Kira's Secret (5 page)

Chapter Eight—
A Question of Trust

Harry Potter
helped, but when Kira wasn't submersed in his wizard world, she obsessed about what lay beneath the sea. Who was to say that magic didn't exist? Caught up in a book of fantasy, the characters became living, breathing people and creatures.
Beauty and the Beast, Rapunzel, Snow White
and so many stories about mermaids. She now had her own proof that humans could transform into non-human beings. She wasn't making it up or hallucinating because others had seen her disappear into a strong current that should have drowned her.

But where did she fit into this underwater
universe? Who were her people? Merrrows, selkies? She hoped not those horrible finfolk. Perhaps one of her parents was human and the other one wasn't. After all, she grew webbed hands and a tail in saltwater. Or if she was human, she could be under a sorcerer's spell. Anything was possible, even Harry Potter's world for that matter.

Kira didn't know how, but she was determined to discover her origins. And she would have to do it on her own. She wanted to trust Cody, but couldn't yet. Perhaps she could find a way to test him. Once she was sure of him, she'd find a way to let him know he was on the right track. She would not say a word about this quest to her parents, either. She didn't trust them. They had obviously been keeping things from her. She supposed it was possible, but unlikely, that they were changelings just like her.

Of one thing she was certain—she was adopted. Kira looked nothing like her parents. Her father was a large man with dark hair and squinty, pale-blue eyes. Her mother was tiny in comparison. She had fair freckled skin, large dark-brown eyes, and red gold hair. Kira's dad, Cillian Cox, had Irish roots; and her mother's maiden name was Bess MacDougall and her people had emigrated from the Shetland Islands far north of Scotland. Kira had always thought it odd that they never told her stories of fairies and sea sprites, stories she'd read that were common to the island traditions of their Celtic families.

Cody's trustworthiness came to be tested sooner than she had expected. Every year toward the end of August their village held a celebration for the fishing fleet. Everyone, old and young alike, attended a huge feast in the community hall. The meal was followed by a ceilidh, a Gaelic dance party with traditional fiddle music often accompanied by flutes, guitars, and drums. Many of the older folk dressed up in their kilts and special caps, blouses, and skirts according to their culture—Scottish, Irish, or other Celtic traditions. It was always a colourful and lively evening.

Kira both dreaded and looked forward to the celebration every summer. It was the end of what free time she had, the beginning of school, and a chance to reacquaint herself with her schoolmates. She was naturally shy so she didn't talk much to the other kids. Many of them had been together at camps over the summer, and some had part-time jobs, usually in their family fishing business. This time was no different, except that Kira had gotten to know Cody a little over the summer.

When he spotted her after the dinner he waved and came over to the table where she sat with her parents.

“Um, Mom and Dad, this is Cody, a friend from school,” she said, blushing.

Cody beamed a metal smile at them. “Cody Gillis,” he added, shaking hands and bowing his head.

“Ah, Dr. Gillis's boy,” her father said as he gripped Cody's hand in his large paw.

Her mother smiled at Cody. “And top of the class, I hear.”

It was Cody's turn to redden.

“There are no secrets in small villages like ours, son,” she said, laughing at his modesty.

After some small talk, Kira and Cody excused themselves, saying they were heading outside for a bit while the fiddlers tuned up. Neither of them was much for dancing, though Kira wished she knew more about the traditional dances she'd watched over the years. When her mother had suggested she take Scottish highland dance lessons, Kira had declined the offer. She thought she'd be too clumsy and she didn't want to be ridiculed by the other children. Anyway, Kira excelled at swimming and running and that was good enough for her.

Outside the hall, they joined a number of other young people who found the building too stuffy or full of prying adult eyes. Groups of kids huddled together, laughing and talking about their summers. None of them paid any attention to Cody or Kira.

“Hey, Kira, I know what we can do,” he said, his eyes full of mischief.

“What?”

“It's a calm night, no wind at all. Perfect conditions for sea glow. Now's your chance to see it!” He turned toward the wharf.

