When, at last, he found me.

by Adrianna Stepiano

  How could I have been so careless?

  Ms. Z was right. I didn’t understand my powers and I was a fool to think I could control them.

  The vessel righted itself and I scurried to Joseph. His breathing was weak. Lifting his body, I held him tight and cried. Though, I could not hear my own words, I repeated again and again. I’m so sorry. Leaning over Joseph I let out a sad, heartfelt whimper of loss. Picking up his hands, I kissed the burns on his palms where the electricity had traveled into his body. I laid my hands on him, willing my body to heal but without his energy, I was nothing. Just a miserable girl who could make it rain—and rain it did. Large slow drops fell from the sky.

  The Petoskey stone was next to me. I picked up the useless rock. The thing was much like I was; we were misplaced objects. I threw it in anger, it hit the flagpole, bouncing back and slamming into the hard deck. A small crack in its surface spread as a burst of blue light escaped from deep inside the stone. It moved around Joseph and me, circling. The air grew warm and my hair lifted, blowing and twisting with the sudden burst of wind. The voice in my head was my father’s. He repeated the same lines several times much like a recording.

  Trust no one but your mother and the man who is your other.

  She’ll know not why until you show her the sky.

  The blue light shifted around us, his voice grew weak but not before the Petoskey stone exploded with white, encasing Joseph into a cocoon of light. His body lifted from the ground as healing waves of energy swirled around him.

  When he returned to my arms, his eyes opened slightly—just long enough to watch the light retract fully into the glowing stone. He said nothing and smiled. I couldn’t return the smile knowing that our friends were dead.

  A splash from the surface of the water caught my attention. I watched as a group of mermen carefully floated two unconscious bodies along the top of the black water. They approached the ladder. Laying Joseph down, I hurried to help. My fears were confirmed as the largest of the mermen carried Ethan’s limp body onto the deck. Behind him a smaller man held Nasani. I could see movement in her chest—a glimmer of hope that at least one of them would live.

  The smaller man spoke but I still could not hear. I pointed to my ear. He nodded his head in understanding. Rushing to Ethan, I began CPR compressions. A gentle touch on my shoulder told me to move.

  The small man took my place, violently shoving his fist inside of Ethan’s mouth. I lunged forward but the larger man held me back. I watched as the small man pushed his hand deeper into Ethan’s throat and when he could go no further, his arm lifted. A stream of ocean water followed. Ethan let out several coughs as he gasped for air.

  Tears of joy ran down my cheeks. Clouds cleared and sun burst through the sky. While my attention was on Ethan, Joseph stumbled across the deck. His balance remained troubled until he wrapped his arms around me. I turned to him, burying my face into his chest. He placed his hands on either side of my head, covering my ears. Within seconds I could hear.

  Without hesitation, he released me and moved to help Nasani. I bent down, helping Ethan to his feet—he immediately went to Nasani’s side. Joseph assured him that she would recover. Her ribs were broken but could be healed easily. Ethan kneeled by her, pushing her hair to the side so he could better see her eyes. She smiled weakly and touched his face.

  I took Joseph’s side. “I’m so sorry.” I whispered.

  His arms held me. He let out a laugh. “I should have known better than to wave metal in the air during a lightning storm.”

  A man cleared his throat behind us and we both turned.

  “GIANNI!” I said with excitement, letting go of Joseph and hugging the other man. Lieutenant Gianni Enzio wrapped his arms around me then released quickly, returning to the line where the other mermen stood. The men stood united wearing tight black swim shorts with a purple letter R wrapped around their left leg. They looked like a swim team.

  Joseph stepped forward so that half of his body was shielding mine. It was an unnecessary protective stance. His eyes were green, but not with anger.

  Gianni didn’t speak but instead clenched his right fist and with a stern look, moved his arm across his bare chest, placing his fist over his heart. He slid his left leg forward and locked eyes with me. The other four men did the same. Gianni held my gaze. Together they leaned forward and bowed.

  The small man spoke. “We are The Retribution, loyal only to Guardian Seraphin.”

