wrath of the Sea Queen (246 page)

CHAPTER
57

Maku showed Vin the entrance to the cave and explaine
d the way to reach the island.

"
This tunnel
i
s pretty much a straight shot
.
 
You can't
get lost or make a wrong turn.
"

He would emerge on the island where Maku last s
aw
C
a
eli. 
However, Maku said the tunnel was most likely flooded by now.  Vin assur
ed him that he would be fine. 
The large man
did not
accompany Vin
. 
Instead, Maku
return
ed
to the hotel
to
be with
Apela and Max.  He knew his long-time friend was grieving over Lorrie's death, just as
Maku himself
was grieving for Pete.  They would draw support from each other.

"
I am very sorry for your loss and for Apela
’s
.  You both have my
deepest
sympathy.
  I will find my way from here.
  Go and be with your friend.
"

Vin thanked him and
headed into the tunnel with a small flashlight mysteriously produced from one of
Maku's
pockets.  The tunnel was
barely
tall enough for Vin to walk upright.  He could reach out and touch the walls on either side.  There was a
river
of water running
along the floor
that reached to
Vin's
knees as he entered
. 
As the tunnel descended, the flooding increased.  Even now, he was continually using his gift to hold the rising water at bay. 
It was
the necessity of his concentration
that prevented
Vin
from rushing headlong
to help C
a
eli.  As it was,
Vin
mov
ed
almost at a jog.
  After only seventy feet, the tunnel took a
nother steep
downward turn and became completely submerged.

C
a
eli did
n
o
t know how long she
ha
d
been sitting
alone
in the rain
, one eye on the angel standing ten feet away from her,
when she heard movement in the tunnel to her right.  She
rose
to
her feet
as
fast
as she could
and moved away from the entrance.  It
might
be Michael returning.  If so, she did
n
o
t want to be within his reach.  To her surprise and great relief, it was not Michael who emerged from the cave.

"Vin!
  Oh, Vin, I'm so glad
it's
you
.
"

The look on her face as she r
ushed
into his
embrace
frighten
ed
Vin
.
C
a
eli
was terrified
, and he could also feel her anger
.  Vin noticed the blood on her stomach as well, but
did
n
o
t g
et
a good look at her injury before she
practically threw
herself up against him
, clinging to him
desperately
. 
He wrapped her securely in his arms
knowing s
omething terrible had
,
indeed
,
happened. 

"It's ok
, Honey
. 
I'm here. 
I've got you
. 
You're safe now.
"  Vin held her tightly and tried to comfort her, but she was
beyond
any comfort he could provide
.
  The meaning of her half-phrased
statement
s w
as
initially lost on him.

"It was terrible.  I tried
to run
, but I couldn't move.  They took him, Vin.  I couldn't s
ave
him," C
a
eli cried.

"It's all right, C
a
eli.  Try to calm down.  I don't understand what you're saying, but I'm here now.  You're
safe
.  It's over
," Vin insisted.

"
Brother Eyvindr, I must heal her so that she can stop this.  I am sorry, but I must act soon.
"

"No!  Never again!  Please, Vin.  Take me away from here.  Don't let him near me.  I won't let him touch me again," C
a
eli
's
words were crystal clear, though nearly hysterical, as she pleaded with him.

Vin knew from Michael's warning that this was not going to be easy.  From C
a
eli's reaction to Raphael's words, it was clear that
this is what
she
was
trying to avoid.  Apparently, she
had been
keeping
Raphael
at bay
for the time being
, but doing so kept her trapped on this island.
 
Vin
turned
he
r around so that he
interpose
d
himself between Raphael and C
a
eli
.  Of course
, he knew it would not do much good if Raph wanted
to
force the issue.
  Thankfully, he didn't.

"Raph, please wait.  Michael said that I could talk to her.  Let me try to calm her down.  She has been through so much.  I'm afr
aid that you are only making it worse.  Let me try to help her before you heal her
," Vin
implored
.

"No, Vin!  I won't
allow it.  He will not
touch me again
, neither him nor Michael
.  You don't know what they did. 
You can't imagine
!  I won't let them near me. 
Vin
,
please
don't let them near me
!
"

The
small
comfort
C
a
eli
drew from Vin
was rapidly
fading
as she feared he might not listen to her
.

Vin did not
yet
understa
nd the situation
, but it was obvious that
he
needed to
act
quick
ly
.

"
Brother,
it is
as I warned you
. 
S
he does not
see
the truth.  We did not have time to explain, and she refuses to hear us now. 
If you would help her, then y
ou must bring her back,
" Raphael reminded Vin of their previous conversation. 

"What is going on?  What happened?"  Vin asked of
both of them
.

He turned to look at C
a
eli, who moved a few steps
away from
him now
, putting more distance between her
self
and the
threat she perceived from Raphael
.  Vin could now see the open cut across her stomach, which she h
e
ld with her
blood soaked
arm.  He
yanked
off his shirt and
moved
over to place it protectively over the
open wound
, holding it in place himself.  He wrapped his arm around C
a
eli and helped her sit down
again
.

"C
a
eli, whatever has happened, you
ha
ve got to get control of your emotions.  You need to
take
control of your gift. 
Please, tell me what
happened
so
I can help
you
.  You can show me, if you prefer," Vin whispered to her, leaning in close to keep their conversation private.

"I don't know how to show you," C
a
eli replied through her tears.

"
Sure you do, Honey. 
Do exactly like you did before. 
All you have to do is remember what happened and
picture
it in your mind.  I suspect that is going to be hard enough
; b
ut, if you show me, then I might be able to help you before Michael
returns to
intervene.  Do you think you can
recall it for me?"