Submerging (Swans Landing) (21 page)

“What would you have me do?” Domnall asked. “Your mother is beyond our help.”

“Then let her go home,” I said. “Don’t keep her hidden here away from everyone else. Let me take her home and get her help.”

“I told you, this is the effect the human world has on finfolk,” Domnall said. “This is what will become of all of you if something is not done. I am only trying to help.”

Callum stepped forward. “You only want to control everyone,” he said. “You have no proof that the human world has done anything to anyone.”

Domnall gestured toward the cottage. “Is that not proof enough for you?”

“Maybe you did something to her,” Callum said. “I wouldn’t put it past you. What methods did you use to try to get her talk that left her like this?”

My blood ran cold in my veins at Callum’s words and the idea that Domnall might have tormented my mama for information about Swans Landing. I didn’t want to think about her going through that, but it made sense. Why else would she be like that?

Domnall glared down at Callum. “You dare speak to your king in that tone?”

Callum didn’t back down or break Domnall’s gaze. “You know you are not my king.”

Domnall stared back at him for a long moment, then stepped back. “Very well. Then I no longer feel compelled to give you my protection or services. Enjoy your walk back to the village.”

Domnall’s robe fluttered behind him as he swept across the grass and white sand to the shore where Artair waited. Domnall climbed into the boat and Artair picked up the oars. With a push, they were off, Artair rowing back toward the other side of the wide bay.

Josh shaded his eyes as he watched the boat move farther away from the shore. “He left us here,” he said with a tone of disbelief.

“It isn’t that bad,” Callum said. “It will be a long walk, but we can manage.” He shifted a little on his good leg, rubbing his thigh where the prosthetic met flesh under his robe.

“Are you sure you’re up for it?” I asked.

“I’ll be fine,” Callum said, giving me a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “It certainly isn’t the worst thing Domnall could do to me. I’m sorry you two are stuck walking with me.”

“It’s fine,” Josh said. “We don’t mind. And if you need help walking, let us know.”

I sighed as I looked across the bay. “I’ll be glad when we get back home. The finfolk homeland hasn’t been anything like I expected.”

“You are only seeing the ghost of what it used to be,” Callum told me. “Imagine an island full of beautiful homes and finfolk everywhere, on the land and in the water.” He gestured toward the bay. “There were once homes there, below the water. Finfolk used to travel often between the many vanishing islands.”

“What happened to all of that?” Josh asked.

Callum shrugged. “Most of it had already faded into stories by the time I was born. One by one, the vanishing islands were found by humans and claimed as their land, destroying the magic that kept them hidden. Hether Blether is the last of our islands in existence. There was a disagreement long ago, between two groups of people, the ones who wanted to remain hidden and the ones who wanted to find a way to exist and survive in the human world.” He raised his eyebrows at us. “One group left, hundreds of years ago and were never heard from again. Until now.”

I frowned. “Do you think Domnall is right? Will Hether Blether die out if our people don’t come back?”

Callum shook his head. “What’s wrong with Hether Blether isn’t the fault of your people. It’s our own. Forcing a group of finfolk to leave the only home they know is not the answer.”

“It’s funny,” Josh said. “Your story about Hether Blether sounds a lot like Swans Landing.”

When I looked at Josh questioningly, he continued. “Everyone says Swans Landing was once a bustling vacation spot. Tourists came from all over to fish there or relax. Now hardly anyone comes anymore. People have left, both finfolk and human. If things stay the way they are, Swans Landing might die out too.”

The wind that swept over the bay was icy and it stung my eyes and ears. I didn’t like to think about the future Josh was predicting. If both Hether Blether and Swans Landing died out, what would become of the finfolk that were left?

“I thought there were some similarities between the two,” Josh said, shrugging. He raised his eyebrows. “Ready? I hear it’s a long walk.”

Callum reached for my hand, entwining his fingers with mine. “Ready,” he said.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

“It will be a long swim,” Callum said. “You’re already at a disadvantage with me joining you.”

I glared at him across the table in our suite. “I don’t care. I’m not leaving without my mama.”

“I agree with Sailor,” Josh said. “We came so far to find her. We still have questions she hasn’t yet answered. We need to take her home.”

Callum sighed as he threw up his hands in frustration. “Are either of you thinking this through? The woman is daftie. Has she even been back in the water in the past sixteen years? Maybe Domnall did the same thing to her that he did to me. Maybe she can’t change anymore.”

“She’s
not
crazy,” I said. “She’s sick. We have to take her home and get her help. Grandma will know what to do.”

I wasn’t sure my grandma could do anything for her, but I had to hold out hope that she would know. Gale Mooring always knew the right cure for everything.

“And what if the swim back only makes her condition worse?” Callum asked me quietly. “She left that place for a reason. What if being back there only brings back the memories she is trying to forget?”

I dug my fingernails into the wood, forcing myself not to cry at his words. I didn’t want to think about that possibility. Right now, the only thing I could focus on was getting away from Hether Blether.

“We’re taking her with us,” Josh said, his tone stern, as if his decision settled the matter. “Even if I have to hold her hand the entire swim back, we’ll get her home.”

I cast a grateful look at Josh and he gave me a small smile in return. I knew he had his own selfish reasons for bringing my mama with us. He still wanted answers as to what happened the night our daddy died. But I was happy he took my side in this argument anyway.

“What do we do if she can’t change?” Josh asked Callum. “Is there a way to reverse it?”