  Joseph placed his hand on his chest and returned the bow. “Thank you for saving our friends, Nick.”

  The man said nothing as they continued looking at me; completely ignoring Joseph.

  I stepped around Joseph to Gianni, grateful that the men were able to help. “Thank you.”

  His expression softened. “Seraphina, I am-a your loyal servant.”

  The small man continued to explain, “Guardian Seraphin, we are men of the sea who promise to protect and watch over you. You already know Gianni. I am Nicholas Trite.”

  One by one the men gave their names as I shook their hands. Benjamin Lockzski; Salil Pelqu; Jianguo Li; they finished with a bow.

  Gianni stepped forward again. “You ask for me; and-you find us.” He took my hand and kissed it.

  Joseph stepped forward but said nothing.

  I didn’t understand what Gianni meant and they gave me no time to ask. Without another word, Nicolas Trite raised his arm and the other men followed. Lining up along the side of the George Washington, they dove into the ocean.

  Joseph mocked the men under his breath once they left but I watched in awe. They had come to our rescue and promised to do so again. Gianni had yet to show a fault in my eyes.

  Nasani and Ethan joined Joseph and I. The four of us gathered together, hugging. We were all speaking at once.

  “Did you see Ms. Z turn into water? What kind of power is that?” Ethan asked.

  Still recounting my father’s words, “was I the only one who could hear my dad when the Petoskey stone broke open?”

  “Ugh, I smell like sea monster.” Nasani sniffed at her shirt.

  “Seraphin, what’s with you and Enzio?” Joseph’s voice was concerning and his eyes remained green. We stopped talking and looked at him.

  “What do you mean me and Enzio?” I asked.

  “Obviously the two of you—I mean, did you see the way he looked at her?” He turned his attention to Ethan.

  Ethan did not join sides with Joseph. “That guy just saved my life. If he wants to be Phin’s groupie, I don’t have a problem with it.”

  Nasani was shaking her head at him. “Not now Joseph.”

  “Forget it.” He changed his tone of voice. “I’m sorry about my crazy aunt—I’m so sorry.”

  Suddenly, I felt sick. She was responsible for my father’s death. “I didn’t know. I feel so foolish for trusting her—and for many years.”

  Ethan placed his arm around my shoulder. “All we can do is focus on stopping her before she kills more innocent people.”

  “With that monster,” Nasani added in repulsion. “Did you see that thing? Its flesh was falling off; it had open wounds—ugh. No wonder the poor thing is so angry. It’s probably been stabbed, hooked and netted more times than any creature in the sea. If only it was a little nicer, I would have tried to ease its pain a bit.”

  “I think it would take more than a few band-aids to calm that thing down Nasani.” I added. “I didn’t get any sense of threat from it but rather from around it. It was as if someone was controlling it—like the monster was just a pawn.” Joseph revealed.

  “We can track it.” Ethan held up a digital screen. “I harpooned it with a whale tag. From now on, we’ll know when it’s coming.”

  Joseph patted Ethan on the back, “Great thinking.”

  Nasani turned to me. “Seraphin, what did you say about hearing your father?”

  Ethan retrieved the broken Petoskey stone—handing one half to Joseph and the other half to me. He explained where we found
it. I repeated the rhyme, my voice cracked at the mention of my mother.

  Joseph was intrigued. “It’s a puzzle. First the poem and now this, your father is leading us on a scavenger hunt. Maybe Orin will know something. We have to ask him.”

  “That’s going to be harder than you think.” There was a long silence while Ethan and I traded concerned glances then I finished explaining. “Orin took off—he’s gone. The only thing he left behind was a note.”

  Joseph was irate. “Why didn’t I know about this until now?”

  I raised my voice. “Excuse me? How could I have told you? You and Nasani were nowhere to be found—telling us nothing of your whereabouts.”

  Ethan interjected, “we were kind of worried about you guys. I mean maybe you could give us a hint next time you decide to take off for a few days?”

  Joseph and Nasani traded glances. She stepped forward and spoke to Ethan. “You were worried?”

