To Touch Poison (17 page)

The sound of a conch shell sent her hustling to the bathroom. It was Aukele’s way of letting them know he was waiting to perform the ceremony. Halfway there, she turned, ran back to bed, and planted a kiss on James’s mouth. Too late to let him sleep. “Did you hear that conch shell?”

He mumbled something, and then buried under the blankets.

“It means Aukele is waiting for us. Remember? Wedding today.”

James bolted upright. “Okay. Got it. I’m ready.” He ran his hands through his hair, tugged on it, and then cupped Loyria’s cheek with a gentle touch. “I’m ready to be your husband. I love you, Loyria Gray.”

She pressed a quick kiss on the tip of his nose. “And I love you, but the consummating part of the ceremony comes
after
the words. And we have to hustle or we’ll be late for our wedding.” She paused. “Which would be fine, except it’s my
father
who’s doing the honors.”

James swung his legs out of bed and chuckled. “I think since we’re having a baby he’s figured out that we have a sex life.”

She wrinkled her nose, and headed for the bathroom. “That doesn’t mean he gets to know exactly
when
we do it.”

READY TO FACE HER GROOM,
Loyria stood poised just inside the patio doors. Her father, dressed in stately white robes, stood in front of a backdrop of red hibiscus. Makani came up next to Loyria and touched her hand. “Turn to me so I can place the
haku
.”

Loyria bent her head so her mother could position the crown of baby orchids. “Are you walking with me, Mom?”

“Yes. Your father can’t perform the ceremony
and
make sure you don’t run away at the last minute.” She grinned.

Loyria linked arms with her mother. “I’m not running…except toward James.”

Aukele raised the conch shell and blew. It was time.

A tremor hit Loyria’s knees. Surely she wasn’t nervous. Well, maybe a little. Even with only her parents as witnesses, it was a formal occasion. And then there was James. He stood tall next to Aukele, and the wedding shirt snugged across his shoulders, showing off the muscles she so loved to touch. Sweat prickled along her back. Oh, yes. She was more than ready to join her life with this man.

The walk to James took forever. She really did want to run to him, but Makani held her back, and when they reached the men, handed her daughter a ti leaf lei. “For the exchange, daughter.” And then she moved to stand next to Aukele.

Loyria and James stepped into a ring of fragrant tropical flowers, and Loyria slipped the lei over his head. “This is a symbol of my eternal love.”

James placed a white ginger lei around her neck. “Forever.”

While Aukele led them through their vows, Loyria breathed the sweet fragrance of the ginger. After today, it would always remind her of James. He took her left hand, and then pulled a gorgeous ring from his pocket and handed it to Aukele. Makani offered her husband a koa wood bowl filled with sea water, and Aukele dipped a ti leaf into the bowl. “The ti plant represents prosperity and health, and the koa strength and integrity.” He sprinkled the ring three times while he chanted a traditional blessing.

After the blessing, James slid the large, heart-shaped purple diamond onto her finger. “This was my grandmother’s and her grandmother’s before that, from so long ago no one remembers. My mother gave it to me for this day, and now I give it to you with my love.”

The ring was heavy on Loyria’s finger, but it held the promise of a new life. “I will wear it in honor of you and our future. I love you, James Gray.”

Makani handed each of them a container. Loyria’s was filled with black sand and James’s green sand. With a warm smile, Makani held out a crystal bowl. “Mixing the sand symbolizes that you have become one and cannot be separated.”

Loyria and James poured, and then Aukele handed James a lava rock and Loyria a ti leaf. “Wrap the ti leaf around the rock, and place it on the ground where you’re standing. It is an offering that commemorates your union. Congratulations, my children.”

Makani shooed them toward the house. “And now we celebrate.”

