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every day. I m familiar with most weapons and have made a serious study of a couple of
different disciplines of unarmed combat. And when it comes to experience in flat-out dirty
street fighting, well, I ve got plenty of that.
So I just had to get past the talking which I wasn t good at and on to the fighting,
which I was. Piece of cake. Yeah, right.
The dinghy pulled up to the mother ship. She was huge and gorgeous. I don t know
enough about boats to describe the ship with any degree of accuracy, but suffice it to say
that I imagined her featuring prominently in Bubba s wet dreams. Strong arms helped me
up the ladder and onto the deck, releasing me as soon as I was standing safe on my
own two feet. As soon as we were all on board, the fleet began to move away from
Mona s Rival.
You seem worried. Are you well?
I didn t recognize the voice in my head, so it wasn t Ren. Since the crew all appeared
to be male, I looked to Hiwahiwa by process of elimination. She smiled.
I m fine, thanks. Just a little nervous about meeting your queen.
Queens. You ll be presenting yourself to the high queen, yes, but to the others as
well.
Okay, so Ren hadn t been messing with me and neither had Jeff. Multiple queens with
one high queen. And Hiwahiwa was thinking at me, which meant I probably was
supposed to communicate telepathically as well. One problem: I hadn t been able to do
that before the bite and I hadn t actually learned how since. Still, the basics had been
covered way back in grade school when they were testing all of us for the talent, and
there was no time like the present to learn new party tricks.
I concentrated, forming the words in my mind while I pictured her face. How many
queens are there?
Again she smiled, apparently pleased I d responded in kind. Currently five. The
Pacific line is home to High Queen Lopaka; the lesser queens are from the Aegean,
the Baltic, the Sea of Japan, and the Indian Ocean.
None from the Atlantic?
Not since the end of the first age.
The end of the first age had been quite a while ago, B .C. According to the legends,
which were really all that was left, the first age had ended with the destruction of Atlantis.
One of the sailors came up with a message for Hiwahiwa. She excused herself,
leaving me alone looking out to sea with plenty to think about. I wasn t sure where Ren
had gone off to or if she was even on the boat. Hard to keep track of someone who can
teleport. I didn t mind. It was kind of nice, feeling the breeze against my skin. I had a few
more minutes before the sunscreen gave out. Judging from how quickly we appeared to
be approaching land, I could stay right here until we arrived without risking skin damage.
I did turn to look back, see if I could catch a glimpse of Bubba s yacht. I could see
Mona s Rival, but she was a goodly ways out on the horizon. Hard to judge the exact
distance, particularly with the visible haze caused by the magical barrier that separated
us, but too far to swim for sure. I was betting she would be invisible from the island. Nor
were they being guarded. Not a single ship had been left behind. Was that a good or
bad thing?
I watched the seabirds swirl and swoop in what truly appeared to be organized chaos,
a sort of dance that seemed to be for the sole purpose of my personal entertainment.
They scattered once we reached the inlet, and then I watched the sailors go about their
duties. Hiwahiwa didn t return until the boat was fully at rest, at which point she
approached, smiling broadly.
I m sorry we weren t able to talk more. Having so many royals on the island is making
my job a bit more complex than it normally would be.
It s all right. I was enjoying the trip.
You like the ocean?
I didn t answer right away. I wasn t sure how to put what I felt into words without
sounding like an idiot. Then the words formed in my mind like magic. I love the ocean.
It s where I go to find peace and calm when life s storms are too much for me, the one
place where I can truly relax and clear my head. Its beauty restores me, its majesty
awes me. I need it like I need the air I breathe and the food I eat.
Another smile, one that lit up her whole face. I understand. It s like that for us all. And
your affinity with the birds shows that you are truly one of our own. You belong here.
I wasn t sure how to respond to that. I ve never belonged anywhere.
The captain approached. Ladies. If you are ready. He gestured toward the
gangplank.
Hiwahiwa led me down onto docks that were absolutely ordinary, perfectly modern,
and, I guessed, well designed. Stepping out of the harbor area, however, was like taking
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