Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Harper
W e arrive at Montague, population 1,961. It’s a quaint town with a waterfront full of boats. “How are you going to find someone willing to take us to St. John’s?”
“I think we start there.” Aaran points to a place called Moe’s Bar.
I have my doubts, but follow anyway. The bar is dim and smells of stale beer and other things I don’t want to think about. It’s early, but four men and a woman sit talking and laughing at the far end of the bar.
Aaran strides over with no preamble. “Would any of you be a boat captain?”
They stop laughing and stare at him.
A stocky man with tattoos on his arms and a touch of gray in his dark beard, says, “Are you from Scotland Yard?”
The five of them bust out laughing.
Aaran laughs too, though I doubt he has any idea what Scotland Yard is.
The man says, “You here to arrest us?”
“I just need a boat and captain to take me and my friend to St. John’s tonight. Well, not exactly to St. John’s. It’s a place on the coast near there. Can any of you accommodate us?” Aaran’s smile is warm and easy.
I lean against the bar near the door, sure that at any minute, this group of locals is going to laugh us right out of here.
“What’s there that can’t wait until the ferry crossing tomorrow?” The woman is tall and has blond hair also, touched with gray. Her skin has seen many years of too much sun. Her brown eyes are curious and kind.
“We have an appointment of sorts, and the longer we wait, the more dangerous it gets for us.” It’s easy to be impressed by the way he tells them the truth without giving anything away.
The woman’s eyes narrow. She whispers, “Domhan?”
Aaran nods. “You know where we need to go?”
Frowning, she touches her ear. “Aye, I know.”
“Nancy?” The bearded man is standing now too.
“What’s going on?” one of the other men asks. He has red hair and a scruffy beard. “Do you want me to toss him from the bar, Nancy?”
She shakes her head. “No, Bill. It’s fine. I just realized I knew this young man’s parents. He and his lady need to get to the coast near St. John’s tonight.” She looks at the bearded man. “Will you take them, Bert?”
I walk closer.
“You know my parents?” Aaran asks.
“I came here with them more than ten years ago. I stayed.” She squeezes Bert’s hand.
“You’re Nainsi. I remember you, though I was young when you lived with us.” Aaran grips her arm.
Emotion welling in Nancy’s eyes, she draws a long shaky breath. “We’ll get you where you need to go.”
Bert clears his throat. “I’ll take them, love.”
Gripping Aaran’s shoulder, Nancy looks him in the eyes. “The prophecy was found?”
He nods.
The hint of an accent like Aaran’s creeps into her voice. “Tell your mother that Nainsi sends her love. Tell her I’ve thought of them often and regretted nothing. My life has been very fine here with Bert.” She gives Aaran a quick hug. “Luck to you.”
We follow Bert to the dock and onto a white-and-gray fishing boat. As soon as I step on the boat, something in the ocean shifts. It darkens, and the soft waves grow angrier.
Bert frowns and looks at me. “You’re like my Nancy?”
“No. I’m from New Jersey. I’m going to help Nancy’s people.” I grip the metal railing. “This is my first time out of the bay.”
“You may get sick, but this is a good boat. She’ll get us there.” He starts untying lines and checking over things I don’t understand. We start to drift away from the dock.
“Wait!” Nancy calls from the shore. She’s running to where we were moored, with a large pack slung over her back.
Rushing to the wheelhouse, Bert starts the engine and reverses toward the dock. “What’s wrong, love?”
“I’m going with you. I’ll see them off, and we’ll overnight in St. John’s. I’ll not be left behind.” As soon as we’re close enough, she jumps on board with the agility of a much younger woman.
Shaking his head, Bert smiles and takes us away from civilization. Once we’re clear of running into anything, he pulls her into his arms and kisses her. “I wasn’t going to run off.”
“No. I know.” They stand watching the ocean together, and she rests her head on his shoulder.
He kisses her head. “You can spell me when I rest, and I’m sure happy to have your company. This is a long go with several stops for fuel.”
She nods.
The farther out to sea we get, the rougher the ocean. My stomach is rolling, and I’m distracted from anything else by the notion that soon Aaran is going to see me hurl over the side of this fishing boat. Sitting on the long bench that runs along the side of the vessel, I clutch the rail.
