Nether Tears (Underwater Island Series Book 2) Read online

  “Come on,” Tao whispers.

  Keyon races ahead and disappears into his father’s hut. Unexpected chills cover my exposed arms. I should have been here to help fight. It’s my fault they came, and I ran like a coward. Immediate exhaustion pours through me. I want to lie down and cry and wither away. I’m not strong enough for this. I shouldn’t even be here on this foreign island of the water people. I want to go home. But, I don’t believe home is the same as it was before I was kidnapped; kidnapped by the man who tore me away from the carnage and the one holding my hand now. I have no idea what’s happening on my home island. After the bloodshed I witnessed, my imagination terrifies me.

  Pushing the horrid images from my mind, we enter Devlin’s hut. Several people are gathered in the center of the room. They turn to see us rush in. The silence is heavy with sadness. I can tell they have already given up on their leader’s survival. A few of them part as Keyon steps toward them. My hands rush to cover my mouth. The shaft of the spear protrudes from Devlin’s chest toward the ceiling.

  “Who speared him?” Keyon asks.

  Tao’s eyes slide to me. “Alania’s fiancé.”

  Keyon’s face turns red to the point of combustion. “I’ll kill him for this.”

  I’ve never liked violence, but I’m not going to try to stop him.

  Keyon’s eyes flash with anger along with the hints of his expectation of me as he holds his hand out for me to join him next to his father. The pressure to save him builds in my chest. Instead of walking toward the dying man, I want to run in the opposite direction. From behind, someone nudges me forward. Tao. These two men assume I can do the impossible. The spear is proof enough of that. And, along with the lifeless body it penetrates, that should be all the more reason to know there’s nothing I can do.

  My feet take the necessary movements to propel me toward the dying man. I avoid the stares from the others as I make my way to his side. The point of the spear is lodged in his upper chest.

  Keyon leans down and whispers in my ear, “Don’t let him die.”

  My foggy head tries to clear away everything and everyone around me. The healer in me fights its way to the surface.

  All of my supplies are in the hospital, but I can’t take the chance to move the wounded man. “Please get me clean cloths, a bucket of fresh water, thing strips of cloth, and my salves.”

  No one moves.

  “Now! Hurry!”

  Tao yells to two of the men, “Come with me!”

  They rush out of the hut behind him.

  The leader’s chest rises and falls in sporadic shifts between gasps for air. He coughs, and blood splatters my shirt. If this man survives, it will be a miracle. My faith in my skills wavers as I stare at the spear jutting from his chest. Keyon rests his hand over his father’s. The gesture causes my heart to pound in premature remorse.

  Tao and the two other men rush into the hut with the supplies.

  Quickly, I pour the water over the wound and wash away the blood. Red liquid runs onto the floor, pooling at my feet.

  “I need to take out the spear.” Lifting a cloth from the pile, I hand it to Keyon. “As soon as the tip is out, place the cloth over the wound and apply pressure.”

  He nods.

  I grip the shaft of the spear. Saying a silent prayer, I gently pull. Devlin cries out and tries to sit up. “Hold him down,” I yell. Tao and the others gather around and hold down his arms and legs. I didn’t notice Esther, Tao’s fiancée, come in. She stands at the top of the bed and holds Devlin’s head, all the while whispering hushed noises to try to soothe him.

  I bring back my attention and focus on the wound. The only way to remove the spear, with the least amount of pain as possible, is to quickly pull it out. I close my eyes and count from five down to one. As soon as I reach one, I pull. A scream like nothing I’ve ever heard before roars from Devlin. His body jerks and spasms. His eyes roll up and into his head. Only the whites are visible. Everyone around me begins to yell. Some are commanding what to do next. Others are spewing curses. I ignore all of them.

  Then, just as fast as he began to shake and thrash, his body goes completely still.

  Keyon falls to his knees. The cloth he was holding falls from the gaping hole in his father’s chest.

