The Island

by Clarissa Johal

  “I lied,” he said. “I brought you here because I thought you would be more comfortable. We cannot let you go, Emma. You cannot escape the island.”

  Emma kicked him with all her strength. It slammed off his muscled thigh. She tried to crawl toward the door.

  He dispassionately dragged her back. “Do not try to escape.” Smoothing her hair, he peered into her face. “If you do, Thim will find you. He will do as he wishes, and I will be unable to stop him.”

  The pouch he wore pressed against her chest. I’m trapped here until help comes. The thought left her dizzy with fear, but overriding it was the will to survive. I’m not giving up that easily. “You don’t want to share me with Thim, am I right?”

  He paused before answering. “He is greedy.”

  “If he uses me up, you’ll have nothing.”

  “I take my time.”

  She looked up at him. “I won’t be able to fight him much longer.”

  “We share—”

  “You know he won’t if he gets a chance,” Emma said quickly. “Is that what you want? Once I’m dead, who knows how much longer you’ll have to wait until someone else comes along?”

  “I waited so long last time.” His hand went to the pouch pressed between them. Worry traced his brow. “I lived in darkness. I hungered.”

  “I’ll make you a deal. Don’t let Thim find me,” she said. “I’ll let you feed off every memory I have…and I won’t fight you.”

  “All of them,” he whispered. “Yes.”

  She reached up and stroked the furrows in his face, inwardly cringing. She traced the scars to the corner of his eyes with her thumbs. His gaze connected with hers and he relaxed his grip. Now! Emma dug her thumbs into Itu’s eyes, gouging them out with her nails. Something like blood streamed from his sockets. Black and viscous, it dripped down her wrists.

  Itu roared in pain and pushed her aside. He clutched his face, reeling. “You promised!”

  “I lied,” she said through gritted teeth. Spurred by adrenaline, Emma scrambled toward the door and threw it open. His sounds of fury and pain echoed from behind as she ran out into the storm.

  Freezing cold rain and wind buffeted her from all sides. Emma ran blindly toward the beach. She’d gotten no more than thirty feet before Thim appeared in front of her. A look of triumph filled his eyes. Darting out of the albino’s way, she changed direction. He grabbed the back of her t-shirt and yanked her off her feet. She tried to crawl away, and he grabbed her ankles. Baring his teeth, Thim snarled like an animal. The albino crawled up her body and pinned her to the ground. Face-to-face, the savage look that burned in his eyes caused a fresh wave of terror to rise within her. Her breath came in short gasps.

  He wants to feed off my fear. The thought broke through her panic. “I’ll starve you, you son of a bitch.” Emma’s gaze fastened on his, and she felt an internal tug. Thim’s muscles stiffened. The sounds around her faded. She was no longer in her body, but felt apart from it. A vision slammed into her mind with such force, her breath hitched.

  For generations, the tribe was consumed by fear. Invasive, it ate away at their very existence and grew. In a long-forgotten realm, these collective fears fed and satiated a single being. Rising from an abyss, the creature became so powerful, it would maintain a hold over the tribe for centuries.

  The vision was cut short and left her dizzy.

  A wariness crept into Thim’s colorless eyes. The albino pulled back and assessed her, his look calculating and inhuman. Rain ran in rivulets down his pale skin.

  “Please—”

  Raising a pale eyebrow, he held his clawed finger in front of her lips as if to quiet her. He ran the translucent claw down her chin, and pressed it into the base of her throat.

  Emma felt a sharp pain as it pierced her skin. A trickle of warm blood followed. Don’t show fear. Don’t. He’s feeding on it.

  Thim dipped his face toward her, a low growl emanating from him. He slid both hands around her neck and squeezed.

  Emma clutched his fingers. The sound of rain echoed in her ears as it pounded the ground. She tried to push Thim off and couldn’t. Black spots danced before her eyes. Her thoughts became clouded. His thighs tightened around her waist. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she thought she heard a distant sound of a bell. Nathanial!

  Thim brought his hands to his ears and let out a guttural wail.

