Spurn (3 page)

Already standing under the eaves of the building were the Yetles with their sunlight
-yellow hair. Behind the Earons were the Baroons. They marched in a coordinated line. None of them had land-sickness, and their dark-blue hair was sand free. And at the very back, farthest from the meeting place, were the Gerks, the smallest group, their hair shorter and seahorse-gray.

Although progress was slow,
the Earon clan finally finished their trek across the warm sand to halt in the shade of the building. Raror sighed in relief as a cool spray rained down on their group. The entire perimeter of the building was furnished with shooting jets that delivered a constant stream of briny ocean water. Talina strained to see where this water came from, and eventually noticed a few Gerks off to one side pumping a large handle. It was attached to some type of water well.

“Talina ... Raror, it
’s nice to see you again.”

Talina spun around at the sound of a familiar voice. Ladre was the first of the Baroons to arrive. He was her secret fantasy
, and was so much better than the average Spurn – taller than she was by at least two inches, with the darkest blue hair, and a skin tone that was pinker than most others. She had admired him from afar, since ... well, it felt like forever. And, most importantly, he was always kind to her, even going out of his way to offer her jobs in Silver City, preventing his clan from treating her as less and always stopping for a chat. Despite the fact he was considered the most powerful Spurn alive, he was honorable, and she wished that there wasn’t such an unbridgeable gap between them.

As he met her stare, a familiar heat flooded her cheeks. Among Spurns, this only happened to her and only when she was around Ladre.
She knew that Raror had discreetly asked others, and not one Spurn had ever experienced this warm-face sensation.
Perhaps they were too cold-blooded?

“Ladre, it
’s good to see that your clan has arrived from Silver City.” Raror lowered his head slightly, showing the Baroon leader the respect due to his position.

Not that Talina had ever seen Ladre impose his position on others, unlike Gladriel
, who imposed hers all the time.

My son and I have to step inside for the initial meet-up. Everyone else stay on the beach.

As if she’d heard Talina’s thought, her mother issued her harsh order.

Raror touched her arm briefly before stepping under the overhanging eaves to enter through the open doorway. Ladre, who would definitely be expected inside
, hesitated before leaning closer to Talina.

“Are you not joining us for the meeting? The clan leaders have been called.” His hairless face, and dark
-yellow, almost ochre eyes looked confused. Normally daughters of leaders would be included in all important clan decisions.

She shook her head. “Gladriel likes to keep her mistakes as far away from her as possible.”

Her deep brown eyes widened in shock and she covered her mouth with both hands.
What was she thinking saying something so honest?
Being around Ladre made her feel flustered, and when her mind was muddled she said stupid things.

Understanding replaced
Ladre’s confusion and, with a genial nod, he left her there, leading his delegation into the building.

It took a few moments for Talina’s cheeks to cool again.

The remaining Spurns stayed in their clan groups, sitting under the spray. A few made their way back to the ocean, finding it uncomfortable to stay on land. But there was no mingling between the hair colors, and Talina hated that more than anything.

Frustrated and bored
, she moved away from the collective to explore their surroundings. The longer she was on the land, the more it felt right. She loved the vast expanses of ocean, the quiet, the freedom. But there was that other side that apparently craved the stillness of land.

She made her way through a small section of
lagoona trees. She knew that she shouldn’t wander off. The woods were patrolled by Baroon Keepers, and their job was to make sure nothing was disturbed.

Each stick of tree was precious, and all allocations viewed and voted on. It was a versatile material, with both thin and thick stems that were quite pliant and springy, yet never deteriorated in the salt water. The older plantation
s had stems that extended high in the sky, with just a few scattered leaves up top. The leaves were pretty useless and were mainly utilized as stuffing for day beds.

While wandering
without direction, she accidentally stumbled through a line of closely growing stilt bushes and into a clearing. Before her was a small building surrounded on all sides by the densely growing bushes. Curious as to what this secreted area was, she crept closer. Two spear-armed Baroons stood at the entrance door, their backs to her.

Talina crouched down
and moved back into the shelter of the trees.
Is this where they were keeping the prisoners?

Moving slowly around the structure and being careful to make no noise, s
he examined the building. The lagoona wood layering the walls looked newer, less salt-pocked than usual. There was a small window high up on the back wall. Most Spurns would have no chance of reaching it, but with a little help Talina might have a shot.

