Never After
Chapter 8

5
We hit hard, jarring every bone in my body, and the world went silent; the only thing I could hear were bubbles as we sank in the turbulent water. As Terrance dragged me under, I struggled. He was starting to shift and he let go of me as the throes of transformation racked his body. Some shifters went through a lot of pain when changing; others barely felt a thing. Finfolk suffered; selkies didn't.
I kicked away from him, propelling myself through the water. While I was a good swimmer, though much better in seal form, once he'd managed to shift over, I'd be no match for him.
Finfolk were strong, ungodly so, and their powerful tails acted akin to a propeller on a motorboat. They couldn't go as fast as a boat, but they could move and dart through the sea with barely a blink.
I tried not to look back as I forced my way toward the surface, chilled to the bone by the icy water. I could breathe, thanks to the waterweed sponge. But that didn't mean it would help me survive the depths unless I miraculously found my seal coat, or unless the Finfolk water witches gave me the protection they usually offered their victims. Toys were no fun if they died early.
Whatever the case, I expected Terrance had something planned, which meant there were probably other Finfolk in the area. Not good for the Pod, and not good for human swimmers. Too many accidental drownings occurred due to their interference.
The water boiled as Terrance thrashed, the currents pressing against me as I broke the surface and screamed for help. Waterweed didn't prevent an air-breather from breathing above water, the one saving grace for me right now.
But as soon as I'd shouted, a splash beside me told me I was in trouble. Terrance popped up next to me, transformed and feral, like some primal cross between fish and man. His skin was pale silver like that of a trout's, and a scaled tail joined what had been his legs. He had genitals, though, and all his other features remained intact except his hair was darker and his eyes were luminous. Gills slatted the side of his neck and I screamed as he reached for my wrist.
"Come on, baby," he said.
"Leave her alone!" Menolly's voice echoed from above and I gazed up to see Delilah, frantically flashing a light to find me. Oh hell - I knew Delilah could swim, but she was terrified of water. And Menolly would sink like a stone - vampires couldn't float.
And then, I saw Smoky, teetering on the edge of the railing with Camille by his side. As they leapt over the edge, Terrance made another grab for me and this time wrapped his arm around my waist. With a sudden rush, he yanked me below the surface and we were off, into the depths.
From somewhere behind us, I could feel the splash as Camille and Smoky landed in the water. But would they be able to keep up with Terrance? This was his world. And without my seal suit, I was as alien to it as were they. I scrambled to think of any advantage I had; then it occurred to me that I knew the inlet better than Terrance. I'd lived here for several decades and he'd just arrived. If I could get away from him long enough, I could use that knowledge to hide.
We wove through the dark water, silent and swift, Terrance holding me against him with one arm while steering with the other. His tail acted like a rudder, shifting our direction, sending us deeper and deeper with its powerful motion. The cold began to seep into my bones, and I felt myself going numb. It wouldn't be long before I passed out.
The water was like a black veil, everything that was familiar to me, everything that I associated with riding the waves gone, stripped away by my human form. I could feel my baby stirring, and wondered if she could feel the arms of the Ocean Mother embracing us. She would be a selkie, born in the ocean, and she would return to it time and again. She would revere it and worship it and love it, but only if I managed to survive.
Terrance suddenly halted and I vaguely saw another shape near us. Another of the Finfolk. The woman reached out and stroked my hair, then raked her nails down the side of my face, not enough to make me bleed but enough to hurt. As she did so, I could feel an energy surrounding me and then - within seconds - the numbing chill fell away and I was warm and comfortable. She was a sea witch, then, and dangerous. I let out a faint shudder and Terrance pulled me closer and started off again.
He let out a series of chirps and clucks. I knew enough of his language to recognize the meaning. Apparently we were heading toward open water, and he said something to his companion about a boat. So that was how they were stealing me away. Via boat. At least I wouldn't be riding the waves across the ocean. In human form, I wouldn't survive it.
We glided through the glassy depths, turning slightly as Terrance's silent, powerful fin steered us northward. I tried to remember my geography. Were there locks? Were there places where we'd be forced to get out of the water and transform?
Finfolk possessed exceptional strength and Terrance would be able to swim for a long time before needing to rest. My bet was that we wouldn't stop until we reached Whidbey Island, which would be the perfect place for him to have a boat waiting if he wanted to sail out through the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
But could he really mean to cross the Pacific? If so, he'd better have one hell of a boat.
I tried to work out how far we'd come, but my sense of timing was off. Time shifted in the water - as if the clock slowed to a crawl.
And then I glanced up. The shadow of something low flying and big was skimming along the surface. What the hell? Before I could blink, there was a huge displacement of water as a large white form dove deep, coming up to grab Terrance and me in one gigantic claw. As we were swept up out of the water, I gasped. A dragon. Smoky! And astride his back, thoroughly soaked and clinging to him for dear life, sat Camille, looking dazed and cold in her dripping chiffon and leather.
Terrance began to flail and Smoky eased open his claws long enough for the Mere to slip through and fall hard into the water. I held tight to the talons gripping me by the waist, praying that my baby was all right.
