The Secrets of Pimsim Cove - 19. Chapter 19

The fat silvery moon sparkled in the night sky and cast a shimmery light across the water. Sean and I swam along the shoreline slowly heading towards home. Neither one of us was in a rush to see the evening end.

Returning Talbot’s Ring to him would also be returning me back to Atlanta very, very soon. It was inevitable. That very thought seemed to be clouding both of our minds tonight, but neither one of us mentioned it. We swam along in silence until we reached the long wooden dock behind the McLoughlin’s little cottage and climbed out of the water to the dry top of the dock.

“You don’t have to go back to Atlanta.” Sean blurted out once we had settled down onto the end of the dock overlooking the beautiful calm sea. I wished that she could wrap me up, in her watery stillness and stop the quivering fears inside my stomach.

“I have to go back--”

“No you don’t! You can stay here… you could stay with Rosy and Stony--”

“I’m sorry, Sean, but I have to go back. It’s not just for me, it’s my mom and my brothers… they need me--”

“But I need you.” He spoke so softly that I hardly heard him whisper his heartbreaking words.

It shattered my tender heart to see Sean so sad. I lifted my hand to his chin and turned his head to face me. “Sean, I’ve gotta to go back to Atlanta. Not only does my family need me, but I have to finish school. It’s my senior year, and I’ve worked too hard not to finish now.”

His smile faltered, but he forced a grin just for me.

Fear suddenly coiled around my heart. I just won his love and I didn’t want to lose it already.

Sean scooted over and leaned back against one of the pylons that sprouted up pasted the top of the wooden dock and opened his arms to me. His lopsided grin made my heart melt. I quickly snuggled into his warmth and let him hold me tight. I might be leaving before the next sunset and didn’t want to lose this last chance to be in his strong arms.

I tipped my head up to his and pressed soft kisses to his neck and giggled when I heard his low, deep growl. He let me continue up his strong jaw and across his cheek until he stopped my delicious assault on his warm silky skin. Sean pulled me onto his lap, bringing us almost eye to eye. His hard chest heaved as he closed his eyes, trying to calm his frantic heart.

I reach out and ran my fingers over the puckered scars that jagged along his perfect chest. Desire flashed through his piercing gray eyes as they suddenly opened and stared into mine. He tucked his hands into my wild, curly hair and pulled me in for another kiss. His lips parted as his tongue gently caressed mine. Sean tasted like warm cinnamon sugar. He was so sweet and delicious that he melted on my tongue. I wanted more of him.

I gasped when he tipped my head back and trailed kisses down the front of my throat. I noticed the darkness starting to fade from the night sky overtop of us. Golden rays were sparking on the horizon. His lips were tender as they brushed over my collar bones and nibbled on my shoulder.

“Marry me, Anna!” Sean uttered through his passionate kisses.

“What?”

“What?”

It wasn’t until I recognized the other voice that echoed my own; that I felt like my heart had just exploded. Sean had just asked me to marry him, but we were no longer alone.

“Sean…what did you just ask her?” Rook’s voice lost the immediate shock and now sounded almost humored. Sean and I stopped making out, but I didn’t jump off his lap like I probably should have.

“Sean just asked me to marry him, Uncle Rook,” I said while still gazing into Sean’s beautiful eyes. “And I just said yes!” Sean whisked me off his lap and into his arms as he twirled me around on the dock.

Rook ran his fingers through his ginger hair and groaned. “Oh, just wait until your father hears about this…both of your fathers!”

“Oh my goodness! Is he here?” I asked as I glanced around the empty dock. “Where is he? Where’s Dad?”

A flash of confusion darkened Rook’s green eyes.

“Well? Where is he? Where’s Dad? Michael said that he was going to get you so you two could take the Ring back to Talbot--”

“You have the Ring?” Rook croaked.

“Yes…well no, I don’t have it now! I gave it to Michael--”

“Crap!” Rook turned and ran full speed towards the end of the dock and leaped off. It only took a second for Sean to set me down and to run after him. I was only a step behind Sean’s heels as we hit the water at the same time.

