The Rare Pearl (Broken Water Series Book 1) Read online

  “They see us!” he bellowed. He shoved the canoe off, jumping in as the current sucked it away.

  They paddled toward the distant clear blue skies while Finn manipulated his hands to send lightning and gusting winds down upon the city. Harmony felt the temperature plummet and soon heard the smack and ping of hale. Finn wielded his ability superbly and Harmony wondered what more she could be capable of. She sat in a puddle on the floor of the canoe, hunched down, peeking over the rim. Despite the raging storm, cats raced along the banks in pursuit. Finn deflected the warriors’ arrows with wind. The swollen waterways swiftly moved the canoe downstream, away from their attackers.

  Eventually, they drifted out of the storm. Finn pointed to a cove. “There. We need to get to the bank.”

  They paddled out of the current toward the shore. Once on land, Finn sent the boat back into the churning waters with a hard kick, certain the hunters would be looking for it. “We need to head east and we can only do that over land. Come.” They dashed after him. He slowed as they approached a cave not easily detected by man.

  He sent a low whistle causing the rustle of a large animal. Finn smiled, and Harmony followed his gaze. A woman stepped from behind lush vines and Finn rushed to clasp her shoulders. “You made it. Thank you, Amadahy.”

  Harmony’s eyes widened at the sight of Nakoma’s room attendant. Harmony whispered to Kodiak, telling him who the girl was, and that she’d been kind enough to provide a bouquet of flowers for her wedding ceremony.

  Amadahy smiled shyly at Finn. “The herbs worked as you said. She’s asleep.”

  Finn disappeared into the opening of the cave. A moment later he led out three elk. He handed Amadahy one of the leads. “Hurry back before Nakoma awakens.” He lifted her chin. “I won’t forget what you’ve done for me.” The girl’s face softened, adoration in her gaze as Finn bent and pressed a kiss on her lips. “Be safe.” He turned, leading the elk toward Harmony and Kodiak.

  Kodiak swung his leg up, but before he could reach for Harmony, she ran to Amadahy.

  “Thank you!” Harmony slipped off the bracelet Nami had given her and offered it to Amadahy, who accepted it with a smile. The two hugged good-bye before she returned to Kodiak, who offered his hand. Mounted on the elk, Harmony waved over her shoulder at Amadahy and smiled in gratitude.

  Finn steered the elk east. They picked through the thick forest, careful to hide their trail. By nightfall they made camp under a thick hollow of trees and rested on a bed of leaves. They dared not make a fire and ignored the grumble in their bellies.

  Kodiak excused himself and wandered into the woods. Harmony took this opportunity to thank Finn for rescuing them. And to ask, “Finn, will you come back with me? What could Nakoma accomplish without your ability?”

  The whites of Finn’s eyes reflected in the moonlight. He sighed. “It’s not an easy choice for me, Harmony.” There was a long pause. “I never wanted innocent people to die. Battling a god for the good of the people is one thing, but Nakoma murdered her own.” The anguish in his voice remained raw. “Catori was loyal… It was senseless.”

  “I’m sorry about Catori. I know you had feelings for her,” she said, squinting to read the expression on his face, but darkness shielded him.

  They became silent when they heard Kodiak return.

  After Kodiak settled next to Harmony, Finn said, “I must explain to you both that there is more to all of this than you know. Nakoma’s tired of the trading laws and wants to obtain riches by upping the bargaining power with salt. The revenue from the quarry would allow the empire to expand by building beyond the falls and she needs workers to carry out her plans. She hopes to persuade the clan’s councilmembers to entice the clan people to work for her. But she would only pay the laborers slave-wages.”

  “She can’t force them to leave the coast,” Harmony said, skeptically.

  Finn confided, “Nakoma trained hunters to use as an army against the coastal villages if they resist. There is a tribal village south of the city were the training is taken place. I have met with the warriors from that village.”

  Harmony felt Kodiak stiffen at the mention of the coastal villages and she hugged the arm he’d wrapped around her shoulder. Finn’s leaving with her wouldn’t stop Nakoma from waging war on the defenseless villagers.

