12. Echoes of the Past

Despite the way he worded his request, Casper did not shy away from joining Jem and throwing himself wholeheartedly into whatever tasks Sienna found for them to do. Considering the fact that she had one arm out of commission, she had to admit that it was more than a little convenient to have two strapping young men ready at her beck and call to do things like chop more wood for the pile, or carry the buckets of replacement oil up the steep lighthouse stair, or dust all the surfaces that were above her eye level and therefore forgotten most of the time. They worked quickly and efficiently as she supervised, with easy banter and teasing volleyed back and forth through the day. Casper's serious, dry manner was a sharp contrast to Jem's buoyant nature, and Sienna often found herself laughing along with them.

At times, Casper would meet her eyes, and the sparkle of humor in them would do funny things to her insides before he seemed to remember himself. His expression would abruptly close off, and he became stern and impassive until Jem managed to draw him out again.

There was something troubling him. Something to do with her, and the more time Sienna spent in his company, the more she wanted to find out what it was.

After a simple supper, they armed themselves with lanterns and set off for the caves. The air was cold and bracing, and the dark waves sparkled with moonlight. A rare, cloudless sky was blanketed in brilliant stars, drawing Sienna's eyes upward on more than one occasion during their walk.

"Careful!" Casper gently caught her waist as she tripped over the sand, distracted by mapping out the constellations. He dropped them almost immediately, as if embarrassed to touch her.

Which is ridiculous, considering the fact that he literally carried me this morning into the house. By the realms, was that only this morning? At any rate, we're engaged; he should at least be willing to lend an arm.

Without waiting to ask permission, Sienna slipped her hand around his arm just above his elbow. She sent him a breezy smile when she felt the muscles tense at her touch. "Just in case I trip again." she told him innocently.

And because I've decided that I'm going to wear you down until I find out what is really going on in that head of yours. When tomorrow comes, we'll only have five days together, which means I need to make the most of it.

"Ah, yes. Of course." He swallowed. "So, these caves—how did you find them?"

"I've lived in Nivem my whole life. After my mother passed away, Papa and I would take long, rambling walks along the shore. We discovered the tide pools first, and then one day at low tide we realized that the caves were there. They're tucked away out of sight from the sandy part of the beach, so most people don't know they even exist. Papa and I do, and Devri. And Erik." Sienna winced a little at his name.

"But no one else?"

She shrugged. "Not that I've told. It was fun, having a little secret hideout, even if it was a little too far from home for Papa to allow me to go on my own at first."

"Far? I thought you said it wasn't a long walk."

"From the lighthouse it's not. But Papa and I didn't move into the lighthouse until earlier this year. Before that, we lived in a little house in town."

"Ah."

Sienna waited, but it seemed like that was the only response she was going to get from him, so she continued. "Now Papa doesn't like me going on my own, but for a completely different reason."

"Because of the crates?"

"Well, two reasons now, I suppose," she amended. "He was quite adamant that I not return after I told him about what I found, but even before that, he's been leery of the caves ever since the accident."

"What happened? If you don't mind my asking, that is." Casper held the lantern out in front of them as they neared the tide pools, and the terrain became a little more hazardous.

"It's fine." Sienna stepped gingerly across a slippery rock. "I told Erik about the caves shortly after we started courting, and we would come out here often on days when the weather was mild to picnic and explore. It was our place—he even proposed there. One afternoon, we had arranged to meet at the cave rather than walking together, as he had some last-minute business he said he needed to take care of. He was late, and I decided to amuse myself by walking through the caves while I waited." The memories were hazy as they played out in her mind. "I don't remember much after that. According to Devri, I must have tripped and hit my head against a rock. Erik sent her to find me when he realized he wouldn't be able to make it, and when she got here, the tide was nearly at its highest and the entrance to the cave was submerged. She found me unconscious in the water, and it was a miracle of the Almighty that she got there in time to still be able to use her Siren magic to force the water from my lungs."

Jem let out a low whistle from his place a few steps behind them. "That sounds horrifying."

"I certainly was for Dev and my father. I don't remember most of it. But after the near-drowning, I ended up with pneumonia and an infection in my lungs and throat. It was touch-and-go for a while after that, which is when Papa seems to have incurred all of that debt." She sighed. "He lost our savings, and I lost my magic and my future. It was a steep price to pay for what was supposed to be an afternoon picnic."