“Hold it.” James scooped Loyria into his arms. “No way am I getting married without kissing my bride.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Manoa Valley, Oahu

August, 1981

THE KICK FROM A TINY
foot landed hard against Loyria’s ribs, and she arched back to relieve the pressure. She rubbed at the tender spot. “Whenever you’re ready, baby girl. I’m more than anxious to hold you in my arms. Your daddy is, too. And your grandparents.”

Permission granted, the first cramp hit Loyria’s lower back with relentless urgency. “Ow. Holy crap. You aren’t fooling around, baby girl. Wonder what your grandmother is going to christen you?” Her words floated into the wind as she turned to go inside and find Makani Maliu. It was time to birth this child.

Labor was twelve hours of hard work and more ripping pain than she’d expected. But her mom had been a saint, and so had James. That moment when she held her baby girl for the first time, when she watched the love blossom on James’s face as she handed him the tiny bundle…well, there was nothing to compare.

Tradition dictated that Makani would name her granddaughter, and Loyria had been pestering her mother for hints the past three months. Her nagging had been met with a stone wall of inflexibility. But now, with the baby delivered and everyone settled, it was time. “Have you chosen her name, Makani?”

Makani Maliu lifted the baby from James’s arms and shook her head. “There’s no way to ignore all that red hair. She’s certainly your daughter, James. And I do believe she’s inherited both of her parents’ strong sense of curiosity. Just look at how she’s watching us. Those eyes are full of questions and wonder.”

Loyria watched the tension drain from James’s face. It was a good bet that she wore a similar expression. James reached for her hand and heaved a sigh. “Yes. She’s mine.”

“There was never any doubt, James,” Loyria whispered. “No matter the source of the DNA.”

Makani cradled the baby’s head. “That’s it, girl child. Open those beautiful blue eyes so I can see what your name should be.”

Loyria focused on her mother’s face, searching for a clue as to whether the baby’s name would be serious or playful. Makani grinned at her. “You won’t like this, daughter, but there’s no way to avoid it. This is the most curious child I’ve ever met.”

A warm glow surrounded grandmother and grandchild, and peace flooded Loyria. No matter what her daughter’s name, it would be perfect.

“I name you Eleu Niele, for you are a child full of life and curiosity. Your nosiness will get you into much trouble, and keep your parents very busy.”

Loyria shot up straight. “Niele? Seriously? You’re naming your granddaughter…
nosey?
We’ll definitely call her Eleu.”

“The child choses her name, daughter. And this one will surely live up to Niele.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Manoa Valley, Oahu

Four years later.

August, 1985

NIELE BOUNCED AROUND IN HER
new booster seat. It was her first day without being pinned down in that old baby carrier thing, and she couldn’t sit still. Besides, there was so much to look at, and when she jumped up she could see more stuff. “I can’t see enough if I don’t bounce.” She pressed her feet into the seat, and leaned to see out the bottom of the car window. “There’s things close to the ground. You want me to learn stuff, right? And you promised ice cream when we get to town, Mamma. Remember?”

Loyria eyed her daughter in the rearview mirror. “If you stop bouncing around back there, your chances of a double scoop will improve. I had no idea when your grandmother named you that you would truly live up to your name.”

Niele grinned. “I like getting into things, Mamma. Grandma says it expands my mind. What does that mean?”

“It means that your father and I have our hands full keeping you out of trouble.”

“Oh.” Niele wrinkled her nose, then pressed it against the window.

THE BALL OF FEAR SITTING
in Loyria’s stomach ratcheted up a notch. Since her second birthday, Niele had been showing signs of her psychic gifts, but no one had been able to pinpoint exactly what was happening. Concern for her baby girl had been keeping Loyria up most nights, studying the elements in the healing formula she’d ingested just before Niele was conceived. Had it been selfish for her and James to create this wonderful child when they knew the consequences to her future might be extreme?

“Mamma, Mamma, there’s the ice cream store, and there’s a parking place right in front. I want cinnamon and something else.”

Loyria met her daughter’s gaze in the rearview mirror and smiled. “You always want something else. I think Ms. Schumann creates new flavors just to watch your face when you taste them.”

