chapter fourteen
Chapter Fourteen
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Felix passed his iknimaya the next week—marking the 7th month you had been with the Metkayina and his 3rd.
You, Ronal and Tonowari were in a better place. It was somewhere between where you had been before, and something else completely. You weren’t sure what was different now, what had changed this time, but little things, the way Ronal would distracted brush her tail against you thigh, the way Tonowari would adjust your hair, they felt charged. Electric.
Felix didn’t care to find you in the crowd during the celebration that night, when the clan welcomed the new warriors. You spent it with Tsonu’e, eating sweet treats until you felt like you could be sick—and then you danced until you did. Ronal and Tonowari were around, both doing their duties to the clan. You had no such responsibilities, and were free to enjoy yourself.
You found yourself gravitating towards them anyway, slightly drunk and giddy.
“Hi,” you swooned, leaning forward as you beamed at Ronal. She was next to Ìweii, who had softened immensely towards you since that day. You weren’t friends, maybe you would never be, but she no longer wanted to drown you, and that was to the benefit of everyone.
“Are you having a good time?” she asked, her voice soft and her hands gentle as she smoothed a curl from your eyes.
You giggled, butterflies swarming your chest and stomach. “Dance with me!”
“Later. Ask Tonowari, he seemed lonely,” she teased. “I can not dance with you now.”
You pouted, but nodded anyway, stumbling along to find him. Tonowari stood in a crowd of young warriors, unbothered—drunk, you marched forward. They parted for you awkwardly, and a couple of mouths dropped open in surprise as you launched yourself at the olo’eyktan and hugged him around his waist, burying your face in his stomach.
He placed a hand on your back. “What is this?”
You blew a raspberry, giggling as his muscles tensed. He stepped back suddenly, pushing you to a stand in front of him. He held you away from him a little. “Ronal said to find you,” you laughed, sloppily reaching out to poke his tummy.
He exhaled slowly, and suddenly you were being carried. You shrieked a laugh as he picked you up, throwing your head back as you looked at the world upside down.
“Dance with me!” you told him, not moving from his arms.
“Hm,” he agreed, hands firm as he adjusted you in his hold. You swung your legs out, stretching your arms above your head and swishing your tail back and forth.
“Hey,” you said to Tonowari, oblivious as he carried you away from the people and to your marui with Tsonu’e. He looked down at you.
You smiled, resting your head again this chest. “You’re pretty.”
He set you down gently, running a hand over your hair affectionately. “Sleep,” he said simply.
“Don’t go,” you slurred, eyes dropping. “Stay here.”
“Until you fall asleep,” he promised.
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Sober, human, you felt like an idiot. You were also a lot more determined to find Felix and fix whatever had broken in your friendship. You missed him, and you wanted to be back to where you had been before.
Felix hadn’t unlinked yet, so you grabbed a snack and parked yourself in front of his link box. You were twitchy, nervous in ways you didn’t think you should be. It was only Felix. You and him had been friends for nearly a year now. It seemed wrong to throw it away so easily.
He came out around midnight, and you’d almost fallen asleep in your chair several times. The goofy grin on his face vanished completely when he saw you.
“What do you want?” he asked, directly to the point.
“No hello? How are you?” you asked sarcastically. He stared at you, expression vacant.
You sighed, rubbing your eyes and feeling tired. Exhausted.
“Aren’t you sick of this?”
“Of course I am,” he snapped. “I miss being your friend. I miss telling you about my day. I miss seeing you happy. I miss you being happy to see me.”
“Then why can’t we go back to that?” you practically begged.
“You know why.”
You looked up at the ceiling, blinking back tears of frustration. “It’s not like I haven’t tried to talk myself out of this a million times before.”
He leaned against the wall, sighing angrily. “What happens when you go back to Earth? When your contract ends?”
“I’m not going back,” you said. “I can’t. Not anymore. There’s nothing for me there.”
“What about your family?” he shouted.
“Ame is my family!” you screamed. “Tsonu’e is my family! Ronal and Tonowari—the Metkayina are my family.”