The caves in the cliffside loomed before them, the openings dark, empty holes in the moonlight. Sienna let go of Casper's arm and held out her hand for the lantern. His eyebrows raised curiously.

She wiggled her fingers in response to his unspoken question. "Give me the lantern. I can't show you the way in the dark."

The look he gave her was unimpressed. "You have one free arm, Si. I'm not going to fill it with a light and leave you with nothing to catch yourself. You don't need to do anything more than point out the right direction."

Sienna opened her mouth to argue, but Jem cut her off. "Don't try to dissuade him. Casper's biggest fault is that he can be more than a little stubborn when it comes to taking responsibility for people."

Casper scowled at him. "I didn't realize that wanting to help Sienna avoid falling on her face was a fault."

"In this case, no," Jem responded cheerfully. "I was speaking in a more general sense. You do tend to shoulder burdens alone."

"I'm a captain. It's called leadership."

"No, it's called being stubborn."

Sienna looked back and forth between the two of them, certain that the underlying tension in the air went much deeper than whether or not she carried her own lantern. She cleared her throat. "If Casper wants to take the lead here, I don't mind. The cave is right here."

Her words brought the attention of both men back to the situation at hand, though she was certain from the steely glare that Casper sent Jem's way and his easy disregard of it that this was a familiar and oft-repeated argument.

With a grunt, Casper pushed forward and ducked into the cave. With a shrug, Jem gestured for her to follow before taking up the rear.

"So," he began conversationally. "When you said that you lost your future, what did you mean? Is it because of your voice?"

Casper's voice held an edge of warning. "Jem."

A bark of laughter escaped her, and she looked wryly over her shoulder. "You really don't believe in holding back, do you?"

"As my dear old Mormor used to say, ‘Faint heart never won fair maiden, and the questions unasked will always remain unanswered.'" Jem paused for a beat. "But you don't have to answer if you don't want to."

She turned her attention back to the path in front of her. "It's not exactly a secret. My voice was so damaged that it has taken months to recover. I can't sing, which means I can't perform magic. It might just be temporary, but it might also be permanent. There's really no way to know for sure, except to give it time." She swallowed against the painful lump in the back of her throat. "Anyway. Erik was quite upset when he found out, and it's the reason why he broke off our engagement."

"Because you were sick and lost your voice?" The incredulity in Jem's words warmed her heart.

But then, he's human. They both are. They have no concept of what not being able to make music means.

"It might seem strange to you, but a large part of Faerie culture revolves around what kind of fae you are and what kind of magic you can do. Erik said he was willing at first to overlook my Naiad blood because I at least had a strong Natural magic. But once that was gone…" She shrugged. "I wasn't enough."

Casper stopped suddenly and turned on his heel. Sienna had to lean back to avoid running into the swinging lantern in his hand. It illuminated his face, highlighting the planes of his cheeks and the dark hollows under his eyes. His eyes bore into her own, and the tone of his voice brooked no argument.

"Erik is a fool. He held one of the greatest treasures in this or any realm in his hand, and he threw it away because he was afraid of losing his social standing?" His teeth clenched. "I don't know if fool is even a strong enough word to describe him."

Just as quickly as he had turned, Casper was facing forward again, leaving Sienna reeling.

What was that all about?

A few moments later, they passed through into the cavern room. Casper held the lantern high, allowing it to cast its light over the space.

"It looks like someone has been busy."

Just as before, the middle of the room was stacked with crates of uniform size. Sienna counted nearly a dozen of them as she circled them with Casper and Jem. Jem pointed to the label on one of the wooden planks. "It's Hollander's alright."

Casper cursed softly.

Jem reprimanded in a sing-song, "Language, Captain."

Casper rolled his eyes but sent a gruff apology in Sienna's direction as he handed her the lantern and began pulling and tugging at the wood, looking for a loose plank.

"What do you think is inside?" Sienna watched him curiously. He seemed more upset than mystified, as if he knew what he would find when he opened the crates and was not fond of the answer. The loud squeak of nails being pulled out of fresh wood echoed off the walls, and Casper set the board he had just removed to the side. Sienna moved closer, eager to see what was inside.

