Chapter 678 Chapter 678
Konner watched Terah get out of the water. It was a short but rough climb to get onto the small island. He supposed that might be why Malik chose this location. Most would go past in their boat and just look with nowhere to dock.
She smiled at him as she moved away from the edge. “Can I go look at the plants?”
He glanced around, recognizing most of the vegetation. “Yes. Don’t eat anything.”
She smiled at him. “I promise.” She touched her stomach and looked over her shoulder back at the water. “Willow will be okay until we get there?”
“Shaelan and everyone else will make sure she is.” He still couldn’t believe they had found a child from their clan.
“Okay.” She smiled, came over to him, stretched, and kissed him softly. “I am excited to take her home with us.” She frowned. “Do you think she will be okay flying?”
“I think she will. You will help her if she isn’t.” He watched her process that. When she nodded, she stepped back and turned toward the trees. “I’m going to call Auntie and see how everyone is doing.”
She paused and glanced over her shoulder at him. “Good. Yes. Tell them to get a room ready for Willow. The room that was mine.”
“I will.” He watched her for a moment more. He loved observing the way she saw things. It was all new to her, even if it was somewhere they had been more than once. Her perspective gave him a new way to look at things. That was just one more reason he was grateful for her. Taking his phone out of the waterproof bag, he turned it on. Hopefully, there was a signal here.
A few minutes later, he discovered if he stood near the edge, he had enough signal to make a call. He wanted to call Reeves first and discuss the only part of this trip that wasn’t good. The part where Willow hadn’t been given a name. That told him that she hadn’t been with her parents long enough to be given one. In his mind, he went to a dark place because the current status of those of his kind left him no choice. If Aiden Tomas or anyone else working with him had figured out they could only procreate in the water, he might have to take a leave from the Alliance to search out just his clan being held captive. The other option was that her mother had been taken when she was pregnant and either hadn’t survived the delivery or was taken away right after. None of the options were good. If he weren’t so cynical, he could briefly ponder the possibility that her parents were not captives and something had happened to separate them before she was old enough to know her name. That would mean she’d been in captivity since she was an infant. He still held hope that there were his kind out there. He glanced at the water. If there were still ones that lived in the salt water, then it wasn’t impossible that there were some still hidden on land.
Hitting the call button, he waited for his Auntie to answer.
“Nephew.” She sounded like she was in a tin can.
“Auntie.”
“Olanna showed me how to use the speaker. Can you hear me?”
He shook his head. It was better than her yelling into it. “Yes. How is everything there?”
“The cold weather could go away and be warmer.” She made a sound of exasperation. “My old bones aren’t enjoying the snow.”
He looked around and decided he wouldn’t share what the weather was like here. “Has Nolyn been doing the online lessons with the kids?”
“Yes. Yes. We all go to the cafeteria and keep an eye on the kids. They’re having fun with it.”
He could only imagine what it was like to have that many children all staring at screens. “But it’s working out? We really need her working with other teachers to set up better education plans for the Alliance—until the kids can go to school again.”
“Lucus Asked if they could all be sent away to school. Is that a possibility?”
Konner hadn’t thought of that. “Honestly, I don’t know the details about the plan. I know the older children, high school age, are going to be able to apprentice under adults learning different jobs and careers.”
“That’s wonderful.”
“I was going to talk to those in charge about a water source for any of ours going into this program.”
“I’m sure they will figure it out. Now, tell me the good news. I’ve had a feeling.”
Shaking his head, he couldn’t help the grin. She always knew. “It’s uh, well, some of it is shocking.”
“I’m intrigued.” She sounded closer now. He could picture her leaning right over the phone.
“We recovered a child. A girl. I’m thinking around nine or ten…”
“From Water Clan?”
“Yes. She’s in good health. Terah named her Willow.” He winced. He hadn’t meant to disclose her lack of name over the phone.
“She knows nothing of her folk?”
“No. I didn’t get to speak to her long, I had to go back for a meeting.”
“A meeting? What meeting could be more important than a youth from the water clan?” She sounded annoyed with him.
“We were on an island, Auntie, and when we went into the water…”
“Salt waters?”
“Yes—” He held up his hand like she would see him. “Auntie, there are still clan in the salt waters.”
“The girl is…”
“No, she’s not from the salt waters. Can’t tolerate it at all. I—we met a male and are going to be meeting his mate shortly.”
“Konner. How? None stayed…”
“Apparently, some did. They’re few and spread out from the cold North to the hot South, but it gives me hope. They may know of some on land in hiding—” He shrugged, not even sure what he was hoping for. “I’ll know more after I talk to them.”
“I’m just—” She blew into the phone. “I can’t believe some are still there. We’re going to need records. Need to know what clan they were before the times changed…”
“I’ll get all that information, Auntie.” He was obligated to tell her things, but now he was regretting it. She was going to be anxious until he got back there now. “I’ll find out all I can, and we can go over the…”
“I’m going to drag out the journals.” She said it in a breathless voice. “My family ones. There might be something in there…”
“Auntie.” It sounded like she was running, which she did not do.
“Is there more to tell me?”
“No. Not yet.”
“You call me when you know everything, Konner. I will get a room ready for her. Perhaps Terah’s room. Kenna friðr, Nephew.” The line went quiet.
He looked at the screen. Now he had to call Reeves, so he could go keep an eye on their Alpha.
“Konner.” Terah walked quickly toward him. “There is a boat. I don’t think we should stand here. How do we explain how we got on this island without a boat of our own.”
Konner looked around. “You’re right.” He motioned to the treed area. “We’ll go wait there.” Putting his arm around her, he guided her toward the trees.
“Will they be here soon? I’m very excited.”
“There’s still a bit before dusk. I’m hoping they come early. We have to catch up with the yacht.”
She smiled at him. “A race. I like that idea.”
He chuckled. “You need to drink some of the…”
“Yes. The green stuff, so I am strong for the swim.” She rubbed her arm and then pulled her pack around to the front.
Konner took her arm gently. “Are you okay? I was afraid that too much of the salt…”
With a quick look, she pulled her arm back. “I am good. The sun is much stronger here.”
He hadn’t thought of that. “Stay in the trees. I’ll watch for Malik.”
“Yes. Okay. I want to get to know the plants, so I will.”