Kira's heart raced. Yes, phosphorescence, glowing diatoms in the water. She looked around. No parents in sight, no one paying them any attention whatsoever.

“All right, let's do it!” she said, and they jogged down the hill, past the equipment sheds, past warehouses and lobster pounds. By the time they reached the wharf they were both panting.

“Okay,” Cody said, scanning the area. There was not much to see with only one lamppost lighting up the start of the long dock, another partway along, and a third lamp at the far end. “Here, we can use these. We'll just borrow them.” He picked up a couple of long poles with hooks at the ends. They walked to the end of the wharf, past all the boats, their footsteps clattering in the silence. Cody knelt down, then lay on his stomach, his arms dangling over the far side. He lowered his pole into the black water and stirred. Kira squinted at the water, but there was no change, nothing she could see.

“It's too far down, Cody, the tide's out. I can't see anything, can you?”

“I think I can. It's too bright here anyway, with that lamp reflecting off the water. If we get onto one of the boats we'll be lower down, closer to the water.”

Kira pressed her lips together. She knew it was considered bad form, a no-no, to step onto any boat without the owner's permission. Trespassing, her father would call it. A boat is a fisherman's second home, his livelihood he'd say, no entry without an invitation or permission. This had been drilled into her since she was a small child.

But it was so tempting. When would she ever get another chance like this? Probably not for another year at least.

“Okay,” she agreed, and they made their way onto a boat that was completely swallowed by shadows, where there was far less chance of being seen.

It was a small boat by fishing standards, but perfect for their purpose. This time they both lay on their stomachs across the bow, dipping their poles into the inky black depths.

“Ooh, that's beautiful. It sparkles. Look!” Kira giggled with delight. She continued to lower her pole, to see how deep she could see the glow. Her arms were completely stretched out, with both hands gripping the end of the pole.

“It's amazing, Cody, I love it! It's like magic!”

Cody laughed. “I know. Nature at its best.”

Suddenly Kira yelled, “Oh no, my glasses!” She tried to grab them as they slipped off her face and into the water. Without another thought, she followed them into the water, head first. With the phosphorescent back-lighting, she had no trouble following the heavy lenses as they drifted down. Kira scooped them up and flipped herself around to return to the surface. As her head broke through to the air, she found herself staring into Cody's astonished face. His mouth gaped open like a silent scream, his eyes bugging out of his head.

Kira realized immediately what Cody had seen. Instead of being mortified or worried, she found the situation hilarious.

“Cody, shut your mouth. You know how rude it is to stare like that?” She burst into laughter as Cody's mouth snapped closed. But his eyes remained wide and unblinking, frozen, like he'd just seen a medusa. Kira couldn't help herself. She brought up her tail and slapped the water hard, splashing Cody so thoroughly he hollered in surprise.

“That'll teach ya, you wharf rat!”

Cody collapsed back onto the prow and shook his head like a wet dog. Kira pushed with her tail and launched herself straight up onto the boat, twisting and landing in a perfect sit next to him. She smiled sweetly.

“What the heck?” he spluttered, wiping his wet face. He rubbed his eyes and stared at her legs, now sopping wet and dangling over the edge of the boat.

“Cody, you okay?” she asked.

“What did I just see?”

“I don't know, Cody. A lot of sea glow I suppose.”

Cody gulped and rubbed his eyes again. “You're a pretty good swimmer.”

“Yes, I am. Best one in my swimming classes.”

“When you're in the pool, I'm guessing you just kick your legs like everyone else. I'm guessing this is a seawater thing I just saw?”

“Cody, you are one smart guy,” Kira said, no longer smiling. “And because you're so clever, you won't tell anyone what you saw tonight because they will think you're crazy. Am I right?”

“Yeah, you're right. I just need some time to absorb this. Wow.” He paused and shook his head again. Then he looked up at her, frowning. “After I talked to you last time I was thinking how dumb I was, wanting to believe in merrows and selkies and underwater civilizations. And there you were, you knew all along, and you never said a thing. Probably laughing at me.” Cody hung his head, a hurt look in his eyes.