  Kodiak barked at Finn. “You knew this and you were still going to help her. You want power and wealth, just like she does. You human scum!”

  As the men scrambled to their feet, Harmony did too, yelling, “Stop! Kodi, stop!”

  Kodiak’s fist was cocked and ready.

  Harmony grabbed his neck with one hand and slid her other hand through his hair, guiding his head so he looked at her. The moonlight reflected across his furious face. “Please, he’s here with us now. Finn’s changed. He’s helping us.”

  “Fine,” Kodiak snarled, “but when we get to the village you need to talk to Calder and the council, Finn, and tell them all that you know.”

  “Of course,” Finn agreed.

  After a few moments, the energy around them settled, and they returned to their makeshift beds. She prayed their trio would make the long trek back to the coast in one piece. Considering the way Kodiak and Finn fluffed their feathers at each other, she had a right to be concerned.

  Finn struggled with his demons once more. He’d wanted to rule at Nakoma’s side and knew the stakes. Now, everything was in chaos. Where was his place in all of this? Nakoma would realize it was him who helped Kodiak and Harmony escape. He considered Harmony’s question. Was leaving this realm a possible solution? He felt compelled to help the people, be a true leader. If he pursued this path then he knew what to do first. Kill Nakoma. Kill her and take her place as leader of the tribe. His dark side wrestled with the notion. What will that make me? A conqueror or a hero? Or can I go back with Harmony to the unknown? He forced his breathing to slow. He needed to sleep now. They’d need to leave well before dawn. The hunters were expert trackers. He knew because he trained them.

  ***

  Harmony stood on the bank looking down the hill at the Hudson River. Fresh, still air made it a beautiful day. They reached this point in record time, but their urgent pace proved grueling. The trio scarcely averaged four hours of sleep each night, traveling in darkness. Eating only nuts and jerky Finn packed in his satchel left them grouchy and short-tempered. She brooded about the upcoming river crossing. The elk kept me above the surface the last time, so why worry?

  Something upstream caught her eye. She watched a young girl frolic, humming a tune. A siren.

  When Harmony heard underbrush snapping and fast-moving footfalls from the woods she rushed to meet her companions, who’d gone to scout. They were followed, despite trying to hide their trail.

  “They’re here!” Finn yelled.

  Kodiak grabbed her hand and ran with her through the grass to where the elk grazed. They mounted and picked their way to flatter ground, where entry into the river was possible.

  Harmony nearly jumped out of her skin at the roars from the big cats that thundered out of the underbrush south of them. There was a considerable distance between the two groups, but crossing the river could be slow going and Harmony wondered how fast the cats could swim. Harmony formulated a plan. Recalling the siren, she started to sing as they entered the water. The elks sank to their backs, submerging the riders in the cold, swift-moving current. The cold snatched at Harmony’s voice, but she shivered once and then sang louder.

  “What are you doing?” Kodiak urgently asked over his shoulder.

  “You’ll see!” she whispered in his ear. As her song echoed along the river to the north, several heads emerged from the water, and soon other, more ghostly sounding voices joined Harmony’s.

  Arrows started to fly around them. Finn slid off the elk’s back to get safely underwater, allowing the beast to swim faster. Harmony and Kodiak did the same. The warrior women with their cats and the tribesmen riding elk now entered the river, simultaneously s
ending their arrows north toward the dozen sirens that closed in on their intended victims.

  Halfway across the river, in deep water, Harmony yelled to the boys, “Go!” She treaded water, continuing to sing.

  Finn had seen what she was capable of with the sirens and swam for shore, but Kodiak had only heard the tale. He stopped when she did. He wouldn’t leave his wife, who feared deep water.

  “Go, Kodi! I will lure the sirens closer. They won’t come near me, but they will go after the tribesmen.”

  “No, Harmony, keep swimming!”

  His concern for her safety touched her, but it was her turn to protect him. “I can do this!” She turned her back to him, continuing her song.

  The warriors advanced and the sirens cunningly picked them off. A few sirens were hit by arrows.

