Children of the Sea 03 - Sea Lord

U.S. Geological Survey is reporting a six point two magnitude earthquake south of the Bay of Fundy. Damaged cable lines from here to Halifax. They’ve ordered mandatory evacuations along Penobscot Bay.”
    “What about World’s End?” Regina asked.
    Caleb’s mouth tightened. “No evacuations.”
    “In a fast boat—”

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    “Not in the dark. Not through the surge. The first wave will hit us in less than an hour.”
    Dylan put his arm around Regina. “What about helicopters?”
    “Not in this snow. We couldn’t get more than a few people off that way anyway.”
    “I only care about a few.”
    “Wait,” Lucy said.
    “Can’t,” Caleb answered briefly. “I need to sound the hurricane warning, get everyone up to high ground.”
    “The community center,” Regina said.
    Caleb nodded. “Tell your mother. She’s mayor. Get her started making calls. We’ll need volunteers to get the word out, move folks along.”
    “We’ll need food,” Regina said. “I’ll load the catering van.”
    “You’re pregnant. You’re not loading anything,” Dylan said.
    She patted his cheek. “Fine. You lift, I’ll drive.”
    Lucy pushed to her feet. She could feel the pressure building outside her, inside her, the wall of water bearing down, the power boiling up. “I need Dylan to stay with me. Dylan and Maggie.”
    Dylan’s black eyes blazed. “Then you can help load the van. I’m not leaving Regina.”
    “Maggie’s going to the community center,” Caleb said. “Where she’ll be safe.”
    Lucy’s legs shook under her. All her life, she had shrunk from confrontation. All her life she had given in to avoid raised voices and hard looks. Until Sanctuary. Until Conn.
    “ You are stronger than either of us imagined, ” he had said.
    Strong enough to leave him.
    Strong enough to do what needed to be done.
    Lucy raised her chin and stared down her brothers. “You can’t save them,” she said. “I can.”
    “You should listen to her,” Bart Hunter said.
    Lucy’s heart thumped. They all turned.
    The old man stood in the hallway at the bottom of the stairs, in almost the exact spot where Lucy had stood however many weeks ago.
    “You should trust her,” he said. “That was my problem. I never trusted your mother. I didn’t listen.”
    Lucy’s throat ached. “Thank you,” she whispered.
    Something flickered in his eyes that might have been sorrow or pride or regret. “You were always a good girl,” he said and shuffled away.
    “Dad,” Caleb called urgently.
    Bart stopped.
    “You need to get the . . . girl ready to move to the community center,” Caleb said. “My Jeep. Five minutes, okay? Bring plenty of blankets.”
    Bart nodded and continued up the stairs.
    Lucy blinked back tears and found Margred watching her. Her sister-in-law’s lips curved in a faint, approving smile. “Tell us what to do,” Margred said.
    Small waves slapped the rocks below the towers of Caer Subai, rushed in, and drained away. Conn watched them ebb and flow, ebb and . . .
    Ebb again.
    He sucked in his breath through his teeth, fear cold in the hollow where his heart had been. It had begun.
    “Call the wardens,” he ordered quietly.
    As Griff ran to obey, Conn watched the water crawl away from the shore, exposing the fragile communities that live at the water’s edge, crabs and mussels and shining weed, barnacles and starfish abandoned by the grumbling tide.
    And still the water drained away, drawing down, pulled by the waves still building out at sea, the powerful waves of displaced water created by the demons’ activity offshore. Soon those waves would reach the shallower waters around the island; and then the roaring flood would crest and fall on Sanctuary.

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    Unless Conn could hold his wardens together and hold back the sea.
    “ I cannot do this without you, ” he had told Lucy.
    He eyed the retreating water bleakly. He had no choice.
    But he would have liked to see her one last time.
    To tell her he loved her. To say good-bye.
    The wiper blades scraped ineffectually at the windshield as Dylan drove their father’s truck through the dark and snow to the headland above the point. Lucy squeezed shoulder to shoulder between Dylan and Margred on the bench seat. A cold wind whistled through the faulty seals. The ancient heater blasted at