Current Impressions (29 page)

“I get it, Ula.”

“I used an analogy,” she said proudly.

“Yes. Very well done.” My tone was
indulgent. If she heard my sarcasm, she ignored it.

“So, back to the bottle and glasses,” she
said. “When are we going to get them?”

“We need to go when the ship is out. Evan
said that they head out to sea daily. They leave around nine and
return by five.”

“Are we going today?” Ula bounced a bit on
the bed, sloshing orange juice onto the tray. I picked up the glass
and drained it before she could spill any more.

“We should. The sooner we have them, the
sooner we can get answers.”

I didn’t like the idea of taking her. My dad
was going to be furious when he found out that I’d broken his rules
not once, not twice, but several times, and here I was planning to
break them again before I could confess to him. Better to ask for
forgiveness later. Wasn’t that how the saying went?

“Can you transport that far?” I asked.

Ula frowned. “I’m not sure. I’ve never
tried. I usually swim to travel any long distance.”

“I’ll take us. I’ve been there enough.” I
wanted to tell her that it would be faster if I went myself, but
that would hurt her feelings. She was already sensitive about her
powers; I didn’t need to rub it in.

“When?” she asked.

I glanced out the window. The sun was high
in the sky. It was well after nine.

“Are you ready to go now?” I asked.

She grinned, more excited about this
adventure than I was. “Okay.”

I held her hands and pictured the pier so
clearly that we arrived within seconds.

“Wow,” Ula exclaimed. “You’re fast.”

“I’ve been here a few times.”

The boat was gone. We were safe, for now. I
quickly walked toward the stairs. He said he would hide the bottle
at the base, so it had to be nearby. I stepped off the edge of the
pier and crouched on the large boulder to look under the staircase.
Sure enough, I caught the glimmer of glass. I reached in and pulled
out the bottle first, handing it to Ula. I gave her a wine glass
next, and then pulled out the last two for myself.

“Um… how are we getting back?” Ula asked.
“Our hands are full.”

“Wrap your arms around me,” I said. “Like
you’re giving me a hug.”

She stood close and placed her arms around
me. I barely felt them. “A bear hug,” I clarified.

“How do bears hug?” she asked.

“Tightly.” I was trying not to lose
patience, but with each second that passed, the risk increased that
someone might see us.

“Oh!” She tightened her grip, and we
disappeared.

We landed back in my room and grinned at
each other.

“That’s a rush!” Ula laughed. “Wish I was as
good at transporting as you are.”

A throat cleared, and we both jumped. My dad
sat on the edge of my bed. I really needed to figure out how to
keep Selkies out of my room. Between Ula, Kieran, and now my dad,
this was getting ridiculous.

“Do you mind telling me where you’ve been?”
Dad’s voice was deceptively calm, but the tick in his cheek told me
that he was angry.

“Dad!” I exclaimed. “You’re back!”

He stood and crossed the room to me. “And
so, apparently, are you. Why are you carrying wine and glasses?
Were you having a party?”

“I can explain…” I glanced at Ula, but she
just shrugged at me. Some help she was.

“Hand me your glasses, Meara,” she said.
“I’ll take them to Angus.”

“Angus?” My dad looked from Ula to me. “Does
this have anything to do with Kieran?”

“You know?” Dad gave me a stern look. Damn,
I was in trouble. I gave Ula the glasses. “Let me know what you
find out.”

“Of course.” She nodded and left the room
quickly.

Arms crossed, Dad tapped his foot
impatiently. “Do you mind telling me what’s going on?”

Where should I start? What did he know
already? There was so much to tell him, though I deserved answers,
too. “Can we go somewhere else to talk?” I asked. “I don’t really
feel like hanging out in my room.”

“As you wish.” Dad’s hand wrapped around
mine. A second later, we were in the study next to Angus’ quarters.
“Is this better?”

“Um, yeah.”

It really wasn’t. This close to Kieran, I
wanted to check and see how he was feeling. Dad wouldn’t
understand, so I kept my mouth shut.

“So…” He sat in a chair and leaned back,
gesturing for me to sit across from him. “What kind of trouble have
you been up to?”