“Sorry, Cody. I just found out, honest. I mean, the first time I knew was when I jumped in after that guy. And even then I didn't know what to think. It's pretty new for me, too.”

“Were you ever going to tell me?” he asked.

“Yeah, once I figured out what I was. And once I knew for sure you wouldn't laugh at me, or tell anyone else. I mean, it
is
crazy. I don't know who or what I am anymore,” Kira finished and realized she was on the verge of tears. She sniffed and turned her head away. She shivered a little as he touched her shoulder.

“Hey, Kira, I'm not going to tell a soul. You
can
trust me. People already think I'm a geek. No one listens to me anyway, unless they want help with their homework. In case you didn't notice, I'm really popular at group assignments.”

Kira sniffled and gave him a small smile. “Yeah, I guess we're both different. So, do we have a deal? Secret?”

“Deal,” Cody said and put out his hand. “Your secret is safe with me. I swear by the moon and stars and all the creatures on land and sea.” They shook hands solemnly. After a few moments of silence, they clambered out of the boat and dripped along the wharf to their respective homes. Kira threw her clothes into the dryer, which was normally only used in the winter months. She couldn't show up at the hall in a different outfit or her mother would notice and start asking questions. She also had to dry her long, curly hair.

When she saw Cody again inside the hall, the ceilidh was in full swing. Her parents were dancing a Scottish reel, their cheeks glowing pink with exertion, laughter in their eyes. Kira smiled, feeling happier and more at ease than she had all summer. Finally, she had someone she could confide in; she had a friend.

Chapter Nine—
Captain Doyle's
Logbook

School started the following week, along with
the angst Kira experienced every new school session. The girls she knew best belonged to the swimming club, and they all assumed she would be joining again. But Kira no longer had any desire to swim in the pool. She still loved to swim but the tepid, chlorinated water had no appeal for her. The girls were disappointed when she said she wouldn't be trying out for the swim team, and promptly turned their backs on her. Kira was hurt but not surprised.

Her mother's reaction at hearing the news was one of concern. “But, Kira,” she said, “you've always loved to swim. And it's such great exercise. What made you change your mind?”

Kira was prepared to defend her decision, though she didn't completely understand her new feelings. “I read that chlorine is bad for your lungs and your skin. And it wrecks swimsuits. Look at how many I go through, and they're so expensive.”

“Oh, honey, don't worry about the suits, we can manage that.”

“Well, it's just not healthy. My eyes sting, and my skin itches. And, anyway, I'm not that competitive. I just like to swim, not to race. Maybe I'll join the track and field club, do some long distance running. That's good exercise, too. I don't have to compete if I don't want to.”

“No, Kira,” her mother agreed, “you don't have to compete. But we'd like you to stay active. You're such a bookworm.” Her mother patted her on the head and returned to chopping vegetables for supper.

Kira smiled behind her back. She was getting plenty of exercise that her mother didn't know about.

That Sunday she and Cody hoped to take a short field trip if the weather was fine. He had his watercraft license and they would take his father's motorboat out of the village harbour, around the rocky southern spit, and into the next cove. When they had asked Babbling Bill, he'd told them that was the best local spot to find seals. The two of them wondered if that was where Bill had seen the selkies many years before. Their objective for the weekend was to locate seals and learn if they could communicate with them. At least that was Kira's role in the plan, once she was underwater.

Kira's parents were glad to see their daughter had a friend to spend the day with. They were off to a nearby town to visit old friends, so they would not be around to see Kira boarding a boat. That was also part of the plan.

Babbling Bill was happily playing his fiddle, surrounded by a small audience on the wharf as Cody and Kira pushed off into the harbour. The day was warm and bright, barely a breeze over the calm water as they rounded the spit. Once on the other side, the waves were stronger, rocking the boat as they chugged farther from shore. Kira scanned the surface with her spyglass, looking for any signs of activity on the surface.