  Emma gasped as the air rushed painfully back into her lungs. The bells around the cabin. The sound must hurt his ears. The realization filled her with hope. Suddenly, the ringing stopped and her heart with it. She struggled from his grasp.

  Thim was quick to grab and immobilize her. He pushed her face first into the ground. Covering her mouth with his hand, he growled something indiscernible into her ear. A warning.

  Emma bit his hand hard enough to make her jaw lock. His skin tasted like cold ashes. The albino roared in anger, and slammed her head against the ground. He flipped her over, his face contorted in hatred. Emma scratched him across the chest. Narrowly avoiding his retaliation, she made a desperate grab for his loincloth. Grasping what was underneath, she gave it a twist. He reeled back in surprise.

  Spurred on by her adrenaline, Emma scrambled to her feet and ran. Her breath rasped in her throat. Thim’s footsteps splashed through the mud behind her. Putting on a desperate burst of speed, she stumbled out onto the beach.

  Nathanial’s boat sat at the dock, pitching to and fro in the heavy wind. He looked up, his face registering surprise as Emma plummeted toward him.

  “Nathanial!” Her voice was a hoarse cry.

  His shocked expression was replaced by one of disbelief. Thim was right behind her, leaping over driftwood and rocks with inhuman accuracy.

  Emma hurdled herself onto Nathanial’s boat.

  Thim slowed, taking them in. A sly smile spread across his face. Tilting his head back, he shuddered. His torso broadened. His hair grew dark, touched with gray at the temples. His alabaster skin tanned and his eyes changed. The clothing of a fisherman dressed his body—blue jeans, a double-breasted pea coat and Greek fisherman’s hat. It was no longer the albino who stood there, but an older version of Nathanial.

  A small sound escaped Nathanial’s lips.

  Spying the bell hanging from the cabin, Emma reached up and rang it as loud as she could. Thim clasped his hands over his ears and fell to the ground. The form of the older man dissolved until it was just the albino laying there, writhing in pain.

  Nathanial quickly jumped aboard the boat. Clambering into the cockpit, he threw the throttle into high gear. The engine roared to life, and they sped out to sea.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  EMMA CLASPED THE ROPE tightly and continued ringing the bell. Wind whipped through her wet hair. Her clothes were soaked and stuck to her body. She was numb with cold. Somebody was talking to her, but she couldn’t make out the words. Thim would come after them. He would sink their boat somehow, and she’d be dragged back to the island where Itu would be waiting. Waiting to prey on the vestiges of grief tucked deep inside her. The grief she’d yet been unable to dwell upon. Her father was dead. Dead. A cry escaped her lips.

  “Emma.” Nathanial’s voice was close. “Let go. We’re safe.”

  She allowed him to gently remove her hand from the rope. Emma focused again on her surroundings. The island had disappeared from sight, and with it, her adrenaline. Nathanial’s voice sounded far away. Her neck felt bruised and her cheeks and jaw hurt. She looked up at the rope hanging from the bell. The bell had somehow ended up over her head.

  She shook, but couldn’t seem to stop. “Two.”

  “What?”

  “There were two men.” The words seemed to freeze on her lips.

  Nathanial cursed under his breath. He slipped off his jacket and covered her with it. “Breathe, Emma.” Brushing her wet hair from her face, his thumb paused at her cheek. “You’re in shock. I’m going to get you a blanket.”

  A layer of warmth was added to his
jacket. His masculine scent, a combination of soap and the ocean, clung to the fabric. She shut her eyes.

  After several moments, Nathanial asked questions. She answered in fits and bursts, unsure if what she said made any sense, but saying it nonetheless. When she was done, he was silent the rest of the way. At least she thought he was. Emma was pulled into unconsciousness.

  Something wailed mournfully. The piteous cries wormed their way under her skin, and somehow, she knew she was responsible. A scream seemed to bubble through her veins. Screaming, over and over, delirious with rage. The raw emotion filled her with dread.

  Emma surfaced long enough to hear Gideon’s voice in the background. She felt herself being picked up before gratefully drifting into unconsciousness again.

  * * *

  “I told her to be careful on that island. The cliffs are steep.”

