“No,” he replied.“In fact, I’ve only been to the beach once before today.David brought me, about a month after my parents died.Tried to cheer me up.I didn’t like the sand in all the unmentionable places.”
“Yeah, that is the downside.”
“When was the last time you were here?”he asked.
“I haven’t been back since the man died.Never wanted to go back.So, when my family went on vacation, I stayed back with the nanny.When I turned fifteen, I began volunteering in the library.”
“Are you apprehensive about seeing the pier again?”
“I guess we’ll find out,” she replied.
Half an hour later, they cruised into the small beach town.There were a few people walking on the boardwalk, but the beach season was officially over.Once they made it to the beach house James had rented, he parked inside the garage, and she exited the McLaren.Someone had aired out the cottage, and her shoes made little click-clacks over the hardwood floors.One wall was nothing but glass, giving a breathtaking view of the ocean, so she opened the tri-fold door.The cool ocean breeze ruffled her hair, the tang of salt heavy in the air.
In the distance she saw the pier, nothing but a grey bridge extending into the ocean.James had asked how she would feel seeing it again, and all it did was beckon to her.
“Do you want to go now?”he asked.
She jumped.“You scared me.”
“Sorry.”He came up behind her and wrapped her up in his arms.“Do you want to go down there?”
“Nah,” she said softly.“We’ll stick to the plan and go after dinner.”
“All right.”
****
They ate a seafooddinner in one of the boardwalk restaurants.After James had paid the bill, he held out his hand to her, and she linked their fingers together.As they headed to the pier, the sun sank slowly into the ocean as the tide rolled in.Her second night as a wife.Kleya glanced down at her left hand where her diamond engagement and wedding ring sparked in the twilight.
“Still want to stay my wife?”
“Of course.What kind of question was that?”
“We should talk about the upcoming test I have to face.”
She looked at him sharply.“Test?For what?”
He took a deep breath.“I’m pretty sure I shouldn’t tell you, but we agreed to a partnership.It seems I have to pass some type of trial to lead the Coalition.”
“Actually, I’m not even surprised at that.It sounds like something a secret society would do.So, what is this test?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted.“My grandfather only told me that it might be something I don’t even recognize.”
“That means we can’t prepare ourselves for it.”
“Correct.”
“Does this test determine if you get the leader position?”
“I assume so.”
“Then why have a council?Why not have this test be the deciding factor, and not all this rigamarole secret bullshit?”
He opened his mouth, as if he had something more to say, but then he shook his head.“That is a very good question.”
They reached the pier, but high tide prevented them from going underneath.So, instead, she picked up seashells and threw them back into the rolling waves.Lights from the pier and surrounding beach houses illuminated the sand and cast the water pitch black.
“The water is scary looking, isn’t it?”she asked him.
