Salt Storm: The Salted Series: Episodes #31-35 by Galvin, Aaron (top 5 books to read TXT) 📗

instead upon the broad shoulders of the Nomad leader. The Nomads chose you wisely, White Shadow, said Kanaloa. Your forefathers would be proud. I trust your wisdom will carry unto your decision and your people also when our currents cross again.

Again? Cursion asked. You will not linger here for our decision?

No, said Kanaloa. We go now to rally further armies of my people also. Aye, to bring word of the Doom-Bringer’s return unto the legions who yet wait for a sign of his rebirth. He swam away from Cursion then to rejoin Kellen. See that you speak with your tribes also, White Shadow, and hasten them onward that we might meet again to swallow this world in Salt and shadow as in the days of old.

To where then, Deep One? Cursion asked as Kanaloa pulled at Kellen to retreat with him. When shall we meet again?

Wait for us outside the gates of the pearled city, Salt Child, said Kanaloa. I trust you will have your answer then.

A current from above set Garrett to shivering again. He glanced up in time to see the largest and the strongest of the Sancul swimming off, vanishing into the darker waters as quickly as he had arrived. By the time he looked back toward his father, the pair of she-squids had vanished also. Only two remained – the eldest of the Sancul whispering to Kellen like a parent threatening a child who refused to leave.

Garret could not recall Kellen’s stare of Ishmael breaking from the moment they saw one another. Despite Kanaloa’s urgings, Kellen’s glare left no question as to what he would do if not for the elder Sancul keeping from pursuit such wants. Whatever was said between them, Kellen’s shoulders laxed as Kanaloa used his tentacles to finally turn him away.

For a moment, Garrett was content to let his former classmate swim off into the darkness. Yet as he watched Kellen go, Garrett found himself drifting forward, his tail kicking at the last to spur him across the distance. Kellen! He cried to no response. Kellen, wait!

Garrett regretted calling out when his old nemesis turned back.

What? Kellen asked. What do you want, Weaver?

What do I want? Garrett questioned himself, not understanding why he felt compelled to swim out and speak with the former bully of Tiber High, only that he must. As Garrett searched for the reason why, the flickering question returned in Kellen’s eyes also. And for all the hatred and rage he witnessed there, Garrett recognized a bit of fright in them too, the same as had come to live within him also since being brought into the Salted depths by Lenny Dolan’s Selkie crew; what it was to mask and bury such concerns with anger.

Kellen snapped at him again. What, Weaver? He demanded of Garrett. What do you want?

I dunno, I just saw you swimming away and . . . I just—

Spit it out already . . .

His mind stumbling for the words, Garrett avoided Kellen’s gaze by looking down and seeing his body instead. Garrett’s thoughts turned then, back to Tiber High and all the interactions over the years. How for everyone in their school, or even the whole of Tiber County, Kellen Winstel would be the last person he had ever hoped to see again. And yet for all the collective memories, all the bullied moments, all the hateful words between them, in Kellen Winstel there was at least a shaded and recognizable memory of home and the life before.

When Garrett looked over the scars canvassed across Kellen’s torso, he thought of those weighing upon his heart and mind also. How he could not recall any scars adorning Kellen’s body in their shared life before, not for all the glorified portraits that Tiber High had proudly hung in the trophy case to recognize their All-State athlete.

Garrett looked up at Kellen again. I just . . . I really have seen some things down here, you know? He said quietly, continuing on, even in the face of Kellen’s ongoing, hateful stare. Seen things . . . and done things too. Garrett fought against the choke in his voice as the images of his mother swam in his mind. He thought of Pieter’s death outside New Pearlaya, and then of the slaughtered Orcs who had tried to hunt him afterward, and then of Ishmael killing them too. Some really awful things, man, and I just . . . He shrugged at the stupidity he felt in voicing the words, even as saw the truth of them landing in Kellen’s eyes also. I guess that I just wanted to ask if you’re okay, you know? said Garrett. I wanted to let you know that you’re not alone down here. Just to ask if you’re okay.

The former bully’s expression softened around the edges, the corners of Kellen’s eyes wrinkling, his bottom lip quivering. Then all trace of it was gone again, swept over and hardened again with the stern and arrogant face Garrett had always known.

Kellen Winstel turned away then, swimming off into the darkness, vanishing without giving Garrett an answer.

8

KELLEN

Trembling with the truth, Kellen hurtled himself through the black water as fast as his tentacles would allow. He saw. Kellen knew. And if Weaver recognized the weakness in me . . . his conscience toyed with him. Then what do the Sancul see when they look at me?

Kellen glanced to his right at Kanaloa swimming alongside him. His blood turned to ice when the elder Sancul gave him a nod, then outraced Kellen to rejoin the others in the darkened water ahead. Do they see it too? Do they all know that I’m a liar?

There was no doubting that Erebus did. The Sancul father had said as much from the start and tried to warn the others also, though they would not hear him.

Rejoining the others, Kellen counted Hypnos as another to recognize the truth. From their first interaction, Hypnos never held any pretense that Kellen was Moros