Sea of Memories

by Kelly Risser

  Sera gripped the vest between her teeth, grimacing at the chemical taste it left in her mouth. Strands of his wet hair tickled her nose, and his smell could not be ignored. It was the scent of sickness and impending death. The bile rose in her throat, but she managed to keep it at bay by focusing on the clean smell of the water and the direction of the island.

  The swim was long and slow. On her own, she could reach it in minutes, but the added bulk and awkwardness of the man’s large body stilted her progress. She tugged with a sense of urgency. Stephen would not be happy if she took much longer, and the children would be looking for her.

  Finally, she spotted the cropping of land. It was smaller than she remembered, but it would suffice. At least he would be out of the salty water, which must burn his wounds. She would need to bring him fresh water to drink and some food. Though a few palm trees and skinny shrubs grew, there was little on this place to eat or drink.

  Sera dragged him onto the sandy shore, and then changed into her human form. It would be easier to carry him to the cave. He looked like he weighed almost twice as much as her, but Selkies were stronger than humans. She put her arms underneath his and lifted his upper body with ease. His feet would need to drag. She was stronger than average, but not superwoman.

  There was a slight incline to get to the cave, and her breathing grew heavy from the heat and exertion. They barely touched the shady area cast by the rocky outcropping holding the cave when the man moaned softly. Sera froze and listened. His breathing was labored, but steady. There was no other change to his condition. His eyes remained closed, and he made no more sounds. Perhaps the initial moan was in relief of the cool shade. How long had he floated under the sun’s unforgiving rays? It was a miracle the sharks did not find him first.

  The cave was barely large enough to hold both her slender body and his much larger, muscular one. He would be able to sit up without bumping his head, but not stand. She pulled him up to sitting now and started to remove his vest. He no longer needed to wear it, and it would cushion his head against the hard ground. She considered his wet clothes next. The air in the cave was warm, and he didn’t seem chilled. Although drenched, she left his clothes alone. He wasn’t wearing much. Pants that reached his knees loosely clung to his hips. His shirt had no sleeves, and his feet were bare. Briefly, she wondered what he had been doing that landed him in his current situation. She winced when the vest touched his arm, and he whimpered. The exposed skin on his body was mottled white and red from too much exposure to sunlight and salt water. It looked painful and raw. Proceeding with more caution, Sera managed to remove it completely. Folding the sides of the vest together, she made a small pillow and tucked it under his head. He looked peaceful, as though he were sleeping. If it weren’t for his angry blisters, she might’ve fooled herself into thinking he was okay.

  Satisfied she had made him as comfortable as she could, she left the cave. The soonest she would be able to return was tomorrow morning. Otherwise, Stephen would be suspicious. If the man survived the day and coming night, she vowed to try to nurse him back to health. She’d return with food and water. If she found him dead in the morning, at least she could say she tried. From what Mama told her, it was more than a human male would have done for her.

  “Did you get lost, my dear?” Stephen chuckled at his own joke. Sera smiled and sat next to him, relieved he wasn’t angry.

  “It’s a beautiful day,” she said. “I got a little carried away while enjoying my swim.”

  She leaned back as a server set a steaming plate before her. The food smelled wonderful, and her stomach growled with enthusiasm. The boys found this extremely funny, Kieran especially. “Mom! What was that?”

  “I guess I’m hungry,” she said. It was simpler to admit the loud growl came from her, and fruitless to lecture how calling attention to it was rude. Boys would be boys. “What did you three do this morning?”

  “I had lessons with Ms. Agatha.” Tyrese scrunched her pixie face in distaste. She didn’t care for her tutor, but it was a necessity. “She says I don’t try hard enough.”

  Tyrese’s green eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and her mouth quivered. She wouldn’t cry in front of her brothers, but Sera knew her daughter wanted to. Stephen hated when Sera “coddled the children,” as he called it. She called it nurturing. Yet another thing they did not agree upon. Ms. Agatha was an ancient Selkie, although her nasty personality made Sera wonder if Agatha wasn’t part sea hag. Why she worked with the children was beyond Sera’s understanding. She might have knowledge and experience, but she cut the young ones down as much as she built them up.

