Always Remembered (9 page)

With a slight smile on her lips, she stepped
close and took his hand. She seemed to look for any excuse to touch
him, but he didn’t mind. With the outfit she was wearing, he wished
he could touch her more. Guilt flooded his mind as he briefly
thought of Meara. She was in danger. He needed to figure out how to
protect her. He had to stop Ken.

Deana tugged his hand and led him down a
corridor. “The stairwell is this way.”

They passed a few couples as they walked.
Everyone looked human. Everyone but Evan. And yet, no one gave him
a second glance. They smiled or nodded and moved on. Polite
indifference.

“Why isn’t anyone freaked out by my
appearance or wondering why I didn’t change?” Evan asked.

“They are either Siren or Blue Men.” Deanna
eyed him with confusion.

“Yeah? So?” Evan persisted. “Aren’t they
wondering why I can’t change?”

“They know why.” She leaned closer and
whispered, “You are Ken’s son. No one would dare insult the
prince.”

Evan scoffed. “I’m not a prince.”

Eyes wide, Deanna turned to face him. “Yes,
you are. Like it or not, Ken is in charge. With no queen, as eldest
son, he became king. And you are his only son. The first of the
Blue Men born in, well…” She scrunched up her brow as she thought
about it, and then shrugged. “Well, in forever, really. You’re a
novelty.”

He snorted without meaning to, and for a
moment, Deanna looked hurt. “I’m not laughing at you,” he
apologized. “It’s all so strange to me. You have to remember that a
few weeks ago, I was just a college student on a summer internship.
Hoping to spend time with my girlfriend…”

His words trailed off.
Meara
. Again,
she invaded his thoughts. This time he saw her face, as clear as if
she was standing in front of him. He loved her so much, but they
had both changed. Would he feel the same when he saw her next?
Would she feel the same about him? He wished he still had the
necklace she gave him, the one that belonged to her grandfather
that they used to communicate. It would’ve worked here, he was sure
of it. On the other hand, Ken might have confiscated it. Evan
speculated that Ken was beginning to figure out how it worked
before they left the house in Aberdeen. He’d commented on it
frequently.

“Are you going downstairs or what?” a voice
sneered behind them. Evan turned to stare at a guy about his age
with mousy, brown hair and glasses. The man’s eyes widened
comically behind the frames.

“Prince Evan.” He dropped to one knee. “My
apologies. In the shadows, I didn’t recognize you.”

“Stand up,” Evan mumbled, embarrassed. Others
were starting to notice. “What’s your name?”

“Dex, My Prince.” Dex looked positively
scared.

“Relax, Dex.” Evan placed a hand on his
shoulder and squeezed. “We’re cool.”

“Cool?” The man glanced from Evan to Deanna
and back again.

“It means everything is fine.” A line was
forming behind them while they exchanged niceties. Several faces
looked irritated. “But it won’t be fine for long unless we get
moving and clear the stairs for others.” He let Deanna go first. He
tried to let Dex pass, but he refused.

“After you, Prince. I insist.” He bowed at
the waist and waited. With a sigh, Evan turned and followed Deanna
down the stairs, the exchange forgotten as soon as he stepped out
of the entryway. It was like walking into any mall back home with
bright lights, rows of stores advertising sales, and the tempting
scent of fried food and coffee.

A quick glance told him that the stores were
not the same as those in Halifax. There was no Abercrombie and
Fitch, Victoria’s Secret, or Starbucks here. In fact, closer
inspection showed that most stores were named by what they
sold
—
Jeans, Hats, Jewelry.
Not the most
creative group of creatures
, he thought, finally seeing the
sign he was searching for
—
Coffee and
Snacks.

Deanna giggled. “I see you found the food and
coffee. Your eyes just lit up.” She took his hand again, and he let
her. She cast shy glances up at him as they walked to the food
area.

Several stands selling drinks and food
surrounded a grouping of tables. Only a few people were eating. It
was too late for lunch and too early for dinner. Since Evan missed
breakfast and lunch, he didn’t care what time it was, he was
getting something to eat. When they were close enough to read the
signs, though, he frowned. The currency was not one that he
recognized. How could he forget about paying? He didn’t have any
money.

“What kind of money do you use?” he asked
Deanna, pointing to the closest sign.

“Here, I’ve got it.” Deanna pulled some coins
out of her pocket and handed them to Evan. He was surprised by
their weight. They were heavy and dull gold in color. Maybe they
were made of real gold. Evan wouldn’t doubt it. He held one up and
inspected it. One side appeared to have a triton carved into it,
although the markings were well worn. The image on the other side
looked like a pyramid. All the details were rubbed smooth, which
made Evan wonder if the coins were centuries old.

“I can’t let you pay.” While the coins were
fascinating, he couldn’t keep them. He handed them back to Deanna,
deciding he’d rather go hungry. He hated being financially
dependent on others. Since his first paper route, he had saved and
paid his own way.

“Do you have any okro?” Deanna jingled the
coins in her hand, her eyebrows raised. Okro must be the name of
their currency. After a moment, he shook his head, and she gave him
a sly glance. “Then you have to let me pay, don’t you?”

When Evan hesitated, she patted his shoulder
in a friendly manner. “Don’t worry. You can pay me back.”

He relented, but vowed that he would hit Ken
up for money the first chance he got. If Ken was going to steal his
power and keep him prisoner, then damn it, he was going to pay Evan
for it.

At Deanna’s suggestion, Evan got a wrap
sandwich. It wasn’t bad. The outside was seaweed, like the kind
used to roll sushi. The inside was a seafood salad of sorts.
Similar to tuna salad, but with a fresher taste. It came with
French fries, too, and Evan was pleased to discover they tasted
like normal fries. Maybe a little soggier, and they definitely
needed salt, but close enough.

