Dark Waters (Celtic Legacy Book 1) (2 page)

Ashling took the keys from me. “I’m driving. Who knows what brain damage you have now,” she quipped. I shook my head, and instantly regretted it. Shooting pains through my neck and shoulders had me leaning against the passenger door. Ashling didn’t see me; I pulled myself together before she unlocked the doors.

“
What do you think happened?” Ashling asked as she turned back on to Highway 19, heading north. Damn, it didn’t look like a near strangling would get me out of our road trip.

Leaning back in the seat I closed my eyes so I wouldn’t have to see her weave in and out of traffic. I could feel it, which was enough. “Don’t know. Who was I supposed to kill do you think?”

Ashling was quiet a long time. I finally opened one eye and peeked at her. Face tight with worry, she was chewing on her bottom lip. Not a good sign.

“
Ash?”

She shrugged and switched lanes without signalling. I cringed and closed my eyes again. I didn’t want to start a fight and she was right, I shouldn’t be driving.

“
I don’t know, I thought I heard something inside my head, while he was strangling you.”

My eyes popped open, and I sat up. “Pull over.”

She didn’t argue, just pulled to the side of the road. We were near Goldstream, the trees towering over the pathways that wound along the river. The water ran parallel to the highway, though the sound was overpowered by the cars that zipped by us, shaking the Explorer.

“
You heard something too?” I asked, my hand going to my throat. She turned to me, eyes wide.

“
It sounded like Grandpa . . .”

“
. . .Only younger,” I finished for her. She nodded and I tried to swallow, wincing at the pain.

Ashling spun in her seat, the straps of her bright red bikini showing underneath her tank top. “He said that we needed each other. That no matter what I was to stick close to you. Not to let anyone between us.”

Chills swept through me and I found myself worrying at my bottom lip too. I forced myself to stop. Rubbing my hands on my bare thighs, the jean shorts and t-shirt I was wearing suddenly seemed like not enough clothes.

“
What did he say to you?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Again I swallowed and wanted to curse at myself for doing it. “He said that I was to look after you now that he was gone. And something about Quickening my blood.” I waved my hand in the air. “It didn’t really make sense, other than to look after you. But why would that change now? We’ve always looked out for each other.”

Ashling stared out at the forest and the people walking under the tall trees, pointing out sights in the park. “I don’t know, but it feels like something is coming, you know? Like there’s a storm on the horizon and the pressure is pushing down on us.” Her eyes stared off into the distance and I wondered what she was seeing.

I reached over, and put a hand on her arm, my fingertips brushing against the gooseflesh that had risen all over her skin. I knew exactly how she was feeling—totally and completely creeped out.

“
Maybe we shouldn’t go to Tofino,” I said.

Her shoulders slumped. Oh damn. I didn’t want to be added to the list of disappointments in her life. She’d had enough of those already; Mom hadn’t even given her a card for her graduation before jetting off to Ireland. Staring out the windshield, I thought about going to Tofino. Going into the surf again; facing the fears that wanted to swallow me, even here, this far from the ocean. I broke out into a cold sweat at the thought of going into the water. But this wasn’t about me, this was about Ashling.

“
Never mind, we aren’t going to let Grandpa and some crazy voices inside our heads stop us. This is, after all, your graduation gift.” I squeezed her arm and she looked up, a small smile on her lips.

“
Really?”

I shrugged. “How about we just don’t talk about the craziness that is our family or what happened with Grandpa today. We’ll go and have fun; deal with whatever this is after we get home. Okay?”

She smiled, and I leaned back in my seat, rubbing my arms, trying to get my own gooseflesh to calm down. “Now, onward chauffeur,” I said, pointing to the highway.

Ashling let out a laugh and hit the gas, squealing the tires of my Explorer, spitting gravel out behind us. I clamped my eyes shut, the vehicle swerving out into traffic, multiple angry honks greeting us.

It was going to be a very, very long drive.

~~

3

This room is amazing Quinn!” Ashling squealed. She dropped her bags, and inspected the corner room I’d rented for the three nights we were here. Five hundred bucks a night, but the smile on her face was worth it.

The Wickaninnish Inn was the best hotel on the west coast, and my wallet could attest to that. I’d saved up money every month for the last year in preparation for Ashling’s graduation gift. I knew that Mom wouldn’t do anything, though I had tried to persuade her to before she left for Ireland.

That hadn’t gone well.

“
Come on Mom, at least a card, maybe a gift certificate. Money, anything. She’s your daughter!” I had said, anger fuelling my words. How she could be so callous to her daughters was beyond me. I knew from experience that Ashling would get nothing for her graduation, but I had to try.

Mom—or Darcy, as she demanded Ashling call her—had just shrugged and looked away. I could see the shame in her eyes, the guilt. What I didn’t understand was why she kept on acting like she did. “I have to go Quinn. Look after your sister.”

“
I always have Darcy.” I’d never called her that before, and her whole body had stiffened, as if an iron rod had been shoved down her spine.

I’d driven her to the airport in silence and hadn’t even hugged her goodbye. Maybe the time in Ireland would do her some good, give her some perspective on how she had handled raising her two girls. I doubted it, but hoped for it nonetheless.

An exclamation from Ashling brought me back to the present. She had just found the private bar. I rolled my eyes, then wandered into the bathroom. I stared in shock at the mirror.

My neck was black and purple, with red crescent moons where Grandpa’s fingers had sliced me. “Well that is just gorgeous,” I muttered.

