“I’ll do it,” are the words that pass through my lips. “But, how will you know when he says it? Will the Night Marcher Chief believe hear say again?” I mean, I have a valid point here. What if all my efforts are fruitless, and worst of all, what if someone else gets hurt in the process?
Eve snickers a little under her breath. “Emma, you don’t have to worry about one thing. One of the Menehune people will be not too far behind you at all times. As for the Night Marcher Chief, although for them to march in the day is extremely rare, the Chief has powers that are beyond those of his fellow Night Marchers. While he is still in ghostly form, he is able to walk among us at any time if he so pleases.”
I’m not sure what to say in response to what Eve just said. It all seems a little daunting to me at the present. I am going on a mission to turn Kao into a Night Marcher again and a Menehune and Night Marcher Chief will be watching this whole thing play out. No pressure... After thinking this through a thought pops into my mind. “Eve, if Kao is pulled back into the ranks of the Night Marchers does that mean Kai will be released?”
"I'm not sure yet. I would assume they would switch places again. If not, I am hoping once it is proved that Kao committed this crime, the Chief will be willing to grant my request to have Kai released." Eve says.
"That would be the least the Chief could do." I pause for a second, worry sickening my stomach. "Eve, what if I don't succeed? I mean, what if Kao doesn't confess? You said the Menehune's would go to war with the Night Marchers, but..." I don't know how to word what I'm thinking without it coming across as rude.
Eve catches on to what I'm thinking. "We may be small Emma, but the Night Marchers are smart to be afraid of us. Our cunning ingenuity and the fact that we know this island intimately, since we pretty much built it, makes us a force to be reckoned with. We have the power to destroy the Night Marchers permanently and they know this. Anyhow..."
"Kai is with them, you can not destroy them!" Fear bubbles inside me and I interrupt Eve mid sentence.
She puts her hand over mine to re-assure me. "I was going to say: anyhow, if we don't get Kao to confess this would not make us go to war. We would only go to war if they are unwilling to enforce the justice that is deserved. If however, Kao doesn't confess we can't force them to enact this justice since there is no solid evidence that they are at fault."
"The sun is beginning to rise." Paul says as he peeks into the cave and interrupts both of us.
Eve nods to Paul and he walks out without further comment. "It's time for Paul to take you back to camp. I wish we had more time so I can help you think of a plan, but you must go back."
I take a deep breath knowing that it's all on me now. "Okay. I'm not sure if I can do this Eve, but I will sure as heck try. I owe it to you and to Adam." My voice catches but I recover and continue. "I have to be honest though. I'm not sure if I will be able to find Kao. He left yesterday before I found you and I have not seen him since."
An emotion that I can't quite read passes over Eve's face. She says through tense lips, "Oh, he will come back Emma."
Fear trickles up my spine and anxiety sets in as I hug Eve and walk out of the cave to meet Paul. We walk most of the way back towards camp in silence. Before we arrive I ask him, "Paul, can you do me a favor?"
He stops and looks up at me. He looks years older than the young Menehune that I met for the first time less than a week ago. "Of course, what do you need?"
"My best friend Kaylee is with me. I need you and the other Menehune's to watch out for her. I don't know if I can convince her to truly stay back but maybe I can have her stay with those of you that will be following Kao and I."
"The pretty blonde, hmm... I think I can handle that." He says jokingly. His smile makes him resemble the Paul I first met. "What about the man that is with you? Must he come along too?" He doesn't sound too keen on the idea.
I hadn't even thought about what I'm going to do about Tristan. I shrug my shoulders at Paul. Hopefully a plan will come to me soon. "I'll figure something out. Thanks Paul for walking me back." We are close enough to our campsite for me to see the waterfall through the foliage. I bend down to give him a hug and I catch him blushing as I turn to walk away.
Tristan and Kaylee are both sleeping. I yawn and look down at my make shift pallet. I need to sleep if I'm going to be any good today so I lay down and cover up. Before I drift off into a heavy exhausted sleep I think of Kai. A tear drips down my cheek as I remember him trying to kill me last night and how hard he fought against it. When did life become such a whirlwind of one disastrous moment after another? And how can I possibly be in love with a man who may very well kill me?