He reeled back, looking at you like this was the first time really seeing you. “You really believe that, don’t you?”
“It’s the truth,” you said seriously. “The second I made tsaheylu with Ame, I was never going back to Earth.”
Felix shook his head, stepping away from the wall. Away from you. “I need to think,” he finally said, walking by without another word.
You were just happy it had not gone worse.
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Tsonu’e was shaking you by the time you linked to your avatar, you blinked away, your head pounding as you sat up.
“I’m up,” you mumbled. “What’s happening?”
Tsonu’e beamed. “The tulkun have returned!”
Your heart nearly exploded. Ame. You leaned up, grabbing her hand and jumping into the water. You called an ilu, allowing Tsonu’e to climb on behind you as you darted forward to meet with your spirit sister.
She was not hard to find.
You released the ilu, swimming to her quickly as Tsonu’e broke off to greet Äa.
Ame, you signed, smile threatening to break your face in half. I have missed you.
As I have missed you. Ame said, her voice a breath of fresh air. You swam forward, wrapping your arms around her—or trying too. She was too large, but you loved her so much you had to try. You fell back a little.
There is so much I have to tell you, you signed quickly. I need your guidance.
Ame hummed, her eyes soft. Gently, she opened her mouth, inviting you to make tsaheylu with her. Eagerly, you swam in, and gently made the bond.
Your memories of the last few months rose to the surface, and you traded with her.
She and the pod had gone to the much warmer southern waters for their breeding season. Ame had not selected a mate this year, patiently waiting for the perfect partner. Things had been good, but they’d been seeing more and more humans—boats, which was highly unusual. They’d gotten close too. Several times.
You swam to the surface for air, climbing onto her fin.
“Are they following you?” you asked immediately, deeply concerned. Scared. If anything happened to Ame, you were not sure you would survive.
I don’t think so, she said. But I wasn’t sure.
“We need to tell Tonowari,” you said. “If they are tracking you, we can protect you from them.”
Tonowari, she teased, the way she said his name saying all she need to. You whacked her fin, grinning.
“He is cute,” you admitted, feeling a little giddy.
He would be a good mate, she said. Strong. Virile.
You gasped, looking at her with betrayal. “I’m not discussing that with you!”
Would you rather I wax poetry about your infatuation with Ronal?
“Tease,” you laughed. “Do you want to meet them? I’d feel better if we told them what was happening.”
Ame hummed her agreement, and you climbed on her back carefully. You spread out, enjoying the sun. “I missed you.”
Hey, she said suddenly, like she was just remembering something. Where is Felix? He is here, isn’t he?
You sighed. “He’s not really talking to me anymore.”
Was he dropped on his head? she asked sympathetically.
You laughed, your grin big as she approached Ronal and her spirit sister, Roa.
You slid into the water with a splash.
Ronal looked delighted, her face filled with a peaceful happiness as she turned to greet you. This is Hana, she signed.
Hello Roa, you greeted, smiling at her. Your hair fanned around your face, curling in the water. Ame shifted behind you, causing your hair to cover your eyes a little.
You flopped backwards into Ame, giving her a look as you fixed your hair. Ronal’s eyes twinkled.
Ronal says you are a skilled diver, said Roa. Ronal looked faintly embarrassed as you looked at her.
Really? Tsonu’e says that I am too easily distracted. Roa laughed at this.
Tsonu’e? questioned Roa.
Her mother, Ronal signed. She pointed off to the side, where Tsonu’e was playing with Äa’s calf.
It was the first time someone, anyone, had referred to Tsonu’e as your mother. You’d thought it, quietly, when she braided your hair and kissed your temple—when she gave you advice and held you while you cried.
You looked over at her, watching as Äa’s calf swam to the surface. As if sensing your gaze, Tsonu’e’s head snapped around to look at you. You grinned at her, waving.
She smiled back, turning to talk with her spirit sister once more.
You rejoined the conversation, your hand on Ame. And you felt content.