Current Impressions (33 page)

The sweet stench of burning flesh hit him before the
pain. He cried out at the sight of his blistered hands, the
throbbing pain matching the one in his head. Panting, he staggered
back to the cot and collapsed. Resting his hands palms up on his
legs, he looked around for something to cool the burn. The cell
held nothing except the cot, not even a sink.

“You’re awake.”

Ken came into the room from a doorway Evan hadn’t
noticed. His voice and expression were pleasant, calm. Quite
different from the angry conversation Evan heard moments earlier.
“And from the smell of things, you’ve tried to escape.”

“Escape? Why is it locked? What did it burn me? Am I
in trouble?” The questions tumbled out as the panic rose. Bile
burned his throat.

“Trouble? No. We just want to keep you safe, my
boy.” Ken unlocked the door and slid it open. Thick gloves encased
his hands. After shutting the metal gate behind him, he peeled the
gloves off. “Let me see your hands.”

Evan held out his palms, wincing at the pain. No
flesh was visible, only angry, red welts and blistering boils.

“Tsk, tsk. The bars are electrified. It won’t kill
you, of course, but it does leave a nasty impression.” Ken blew
across Evan’s hands, and icy cold replaced the stinging heat. The
pain died instantly. His hands were healed. “Take better care in
the future, please.”

“Thank you,” Evan said. “Who were you talking
to?”

“Ted, of course.” Ken’s face twisted in rage. “The
meddling imbecile. I should kill him for what he did.”

“It really happened then? What he told me? It’s
real?” With mounting fear, Evan shrank away from the man before
him.

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Seemingly unaware of Evan’s
growing hysteria, Ken sat next to him on the cot and beamed. “You
are the first success. We’ve tried for decades, all failures, until
you, my boy.”

Evan stared at the man. What was he? What kind of
creature could cool and heal a burn by mere breath? In all the
books he studied, he hadn’t found any power like that. What did Ken
want from him? Was he expecting gratitude? Of all the questions
circling in his head, he asked the ones that bothered him the most,
“What did you do to me? What am I?”

“I did nothing
to
you, my boy. I created you.
You are one of us.”

“You created me…?” Evan shook his head. What was Ken
saying?

“In part. Your mother had a role, too.” His eyes lit
up merrily. On Ken, it was rather creepy.

The accusation made Evan’s blood boil. “My mother
would never cheat on my father,” he said. His parents loved each
other. There was no way.

“What if she didn’t know she was cheating?”

“What are you saying?” Evan watched Ken closely. He
looked smug. The air shimmered around him. His features melted and
reformed. Within moments, Darren Mitchell was sitting next to
him.

“No…” Evan moaned as dread wiped out any thought in
his mind.

“I’m afraid it’s true,” Ken said. “I am your real
father.”

“What about my sister?” Evan asked. “Katie.”

Ken chuckled, a deep rumble low in his chest. It was
creepy considering he still looked like Evan’s dad. “I’m not
Darren, my boy. I just made myself look like him. Darren is Katie’s
father. I suppose you could say she is your half sister.”

“You tricked my mother? That’s rape!”

Ken’s eyes lit in pleasure. “She was more than
willing and none the wiser for it. No harm came to her. She’s
perfectly safe as long as you cooperate.”

Now Ken was threatening his family? Evan lay down on
the cot and covered his eyes with his arm. This was too much to
take in. Maybe Ken would leave if he ignored him. Minutes passed,
and silence ensued. Breathing a sigh of relief, Evan uncovered his
eyes and found Ken staring at him in amusement.

“I am immortal, Evan, a few minutes or a few months,
it’s all the same to me. To humans, existence is so brief. To us,
well, I’ll just say that I’m very patient.”

“What are you?” Evan asked again. He was relieved,
at least, that Ken looked like himself again and not like his
dad.

Ken stood and faced him. As Evan watched, he grew
three feet, the top of his head stopping just inches below the
ceiling. His fingers were long and pointed, his teeth sharp. He
gave Evan a razor-filled smile. “I am Kennaught, king of the Blue
Men of the Minch. As my son, you are the prince.”