  I touch the hollow space on Devlin’s neck. His pulse is faint but present. I fear he doesn’t have much longer. But, I need to do what I can. Avoiding the silent shock around me, I hurry to dress the wound. I rinse it one last time before drying it. Blood still oozes, and I wipe it away. Grabbing my salve and a clean cloth, I apply the liquid. I place the cloth over the wound and hold my hand there for a moment.

  “Tao, give me those strips of cloth.”

  He does.

  Removing the cloth, I eye the hole. It’s changed. The hole isn’t so much a hole now but more like a slash in the flesh. It seems to be closing. I’ve never treated a wound this serious, but it doesn’t make sense. No one else seems to notice. Baffled, I wrap the strips of thin cloth over the wound and around his shoulder to keep them in place.

  I’ve done what I can for the man. Gently, with the caress of a feather, I brush the leader’s hand. Never has anyone died while in my care. This will be the first, and the feeling is more than dreadful. Several of the men leave the hut with their heads hanging low. Tao stands next to Esther, while Keyon slowly gets to his feet.

  “I’m not sure what else I can do,” I whisper.

  Tao nods. “Thank you.”

  Movement under my hand startles me. Devlin’s eyes flutter open as I remove my hand from his. The wound should have killed him, but here he is looking directly into my eyes.

  3

  Devlin studies me for a very long time before he says, “You saved me.”

  Keyon gasps before he rights himself, and finds his voice. “She’s gifted, as I’ve been saying since we arrived.” Keyon stands on the other side of his father. “Now you must know this to be true. She’s probably the best doctor, I mean healer, here.”

  Tao stands at the foot of his father’s bed and watches me. Warmth fills my face.

  Now that things have calmed a bit, Esther hugs Keyon, her brother-to-be. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I was worried about you. Don’t scare me like that again.”

  Keyon returns the embrace, and his eyes dip when he sees me staring.

  Esther pulls away and bows to Devlin. “I’m so happy to know you’re well. Whatever I can do to help, I will.”

  Devlin grins. “Right now, I want you all to leave us.” He motions toward me with his head. “I want to talk with Alania alone.”

  Esther grabs Tao’s hand and leads him out. His gaze doesn’t leave mine until he’s through the door. Keyon follows them both and smiles at me before closing the door.

  “You should probably rest now.” I busy my hands with wringing the cloth out into the basin. “With rest, your wound will heal faster.”

  “It’s mended more quickly than I can imagine. I should be dead. You really do have a gift for healing, my dear. Just like Vada did,” he says. “You look like her, too.”

  I turn too quickly, causing the bowl to crash onto the floor and the water to spill all over. “You knew my mother?”

  He smiles. “Yes, I knew her a long time ago. They obviously didn’t tell you about us, did they?”

  I shake my head and bend to pick the bowl up. “I don’t understand.”

  “Is everything alright?” Keyon asks at the door.

  “Yes, it’s fine. Stop listening at the door and leave us.” Devlin struggles to sit up. Keyon goes silent and then the sound of his footfalls echoes on the stones outside.

  I place the bowl down and help him.

  “I can see you have a lot of questions. You try to keep busy, but it’s obvious your thoughts are moving so quickly. Your eyes tend to dash from side to side when you have that pensive look on your face,” Devlin says.

  “I’m not surprised you read people so well. I suppose being a leader you have
to.” I back away from him. “And, yes, I have many questions.”

  “I don’t know that I can answer all of them, but let me try to enlighten you a bit. Your village traded with ours many years ago. I’m not sure how many of your people knew this, as it was always the same people who came, and we were never permitted to trade on your shores. I guess your people favored their privacy.” He pauses to take a couple breaths. “Your mother was one who came often and would bring her healing gift with her. She’d care for many of our ill. She would teach our doctor some simple things that would help him treat our ailments. Although she gave us remedies, our doctor couldn’t heal as well as your mother.”

  “We traded with you?” I shake my head. “I thought we only traded with Lanui. Actually, I thought we were the only two villages in existence. I never even imagined there was another island and people entirely.”

