"Perhaps. She dreamed of a prince, golden and handsome, who would sweep her away to some lovely place where they would live happily and have children to comfort her. She was careless with her wish, as women can be when they yearn. He came for her, and she saw only that he was golden and handsome. She went away with him, left her haven. She tried to be a good and dutiful wife, and bore her children, loved them. But it wasn't enough for him. Under the gold, he was dark. She grew to fear him, and he fed on her fear. One night, mad with that hunger, he killed her for being what she was. "
"That's a sad story. " Nell's throat was dry, but she didn't lift her glass.
"There's more, but that's enough for now. Each had a sad story, and a tragic end. And each left a legacy. A child who would bear a child who would bear a child, and so on. There would come a time, it was said, when a descendant from each of the sisters would be on the island at the same time. Each would have to find a way to redeem and break the pattern set three hundred years ago. If not, the island would topple into the sea. Lost as Atlantis. "
"Islands don't topple into the sea. "
"Islands aren't created by three women, usually," Mia countered. "If you believe the first, the second isn't much of a stretch. "
"You believe it. " Nell nodded. "And that you're one of the descendants. "
"Yes. As you are. "
"I'm no one. "
"That's him talking, not you. I'm sorry. " Instantly contrite, Mia reached out and gripped Nell's hand before she could rise. "I said I wouldn't pry, and I won't. But it annoys me to hear you say you're no one. To hear you mean it. Forget all the rest for now if you must, but don't forget who and what you are. You're an intelligent woman with spine enough to make a life for herself. With a gift-magic in the kitchen. I admire you. "
"I'm sorry. " Struggling to settle again, Nell reached for her wine. "I'm speechless. "
"You had the courage to strike out on your own. To come to a strange place and make yourself part of it. "
"Courage had nothing to do with it. "
"You're wrong. He didn't break you. "
"He did. " Despite herself, Nell's eyes filled. "I just took the pieces and ran away. "
"Took the pieces, escaped and rebuilt. Can't you be proud of that?"
"I can't explain what it was like. "
"You don't have to. But you will, eventually, have to recognize your own power. You'll never feel complete until you do. "
"I'm only looking for a normal life. "
"You can't forget the possibilities. " Mia held out a hand, palm up. Waited.
Unable to resist, Nell reached out, laid her palm against Mia's. And felt the heat, a painless burn of power. "It's in you. I'll help you find it. I'll teach you," Mia stated as Nell stared dumbfounded at the shimmer of light between their palms. "When you're ready. "
***
Ripley scanned the beach scene and saw nothing out of the ordinary. Someone's toddler was having a tantrum, and the high-pitched cranky sound of No! No! No! blasted the air.
Somebody missed his nap, she thought.
People were scattered over the sand, staking out their territory with towels, blankets, umbrellas, totes, coolers, portable stereos. Nobody just went to the beach anymore, she mused. They packed for a day on the sand the way they packed to go to Europe.
It never failed to amuse her. Every day couples and groups would haul their possessions out of their rentals and hotel rooms and set up their temporary nests on the shore. And every day they would pack everything up again and haul it, along with a good bit of sand, back again.
Holiday nomads. The Bedouins of summer.
Leaving them to it, she headed up to the village. She carried nothing but her police issue, a Swiss Army knife, and a few dollars. Life was simpler that way.
She turned on High Street, intending to spend those few dollars on a quick meal. She was off duty, as much as either she or Zack was ever off duty, and was looking forward to a cold beer and a hot pizza.
When she spotted Nell standing in front of the hotel, looking dazed, she hesitated. I
t was as good a time as any, she supposed, to make that friendly overture.
"Hey, Nell. "
"What? Oh. Hello, Ripley. "
"You look a little lost. "
"No. " She knew just where she was, Nell thought. At the moment, it was the only thing she was absolutely sure of. "Just a little distracted. "
"Long day, huh? Listen, I'm about to grab some dinner. A little early, but I'm starved. Why don't we split a pizza? My treat. "
"Oh. " She continued to blink, like someone coming out of a dream.
"The Surfside makes the best pizza on the island. Well, it's the only pizza place on the island, but still. . . How're things going at the cafe?"
"Good. " There was really nothing to do but fall into step. She couldn't think clearly and would have sworn that her fingers still tingled. "I love working there. "
"You've classed up the place," Ripley commented, and angled her head to get a look at the book Nell carried. "Reading up on island voodoo?"
"Voodoo? Oh. " With a nervous laugh, Nell tucked the book under her arm. "I guess if I'm living here, I ought to know. . . things. "
"Sure. " Ripley pulled open the door of the pizzeria. "The tourists love all that island mystique crap. When we hit the solstice, we'll be flooded with New Agers. Hey, Bart!"
Ripley gave the man behind the counter a salute and grabbed an empty booth.
It may have been early, but the place was jammed.
The jukebox was blaring, and the two video games tucked back in a small alcove shot out noise and light.
"Bart and his wife, Terry, run the place. " Ripley shifted, stretched her legs out on the bench. "They've got your calzones, your pasta, and yadda yadda," she said, tossing Nell a laminated menu. "But it's really all about the pizza. You up for that?"
"Sure. "
"Great. Anything you don't like on it?"
Nell scanned the menu. Why couldn't she think? "No. "
"Even better. We'll get a large, loaded. What we don't eat, I'll take home to Zack. He'll pick off the mushrooms and onions and be grateful. "
She slid out of the booth again. "Want a beer?"
"No. No, thanks. Just water. "
"Coming up. "
Seeing no point in waiting for table service, Ripley walked up to the counter, placed the order. Nell watched the way she joked with the long, thin man behind the counter. The way she hooked her sunglasses in the collar of her shirt. The way she stretched gorgeously toned and tanned arms out for the drinks. The way her dark hair bobbed as she turned to walk back to the booth.
The noise receded, like echoes in a dream, until it was a wash of white sound under a rising roar. Like waves cresting. As Ripley sat across from her again, Nell saw her mouth moving, but heard nothing. Nothing at all.
Then, like a door flung open, it all swarmed back.
". . . right up through Labor Day," Ripley finished, and reached for her beer.
"You're the third. " Nell gripped her tingling hands together on the table.
"Huh?"
"The third. You're the third sister. "
Ripley opened her mouth, then closed it again in a long, thin line. "Mia. " She ground the two syllables together, then gulped down half her beer. "Don't start with me. "
"I don't understand. "
"There's nothing to understand. Just drop it. " She slapped the glass back on the table, leaned forward. "Here's the deal. Mia can think, believe, whatever she wants. She can behave however she wants as long as she doesn't break the law. I don't have to buy into it. If you want to, that's your business. But I'm here for pizza and a beer. "
"I don't know what I buy into. It makes you angry. It just confuses me. "
"Look, you strike me as a sensible woman. Sensible women don't go around claiming to be witches descended from a trio of witches who carved an island out of a chunk of Massachusetts. "
"Yes, but-"
"No buts. There's reality and there's fantasy. Let's stick with reality, because anything else is going to put me off my pizza. So, are you going to go out with my brother?"
"Go. . . " Confused, Nell pushed a hand through her hair. "Could you rewind that question?"
"Zack's working up to asking you out. You interested? Before you answer, let me say he's had all his shots, practices good personal hygiene, and though he has some annoying habits, he's reasonably well adjusted. So, think about that. I'll get the pizza. "
Nell blew out a breath, sat back. She had, she decided, entirely too much to think about in one short evening.