Telesa - The Covenant Keeper (61 page)

Sarona did not answer. Instead, she summoned her lightning with a thunder clap that shook the sky. That went through me harmlessly. She sent raging wind, gale force. Hurricane wind.

“Oooh, trying to blow out the fire?” it was my turn to mock her now. “Please do continue to fan the flames.”

Next was water. Rain came from nowhere. Buckets of it, drowning tons of it. But nothing can stop a volcano. Nothing. I beckoned and the lava stream lifted me, raising me high above the now-cowering women. All except for Sarona. Still, she tried to use her storm to subdue me. Useless. She screamed with rage as her water showers merely fizzed in a hiss of steam.

To give them credit, the
telesa
did try to subdue me. With their storms and water and electricity. One even threw trees at me. But nothing can stop a volcano. Nothing. Sarona called her winds to lift her up to where I stood on my platform of fiery rock.

“What are you doing? What are you?!”

I paused then. Surveying my handiwork. The entire mountainside was a raging river of red. The
telesa
were completely encircled by the lava. I smiled before replying,

“Why, haven’t you heard? I’m Pele. The creator and the devourer of lands. And you – you and your sisters, you bore me.” With a flick of my wrist, a ball of flame hurtled towards Sarona, knocking her off balance, sending her tumbling to the circle of rock where the others had been shaken to their knees. I looked down at them, idly considering my options. I wanted to kill them. Obliterate them in a fury of fire. I didn’t want even ashes to remain. My mind danced dangerously near to the memory of what they had done to … NO, I would not, could not even think of him. I would not be able to bear it. I had to stay in the
now.
This moment right here. Hmm, what should I do with them? But as I paused, Sarona turned to scream at the
telesa
closest to her – Fouina.

“I call on your life force with the ancient right of the Covenant Keeper!”

“No!” she had a look of horror on her face as she tried to back away. But there was fire at the rear and she had nowhere to run to. What was Sarona doing? As I watched, she uttered a wild chant of words that made no sense to me but that sent the others into a frenzy of panic.

Manuia yelled, “Stop it Sarona, you can’t do this!” She went to pull at Sarona’s arm but she was no match for the younger, stronger
telesa
and Sarona dropped her with a single lightning strike. She then turned back to Fouina, finished her incantation and just like that, Fouina exploded in a blinding flash of brilliant light – a light that seemed to linger now on Sarona’s own form. Netta was next and finally Fotu. Sarona took them all in some bizarre
telesa
spell, sucking their life force dry. And just like that the
Matagi
Sisterhood that Nafanua had spent her life building was gone. Sarona’s callous treatment of her sisters stunned me. But I had little time to ponder on it before she was borne aloft again on a swirling wind. This time, her lightning strike was powerful enough to hurt. It scissored through me, carving a tingling path through the lava, like a stab wound through the gut. It caught me by surprise and I stumbled back unsteadily on my mid-air platform. Sarona smiled triumphantly and hit me again.
Ouch!
Who knew that anything could actually impact on lava?! A different strategy was called for.
Focus, Leila. Remember your lessons with Nafanua. Remember, lightning is just another form of energy, and YOU are the mistress of energy!

Sarona thought she had me as I reeled for balance. She flew in closer for another shot, hoping for a death strike. But this time, I was ready. Instead of flinching against the lightning, I welcomed it, seeking out its components with my mind and when it hit, I was ready – to convert it. Absorb it. Make it my own. Before Sarona could realize her attack had failed, I threw a non-stop rage of fire balls at her that threw her to the ground in a battered heap where she was still. Sarona was finished.

I should have felt happy. Triumphant. But all I felt was empty. Alone. I manipulated the river of fire to set me down gently on the sandy beach where I had stood and watched Daniel die. It didn’t seem right. I was the most powerful energy force on the planet but even I couldn’t bring the one I loved back to life. Or turn back time. Silken waves lapped the shore and the moon cast her black diamonds on the waters. It was beautiful. I breathed in the salt air and allowed myself to feel.

The pain of heartache and loss cut me.
Daniel, I love you. How will I live without you?
I walked slowly into the ocean and, as the waves embraced me, my fire hissed, spat, and died. I dived and swam out to where I had last seen the boat, hoping for something, anything, of Daniel. But there was nothing. The sea refused to give up her secrets. I was
Fanua Afi
after all and
Vasa Loloa
owed me nothing. The salt of my tears mingled with the ocean. Exhausted, I turned and swam back towards the shore, fighting not to give in to my soul’s desire and just shut my eyes and sink beneath the waves. Death called me with its sweet promise and it was difficult not to answer her.