Aaran touches my shoulder and sits next to me, pulling me to his side. He wraps his arms around me. “Try to think about something else, Harper.”
“Something besides my nausea? That’s a lot to ask.” I try to laugh, but it comes out more like a groan.
Pressing both of his hands to my abdomen and with his cheek resting against the side of my head, he says something I don’t understand.
My seasickness disappears in an instant. I turn to look at him. “What did you do?”
Bert turns us to the right, and I tumble back into Aaran’s arms. If I’m smart, I would pull away, but I love how it feels to be held by him. He’s strong yet gentle, and somehow regal. I’m in so much trouble.
He kisses my forehead. “I eased your illness.”
“Won’t that use up magic you’ll need?”
His lips are more magic than the spell he used to calm my churning gut. I rest my cheek on his chest and wrap my arms around him. It should be awkward, but it just feels right.
“It’s not much to help your seasickness. Nothing like curing an illness. I’ll be fine to open the gate. Besides, I think this journey will take some time, and we can’t have you weak and sick from the sea. You’ll need your strength when we get to Domhan.” He runs his hand over my hair as if he cherishes me as more than a key to saving his world.
Of course, that’s just the lie I’m telling myself, but it’s a very pretty lie.
We port at the easternmost point of Nova Scotia, and Bert gets fuel.
Aaran helps him, and I sit. The wide ocean between us and Newfoundland is gray with whitecaps ready to pull me under. Dark clouds gather, and it’s hard to tell from what direction the weather is coming. I’ve never seen clouds pull together from more than one direction, and I know nothing about storms at sea, but it frightens me. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
Sitting beside me, Nancy sighs. “No one truly knows what they’re capable of until they’re tested in the real world.”
“Is this the real world? I was beginning to think I got lost in a dream slash nightmare.” I watch the people work on the docks. Bert and Aaran have disappeared into a small gray building with white trim. These docks are filled with boats in slips, along with men and women with thick biceps to lift coils of two-inch rope and bins filled with fish. “I’m not strong or brave.”
“I used to say that about myself, and then Aaran’s mother, Elspeth Riordan, picked me to come to the human world and search for the answers that would save Domhan. She thought I would bring something special to the search. I met Bert and stayed when she and the others returned home. Perhaps my staying was really about waiting for the two of you to come through and need passage to the portal.” Her eyes smile as Bert’s laughter carries from the doorway of the building. “It’s been a good life here.” She dashes a newly shed tear.
“Do you regret staying?” It’s none of my business, but her emotions have me curious, and it’s a good distraction from my worries.
Shaking her head, she smiles. “Not for one moment. I’ve loved living here, and Bert and I have been very happy.”
I like the idea of a love that survives with all the differences they must have faced. “Is it rude of me to ask why your ears aren’t pointed?”
Her laugh is full and light. “Not at all. I use a glamor spell to hide my ears and the difference in aging. I noticed Aaran is keeping his ears round for the viewing of humans.”
“Really. Doesn’t that take a lot of effort to keep up all the time?” I’m still confused about how magic works. I mean, who wouldn’t be? “Aaran nearly used all his energy when he healed my mother in hospice.”
“Did he?” She frowns and her bright eyes dim. “Is that how he convinced you to go on this journey?”
“No. Though, it was easier to say yes, knowing my mother was safe. He said that if the witch queen wins and turns your world dark, it will only be the beginning, and that eventually, she would come here and destroy our world as well.” I’m distracted by Aaran and Bert returning to the boat. Both carry five-gallon gas cans. The red-and-black tanks make Aaran’s arms bulge as he lifts them over the side of the boat. They use thick bungee cords to strap them to the sides of the rear deck.
“If your mother was in a way near to death, he could have died trying to heal her. If you’d already told him no, he probably had little to live for. If you are part of the key to the survival of Domhan and defeating the witch queen, then everything Aaran knows will be gone. Saving your mother may have been his gift to you. The fact that the effort didn’t kill him must mean something.” Nancy’s watching Aaran work on coiling a rope as if she’s seeing him in a new light.