***

Rook had a head start, but by only by a tail length. He was a strong and powerful swimmer, but Sean was able to catch up with Uncle Rook, however I struggled to keep up. There was no way they were going to leave me behind. I pushed myself as if I was back on the track during one of my track & field meets and swam faster and harder.

“He’s gonna use the Ring to try and free Rahuna isn’t he?” Sean asked Rook.

“If Michael didn’t come and find me to tell me he had the Ring, then yeah, I’m afraid so.”

“You don’t think that Talbot will ever let her go, do you?”

Rook shook his head, no. “I think that Talbot is going to use his Ring to send Jamaica and India back to their own Kingdoms, but as far as letting Rahuna go…never.”

Sean stopped swimming and caught Rook by the arm bringing them both to an abrupt stop and leaving me to almost slam into the back fins of the both of them.

“Can we stop him?” Sean eyes sparked with fire.

“Michael might already--”

“Not Da! Can we stop Talbot? Is there anything that we can do to knock his fat ass off his throne?”

“Let’s just focus on getting both Michael and Windsong out of the Palace alive and worry about that later!”

“No, Rook! There might not be another opportunity to make you the peoples’ leader--”

“Sean--” Rook pleaded with the young man.

“The people want you, Rook! They need you--”

Rook rolled his eyes at him. They had obviously had this discussion several times before, but Rook didn’t want to waste any more time and swam faster towards the cliffs surrounding the City without answering Sean. We reached the edge and saw Michael near the Palace’s grand entrance.

“There’s Michael!” I shouted.

Rook sprang forward and swam like a riptide, causing a vortex of bubbles to spin behind him. Sean flexed his tail and sped along behind him. That was when I realized that they weren’t heading towards the big stone gates, but were going straight for the Palace doors.

This was wrong…so, wrong, wrong, wrong! We can’t just descend straight down on top of the people. Rook said to never-- a dark shadow crossed over head.

“Shark!” I screamed, but it was too late. Nobody was around to hear me. The dangerous predator spotted them below and charged, but I was a closer and easier target, so I turned tail and swam with every fin I had.

“Run! Run! Run!” I chanted to myself, racing in front of the vicious beast. I saw the Tritons in the streets below gasping as they looked up and saw me being chased by the large man-eater. Where were Uncle Rook and Sean? My eyes frantically searched for them as I swam without slowing down my crazy pace. “Swim! Swim! Swim!” Bubbles flew by as I raced forward.

I saw them slipping into the grand entrance and my scared eyes locked onto Sean’s as he turned to see if I was still behind them. People were scattering in every direction as they fled from the massive monster descending into the City.

“Shark!” Sean cried and swam back towards me.

“No Sean,” I shouted at him and waived my arms. The thought of him getting hurt gave me an extra boost of energy and I pulled away from the racing shark. “Go inside!” I shouted to him. He hesitated for a moment, but when he saw that I was out swimming the monster, he fell back towards the entrance.

“Hold the door…get ready!” I was afraid to look back, but I knew that it was still on my tail. Any hesitation would have it chomping me to bits. Sean peered out from behind the door ready to slam it once I had reached safety.

“Ready…set…go!” I burst through into the Palace as Sean slammed the large door closed on the snarling shark’s toothy face. BANG! My heart pounded as the beast rammed into the door again and again, but thankfully it stayed closed. I wasn’t ready to get up close and personal with a shark just yet, but would have liked to have seen Sean kick that shark’s ass! Shark ass…hehehe!

“Hurry!” A sweet, breathless voice called out from the darkness. Sean laced his long fingers through mine as we dashed towards Princess Rahuna, who led us to the Royal Council.

“Michael and Rook just went inside a moment ago.” She called over her shoulder as we rushed down the long hallway. The door was ajar and I could hear voices inside. Rahuna stopped in front of it and turned to us. She lovingly traced her finger along Sean’s chin then pulled me into a quick embrace.

“Now go, Anna, go save your father.” She whispered into my ear.