Chapter 11
"Wake up!" I hear whispered in my ear. I open my eyes to see Kao standing in front of me. My heart sets off into a frantic beat. I hadn't expected to see him without having had time to think of a plan. I look around, the sun has already risen but the sky is filled with heavy bellied storm clouds, making it appear earlier in the morning than it is. Just great! I think to myself when I smell the rain in the air. As if I don't have enough obstacles to overcome, now I'm going to have to deal with the weather too. "Now." Kao demands.
I sit up slowly and look around me trying to shake the sleep off. Kaylee and Tristan are still asleep. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. "What?" I say a little shaky. I hope he takes it as grogginess and doesn't read into the fear that hitches in my voice. I have a hard time looking him in the eye, knowing all that he has done, so I just pretend to pick at my nails.
"We need to go." Kao says all too coolly.
With that said I look up at him. He looks like he hasn't slept yet. There is something in his eyes, I'm not sure if it's frustration or anxiety. He looks like he's lost it or something. I try to stay calm at his desperate appearance. "Okay, let me just get my friends."
"No!" He says a little too loudly. I hear Kaylee moan behind me. She's starting to wake up. He quiets his voice a little more and tries to feign concern. "It's best that we leave them here. I have a plan on how to save Kai, but we don't want to put your friends in any danger do we?" He asks in a way that would insinuate that if anything happened to one of them it would clearly be my fault.
I don't want them to get hurt. I also don't have any chance of getting Kao to confess if they are around either. I still don't know what I'm going to do to keep them at bay though. "You’re right. But, I still need to tell them I'm leaving otherwise this island will be swimming with Emma search parties."
He considers it a moment then says, "Fine, but hurry up." Thankfully he walks a good distance away and waits for me near the tree line of the clearing.
I move over to Kaylee who is already waking up. "Kaylee, I need to go."
She runs her hands through her hair and wipes the sleep from her eyes. "Um, okay. Just give me a few seconds to get ready."
"No, I need go alone. I'm sorry, but I have to do this." I say hoping she won't put up a huge fight. She raises her eyebrow at me in suspicion. I try to ease her worries. "Look, I have a plan to save Kai but I have to do it alone. Some of my Menehune friends will be not too far behind me. I asked them to keep an eye out for you. They’ll be able to keep you updated at all times."
Kaylee looks past me to where Kao is standing. "You’re going with him? I don't trust that guy. He may be hot but he seems…slimy."
She doesn't know the half of it! If she knew that Kao is the one who murdered Adam, she would never let me leave with him. "Don't worry, I’ll be okay. Remember, I'm a superhero." I try to joke.
Kaylee still looks unsure. She glances over my shoulder at Tristan who's back is turned to us. "What about him." She says pointing back at Tristan with her thumb.
"Um, I was hoping you could help me keep him calm. He can't come after me, it will ruin everything if he does." I hate to put her in this position but I don't know what else to do.
"Emma, I don't think I can do that. Tristan loves you. He's not going to just sit around while you go trom
ping off to danger."
"I know, but Kaylee..." I haven't said it yet so my heart flutters when the words are spoken aloud. "I love Kai."
Her eyes widen with my spoken truth. Then she gasps.
I look behind my shoulder to see Tristan getting up. His hurt filled eyes lock onto mine. He turns and walks away. It takes everything inside me not to run to him and beg him to forgive me for breaking his heart so cruelly. I look back at Kaylee my eyes pooled with tears.
She looks at me with a compassion that I don't feel that I deserve right now. "Emma, he’ll be okay. I’ll talk to him. You go get your man back... I can't believe you are actually in love! Sensible Emma, in love." She says trying to lighten my spirit.
I blink back the tears before any can escape and give Kaylee a long hug like it's our last. When I pull away she says, "You can do this."
Kaylee always knows how to encourage me. I nod and get to my feet. "I’ll see you soon." I say hoping that what I say is not a lie.
"Be careful." She says.