“What does it mean?” I don’t know what I would have done if Aaran had died to save my mom. The thought creates such an ache in my chest that I have to clutch it and breathe through.
Nancy shakes her head. “I don’t know. I’m no oracle. But that kind of magic is a special gift from the old gods.” When she smiles, there’s something new in her eyes and I think it’s hope.
A fter a long night and then a rest in one of the ports along the southern coast of Newfoundland, Bert slumps. The rain is coming down harder now. “This last bit will be tricky.”
“Why?” All the coastline and ocean look the same to me. As I stare ahead, it’s the same foreboding view as I saw behind.
He points to the landmass ahead. “We have to go around this point, then we can head northwest to the cove where Nancy came from.” He clears his throat. “I suppose I always knew she’d go back one day.”
I turn to Nancy, where she’s leaning against the wall of the bridge. “Are you coming with us?”
Nancy stands straight. “I can’t stay here safe and sound while my people fight for their lives and Domhan.”
“I know.” His jaw ticks. “And I can’t watch you leave me. I suppose that means I’m going to Domhan too.”
Pretty sure whatever is about to be said is private, I back toward the door and excuse myself.
Aaran stands at the side rail, staring out at the sea. His eyes narrow.
Searching in the same direction, I don’t see anything but clouds and waves. “Is there something there?”
He shakes his head. “I thought there was, but now I don’t see anything.”
The ocean rolls and crashes as if it wants us to go back. Saltwater sprays over the rails, and I hold on with both hands. Normal rain rages until it’s pouring down in cold sheets, and wind whips my hair into my face.
“We should get inside the bridge.” Aaran’s voice barely reaches me over the booming thunder, rain pounding the deck, and crashing ocean.
The boat’s rocking hurls me halfway across the deck, and I struggle to stay on my feet.
Aaran wraps his arm around my waist. “Hang on.”
Loving the feel of his arm banding around me, I smile up at him, but my pleasure is short-lived.
Behind him, a dark mass moves across the sky, blending in with the storm clouds. For a moment, I think it’s part of the weather, but it moves too purposefully to be nature. “Aaran?”
He follows my gaze. “Shadow demon!” Shoving me behind him, he raises his hands in defense. A golden wave pushes from his fingers, stopping the descent of the demon and sending it careening to the right.
Bert screams from the window, “Hang on!”
A wave crashes over the port side.
I’m swallowed by salt water and fall on my ass as I’m hurled across the deck. Only the rail keeps me from plunging into the ocean, the cold metal bruising my shoulder. Coughing up seawater, I search the sky, but it’s dark, and all I see is the driving rain in the wheelhouse lights.
Water flows out the drains at the sides of the swamped deck, nearly taking me with it.
Grabbing my upper arm, Aaran helps me to my feet, then crouches, ready for the next attack.
Nancy rushes down the steps, and her glamor disappears. Long blond hair and a youthful face replace the middle-aged woman, while pointed ears push through, leaving no doubt of her elven nature. “There!” She points at the darkness, and a shard of silver shoots from her fingers, illuminating the shadow within the clouds.
The demon screams and changes direction to avoid the missile. It shoots straight up into the sky.
Bert screams, “What should I do?”
“Keep going!” Aaran commands and waves his hand toward the front of the boat.
The screeching of the demon returns.
Another wave floods the deck, but I’m holding tight to the rail and stay upright.
I’ve barely caught my breath and spit the salt from my mouth when the demon is spinning like a top and shooting straight for me. Lifting my hands, I pray for some kind of strength. A bright white light shoots out of my fingers. It pushes the demon into the sea.
Barely able to breathe, I stare at my hands as if I’ve never seen them before. How can this be possible?
The demon pops out of the sea and hovers at the rail. There’s almost a human face in the black emptiness where a head should be. It stares at me, then turns to Aaran and flies forward like an arrow. With a deafening screech, it wraps itself around his throat.
Hitting the deck hard, Aaran’s head bounces against the wood. His eyes roll back, and his face turns red. Then his color drains away.
Fury fills me from someplace deep inside and mixes with the terror of losing Aaran. He may be new in my life, but I’m not letting him die for me or because of me. Power surges through me, it balls up in the center of my chest, and I grab the shadow demon with both hands.
