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give herself to them completely. If their bond is not strong enough, then the curse comes back tenfold. Kanaloa knows they committed a great sin. Mohea was the daughter of a king, pure and trusting, and so the price to pay for her death must be equally great. All involved”—he made a horizontal circle with his hand—“must make a sacrifice. The woman, too. She did not obey Kanaloa, who told her to find another man. She defiled the gift of life he gave her.”
“Haven’t they all sacrificed enough already?”
“Some lessons still to be learned,” he said, peering at her with narrowed eyes. “By everyone.”
A prickly flush rushed over her skin, and for a second, she could have sworn Henri’s eyes grew as black as the heart of a storm, and the air around him crackled as if lightning were about to strike. Then as quickly as it came, the weird feeling passed, the sun shone down, and it was just kindly old Henri, the island’s custodian, nodding at her. When she looked at her arms, though, all the fine hairs were standing on end.
He picked up his worn, green-and-white fishing pole again and gazed benignly out at the horizon. “Think I’ll take the canoe out before the storm comes. Good time for catching squid now. Maybe I’ll see your dolphins, eh?”
She rubbed her arms, smoothing away the goose bumps and patting down the hair. “Are we supposed to get a storm?”
“Pele is restless, and Kanaloa walks the path. Best get back to your hut. Time grows short.”
For what? Until the storm? Must be. He clearly thought the dolphins were still frolicking around the atoll. She recognized the name of Pele, the volcano goddess, and hoped he didn’t expect an eruption. His words added to her sense of urgency. She had only a few days left on the island. A few days to figure out how to help Moana and Rahiti, whether she was the woman or not. “Uh, Henri, how do I get back to my hut?”
“Follow the path.” He pointed back the way she’d come. As if it had always been there, the worn trail appeared. “Follow your heart,” he murmured.
She looked at him, unsure if she’d heard him right, but he’d already turned away and was walking in the opposite direction. Had he really said that last part, or had she imagined it? Still rubbing her arms, she spared a glance for Kanaloa, but now the statue just seemed to be a dull block of stone, the carving worn by years of tropical storms and prying vines. Either she was losing her mind—a distinct possibility—or there were some really strange forces at work here.
Which meant Rahiti and Moana could be in danger.
She stumbled a bit returning to the trail, but soon her feet found a rhythm, and by the time she saw her little hut through the trees, she’d broken into a jog. When she burst through the door of the hut, her heart sank. It was empty.
Then she remembered what Rahiti had said—they’d be down by the water. In case… Oh, God, what if they’d turned back while she was gone? The sun had slid far down the horizon. Somehow, her hour-long walk had taken a lot longer than she’d expected.
Lyric gasped in relief when she saw the two men lying at the edge of the waves then caught her breath again. Why were they so still? She ran to the shore and skidded to a halt just feet from them. What she saw made her press her hand to her mouth.
They lay wrapped in each other’s arms, naked as two lovers, their cocks lax against belly and thigh. Moana, his face sweet in sleep, had thrown an arm and leg over Rahiti’s body. Rahiti had tangled the fingers of his left hand in Moana’s hair, and his other fingers looped around Moana’s wrist. Somehow, even asleep, he still managed to look stern, but they balanced each other. If they’d truly spent the last couple hundred years together as dolphins, how deep their bond must be. They’d be the only two of their kind on the entire planet.
Watching them sleep, devouring their masculine nudity with her gaze, she realized she
“Haven’t they all sacrificed enough already?”
“Some lessons still to be learned,” he said, peering at her with narrowed eyes. “By everyone.”
A prickly flush rushed over her skin, and for a second, she could have sworn Henri’s eyes grew as black as the heart of a storm, and the air around him crackled as if lightning were about to strike. Then as quickly as it came, the weird feeling passed, the sun shone down, and it was just kindly old Henri, the island’s custodian, nodding at her. When she looked at her arms, though, all the fine hairs were standing on end.
He picked up his worn, green-and-white fishing pole again and gazed benignly out at the horizon. “Think I’ll take the canoe out before the storm comes. Good time for catching squid now. Maybe I’ll see your dolphins, eh?”
She rubbed her arms, smoothing away the goose bumps and patting down the hair. “Are we supposed to get a storm?”
“Pele is restless, and Kanaloa walks the path. Best get back to your hut. Time grows short.”
For what? Until the storm? Must be. He clearly thought the dolphins were still frolicking around the atoll. She recognized the name of Pele, the volcano goddess, and hoped he didn’t expect an eruption. His words added to her sense of urgency. She had only a few days left on the island. A few days to figure out how to help Moana and Rahiti, whether she was the woman or not. “Uh, Henri, how do I get back to my hut?”
“Follow the path.” He pointed back the way she’d come. As if it had always been there, the worn trail appeared. “Follow your heart,” he murmured.
She looked at him, unsure if she’d heard him right, but he’d already turned away and was walking in the opposite direction. Had he really said that last part, or had she imagined it? Still rubbing her arms, she spared a glance for Kanaloa, but now the statue just seemed to be a dull block of stone, the carving worn by years of tropical storms and prying vines. Either she was losing her mind—a distinct possibility—or there were some really strange forces at work here.
Which meant Rahiti and Moana could be in danger.
She stumbled a bit returning to the trail, but soon her feet found a rhythm, and by the time she saw her little hut through the trees, she’d broken into a jog. When she burst through the door of the hut, her heart sank. It was empty.
Then she remembered what Rahiti had said—they’d be down by the water. In case… Oh, God, what if they’d turned back while she was gone? The sun had slid far down the horizon. Somehow, her hour-long walk had taken a lot longer than she’d expected.
Lyric gasped in relief when she saw the two men lying at the edge of the waves then caught her breath again. Why were they so still? She ran to the shore and skidded to a halt just feet from them. What she saw made her press her hand to her mouth.
They lay wrapped in each other’s arms, naked as two lovers, their cocks lax against belly and thigh. Moana, his face sweet in sleep, had thrown an arm and leg over Rahiti’s body. Rahiti had tangled the fingers of his left hand in Moana’s hair, and his other fingers looped around Moana’s wrist. Somehow, even asleep, he still managed to look stern, but they balanced each other. If they’d truly spent the last couple hundred years together as dolphins, how deep their bond must be. They’d be the only two of their kind on the entire planet.
Watching them sleep, devouring their masculine nudity with her gaze, she realized she
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