"I’ll try." It's the best I can do. I look around to see if I spot Tristan anywhere but he's gone to I'm not sure where. Maybe he left, now that he knows I love Kai. It's better that way; at least I know he’ll be safe. I wish he would take Kaylee with him though, but I trust that the Menehune's will take care of her.
I take a moment to close my eyes and steady myself praying that God gives me the strength to do what I need to do. I open my eyes again; take a deep breath and head towards Kao.
I meet Kao behind a group of trees just east of the clearing. He has his body crouched down watching me walk towards him. “Okay, I’m ready.” I say watching him stand to his full height.
“What was wrong with that guy? He looked very angry.” He points towards where Tristan stalked off into the woods.
I stare at Kao for a moment, not sure how to respond. What happened with Tristan just a few moments ago happened so fast I haven’t had enough time to take it all in, nor do I want to deal with those feelings right now. “Oh, it’s nothing. He just needed to get more firewood before it started to rain.” I try saying this nonchalantly hoping he doesn’t hear the hurt I’m trying to hide in my voice.
Kao doesn’t even think twice before he turns and walks away; I take it as my cue to follow him.
Branches slap me in my face and arms as I follow Kao at a distance. It’s so much different than traveling with Tristan; Kao is definitely not the gentlemanly type. Nor is he the type for small talk. He hasn’t said a peep since we first left the campsite.
“Ow,” I holler under my breath as a branch slaps me across the cheek. I reach up to rub the spot it hit while another one pummels me in the leg. I pull my hand away from my face to find blood from where the branch scratched me. “For goodness sake Kao, think you could cut it out?” I yell at him from sheer frustration.
Kao turns to me suddenly forcing me to plow into his chest. I back up a few paces to create some distance between him and me and look Kao square in the face. At first I see a look of anger, hatred, and maybe a hint of jealousy. Then the look dissipates as if it never was and is replaced with a look of compassion, and understanding.
“I’m sorry Emma, I just have a lot on my mind right now.” His mood changing makes me wary to be alone with him, but I realize I’ve been left no other choice. I keep trying to tell myself that this is for Adam and hopefully for Kai as well.
“It’s okay, I understand.” Hopefully he buys it. Yeah, I understand that you are a murderous jerk. I watch him smile as he turns and begins walking again. Another branch comes and slaps me in the arm. I grumble an expletive under my breath as we continue walking.
We come to a clearing as Kai’s tree house looms from up ahead. I’m still not sure of Kao’s intentions for taking me here, but the thought that I have help within earshot helps to calm me. Silently, Kao ushers me up the several flights of rope stairs and into the main section of the tree house then closes the door behind me. I begin to feel a little uneasy knowing that the Menehunes can’t see me from here and I take a deep breath to calm my nerves. Kao puts a pot on the stove and begins moving about the kitchen gathering ingredients. There is an awkward silence hanging in the air that you could slice with a knife. I begin feeling a bit antsy waiting for Kao to explain why he dragged me here in the first place. I get this feeling that Kao is like a bottle under pressure and any minute he's going to erupt and show his evil side.
He returns, handing me a mug with steaming tea and grabs his mug so he can sit across from me at the table. I tap my fingers anxiously against the side of the mug waiting for Kao to break this silence. I watch as Kao studies me over the rim of his cup while sipping his tea. It looks to me like he’s waiting for me to say the first words.
Giving up on him starting the conversation I’m the first to break the silence. “So, Kao, what’s the plan? You say you can help Kai?”
Kao continues to study me making the silence he’s carrying very awkward. After what seems like forever he finally speaks up. “Yes, I think I have a plan, but first things first, we have something to discuss.”
I watch in nervous anticipation as he slowly takes a sip from his cup.
“Enlighten me Emma, why is it that you are able to heal so quickly?” I watch as Kao’s eyebrows lift in question and he stares deep into my eyes. I squirm in my chair a little as I try not to avert his gaze. He stands up and walks over to me. I catch a flash of something white in his hand. I flinch when he raises his hand to my face and begins wiping the dried blood off my cheek with a wet white washcloth. A look of satisfaction and greedy curiosity fills his face. I'm sure that he's looking at the newly fading scar on my cheek as he sits back down across from me and takes a drink of his hot tea.