With wings steadily gliding on the chill breeze, we were over land within minutes, back over the park from where Terrance had kidnapped me. As we landed, Delilah and Menolly ran over to us, pulling Camille off Smoky's back and wrapping her in a blanket, and wrapping me in another. I stared at them, horrified, trying to comprehend everything that had happened.
"She's in shock," Delilah said, and her voice seemed to be coming from a long, long way away, from down a long, dark tunnel.
"You're right. We need to get her to the FH-CSI and have her checked out." Menolly gazed at me, her eyes burning bright and brilliant, red as fire, red as blood. She leaned forward and I couldn't look away.
"Sleep," she whispered.
And I did.
* * *
I woke to the smell of tea and toast, and pushed myself up on my elbows. I was in my house, and soft whispers filtered in from the other room. The clock told me it was near eight, and a glance at the window told me the night had passed and we were into morning.
As I slipped out from beneath the quilt, I saw that I was dressed in a loose gown - a soft robe that Mitch had bought me when I started getting too big for my pajamas. My slippers were by the foot of my bed, and I slid them on, then hurried into the bathroom to pee. As I headed toward the kitchen, the voices grew louder.
Camille was at the table, looking dry and fresh, and Delilah was beside her, along with Smoky. Iris, the house sprite who lived with them, brought over a plate of bacon, eggs, and toast. She set it in front of me, then patted my shoulder as I slid into a chair.
"Has the hospital called? Is Mitch still...?" My voice faltered. I couldn't say the words. I couldn't ask if he was still alive because I was afraid of the answer.
Iris nodded, her cheeks rosy from standing over the range. No doubt she'd used my step stool to reach the stovetop. "Yes, he's still alive. They performed the exploratory surgery yesterday. Good news - the medic says they won't have to remove the spleen after all. It was damaged, but should recover. His kidneys are bruised but will also recover."
"What about his arm? It was shattered."
"They went in early this morning. He should be out of surgery in an hour. He's going to need time to heal up, though. He'll be in the hospital for a while - a couple weeks at least."
I pressed my hands to my lips. Two surgeries in two days. Two too many. "Terrance is going to pay for this."
"By the way, we took you to the FH-CSI medical unit last night. You and your baby are fine, so no worries there." Camille leaned over my shoulder and gave me a hug. "We decided not to wake you out of the trance that Menolly put you in. You were in shock and desperately needed rest. Sharah says the baby is fine, and she countered the waterweed in your system. It really shouldn't be used by pregnant women, but she doesn't think any damage was done."
I blinked back tears. "Thank you," I whispered, not wanting to think about the past twenty-four hours. "What about Terrance?"
"He and his men are still out there," Smoky said from the head of the table. "I had to drop him for fear he might hurt you."
"Is it true? Camille told us that Terrance claims you're heir to a throne?" Delilah asked.
I shrugged. "I suppose so. I don't think Terrance would have bothered chasing me through all these years and over all those miles without some ulterior motive like that. He's always been a control freak, grasping for power. And I'm the key to that power."
A sudden chill washed over me. "If we don't find him, I'll never be able to stop looking over my shoulder. My daughter will be in danger; Mitch will be in danger, because Terrance will never, ever stop. He'll come back, again and again, until I kill him or he kills me. I won't let him take me back as the key to enslave my mother's people."
The eggs and toast were threatening to pay a return visit, but Camille brushed my hair back and gently ran her hand over my forehead, and my nausea began to subside. Her skin was cool against the heat flaring on my face.
"Everything will be okay." She gently rubbed my neck, easing the knots that had built up. "We're here to help. We won't let him hurt you."
I glanced up in time to see Delilah frown at her.
"I won't hold you to that. I won't hold anybody to a promise like that. But I thank you. For being here. For putting yourselves on the line. So..." I sucked in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Time to pull myself out of the mire and face reality. "What do we - I - do next?"
"Terrance isn't stupid. What's the one way he could break your spirit, besides harming your daughter?" Smoky leaned across the table, and gently took my hand, his fingers light on my wrist. I stared at his hands. They were strong but unblemished, so far from the taloned claws they'd been the night before, and yet - and yet I could feel the nature of the dragon emanating from every pore.
"I say this not to frighten you," he continued, "but because I understand opportunistic males. I understand those who grasp and yearn for something or someone they do not possess. I grew up around them. If we can identify your vulnerabilities, then we've identified the potential targets on whom your enemy will set his sights."
I slowly raised my eyes to meet his. "You know what my one vulnerability is, besides my child. Mitch. Mitch is my life, my love. I fell in love with him the first moment I met him, and when we thought the Pod would separate us because I couldn't bear a child, I was about to go mad with grief. He means the world to me. I chose him for my mate, and I can't imagine giving him up without a fight."
"Then we haul ass to the hospital," Camille said as Smoky quietly nodded and let go of my hands. "Because you know damned well Terrance is going to be down there, looking to finish what he started. He's not going to wait for us."
As I hustled back to the bedroom to change and make a quick call to work to let them know that Mitch had been hurt and I wouldn't be in, I stopped to pick up a picture on the nightstand.