She hesitated.

She didn’t usually go looking for trouble; she’d already spent far too many moons being disciplined. But something urged her forward.

After a quick search,
she found a rock that wasn’t too heavy to move. Back straining, she dragged it beneath the window and stood on the rock, using the wall to balance herself. She still had to stand on her tiptoes to be able to see in through the barred window.

From what she could see, i
t was definitely an open-planned prison, and two of the four small cubicles were occupied by a collection of strange humanoids. They had the same basic shape as Spurns, but ... with no webbings or gills ... and their skin was the wrong color.

Her eyes were drawn to one of the females in particular. A stunning redhead, she was statuesque and much taller than Talina. She stared in amazement at the pale ivory of
the female’s skin and her green eyes. Talina couldn’t believe what she was seeing ... green eyes ... crazy.

But the reason this female, in particular, stood out from
the rest of her group was the amazing red markings that framed the left side of her face and tracked down her neck. Also, she strode around the small prison, so sure ... confident. This was a woman who was afraid of no one.

Talina was instantly jealous; she’d always wished for one ounce of the composure and attitude this female
so effortlessly displayed. But that would never happen.

Putting aside her feelings, she examined the prisoners more closely. They
had hair on their faces, just like her own. Twin lines above their eyes and flicked-out blackness along their eyelids. Were they from the same land as her father? Excitement and panic flooded her. She needed to break in there and speak with them before they either disappeared or went to trial.

The
redhaired female turned to face someone in the other occupied cell. Talina shifted her view to observe him, a giant man with broad planes and flashing dark eyes. He was unlike any of the males on Spurn, but for some reason Talina found his chiseled jaw and muscular physique attractive.

She had just started to observe the rest of the inhabitants when strong hands grabbed her, pulling her backwards
away from the window.

Even though
our current adventure wasn’t exactly going to plan, I was enjoying the mini-meltdown happening in front of me. Lucy stood at the bars of our prison and, from where I sat, it looked like she almost had her head through the slats. She was yelling as loudly as she could. And, for a small person, it was damn loud.

“What the eff? Seriously
, where the hell are you hiding, fish-boy? You better get your ass back in here.” Her blond curls stood on end; she’d run her hands through them so many times.

The ‘natives’ were out of sight at the moment
, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. From the moment we had arrived on Spurn, landing on stunning white beaches in the weak sunlight, we’d been taken captive by the locals. I hadn’t had much chance to observe them before they threw us into the prison. But they were ... different.

“Why is it
every time I turn my freaking back someone is throwing me in a cell? I swear to God, if anyone comes near me with a knife or a taser or anything resulting in the marking of my skin, I will rip their face off and wear it as a mask for Halloween,” Lucy continued her tirade.

Samuel, my brother and Lucy’s boyfriend
– mate – whatever the current term was – looked torn between amusement and desperation as he attempted to calm this five-foot-nothing fire-storm.

I chuckled again; she was just so amusing to watch. She was now
storming back and forward, swearing like the proverbial sailor.

Lucy and I grew up together on Earth, the youngling planet my parents stashed me
on for safety, and I knew her better than anyone. She was scared. Word-vomit is her go-to for fear. And I couldn’t blame her; she’d just recently escaped captivity, where she was tortured by Olden, our old compound leader on Earth. We had no idea what awaited us in the hands of these strange hybrid humans. I don’t know exactly what type of welcome I had expected, but immediate imprisonment ... well, it was a little less friendly than I had hoped.

Absentmindedly
, I rubbed the now non-existent scar on my chest where Olden had stabbed me. I still wondered if it had been another inch to the left whether I would be here to tell this tale.

Yeah, I know my father is a kick-ass god, but considering I’m just a half-Walker whose
longevity and powers are unknown, I won’t be thinking of myself as indestructible yet. In fact, Josian, god-like father, had once believed I was the only half-Walker in existence. But my aunt Francesca, a.k.a. the crazy soothsayer, assures us there is one on each of First World’s youngling planets. And it’s my job to find and gather them. Hence the reason we’re sitting in a prison on the youngling planet of Spurn.

“Aribella, do something to stop her before they come back
.” Samuel, who rarely spoke, had decided that now was the time to start ordering me around.