“I don’t know of anyone ever reversing it,” Callum said. “But I suppose it could be possible, if you sing the right song. It would take a lot of power to do. And she would need to be in the water to help force the change.”

“Why don’t we try it on you now?” I asked. “Then you could swim with us.”

Callum shook his head. “It takes a lot more energy out of you than you think. I’m not going to let you use all your strength on me when you still have your mother to worry about. Besides, changing form wouldn’t bring my leg back. The song can’t regrow limbs. But I’m still finfolk. I won’t drown, but I will be a lot slower than I used to be.”

I hoped Callum was right, and he could survive such a long swim in human form.

“We’ll go after sunset to get her,” Callum decided. “The darkness will help hide us.”

“What do we do until then?” Josh asked.

“We’ll need supplies,” Callum said. “Tools we can use. Knives, ropes.”

“Food,” I added, making a face. “Something other than fish.”

“We don’t have our waterproof bags anymore,” Josh reminded me. “We’ll have to be careful about what we can take in the water.”

Callum nodded as he stood from the chair. “We should go back into town before the merchants close their wagons.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Do you think you should go? I mean, after what happened last time...”

Callum’s expression turned grim and he frowned. “You’re right. I would only cause trouble. We don’t need the extra scrutiny right now. The more we remain invisible, the better. You two go, I’ll stay here.”

He looked as if it pained him to stay behind, but it was for the best. We didn’t want word to get back to Domnall that we were planning to leave, and Callum’s presence in the village would only cause problems.

“We’ll be back soon,” I told him.

We slipped out of the palace, keeping a close watch for Domnall or his men. I expected Josh to ask the question I knew was burning on his tongue. But he walked silently beside me, his hands buried in the pockets of his hoodie, which he still refused to get rid of though it reeked of sweat and salt.

“Well?” I snapped finally.

“Well what?”

“Are you going to ask what’s going on between Callum and me?”

Josh shrugged. “I can see what’s going on with my own eyes.”

“It’s not...I don’t...” I sighed. “It’s complicated.”

“How so?” Josh asked.

I kicked at a small stone in the path. “I like Callum, but...”

“But then there’s Dylan waiting for you back home,” Josh said.

I rolled my eyes. “He’s not waiting for me. He probably doesn’t even care if I never come back. We haven’t pledged ourselves to each other or anything.”

“But you and Dylan have a history together,” Josh said. “And he might not be happy when you come home with a new finfolk.”

I rubbed my temples. “Can we not talk about this right now?”

“You’re the one who brought it up,” Josh said. He paused and pointed toward the beach to our left. “There’s Artair.”

I made a face as I looked at the finfolk sentry, who stood along the edge of the water just where the surf washed up on the sand. The beach was empty except for him. He faced the water, his eyes shielded from the late afternoon sun. He lifted a hand and waved, and I scanned the water to see what had his attention.

Two heads bobbed not far from shore, one much smaller than the other. The woman in the water lifted her hand and waved to Artair, then she lifted the child at her side out of the water as a larger wave washed over them. The woman disappeared, but she held the child above the wave’s surface as the little girl kicked her legs and splashed. Her laugh drifted across the beach toward us.

Once the woman had resurfaced, Artair turned away from the scene. His eyes caught mine, and his expression darkened into a deep scowl.

“Let’s try to avoid him,” I muttered to Josh.

Despite how late it was getting, there were still people walking around the village square when we arrived. Most of the vendor wagons sat in their usual spots, though the food wagons had only a few things left. Josh and I decided to split up so we could blend into the crowd a little easier on our own rather than together. Josh went in search of tools that could help us while I shopped for food.

We had brought a few things from the palace to trade, dishes and forks mostly. I managed to trade two forks for a bag to hold my purchases and then set about finding fruits and vegetables I thought could survive extended time underwater.

I was finishing up my shopping trip when a familiar figure stepped in front of me at the last wagon. I scowled up at Artair, who kept his usual neutral expression.

“Do you mind?”

“Why are you here?” he asked.

I waved my bag of fruit at him. “Shopping.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Why were you spying on my family?”

I rolled my eyes. “We weren’t spying on anyone, especially not you. I don’t care what you do with your family. Frankly, I’m shocked you even have one.”

I pushed past him and examined a display of strange yellow fruit I had never seen before. I felt his presence over my shoulder, though I refused to look at him.

“You should not have freed Callum,” Artair told me. “He is a criminal. He committed crimes that are the worst a finfolk can do to his own kind.”

“Callum told me everything. An accident doesn’t make him a murderer.”

“He planned to reveal our people to the humans,” Artair said. “The actions of which resulted in another finfolk’s death. He might as well have killed her with his own hand.”

Now I turned to face him. “You people have a sick sense of justice. His sister dies by accident, and you think that justifies cutting off his leg and taking away his ability to be finfolk? What is wrong with you?”

But my words didn’t seem to have any effect on Artair. “Callum gave up his right to be finfolk and swim as we do when he turned his back on his people.”

“He was trying to help all of you,” I said.

“He failed in his duties as protector of our people,” Artair said. “He deserved to be stripped of everything—his ability to swim, his heritage, his title.”

I blinked. “What are you talking about? What title?”

One corner of Artair’s mouth quirked. “So he did not tell you everything. Callum was meant to sit on the throne that Domnall now occupies.”

I took a step back. “What?” I asked, trying to make sense of this.

“Callum was meant to be king of the finfolk in Hether Blether.”

I shook my head. “I don’t believe you.”

Artair inclined his head toward me. “Then I suggest you speak to Domnall and find out the truth about Callum for yourself.”