  When Harmony’s song ended she started to swim toward the riverbank. Finn stood on solid ground with the two elk, waving his arms at them to hurry. Harmony searched the river. Not even one warrior made it to the middle of the river. The riderless cats returned to the safety of the shore, roaring for their lost masters. Harmony turned toward the shore with a triumphant smile and found herself face to face with a siren. The young and lovely siren peeled back her lips and opened her mouth, revealing razor-sharp teeth.

  Kodiak reached the shore and turned to help Harmony out of the current only to discover she was missing. Finn grabbed his arm, holding him still, not letting him return to the water. He exhaled in horror.

  They watched a siren swim in front of Harmony and heard a scream. Kodiak thought the scream came from Harmony, whose face was contorted, but he watched the siren’s eyes glazed over in pain as blood gurgled from her mouth. Harmony thrust the siren away and swam freely toward them. The siren’s torso bobbed above the water, the skin of her chest and shoulders burned and steaming as she convulsed.

  Reaching the grassy bank, Kodiak lifted her out of the river, pulled her several feet away, and hugged her tightly. She arched her neck to watch the other sirens slip under the water, out of sight. The girl she burned lay dead, tangled in the brush along the river’s edge.

  “I killed her! I killed them!” Her tiny voice shook.

  “It’s okay. You did what you had to. You saved us and probably spared the coastal villages from an assault. You gave us a big head start. Come, we must go.”

  The trio mounted and quickly trotted into the foothills.

  Kodiak had been astonished to witness Harmony’s ability to incinerate the siren. She harnessed her powerful energy to save Binda from the sea serpent before, but today she sent the tribal attackers to their deaths. He heard her softly crying behind him during their hasty retreat. He knew the tender heart of his human wife was good; her remorse wasn’t lost on him.

  26

  Beyond the Hudson River and well north of the dreaded swamp, they traveled into the hills. After making camp by a stream, Kodiak waded in to find them food while Finn used his slingshot to acquire some meat. Feeling safe after the hunters were taken away by the sirens, they dared to make a fire. While Finn spun a skewered squirrel over the flames, Kodiak laid the gutted fish, wrapped in wet leaves, onto the embers.

  Harmony stared into the fire, lost in thought. She had looked at Finn after they left the river, understanding his demons. He warned her to get away from here, that it would test her humanity. And it had. Without thinking of the consequences, she summoned those sirens to attack the warriors. They died because of her. And the siren…she couldn’t get over what she’d done. What is this ability? Why has this happened to me?

  Kodiak and Finn exchange glances as she massaged her brow.

  Finn said, “Harmony, they may have told you this is a peaceful world, but it’s not. We do what we have to, just like you did what you had to. If you hadn’t stopped them, we wouldn’t have a chance to warn the coastal people.”

  “Maybe this is entirely my fault,” she cried miserably. “If I hadn’t been snooping around in that old building I wouldn’t have found those herbs or crossed over. We wouldn’t have crossed into the tribal lands in search of the ingredients to send me back, and Nakoma would never have discovered my ability. Binda would still be alive. And Rio… Maybe this whole mess could have been avoided. Maybe you could have worked out peace negotiations.”

  Finn shook his head.

  Kodiak caressed her shoulder, and said, “None of this is your fault. There are greater powers at work here. You just got caught up in them. Calder said you have a special connection to this place. You are the only human with Aquapopulo blood in your veins. That has to mean something.”

  Finn’s voice rasped. “What did you say?”

  Harmony swallowed, unable to tell her fellow human that she wasn’t completely human. That secret had been safeguarded, but now she felt like she deceived him. Kodiak gave him a summary, explaining she was Calder’s great-great-granddaughter.

  “I had no idea! You look completely human to me—well, your eyes are a little unusual.” The evidence of the bloodline appeared in her eyes. Finn noticed how the light reflected around the amber orbs, glowing like the clan’s.

  Over their meal, both men emphatically agreed none of this was her fault. They made her feel a little better, though she wondered how she would live with herself after what she’d done. She ate silently while they argued over the best strategies for dealing with Nakoma and her warriors.

  A couple nights later, wrapped in the arms of her husband in the mountain forests of Vermont, Harmony stirred.