  He shyly nodded.

  “I’m sorry Ethan. When Joseph told me what he suspected his aunt was capable of, I wanted to include my father. Only Joseph and I could go. I thought he could help—big mistake. All he was interested in was Seraphin.” Her expression dropped. “He said that if they were really the Guardians then they didn’t need his help. The only reason he came aboard was to meet her.”

  “What about last night? You could have told me then.” I tried to ignore Joseph but he wouldn’t allow it. He continued. “I would have liked to know that the man who holds the key to so much of our future has disappeared. We need him to translate the Legend.”

  Until then, Joseph had not revealed that Orin was the one who could translate the Legend. Again, I had been kept in the dark. What else was he hiding?

  “I’m just as disappointed as you. I’m sure he’ll be back.” I said, trying to calm him. My words were false though, I wasn’t sure Orin would return.

  “We didn’t get to ask him ANYTHING!” Joseph would not back down. He acted as though Orin was our prisoner. He was yelling and his face was only inches from mine. “What if he dies? What if he’s poisoned again? You should have told me last night! I could have had Dr. Caro looking for him.”

  “Last night—”

  He cut me off. “We’ve wasted so much time. He could be anywhere by now. Who knows when he’ll resurface?”

  “You think last night was a waste of time?” I lowered my voice and eyes.

  Joseph did not catch on to my disappointment but instead continued to mutter. “We’ve got to send word that he’s in danger. Nasani, get in touch with all your contacts and let your father know that Orin is missing. If we get to him in time, maybe he won’t go into hiding again.”

  What he also failed to see was that Ethan and Nasani were sharing a moment that did not include the rest of the world. They were locked in one another’s arms with their lips just inches apart. They whispered words and shared smiles—until Joseph broke in with his demands.

  Ethan began to pull away but Nasani held tight. “No.” She whispered.

  Joseph tried again to draw her attention from Ethan, “Nasani!”

  She shook her head. “I will not. I am done.”

  Ethan whispered something in her ear.

  “Don’t let him make you feel that way.” She said to Ethan, and then finally gave Joseph her attention—but not the kind he had hoped for. Her voice grew loud as she spoke. “I’m done Joseph. I need a break from all this. My Mother was right; I always do what you say and I’m through. Oh, and my father, he showed me how little he cared—only the Guardians—only you and Seraphin are his concern. The son he never had and the daughter he should have been given. I don’t fit in to that equation.” Her eyes returned to Ethan even though she still spoke to Joseph. “I gave my life for you today—literally. That life is gone; it’s buried deep in the sea with Leviathan. I want a new life. I’m ready to be loved again—and an amazing man is ready to love me.”

  Ethan gave her a sweet smile.

  Joseph’s face turned to disgust. “You can’t just walk away from this Nasani. We need you.”

  “No. You have Seraphin now. You need each other—AND, I need him.” She took Ethan’s hand and began pulling him until he followed her into the main cabin. “If my father asks, you tell him that Leviathan took my life. You tell him that I sacrificed myself so you and Seraphin could live—you make me into a hero. Maybe this way he’ll finally love me.”

  Like I said, we should have assured her that her life was worth living the moment her father made her feel like it wasn’t. It hurt to see Nasani so angry—but she was right. No longer was she a pawn in whatever Joseph was planning. Though, she was wrong to think I would be his next loyal follower.

  It stung to think that he considered the time we spent together, wasted. I was mistaken to think he could be ordinary; his mind returned to the one track it had always been on. It seemed like the only thing he wanted was to become the most powerful man in the sea. I left him standing alone on the deck of the George Washington.

  I found the rest of the crew locked in the 2nd floor meeting room. There were a few injuries from being tossed around but overall, nothing serious. Just like I had done when Gianni pulled me from the cliff in Taranto, I lied. I told the Captain and Dr. Radski that I didn’t know what had happened. Ethan made the same claim. Though, in our defense we certainly did not know how our lives had taken such a dramatic turn and how our high school biology teacher turned out to be so evil.

