Page 104 of Beneath the Haunting Sea

“Do all of them make you sad?”

“Many,” he returned, “but not all.”

Rain streamed cold from an iron sky and waves churned angrily, large and black and crested with foam. But the Whale’s heat warmed her, and he swam close enough to the surface that she could always keepher head above the greedy fingers of the water. Wen huddled close, and she folded her hands in his warm wings.

A light appeared ahead of her in the darkness, bright enough to pierce through the storm.

“What is it?” she asked the Whale.

“The lamps from the lighthouse on the island of Shyd.”

“That must be a very lonely task.”

“A man called Dain keeps the lights. He lives on Shyd all alone,waiting for the bride promised him by the Empress as a reward for his seven years’ service. But the Empress will not send her. Dain will wait ten years, and his bride will not come. He will grow weary in his loneliness and anger, and he will douse the lamps. A ship will break on the rocks and there will be war. Dain will die alone and forgotten on the sea.”

Talia held tighter to Wen. “I don’tlike that at all.”

“And yet it is so.”

“But if he doesn’t douse the light,” said Talia, “what then? If I were to go to Shyd and say to him, ‘Keep the light always burning,’ and tell him what will happen if he does not, would all be well?”

“It is not for mankind to know what lies in their future.”

Talia looked at Wen, thinking of the visions in the mirrors, the unshakeable grip of her fate.“If I die here, if I die in Rahn’s Hall—I never had a choice. It was always going to happen.”

“You had many choices, Talia Endain, and your choices led you here. Dain has the choice to douse the lamps, or not.”

“But you know which he will choose.”

“But it is still his choice.”

Talia stamped down her frustration, ice stinging her cheeks. “Do you know what lies in my future?”

“I do.”

“Canyou tell me?”

“If I could,” said the Whale, “would you want me to?”

She looked back at the lighthouse as they drew away from it, strong and shining through the rain. She thought of the last vision she’d seen in the mirror: herself standing in a field of bones, the Star shining bright on her finger. If that was her future, she’d like to keep thinking she had the power to change it. “No,” sheanswered.

Wen unfolded one of his wings and wrapped it around her.

“That is as it should be,” said the Whale.

She woke to the damp breath of wind on her face, and the absence of Wen’s warm wing. Waves slapped hard against the Whale, seawater splashing like ice on her skin. For the first time since the Whale had rescued her, she felt truly cold. She fumbled around for her knapsack and slippedher hands inside. But not even the Star-light could warm her.

Mist hung heavy in the air, and she couldn’t tell the time of day. Peering through it, she saw Wen perched near the Whale’s head, listening intently. She felt the rumble of the Whale’s voice, but could not distinguish his words. She realized they were not meant for her.

The Whale spoke a long while and Talia stayed shivering by histail, wondering what he was saying to Wen.

At last the great seabird bowed his head, and the rumbling of the Whale’s voice ceased. It started raining, driving the mist back into the sea, and Wen leapt suddenly into the air with a rush of white wings. Talia quickly lost sight of him.

The minutes stretched on and Wen didn’t come back. Worry gnawed her, and she crawled up the Whale’s rippling backas he swam, waves breaking over her. She settled near the great creature’s head, so that if she looked down she could see his black eyes and his enormous mouth.

“What did you say to Wen?” she asked.

“I told him what lies ahead of him.”

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