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When I got back in the car, I glanced at the clock. It was almost noon, and I had about eight hours before Claire started to hunt down Collin. I’d rather find him myself than have her go after him.
Which was probably exactly what she’d planned.
Before I consciously realized what I was doing, I was crossing the bridge back into Nags Head. It wasn’t the first time I’d done this since we’d opened the gate to Popogusso. This call to the sea was a part of me now.
I pulled the car into the public beach parking lot and kicked off my sandals when I reached the sand. It was hot beneath my feet, but I barely noticed—some primal part of me was craving the sea too much to be derailed by anything.
The first wave of water that washed over my feet nearly brought me to my knees as power surged through my body. I walked deeper into the ocean until the waves hit my waist. I was sure I had to be drawing curious stares from tourists. While they wore swimming suits, I was dressed in capris and a T-shirt. But I was too overwhelmed by the energy of the sea filling every cell of my body to care.
I was one with the sea. I was one with the fish that swam around me. The clams that buried themselves in the sand, only to be washed up with the next wave. I was one with the seaweed, the algae, the amoeba, and the plankton.
I felt the life force of millions of creatures in the sea. I stood with my hands spread from my sides in awe.
Experiencing the manitou was the only good part of the curse. I’d discovered I could feel the manitou of all the life forms in the ocean on my own, but when Collin and I touched palms I could feeleverything—all life both in the sea and on the land. Other than when the animals came to me in my sleep, it was the only way I could feel the full impact of what I was being charged with protecting.
Other than the rare moments of total connection I’d experienced with Collin, standing in the ocean was when I felt the most complete.
When I turned around to walk out of the water, I realized I’d drawn a crowd. About twenty people stood on the rise of the sand, watching me and murmuring amongst themselves.
A woman with a baby on her hip approached me as I reached the edge of the water. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Why?”
“You’ve been standing out there for over a half an hour. Every time someone tried to get close to you, a wave pushed them away. It was unreal.”
That was new. It had felt like less than five minutes. “I like the ocean so much I guess I lost track of time.” It was a lame excuse, but it was the best I could come up with on the fly.
The crowd watched as I walked back to the parking lot. I struggled with the knowledge that they all thought I was some sort of freak. I knew I couldn’t let it bother me. I’d never see any of them again, but it was one more reminder that my life had turned to shit.
As I scooped my flip-flops off the sand by the parking lot, I realized I didn’t know where the keys to the car were. I found them in the ignition, my purse on the passenger seat. After parking, I’d given no thought to anything other than my need to get to the water. I was lucky no one had stolen my purse or Myra’s car. Or what if someone had taken the remaining watches? I might not be so lucky next time.
I was still soaking wet, but thankfully Myra had a blanket in the trunk for me to sit on. I rolled the windows down as I drove back to Manteo, and the wind was so loud I almost missed Myra’s call on my cell phone.
“I’m not sure Bruce will get my car done tonight,” I said when I answered.
“Don’t worry, Ellie. I have a ride home, and I suspect that in the morning I’ll be able to get a ride with one of the researchers who will be staying at the inn. In fact, that’s why I’m calling. Are you busy this afternoon? Can you help me out at the inn?”
“Sure. I’m free.” I’d been planning to go back to the inn anyway. I wanted to do a last sweep for any clues Daddy might have left for me. I knew I was putting off the inevitable, that I would have to go see Collin eventually, but so be it.
“A team of researchers came to Roanoke Island today to study the Lost Colony. There was a mistake with some of their reservations at one of the local motels. They can’t find anywhere else to stay, so I offered to open the main house for them to stay in. I figured we could use the extra money.”
“That’s a great idea, Myra.”
“But the rooms aren’t ready. No one’s stayed in them for years.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it. What time are they arriving?”
“I think they’re planning on staying on site until sunset.”
“That gives me plenty of time.”
Once I got home, I hid the box with the pocket watches in the back of my closet. Myra would never miss them, and while I hated to think about selling the remaining two watches, I knew it might come to that.
I headed to the inn, happy to have a productive task to fill my afternoon. The Dare Inn consisted of two separate houses taking up half a block. The main building featured five bedrooms with their own private baths, a living room, a dining room, an office, and a small kitchen. The main residential house was where I grew up. Myra usually cooked the breakfast we served to the guests in the house’s big kitchen, and it also had a dining room, a large office, a half bath, and a large living room on the first floor. There were five bedrooms and two hall bathrooms on the second floor. After Daddy married Myra, he added a huge laundry room to the back of the residential house and a large guest room with two beds above it. The bedrooms in the main house wouldn’t be ideal since the guests would have to share a bathroom, but it was better than having to drive back and forth to the Outer Banks.
Myra and Daddy’s room was at the end of the hallway, so I started with the room next to it, making my way down the hall but skipping my old room. After I started the sheets in the washing machine, I headed back upstairs with cleaning supplies. Not only had no one stayed in these rooms for years, it had been months since anyone had cleaned them. I opened all the windows to air them out, dusted and swept the hardwood floors, and vacuumed the wool rugs.
My phone rang when I was on my way to the laundry room to switch the sheets to the dryer. When I saw that it was Bruce calling, I forced myself to stay calm. “How bad is the damage?”