Pieces of straw used as packing material fell to the ground as Casper reached in and pulled out a leather portfolio, held shut with a string wrapped several times around a double-sided hook. He quickly undid the string, revealing the edges of a stack of papers. He thumbed through them, and his expression darkened.

"What is it?" Sienna peered over his shoulder

"Music."

"Music? Why go to all this trouble for music? We have plenty of that here."

"Not like this."

She frowned. "What do you mean? How do you know?"

He closed the portfolio with a heavy sigh and lifted his eyes to her. They were sad and full of regret.

"Because it's mine."

Casper refused to say anything more, and they walked back to the lighthouse in thoughtful silence.

It's obvious that Casper feels responsible somehow, but so far I have yet to see anything that indicates that he actually is culpable. And from what Jem has said, this seems to be a habit of his. I wish I understood what's going on.

After wishing the men goodnight, Sienna ducked out the side door and walked around the house to the woodpile. She started gathering as many logs as she could with one arm.

"There you are, little Enna. I've been looking for you all day."

She jumped and let out a squeak of surprise, scattering the wood on the ground. "Erik? First of all, don't ever call me that again. Second, what are you doing here?"

His eyebrows lifted at the sight of her sling. "What happened to you?"

"I fell. Why are you here?"

Rather than helping her, he leaned against the side of the house and watched as she picked up the fallen pieces. "Like I said, I was looking for you."

She wrinkled her nose at him. "Why would you do that?"

"We have some unfinished business."

Sienna faced him, her arm full of wood like a shield between them. "The only unfinished business we had was our wedding, but it's too late to change that."

"I always did enjoy when you got out your claws." His smile was slick and patronizing. "But you can put them away for now. I think you're going to appreciate what I have to say."

"Unlikely." She walked around him, intending to leave him in the darkness behind the house, but he followed her.

"I think we should get married."

His words froze her feet in their steps. She turned on one heel and blinked up at him slowly. He wore a self-assured smile on his face. "Excuse me?"

"I was just thinking: You wish to retain your position here at the lighthouse. By law, this property should be mine. If you marry me, we both get what we want."

Sienna pressed her lips together and breathed slowly, doing her best to keep her tongue in check. "Let me make sure I understand you correctly. You want to marry me for my lighthouse?"

"Not only that." He stepped forward and ran a finger down the side of her cheek. "There are other reasons. We were engaged once before, you know."

"I am aware."

"So that's a yes?"

She backed away from him, shaking her head. "No."

Erik's face immediately lost his charming facade. "Why not? This is the way for us both to have what we want." He laughed cruelly. "It's not like you're ever going to have a better option."

The door creaked open behind her, and Casper's frame filled the doorway, framed by the firelight from within. "Si? Are you alright?"

Sienna turned back to Erik with a falsely sweet smile. "You're wrong on both counts. Marrying you could never give me what I want, because what I want more than almost anything in this realm is for you to leave me alone. And I do have a better option."

Erik was snarling at Casper like a territorial dog itching to pick a fight. "Who is he? What's he doing here?"

Casper said nothing, but calmly placed himself at Sienna's side and slightly in front of her. He held out his hands, offering to take the heavy wood. She handed it over gladly and hooked her hand around his bicep. "This my fiancé, Casper."

The way that Erik's eyes bugged out was one of the most satisfying sights she had seen in weeks. "You're—but he's—how?"

"Oh, the usual way," Sienna answered breezily. "He asked, and I said yes. So you see, I really can't say yes. Have a good night."

She pulled Casper along into the house, and they shut the door on the elf, who still stood with his mouth gaping open like a fish.

Sienna giggled as soon as they closed the door. "This week will be worth it for that moment alone."

"What did I miss?" Jem poked his head out of her father's bedroom, where the two men were bunking while they stayed.

"Oh, just Erik finally getting put in his place." Sienna grinned. "It was a thing of beauty. I don't think he's ever been forced to deal with the fact that he's not the Almighty's gift to women."

"I'm sorry I missed it," Jem answered somberly, but with a twinkle in his eye. "As my dear old Mormor used to say, ‘Bright is the moment when a being becomes elf-aware.'"