Drake Sisters 03 - Oceans of Fire

Joley ventured cautiously.
    Abigail’s fingers tightened around the steering wheel until her knuckles grew white. “It’s the only explanation. I’ll have to let the others know the house isn’t safe.”
    “The house doesn’t keep all people out, Abbey. Sarah and Kate’s fiancés can come and go with the Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    doors locked. Don’t you remember how the padlocked gate swung open for Damon the first time he came to meet Sarah?“
    “I met Aleksandr before the prophecy began unfolding and in any case, Matt and Damon are engaged to Sarah and Kate. That’s completely different.” Abigail glared at Joley, daring her to continue the conversation.
    “Hmmm.” Joley studied her fingernails. “I do believe I heard a rumor you were engaged to this man.”
    “Do shut up. I can’t drive with you annoying me.”
    Joley laughed as they turned onto the long drive leading up to the old mill. “You seem to have managed just fine, if you ask me.”
    “Which I didn’t.” Abigail parked the car as close to the old building as she could. The mill had been for sale for years, until their sister had recently decided to purchase it. The sprawling building overlooked Sea Lion Cove and had once been a small but thriving lumber mill hiding the much more lucrative business of smuggling. The mill had tremendous history behind it. Kate Drake wanted to preserve as much of the old building as possible when she renovated it into her bookstore and coffee shop. Once the renovations were complete, a large deck and a floor-to-ceiling wall of glass facing the ocean would offer a breathtaking view of California’s rugged coast.
    “Do you ever wish you were normal, Joley?” Abigail asked as she pulled a heavy case from the car.
    Joley shrugged, watching Abigail’s face carefully. “What’s normal, Abbey? We have each other and that’s what really matters in the long run. We have our aunts and our parents and cousins. Our family is different, yes, and maybe we pay a price for our gifts, but the good outweighs the bad.” She reached into the backseat and lifted out the other case. “You’ve been carrying a burden for some time. Don’t you think it’s time to share it with us?”
    Abigail looked away from her, her body going stiff with rejection. “I’m not ready yet, Joley.”
    “That’s all right, Abbey,” Joley said. “Just remember we love you and no matter what’s wrong, we’ll find a way to help.”
    Abigail blinked back tears. “I took my magic for granted for so long, Joley. Don’t do that. Don’t think you can just get comfortable with it and just use it without thought.” She turned her face away from her sister toward the sea. “Do you hear them?”
    Joley had a million questions but she pressed her lips together and nodded. Abigail seemed fragile to her.
    Way too fragile. She was going to have to talk to Libby and see if she could help ease whatever trouble Abigail was carrying. Joley was suddenly very afraid for her sister. She swallowed every question and sought for something to say that would lift the sudden tension. “I think I do hear them, Abbey. I remember all your work, listening for hours with headphones and scanning your video footage all the time, but I never paid that much attention. They sound like clicks and whistles, don’t they?”
    Abigail unlocked the door to the mill. “Each sound is used for a variety of reasons. All of them seem to have a signature whistle, rather like their name. I think it identifies the individual and they call to one another using that specific whistle. Many of the researchers believe, like me, that they do communicate on a much greater scale than we first thought.”

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    “They have their own language?” Joley had hit on the right thing to say. Abigail was so devoted to the dolphins and her research that her tone had brightened considerably.
    “I think they do, but it certainly isn’t anything like our language.”
    “They always seem so intelligent and happy. Whenever I see them I have this crazy urge to dive into the ocean and join them. And you know me and the ocean.”
    “Just keep in mind that they are wild, Joley. Dolphins can be aggressive and they certainly could hurt someone given the right circumstances. All too often people misinterpret what a dolphin is doing simply because they seem to be