Although he was trying to appear calm, the
edge of anger was there. That was fine, but I had a right to be
angry, too. He brought me here and handed me off to his sister and
Kieran. I barely saw him and had no idea what he was doing. I lost
my mom, not my dad. Sometimes, it felt like I lost both.

“You first. What did you and Aunt Brigid
discover?”

“I don’t think you’re in any position to
make demands.” He frowned at me. “What have you been doing while I
was away?”

“If you’d been here, you wouldn’t have to
ask.”

He hit the table and shouted, “Meara! Stop
playing games! Tell me what’s going on.”

I jumped. I couldn’t recall him ever yelling
at me. Then again, Mom was there to play interference in the past.
“Where would you like me to start?”

“Wherever you like, but tell me something.”
He sat back and took a deep breath. “Angus mentioned Kieran was
poisoned yesterday. Seeing the bottle and goblets, I assume you
were involved. Why don’t you start there?”

“Did Angus say if Kieran’s okay?” I hoped to
check on him first thing this morning. My plans were altered by my
two visitors.

Dad’s expression softened with sympathy.
“He’s weak, but alert. He’s still in Angus’ room. You can see him
when we’re finished.” He reached for my hand and squeezed it. “Tell
me what happened, Meara.”

I nodded and met his eyes. He might get
angry, but he was right. He needed to know. Maybe he could even
help with Evan’s problem, if he was willing. He and Evan didn’t
always get along so well, especially last year when I was trying to
figure out what I was. Evan made it clear that my dad was not
helping me enough. “Last night we attended a dinner party. Kieran
was poisoned by the man funding Evan’s internship. His name is Ken.
I don’t know anything else about him.”

I said it all quickly, knowing what was
coming next.

“You left the island when I strictly forbade
it?”

I pointed at him, and my finger shook. “You
left. You’re always gone. The rest of us are just supposed to sit
here like beached whales. I was going crazy. I love Evan, and I
have a right to see him.”

“You have a right? How about you have a
responsibility! You have a responsibility to keep yourself and our
clan safe. Your recklessness could’ve gotten Kieran killed.” He
stared hard at me, his mouth a line of disappointment. “The glasses
and bottle. You went back this morning with Ula, didn’t you?”

“I had to.” Before he could argue, I told
him about Evan and the voices. “Evan admitted it to me in my dream
last night. He started hearing them after he saw a doctor friend of
Ken’s. Dr. Tenoo, I think he said.”

“You and Evan shared a dream with those
necklaces?” When I nodded, he stood and paced. For a few seconds,
he was lost in thought, and then he asked, “Besides the voices,
what else has Evan noticed?”

“He said that when he’s around me, he feels
repulsed.” I had a hard time saying it aloud. “He’s been mean to
me. He broke up with me yesterday.”

“Strange,” he murmured. “What about you?
Have you noticed anything else unusual about him?”

I remembered the night I transported to his
room after he returned from the clinic. I didn’t want to admit I’d
left the island numerous times, but this seemed like an important
detail. “One time, I saw his eyes glow blue.”

Dad stopped pacing. “Describe.”

“They glowed turquoise in the dark. When the
lights came on, they looked normal. I asked him to turn the lights
off again, and the glowing was gone.”

My dad resumed pacing, muttering under his
breath. Twice he went to the bookshelf, pulled down a book, flipped
through the pages, and put it back. Finally, he turned to me. “You
can’t leave the island, Meara. It’s critical now more than before.
Something is happening. The Icelandia clan lost six guards in the
last moon cycle. The bodies were found in the same condition as
ours.”

“Could it be a coincidence?”

“No. We are under attack.” While my heart
leapt in fear, his face was hard and proud. For the first time, I
saw him as the other Selkies must. He was a warrior, a leader, and
a protector.

“Who’s attacking us?”

“I don’t know for sure. You’ve given me some
ideas.” His eyes lowered to my collar. “Are you wearing your
necklace?”

“No. I wasn’t wearing it last night either.
I was holding it.”

“The connection between you and Evan is
strong. I know you love him and want to help him, but you shouldn’t
wear it anymore.”

“Why? What do you know?”

“I don’t know anything yet. I only have
theories. It’s too early to share. I need to go and research the
area with Brigid. Angus told us about a wide area of destruction
not far from here. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would
you?”

