“If anyone deserves a happy ending, it’s the two of them.” Ronan pressed a kiss to the back of Ten’s head. He knew without a doubt that if his and Ten’s souls managed to somehow become separated in the afterlife, Ronan would do everything he could to find Tennyson. He was certain Sam Bellamy felt the same way about Maria.
10
Tennyson
Dinner at Moby Dick’s had been the best meal of Ten’s life. The clam chowder had been rich and creamy. The baked stuffed lobster was done to perfection. Ten wished they could eat like that once a week. Ezra had tried lobster for the first time and couldn’t get enough of it. He’s also managed to eat half a bowl of chowder and the little oyster crackers that came with it. All in all, it had been a great night.
“What movie do we all want to watch?” Ten asked, when the kids had gathered downstairs in their pajamas.
“Jaws!” Everly and Aurora shouted.
There was no way on God’s blue earth that Ten was going to sit through that movie. He’d seen it once and once was more than enough.
“Will Maid!” Lizzie said, climbing up onto the sofa.
“What’s a will maid?” Ronan asked.
“Where there’s a will, there’s a maid?” Fitzgibbon suggested.
“Little Mermaid,” Jude said. “Right, cutie?”
“Will Maid!” Lizzie agreed.
Jude grabbed the remote and started the movie.
The Little Mermaidwas Ten’s favorite Disney movie., and he’d been captivated by the idea that he could change who he was with a simple wish that stayed with him long after the movie ended. If he had a nickel for every time he wished to be straight and not psychic when he was a teen-ager, he could buy his own island in the Caribbean.
It wasn’t until Ten came to Salem and started working at West Side Magick that he’d finally been able to see he was perfect just the way he was. Looking around the room at Ronan, their kids and their found family, Ten was happy Ursula, the sea witch, had never offered him a bargain.
Ten was singing along with “Under the Sea” when Everly got up from the sofa and walked toward the sliding glass door leading to the back deck. He assumed she was going to take a peek at the full moon, through the glass but then he heard the door open.
Getting up from his seat, Ten hurried after Everly. She’d left the door wide open, which was something his daughter never would have done if she was in her right mind. He had no doubt she was having another vision, courtesy of Sam Bellamy.
When he reached the door, he could see Everly standing at the railing, looking out over the ocean, which sparkled under the light of the moon. He slid the screen door shut behind him and stepped up to his daughter.
Everly didn’t move a muscle. She didn’t acknowledge Tennyson’s presence.
Ten set a hand on her left shoulder and was jolted by what he saw. A large masted ship was foundering several hundred feet from the beach. Rain, so thick it was nearly impenetrable, lashed everything in sight. Large waves broke against the hull, serving to push the vessel onto its port side. He could hear cries of pain and fear, which should have been whipped away by the howling wind, yet he could hear them clear as day.
A loud crack signaled the tallest mast snapping. It seemed to fall almost in slow motion. It finally crashed against the deck, sending large pieces of wood flying. One man was impaled and fell over the side into the churning sea.
A flash of red caught Ten’s attention. Climbing down what looked like a cargo net was a man wearing a red shirt. He moved slowly and deliberately, holding on for dear life every time another wave slammed into the ship. Blood ran from a gash on his forehead and his left arm looked badly broken. Even with his injuries, the man continued his perilous climb toward the angriest ocean Ten had ever witnessed.
The man slipped several times, but caught himself before tumbling down into the water. Just as the waves reached his black boots, the man, with his eyes on the shore, leapt into the ocean and disappeared.
Ten turned to Everly. Tears streaked down her face, but she remained motionless, her eyes glued to the horrific scene playing out in front of her. He wanted to grab her and pull her away from the ship wreck, but knew it was a futile action. Sam Bellamy had been able to reach her twice now. Ten had no doubt he would continue to do so until his message from beyond the grave had been delivered.
The man who’d fallen into the ocean miraculously bobbed up to the surface. He swung an arm over his head and began trying to swim toward shore. Each time he made a bit of progress, a wave would swamp him, pushing him back toward the ship, which was now listing dangerously, nearly on its side.
Ten watched in growing horror as more men took their chance with the sea rather than staying on the ship, which was quickly being torn to pieces. Only two men had survived the shipwreck of theWhydah, meaning most of the men struggling in the water were not going to make it to shore.
Once again finding the man in the red shirt, Ten noticed he was being battered by the waves. He bobbed up and down in the water like a cork before sinking beneath the waves.
“No! Sam! SAM!” a voice screamed from the beach.
A woman, dressed in white, ran toward the water. She began to wade out into the sea, but was quickly swamped and dragged into the surf. The weight of her dress combined with the ferocity of the waves was no match for this woman. She was somehow pushed back onto the beach by a large swell.
“SAM!” she screamed again, her voice breaking. “Come back! Don’t leave me!”