  “Would you like me to help you practice?” Sera asked her daughter.

  “We can help!” Alexios chimed in, earning an elbow to his side from Kieran.

  “We have plans, Alexios… remember?” Kieran whispered furiously to his brother. Sera paid them no mind. The boys always had plans. Scheming was their favorite pastime, although most of the credit went to Kieran. That boy loved adventure, and Alexios, the younger twin, followed him like a shadow. They got into their share of trouble, but it was innocent enough. She didn’t worry about them, but she did Tyrese. Tyrese needed bolstering. She tried so hard to please her father, but Stephen did not acknowledge her efforts, if he even noticed.

  “That’s okay, Mama. I know you’re busy.” Tyrese’s eyes darted to Stephen’s face, but he was reading the newspaper and not paying attention. Humans would find it odd that Selkies read their news, but Stephen transported a paper daily from a Los Angeles newsstand. The stand never missed the newspaper, and Stephen said it was important for their clan to keep up on human events, considering how close their island was to California. Sera didn’t disagree with him, and she found the comics amusing. At the moment, though, she was not amused. She wanted to slap her clueless mate upside the head and tell him to spend time with their daughter. He wouldn’t listen. He never did. Selkies were often rigid in their traditions. Stephen was no exception. The male was in charge, no questions asked.

  Rather than focusing on what she couldn’t change, Sera decided to work on what she could by focusing on her daughter. “I’ll make time for you, my sweet. C’mon, it’s a lovely day. Let’s walk along the shore and find shells to add to your collection.” Sera stood and offered her hand to Tyrese, who took it enthusiastically. Her shell collection was beloved, and she could always be bribed to look for more.

  Tyrese skipped to the door, pulling her mother along behind her. When they reached the threshold, Sera hung back and waited for Tyrese to turn around.

  “What, Mama?”

  With a slight lift of her lips, Sera lowered her face until she was eye level with Tyrese. The little girl stared solemnly back, waiting for her to speak. “Can you transport us there, my love?”

  Tyrese grinned, nodded, and wrapped her hands around Sera’s. She closed her eyes, her brows wrinkling in concentration. A slight tingling began in Sera’s fingertips and traveled up her arm. Her heart soared with pride as she felt Tyrese move them. Moments later, they were on the beach. She picked up her daughter and swung her around. “You did it! I’m so proud.”

  She couldn’t set her down until she kissed both her cheeks and hugged her tight. “Felicitaciones, mi hija.” Her Spanish only came out when she was extremely emotional. “You are three moon cycles younger than your brothers were when they first transported.”

  Tyrese beamed at her mother with widened eyes. Sera was more delighted than surprised. She knew Tyrese could do it. Maybe Stephen couldn’t show his daughter praise, but Sera could be proud enough for both of them. Tyrese would be a powerful Selkie one day.

  “Show me what you worked on with Ms. Agatha today.”

  More confident than before, Tyrese held out her small hands. Her brows furrowed as she focused on her palms. A faint green light flickered into existence and faded away almost as fast. She looked up at her mother with frustration. “I can’t do it, Mama,” she said. “I tried.”

  Se
ra crouched down until she was eye level with her daughter. She ran her hand along the girl’s soft, blonde curls. “But you did do it, my dear. I saw with my own eyes. What you must work on is sustaining your energy. You will get it.”

  “Do you think?” The eagerness in Tyrese’s voice pained Sera. How her daughter longed for someone to have faith in her. She needed a new tutor. Agatha’s tough style might have worked for the boys, but not for Tyrese. She was a gentle soul, and she needed someone to guide her, not whip her into shape.

  “Practice, love. You need to practice, and in time, you will have as much control as any of us.”

  Tyrese nodded and refocused on her hands. Sera watched her daughter practice manifesting her energy into a ball of colored light. Slowly, she was able to hold the spherical form for more than a few seconds. Within a half hour, the light lasted for nearly a minute before it faded away. The little girl’s focus was impressive. Sweat dotted her brow, and she was clearly exhausted, but she didn’t stop until Sera told her it was time to go.