I was getting used to being called ‘Aribella’
, which I’d recently learned was my given name. But for most of my life I’ve been Abigail, Abby to my friends. Well, friend. Lucy was really all I’d had.

Lucy gave Samuel a shove befo
re I could throw him the rude hand gesture his arrogant command deserved. In annoyance, I pushed long masses of curls off my face. At some point I’d lost my hair-tie and I was really missing my braid. The blood-red color of my hair, threaded through with black flecks, was even more potent since my power-enlightenment. It was thick and shiny now, without any help from me. Definite bonus. I stared down at the diamond mark on my right wrist. Unlike every other scar, blemish and dot, it had not disappeared during my Walker enlightenment. I now wore the birthmark of each of my parents’ lines.

“Abbs, can you open a doorway and get us out of here?”

I glanced up to meet
Lucy’s beautiful baby blues; they pleaded with me to give her a different answer to the question she’d asked a dozen times that morning.

Closing my
own emerald eyes, I attempted to draw from my power again. And again there was no response. I could still feel its endless depths, but it was quiet. Instead of the thick string of energy I’d normally feel, all I was getting were wispy strands of fairy floss. I knew there was another way to access the Walker doorways, but unfortunately my father hadn’t had time to teach me.

Sighing, I opened
my eyes to look at my desperate best friend. “Sorry, either something has blocked me or I’ve worn out my powers. I got nothing.”

Her face fell, the panic in her
features more pronounced now.

I’d felt off-balance
ever since leaving my home planet, First World, and opening a doorway to transport us all to Spurn. It was as if my energy was taking a vacation, getting a little rest and relaxation. Perfect timing, of course.

Movement from the
adjacent cell caught my eye. Brace and Lucas were back against the wall, deep in conversation. For some reason those two had been seen as bigger threats than we were and had been separated from us.

I’
d briefly wondered how Samuel, who was in our cell, felt about that. It was hard to read anything on his coldly chiseled face. He looked just like our beautiful mother Lallielle. But since we had different fathers, and I favored mine in looks, there was no real resemblance between us.

Samuel had been held captive in the same place as Lucy
for an entire year and the ten words he’d spoken to me since discovering I hadn’t died eighteen years before have been forced from him out of politeness.

As I turned to look at him, h
e dived forward and yanked Lucy away from the bars.

I
spun around to see what had prompted his action, hands at the ready to combat any threat.

A
Spurn stood between our two cells.

Lucy
wrestled with Samuel, and it was lucky he had a hand covering her lower face. I smiled. At least now she had another protector to save her from her big mouth.

I examined
the newcomer with great interest. The male was shorter than all of us except Lucy. All of the inhabitants so far had been petite but with lithe muscles framing their entire bodies. He was shirtless, with a simple webbed loin cloth wrapped around his waist, just covering the very essentials – which I assumed were the same as ours. His skin was pink, but in a translucent manner, as if muscles and blood reflected through the skin. On top of that I could see blue veins throughout his entire frame. His general shape was humanoid, but slightly off-kilter. It was mainly noticeable when they moved, as if their joints were more flexible or something.

His skin was smooth
and shiny, as if a layer of oil coated the outside. He was hairless except for an incredible mane of blue hair on his head. It was long, almost to his knees, and one solid color. He was barefoot, and his toes looked long and slightly webbed, a membrane connecting each digit. At first when they had captured us, I’d been more worried about the trident-style weapons they carried, rather than their differences and powers. But now I wanted to know what secrets they hid. I was also curious why no one had spoken to us yet. There had only been an initial capture and search before we were deposited into these cells.

Even as I thought this, the man opened his mouth to speak.

“You have disturbed the
Sacred Isle, and you have stolen from us. The leaders of each clan will converge here for your trial. I am to inform you of this and then there is to be no contact.” His voice was deep and slow.

His lisp spoke of a vocal structure far different to our own as he read
us our rights – of which apparently we had none.

I moved forward
and clutched at the bars of our cell. How was I supposed to find the half-Walker if I was stuck in this room the entire time?

“Wait a minute. We have
n’t stolen anything.” I gripped the bars tightly, barely two feet from the Spurn. “We had just arrived from First World when you captured us. You didn’t find anything on us, right?”

