The Uncharted Series Omnibus

by Keely Brooke Keith

  “It’s a windstorm. It came in from the sea. The sky went from perfectly clear to completely filled with black clouds within minutes,” he explained as he opened Isabella’s window. He jerked the shutter’s rusty lock into place and closed the window again.

  “It is God’s wrath,” Isabella commented from her bed. “God controls who enters the Land and God judges those who try to leave.”

  Everett glanced at the elderly blind woman who was propped against a stack of pillows. He had not seen her in months. She looked frail and sallow—like Samuel had before he died.

  Lydia stepped close to Isabella and took her hand. “There now, Aunt Isabella, I’m sure it is just a storm.”

  Everett had not meant to stare at Isabella. He felt rude and made himself look away. As he left the room he heard Lydia thank him for closing the shutters. He mumbled a response and, as he stepped into the hallway, Connor came around the stairs. “Thanks, Everett, I’ve got the rest.”

  Everett stopped in the hallway. Thunder cracked outside the house and shook the floor beneath his feet. He walked through the parlor and back into the kitchen. John and Levi were pulling off their boots and shedding their sandy overcoats. Bethany was probably upstairs in her bedroom. He wanted to go to her, to demand an explanation, to beg her to say it was not true, but the sooner he saw her, the sooner their relationship would end. He did not want to lose her; after losing his father, it would be too much to bear, but if she had been unfaithful in courtship, he would have little choice. He slid his hand into his pocket and felt her silver bracelet.

  John brushed his palms together and asked Levi, “Is Mandy with Roseanna?” When Levi gave a quick nod, John looked at Everett. “I think you both should stay here until the storm passes. There is no sense in going out in that.”

  Everett’s mother was safe at home and the animals were safe in the barn; he was the only one in danger, having his heart sliced open by a silver trinket. As he thought of Mercer’s parting words, he wondered if he even knew Bethany at all. He remembered Levi’s warning and did not want to fall victim to a lie, but his fear would be neither relieved nor confirmed until he spoke to Bethany.

  John walked out of the kitchen. “Excuse me gentlemen, there is something I need to take care of.”

  Everett sat at the table as he heard John climb the stairs. He looked at Levi. “Does your father know what Mercer accused Bethany of?”

  “I don’t live here any more, so I don’t know any more than you do,” Levi said as he picked up the radio receiver and started to tinker with the wire. “But if he doesn’t know, I’d say he’s about to find out.”

  * * *

  Justin Mercer unstrapped the radio from his back and allowed it to drop into the ocean before he grabbed the helicopter’s rescue hoist and was pulled from the dinghy. Once inside the helicopter, he stared back toward the Land. He had lost sight of it after rowing out only a few hundred feet from shore, and with the storm between them and the Land, it was hidden from the crew also. Black clouds billowed behind them while the rescue helicopter carried him to the platform. The storm rose like smoke from a volcano as if the sea intended to keep the Land undetectable—even from him as he approached the carrier. Mercer didn’t care about the cause of the storm or the cause of the Land’s disappearance. He had promised to take his experience in the Land to his grave, and now all he wanted was to get back to his old life.

  With a synthetic fleece first aid blanket wrapped over his wet shoulders, Mercer followed the aviation rescue swimmer through one of the carrier’s stale corridors. It was good to be back on a platform, even though the ship was eerily quiet.

  The rescuer glanced back as he spoke over his shoulder. “You’ve been on a dinghy for a month, and you look healthier than most of our crew.”

  Mercer scowled and rubbed his whiskered jaw. It was not a month’s worth of stubble, but it was enough to make him look ragged. “The weather was favorable until today. I guess I got lucky, that’s all.”

  “Luck and a water filter and a fishing line,” the rescuer laughed.

  Mercer wanted to laugh too, but he feigned lightheadedness instead, hoping to portray an exhausted victim. He slowed his pace and received a sympathetic look from the rescuer. “It must have been awful. You were smart to stay off the icebreaker while the other men died.”

