The light from the sphere dissolved, and the clarity of the ocean acoustics Zoe had become so attuned to lost its sharpness. Meaning blended into confusion. She was pretty sure she heard, We love you, too, as the final current of understanding swirled, and the sea swept it away.
The fog of the Dreaming had lifted, replaced with yellow rays of sun, blue sky, green earth, and a few dying red embers on the muddy ground. The fresh wash of colors elicited an air of excitement and new beginnings, but Gavin could only think about endings.
He made his way to the Sentinels" great castle and wandered through the flagstone corridors to the chamber where the leaders waited.
Erin, Kai, Camira, Seth, Wyland, and a new Council member-Killara-rose from the old jarrah wood table as he entered. Gavin bowed his head to them out of respect and glanced at the only empty seat. Council leader.
He ambled to the table and laid his hands on the polished wood. So many memories of leading this Council, yet none of them really belonged to him. Yileen had always been the leader, even after he died. Guided by the Songlines he"d interpreted, he"d worked through Gavin, and played Fate like a well-tuned fiddle.
Killara stood slowly, walked to Gavin, and embraced him. "It"s good to be back, mate."
"And good to have you back. I missed you, old man." It was an odd but pleasant sensation, feeling Yileen"s awesome power through the conduit of someone else"s body. His mentor, but not exactly. Killara was in there, too. Different voice, youthful glow, no more accent, yet still Yileen.
When he stepped back, Gavin said, "If it pleases the Council, I have a request."
How to say what he needed to without sounding ungrateful? He rubbed the hard spikes of his hair and paced. Six sets of eyes followed his path.
"I"ve served Wyldlings for six years as a Sentinel. In that time, I learned a lot about what it means to be a protector of humanity, a force of good for the benefit of mankind. I also made a lot of mistakes. But beyond the bad decisions and shortsightedness, something happened recently that convinced me I"m not cut out to lead. I fell in love.
"When the Dreaming called me to rescue Zoe a few months ago, I was broken, beaten, and bitter. I"d lost a good friend to the Fyres. I blamed myself for her death. I did a lot of stupid things as a result. But Zoe brought me back to life. She found my burnt soul and rebuilt it with the Water I"d lost. She restored my Balance and showed me how to love not only her, but also myself.
"I"m not sure where our future together is heading, but I"m positive I can"t go on without her. If I have to give up my life here in Australia to be with her, I will. She"s my music, my Water, my life-my everything.
"Because my feelings for her put me in direct opposition to this job, I can no longer fulfill my responsibilities as a member of this Council. I respectfully resign from my post as leader, and I move that Killara a.s.sume my position immediately."
He paused and bit his lip. This last part was the hardest. "In addition, I"d like to forfeit my Sentinel powers so I can be with Zoe."
The councilors looked at one another. Mumbles of disbelief filled the air.
Killara"s brow smoothed. "Relinquishing your powers is a very serious request that can"t be undone. Are you certain you want to do this?"
Yileen stared through the teenager"s eyes, like a concerned papa bird counseling his fledgling son before he leapt from the safety of the nest into the endless sky of the unknown. Gavin saw no judgment. Lots of pride. But most importantly, a willingness to let go.
Gavin inhaled a breath and released it slowly. He was ready to take that leap and risk crashing a thousand times for Zoe. "I"m certain. I love Zoe. This is the only way we can be together. Where she goes, I go."
"I wish you happiness in your new life with your muse. Go with her if you must, but take a day to think about your decision." Yileen nailed him with a pointed stare, then tacked on, "You may change your mind."
Gavin quirked his head to the side. "You know something I don"t?"
The old man flashed a familiar, blinding smile from behind Killara"s young features. "Many, many things. This is your home. Don"t forget that."
"Never. Thanks, mate."
In turn, the councilors each stood and said a few words of appreciation for Gavin"s service to the Council and the Wyldlings. Even Camira and Wyland had kind things to say. Warmth flooded Gavin"s veins. He would miss these people, but being with Zoe would be worth the sacrifice of giving up his life as a Sentinel.
Once the pleasantries were finished, Gavin thanked them and headed toward the door. Pockets of conversation resumed among the Sentinels. Gavin stopped beside Killara and dropped his voice. "I took good care of your Harley. It"ll be at my place when you"re ready."
Killara"s smile widened further, and he nodded. "Should you choose to give up your Sentinel powers, return here tomorrow night, and we shall perform the ritual."
