, firm and unmoving. The lines around his eyes however, hint at good humor, reserved for better times than these no doubt. He looks away, glancing briefly at his son.

  As I stand there, I consider the man Kai is and wonder what part his adoptive father played in his upbringing. What reasons would he have for accepting this orphan boy into his life and lineage? Was it kindness? Duty?

  One of the Guardians grabs my arm and leads me across the room. He presses down on the top of my shoulder, forcing me into a sitting position, up against the wall. Another guard joins him and together they take their places on either side of me, bodies rigid, should there be a fight.

  They would get no fight from me. I was tired… so tired.

  Chief Tupaea, and a handful of his trusted advisors, have already seated themselves against the opposite wall.

  “Avelessa,” the sound of my name, in so large a room, sounds thunderous in my ears. Time to face reality

  “It has been brought to our attention that you are a shapeshifter, one of the taniwha.” Kai, is seated as well, halfway between his father and where I am sitting. It takes me a moment to realize it is Kai’s voice I hear.

  “If that is not bad enough, you come to our land, break bread with us, all the while taking the lives of those who live here and mean you no harm. What have you to say to these accusations?” Kai asks, translating his father’s words. Not that it is necessary.

  “I don’t know what it means to be a taniwha. I’m not a monster, and I haven’t killed anyone… at least not intentionally,” I say, thinking of all the lives back home that would be lost because of my carelessness, my failure to bring back the pearl.

  I turn my head in Kai’s direction, my words for him and him alone. “Where I come from we call ourselves the Aureate,” I continue, speaking in the lilting tongue of my people, “But yes, I suppose that makes me not of your kind. Not human.”

  I have surprised myself. I don’t know what possessed me to speak to him in my own tongue. Perhaps, it’s the longing to strip myself bare of all pretending, to live in this moment as my true self, the one nature intended for me. More surprising still is Kai’s reaction. He understood me.

  He blinks twice before saying aloud, “She doesn’t need me to translate father. She is fluent in our language. It is one of her gifts.”

  There is a murmur of confusion amongst the elders. “If you say so, my son,” Tupaea says. “Then let her speak to us accordingly.”

  But Kai is no longer listening. He has gone pale and is staring straight at me, comprehension dawning on his face. Then comes the fear. Fear of what he can’t understand; and, honestly, I don’t understand it myself.

  He is on his feet and almost to the door before anyone can stop him.

  “Kai?” Tupaea queries.

  “You are no longer in need of my services. I prefer to await the council’s decision outside where I can be of more use.”

  Tupaea nods without saying a word, redirecting his attention toward me. His eyes narrow, “It would seem you are indeed gifted. We have but one last test to determine if you are indeed one of the taniwha, and I promise it will not go well for you if you should choose to fight.” He nods to the two warriors guarding the door and they sweep out into the night without a noise. “Any last words?”

  “I would ask who my accuser is,” I say. Only Ethan knew my secret. I had to know.

  “It was a woman from another village who claims she saw you come from the water’s embrace, taking the form of a human.”

  “Why is she not here now?”

  “She is fearful for her life, as we all are. We have all seen what you can do. The carnage left in your wake. It doesn’t matter though. We will know soon enough… ah, my men have returned.”

  Indeed, they have, and not for nothing. Both hold spears tipped with a pounamu spearhead. Where Ethan’s had been simple, made from necessity, these were ornate. The wood of the spear, full of carvings. The stone, polished to glistening perfection.

  I didn’t have to guess what they were for, nor did I have to wait long.

  “Hold her,” Tupaea commanded, taking a spear from the hands of one the Guardians.

  Fear spikes through my veins despite my previous apathy. I’m not ready to die after all. I had deceived these people, but did I really deserve to die for that?

  I struggle to free myself from the tight grasp of the painted warrior behind me. His grip only tightens. “Just try,” he hisses. “I can’t wait to get a stab at you myself. Never caught a real live taniwha before.”

  I throw my head back, making contact with my opponent’s nose to the sound of loud, CRACK! His left hand goes up to cup his face, and I use the distraction to my advantage, jerking my arm free of his right hand.

  I make a dash for the door but am stopped short by the clasp of a strong hand yanking me backwards. It’s Tupaea, as much warrior as chieftain, and he holds a spear in his hand.

  And just like that my vision blurs and all the fight leaves my body like the tide with the setting of the moon. I register a sharp pain in my thigh then another in my shoulder. Last, a blow to the head, that sends me to my knees.

  Rough hands grab under my arms and drag me toward the door. I somehow manage to get my feet under me, and I am able to support my weight, so as not to be dragged. It’s already begun to darken outside and there is a crowd gathered around.

  I search the faces, hoping to find a friend among them. I spot Kai instead, standing to the side. He looks agitated, like he wants to intervene. That’s something at least. He doesn’t completely despise me.

  My focus begins to blur again, thanks to the head injury. Something doesn’t feel quite right and as my vision clears I am drawn to what is behind Kai… or who rather. I only get a brief glimpse and have to turn my head back to get a second glance just to be sure I’m not seeing things.

  It’s her alright. I don’t know how she’s done it, but she’s managed to complete the transformation and come on shore. Vailea, the snake! And something in the way she’s looking at Kai has my insides turning with dread. I have to warn him!

  “Kai!” I yell, not caring what they might do me at this point. “Vailea, she’s on the island. She’s one of them!” I try to free myself from the iron hold of the two guards escorting me. “You have to ask Ethan! Promise me you’ll talk to him.”

  I don’t
get a chance to say anything else. Another blow to the head and everything goes black.

  Chapter 24

  I wake up to pitch black silence, my head ringing with pain. I move one limb, at a time, taking note of my other injuries. None are life threatening, that I can tell but… blazing barnacles, does that ever hurt!

  Most demanding is the pain in my thigh, just above my right knee. I gingerly feel around the area to assess the damage. The guard hit muscle but it isn’t deep. With nothing to stop it, there is blood and lots of it.

  The clothes I’m wearing don’t offer much protection from the elements, or stab wounds. I tear several of the fibrous threads from my skirt and tie them together to make a tourniquet. That will have to do for now. There isn’t really anything I can do for my shoulder.

  I roll over to my stomach and slowly push myself up on my knees. I sway for a minute, closing my eyes to stave off the pain and dizziness, before finding my balance again. The smell of wet, clay, soil reaches my nose. Trying to stand, I reach for a wall to support myself and feel dirt crumble away beneath my fingers.

  My eyes adjust to the dark. Rudimentary steps, created from packed dirt, lead up to a crude wooden hatch. I take the few steps necessary to reach it. Squatting down to position myself under the trapdoor, I give it a good shove. It doesn’t budge. I’m trapped underground while Vailea is free to wreak havoc above!

  If Vailea is on the island, it means she figured out a way to successfully make the change from mer to human. Something I thought was only possible for those few of us in Sol. Was she the only one of her kind to do so? Were the Ael responsible for the killings after all?

  Why now? Vailea had talked about her sisters going mad from being deprived of sunlight for too long. What did they hope to accomplish by killing islanders? They had the pearl now. Or perhaps it’s me she’s here for?

  Maybe if she got what she wanted, she would leave without harming any of the villagers. What interest did she have in Kai? But what can I do? I’m as vulnerable as a beached whale, trapped here in this pit.