“Do you like it?” Deanna asked. She leaned on
her elbows and watched him eat. She wasn’t hungry, since, unlike
him, she had breakfast and lunch.

“It’s good.” Evan sipped the coffee, which
was black, thick as tar, and scalding. The flavor was smoky, and he
found he preferred it that way.

“What do you want to do next?” She bounced a
little in her seat.

He offered her the last couple of fries while
he finished his wrap. She ate them, her bites dainty. “Can we talk
somewhere?” he asked quietly.

“Aren’t we talking now?” She leaned in and
matched his hushed tone.

“I mean somewhere private.”

“There aren’t many places like that here.”
She slumped back in her chair, lost in thought. A minute later, she
popped forward and grabbed his hand. Luckily, it was not the one
holding what remained of the hot coffee. “I know where we can
go.”

He quickly stood and placed the food tray on
the garbage can nearby. She danced from foot to foot while she
waited. Laughing, he held his hand out to her. Her enthusiasm was
infectious.

“By all means, lead the way,” he said.

My first
date with a Selkie, and I was wondering what I should wear. I
pondered this while staring out my bedroom window. The sun, high in
the sky, heated my skin, and a warm breeze caressed my hair. The
waves were relatively calm—the perfect day for a swim. Arren and
his friends played on the wet, rocky shore, as close as they dared
to go these days. The occasional waves rolled over their feet.

How much longer could we endure? Supplies
were dwindling. Selkies didn’t fish in boats. No swimming meant no
fishing. We could conjure a fish or two, but not enough to sustain
a whole population for the foreseeable future. Like the last batch
of swords that I conjured, that much magic, used consistently,
would harm the person who performed it. Uncle Padraic resorted to
serving stews and soups, stretching our meager reserves as far as
he could. Soon, it wouldn’t be enough. We’d need to steal from the
mainland by transporting food, or we’d starve.

“Are you in here by yourself?” Ula poked her
head in the doorway.

I’d left it ajar to increase the airflow—it
was stuffy and hot in my room. Although the weather should be
cooling for the fall, we were experiencing an unusual heat wave.
The castle was quiet. Almost everyone was outside.

“Why aren’t you out enjoying this gorgeous
weather? It’ll cool off again soon. Fall can be brutal here.” She
joined me at the window, placing her hand on my arm. “You’re okay?”
Her green eyes searched mine.

My vision blurred and tears fell when I shook
my head. I wasn’t okay. I was worried and scared. It was enough
that Ken took Evan, and I had no idea if he was okay or not, but
now I was worried about my dad and aunt. Dad said they’d be back in
a few days. Now, days turned into weeks and we had no news.
Something happened to them, I knew it. We could only pray that they
were still alive. After losing my mom less than a year ago, losing
my dad, too, would be more than I could handle.

Ula conjured a box of tissues and silently
handed one to me. She guided us to the edge of the bed and we sat.
With a sharp laugh, she snatched a tissue and blew her nose. “Now
you have me crying, too!”

Sniffling, she rested her head on my
shoulder. “They’ll be okay,” she said. I wondered who she was
trying to convince—herself or me. “Brigid is tough. Nothing can
stop her.”

I knew my aunt was a force to be reckoned
with, but it didn’t explain why they hadn’t tried to contact us.
“Why haven’t we heard from them?”

“I don’t know.” Ula’s voice was quiet. After
a moment of silence, she sighed and then jumped up. “Come on. They
wouldn’t want us to stay indoors and be depressed. Let’s go outside
and enjoy the weather.”

I let her pull me up and transport us to the
edge of the water. Arren and his friends were playing a game in the
grass. It was similar to volleyball, only they didn’t use a net.
The guys and girls alike wore swimsuits that showed off their
tanned skin. Apparently, I was one of the only ones who spent the
last month indoors.

Ula crossed to a large, flat boulder. She sat
and removed her sandals to dip her feet in the water. “I sure miss
swimming.” She patted the spot next to her and looked up at me.
“Have a seat.”

I slid off my shoes and joined her. The water
was cool against my skin. I worried the temptation to dive in was
going to be torturous when all I could do was get my feet wet.
Instead, I found the ocean soothing. The waves quenched my soul,
filling the void and drowning my worry. My dad was okay. He had to
be.

Meara, is that you?

The question rang through my head. I’d
recognize that voice anywhere.
Dad? Where are you? Why haven’t
you contacted—?

Meara,
he interrupted.
I don’t have
much time. They caught us two days into our expedition. We’ve been
imprisoned in their fortress since then.

Are you hurt?
Fear gnawed at my belly,
as I imagined all the horrors they were enduring.

We’re fine. They have been…
He paused,
and I assumed he was searching for the right word.
…Hospitable,
but we cannot escape.

Where are you?
As I asked, a vision
filled my mind of the Minch
—
the strait
between several isles on the north-west coast of Scotland.

We were searching the Isle of Lewis when
they found us. They knocked us out, and when we woke up, we were in
a dungeon under water. I have no idea where, but we must be
someplace in the Minch. Can you see the map?

Yes.

We were in Stornoway, on our way to the
Shiant Islands. That’s all the information I have.
The map
vanished from my view.
Tell Angus. Have him send two of my
guard—Drust and Judoc. When they arrive at the north end of the
Isle of Lewis, they should contact me. I’ll try to help direct them
to our location.

What about me?
It was always someone
else that my dad wanted. I wish he had more faith in me.

Stay safe,
he ordered.
I have to
go. I love you, honey.

Love you, too, Dad.
My response was
lost when the connection broke.

“Meara!”

Ula’s hands were on either side of my face.
She tapped my cheek lightly with her flat palm when I focused on
her. “Good. You’re in there. What was that about?”

“Dad contacted me. The Blue Men captured them
weeks ago.”