  “I remember one time when Vada came. They planned to stay a few nights, and she was here in one of the spare rooms. We were younger than you are now, merely fourteen years. She acted so much older, though. I snuck into her room, scaring her half to death.” Devlin chuckles as he remembers the moment. “Luckily, she didn’t scream and wake the entire island. Maybe a part of her was curious about us, too. Although she wasn’t supposed to, she left with me in the middle of the night. I brought her to the old ruins on top of the mountains.”

  My eyes widen. “Are you talking about the same ruins where Keyon took me?”

  “Yes, my boys think they discovered them, but it was my playground long before it was theirs.” He laughs and winces from the pain. “Anyway, back to my story. Vada was fascinated with the ruins, as I’m sure you were, too. She asked me a lot of questions, most of which I didn’t know the answers, and some I fibbed my way through so she’d think I was smart and a man who was knowledgeable of his land.”

  I sat down in the chair next to his bed. “You spent time with my mother?”

  “A little. But, most of it was spent that night more than any other time. My father and hers didn’t like us spending too much time together, for reasons we didn’t understand at the time. You see, we weren’t permitted to tell your people about the Wai or our abilities in the water. My father knew we were different from her people. He was afraid they wouldn’t understand and they would be scared away. We needed the supplies and the care your mother brought to us.” Devlin sighs. “He was usually right, but my heart was still broken, even at the young age of fourteen.” He pauses, pondering the past, and shakes his head.

  There is so much he’s sharing with me, but one thing he said I don’t quite understand. “The Wai?” I question.

  “The water people, or our people who prefer to stay in the water most of the time.”

  I nod.

  His eyes look across the room as if lost in memories he hasn’t thought of in a very long time.

  “Your mother loved the stones in the ruins. She wanted to take one home with her, but I wasn’t strong enough to free it from the ground, plus our fathers would know we had escaped in the night to be with each other if they found it. That was the night I told her the truth about us. I knew she was to be trusted and she was the one who saw us more than any other. I told her we could swim and breathe under the water.”

  “What did she say?”

  “At first, she said nothing. I don’t think she believed me.” He chuckles. “Then I showed her. Although she had healed many of us from common ailments and treated scratches and bruises, this was the first time she saw how we used the gills on the sides of our abdomen to breathe in the water. It fascinated her more than the ruins, I think.”

  The first time I saw them, I was amazed. It’s hard to believe that Mother saw them, too. We both shared the secrets of this family with them. It’s interesting and sad to think about. I wonder if Mother would’ve told me about this place if she’d had the chance.

  “We talked a lot that night. We talked so much that we almost forgot to leave in time to sneak back into our rooms. It was one of the best nights of my life, and I know Vada felt the same way. We could be ourselves for a brief time and not worry about what the other thought about us. She was just a girl, and I was just a boy.”

  The way Devlin speaks about my mother makes me think he had feelings for her. “Did you love her?” I blurt the question out before realizing what I asked.

  He blinks and stares at me. “We developed feelings for each other, although neither of us ever voiced them. Love? I’m not sure. We were very young, but it’s possible. She kept my secret for two years without revealing anything to her people. She enjoyed coming to our island, and she was afraid of what her people would think of our differences. Every time she came, we’d sneak off to the ruins. It became her favorite place.”

  The intimate time they spent together draws another question in my head. One that sends shivers down my arms and causes unpleasant flutters in my stomach. It also needs an immediate response. “Are Keyon and Tao my brothers?”

  Devlin chuckles. “No, child. My wife, who had died of the sickness was their mother.” He looks down at the ring on his finger. A sadness I hadn’t intended to cause settles on his features.

  My relief is replaced with guilt. “I’m sorry.”

  He places his hand over mine. “Don’t be.”

  I need to get his story back on track. “What happened? Why did the trading stop?”