"I"ll see you then." Gavin grasped Killara"s outstretched hand and shook. A comforting, familiar tingle pa.s.sed between them, then the colorfully painted Elemental walls of the Council chamber spun in a swirl of red, yellow, green, and blue.
Gavin closed his eyes...
...and awoke on the quiet stretch of beach where he"d left his body for the Dreaming.
The sun was heading for the horizon. He stood and checked his watch. Five o"clock.
s.h.i.t. He scrambled to the Harley, kicked the b.a.s.t.a.r.d wide open for one last ride, and raced toward Jack"s house.
I"m coming, Zed. Please don"t leave without me.
Chapter Forty-nine.
When Gavin arrived at Jack"s fifteen minutes later, the drive was empty. No lights on inside. No whale song teasing his Dreamsense.
f.u.c.k.
He sprinted to the door, flung it open, and rushed inside. "Zed?"
Silence. A few brown boxes lined the lounge room walls. None of Jack"s stuff was here. The computers were gone.
Double f.u.c.k. If he hurried, he might make it to the airport before her flight took off.
"Gavin?"
His heart caught in his throat as Zoe came down the hall. She paused a moment, smiled, then leapt into his open arms. So many shades of blue in her aura, he couldn"t decipher where her emotions were.
"d.a.m.n it, I thought you"d left." He pressed his nose to her hair and breathed in the safe, flowery scent that haunted his memories.
But, why couldn"t he hear her song?
She pulled back to look at him, tears sparkling her eyes.
His lungs caved in. So, she was leaving. He smoothed the blond waves falling across her shoulders and sighed.
"I couldn"t leave without saying goodbye to Lily." She turned away and slid a wisp of hair behind her ear. "I...gave her my translating ability."
"What?"
"She needs to communicate with her fellow Waeters, and I can"t be with her twenty-four/seven. It was the least I could do."
That explained the silence.
"Zed, that was an incredibly selfless act. I know how much you love the whales and how hard it must"ve been to give up your gift." f.u.c.k, if it didn"t make him love her even more. And plunge the goodbye knife deeper into his heart.
If you love something, set it free...
"I promised I"d take you to the airport, but before we go, there"s something I want to give you."
Crushed by the sudden, suffocating weight of despair, he slipped his shaking hand inside the pocket of his jacket and pulled out his lucky bird. He held it out to her. "This is for you."
Zoe gasped as he dropped the toy falcon into her palm. She pressed twitching fingers to her mouth. Her face crinkled into a mess of anguish, and she burst into tears. Bawling, she closed her eyes and curled her quaking body into his unsteady embrace.
"You have no idea, do you?" Her sobs muddled the words. The rich, pure blue rippling off her was dazzling.
Why was she getting so worked up about the stupid bird when everything they"d built together was about to crumble to dust?
"No idea about what? Tell me, Zed."
She wiped her eyes and stared at him, turquoise hope edging out the navy sadness in her aura. "This bird." Lifting it up, she shook her head.
"What about it?"
"Where did you get it?"
He shrugged. "I"m not sure. I"ve had it since I was a grub."
Her aura intensified, scattering moonbeams of every shade of blue in the visible light spectrum and beyond. His Dreamsense vibrated to life.
A slew of shimmery, translucent lines sprouted along the bird"s edges and extended toward Zoe. Another bunch of threads headed for Gavin.
Songlines?
The iridescent threads played tag with the last of the sun"s rays beaming through the window. They twinkled as half of them alighted over her heart, the other half on his.
"Oh my G.o.d," she said.
What the f.u.c.k? "Can you see that, too?"
She smiled through her tears, ran her fingers through the strings, and nodded eagerly. Gavin brushed them, too. It was like touching sunlight. Sparked a memory of something...
Zoe"s racing breaths slowed, and the colors in her aura settled into slow-moving ripples dancing over her skin. When she held up the creature, the pull of those magical threads between them was palpable.
"You may not remember where you got the falcon, but I do," she said. "When I was twelve, I came to Australia with my mother. We were walking down the street one day when a man-Yileen-stopped us and handed me this bird."
"What? Yileen gave it to you? Then how did I-?" Shock slammed Gavin"s head like a needle to the brain and injected it with pieces of a forgotten memory. f.u.c.king G.o.ds. "It was you. You gave me the bird!"