His
shiny yellow eyes widened, looking even more alien with their lack of lashes and brows. He hadn’t expected me to answer back but something told me he’d registered my comment. With one last look, he turned and walked away.

Sighing
, I banged my hands against the bars, wishing desperately for an axe, or energy ball, or something to get us out of here.

A few boring days later, I’d just finished my small portion of a sweet fruit they had given us. The rough-skinned produce and its juice was all we’d had to eat or drink since arriving, but for some reason I hadn’t felt hungry or thirsty.

I
paced our tiny cell and then slumped back into my mesh, closing my eyes. This was the only way to escape Lucy and Samuel’s constant face-sucking. They were driving me insane with a combination of both nausea and jealousy. It would have been nice to have my own distraction from the boredom.

My eyes flew open as an explosion of voices broke the silence. The noises d
rifted in through the small window at the back of the room. I jumped off my mat. If I sat there any longer I think my butt imprint would become permanent.

“
Can you hear what’s happening out there, Red?” Brace had moved to the front of his cell. His question was perfectly acceptable until he added, “You should step away from that window.”

He didn’t look worried, but his tone was stern,
commanding me to obey ...
not likely
. Ever since he’d dropped that dream bombshell on me and then refused to elaborate, our conversations had been a little heated.

I crossed my arms over my chest. “I
’m fine here, Brace, but thanks for your concern.” I love an over-the-top use of sarcasm.

Brace was
a pain in both my butt and my heart. When I was on Earth, he’d appeared in my dreams, and neither of us knew why. He’d recently informed me that he had dreamed of me too. But that was all the information he’d given.

S
ince meeting in the flesh we’ve had major unresolved chemistry. I alternated between wanting to kiss him senseless and restraining myself from punching him in the kidneys.

The problem was I knew something was
up with him.

I
couldn’t put my finger on exactly what it was, but I didn’t fully trust him. Yes, he’d saved my life, and given me a hell of a first kiss, but he was hiding something.

I hate secrets.

My curious nature struggled to accept or leave them be and I was determined to figure out what his secret was.

That’s if he didn’t
keep distracting me with his face. Brace was ... gorgeous. There was no other way to put it. Every other man paled in comparison … well, for me anyways. And Lucy was more than vocal about how hot he was.

On quiet nights, when I examined my feelings closely I had to admit that
he might already own my heart.

I was still facing him
, but my refusal to move had his chiseled features dropping into stern lines, highlighting a dark captivating beauty. His brown hair was short again but it still fell messily across his forehead. He was a giant man, and in this cell he almost reached the roof. Six and half feet easily. He shifted slightly to one side as Lucas moved to stand next to him.

My eyes flicked across to the blond
; he wasn’t as tall or as broad as Brace, but he had an icy beauty that was interesting all the same. Lucas, who is the next Crown Emperor of First World, had decided to join us for this planet-jumping journey. I still didn’t know what his end game was and I was pretty annoyed to be surrounded by such secretive men.

Mostly, I went out of my way to avoid
Lucas since he believed I was his to-be-crowned Empress. And even though I’d done my best to set that straight, he was still here. Besides, any interest I could have in Lucas disappeared the moment Brace entered my world. He eclipsed everything else.

“Abby, you haven’t moved
,” Brace said, his tone still stern.

I
shook my head in his direction, my full lips curving up. I hated being told what to do.

“I might
just have a quick look,” I said as I moved closer to the window.

I w
as tall enough that if I grabbed on to the bars and pulled myself up I’d be able to see out.

“Abigail, get your
ass away from that window.” Brace was right at the forefront of his cage now. He gripped the wooden slats. “Samuel, Lucy ... get over there and stop her.”

Lucy laughed
out loud. “Brace, I’ve seen Abbs fight. Trust me when I tell you, I’m not getting in her way – my nose is just too perfect.” She crinkled said perfect nose.

She was
referring to our fight classes on Earth, where I may have broken a few of the girls’ noses.

“All four of thos
e incidents were accidents,” I said in my defense.

She snorted
.

As soon as I was under the window I reached up to grip
the wooden slats. I only had to pull my body weight up a few inches to see out. I paused at a loud banging noise. Spinning my head around, I could see Brace slamming his crossed arms into the wooden slats.