I was a few meters away from the shore when I saw it. Away to my far right. Flashes of silver as a multitude of something leapt and splashed.
What the … !
Fish? No, dolphins! I stood in hip deep water, transfixed at the sight of at least six dolphins wriggling, splashing and churning the shallow water. And just beyond them, lying on the sand, with the waves washing over it, was a dark, still shape. A body. My heart leapt and caught in my throat, “No, Daniel?”

I ran. Through the water, out on the sand and along the beach until I collapsed beside him. Yes, it was Daniel. I hardly dared to touch him, to gently turn him over so I could see what the ocean had left me of my love, unwilling to confront the evidence of the
telesa
’s attack. He was almost naked, his shorts in ragged tatters. I had never seen a more beautiful thing. Yes, there were cuts and blackening bruises on his face, his body. And the knife wounds were a violation on a glorious tapestry. But he was my Daniel. And he was breathing. Slow, barely perceptible breaths, but he was alive. How was this possible? How could this be? I had seen them stab him. Watched him disappear into the water. And now, several hours later, here he was, looking like he was asleep in the moonlight. The thrashing sounds in the water sounded more urgent as if calling to me. I turned to look, in time to see the pod of dolphins, leaping, dancing, and jumping over each other in an almost frenzied joy. Their piercing clicking sounds intensified. What were they trying to tell me?

Stop it, Leila, now you’re losing it. They’re NOT talking to you, you idiot. Focus. Daniel needs to get to the hospital. Now.

I shook my mind away from silver dolphins and moved to carefully drag Daniel further up the beach. I had to get him away from the waves, put him somewhere safe while I went to get hold of a phone. It was no easy thing to move him, especially considering the beating my body had taken tonight. But finally I got him to a sheltered spot under a cluster of trees where I collapsed beside him in a breathless heap. Which is when I saw it. A white birthmark on his exposed right inner thigh, that glowed burnished silver in the moonlight. A very clear – without doubt – mark of a cresting wave, “
the mark of Vasa Loloa – the wave crest on his hip
.
All water telesa have them.”

“What?” I sank back on my knees in shock, my gaze moving instinctively back to the ocean. Where silver dolphins still played. Carefree sentinels, watching over him. Waiting to see what I would do, how I would take care of him.

“Leila?” My name was a weak whisper in the night as Daniel stirred. He was waking up. I moved back to his side, remembering just in time that I was in flesh form – and missing my clothes.
Oops
. Frantically, I looked around. Leaves, coconut shells, some broken bottles were the sum of all my wardrobe options.
Argh.

“Leila? Is that you?” His query came stronger now, he was trying to sit up. This was no time for modesty. I gathered my long hair and brought it to cover my front, never more thankful than now that it came to my waist, trusting in the night to conceal the rest of me. I bent over him.

“Hey, it’s me. I’m here, baby. I’m here.” I whispered softly against his cheek and tears came unbidden. “You’re okay. We’re both okay.”

He reached up and gently caught my tears with his fingers. “Don’t cry. You’re the fire goddess remember? You don’t cry.”

I grinned and choked on a sob. “Yeah I do. Fire goddesses always cry when the one they love comes back from the dead.”

“Who said I was dead?” He shook his head and the movement made him wince. “Ouch. Last thing I remember they were zapping you with lightning and I couldn’t do anything about it. I couldn’t help you. Some boyfriend I turned out to be.”

“Are you kidding? I’m the girlfriend with a psycho family who stabbed you and threw you into the ocean for the sharks.”

Bewilderment furrowed his brow. “They did? I don’t remember that. So where are they?”

I shrugged. “Gone. All of them.” I didn’t want to dwell on what had happened. On what Nafanua had done for me. There would be plenty of time for that later. And time to figure out what to do about Sarona. I looked back to the rock field where it had all taken place and was disconcerted to see that Sarona was gone. With bated breath, I quickly scanned the area all around us, but in vain. No sign of her. What did that mean for the future? I didn’t have time to think about it though, Daniel wanted answers.

“How did you do it? What happened? How did I get here?” He half sat up and looked around and then hastily averted his eyes. “Umm Leila?”

“Yeah?”

“Did you know you were naked?”

“No I’m not!” I folded my arms over my curtain of hair. “I’m covered. A bit. We just escape from the jaws of
telesa
death and the first thing you do is notice my lack of clothes?! Stop looking at me.”