  “One of the trips went awry. One of the Wai stumbled out of the water, sick at the worst possible moment. One of the elders who was with Vada saw the slits on his side. The man was gasping for breath, so they opened and closed in rapid succession. I’ll never forget the revulsion in the trader’s eyes. His name was Haku. He said we were evil beings that lived in the water, like the sea creatures. We were unworthy of their help. He then warned my father that if we ever stepped foot on their island, we would be destroyed. We never saw them again. The trading stopped. It pained me to see the look on Vada’s face when they left. She knew we would never see each other again. I regret not getting one of those stones free for her. I was afraid she’d forget about us and this place all together.”

  Haku was wrong about Devlin and his people. The word evil stings me deeply as I remember the stories Haku had told us around the fire. Now, I’m wondering if any of them were true. “They were afraid of you,” I say. “You’re able to do something we are not.”

  “People often fear what they do not understand. At least, that is my experience.” He tosses the damp cloth I used to wipe his brow onto the floor.

  “You really never saw each other again?”

  He shakes his head. “No.”

  The sad distant look in his eyes saddens me.

  Devlin eases up and swings his feet over the side of his bed to stand.

  “What are you doing?” I quickly stand.

  “I need to address our people.” He covers his wound with his hand and closes his eyes to try to keep the pain at bay.

  “I don’t think you are ready to leave your bed.”

  “Sometimes things can’t wait.” He pushes forward and stands. “Keyon, Tao!”

  Someone races down the hall and flings the door open. It’s Keyon. Tao follows closely behind. “What are you doing?” Keyon asks.

  “Go and fetch Nasir. We need the Wai to join us and hear what I have to say,” Devlin says.

  Keyon leaves to do as he says.

  “You shouldn’t be standing, Father. You’re still not healed fully, and I see the pain in your eyes.” Tao holds up Devlin’s other side. He watches me and pleads with his eyes.

  I widen my eyes and shrug my free shoulder.

  “Stop fussing over me and help me out of this house. I need to see our people.” Devlin takes a few ginger steps before gaining the confidence to stomp forward. I admire his strength and determination, but I’m afraid it’s going to get him killed one of these days. He’s stubborn, and now I finally see many of the same traits in Keyon and Tao.

  Keyon returns and takes my place with help
ing Devlin down the couple steps in front of his dwelling. All of the villagers gather in front of him, and then I see several heads pop out of the water. The Wai leave the safety of the water, following a strong looking man whom I guess to be Nasir. His demeanor tells me he’s well respected in the village. He pushes through many people and kneels in front of Devlin. “I’ve let them know you wish to speak with them.”

  “Thank you, Nasir.” Devlin looks out over the village as the people continue to gather. Once all the murmurs settle and the attention is completely on Devlin, he nods and begins. “I knew this day would come. I wished it wouldn’t, but it seems that we have brought it upon ourselves. Many years ago, I was warned not to step foot on their shores, but we needed help.” His gaze lands on me. “And Tao and Keyon have stumbled upon it, but it may come at a steep price. It’s time we prepare for war.”

  4

  The lookouts have been assigned. Men are stationed along the beaches and have been given specific areas throughout the island like mountains and on the tops of dilapidated buildings. We know they will be back. It’s only a matter of time.

  We do our best to make use of that undeterminable amount of time until my people return. For the past few days, I’ve gathered supplies like plants and roots to make healing salves and soothing lotions. Thoughts of my grandmother flicker across my mind. She was the one who had taught me everything I know to be a healer. She used me, and that hurt would never go away. But I still wonder how she is and if I’ll ever see her again. A shallow tear gathers in the corner of my eye. I never had a chance to say goodbye.

  Squeezing my eyes shut, I push away the painful memories.

  I wrap the moist roots tightly within leaves and tie a reed cord around them to keep them fresh for as long as possible. If the upcoming attack we are preparing for is anything like the first, or worse, I will need as much of the precious root as possible. I try not to think about what is to come. Call it denial, but the itching feeling under my skin tells me otherwise. We are going to be fighting for our lives soon.