Once again, he gave me a hard look. I stared
back evenly and didn’t say anything. If he wasn’t going to confide
in me, I was done confessing to him.

“Can I come with you?” I asked instead.

“Absolutely not. Meara, you are not to set
one fin in the water.”

“That’s not fair. You and Aunt Brigid are
constantly going in it.”

He came over and sat next to me, his hand on
my shoulder. “And we are much older and more experienced than you.
I know you want to help. The best thing you can do right now is
stay here with Kieran and Ula so I know that you’re safe.”

“I’m not a little girl anymore.”

“You’ll always be my little girl, and I
can’t lose you now that I’ve found you.” His voice quavered. I was
stunned to see his eyes were full of tears. “Please, Meara.”

“Geez, Dad. Okay.” I couldn’t stay angry
with him when he obviously loved me enough to cry. He wanted to
keep me safe. This time, I would do what he asked. If he thought
I’d stop looking for answers, though, he was wrong. “When you
confirm your theory, I want you to tell me. If I’m making you a
promise, you must promise me, too.”

“I promise I will tell you.”

“And Evan. If you know how to help him?”

“Of course.” He stood and pulled me up into
a hug. “We’re in this together from now on, okay?”

I hugged him tight and prayed he meant it.
Now it was my turn to cry. I hadn’t realized how much I missed my
father. “I love you, Dad.”

“I love you, too.” He kissed the top of my
head and rested his cheek there. His whiskers tickled and made me
laugh.

“You need to shave,” I said.

“I know it. I could use a shower, too.” He
sighed and kissed my head one more time before straightening up.
“Now, go and see Kieran.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

I went next door and knocked on Angus’ door.
Kieran called out, “Come in!” and my pulse quickened at the sound
of his voice. I opened the door and found him sitting on the couch
in Nike track pants and a T-shirt. His bare feet were on the coffee
table. He grinned when he saw me. “How’s my partner in crime?”

“I’m fine.” I crossed the room and sat next
to him. “I should be asking how you’re doing.”

“Right as rain,” he said, and then frowned.
“I never understood that expression.”

“You scared me last night,” I said quietly.
“I’m sorry for putting you in danger.”

“You don’t have to apologize.” He took my
hand and ran his thumb over the back of it. How could I welcome his
touch and love Evan at the same time? “You didn’t know it was
poisoned.”

“You warned me. You drank it anyway to give
me time to escape.” I swallowed painfully and looked down at our
joined hands. “You saved my life.”

“It wouldn’t have killed you, Meara.” His
fingers lightly touched my chin and lifted it until our eyes met.
It was a gesture uncomfortably similar to Evan’s from the night
before. Guilt made my cheeks burn. “You’re dramatic today. What’s
going on?”

“You didn’t know that at the time. You
would’ve died for me. I was worried you were going to die.” The
tears flowed again.

Kieran frowned as he watched me cry. He
gently wiped my cheeks. “Hey… it’s okay. I’m not dead, Meara. I’m
right here.” Holding me close, he stroked his hand gently through
my hair and down my back. I tried to pull myself together, but all
I could think about was how good his arms felt and how wonderful he
smelled. He always smelled like a spring rain, clean and fresh. His
arms tightened around me, and his fingers entwined in my hair. I
realized that I wanted him to kiss me. I wanted to feel his lips on
mine. I lifted my face, and that was all it took. He captured my
mouth with his. I kissed him back in a rush of heat. He saved my
life and almost died for me. He hadn’t said it, but I knew he loved
me. Did I love him, too?

I lost track of time. He maneuvered our
bodies so that we stretched out on the couch. I could’ve kissed him
forever, but a loud cough had us breaking apart and staring at each
other in shock.

“You might want to find a more private spot
for that kind of activity. You’re going to give your old uncle a
heart attack.” Angus chuckled at his joke and settled into his
recliner. “The look on your faces was priceless. I take it you’re
feeling better, Kieran?”

“Yes, sir. Thank you.” Kieran tugged at the
hem of his shirt before sitting up and moving to the far end of the
couch. “How was the meeting?”

“Not much was discussed. Brigid and David
left to check out those coordinates you gave me. We’re regrouping
this evening when they get back. You’re welcome to join us, if
you’re free.”