Crap! “Well, I can’t say I’m really sure to be honest.” I am positive that isn’t what Kao wanted to hear, but I need some time to think. Out of all the things in the world he would ask me, that was not what I had expected to have to answer.
I watch as a sly smile slowly spreads across his face. “Is that so,” he replies. He sets the cup down on the table a little too hard causing me to flinch. Kao leans closer to me closing the space that is between us. “Emma, you expect me to believe that? I think you know more than you’re letting on. I think you know where the bones are. How else can you explain yourself? You want to know what I think?” Kao asks as he gets up from his chair and paces the room. He doesn’t wait for me to respond before he begins speaking again. “I think Kai entrusted you with his secret. Why else would you heal at such remarkable speed?”
I was about to answer him when it became clear his question was simply rhetorical.
His eyes narrow at me before his expression changes entirely. He begins talking to me in an entirely different way, almost with cheerfulness to his voice. “Because, you know, if you do know where the bones are, you could use that to free Kai. Make him human again.” He leans forward to insinuate his words. “You do want that, don’t you?” His proximity is making me nervous. He's so close I can feel his breath on my face. I know what this man is capable of, and I know he is not afraid to harm whatever he has to in order to get what he wants. I'm instantly grateful that Kaylee and Tristan aren't around.
I clear my throat and find the courage to speak. “Well, now that you mention it, I do remember Kai telling me about some powerful bones. He even took me there once to honor his fallen King, but I had never associated them with his immortality.” His eyes flash with desire when he hears the word immortality. Not a desire for me, but for it. I remain in eye contact hoping that Kao doesn’t detect my lie. “So, how does this help Kai exactly?” I ask with a little too much innocence in my voice.
Kao gives me a half smile before sitting back down at the table with me. He steeples his fingers as though lost in thought. “Ah, yes. Well, with that kind of knowledge, it would give us great trading powers with the chief Night Marcher. That would most definitely be something he would be willing to trade for.”
I can see
the hunger in his eyes. I know all too well that Kao’s intentions are anything but what he just said, however I try to keep my knowledge of his true desires out of my voice. “There is such thing as a Night Marcher chief?” I ask trying to give Kao a reason to believe my feigned innocence.
"Oh yes, but he is a hard sell. He does not relinquish his people without having another to take its place. Perhaps this secret will motivate him to make a trade without the sacrifice." His eyes rake over me from head to toe, assessing me. A shiver runs down my spine and my stomach rolls with nausea. He continues, "So Emma, where are the bones?"
This is it, our plan. I just have to make him confess while I lead him to a supposed burial ground that I don't even know exists. "Um, they are not far from the inlet of the small beach that leads into the Honopu Valley. It's near a cliffs edge. I don't know how to get there though. Kai had taken me on a boat." I sigh a breath of relief knowing I pulled the location out of thin air. Plus, I figure if we are close to the Menehune cave perhaps if things go wrong, they can step in.
He stares me down, like he's a human lie detector. I try to keep my face as impassive as possible. He speaks up, "Yes, I think I know the place that you are referring to."
Of course he does! My mind flashes back to the night when Kai and I saw Kao down on the beach. We had spent the night there only a few days before when Kao had been hunting me. Hopefully the fact that he had tracked us to that beach will make my story even more believable. "Okay, how are we going to get there then?" I ask.
"The fastest way will be to go by boat. If I were to drag you through the valley, it would take all day. We need to get there before nightfall. Kai will begin his hunt for you the second the sun sets over the horizon." He says rather matter of factly.
"Do you have a boat?" I ask a little nervous. I guess I hadn't totally thought my plan through. I have no idea how the Menehune's and the Night Marcher chief are going to follow me if we go off into the ocean. I would think another boat following Kao and I would be a giant red flag.
Redemption (Night Marchers #2) Written by: Rebecca Gober and Courtney Nuckels Page 13