  “Are they all dead?” Mercer asked, thinking of Volt.

  “Yes,” the rescuer kept talking as he turned a corner and opened a door for Mercer. “We found four bodies and a lot of old equipment—not as old looking as that radio you had strapped to your back when we found you. Good thing you used it though. There is nothing but water out here for hundreds of miles.”

  Mercer nodded. “Yeah, nothing at all.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Bethany lifted her head from her feather pillow and listened to the wind howl outside the sturdy old house. As she drew her legs from under the warm quilt, she reached to straighten her nightgown, but instead of feeling its thin cotton, she felt the sweaty velvet of the red dress she had fallen asleep in. The memories of the night’s events flooded back, and with them the aching burden of her family’s disappointment.

  The wind’s groan increased, and Bethany went to her bedroom window to look out. She peeled back the lace-trimmed curtain, and then gasped when she saw the trees in front of the house bending and buckling in the violent wind. A limb cracked off a dormant fruit tree, and sprigs of latent buds flew past her window. She pushed her hands against the glass and looked far to one side then to the other and saw her father closing the storm shutters outside the parlor window below. Dark clouds roiled through the morning sky, turning its soft pink into a smutty black. It was a rainless storm from a furious sky. She gripped the curtains and yanked them together, protecting herself from the disturbing visual.

  Bethany backed toward her bed. The only other time she had witnessed a storm so severe was when Luke and Walter were killed at sea. Levi had stayed with her during that horrible storm, and Everett had comforted her when she grieved the loss of her friends. But now she was alone, having been ordered to stay in her room until her father came for her. She hoped he would hurry inside and come get her, even though when he did it would be to reprimand her for her foolish breach of custom.

  Something hit Bethany’s window, making her jump. She scurried onto her bed and leaned into the headboard. If Justin had rowed out at sunrise like he planned, he might be drowning in the ocean. She hugged her pillow and wrapped her legs beneath the quilt, trying not to imagine the panicked fright of being pulled into a raging current. No matter how he had hurt her, she still did not want him to suffer.

  The walls creaked with the changing air pressure brought by the storm. Bethany heard the men talking downstairs and wished her father would come get her. If anything else hit the window, it might shatter the glass and she would be exposed to the storm’s violence. She tried to listen to the voices, but could not discern their words for the sound of the wind.

  Quick stomps ascended the stairs. As she looked at her door, lightning cracked outside the window, increasing her fear. “Father?” Bethany yelled.

  The door opened. “I am here.”

  “Oh, Father—” She pushed her pillow away and started to move to the edge of the bed but noticed his scowl and wind-tossed hair. She froze as she remembered his last words to her during the night. Instead of going to him, she slunk back against the headboard and pulled the pillow to her chest. She wanted him to tell her to come downstairs with the family, but he only stepped into her bedroom and closed the door.

  Tears of compunction slid down Bethany’s cheeks. She could not look her father in the eye, so she wiped her cheek against the pillow and turned her face to the window. “Isn’t it dangerous to be upstairs during a storm?”

  “I am with you.” John stepped close to the bed then stopped. “Look at me.”

  “No. I know you’re angry.”

  “I am not angry with you, Bethany. I am disappointed.”


  “That’s worse.” Bethany’s hand trembled as she dragged a knuckle beneath her eye, catching a fresh tear. She never wanted to disappoint anyone, least of all her father.

  “We need to talk about what happened last night.”

  “I only went to say goodbye.”

  “You went alone to visit a man in the middle of the night.”

  Though she had her reasons—and they had seemed paramount at the time—she felt foolish now. Bethany swallowed, trying to relieve the lump in her throat. “To say goodbye,” she reiterated.

  “You broke the rules. You disobeyed.” Thunder vibrated the house, but John’s deep voice never wavered in its calm authority. “You are an adult and you can make your own decisions, but you also must understand what is at stake now—”

  “I just wanted Justin to know that one person here cared about him.”