  When she saw the wreckage on the deck of the George Washington, Dr. Radski was furious, but was soon after rendered speechless when told that Perrine Canard had fallen overboard. I preferred her speechless, as did Ethan. Without her constant pestering though, he seemed bored. During the next 24 hours, I often found him lingering on the main deck. It wasn’t until night fell that I realized what he was doing. Nasani surfaced for just a minute beside the boat. She was following us back to CORE.

  Joseph made several attempts to speak with me regarding his upcoming plans but I simply walked away, uninterested. We were preparing to dock when he approached me for the last time. “Seraphin, you have to hear me out. We’ve got to stay on track. I’m going to search for Orin; I need you to ask your neighbors about your mother.”

  “No,” I refused. My back was turned as I gathered my things.

  “Seraphin, being a Guardian means you have to go where you are needed.”

  “And who needs me?”

  “I do.”

  “Joseph, I don’t need you.” The second those words left my mouth I regretted them. My parting words were not meant to be so hurtful.

  His expression will forever be burned into my memory. The corners of his mouth dropped. “I will no longer be where I’m not needed.” He stepped away.

  I didn’t stop him.

  TWENTY

  The George Washington returned to the CORE campus without tagging a single whale. Everyone who worked the failed mission was granted a few days off to recuperate.

  Ethan spent most of those days at my house working on the Gran Torino with Mr. Chesney, the high school auto shop teacher.

  Because Nasani no longer had a place to live, I invited her to stay with me. Truth be told, it was nice to have her around. She made herself at home in my grandmother’s old bedroom. There was only one issue, she could not actually see the house; luckily it took her only a few days to get acquainted with the neighbors on Briarwood Court. They took turns walking her onto the porch and through the threshold. Her favorite escort, besides Ethan, was Celia. The two hit it off beautifully.

  Joseph occupied my thoughts. Even though I was angry and frustrated, I felt incomplete without him. The night we talked in Dr. Caro’s penthouse suite played over again in my mind. In his opinion, it was a waste of time, but for me it was the first time I saw Joseph without an ulterior motive, without a plan. And I liked him that way.

  Saturday arrived and with it came the Keyes’ Market Anniversary Gala. Ethan and Nasani had managed to get an invite. They were
excited. I was not. Nasani spent the day primping. She borrowed a dress from Celia’s mother. It was a lavender strapless sundress. Of course, she looked stunning.

  She tried to help me get ready but her efforts proved difficult. “Seraphin, you are love sick.”

  I laughed at her accusation.

  She pressed further. “It’s perfectly normal to miss him.”

  “Nasani, I’m not in love with Joseph and I don’t miss him. Besides, I can assure you that he does not miss me. He knows where to find me and yet he’s made no effort.” Of course, I was lying. I did miss him.

  Ethan spent that day working on my car. Ten minutes before we were to leave he shaved and threw on some clean clothes.

  Together, the three of us walked to the beach club where the celebration was taking place. A massive white canopy was draped with strands of twinkling lights and surrounded by burning torches. Twenty circular tables were underneath; each had a white tablecloth and a decorative flower arrangement. It looked more like a wedding than a corner market anniversary party.

  Nasani squealed when she saw the lavish decorations. “Am I under dressed? I wish I had my clothes. That dress you wore to dinner with Joseph would have been perfect—” She stopped herself.

  Ethan took her hand, assuring her of her beauty.

  A string quartet began to play and I wandered away from the lovebirds. The wind was soft and the moon was full. Its light danced atop the gentle waves of the Atlantic Ocean. It was a perfectly romantic summer evening. I felt ashamed when again I began to long for Joseph’s company.

  Several hours passed. Meaningless conversations were conducted. Ethan, like a gentleman, asked me to dance but I declined.

  Mr. and Mrs. Keyes made the surprise announcement that along with the Market’s anniversary; it was also their wedding anniversary. Seemingly, out of nowhere a priest appeared and the Keyes renewed their wedding vows after 20 years of marriage. With their closest friends gathered around, they promised their lives to one another. They spoke about how they were like two puzzle pieces that fit together—two parts of a whole.