Prince? Was he supposed to be impressed? Everything
he read about the Blue Men spoke to death, destruction, and
despair. It didn’t sound like a kingdom he wanted to be a part of.
“Don’t you have other children?”

“I told you… you are the first success. We are
immortal and finite in number. We tried for centuries to reproduce
with various species and could not. Until now.”

“What makes me different?”

“Ah. Now, that is an intelligent question.” Ken
shrunk back down into his human form and sat on the cot again.
“We’re not sure, but we’re going to find out.” Something about that
didn’t reassure Evan. Ken must have noticed his nervousness,
because he added, “We will not harm you, Evan. I told you, you are
one of us. We don’t hurt our family.”

Evan sat up and leaned against the wall. “And my
family?”

“Will be safe as long as you cooperate.”

“I have your word?” Evan glared at Ken.

“Of course.” Ken sounded insulted. “My oath is
sacred. I will not break it.”

Meara wasn’t safe. There was no doubt that Ken did
try to poison her. “Why did you try to poison my girlfriend?”

Ken’s eyebrow rose. “Ex-girlfriend?”

“Whatever. You know what I meant. Why did you try to
poison Meara?”

Ken shrugged and brushed a few wrinkles out of his
pants. “I had my suspicions that she was not human. If she was, she
died. If she wasn’t, well… let me ask. Is her friend Kieran
alive?”

Evan reluctantly answered, “Yes.” He didn’t want to
give Ken any more information on Meara and her world than he had
to.

“As I thought. They are Selkie, of course.” When
Evan’s eyes widened, Ken chuckled again. “Our kind has loathed
Selkies for lifetimes. You were wise to break up with her.”

“Why? What have they done to you?”

“Let me tell you a story.” Ken scooted back on the
cot, making himself comfortable. “It starts as many fairy tales do,
‘There once was a beautiful queen…’ She was breathtakingly
beautiful and kind. Her kingdom was isolated from most of the
world, but peaceful. When strangers entered her realm, they were
welcomed and assisted if they needed it. She had many children, all
sons. They were happy.”

A sucker for fairy tales, the story already captured
Evan’s imagination. Ken’s deep, flowing voice was hypnotic to his
ears.

“One day, she was swimming in a secluded
cove and realized she wasn’t alone. Another humanlike creature was
there. She saw a seal, but felt the presence of an intelligent
mind.”

“A Selkie.” Evan hadn’t meant to speak the
words out loud, but Ken seemed pleased by his interruption.

“Yes. She swam to the shore and sat on a
large rock, watching him cut through the water with speed and
strength. Eventually, he noticed her as well, or maybe he knew she
was there all along and was showing off.” Ken stared off in the
distance, lost in his memories.

“What happened next?” Evan asked.

Ken waved an impatient hand and snapped,
“What always happens when Selkies are involved? He seduced the
queen, broke her heart, and left her to die.”

“He killed her?” Evan was confused. The
story didn’t add up in his mind. How did they jump from seduction
to death?

“He might as well have. When he abandoned
her, as all Selkies eventually do to their lovers, she was so
heartbroken that she killed herself. Her kingdom suffered with her
death.”

It was sad. A tragic love story, but Evan
still didn’t understand. Then Ken faced him with eyes full of tears
and his face filled with hatred. He spit, “She was my mother. Our
Mother.
The
mother. Mother to all Blue Men. When the Selkie
seduced her, he cursed us all.”

Evan didn’t know what to say. He could see
Ken’s pain, but the story was missing too many details. Had the
Selkie meant to seduce her? How long did their relationship last?
Was the Selkie truly at fault for her suicide? Lots of questions
and not enough answers. Wisely, he kept his mouth shut. Ken would
not offer an unbiased opinion.

Ken stood abruptly and pulled on his gloves. “Get
some rest. I’ll have Stonewall bring you something to eat
later.”