  “I told you not to go. Connor told you to stay away from Justin. Lydia warned you too, and I am sure you knew Everett’s feelings on the matter. We all warned you—not to keep you from something good—but to protect you because we love you.” When Bethany took a breath to defend herself, John raised a palm and continued. “And we did not tell you as adults instructing a child, but as adults helping another adult. Just because you were the last person in this family to reach adulthood does not mean you are still a child. This is not an issue of age but of wisdom. We could all see you were being tempted to cross a boundary with serious consequences and we wanted to help you. But you were so worried about what Justin thought and felt that you went after his approval. Did you get it?”

  Bethany looked up at her father. His probing questions pierced her heart with truth. “No, I only got hurt.”

  “The surest way to get hurt is to seek the approval of the godless.” John’s brow furrowed and he sat on the bed near Bethany. “What happened?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Tell me the truth.” When Bethany remained silent, John blew out a breath. “Bethany, if a man wants to marry you someday, according to our tradition, as your father I will have to attest that you are pure—”

  “I am,” Bethany blurted out, as she grabbed her father’s arm. “He didn’t… we didn’t… he kissed me and I left. That was it, I promise.”

  John nodded slowly and folded his hands. “It sounds like Justin thought you went see to him for the same reason we all did.”

  Everyone seemed to know something she did not. She wanted to blame growing up without a mother for her lack of understanding, but she remembered the constant admonitions from the people who cared about her. There had been no lack of guidance, only a lack of trust on her part. Bethany drew her lips into her mouth and nodded. “I had to find out for myself.”

  “That is normal for a person your age.” John glanced at her and continued. “I know you sometimes question the validity of our traditions, but I hope you see our boundaries exist to protect us. You are free to live as you choose and cross those boundaries if you wish. And if you live that way, we will still love you and we will forgive you, but we will stop warning you. Eventually, you will find yourself unprotected and isolated. By crossing boundaries last night, you hurt yourself and you hurt people who love you.”

  Bethany inched away from the headboard and closer to her father. He wrapped an arm behind her back, and she was relieved to feel his love and forgiveness, but the possibility of the rest of her family being hurt or suspicious of her kept the knot tight in her throat. She looked at her hands. “I’m sorry—truly I am.”

  “I forgive you.”

  “I want the others to forgive me too.”

  “Lydia and Connor will not hold this against you. Everett is a good man and he will forgive you too, but whether or not he will still want to court you—I cannot say. His honor is at stake.”

  The thought of Everett rejecting her for one stupid mistake hit Bethany with gut-churning force. She looked to her father. “Please speak to him for me.”

  “You are an adult now; I am not going to punish you, but I am not going to fix your mistakes either. Your choice hurt your relationships. Only you can make it right.”

  “How do I fix this?”

  John sighed. “Bethany, you have a sensitive heart—you get that from your mother. I am sorry you had to grow up without her, but you have never gone a day without the guidance of people God has placed in your life. Go to them and tell them what you told me: that you regret your actions and your purity was spared. They need to know you appreciate their help and you regret not listening to them. As you get older and your choices affect your place in the community, you will want to have people like Lydia and Connor, Levi and Mandy, and Roseanna and Everett—people who are wise and will advise you to live in a way that honors your family and your creator. This family and this village—they are your true inheritance. Levi has chosen his own inheritance. Connor, who was grafted into our family providentially, will probably inherit the position of village overseer one day. Everett has inherited his father’s property and position among the elders. I know it is different for you being the youngest daughter in that you will not inherit physical possessions, but these people are your inheritance. You must treat them as such.”

  Bethany gave a small chuckle as she examined her cuticles. “Actually, Father, I will have an inheritance of my own.”

  “Oh?”