  She took her daughter’s hand, and they walked back slowly. Tyrese chatted about things of little matter, as little girls are wont to do. Sera listened to her daughter, pleased she sounded happier than she did at lunch. Little girls should be carefree and innocent, not burdened with disapproval and unrealistic expectations.

  “Off you go now.” Sera nodded at the two girls playing in the green grass. They were close in age to Tyrese. She played with them occasionally, and Sera wished it were more. Tyrese needed friends.

  After a quick hug, Tyrese ran off. Soon, all three girls were giggling and singing, holding hands and spinning in a circle. Satisfied, Sera smiled and went into the castle.

  The sky was still dark when Sera left her mate’s warm side and padded to the door. It wasn’t unusual for her to take her morning swim before sunrise, although she didn’t make a habit of it either. Last night, once the others had gone to sleep, she filled a bag with fruit, bread, and dried fish. She added a large canister of water and one of their best healing salves. No doubt, if the human was still alive, he was suffering greatly. The salve could not work miracles, but it would provide relief and prevent infection.

  She hurried to the shore, the bag slung over her shoulder. Once she confirmed she was alone on the beach, she closed her eyes and pictured the small island in her mind. As long as she could envision it, she could transport herself there. A light breeze blew long strands of her hair across her face, tickling her nose. She brushed them away impatiently, feeling the slight tug and release in her abdomen that told her she had arrived.

  A pair of seagulls nesting on top of the rocks squawked at her intrusion on their breakfast. She smiled at their pseudo-fierce stance. “I mean you no harm,” she said in a soothing voice. The birds settled, but kept their wary sights on her.

  There was no other movement on the island. No sound, save for the waves meeting the shore and rolling back again. The sea was mild. She crossed to the cave, lingering at the entrance while her eyes adjusted to the dark and her nose adjusted to the smell. It hadn’t improved. The sour and musky odor made her eyes water. Taking one last breath of clean sea air, she crawled inside. The man lay in the same position she’d left him. He was deathly still with the exception of the slight rise and fall of his chest. The sheen of sweat made his face look waxy. It was already deathly pale. His lips were peeled, cracked, and bleeding, as were other blistered patches on his exposed skin.

  She opened the bag, removed the salve, and went to work applying it to his wounds. His skin was hot to the touch. No doubt his body was fighting an infection. The scents of lavender, sandalwood, and chamomile filled the air and masked the bad smells. She tried to be gentle, but his head thrashed as he moaned. The softest of touches seemed to be too much against the open wounds. No matter, it had to be done. The salve would clean the wounds and help his body fight the infection. She worked as briskly as possible, unbuttoning and moving his clothes so she could cover all of his injuries.

  Muscles contracted and flexed under her touch. He was in good shape for a human, young and strong. They aged differently than Selkies. She guessed he was in his late twenties or early thirties. Dark hair covered his head and chest, tapering to a fine line on his flat, muscular abdomen. She was relieved that the skin on his chest and stomach were unmarred; the brightly patterned shirt had protected the skin from the sun. For that reason, and the fact that his legs were unmarked, she left his pants in place, assuming the skin there was just as healthy.

  His lips parted and closed, then repeated the process. Even in his current unconscious state, he was clearly thirsty. Sera closed the salve and took out the water canister. Lifting his head into her lap, she held the bottle to his lips and allowed a slight trickle to enter his mouth. When she saw that he swallowed it, she poured in some more. She didn’t want to give him too much, but she knew that, like Selkies, humans could die from dehydration. Luckily, the risk was rare for Selkies, since their bodies could process salt water. This made their water source plentiful. Humans, she knew, required fresh water, a precious and rare commodity in the middle of the ocean. Fortunately for him, their island was much larger than this one and had several natural springs.