Mitch and me, standing at the edge of the Pacific over in Ocean Shores. The dunes were shifting with the wind that day as the waves rolled in to crash along the beach. That was the day when everything fell into place. That was the day when I told him we could finally plan on being together forever.
* * *
Mitch was flying a kite, laughing as he ran. The kite - a chimera - had taken him four weeks to build and now the winds tossed it around like so much wrapping paper. But he was having fun, and I was videotaping him, waiting for just the right moment to tell him my news.
He came racing up to me, and dropped in the sand, slowly beginning to reel in the kite as the stiff breeze dropped and the sun began to warm up the chilled air. I opened the basket and spread out our picnic - thick tuna sandwiches, freshly sliced cucumbers, potato chips and pickles, and a cherry pie.
"What, no wine?" Mitch anchored the kite so it wouldn't blow away. He leaned back in the sand, shading his eyes as he stared out at the ocean. "Shall we go swimming later?" He pointed to his pack. "I brought my suit; did you bring yours?"
I nodded softly and handed him a paper plate with one of the sandwiches on it. "Yes, as long as nobody sees us change. But eat first. And no, I didn't bring any wine. I did bring sparkling cider. I just felt... I don't feel like alcohol right now, you know?"
With a shrug, he accepted the plate and piled it high with chips and cucumbers. "Not a problem. But you brought cookies, right?"
The hopeful note in his voice made me laugh. Mitch was a sucker for anything with peanut butter. "Yes, I brought some fresh peanut butter cookies along with the pie. They're in the cooler."
We ate slowly, listening to the mournful call of the gulls as they swirled around our heads. Seabirds knew we weren't human; they could sense our connection to the Ocean Mother and they flocked to our side, waiting for us to recognize them as allies, as compatriots. I'd never figured out the connection, but it didn't matter. We liked the gulls and they liked us.
I pulled out a spare loaf of bread and began tearing it up, tossing the chunks to the birds, who immediately swarmed the crumbs, ignoring all sense of propriety.
Mitch laughed and sat up. "They sure like people." "No, they like food," I said, closing my eyes against the warmth of the sun as it played along my face, kissing me softly with its rays. "Mitch, I have some news - and I want you to really listen to me."
He dropped the book he'd picked up and turned to me, wrapping his arms around his knees as he brought them to his chest. "What is it, love?"
I took a deep breath. This was it. Make or break time. "You know how the Pod keeps trying to break us up since I can't get pregnant?"
"Oh gods," he said, groaning. "Not again - what have they done now?"
With a soft smile, I said, "Nothing."
"Then what?"
"They can't touch us now. I'm pregnant. I found out yesterday - Sharah checked me out and - "
I couldn't get another word out because Mitch tossed his plate away and leapt up, pulling me to my feet. He danced me around, covering my face with kisses. His lips were soft against my skin and I melted into his embrace, listening to his giddy laughter.
"My Siobhan, my love, is it true? You're sure?" He pushed me away, to arm's length, holding me by the shoulders and staring into my eyes. He looked afraid, as if I might suddenly tell him it was all a joke.
"I'd never lie about something like this, not even in jest. It's true. I'm pregnant, and I'm going to have a little girl. I'm only a couple months along, but Sharah said the pregnancy has taken hold, and everything's going along just fine." I started to cry. "Now they can't take you away from me. The Pod can't tell you to leave me and take a new lover."
He stopped then, and tipped my chin up to gaze at me. "Siobhan, I don't care what the Pod says. Either way. I'd leave them before I'd give you up. I thought you knew that. You're my soul mate, my love."
Sniffling - whether it was the way he said it, or the hormones, I wasn't sure - I nodded and wiped my nose on a paper towel. "I know... I know you said that but when push comes to shove..."
"When push comes to shove, I shove back. I'm thrilled you're pregnant. I wanted this, too, but I want you most of all. And nothing would make me leave if you were truly infertile. Not the Pod, not my parents, not the Ocean Mother herself."
And then he dropped to one knee and pulled out a velvet box from his pocket. "I was waiting to show you this - to see if we'd have to run away from the Pod first. But now there's nothing they can do to stop me. Siobhan Morgan, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife and mate?"
As he opened the box, an emerald-cut aquamarine inset in platinum shimmered under the sun. Seafoam trapped in a crystal. I gasped as he slid it onto my finger. "Please, please say yes."
"You know the answer to that already, Mitchell Childs. You know the answer." And then, with no one else on the beach, he laid me down on the blanket and made love to me by the ocean's side.
* * *
"Siobhan? Siobhan? Are you ready?"
I glanced up to find Camille standing at my door, hesitantly peeking in. I was dressed, but had been lost in the memory of that day. Mitch, my life and soul, who would have left his family and home for me. Mitch, who would have given up being a parent because he loved me so much. And now he was lying in a hospital bed, in danger because of a cruel and vicious man from my past.
"I'm ready," I said, gathering my purse and keys. I checked to make sure the stove was off and slid on a warm jacket. "Let's go find Terrance. I don't want the sun to set again while he's still alive."
Camille gave me the thumbs up. "You've got it, babe. You've got it."