Vale of Tears: A Thalassia novel

by Patrick McClafferty

  Someone at the table chuckled. “Thank you, Aunt Isabela.” Jineva gave the woman at her side a little bow.

  “Aunt?” Logan looked surprised. “Not sisters?”

  Isabela beamed at the man. “Thank you kind sir, but Jineva is truly my niece.” Her look became speculative. “There wouldn’t be any more like you at home, would there?”

  Logan winked at Thallia. “Did you hear that, my dear? Someone out there appreciates my wit.”

  “Not likely.” The auburn-haired woman grumbled.

  Thallia was smiling now. Medin spoke up again. “I believe that we’ve discussed all the issues necessary. Thank you all for coming.”

  As the others stood, Logan leaned across the table to Jineva. Although he spoke to the young woman, his voice was pitched to carry to Diego and Bel. “Administrators are a small, tightly knit group. No matter what happens you can call on us. We will help.” His wide smile included all three of them. “Welcome to the family.” Jineva’s eyes were tearing up for some strange reason.

  Chapter 13

  Jineva sat on the end of the dock beneath Casa Barillo, dangling her feet in the warm water of the bay. Rolling and swooping gulls rode the winds in a sky filled with feather-fingers of clouds, and the air held the sharp fragrance of the sea. Although she was dripping wet, she was only just beginning to feel the chill of the breeze. She had been out swimming, testing Meara and Thallia’s new modifications. Reaching up, Jineva gingerly touched the quickly fading gill slits on her neck. The goggles that allowed her to see underwater were sitting on the dock next to her, and looked very much like a pair of portable Krathaa eyes, black and shiny. Next to the goggles sat a pair of fins that strapped to her feet, allowing her to swim almost as fast as the Krathaa. Unfortunately, Jineva lacked the physical parts of the Krathaa vocal system that would allow her to speak underwater. Azzktullua had doubled up in laughter the one time she had tried to speak. She and the young Krathaa girl had worked out a complex set of hand signals that would allow them to talk while submerged, kind of.

  A thick blanket draped across her shoulders. “You should leave a blanket here when you go swimming,” Diego said.

  Shivering, she pulled the blanket close and looked up at her father. “I always forget.”

  He sat down beside her, ignoring the wet dock. “I still say that you should let me come with you. I trust Azzktullua and her father completely, but I’m still your father after all.”

  “I’ll be fine and besides, we’re only going to check things out the first time. The people in the castle won’t even know we’re there.”

  “I hope that you’re right.” His voice was filled with concern. Yeah, me too. “Do you still plan on leaving tomorrow?”

  “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. I’ll have a good meal tonight and then a good breakfast in the morning, before we leave. Mateo’s boat has a shallower draft than ours, and he can drop me off right in the mouth of the harbor if needs be, and still be able to turn and leave without running aground on the sand bars.”

  Diego’s brown eyes were serious. “It’s still a long swim. You might have gills, but you haven’t been swimming since you were born, like the Krathaa.”

  Jineva’s cheeks turned red. “Gluznaak said almost the same thing. He’s made arrangements to tow me if and when I get too tired. It’s so embarrassing.”

  Diego laughed gently, and touched his daughter’s arm. “I believe that it has something to do with love, poco de amor.”

  Jineva was silent for a time. “Is it just me, Father, or have things changed?”

  Diego watched a brown pelican fold its wings and dive into the water fifty feet from the end of the pier. “It’s not the things that have changed, Jineva, it’s us. We’re not the same people we were six or eight months ago. We look at things differently now. Your parents wouldn’t know us.”

  “Consorting with goddesses and supernatural creatures. Michan would freak out.” She heard Diego stifle a chuckle.

  “Your brother was very much like a young Mateo. You might say his world view was somewhat limited. What would he say if he knew that WE were the supernatural creatures?”

  Jineva gripped his arm fiercely. “If I had been my father’s daughter instead of yours, I would have probably turned out like Mateo or Michan.”

  “Probably.”

  “I’m glad things turned out as they did. I’m glad that you are my father.”

  Diego reached out and touched her hair. “I’m glad they did too. I’m very proud to call you my daughter.”

  “And what, exactly, are you going to do in Soledad?” The skies they sailed under were gray and lowering, perfectly matching Mateo’s mood. Jineva had been staring out over the vast sweep of the ocean, lost in thought.

  “Reconnaissance.” She really didn’t want to talk.

  “I thought that you did that last time. This is so unnecessary.”

  “I have to verify some information we gathered last time. It’s important.”

  “If you say so.” Mateo obviously doubted that importance, because he hadn’t thought of it himself.

  “How long until we reach Soledad?”

