wrath of the Sea Queen (266 page)

"
Everyone?  Was he certain
? 
That's a terrible burden to place on one person.
"
  Ben considered the puzzle before him.  C
a
eli
noticed when Ben left
the connection, and Vin informed her that he was rubbing his chin in time to his footsteps as he paced a short distance.  And then he was back.

"
It seems
to me
that neither of you can do this alone, but what if you combined your efforts?
"

It was such a simple solution that
both
Vin
and
C
a
eli
were surprised they hadn't
considered it.  They
had been
abundantly successful when they combined their gifts on the ship.  C
a
eli
also
successfully combined her gift with Salma's to heal Vin. 
Such a joining was certainly possible and would greatly increase the chance of success.
  Just then, Urim's words from earlier in the week replayed in
C
a
eli’s
mind.

"
You have help at hand, if you remember to ask for it.  The journey is never meant to be walked alone."

"
Together
then
;
w
ill you help me, Vin?
"

"
I wouldn't
have
you attempt it without me
.
"

After having
Ben agree to keep everyone else on the ground level
,
Vin bolted up the stairs leading to the top of the lighthouse
where
th
ere
would
be
less interference. 
He
opened the small door and stepped out into the
howling
wind.  It was all he could do to keep from being blown over the railing, but
he
finally found a place where he could begin to work. 
He
closed his eyes and
reached into
the
raging
winds
.
 
Vin tried
to ride a current,
attempting
to change its course.  It was hopeless.  He next tried to work his way toward the center of the storm, but his strength was being quickly depleted against such a powerful opponent.

"
Michael, please, if you can still hear me, I will do this
;
but I
woul
d like to ask a favor of you.  Will you stay with Salma?  I don't want her to be alone, no matter the outcome,
" C
a
eli implored.

"
Yes, I will do that for you, Sister.
"

C
a
eli stepped out onto the small
, covered porch and
moved slowly to sit down on the bench
, o
pen
ing
herself to the water.  She
reached out to the storm with her
gift.  She
touched on
the
shifting
anger in the rain and the
rolling
fear in the waves.  She even
briefly
brushed
Vin's presence in the wind.

C
a
eli concentrated, willing the rain to end, but it refused.  She pulled energy from the waves, but could not pass that energy to Vin as she
had done
on the ship; not while he was engrossed in the use of his own gift in such a way
.
  Instead, she had to release
that energy
back into the water.

"
Vin, it's not working,
" C
a
eli said to him after thirty minutes.  The unrestr
icted
use of her gift was taking its toll on her
, too
.  She was already feeling
the strain
.

"
I know
,
"
he confirmed
a
similar lack of success.

"
The only alternative I can think of is walking into the storm, letting it engulf me like
I did
when
I
reduced
the waves. 
I
t was necessary for me
to be in the water to accomplish that. 
Perhaps
doing so again
will allow me to be more effective,
" C
a
eli suggested.  She started to walk
toward
the water before Vin could answer.  She had to try.

From his perch at the top of the lighthouse, Vin could see
C
a
eli
moving
as
she
walked alone down the beach
, drenched by the pouring rain
.

"
Of course, s
he's alone! 
W
hy didn't
I
think of that before?
"

Vin turned and forced the small door open, raced down the stairs, and worked his way through the crowd milling about
on the main floor. 
J
ust as Vin was about to open the
entry
door and run outside, a strong hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Where do you think you're going?  You can't go out in this weather," Ben could tell that Vin was intent on somethin
g, and he wanted to know what
.

"I have to go to C
a
eli.  She's alone.  Even though we were both using our gifts, we
were
still working separately.  Our efforts were not having
any significant
effect.  We
ha
ve to work together.  That means I need to be
with
her.  We can't do this unless we are together.  I have to reach her before she lets the water carry her away," Vin expl
ained rapidly and then
continued
out the door.

CHAPTER
63

Salma knocked on the door to C
a
eli's room, but got no response.  She listened for a few minutes. 
She heard the television, but no other
sounds within. 
After
quietly
turn
ing
the doorknob
, Salma
peeked inside.  All the lights were out, and C
a
eli was nowhere to be seen.

"C
a
eli?  C
a
eli, can I talk to you for a minute, please?"  Salma called out, but still
got
no answe
r.

She walked through the room, turning off the TV and
checking all the places she thought C
a
eli might be.  C
a
eli wasn't there.  As Salma finally approached the sliding door that led to the back porch, she caught a glimpse of movement outside
as
C
a
eli st
oo
d up from the bench a
nd beg
a
n to walk down the beach, fighting against the wind every step of the way.

"C
a
eli, what are you doing?  Come back inside!"  Salma yelled, while frantically trying to unlock the door
so that she could run
out after her niece.

The door would not budge.  C
a
eli
apparently could
n
o
t hear her over the howling of the wind and slamming of the waves against the shore.

"
You cannot help her with this,
" Michael said to Salma.

"Help her with what?  She
i
s going to get herself killed out the
re," Salma responded
a
loud.

She turned to stare in amazement at a figure standing a few feet away from her.
  Salma
’s
awe quickly turned to concern, and she
spun
around to look out the door again.  She knew that if the angels were directly involved, then there was something very important at stake.

"
Come away from the door, Sister.  It will not open.  C
a
eli asked that I stay with you until this was over, and it will only pain
you
to watch
her
.  Please, come away from the door.
"

"I will not.  Whatever she is doing, she can look back
and see that I am right here for
her.  I will not abandon her to whatever
impossible
task you
ha
ve asked of her," Salma replied sternly.