  She was a child. Her red-and-white-mitten covered hands stretched upward, holding onto her mother’s. Her mother’s blue-gray parka was zipped tight against the cold, her hood over her head. Wavy brown hair streamed out the bottom and hung down the front of the parka. The day was hazy, bright, and Harmony squinted up to see her mother’s face. The sunlight winked like flash photography. The hood shifted, blocking the sunlight, and she saw golden-brown eyes smiling back at her.

  The cold wind blew across her rosy cheeks, but she didn’t care. She was happy. That happy feeling evaporated when they heard cracking sounds. Panic and fear set in and then she plunged into the wet darkness. Icy fingers worked their way into her jacket, bloating it, causing her skin to go numb. That was when his face appeared.

  He came toward her, bare arms extended. His expression changed as she held her hands out. Her mittens drifted away. Heat built in her body, replacing the numbness. He came at her, but she was deflecting him.

  Suddenly he was gone and she spied him dragging her mother away. She opened her mouth to scream, but it filled with icy water. At that moment she was yanked from the depths…

  “Harmony! Wake up!” Kodiak shook her, and she shot into a sitting position. “You were moaning—having a bad dream. It’s okay.”

  Finn lifted himself onto an elbow in the early morning light. “Is everything okay?” His hand was on his hip, hovering over his knife.

  “I remember. I was there.” She swallowed hard, blinking at the images in her mind.

  “Remember what?” Kodiak coaxed.

  “The day my mother fell though the ice and drowned. I was there. I fell in with her. I saw him, Suijin. I know it was Suijin! He came after me, but I used my ability to hold him off—like with the sea serpent. He was confused at first, but when he couldn’t take me he turned and took my mother.” She choked in horror.

  “You saw Suijin in the human world?” Kodiak leaned back on his hands. “He knows you have a unique ability, Harmony—and that you’ve used it in both worlds. There are no such abilities in your realm. Not any that I’ve heard of.” He looked to Finn for confirmation, but Finn shook his head. “This interwoven connection you have to both realms is astounding, unprecedented.”

  She nodded grimly. She tried to make sense of her surfacing memories. She whimpered, “I was there, but they never told me.”

  My five-year-old brain must have blocked it out. I’ve suppressed the horrible memory of my mother drowning before my eyes and no one spoke o
f my involvement. It wasn’t even reported on in the newspaper clipping.

  The year she spent with her father before he died was vague. While he was away at sea for months at a time, she stayed with her grandparents. Her grandparents never talked about the day they lost their daughter. When she asked about it later in her childhood they said it was an accident. Harmony cast a level glance at Kodiak. “It all makes sense now—why he’s taken everyone I love so he could single me out. Your god wants to destroy me.” Harmony felt terrified for her life. A god wanted her dead! She said bitterly to Finn, “I see why Nakoma wants to terminate him.”

  Kodiak attempted to reason with her. “Harmony, you can’t make this personal. There is too much at stake. Calder says if Suijin is appeased then peace will remain in balance. It’s better than starting a war, as you have said.”

  She jumped from the blanket shouting, “That was before I was sure he killed my whole family! He is responsible for drowning all of them! It finally makes sense. Kill off any Aquapopulean bloodline in my realm so he can control the people of this realm. Well, I’m not staying here. Argh—I hate this place!” She didn’t want to hear what Kodiak had to say. She was still healing from old wounds.

  In the predawn light, they packed up. Harmony tossed her words over her shoulder at Kodiak, “I’m riding with Finn. I want to talk to him about Nakoma.”

  Kodiak immediately stepped in front of her. His sudden movement caught her off guard. “Harmony! I want you to know I will do whatever I can to ease your suffering. While you are here, while you are my wife, you are a part of me.”

  Her eyes fluttered closed as his head dipped down, and at the brush of his lips she reached for him. His vow obliterated her doubt about his feelings for her and she let him know with her response how she felt about him. The long sensual kisses left them both breathless.

  Caressing the angular curve of his cheekbone, she said, “I’m still riding with Finn.” Backing away, she hid her smile. He stood with his hands on his hips, head cocked to the side, and a line appeared between his brows.