  He glanced up at the bright blob in the cloudy sky, low on the horizon. “The sun’s close to being down. Three or four hours until we hit Soledad.”

  “Do you know what you are supposed to do?”

  Mateo gave a heavy sigh. “Drop you off, sail out into the ocean a few dozen miles and anchor. Pick you up where I dropped you off just before first light. If you aren’t there the first day, try again the second, and so on. If you don’t show up after five days head back to Isla Lemuy and notify Diego Giani.” He gave her a disgusted look. “If you’re missing, why can’t I come looking for you myself? I did track you down across four islands.”

  “Diego is more experienced at this.” Jineva replied glibly. “If I need a rescue the two of you would probably make a good team.”

 

  Jineva mumbled something obscene in the back of her mind. Meara sounded vaguely amused.

  She stared at Mateo’s wide shoulders for a moment, wondering idly why fate couldn’t have given the boy brains to match his physical attributes. “I think that I’ll go below to see if I can get some sleep. It’s apt to be a long night.”

  “That’s a good idea. I’ll call you when we get there.”

  “Thank you, Mateo.” Jineva squeezed through the narrow companionway and into her tiny berth. Sleep found her almost immediately.

  Meara’s voice was calm, and Jineva wondered just how she did it. Her mouth was already dry with fear.

 

  There was a knock on the door.

 

  “I’m up, Mateo.” She opened the door and could barely make him out in the semi-dark companionway.

  “Did you sleep?” There was concern in his voice.

  “Some. I’ll be fine.”

  “I’ve been keeping a careful watch, and haven’t seen the people you’re to meet. Are you sure they’re coming?”

  “They’ll be here.” Jineva pushed him back into the dark hallway. “I have to change.”

  “Ohh, sorry.” He didn’t sound sorry.

  It took Jineva a few short minutes to squeeze into the mottled dark green single piece swim suit Thallia had provided to keep her warm during the long swim. She thought Mateo’s eyes were going to pop out of his head when she stepped through the doorway.

  “What is THAT you’re wearing?” Despite the dark surroundings she could tell he was blushing furiously.

  She returned a flat look. “It is called a swimming suit, and is designed to keep me warm.”

  “You look like
a bloody sealkie, well almost.” His blush deepened.

  “Thank you.” She turned and walked away toward the starboard railing, letting him watch her in the skin-tight swimsuit. Her smile, however, was as cold as the night air.

  “Hello, Jineva.” A voice said softly from the dark water. “Are you ready?”

  “Just about, Azzktullua. Is your father with you?”

  “Yes, and five others.”

  “What!” Echoed across the deck from Mateo. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “I’m going for a swim, Mateo. What does it look like?” More than a hint of anger colored her voice.

  “But... but...” Without a further word, Jineva slipped over the side, entering the water with a faint splash. She slipped on the goggles just as Mateo glared over the side. “Wait, I forbid...” The cold dark water closed about her head, cutting off whatever Mateo had been about to say.

  It took a moment for her night vision to acclimatize itself to the new environment, and soon to Jineva’s eyes it looked as though she were swimming in a wavering scene of black and white and gray. Gluznaak touched her briefly on the arm. She gave him the sign that she was ready, and the small party slid through the water, like so many fish.

  Her thought went out to Meara as her fingers said the same thing to Azzktullua. She started to turn aside from the group when Meara stopped her with a sharp comment.

 

 

 

 

  Everything was new and exciting, so it wasn’t surprising that Jineva’s swim seemed short. The burning in the muscles of her legs and thighs, however, foretold trouble, or at least pain to come. The sharp edge of the magma dome lay like a forbidding shadow in front of the small group of swimmers.

  “Where do we go now?” Jineva found that her fingers were stiff and cold from the long exposure to the icy seawater.

  “Father says there are tunnel entrances to the right and left.” The Krathaa girl’s fingers were flickering deftly. “But the ones to the left seem to have warmer water coming from them. He asks which you shall choose.”

  The young human girl bit her lip in thought. “There is a better chance the warmer tunnel leads toward the magma chamber. We will go left.” Despite the insulating swimsuit and the modifications made by Meara and Thallia both, she was still chilled. The warm water would be a pleasant change.

  Heavy ropes of dark seaweed blocked their way, but Azzktullua showed her the trick of wriggling through it with the least amount of effort. The warmer, nutrient-rich waters promoted growth in both plants and smaller sea creatures, and besides the seaweed, Jineva saw lobsters the size of her arm crawling on the sandy harbor bottom. At one point she swam over a chalky white human skeleton with stones tied to its legs. Under other circumstances, that could have been her. The shivering, hollow-stomach feeling lasted until the party turned into the warmer tunnel. The world about her turned black. Jineva was on the verge of panicking when a dull green glow filled the tunnel. She was literally shaking with relief when Azzktullua touched her shoulder lightly.