“There!” she pointed toward the far south shore of the cove, where rocky outcrops shattered incoming waves into sheets of spray. “Seagulls flying low. And I think, maybe, I saw a seal.”

“I don't want to get too close to the rocks,” Cody said. “One hard wave and we're splinters.”

“Yeah, I know. How about anchoring out a bit farther, clear of the rocks?”

“Aye, aye, captain Kira!” Cody saluted her and pulled out the throttle. When they reached the spot, Kira set down the glass, pulled off her jacket and glasses, and stood up. She was already barefoot and ready to jump in.

“Hey, don't rock the boat with a fancy dive,” Cody warned her as he grabbed the gunwales to steady himself.

Kira grinned at him, then slipped overboard with barely a ripple on the surface. She shivered at the thrill of once again gliding through the green water and hearing the booms of crashing waves on shore. Below her the dark fronds of seaweed swung back and forth with the current as if greeting her. Looking up she saw the dark arrow-shaped boat above her, and the bright blue sky beyond. Now this was swimming, she thought, kicking her tail and moving toward the breakers.

The booms grew more thunderous as she approached the shoreline. But in spite of all the noise, she could make out squeaks and barks, very like the sounds of seals on land. Then she saw their dark shapes zipping up and down, three, four, five of them, as if they were chasing one another. She swam closer then slowed and sank to the bottom so she would not disturb their play.

And it did appear to be play. The seals were performing a version of keep-away, with one grasping a large oblong object between his teeth, zigzagging through rocks, trying to stay in front of the others. At one point he seemed to drop the object, which glittered as it fell through the water. Another seal snatched it up before it landed, and he was off with the others in pursuit.

Kira was entranced. They reminded her of a litter of pups she had seen that spring. But the puppies' coveted object had been a yellow tennis ball. Suddenly the seals were directly above her. The leader dove straight down away from the others and within seconds he stopped in front of Kira, still and upright as a marble column. She also froze, not sure what he would do. The seal stared straight into her eyes, then dropped the object and barked, wagging his head. He shot straight back up to join his companions, and together they disappeared before Kira could react.

“I just wanted to say hello,” she said aloud, realizing this was the first time she had ever spoken underwater. Her voice sounded clear to her own ears, and she wondered if any other living creature nearby could hear her also. “So close,” she muttered.

Resting on the bottom next to her tail fin, the dropped object did not look as large as she thought it was from a distance. She stooped down to observe it more closely. A glass bottle, with a cork at the neck, and dark coloured material inside. Probably sand, she thought. But who would put sand in a glass bottle then cork it? She reached out gingerly and picked it up. There were no markings on the outside of the rectangular bottle, except for a few bumps on one side.

Kira pushed off from the bottom and swam back to the boat. She doubted she'd see that particular group of seals again, given how quickly they swam off. At least she had found something that was interesting—a seal toy.

Back in the boat, she handed the bottle to Cody and described what she had seen.

“Hmm, do you think they were afraid of you?” he asked.

“I don't know, but it sure felt like it. His bark was like a warning to the others. Or maybe it was for me. And the look in his eyes was kind of wild. There were more of them than me so they shouldn't have been scared.”

“Well, maybe they were worried there were more merrows nearby. Maybe seals and merrows aren't the best of friends.” Cody was tilting the bottle back and forth.

“Kira, this isn't sand. It's heavy and it's rattling. Should we try to open it?” Cody's eyes danced with excitement.

“Sure, why not? Unless you think it might be dangerous. Like maybe something rotten or poisonous inside.”

Cody had already taken out his pocketknife and was cutting through a waxy material covering the cork. “I'll point it away from us, just in case it's disgusting.” When the cork was pried out Cody held the bottle at arm's length for half a minute before peering inside.