  “Mrs. Vestal would like to leave me the pottery yard.” She waited for her father’s reaction. “If that is acceptable to the elders, of course. No one in her family has interest in it, and she says I am the best potter she’s ever known.”

  John leaned back and pressed his palms into the mattress. “I will discuss it with the elders when Mrs. Vestal presents the details to us, but it sounds like a good plan to me.”

  “Really?” Bethany ignored the wind’s moan outside the window and smiled. “Thank you, Father.”

  “Just do not forget your heritage—your family, the village, and our values. Whether you have a family of your own to pass your heritage to some day or spend your life shaping lumps of clay into beautiful vessels, always protect your true inheritance.”

  * * *

  Bethany stayed close to her father as she followed him down the stairs and into the kitchen. Though it was morning, the shuttered windows made the downstairs rooms as dark as night. Flames flickered inside the globes of two lanterns on the kitchen table, and the gray leaf log in the fireplace added a soft glow to the room. As John stepped to the side, Bethany saw the people she loved and had hurt. Connor leaned back in his seat and furrowed his brow like he did in the classroom when he was waiting for a naughty student to explain bad behavior. Levi appeared impassive, but he emanated disappointment, bearing evidence of his knowledge of her foolish choice. Everett sat at the far end of the table in her father’s usual seat. He had his head in his hands and did not look at her. Bethany wished her father would speak for her, but when he put his hand at her back and nudged her closer to the table, she knew there was no way out of it. She began to pick at her nails then looked up when Lydia walked into the room behind them.

  Lydia passed her and glanced in the bassinet in the corner of the room. “Andrew is sound asleep and Aunt Isabella says she wants to stay in her room and nap.” The wind banged the shutters against the kitchen window. “How either of them can be at peace during this ruckus is beyond me.” Lydia looked at the men and then at Bethany. “Oh, am I interrupting?”

  John motioned to the empty chair beside Connor. “Have a seat, Lydia. Bethany has something she needs to say.”

  Bethany felt her knees quiver and shifted her weight. She swallowed and looked at Connor. “You saved my life when I caught that horrible illness and then you worked so hard to protect me. I didn’t listen to you and I’m sorry.” She moved her gaze to Lydia. “You tried to warn me too. I should have listened and I’m sorry I didn’t.” A small smile curved the corner of Lydia’s mouth and she nodded. Bethany looked at Levi. “I know you were worried about me and I only made it wors
e. I’m sorry.” Levi grinned and the light hit his eyes, relieving her, though she already knew he would easily forgive her.

  Everett lifted his head and raked both hands through his hair. Though his jaw was shadowed with whiskers, it was the darkness in his eyes that made him look harsh. When his gaze met hers, Bethany wanted to look away, but she forced herself to carry on. This was some rite of passage, some test of development, or one of those maturing experiences her father so often referred to, and she would not back down. She straightened her spine. “Everett, you made your wishes very clear and I went against them. I understand why you are upset and I’m so sorry.” He did not move. His gaze was intense, so Bethany looked at the others to continue her apology. “I hope my foolish actions haven’t brought shame to my family, and I hope you all will forgive me.”

  Lydia stood and embraced Bethany. “Of course, we forgive you.”

  As Lydia backed away, Connor smiled. “Yeah, Beth, you’re forgiven.”

  Bethany glanced at Levi and he smiled at her. Everett was still staring at her. He had not yet offered forgiveness. She was too nervous to let him catch her eye. He stood and everyone looked at him and then at her. Everett turned to John. “May I speak with Bethany alone?”

  “Of course.” John held an open hand toward the parlor.

  Everett passed Bethany without touching her. Lydia and Connor exchanged a sad look then Lydia pressed her palm to her stomach. For once Bethany felt like she knew what they knew, and she pined for her former ignorance. Her heart broke a little more with each step as she followed Everett into the dim, empty parlor. Her family had forgiven her and she felt their love. She wished they would follow her and stand with her as she endured the rejection of the man she loved, but she had to face him alone.