He laughed and brought his face level with mine. “I’m not. Looking at your body, I mean. Because I’m too busy looking into your eyes. So I can make very, very sure – that this is real. That you’re real.” His eyes turned serious. “I thought we’d lost each other tonight.” His lips captured mine and into our kiss I poured all the sweet relief and joy of finding him alive. When he finally pulled away, it was with his crooked smile that I loved so much. “Yes, you’re definitely real.” A quick glance downward. “And you’re very naked.”

“Daniel! You promised.”

“Sorry. I can’t help myself …”

“Don’t look. Or I’ll never speak to you again!” He just laughed at the weak threat. I looked around and spied a ragged piece of cloth half buried in the sand amidst other debris. I sent a silent prayer of thanks out to whoever was dumping their rubbish on this beach and pulled at the flimsy piece of fabric. It was half of an old
lavalava
, enough to drape around my hips. My hair would have to be enough for the top. Somewhat dressed, I went to help Daniel stand.

“Come on, let’s get out of here. You’re hurt and I want Mama to take a look at you.”
Because you’re supposed to be dead …
my brain screamed silently. Slowly, we made our way along the beach towards the distant road. Daniel limping and half leaning on my shoulder. Every part of me ached but every part of me rejoiced. The sisterhood were defeated. Jason was alive. Daniel and I were alive. And together.

At the spread of black rocks where fire had met lightning, I paused for a moment. Dustings of ash swirled in the wind. Remnants of Nafanua and her sisters? I wasn’t sure how I felt about her sacrifice for me. Yes, she had chosen me in death. But I would much rather she had chosen me in life. Daniel looked down at me and his voice was soft with concern, “Are you okay?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Fine. Let’s go.”

Once more, I looked back at the black ocean. The dolphins were gone. Like they had never been. Was it all just a wild dream? A fire- and trauma-induced fantasy? I snuck a glance back down at Daniel’s hip. No. The crest birthmark was still there. Defiantly silver. What did it all mean? I thought back to the night in Salamasina’s garden when I had revealed my fire gifts to her. Her reaction. The glimpses she had given me into her past. She would know what this birthmark meant. Surely. The question was, whether or not she would be willing to share the answers with me.

But for now, Daniel walked beside me. And I knew that the covenant of love between us was unbreakable. For now, that would be enough.

* * * *

The End

Watch out for book two in
The Telesa Series
by Lani Wendt Young

When Water Burns

The promise of the day ahead was a fiery lightness that lit up my every step. A whole day with Daniel. Just us two at the beach. It would be the first time I had seen him since he had finished getting his full body tattoo done. The requisite two weeks of isolation and healing time was completed and I was eager to be with him. Texts and phone calls were a poor replacement for the real thing. Daniel’s smile. His laugh. The crinkle of his green eyes as they would dance teasingly at me. I wanted to soar and sing with the anticipation alone of the picnic we had planned. I had cajoled the sour Aunty Matile into teaching me how to make her banana muffins – and then earned her sniff of disdain when I ‘polluted’ her recipe with handfuls of chocolate chips. It was a wickedly delicious recipe and the first sampling bite had me smiling. Yes!
Not bad Leila
I muttered to myself as I assembled ham sandwiches and packed everything into a cooler with sliced fruit. Daniel was bringing Diet Coke and some of his grandmother’s coconut buns. I was checking off my beach supplies when I heard his truck pull up out front.

A foolish smile was plastered on my face as I ran to the door. A quick good bye to Matile who was still ignoring me and the evil chocolate chips. And then a breathless halt on the veranda at the sight of Daniel coming up the steps. A wry smile as the thought crossed my mind – would this boy ever have an ‘off’ day? A bad hair day? A fat day? An I’m-so-ugly-I-don’t-want-to-go-out-day? He stood there smiling at me and I hoped he couldn’t hear my thoughts that screamed of delight. Love. Bliss. Adoration.
Ugh
, I was sickening. But look at him, who wouldn’t be a mass of mush at the sight of him? Khaki shorts, white t-shirt, dark sunglasses raised over his sea green eyes. My gaze went to his legs where the bands of black patterning peered from his shorts. I could not shake the worry about all the possible things that could go wrong with a body tattoo. Catching the direction of my gaze, he stopped in his tracks to bend down and fold up the hem of his shorts. “See? I told you they were fine. So, what do you think?” He mocked striking a supermodel pose. I pretended to look pensive, hands on my hips and shaking my head.