“Wait! You’re keeping me here?” Evan couldn’t hide
the shock in his voice. Ken was leaving him locked up like a
prisoner.

“For now,” Ken said. “I wouldn’t want you to
escape.”

“I gave you my word,” Evan said.

“Did you? Hmm… I did not hear it. It was I who gave
you mine. Good night, Evan.” He flipped the switch on the way out
and threw the room into darkness.

Evan realized Ken was right. At the same time, he
couldn’t bring himself to make any promises. He didn’t know what
Ken’s intentions were, and he needed to find out. For his sake, for
his family’s sake, and for Meara.

Lying down on the cot, Evan clasped his hands behind
his head, lost in thought. Ken told more than just a story. As he
talked, images formed in Evan’s mind. Without Ken knowing it, Evan
saw what Ken was thinking. Could all Blue Men do that? Something
told him they couldn’t, and asking Ken or anyone else would be a
very bad idea.

In the cold dark, Evan smiled. He had a secret
weapon.

Kieran waited in the hall outside my father’s suite.
He clearly took a shower since his hair was damp, and he smelled
like soap. I was grateful he wore jeans and a T-shirt. I didn’t
need his muscles distracting me.

“Is he in there?” I asked.

“Don’t know. Didn’t knock. I was waiting for
you.”

“How sweet,” I said. He moved out of the way, so I
could knock.

My dad opened the door, a cheery greeting on his
lips. His brows rose when he spotted Kieran next to me. “Kieran, I
didn’t realize that you were coming along.”

“I invited myself, sir. I hope that’s okay. After
training with Meara all summer, I’d like to see how she handles a
weapon.”

My dad shrugged and stood back so we could enter.
“It’s okay with me if it’s okay with her. Can I get you anything?
Coffee? Diet Coke?”

“I’m fine,” Kieran said.

At the same time, I asked, “You have Diet Coke?”

“I keep some for you. Would you like one?”

“Please.”

My dad opened the fridge and handed me a Diet Coke.
I opened it and drank deeply. The sugary sweetness bubbled in my
mouth.

Kieran watched me, his mouth turned down with
distaste. “Wouldn’t water be better for training?”

“Shut your mouth,” I said in a playful tone. “I
haven’t had one of these in ages.”

Kieran laughed. “Was it worth the wait?”

“What do you think?”

“The best things always are,” he said, soft enough
that only I heard him. His words made my face flame hot. Luckily,
my dad was rinsing out the coffee pot and didn’t notice.

“Where are we going, Dad?”

“We’ll start in the cove,” he said. “And go from
there.”

I finished the soda and handed him the empty can.
“Let’s go.”

I transported to the cove first. Kieran and my dad
arrived a second later. Kieran sat on a boulder to watch. Far
enough away that he wouldn’t distract us.

My dad and I circled on the sand, getting a feel for
each other’s motions. I wasn’t sure if he’d give me a warning or
some sign that we were starting. When he thrust his sword toward my
chest, I ducked, spun, and poked his side with the tip of my
dagger.

“Point,” I called.

“Not bad.” He caught the sole of my shoe and knocked
me off balance. Before I fell, I vanished, transporting behind him,
my knife at his throat.

“You fight dirty,” I complained.

He locked his hand on my arm holding the dagger and
flipped me over his head. I landed on my back, the breath knocked
out of me. He leaned over me, smiling. I saw something in his eyes
I couldn’t read. Was it amusement? Pride? Once again, he lunged at
me with his sword. I rolled to the side and jumped to my feet. We
began to circle again.

“You are skilled, Meara. Your reactions are quick.
You use your Selkie powers to your advantage.” As he spoke, I
listened to his thoughts. I knew his next move.

When he charged toward me, I caught his sword arm in
an upward block and sent the sword flying. Before he could react,
the sword was in my other hand. I pointed both weapons at his
chest. “Do you surrender?”

His face blanked in shock before he laughed and held
up his hands. “Well played.”

Did you know I was in your mind?
I asked
him.

He shook his head.
I’m getting rusty in my old
age.