“You know what it looks like?” he asked. “A bottle of mouthwash. Dad has a bunch of old bottles like this in a display case in his waiting room. But I don't think this is antique.” He tried to reach into the mouth of the bottle, and managed to hook his finger onto the dark brown material. With twisting and tugging and a lot of grunting, he began to pull out a cloth.

“Oh look!” Kira said, pointing, “All the stuff falling out. Is that a pen? Two pens. A knife? And paper, it's paper!”

“Yeah, a message in a bottle. Probably some kid up the north shore, I bet. I heard that a bunch of grade fours did that for a project a couple of years ago,” Cody said, shaking out several items from the bottle into the bottom of the boat. “Some of their bottles went on quite the trip. One ended up in Boston.”

Kira nodded her head. “I remember that. Have you got the paper out yet? Look, this is a fancy letter opener, not a knife. Why would they put that in the bottle? There's no envelope to open.”

By then Cody had extracted a rolled-up piece of paper. It was lined paper, like the type in their school scribblers, but with no punched holes, and all the edges smooth. Inside the lined paper, were two smaller cream-coloured pages of writing that had obviously been torn from a notebook. He began to read the notes.

“April 16,
1997
– CHD

0600, 7 degrees C, SW wind at 5 knots. Clear skies, not a cloud in sight. Plan to drop nets east of
Kelly Sound. Heard reports that halibut had been moving through the area last two days.

0835, 10 degrees C, SSW wind at 8 knots. Dropped nets. Seas calm.

094
0
, sudden fog bank, did not see
it appear, seemed to drop down on us. Boat swung due west, nets caught on something, then pulled up. Nets gone! Cut or chewed through, rough edges. Anchor also gone.

Boat rocking, tried to engage engines,
but no response, we cannot change
course. No radio, lost all power.”

 

Cody stopped and looked up at Kira. “This is no
kid writing, this looks like the real thing, notes from a logbook.”

“Don't stop now! Keep reading,” she urged him.

“1605. Have never seen the like.
Squid, giant squid, trying to take the boat. Been fighting for our lives, the four of us. Ron is injured, we think
he'll be okay, but need to get him to
a hospital. Squid have stopped trying to come aboard, have a couple of their
tentacles, nasty teeth on them, razor
sharp, remember Bill's story. Where do
they come from? What do they want with us? Are being towed, can't tell
where to without instruments, still no
power. Have seen fins surrounding
boat after squid dropped off. Like no
shark fins we've ever seen, all sorts
of colours, green, grey, brown, black,
mottled with white or blue, and a
sharp spike in front of the fin. What in heaven's name is going on?”

 

Cody looked up at Kira again. “Whoa. Creepy.
Do you think someone made this up for a joke? It's like a horror movie.”

Kira shook her head. “A month ago neither of us believed in mermaids. Anything is possible. What about that other sheet of paper, the white one? What does it say?”

Cody compared the two types of paper. “Same handwriting.” He continued to read.

“My dearest Yvette, all this time I
thought you just wanted to believe
in those fanciful stories you would read or make up. I thought old Bill
was a bit soft in the head, the crazy stories he told. Perhaps I should have listened more carefully to both of you.

I pray this bottle will make it to
shore, so you will know that we are not drowned in a storm. If the paper does not last, these few tokens will let you know it was I who set the bottle
adrift. Where we are being taken, I know not, but if it is to that mist-
shrouded place you spoke of aloud in your worst dreams, heaven help us.

Your loving husband,

Harvey Doyle”

 

Kira had put her hand to her mouth. Together they both whispered, “Mrs. Doyle's husband.”

“Their boat was lost over ten years ago,” Kira said. “We have to give this to her.” She paused. “No,
you
have to give this to her, Cody. My parents can't know I was near the water. In fact, don't give it to Mrs. Doyle until Monday, and you can say you found it washed up on the beach during one of your hikes.”

Cody nodded, mute. He started up the engine to head back to their safe home harbour. The two of them gazed down at the water as the boat skimmed over the surface, the sea now a more sinister place than they had ever dreamed.