Blinding light pours from my hands, fills the demon, and explodes.
I hit the deck hard enough to jar my teeth.
Ash floats down in black smudges and is washed away by the driving rain.
Aaran gasps for air.
Crawling across the wooden deck, I make my way to him. Cupping his cheeks, I stare into his eyes. The soot on my fingers marks his pale face. “Talk to me!”
He blinks several times before focusing on me. “I’m okay. What did you do?” He touches the ash.
Nancy reaches for us. “Let’s get you both inside.” She helps Aaran up.
My hands shake, and my teeth chatter. Suddenly freezing, I make my way up the steps and into the wheelhouse.
The rain lightens as it hits the windows, and the boat’s rocking eases.
Colored light outlines everything and everyone. Nancy is bathed in blue, and Bert in green. Aaran shines golden like a Greek statue. My hands glow the colors of the rainbow, then flash white before the lights fade. Unable to keep my knees from buckling, I sit shivering on a storage box behind the captain’s chair. “It’s cold.”
Bert leaps to his feet. “Nancy, take the wheel. She’s going into shock.”
Everything gets a bit fuzzy as Bert eases me to my back. He puts something under my feet to raise them and covers me with blankets. “Take deep breaths, Harper. You’re alright. Just breathe.”
“I killed that thing?” My mind returns to the bright light and the ash.
“You were magnificent,” Nancy says. “I’ve never seen magic like that.”
Aaran caresses my cheek and combs my hair from my face. “You’re fine, mo chroi . I’ve got you.”
My heart slows, and it’s easier to breathe. Things slowly come back into focus. “It was a person once, and I killed it. I did kill it, didn’t I?”
“You did.” Aaran kisses my forehead. “You saved my life.”
“It’s better off now, Harper.” Nancy dries her hair with a blue towel. “They’re living in a kind of hell as shadow demons. You did it a favor.”
Bert says, “Take her down to the galley. Her pack is under the bench. Get her into some dry clothes.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened.” I clutch Aaran’s shoulders as he helps me down the narrow steps.
“Nothing to apologize for. You just used magic more powerful than any I’ve ever seen. It was bound to have some effect.” I sit on the chair by the table while Aaran lifts the cushion on the bench and pulls out my small duffel bag. “Do you need help changing?”
I can’t decide if he’s blushing because he’d like to help or he wouldn’t. My joints ache and my shoulder hurts, but I get to my feet and wrap my hand around the strap. Teeth still chattering, I attempt a smile. “Maybe you can undress me under better circumstances. I can manage.”
Grabbing his backpack, he rewards me with a smile that almost makes me change my mind about the timing. He leans on the counter and cocks his gorgeous head. “I’d be happy to do that, Harper Craig.”
The only parts of me that are warm are my cheeks, which I’m sure are bright red. I rush into the tiny bunk room. Hands shaking, I manage to get myself out of my wet clothes and into dry ones. Glad to have packed an extra pair of sneakers, I pull them on. When I walk back into the galley, I stop short as Aaran pulls his black t-shirt over his broad back. Even though I’ve just experienced the impossible, my skin tingles with desire. This is one of the most emotional days I’ve ever lived through, and that’s saying something. “Will there be more shadow demons?”
Aaran pulls his shirt down and turns toward me. “It must have taken extraordinary magic to get that one into this world. I wouldn’t think she’d waste more magic to send a second. Even if she knows it failed, she’ll wait for us to come to Domhan.”
“Because magic has a price even for the witch queen?” I lay my wet clothes over a bar that runs along the wall. It’s probably to keep the crew upright in rough seas, but it will work as a drying rack for now.
“Yes. Even she has to live within the reality of magical limitations.” He places his wet clothes next to mine, then stares at me. “Thank you, Harper.”
A tear rolls down my cheek. I nearly lost him.
He pulls me into his arms and holds me tight. “I’m sorry to have put you in danger.”
“We both knew it would be like this.” Speaking against his chest muffles my voice, but his nod against the crown of my head tells me he heard me.
“We should try to sleep. We have a few hours before we reach the portal.”