  “Father brought light globes with him.” The girl’s fingers said. “He will lead off. One of the other men with a light globe will take up the rear.” Her fingers stilled for a moment, and then continued. “I don’t like the dark either.”

  Jineva touched her friend’s arm while her other hand made a quick reply. “Thank you.” She saw a quick flash of white teeth from Azzktullua’s smile.

  The corridor seemed endless in its sameness, each yard of dull black tunnel wall looking identical to both the previous and the next. The temperature continued to rise, and Jineva wondered wryly just how much of a good thing she could take. Finally Gluznaak held up a hand, and said a few quick unintelligible words to his daughter, who turned to Jineva, her fingers already moving.

  “Father says that this section is the hottest. He can feel cooler water ahead.”

  Jineva nodded, and turned to face the flat black tunnel wall. Bubbles from boiling water were escaping through tiny cracks and fissures in front of her face. Although she knew that it was her imagination, Jineva could almost see the red glow of molten rock just inside.

  She murmured in her mind.

  Jineva swallowed, reaching out. Azzktullua reached out a hand to stop her, but the human girl shook her head. The sharp black tunnel wall was hot. VERY painfully hot. Although it was hot enough to burn her, it didn’t.

  Jineva jerked her hand away from the scalding pain. In the dull light she could see that the palm was slightly red, but nothing more.

 

 

  Thallia’s voice interrupted.

  Jineva was shocked and angry.

 

  Jineva floated in the warm water, thinking. She could tell that Meara was listening carefully.

 

 

 

  Jineva was musing as they swam back, the black sameness of the tunnel lending a hypnotic quality to the pump of her aching legs. She didn’t even notice when they left the tunnel and entered the brighter glimmer of the harbor proper. Fatigue dulled her mind. She jerked as Azzktullua touched her.

  “It is starting to get lighter. Father will probably head for the deeper part of the harbor where...”

  A tearing pain stabbed Jineva’s thigh, and to her horror she saw a black barbed arrow piercing through her entire leg. She opened her mouth to scream and suddenly the water about her, about all of them, was filled with deadly arrows. A tall lean Krathaa warrior took a shaft in the back, another through a calf. The water was turning red with their blood. Gluznaak was suddenly at her side, worry written on his strange face. He looked to his daughter and said several sentences.

  “Father says that he is so sorry. This is his fault and you were his responsibility.”

 

  When Jineva began to move away Gluznaak held her back with a webbed hand, but she shook him off.

  “Azzktullua, tell your father that I am not seriously hurt, but that I need to see to the other warrior.”

  The Krathaa girl gave her a long look before she turned to her father. She said several short sentences, and Gluznaak glared at her, before he finally gave a grudging nod. The Krathaa warrior was just twitching when Jineva arrived, his normally warm skin cool under her hand.

  Jineva closed her eyes, letting Meara take whatever she needed and like a torrent it left her body, taking her consciousness with it.

  Jineva was floating, neither warm nor cold, a dull ache beating in her thigh in time w
ith her heart. She opened her eyes to see a small silver fish stop just beyond her nose and stare at her in astonishment, then dart off in a flicker of fins and tail.

 

  The mental voice of the K’ Dreex was weak. There was a weary sigh.

  Jineva asked softly.

 

  Jineva felt warm arms hug her, and realized that in some way she and Meara had suddenly become much closer. She hugged back.

  Fingers touched her arm, and she turned to face a worried Azzktullua. “How are you?” The small green fingers flickered.

  “We will survive, my friend, but it was close, and where are we anyway?”

  “You are in a small shelter at the bottom of the harbor, below where the men in the castle can see our shapes and shoot at us. What do you mean, we?”

  Jineva considered weaving a fictional tale for the Krathaa girl, and finally decided on the truth. “We. I have a being that lives within me, in my blood and her name is Meara. Think of her as my advisor, and friend, and so much more. She can heal me, and in some cases heal others too. It takes a lot of my energy, though. This last time your young warrior was already crossing over into death when we arrived. We,” Jineva shuddered, “we brought him back, and then we repaired his body. It was almost too much for us.”

  “Are you a goddess?” Azzktullua asked with shaking hands.

  Jineva’s fingers twitched in laughter. “No. Heaven forbid, not that. I’m just a person, like you.” Behind her dark goggles, Jineva’s eyes narrowed. “Do me a favor, Azzktullua. Tell your father that I would like to see him. Tell him that I would like to give you a gift, and I need his permission.”