  When his thirst seemed sated, he once again relaxed in sleep. Sera placed everything back in the bag, then tucked it near his side where he would find it if he woke. She knew he would be hungry and thirsty. Leaning against the cave wall, she watched him sleep. The furrow in his brow that appeared while she was treating his wounds had relaxed into smooth skin once more. Even with his eyes closed, he was a beautiful creature with full lips, a straight nose, and high cheekbones. Briefly, she wondered what color his eyes were, then laughed at her own fancifulness. Her mama always said eyes were the gateway to the soul. They said a lot about a person. What would his say about him? Would they fill with gratitude, fear, or hate? Only time would tell.

  It was time to leave. Instead of transporting, she would swim back to Alkana. Since she had spent more than an hour caring for him, it was too late to go back by her usual route, but a short swim would do.

  “Be well,” she told the human in a quiet voice. He didn’t respond.

  ****

  The boys were playing in the surf when she arrived home. She loved to watch them play. Their movements were so carefree. Soon, Stephen would start training them for his guard. Sera knew it would change them. They would become fighters, fierce and strong, no longer her innocent pups. The change was inevitable, but Sera craved the innocence of youth. Her own childhood had been filled with war and strife, but her children only knew of peace.

  “Have you come to join us?” Alexios called. He transformed from seal to boy, his pale hair—a gift from his father—shone white in the bright sun. The light hair opposed his dark complexion, which he inherited from her. Kieran stood next to him. As identical twins, both boys shared the same exotic looks. They would one day make the girls swoon. Sera hoped she taught them well enough that they would not also break the girls’ hearts.

  Kieran jabbed his brother in the ribs and made a face, a silent communication passing between them. To his mother, he said, “I’m sure you’re too busy to hang out with us, right, Mom?”

  Sera bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. At the same time, his words made her want to reach out and pull him into a hug. Kieran was always the braver, more independent of the two. For as long as she could remember, he was always trying to do things his way, on his own. He was the only one of her children who stood up to their father. Kieran would not back down, no matter how much Stephen glowered. It was an admirable, yet foolish, trait. Sera hoped it wouldn’t get her eldest son in trouble someday.

  “I’d love to swim with you,” Sera called and watched Kieran’s face drop. “However, your father has requested that I accompany him to the mainland today. I guess you’re on your own.”

  She crossed to them anyway and kissed their cheeks, which Kieran promptly wiped away with a scowl. “Be good and sta
y out of trouble.”

  While Alexios nodded with solemn eyes, Kieran gave her a devil-may-care grin, transformed back into a seal, and dove into the surf.

  Later, Mom. His words floated through her mind. Alexios walked backwards into the water, not changing until he was waist deep, and then he slowly followed Kieran into the deeper water. It amazed her how two children who looked exactly alike could be so different. She loved them both with the same fierceness, but for different reasons. Where Kieran was brave, Alexios was loyal. Where Alexios was serious, Kieran was constantly teasing. Both had a level of confidence that their younger sister lacked. Whether that confidence came with age, gender, or simply having each other as constant companions, Sera didn’t know.

  She walked slowly to the castle. Stephen was probably on his second cup of coffee by now. He was careful to avoid contact with humans, but for all his cautions, he certainly enjoyed the luxuries of their lifestyle—coffee, wine, and sweets. Sera didn’t particular care for coffee and the jumpy way it made her feel, but the wine had a pleasant taste and a nice, relaxing effect. The sweets—pastries, pies, and candies—were her favorites, especially chocolate. There was nothing like the rich, smooth burst of chocolate. With dried fruits, nuts or plain, she loved chocolate in all of its forms. Perhaps she could convince Stephen to buy some today. After all, they were going to the mainland for supplies. They went once every moon cycle, and she always looked forward to the trip.

  For all her mama’s warnings about humans, Sera found them fascinating to watch. She liked to sit in the park near the winery while Stephen made his purchases. People, young and old, were always at the park. Some had pets with them, while others towed their children like a mother duck and her ducklings. The elderly couples were the sweetest. Though time had wrinkled their skin and weakened their bones, it was clear their love for each other stayed young. They were always touching—holding hands or walking with their arms around each other. It took many, many centuries for Selkies to reach that level of maturity. Their lifespans were much longer than humans. And anyway, Stephen didn’t hold her hand now. It wasn’t likely he would start doing it in old age. A shame, really. She could use some romance in her life.