Free Always Remembered by Kelly Risser Page A

soul,
filling the void and drowning my worry. My dad was okay. He had to
be.
    Meara, is that you?
    The question rang through my head. I’d
recognize that voice anywhere. Dad? Where are you? Why haven’t
you contacted—?
    Meara, he interrupted. I don’t have
much time. They caught us two days into our expedition. We’ve been
imprisoned in their fortress since then.
    Are you hurt? Fear gnawed at my belly,
as I imagined all the horrors they were enduring.
    We’re fine. They have been… He paused,
and I assumed he was searching for the right word. …Hospitable,
but we cannot escape.
    Where are you? As I asked, a vision
filled my mind of the Minch — the strait
between several isles on the north-west coast of Scotland.
    We were searching the Isle of Lewis when
they found us. They knocked us out, and when we woke up, we were in
a dungeon under water. I have no idea where, but we must be
someplace in the Minch. Can you see the map?
    Yes.
    We were in Stornoway, on our way to the
Shiant Islands. That’s all the information I have. The map
vanished from my view. Tell Angus. Have him send two of my
guard—Drust and Judoc. When they arrive at the north end of the
Isle of Lewis, they should contact me. I’ll try to help direct them
to our location.
    What about me? It was always someone
else that my dad wanted. I wish he had more faith in me.
    Stay safe, he ordered. I have to
go. I love you, honey.
    Love you, too, Dad. My response was
lost when the connection broke.
    “Meara!”
    Ula’s hands were on either side of my face.
She tapped my cheek lightly with her flat palm when I focused on
her. “Good. You’re in there. What was that about?”
    “Dad contacted me. The Blue Men captured them
weeks ago.”
    “What?” Ula looked shocked. “Where?”
    “He couldn’t tell me, but he showed me a map.
They’re in the Minch. The last place they were was the Isle of
Lewis.”
    “Is that where they are now?” Ula nibbled on
her nail. Her gaze was distant. I could tell she knew the area, at
least a little. “Do the Blue Men live near the Isle of Lewis? We’ve
always known that they live in the Minch strait, but we’ve searched
for their dwelling before with no luck.”
    “He doesn’t know where they are exactly. They
were unconscious when the Blue Men moved them to their
fortress.”
    She switched to another nail, lost in
thought. If she kept that up, she wouldn’t have any nails left.
“Why now?” she mused. I raised an eyebrow at her and waited. I
didn’t know what she was getting at. She sighed in frustration. “I
mean, why did your dad wait to contact you?”
    I swished my feet back and forth in the surf
as I considered her question. Bubbles frothed over my toes. It
really went against our nature to stay away from the water. I could
feel the energy from it as it coated my skin. The water! Of course!
Kicking up my foot, I sprayed us lightly with the salty
droplets.
    “Hey!” She splashed me back.
    “This is it!” I said, tapping the water with
my foot for emphasis. “He couldn’t contact me until I was touching
the water.”
    Ula’s mouth dropped open. “Why didn’t I think
of that?”
    “None of us did, but it makes sense, right?
Our power comes from the water.” I wiggled my toes to prove my
point. “I feel better already, stronger, from only immersing my
feet.”
    “Me, too,” she admitted. “What are we going
to do now?”
    “Go rescue them,” I said without hesitation.
By the look on Ula’s face, I knew I said the wrong thing.
    “O-kay,” she drawled. “What did your dad tell
you to do?”
    “Um…”
    “Meara—” Her voice held a warning, like any
good aunt scolding her niece.
    “Fine,” I huffed. “He said to send Drust and
Judoc.” I didn’t think much of my dad’s guard, especially those
two. Drust and Judoc were your typical meatheads, all muscle and no
common sense.
    “That makes sense. They are two of the most
skilled, third and fourth in command respectively. That’s why