She laughed and nodded. Blue jetted through the ocean of emotion swelling and dipping around her. With a finger, she followed the trail of one of the threads from her heart to the bird to Gavin"s chest.
The falcon linked them. Through time and s.p.a.ce, against all odds.
Gavin"s tattoos itched, and he rubbed his arm as the details came rushing back. "I was at a restaurant with my family...upset and crying about something...I saw the bird on your table and came over..." Warmth flooded his limbs. No way. "Zed, I played with the falcon for years after that. My brothers were always trying to steal it from me, but I defended it with my life. It was my most prized possession."
This was too much. f.u.c.k. Just, f.u.c.k.
"And now, decades later, here it is again, bringing us together just as it did back then." She marveled at the wooden figure and returned her gaze to his. "This bird binds us, Gavin. I never believed in magic until I met you. How can I deny this-or you-any longer?"
"I don"t reckon you can." He blew out a long breath. "Why didn"t you tell me about the bird when we first met?"
"I was scared of what it meant. Worried maybe Fate really did have a hand in our lives. I wasn"t willing to accept that. I believe we make our own choices. Nothing is set in stone. We have free will, and we"re allowed to change our minds.
"I"ve waited for years to get this promotion, yet I"ve felt nothing but dread since I accepted it. I knew it wasn"t right all along, but I didn"t want to admit that I let something-someone-come between me and the whales. I do want to be with you, Gavin. More than I want the job. More than I love the whales. If it means we have to sleep in separate rooms, I"ll do whatever I-"
Gavin"s pulse pounded through his tingling veins. The blue of his tattoos brightened. "You won"t have to. I changed my mind about some things, too. I spoke with the Council. As of tomorrow night, I"ll no longer be a Sentinel."
"What? You gave up being a Sentinel for me?" Her eyes somehow widened more.
He smiled. "Are you joking? I"d give my left nut to be with you. Anything-"
Something snapped behind Zoe"s teary eyes, and she froze. She held up an arm and stared at it. The tan of her skin faded into weak aqua. The bird fell to the carpet.
"What"s wrong?" He reached for her, but her body lost its solidity. Almost like she phased out of existence...
His Water tattoos shot out high intensity blue beams that lit up the ceiling with dazzling twinkles. What the h.e.l.l? He squinted against the blinding brightness, then looked to her.
She met his gaze. Her lips parted. She inhaled a quick breath. A wave of sapphire luminosity saturated her skin. It rolled down from head to toe, highlighting bones and organs with light and dark contrasts like a watery x-ray. The wave surged back up and wiped out her face"s features. Down it went again. Ebbing. Flowing.
A light rain began to fall inside the house.
Holy. f.u.c.k.
Bubbles shimmied up Zoe"s now-translucent insides. Her limbs shook, shoulders heaved with violent coughs, but no sound came out. After a moment, her movements became less jerky, more fluid, as if she were submerged under water.
The rain increased its tempo to a full-blown shower. The loudness of its pings drowned out all other sounds. Furniture and carpet got drenched. Electronics shorted out. The hall light flickered and died.
The human woman he knew and loved dissolved into a shapeless, liquid sphere hanging in the air before him, and a storm kicked up around her in earnest. Gavin shielded his eyes against the spark of lightning snaking down the backbone of the ceiling fan and leapt out of the way when the crackle nearly zapped him.
"Zed!" When he tried again to grab her, his hands pa.s.sed through water. His heart caught in his throat. G.o.ds, it couldn"t be...
Currents swirled, zigzagged, and reshaped into a delicate blue form-tall, leggy, and intimately familiar. Hips rounded out, b.r.e.a.s.t.s swelled. Aqua strands of hair sprouted from her scalp and slid down the sides of her head, past her shoulders. Cool cerulean rays of light shimmered off her skin, illuminating the falling raindrops, and rolled into him like a tide, knocking him backward.
She relaxed into the blue light, which seemed to hold her up. Her hair splayed out, floated around her, and her body levitated. Head tipped back, she waved her arms and kicked her legs slowly.
Thunder. Lightning. Pouring rain.
The house darkened as the last of the electricity fizzled out.
Like their first meeting in the Dreaming when he"d rescued her so many weeks ago, her blank face blossomed into the beauty he"d come to love: pencil-thin eyebrows, softly sloping nose, high cheekbones, kissable pouty lips.