  Gideon’s voice sounded muffled. In the back of her mind, it registered that she was warm and dry.

  “Accidents can happen to anyone,” Nathanial replied quietly.

  “I’ll call her dad. He was worried.”

  “I’ll stay with her.”

  Emma opened her eyes. She was in the small apartment Gideon kept over the pub. The steady sound of rain drummed against the metal roof. Nathanial’s scent clung to the over-sized flannel shirt she wore. A blanket was tucked around her. Her wet jeans and t-shirt lay over a chair in the corner.

  “You’re awake.” Nathanial sat beside her on the bed. “How are you feeling?”

  “My dad’s alive?”

  “Is there a reason he wouldn’t be?”

  She tried to sit up. “I want to talk to him.”

  “Take it easy. You’re bruised pretty badly,” Nathanial said. “Gideon is calling him right now.”

  “Did you see Thim? The…man who chased me?”

  “The albino?” His expression hardened. “Yes. He was the one who murdered my parents.”

  “What?”

  “After years of everyone telling me that I imagined it, I started to believe them. But it was him.”

  “Did you tell Gideon?”

  “Emma…” He seemed to struggle before continuing. “I think we need to keep this to ourselves until we figure out what’s going on.”

  “But you saw him—”

  “I know I did,” he said. “Nobody believed me back then and nobody’s going to believe you now. Superstition is one thing, but if you start telling people what you told me back on the boat…a shape-shifter and a man who plucks out his own eyes, they’re going to put you away.”

  “It’s true, Nathanial.”

  “I know it is, but—”

  “They’re trapped out there,” Emma said. “I don’t know how or why, but—I think there’s something to the superstition about that island.”

  Nathanial’s gaze shifted to the window. “My dad suspected something was wrong with Sownipok years before he died. My mom used to tell me he was sensitive.” A sad smile touched Nathanial’s lips. “She was probably the only person he’d let use that word when it came to him.” Rain ran in rivulets down the glass, and he seemed to contemplate it. “The night my parents drowned, there was a storm. He wanted to check on Fae on our way back to port. My mother told him we should wait until morning, but he was determined. He couldn’t explain it to us, but he had a feeling there was something wrong.” He continued haltingly. “We could see the island in the distance when suddenly there was this…thing in the water. It slammed against the side of our boat. My dad thought it was a dead body at first and went to shut the engine off. My mom leaned over the side when suddenly she was gone. It pulled her overboard. Faster than either one of us could stop it. My dad dove in to save her.”

  “I’m so sorry, Nathanial.”

  “I waited,” his said. “And then I saw it. That thing…the albino. I saw it surface. It was smiling at me…mocking me. And then it went under again. I dove in after it, thinking I could save my parents.” He turned his attention to Emma again. “That’s all I remember. When I woke up, Fae had found me on her beach. I tried to tell the authorities what had happened, but… The police said I must have imagined the whole thing. I almost started to believe them. I wanted to believe them. But I’ll never forget that thing’s face. Never.”

  “He murdered Fae too,” Emma said. “I saw her remains.”

  “Where? I thought the police—”

  “They did. She was in the cave I found. I think Thim and Itu can make it disappear. I’m not sure how, but I walked past it several times and it simply wasn’t there.”

  Nathanial’s gaze connected with hers. “I tried to make sure Fae was safe, Emma. Every time I’d bring her supplies she’d be a little more distant. More…fragile. I tried to tell her she should move—”

  “It’s not your fault.”

  “When Gideon called and said he couldn’t get a hold of you, I knew something had happened.” His expression was pained. “Emma—”

  Gideon’s footsteps sounded up the creaking, wooden stairs. “You’re awake!” he boomed. “I just called your dad and told him you were okay. He was worried sick.”

  “He’s alive.” She ran a shaky hand through her hair. “Did he have his surgery?”

  “Of course he’s alive! Everything went great,” Gideon replied. “Margaret tried to call you, but couldn’t get through. She ended up calling me.”

  Emma chewed the information over in her thoughts. “Um…the power was out and I couldn’t recharge my phone. I left it on the island.”