Ashling followed me in and I turned away from the mirror. The tub was easily big enough for two people, and the tile in the room was a beautiful white with flecks and veins of gold running through it.

Ashling hugged me. “You’re the best.”

“
Don’t have to tell me that,” I said, and hugged her back. “You remember that the next time you throw a fit about me eating the last cookie.”

She laughed, and went back to the main room where the king-sized bed took up a large portion of it. I went to the window and stared out at the beach below us. Chesterman Beach was known for its waves and surfing. That’s why we were here. Ashling wanted to learn how to surf; she was hoping to go to Hawaii next year, and wanted to know how to ride the waves before she played tourist.

Sweat trickled down my back despite the air conditioning. I’d never told Ashling how badly I was afraid of the water after my accident. Didn’t think I needed to.

“
Dum, dum.” She grumbled. “Dum, dum.” My back stiffened, and my gut clenched. “Dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dum.”

The Jaws theme did not impress me; I spun on her.

“
Not funny Ashling. Next time you get dragged around by a shark let’s see how you like watching Jaws,” I said, striding away from the window.

“
Oh lighten up Quinn, you’ve got a little wee scar, and you haven’t gone in the water since. This will be good for you,” she said, unpacking her bag, and hanging her clothes up.

“
I’m going to go find out about a surfing instructor, preferably one that will let you drown,” I said.

She laughed and I strode out of the room, slamming the door behind me. She would think I was playing, not really angry, and she would be right. I wasn’t angry, but it was a good cover for the fear that had spiked through me. I really didn’t want to go into the water.

The concierge gave me a few numbers, and I stepped outside to call the Surfing Schools. After dialling through to five and leaving messages, I finally spoke to a real person.

“
Hi, I’m looking for someone to take my sister—and me, I guess—surfing over the next couple of days. Do you have anyone available?” I asked.

His voice was smooth and rich; I found myself leaning against the banister that wrapped around the inn, lightheaded.

“
Yes, I could come and teach the two of you to surf. First thing tomorrow morning if you like. First lesson’s free.”

I perked up. My budget wasn’t exactly enormous. “Really? That would be awesome. Thanks. We’re staying at the Wickaninnish, can you meet us at Chesterman Beach?”

“
Sure. I’ll see you two at six am.” His voice grew faint and I could tell he was about to hang up.

“
Wait, how will we recognize you?”

“
Don’t worry Quinn, I’ll find you.” The click of the call ending made me frown. Something was off about that whole conversation.

I trotted up the stairs, and had to knock on the door. I’d left my key card inside. Ashling didn’t come to the door right away, though I could hear her moving around inside.

It was there, as I waited for Ashling to open the door, that I realized he’d called me by my name—but I’d never given it to him. A wave of unease rippled through me. I tried to shake it off, but the feeling wouldn’t leave me.

“
Ashling open the damn door!” I yelled, my uncertainty about the phone call disappearing under my sudden irritation.

I heard a giggle, and then the door creeped open. “Yes, can I help you?”

I let out an exasperated sigh. “Let me in or I will cancel our appointment for surfing lessons tomorrow.”

She let out a screech that raised the hairs on the back of my neck and opened the door. I stepped in and shut it firmly behind me.

The rest of the evening went smoothly. Dinner was fantastic, the best food I’d ever eaten. We splurged on several desserts, which we brought up to our room and ate throughout the night. Finally, around 2am, Ashling tumbled into bed. She fell asleep within seconds. It was a gift she had.

I tidied the room up, put our dirty plates outside the door for the maids and set the alarm for 5am. I let out a soft groan. Three hours wasn’t enough sleep. I wasn’t a teenager like Ashling anymore, with unlimited energy and no cares in the world.

I crawled into bed beside her, and like when she had a bad dream as a little girl, I curled up around her, holding her tight. Within moments I had fallen asleep too, and although I knew that, the dream still shook me.

I was standing in Cathedral grove, the oldest living forest on Vancouver Island. We’d passed it on our way to Tofino. There was a snake, with unusual brilliant blue scales and a head that looked as though it had been dipped in red paint. And she—yes she—was talking.

“
You will be reborn Quinn.” Her voice echoed through my head, and a deep chanting began around us. Pain erupted throughout my body from out of nowhere, pulsing in time with the beat of the chanting. It was as if the very earth and trees picked up on the rhythm of pain that rippled through me; each word spoken caused my blood to pulse, filling me with agony. The points where Grandpa’s hands and fingers had bit into me were filled with an intense heat that increased the longer it went on. I fell to the ground, my hands wrapping around my neck trying to stop the burn.

“
You will become what your destiny calls you to become.” A new pain started low in my belly, not fire like around my neck, but sharp slices, as if I was being skewered on my own knife. Over and over again the phantom knife ripped into me, and finally I began to scream. A hand clamped over my lips and I tasted the ocean on his skin. It was with very little thought that I bit down, tasting blood. But it wasn’t the coppery tang that I was expecting. Rich and vibrant, it reminded me of the voice on the phone, the surfing instructor of all things.

“
You will be a warrior,” the snake said.

The chanting around us picked up speed, and with it the beating of my heart and the rush of my blood through my veins. Sweat poured down my face as I huddled on the ground, and curled around myself. It felt as if each organ within me was being pulled out, re-arranged, slammed back inside me and then, for good measure, had hot acid poured over them. Someone was there, hands holding mine, one slick with blood where I’d bitten him. I blinked but could see nothing past the haze of pain and fire that filled my vision.