“She likes me. Cinnamon is my favorite, you know, and she always, always has it. She says it’s just for me. Can I get out now? Why are we sitting here? You parked a long time ago, Mamma. I can have a double scoop, can’t I? I didn’t bounce that much. There was a bunch of stuff I didn’t get to see because I was being good.”

It was almost impossible for Loyria to refuse Niele anything. She was a good child, but that damn curiosity could well be the death of her parents and her grandparents. “In a minute. You know I need to make sure it’s safe before we get out of the car. And yes, you may have a double scoop.”

Nothing appeared out of place in their immediate surroundings, so Loyria released her seat belt and nodded permission for Niele to do the same. Four years of relative calm hadn’t made anyone complacent. The threat was still out there, and lately had been tweaking her nerves. And James’s, and her parents’.

She’d made sure Fred knew about it, but being pragmatic in the extreme, he didn’t want to do anything until there was concrete proof that something had disturbed the status quo. Loyria scanned the shopping center one last time. The itch between her shoulder blades was stronger than usual, but she didn’t spot anything out of place.

“Hurry, Mamma! Ms. Schumann might run out of cinnamon.”

“Coming. Hang on until I get over there to open your door.”

She’d call Fred from the ice cream shop. They had a payphone tucked in the corner that she could use while Niele ate her ice cream. If she nagged him enough, maybe he’d take her concerns more seriously. They’d established a solid working relationship, and he’d been a saint to transport the plants she requested from the Amazon. With her detailed drawings and descriptions, there’d been almost no mistakes. Oh, a few specimens hadn’t been usable, but for the most part, she’d been able to continue her research without too many problems. She checked that her blade was secure at her ankle, stuffed some money in her pocket, and then unlocked the car doors and circled around to set her little bundle of rampant curiosity free.

Niele jumped down from her seat and immediately grabbed Loyria’s hand, swinging it back and forth. “You didn’t have to remind me, Mamma, so can I have three scoops of ice cream?” Her smile beamed with mischief.

“Good try, but no, you can’t. You’d get sick, and we’re going to Aukele’s house for supper tonight. You don’t want to miss that, do you?” Aukele’s maze was one of the few places that held Niele’s attention for hours at a time, so a trip to Grandpa’s was always a hit—and a guaranteed respite for her and James.

Niele shook her head with four-year-old determination. “Nope. He hides surprises in the maze for me. Good ones.”

The ice cream was excellent, Ms. Schumann kept Niele occupied discussing potential new flavor combinations, Fred answered on the first ring, and he promised Loyria he’d run another check on the whereabouts of Eamon Grady and Fion Connor. It was all she could ask. But she’d make the same request of Aukele tonight when she saw him. Sometimes his contacts knew more than the conventional forms of intelligence.

Loyria grabbed a handful of napkins, prodded Niele to thank Ms. Schumann, and then mother and daughter carried their ice cream cones to the car. The humidity had been suffocating for the past few days, but when they stepped outside, a soft breeze lifted the hair off Loyria’s neck. She sighed with relief that the trade winds were back. And then the prickle set in.

Loyria scanned the area. No visible threat. Still, she wanted to get Niele into the car as quickly as possible. She unlocked it and reached for a flyer that had been tucked under the passenger side windshield wiper, but it slipped from her fingers when she tried to juggle her chocolate cone and the wad of napkins.

Niele giggled, pulled her hand free from Loyria’s hold, and chased after the scrap of paper.

“Niele, no. Get back here. It’s just an ad, nothing important.” She started after her daughter.

Niele stomped on the paper, and then looked up at Loyria with a proud grin. “I got it, Mamma.” She took several quick licks of melted ice cream that had started dripping over her fingers, bent to pick up the paper, and whimpered.

Adrenaline shot through Loyria. She yanked the bright orange paper from Niele’s hand, and hunkered down next to her daughter. “What is it? Did the ice cream give you a headache?”