  “When my boat’s fixed I’ll pick it up with the rest of your things,” Gideon said.

  “No!” she and Nathanial said in unison.

  Gideon gave them a quizzical look.

  “It’s okay.” Emma shook her head. “I-I’ll just get a new one. I, um…dropped it in the water. And I don’t need my things. Can I use your phone to call dad? Is he feeling okay?”

  “Your dad’s a fighter like you, angel face,” Gideon said. “Nothing’s going to keep him down. Runs in the family.” He eyed her. “Before you give him a call, you want to tell me what happened? You look like you had a hockey match and lost.”

  Emma looked away, feigning embarrassment. “I went exploring and fell.”

  “What is it with you Kellers?” He threw his hands into the air. “I don’t need to lose another one of you, thank you very much.”

  “I’m sorry.” Emma allowed Nathanial to help her sit up. She felt bruised from head to toe and winced.

  “You need help?” Gideon stood, hands on hips.

  “I’ve got her.” Nathanial gently helped Emma to her feet.

  “Your dad’s sending a mover out to the island next week,” Gideon said as they headed downstairs. “Said he’s going to throw away everything that’s not packed and be done with it. He wants to put the island on the market by the end of the month.”

  Emma hesitated. “So soon?”

  “You take a shine to the place?” he asked. “If you want to keep it in the family, best you talk with him about it. He seemed pretty determined. If there’s one thing I know about Avery, once he sets his mind to something, there’s no changing it.”

  I can’t let him sell the island, Emma thought in desperation. To anyone.

  Gideon started toward the kitchen. “You probably need to get going, eh, Nate? I’ll pack a special for you. On the house.”

  “What time is it?” Emma asked. “I want to catch the next ferry out.”

  “Slow down, girl. Rest up before you leave,” Gideon said. “You can catch the first one out tomorrow.”

  “I’ll follow you in my truck tomorrow morning if you don’t mind, Emma.” Nathanial caught Gideon’s surprised expression. “I’m taking a trip to the mainland for a couple days.”

  “Are you, now?” Gideon’s eyes twinkled. “Don’t recall you needing to go into the city very often, Nate.”

  Nathanial gave him a pointed look. “Something came up.”

  “Well, then. I guess I’ll make both of y
ou a special.”

  “I’m not really hungry,” Emma said. “I just want to call Dad right now.”

  “Help yourself to the phone, angel face. Right there on the counter. How about you, Nate?”

  “I could go for some coffee.”

  “I’ll make a fresh pot. Could go for some myself.”

  Emma picked up the phone and dialed.

  “Hello?”

  “Dad?” Tears of relief pricked at her eyes.

  “Hey, honey,” he said. “How are you feeling? Gideon said you’d had an accident. I thought that was my department.”

  “I’m fine. Your surgery went okay? How do you feel?”

  “Right as rain and ready to rumba. Of course, that could be the pills talking.”

  Emma slumped onto one of the barstools. “How long are you going to be off your feet?”

  “I just walked to the bathroom all by myself,” her dad answered. “Good thing too, because I’d hate for Margaret to have to help me with that. She’s done too much already.”

  “I can take the next ferry, Dad—”

  “You stay with Gideon tonight, Emma. He told me you were pretty beat up.”

  She glanced over at Gideon, who tried unsuccessfully to look as if he wasn’t hovering. “I’ll drop by tomorrow then.” She paused. “We need to talk about Sownipok.”

  “What about it?”

  “Um…cabin stuff.”

  He sighed. “The Realtor is right. We probably need to replace the appliances before it goes up for sale.”

  “Maybe,” she said, chewing her lip. “Is Margaret there right now?”

  “Yes. Do you want to talk to her?”

  Emma loosened her grip on the phone. “No. Just checking.”

  “I keep telling her they gave me kick-butt pain killers. I could climb a mountain if I needed too.”

  “Please don’t.” Though she chuckled at his remark, her throat was tight. “Just get better. I love you, Dad. I’ll drop by tomorrow, okay?”

  “Whenever you’re up for it. ‘Bye, honey.”

  She hung up. “He says he feels fine. Margaret’s with him.”